602 call meeting of the waight select order 30th foror Business Review discuss and vote on meeting minutes from April 9th and April 23rd meetings any comments no comments n for me we'll vote on both at the same time I move to accept sorry I move to accept the meeting minutes from April 9th and from April 23rd I'll second I'll second that okay uh no for the discussion Joyce vote I Julie I I you discuss veteran payroll warrants April 25th any pack no no I signed them I looked them I have any questions but no questions for me either yeah actually I I'll leave that open if anyone once we get okay get them in a packet okay go back add to next just y uh appointment for 6:15 but sylv's here early so we will hear from Sylvie on the digital Equity PL hi everyone hi hi you all um so just a quick update um on Grant applications uh first uh just wanted to let you know that um we submitted uh our MVP action Grant application for the pollinator focused habitat project that we all talked about some time ago um and then also in the past few weeks uh we submitted a an application to the division of ecological restoration for um work to continue on the Christian Lane culbert for Perman and final designs um so fingers crossed for those two projects um and then I just wanted to um uh briefly talk about the digital Equity plan which um you may recall uh we have uh been working on a digital Equity Plan update tandem with the um uh comprehensive plan for the town um so Ted Harvey and Nicole CR from furog have been um diligently working on our digital Equity the digital Equity piece of that um and they conducted a focus group and interviewed um some residents and so uh in your handout you you'll see that um they have uh from that process come up with some goals and also a vision statement um I'll just quickly uh read the goals uh so the first one is fast reliable connectivity to ensure residents have access to the internet to the internet connectivity they need and can afford that is consistent with adequate and reliable speeds uh second goal would be selection of service um work to increase internet service provider competition so that residents have more choice in their internet plan and are better informed about their options and then number three is the digital resource navigation uh support weightly residents access to public digital Equity assets resources skills and training and especially those who need more support navigating digital systems um so uh these goals will inform the plan which is going to be drafted um and uh I will be posting the plan for um a two-e period of public comments so you can keep an eye out for that online um and then after we have that um twoe period um we'll uh Ted and Nicole will be integrating any comments um and feedback and then we will um hopefully on May 2 8 have a draft for you all to look over and vote on um so I just want to let you know that that is our timeline and um if you have any questions um or if anyone in town has any questions you can feel free to reach out to me about it okay great terrific thank you thank you so if you if you can stay for just say I do have CLE couple of things sure further down on the agenda we've got uh discussing cable license renewal which cable licensees come up how does this play into our cable license um those negotiations how could this play in um I am not sure I um I don't know um what is happening with our cable agreement maybe maybe Joyce can help with us uh yeah I've been uh I've gone through two cable licenses with the town um at this point um it only refers to Comcast first of all and uh it's uh during those negotiations we can do things like ask for extensions of the current Network to the very few houses that do not have Comcast service at the moment so that's a very concast for you know centered kind of thing and uh this point they're the only provider we have who's kind of wired onto our telephone poles um I I think the digital Equity plan I hope they talked about having competition um that's something we don't really have right now um so uh it's mostly it's related to one provider and um we can't probably get any other cable providers um interested in coming up with a contract for us um so uh we'll probably uh just see what we can what's the best deal we can get with concast but it's much more related to the cable end than it is to the internet we don't get to negotiate rates um we can mostly negotiate um how much they return to us to use for Public Access okay I one of the goals is f reliable connectivity and that has to do with the internet speed Comcast being the provider provides the internet from most of the people you know all probably a handful of people in town uh you know just if there's anything we can do in those negotiations to make sure sort of to mesh into these digital Equity goals I don't don't know if there's anything that can be done but yeah we do we do have these two things that both relate to internet connections and if if there's anything to be done in the negotiations that tie in and Aid the digital Equity plan that would be good yeah okay I syvia the other thing I have I'm going to bump up on the agenda from old business into since you're aware of this is the exit 35 market analysis I don't recall seeing uh I think I might not have sent it on to them but I had I had thought you had sent it um because you did send the EV assessment and I thought maybe the exit 35 assessment also went to the select board but I I don't think it did so that was my error um and I can uh Rectify that pretty easily but not for tonight's discussion Okay so okay yeah yeah I'm sorry remember if I um had sent it to you all or or um just to the study group um the study group actually hasn't uh we haven't had an opportunity yet to meet to discuss that but we'll be doing that in short order and um and yeah I'll be curious hear what you all think of that as well okay so we will just put off that discussion until yeah whatever meeting it's ready uh and I think that's it the only thing we would have for you is the scheduling Westman Samson which we you don't need to be here for okay okay thank you thank you okay new business Memorial Day Services flag raising by a select board member I have done this the last couple of years um Joyce when are you back in town I'll I'll be back in town for that you are so I'll be happy to be there when there's more than one of us there we often just we all Stand By and Watch one of us put it up the floor put up the flag okay so I would think whoever is there and I can certainly be there this year I haven't been able to be there I think for the past two years yeah I I will be there um I expect I'll be there as well so so I I just think we will need to give a name uh to well I'd say let's organizing I'd let the chair do it if I mean all other things being equal that okay and I think that point happy to do it you know I said I've done it the last couple of years but we'll be happy to do it again and okay uh next Senior Center exercise class Town Hall newspaper I can comment on the uh exercise class we were approached informally at this point I don't believe that Jessica's received an application yet um to to use the town hall for an exercise their usual exercise program um but it all kind of ties in the whole other discussion of using um the the current um Holy Holy Family Church area and which we had an email on um so I don't know Joyce may actually have more information on this than um or can share more information on this probably as the Lea on yeah um yeah we are in the process of um renewing our lease with the church for the um they kind I want to say event space it's like a gymnasium small gymnasium room that use um the senior center rents Monday Wednesday Friday mornings uh and they do some of their um Community meals there as well um they uh leases up the end of May and to renew it we to go through an RFP process and oh it says my interconnection we don't are we back yet you're still talking to us yep with hiup oh okay okay you all froze so I thought I figured I wasn't coming through okay so um all right so we're in the middle of this um lease renewal and they want to put something um in there so that um uh they don't they haven't really given us wording yet but the bottom line is they they want us to basically be neutral on things that are um uh related to church teachings I mean it's that's very vague and and because they haven't got the actual wording in front of me but what it comes down to is they don't want us advertiseing in our newsletter about um the senior center events related to lgbtq seniors and we have events we don't have those events at the church we have them at our other location um but they would like us to be neutral which I think is being interpreted as we're not allowed to advertise that in our monthly newsletter and um far from neutral right that's okay and as a member of that Community as well see what I'm not sure there is a neutral here that's one view point I'm interpreting yeah I'm interpreting what other people are are saying here to some extent um so I uh when when Jennifer went and reviewed our you know $250,000 plus dollars worth of Grants we're not allowed to discri rate um even if we wanted to and we don't want to we really couldn't comply with this particular request um so the board of oversight is going to meet uh Thursday afternoon and uh I would not be surprised if the result of that meeting was that we know we we just let our lease end at the end of May and not renew that lease um the senior center staff were looking at how that would impact programs the most obvious was an exercise program and if that could be moved to the weightly town hall that would really help uh them be able to continue the programming that they were carrying on at the church um I mean there's not a lot of storage space at our town hall there's some things that uh that that wouldn't be perfect but it would certainly be do doable um so that's kind of where this uh singor Center exercise class at Town Hall is is coming from I mean we we desperately need our own space right and we've known that for a while um so this is kind of a just U another hopefully uh temporary but probably temporary like a year or two not temporary a month or two sort of thing given um the the places that we're looking for space so I hope I didn't get anybody into too much trouble there no as a matter fact we've got a letter uh email date from Jen rard from last Wednesday in which she states categorically we will not be moving forward with a least agreement so I think she's yeah anything I I was trying on the yeah yeah I I would not be surprised if I mean that's not a buo decision yet right because we haven't had a meeting right but I believe Jen has discussed it with all of the boo members and that is why that that's why I'm just giving you my opinion of what I think will happen yeah no I don't get that will happen it's just that again seems quite adamant on the subject and the board of oversight will be any different yeah I uh so do we need to I don't think you need to do anything action to to approve sub all for this well there'll be a um there should be an application coming and as long as you folks feel comfortable with that and allowing them it would be daytime so we don't usually have too many activities there during the day mostly evenings um if you're fine with it then I can sign up on the application oh yeah no I I think we're fine with the my only question is whether we need a formal Vote or not I wouldn't think so okay yeah I think the the town hall policy I think says has a procedure and that we're not necessarily in the loop on all of this right then we don't something more um on a regular basis like this I'd like it you know I think we feel more comfortable bringing it to the selectboard and letting them know about it the one time um visits you know someone wants it for a family gathering or something I feel okay doing those but if this is a little bit more longterm and we'll commit more commit on a regular basis I kind of wanted to sel like board okay on that y so you have sounds good and also along that same line is the uh there was a my turn in the the paper from some members of the senior center yeah um concerned with the same things we've been discussing okay uh so I think we're good with the senior senator uh table license renewal we essentially talked about earlier unless there's anything else you need to add to that no um you might want to consider who will Joyce still be the main person to handle those negotiations if she she's done done the previous two if you're willing to take it on again well if there's somebody itching to get into the cable advisory the cable license then I I don't see any itching going on over there okay you're so good at it but we we'll go with the experience on this one I'll keep that that's okay okay okay uh Town administrative selection announcement that was kind of put on the agenda because we weren't sure if you were voting last week and okay agenda kind of got mixed up a little okay let's put that off we' got executive session at the end we'll talk about specifics then we will come back after that for a a vote on uh EV assessment report uh scheduled May 17th or 28 anyone have a preference on date for when we hear from Weston and Samson actually 14 yeah it does say I think it's the 14th or the 28 okay so 14 to 28 either one either I'll be there in person for the 28th so a so you wanted to go with the 14th then because you like staying up late no actually oh because I love staying up late no and also the 14th is the like the the day before it's my second to last day here um so I think I'm going to be like like that anyway so um okay so I hear a preference for the 28 I'm hearing a pre yeah you're hearing a preference from me but you guys can and vote the other way if you want to I'll understand try to schedule Western s for the 28th if by some chance they can't make it that day then we may have to fall back to the 14th but okay let's aim for the 28th and I see Sylvie SK on did she did you get either of those dates with Weston Samson um I I sent them a message asking if they were available those dates I haven't heard back if we have a preference for the 28th I'll let them know that and um I think David pomerance is our local person with the team so hopefully he'll be free and and can join us that night okay yeah so let's aim for the 28th okay and go from there okay exit 35 we have done Aon updates uh I've got nothing I've busy with administrator sear stuff I have nothing for the water Mission um well my T my got done earlier so that's uh ly Town Administrator okay just a quick um as far as reviewing of pending items I think we've reviewed all those pending items already uh the assessors update the new company started on Monday we they introduced us to uh Stephen Casey who's going to be our kind of assistant assessor from the company he's getting his feet wet with you know passwords and changing all of that kind of stuff so that he uh can hit the ground running um I'm they were still working out dates when I left the Mee but I think he's going to be here Wednesday mornings and I wasn't sure if it was going to be Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday morning or Tuesday morning and Wednesday morning then he will be in the office so two be it'll be two half days one yeah and he's started in Conway as well because they went along with the the um the same contract same group so he'll we will be sharing this one person through um with Conway um and the cler CL there are for funds it's just easier uh the annual report was due April 30th and that has been submitted uh so uh the next step is to think about the additional projects and the finance committee is meeting on uh Capital planning items tonight so we might be able to uh kind of tackle those as part of the arpa funds the water department there really isn't update it is is being very carefully watched as far as um how much money they have left in their budget and um uh the right now the finance committee and the uh and Dara the town accountant have agreed to run the account in a deficit under the salary line with the stipulation that there's going to be a transfer an interdepartmental transfer from their operating budget into their their salary line which hoping that it will cover it at this point in time but Dara is keeping a very detailed um listing on all the revenues and everything that are coming in and what's been going out so that transfer can be made what in the last two months of the year without without fur days it's a the entry Department transfers are done by uh combination of Select board and finance committee so we will have those together um you can do it the last two months or the first 15 days in the next fiscal year because sometimes you don't have those total bottom lines y um so that's the water department in the packet there's a few letters that um went along with Grant applications that uh Sylvie just um applied for so uh I don't know if she wants to say any more on those letters or not yeah I think we we've already you've already seen y right so those were for the um heart Family Fund for small town Grant application the Deerfield uh support Le letter for the Deerfield MVP and then a support letter for weightly MVP great and the Heart Family Foundation is for potential grant for Center School school yeah I forgot one um I just it earlier today but yeah that one's for um the Center School um to hire a consultant for feasibility study cool okay um I don't think so um so executive me go get Trisha and motion to move into executive session discuss contract negotiation mov on Personnel specifically an administrator imployment second vote Joyce move to Julie I I okay we will go to Executive session as soon as yeah let's get Trish in and Trish will get here we do I think when we go in executive session we have to say whether or not we're going to come back out we we will be will be coming we will be coming back this should not be a particularly long executive session session but we will be coming back we will uh yeah TR Trisha will know what to do with the zoom right yeah but Chris you've got to be off during the executive I can I can just text you tomorrow and we can talk it's fine by me okay okay all righty have a good night guys thank you good night Chris hey night chis hello hello okay uh I think Sylvie has to jump off as well and do we need start recording we have to stop recording I'll see you all tomorrow thank you Sylvie thank you sy bye bye than Sy okay back in open session we on the agenda we have to vote on the 10 administrator employment agreement which was discussed in executive session for S Peter K who we hope to be our new Town Administrator uh I will move we approve the contract as submitted subject to any technical Corrections editing that might be necessary second any further discussion have a vote Julie yes Joyce I yes have that and I will I will move to adjourn oh sorry before we adjourn uh we have next meeting May 14th May 28 we have a scheduled meeting which would be for June 11th but that's election day so we can't have a meeting that didn't to come up with a different date for that first June meeting okay um we we don't necessarily have to do that now but we just have to know that we need to have an alternate date for our first meeting in June uh okay okay that will be our last meeting before annual town meeting okay I would take advice from our interim Town administrators as to whether having a meeting before town meeting might be better than having one a week out um it depends I guess on if the warrant is totally up on the 28th if we have everything set for the warrant if the warrant is not quite ready um maybe it you could do a Monday or something before that or um because it would need a week to be posted before the town meeting so okay um all right yeah okay well at either the May 14th or May 28th meeting we can set a date we're pretty sure the 28th um we should have the warrant pretty much set but also if anything else comes up that yeah means we should have a meeting um but I just wanted to put that out there that our usual meeting date is no good for that slot okay okay then I will move we journ I'll second that oh Joyce hi Julie hi hi we are