vote to go into >> Oh, I got you. Okay. >> I mean, you're the lawyer. >> Hey, just just remind >> recording in progress. >> Good evening everybody and welcome to the Yarmas Select Board meeting of
December 2nd, 2025. Uh, we are going I'm going to accept a motion to go into executive session to consider going into executive session pursuant to Mass General Law Chapter 30A section 21 A3 to discuss strategy with
respect to Revoli Construction Inc. versus the town of Yarmouth, Massachusetts and CDM Smith, Inc. If an open meeting order if an open meeting may have a detrimental effect on litigation position of the public body,
the chair can declare um it eligible for executive session. And I do so I will moved. >> Is there a second on that? >> Second. >> I'll take a roll call vote. >> McGarin Dorcas McGarin I. >> Argo I >> post I we are going to go into executive
session to return to public session approximately at 6 pm. Thank you. Recording stopped. >> Walking stick. >> Never seen that before. >> Recording in progress. >> Do we have any other firefighters that
might be able to help us with chairs? >> Hi Dave. >> Hello. >> Deacon Dave. Deacon Dave. >> You'd already left. No, there's no service at all in here. >> Don't forget your coat. >> You would notice the minute you put a
nose out the door. You're busy. >> I haven't been able to go anywhere for two weeks without having somebody chat with me about this. >> Street here for the dagget hearing, right?
>> Gas station. We do have the firefighters. Why don't we have the firefighters? Hey, Bob. >> Say they could help with getting out some chairs. We're honoring firefighters tonight and violation of our own.
>> They're liable to shut us right down. Every firefighter we're exceeding the location. You hear anything on Monica's? What's going on with Monica? >> Thank you.
>> I'll talk to Good evening everybody. If we could all just please try to come in. There's seats along the wall here. If you want to grab a seat, there should be a seat for everybody. So, we can um get started, please. I >> hope so.
>> Thank you all for coming tonight. >> We open the meeting prior to our executive session, but we are going to begin with the pledge of allegiance. If you could all please stand and join me. I pledge allegiance 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. >> Thank you. Um it appears we're going to have a lengthy um public comment. So, we
are going to take things out of order and allow our uh proclamations to uh come forward first. We have some recognition. Hi, Brad. Find a seat, sir. Okay.
All right. I assume our chief, >> how are you? Good. How are you doing? >> Good evening. We're going to take it out of order. We're going to do the proclamations before we do public comment if that's okay. So, we're ready for you. >> Awesome. Yep. >> You guys can stand right there. That's
perfect. >> So, tonight we have um tonight we have some recognition just so that the the public knows. We're going to recogni recognize our uh first responder departments and agencies who um helped in assisting with uh the trench collapse
incident that occurred here in town unfortunately on October uh I'm sorry, November 18th. >> Go ahead, Chief. >> Should we get our first responders? >> Come on in, guys. >> Come on, guys. Come on up front here. Come on up front.
>> You guys later. Yeah. YES, SIR. I WASN'T AT SURE. All right. >> So, I'll just uh start by saying thank you very much. Uh that's very kind. Uh you know, fortunately, a lot of these guys were were there that day, guys and girls. Uh this was their shift working
uh on that day. Um obviously a difficult day for us. Uh like us, you know, we never know what we're going to expect in a day. Um but that was certainly was uh was not on our our radar for for 8:50 in the morning on a Tuesday. Uh but they got it done. They did a fantastic job.
Um, you know, the outcome wasn't perfect, but uh, you know, they did what they could and they did save some lives that day and that's, uh, that's the important part. Um, I have to thank all of our partner agencies. The DPW uh, was fantastic. Um, the water department uh,
obviously a part of that and the police department was was great. Our mutual aid partners uh, made that possible. um the Barnesville County uh tech rescue team, the Plymouth County Tech Rescue Team uh and all the other Cape Fire departments that that covered our calls. Uh you
know, the the phone didn't stop ringing that day. Uh the the mutual aid partners did about 18 calls while we were uh dealing with that call in particular. Uh so everything kind of kept coming at us. Uh but they did a fantastic job. Uh thank you very much for for offering some recognition. Um, these guys, uh,
guys and girls do a great job day in and day out and, uh, I'm very proud of the work that they do and so should all of you. >> They're here. >> Very well said, Chief. Thank you very much. Um, and I'm glad you have a full room here to um, all help in in your
recognition because um, it's very very important. So, we have an official town of Yarmouth official citation. Be it known that the town of Yarmouth hereby recognizes the Yarmouth Fire Department for exemplary actions in display of heroism. And be it further known that the town of Yarmouth extends its sincere
thanks and gratitude for the attempted life-saving efforts and selfless professionalism demonstrated by all personnel during November 18th trench collapse in South Yarmouth on Southshore Drive. This citation is approved by the Arma Select Board and duly signed by its
chair on this day of December 2nd in the year of our Lord 2025. So that is for the Armouth Fire Department. We have several other citations here. Um and instead of reading them all, they're they're
grouped, but uh this is for all of the towns. uh Barnstable, Brewster, Centerville, Austerville, Marson's Mills, Chattam, Coutuit, Dennis, Howitch, Joint Base, Cape Cod, and West
Barnstable for exemplary actions. And be it further known that the town of Yarmouth extends its sincere thanks and gratitude for their response and stabilization efforts demonstrated during the November 18th trench collapse on Southshore Drive, South Yarmouth. Their onseene and coverage support
during the incident is truly appreciated. This citation is approved by the Yarmas Select Board and duly signed by its chair on the second day of December 2025. We also have a recognition here for the Barnes County Technical Rescue Team and the Plymouth County Technical Rescue
Team for its exemplary action. And be it further known that the town of Yarmouth extends its sincere thanks and gratitude for the response and technical expertise provided during the November 18th trench collapse on Southshore Drive South Yarmouth. Their onseen assistance in
safely extricating the victim during the incident is truly appreciated. The citation is approved by the Yarmouth Select Board and duly signed by the chair on the second day of December, 2025. We have a few more. Uh, it takes a lot of people. Takes a lot of people. And,
and you know, I just want to go back to talking about um the term heroism really. Um, it's not an understatement. There are a lot of people that uh go in the other direction when something happens. And you guys risk your own lives. You risk their own lives that day
to get in there and and help. So I think that that needs to be highlighted. The these citations here are for the Department of Fire Services, Boston Medflight, and the Providence Canteen for exemplary action. And be it further known that the town of Yarmouth extends
its sincere thanks and gratitude for providing direct support to the incident seen during the November 18th trench collapse on Southshore Drive, South Yarmouth. Their assistance is truly appreciated. I'll give you that one. >> Thank you.
WE ALSO WE ALSO have um others and I you know I I don't want to short anybody who was there but there were several agencies there um that needs recognition including the Massachusetts State Police Department, Baral County Sheriff's Office, OSHA. We have National Grid and
Eversource who both helped in the incident as well. And there is um something here for for all of them as well that reads in the similar um I want to give you this
and this. Sorry, chief. Thank you. >> We have a few specifics here that I'd like to um to call out. The Yarmouth Police Department, you know, it our our first responders, they don't act alone. both the police and the fire department work together on these incidents and
sometimes it's the other way around that it's a it's a police issue with the fire department support and in this case it was a you know a fire issue with the the police department supporting it but we want to recognize also the police department for its exemplary actions and be it further known that the town of Yarmouth extends its sincere thanks and
gratitude for providing direct support to the incident scene during the November 18th trench collapse on Southshore Drive South Yarmouth. Their assistance is truly appreciated. And I saw a chief there. >> Thank you. We have citations for specific people
within the town that um played a role. Um one of them being Lori Rosala, which is our water and wastewater superintendent. So we want to recognize with an official citation for Lori Rosala. Um, and be it further known that the town of Yarmouth extends its sincere thanks and gratitude for her immediate
response during the November 18th trench collapse incident on Southshore Drive. Her supervision and full attention during the situation went above and beyond and is truly appreciated. SO JEFF OH, here we go. Come on in. >> Right here. Shy, come on in. Come on
over. This is great. Great. So, we have um a official citation for Ryan Chase, the assistant water superintendent, for your exemplary actions, and be it further known that the town of Yarmouth extended sincere thanks and gratitude for your immediate response and attention during the November 18th
trench collapse on Southshore Drive. Your assistance throughout the day was critical to the rescue operation and is truly appreciated. We have we have Luke White. Yep. Water assistant water superintendent. Uh for your exemplary actions and be it further
known that the town of Yarmouth extends its sincere thanks and gratitude for your immediate response and attention during the November 18th trench collapse on Southshore Drive in South Yarmouth. Your assistance throughout the day was critical to the rescue operation and is truly appreciated. Thank you.
So, these are all all similar um but I'm going to read the specific names. So, uh this is an official citation. Be it known that the town of Yarmouth hereby recognizes the following town of Yarmouth DPW and water division employees. Paul Weatherbe, field
supervisor. Jeff Parker, water meter cross connect technician. Jeff McWartin, McWartner, sorry, water and meter connection technician, Jonathan Moore, water service technician, and Jackson Wood, water service technician, for exemplary
actions. And be it further known that the town of Yarmouth extends its sincerest thanks and gratitude to these DPW workers for their support during the November 18th trench collapse on Southshore Drive in South Yarmouth. The provision of equipment and services was critical to the rescue operation and is
truly appreciated. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Thank you all very much. >> It truly does take a village. I don't like to quote Hillary Clinton, but >> um and Peter Burch >> right behind you. >> Oh, Peter. Hi,
Peter. We'd like to recognize you with this official citation as a heavy equipment operator for your exemplary actions. And be it further known that the town of Yarmouth extended sincere thanks and gratitude for your sustained efforts in operating the town of Yarmas vacuum truck during the November 18th
collapse situation on Southshore Drive. Throughout the whole day, your continuous attention to pumping of water out of the trench assisted in the critical re rescue efforts and is truly appreciated. And I just want to say thank you very much. That had to have
been a difficult day for you. Okay. And we have we have two more and then two specific citations. Um, also we have a official citation for uh the town of Yarmouth hereby recognizes uh the DPW and Highway Division employees Chris
Branch and Ed Noowers. We're just here. >> Oh, please. Thank you. Thank you very much. We'd like to recognize you for your exemplary action and be it further known that the town of Yarmouth extends its
sincere thanks and gratitude to these DPW workers for their support during the n November 18th trench collapse on Southshore Drive. The provision of support and services wherever needed was critical to the rescue operation and is truly appreciated. Sign on behalf of the
board. Thank you both very much. Okay. Thank you all for coming. Um >> All right. So, we have >> Chief. >> Yes. >> Me again. >> All right. So, we'll do Matt first. >> Sure. >> Awesome.
>> All right. Uh good evening. Tonight, we're here to recognize a few members of the Yarmouth Fire Department. Although as a group our members rarely seek any recognition, most prefer to keep the focus on the team and the mission. But every so often, individual contributions rise to a level where it's appropriate and important to acknowledge the
difference one person can make. The recognitions tonight are both related to a fire incident on Astro in August of 2024. In the early morning of August 1st, the residents became aware of smoke and heat in their bedrooms. A young girl in the home opened a bedroom window, pushed out the screen, and climbed
outside. She ran to her neighbor's house where they together called 911. In the last couple of years, Lieutenant Bur worked hard to get back into the schools, having conversations with young students and providing basic fire safety lessons, including opening a window,
pushing out a screen, and climbing to safety and making a call to 911. Last year, the young girl from Aster Way just happened to be in the back of the classroom learning a lesson that would save her life a few weeks later. Lieutenant Bur was named the 2025 fire
and life safety educator of the year at the Department of Fire Services 30th annual fire and life life safety education conference. The state fire marshal John Davin says stated by all accounts Lieutenant Bur has energized the Yarmouth Fire Department's fire safety education efforts and worked
collaboratively with partners across agencies and disciplines and his efforts have yielded remarkable results. Lieutenant Burst leads a team of fire service educators here in town, educating all our atrisisk populations and also serves on a regional youth fire setting prevention and intervention team
that is setting the standard statewide. Congratulations to Lieutenant Bur. He was selected by a panel of his peers from the fire service and from the fire safety division of the department of fire services. Congratulations. Okay. The town of Yarmouth Select Board
official citation. Be it known that the town of Yarmouth hereby recognizes Lieutenant Matt Bur for being named Life and Fire Safety Educator of the Year. And be it further known that the town of Yarmouth extends its sincere congratulation in achieving this
prestigious award at the Department of Fire Services public fire and life safety education conference in Mansfield, Mass. in recognition of outstanding fire safety education efforts and working collaboratively with partners across agencies and
disciplines. Those efforts have yielded remarkable results with one youngster using the lessons he he taught you, Lieutenant Bur, to get low and go when a fire broke out in her home, said the state fire
marshal. This certificate was approved by the armor select board on this second day of December, 2025. Thank you. So this uh uh on the night of August 1st, all of the members of D-shift that responded to that incident performed incredibly well. Their training,
experience, and professionalism were apparent. But yet again, it's important to recognize individual actions when appropriate. At a hectic fire scene, Lieutenant Enight gained information that the mother of the young girl that had called 911 was still inside the home. After a quick size up, he
determined the fire was in the basement. Under high heat and zero visibility, he and firefighter Crosby entered the home without the protection of a hose line and began a search. They found the woman in her bedroom unconscious, unresponsive, and in cardiac arrest.
They removed her from the home and were met with by additional crews where they began treatment. Due to their quick actions, incredible teamwork, the woman successfully resuscitated and has made a recovery. Every year, the Department of Fire Services and the Governor's Office
honor the dedication and sacrifice of the brave men and women of the of the Massachusetts Fire Service, specifically those with outstanding acts of heroism and bravery. This year, they choose to recognize the efforts of our members. a well-deserved honor. Congratulations to you both on your citations for
meritorious conduct. Thank you, Chief. The Town of Yarmouth Select Board official citation. Be it known that the town of Yarmouth hereby recognizes Lieutenant EMT Kevin Enright and firefighter EMT Robert Crosby Jr.
for being awarded the 2025 governor's citation for materious conduct. And be it further known that the town of Yarmouth extends its sincere congratulations in achieving this prestigious award at the annual firefighter of the year award ceremony
in Wester Mass. The award was presented by Governor Mara Healey in recognizing in recognition of their life-saving actions during a search and rescue at an active fire on August 1st, 2024. The citation was approved by the Arma Select
Board on the second day of December, 2025. Thank you guys very much. Awesome. Thank you all very much. Thank you. >> We got to do it. Thank you guys for >> Thank you very much.
>> Thank you. >> Congratulations. >> Aren't we lucky to have such wonderful people in Yarmouth? Thank you. Thank you very much. >> Thanks, gentlemen. Thank you. >> Well done. Thank you. >> Thank you.
>> That was fun. >> Well done. >> Sad but fun. >> Well done. Thank you. >> Sup. >> Well done. Thank you. >> Well done. Thank you. Well done. Thank you. >> Good job. >> Thank you.
>> Thanks, Chief. Nice work. >> Well done, Tracy. >> Easy. >> No, Tracy. All right. Sorry about my tongue twisting. >> It so many times. >> Fun part of a meeting.
>> Okay. So, we're going to start with announcements. So, um >> one second. Just gonna shut this door. >> You want to get it? Okay, we're very blessed to have some amazing first responders and they deal with some um very tragic and uh serious
situations every day. So, it's good to recognize them. We are going to start with um announcements, our 6 PM uh item. Is there anybody who have any announcements this evening? >> No, ma'am. >> No, anybody? No. Okay. So, we are going to go to um to public comment next. Um I
I know a lot of people are here to talk about the 8:15 agenda item. It is not um a public hearing. Um so, I can leave it up to the board whether or not that they want to take comment at that time or not. I prefer to have it all under public comment if that's the
board's wish, but >> it's fine. And plus, you may may not want to stay because we could be late. >> I'm sorry. That's not typical, just so you know. All right, so we're going to start with public comment. If um you would like to come to the podium,
you um I am going to request that it's only Yarmouth residents that speak. Um you state your name for the record and your precinct, please. >> Sure. Absolutely. Good evening, Select Board Chair Tracy Post and members of the Yarmouth Select
Board. My name is Susan Gregory Davis, a Yarmouth resident, registered voter, homegrown grown in our town and part of Yarmouth for everyone encouraging the select board to adopt the following resolution. The Yarmouth Select Board does hereby affirm the town of
Yarmouth's commitment to the values of freedom, justice, and equality for all Yarmouth residents and visitors and to supporting its residents and visitors in leading lives of peace and dignity free from fear, harassment, and violence. and
to that end further resolves that the town of Yarmmouth and its official and employees shall continue to comply with all applicable provisions of state and federal law including the Massachusetts Constitution which guarantees equal
protection of the laws to all people regardless of nationality, citizenship or immigration status and continue to protect the civil liberties, safety and human rights of all Yarmath residents and visitors regardless of age, race,
religion, ethnicity, ability, sexual and gender identity, marital or economic status, citizenship, and immigration status. Through this resolution, the Yarmouth Select Board has the opportunity to make a significant statement reaffirming our
values and who we are as a town, thereby sending an impactful message to all of our residents that everyone residing, working, and contributing in many ways to our town is greatly valued by this community. This proposed resolution is
clear and uncomplicated. There is no intent to become a sanctuary city, no different expectations for policing, no support for non-compliance with the law. In fact, members of Yarmouth for Everyone gratefully met with Chief Lenin
to confirm these points and share our unequivocal appreciation for the professional public service of our Yarmouth Police Department. Rather, the purpose of this resolution is focused to reaffirm our town's commitment to the
constitutional values of freedom, justice, equality, and equal protection of the laws to all people. Values that are not new, yet in their virtue and integrity bear repeating, reaffirming, and indeed celebrating.
If this resolution is simply a reaffirmation, why is it necessary? It is both necessary and critical because a significant number of our residents are currently living with a level of fear many of us cannot begin to imagine. Who
are these neighbors living in fear despite having resided here for years, decades or longer despite intentionally following legal paths to citizenship often despite even being US citizens. They are for example our health care
professionals, hospitality workers, skilled trades people, house cleaners, public employees, those caring for our children and elders, often juggling multiple jobs, doing what many would choose never to do. And yet they live in
fear of going to the grocery store, work, church, school, and of suddenly disappearing from their family, home, and community. Through immigrant support work in our area, I've had numerous conversations with neighbors living in daily fear of arrest for no other reason
than the color of their skin. This is why we, as a local municipality, have the opportunity and responsibility to reaffirm that we care deeply about the well-being of all our residents and stand with them in support. We cannot
relieve the fear completely, but we are called to do our part, extending our compassion and care to our neighbors right here in Yarmmouth. The Bonstable Town Council unanimously approved this resolution. Likewise, it will be under consideration of the Dennis Select
Board. Yarmouth, one of only four towns on the Cape that hasn't yet adopted such a resolution, has the opportunity to partner with our neighboring towns and to support our residences, businesses, and communities right here in Yarmouth. On behalf of Yarmouth for Everyone, the
Midcape Immigrant Rights Coalition, and all concerned with upholding basic human dignity and rights in Yarmmouth, I strongly urge the select board to adopt this resolution. Copies are available for anyone who would like. And thank you
to our select board for this opportunity to speak to the importance of this resolution. Thank you, >> Susan. >> Hi, Cheryl. Hi. Uh, Cheryl Ball, West Yarmouth. Sorry, I don't know my precinct. Um, I'm also here to talk about the resolution
and it's my understanding that this resolution was mainly brought forth by Mr. Berseron who is from Dennis and is one of the representatives of a group called the Cape Cod Coalition for Safe Communities. I think the name of that group is a little bit of an oxymoron because it
should be called the Cape Cod Coalition for Unsafe Communities. In the resolution, we see words like freedom, justice, equality. But those are already principles that are covered by our constitution. So it begs the question, why did Mr. Berseron want to
bring this forth to the town of Yarmouth for reaffirmation? And I think the answer lies in the fact that it's it's a Trojan horse. Inside of that resolution, there's the word visitor.
And it's a linguistic word that I think is used to extend the protections that are offered to um citizens to illegal immigrants that are residing here in Yarmouth. Most of us when we think of the word visitor, we think of tourists, but
that's not what it means. Just like the word uh visitor is a Trojan horse, I also think the name safe communities is a Trojan horse for sanctuary communities. And that's also a fact because you can find that documented in articles that are written online.
I want to talk a little bit tonight about facts and I want to talk about some of the visitors that we have here. This here is Agnaldo Morera de Cruz. He was apprehended by ICE earlier this year for rape and extortion.
At the time of his apprehension, there was an ICE detainer for his removal from the country. That ICE detainer was in place because of two prior arrests that were made here in Barnstable County. One of those arrests was made here in the town of Yarmouth. This is a Facebook post from
the Yarmouth Police Department back in August of 2023 when he was arrested for sex trafficking and aggravated rape. So, why was he released? Well, the answer is because of this woman. This is Barnstable County Sheriff
Donna Buckley. On her very first day in office, she decided to terminate the 287G agreement that was in place that would allow our local law enforcement to work cooperatively with ICE. On the day that she terminated that agreement, she was shadowed by two men.
One of the men in this picture is Mr. Berseron, applauding as that 287g agreement is terminated. We're not we're not doing that. We're going to hold our we're going to be respectful to everybody and we're not going to applaud. >> Here's here's another one of our visitors. This is Roberto Tahada. He was
also apprehended by ICE this year in Dennis. He was apprehended because he was in the country illegally since 2017. He entered the country illegally in 2017 as a felony because he had already been deported from the country in 2013.
He was deported from the country in 2013 because he had committed vehicular assault in Nantucket in an incident where he ran into two bystanders and pinned a third in between a vehicle in his. Two of those bystanders had to be
airlifted to a Boston hospital. On the day of the apprehension in Dennis, there was a 13-hour standoff for his apprehension. And that standoff was partially due to the fact that 20 activists decided to show up and interfere with the operation. Included
among those activists was Mr. Berseron. This article is about a whole group of of visitors that we had here. This is about 18 Brazilian nationals who were arrested for gun trafficking in Massachusetts in March. These gun traffickers were part of an
international gun trafficking gang. Five of those gun traffickers were here on the Cape. Four of them were here in Yarmouth and one of them was in my neighborhood. This is the house in my neighborhood
where he was living. It's one of those houses. I think a lot of us know what those houses look like. They have five to 14 cars parked in the driveway. Constant turnover occupants. We have no idea who's living there. We can't talk to them because no one in those houses
speaks English and they're constantly changing. How safe do you think I feel knowing that I've got gun traffickers living in my neighborhood? Mr. Beron lives in East Dennis. He lives in a neighborhood of multi-million
dollar homes. How many of these houses do you think he sees from his front porch? I've got a whole bunch of other visitors. I'm going to skip those in the interest of time, but I'd be happy to submit these to the board for your review. There are plenty of them. I didn't get all of them. You're not going
to read about it in the Cape Cod Times. They don't cover articles like this, but these stories are real and they're a real threat to us here. >> I've got murderers. I've got child rapists. I've got uh cocaine traffickers. There's a little of
everything here. On April 1st of this year, I was driving into Hyannas. I was stopped in bumper-to-bumper traffic by the airport. My car was rearended by a white worker van. And in that white worker van, there
was a Brazilian national. I couldn't communicate with him because he spoke no English. He also had no driver's license. So, tell me what business he had being on our road. I got my car repaired. Fortunately, I wasn't injured.
But less than three months later, I was parked over at the station out parking lot over by the Cape Cod 5. My car was t-boned by a Toyota Camry that decided to go Dukes of Hazard style over a median and into my passenger
door. It wasn't a Brazilian national. It was a Haitian national. But once again, he spoke no English and had no driver's license. And I have here the accident report with all of that documented.
How many of these people do we have living here in our country? We have absolutely no idea. How many are in our roads? We have absolutely no idea. All we know is that over 20 million people flooded into this country illegally. And our governor welcomed
them here. She not only welcomed them here, she incentivized them. She set up Healy hotels for them. We had one right here in Yarmouth. We all remember it. They came here because they were incentivized to. They had everything paid for. their shelter, their food,
their transportation, their medical care, all paid for by us, the taxpayers. And now those people aren't in the Healing Hotels anymore. So where are they? Well, they're pushed out into our neighborhoods. And they're still covered by our benefits
because there's a homebased program. We have no idea how much is being spent on this homebased program because our attorney general won't allow us to have an audit even though 72% of us voted for it. So now we have a housing crisis and we wonder why. Well, maybe it has something
to do with 20 million people flooding the country and our governor inviting them to come here. >> Can we have someone monitor? >> Yes, I approve too. Tracy, >> go ahead. >> I'm almost done. >> Okay, everybody. Excuse me,
>> folks. We're not doing this. If you can't be quiet while we're listening, then you need to leave the room, okay? We need to get through this. Everybody has a right to their opinion and and it's going to be respected. >> Madam Chair, >> please time limit. >> We We will.
>> Good. Thank you. >> Okay. Our state senator, Julian Seir, tells us that we need them. We need the workers. He says, "We need people to clean our beds and take out our trash and mow our lawn." Those are his words. And quite frankly, I find his phrasing a
little offensive. I also find it economically inaccurate because prior to this mass migration, we didn't have a housing crisis. We didn't have a worker problem. We had workers here legally doing the jobs,
paying taxes, and they weren't working under the table and undercutting our wages. So, I think what is happening is that it's the citizens of Yarmouth that are suffering. It's the taxpayers. It's the people who have built this community.
The people like Chris Wilson at the cranberry bog. The people like John Tally who just wants to sell his lobsters. They're the ones that seem to get pushed around by the town. In the meantime, our visitors seem to come in and have all of their benefits taken care of and a whole bunch of people
arguing for their protection. And our politicians sit back and they call it progress. I call it insanity. >> Thank you, CHERYL. We're not We're not We're not going to be clapping. We're
not doing that. We're going to listen to people and we're going to move on. Tom, go ahead. You have five minutes. >> Thank you. I'll make it less than that. >> Thank you. >> Um Tom Sullivan, West Yamoth, taxpayer resident down here over 60 years.
Um questions on this. I don't like the wording in regards to the resolution in regards to immigrant status under the state constitution. State has no control over immigrant status. Immigrant status is federal and federal
only. Federal law supersedes state law. It's called the supremacy clause. For those who don't know, read your constitution. It's very clear, very simple. The supremacy clause under constitution
establish that the constitution federal laws are pursuit to it and treaties under the authority of the United States constitute the supreme law of the land and thus take priority over conflicting state laws. They don't include your
marijuana law in Massachusetts that governor illegally approved. Okay. It provides the state courts are bound in state constitution sub subordinate to the supreme law of the land, a constitution.
The wording on this where it says the state constitution and uh the immigration status both. I question whether that's legal. Has a town attorney looked at this, Mr. Town administrator? >> Has a town attorney reviewed this?
>> This is public. We don't comment. I don't believe he has yet, but >> I would suggest not putting this on a table. I haven't review it. He's probably going to say it's illegal. >> It's it's >> as far as everything else goes in this, we're already covered under the 1965
uh Civil Rights Act. That goes back to that. All right. So, I don't see where uh anything else is except for the immigration. uh data, you you as a board have no authority over police in regards to telling them what to do or whatever.
You can't do that. Now, finally, the second thing I'm going to raise is with the board. I do watch the meetings. This has come up three times. Liz and Joyce brought this up. There was no action taken. Brought up twice.
Third time he brought it up, Mark get involved. My question is how much in communications outside the board have you been discussing this? Uh I don't believe it. The writing on the wall here is showing that there is something going on outside of this meeting and maybe the
state ethics should take a look into it on an open meeting law violation. That's all I got. Mr. Madam Chair, >> sir. >> Hello. >> Hi. My name is John Beachch and I'm a registered voter in precinct 1 here in
Yarmathport. I've been a homeowner in Yarmouthport since 1979 and am the proud parent of two DY graduates. I'm also a former employee of the DY school district as a school psychologist and later as a consultant to the system. So I guess I
have a stake in this community. But I also have a stake in this resolution and it comes from at least two sources. First though, I want to state that the resolution, while the first two speakers have zeroed in on its possible impact on immigrants, it also
names a number of other marginalized groups, those with u with different gender identities, those with of different abilities, those of different races. So, we really need to appreciate this in that broader context. And considering that broader context for
me first, as a co-founder of a nonprofit that works with individuals with various disabilities, including many individuals from Yarmouth, I have had my eyes opened to their experiences of being bullied, discriminated against, and judged as
unable. As a community, we still have a lot to do if we want if we feel that they deserve something better than that. Second, our home for the past 46 years suffered a serious fire last spring. And despite the valiant efforts of the
Yarmouth police and fire departments, it's left our house uninhabitable for at least a year. However, we have been heartened by the remarkably diverse and underlying diverse workforce that our contractor has employed to rehabilitate
our house in at this time where we were suffering so much vulnerability and need. They were there for us. Without their work ethic, construction skills, and encouraging words, I'm not sure where we would be right now. But we're in a
better place. Some may say this resolution before you tonight is redundant and unnecessary. I choose to disagree. Research suggests that one must encounter a message seven times before one is motivated to take action.
Endorsement of this resolution is one step in taking its message of dignity and respect for all from lip service to intentional behaviors. >> Thank you, Mr. beach. Sorry about your house. >> I said I'm sorry about to hear about
your house. >> Hi, I'm Jodie Canali. Um, precinct 8. Um, I'm a kind of a newbie to the town. I married into it a couple years ago. >> We won't hold that again. >> Um, and we're not having kids. Um, but anyway, so when I read this, I took it
from the standpoint of what was a visitor and I looked at the United States rule is that somebody who is lawfully here, whether it's me, it's you, it's anyone that hasn't done their taxes, hasn't done their car, whatever. It's all of that. And I think that that's very important to for us to
stress is that none of us would get away with some of these things. If we think about the paperwork we have to do just to get health insurance, get it covered, get it paid for. Immigrants, people who come to the country to move, they show up at the border, they're in illegal. They fill
out the paperwork. They have to prove who they are. They have all these steps to go through in order to do it. And if they do that, then if they don't have the paperwork with them, they have 30 days. So there are steps to be lawful and do it. I think that the immigrant
status shouldn't matter if they've come in correctly and everything. I think that somebody who has not followed the rules is should not be allowed in. Um I think that part of my thing is is that part of the mass health mass um for them
to be sheltered there's things they have to show that they're a resident their income their reason for shelter they have to prove their entity their family relationship their citizenship their immigration status they have to give financial information and they have to
commit to a criminal quy check I don't know if that's done and that bothers me because I've been, you know, had trouble with a neighbor who looked in my windows, did everything. I think that a Corey check is the most important thing to me. And this is when we talk about
this, somebody not giving up their immigrant status has nothing to do with if they're illegal, they're illegal. They're not an immigrant. They are doing things and they're avoiding the system. Um, when my kids were in high school, I would always pull the sex offender list.
There were family members who my kids knew who were on that list. I looked six months ago. There was somebody with logos from two of the big um package delivery places in town. Yes. I called them to ask them if those people would be in my neighborhood because I fear for
me. I fear for my neighbors. It doesn't matter who you are. If you're illegal and you're not following the rules, I think that matters. I think that um we've all seen horrific things in our life, you know, um the terrorists, we've
seen mass shootings. If we don't stand together with our federal and our state laws, we have nothing because the federal laws would have stopped 90% of the mass shootings. They're not allowed on schools. They're not allowed this. Those people purposely misled. So, if
we're telling our towns and our representatives to not communicate with the federals, we're not going to be protected. We all have plans. We fill out our paperwork to get social security, to get assistance. Everyone needs to know the assistance is there for them, but it has to be done
correctly. Thank you. >> Thank you, Jody. >> Good evening. >> Hi. Um, good evening fellow residents and supporters of Yarmouth. My name is Leslie Dey and I'm here before you in support of the Yarmouth resolution.
>> Are you a Yarmouth resident, ma'am? >> Yes, I am. >> Okay. I'm sorry, Madam Chair. >> Okay. I'm here in support. >> If the speaker could move the microphone just a little bit nearer, I think we'd be able to hear you better. Thank you. >> Okay. Um, I am a resident of Yarmmouth who has lived here during the past 25
years. Um, I am a recently retired clinical social worker who has worked part-time treating psychotherapy clients through teleaalth for my Yarmouth residents. I have also been an active volunteer in the Yarmouth community at Bed Sound, an organization focusing on
helping the elderly age in place and the Yarmouth food pantry, the Salvation Army free lunch program and other volunteer locations. I have enjoyed the beauty and the peace and safety of living in the community in Yarmouth.
Currently, I am a member at MCIRC, the Midcape Immigrant Resolution Coalition, seeking to provide resources and assistance to our immigrant residents in the face of local ICE invasions, kidnappings, and deportations.
I am also a member of the Dennis Union Church racial justice group seeking to raise awareness and counteract racial discrimination in the Yarmouth community. I would like to start my statement supporting the Yarmouth resolution
with some well-loved, familiar, and respected words. We the people of these United States in order to create a more perfect union, establish justice, ensure domestic tranquility, provide for the common
defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish the Constitution for the United States of America. As such, we hold these truths to be self-evident,
that all men and now women are created equal and are endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights. That among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. During the past 10 months, during the
current administration, the climate across the nation and indeed in our wonderful, previously safe community has changed. As a result, there is a directive from the executive branch ordering the aggressive and at times violent invasions of immigrant homes, resulting
in terrorizing and physically abusing both legal and illegal immigrants and separating them from their families. This has created a climate of fear and chaos among the immigrants leading to the unlawful kidnapping and imprisonment
of these predominantly hard-working familyoriented individuals who should by law be presumed innocent until proven guilty. ICE agents wearing masks so as to be unidentifiable and to terrorize these
unsuspecting, often poorly paid contributors to our community break into their homes, drag them out of church, school, and their places of employment, often in the middle of night, leaving their children abandoned and terrified.
This imu inhumane treatment of immigrants should not be tolerated in our community. I intreat our residents to stand up and support the Yarmouth resolution which reaffirms the rights of all Yarmouth residents and to restore peace and
justice in our community. Thank you for hearing my plea for humane treatment of all who visit, work or reside in Yarmouth. >> Thank you, Leslie. >> Thank you. >> Hello. Uh my name is Chris Min. I live at 320 Wood Road in Yarmouth, South
Yarmmouth. Um I'm speaking tonight on behalf of the chairperson of the human rights comm uh advisory commission, Gene Morrison. Um the Bonsville County Human Rights Advisory Commission works across all Cape Cod to promote inclusion, equal opportunity, and ensure access to
resources to all persons living, residing, working, and visiting Barnesville County. We stand in solidarity with our towns to denounce violent and hateful act acts against others and all forms of discrimination. We advocate for the rights and dignity
of all in our communities and we provide the community with a platform to share and address human rights needs. The commission also identifies trends that raise concern and help communities across Cape Cod to address those concerns by providing support and
resources regardless of demographic identities. We help by connecting people to local and state agencies that offer solutions and resolutions within their scope of services to embrace, strengthen, and build unity between the rich diversity of people on Cape Cod. We
conduct educational programs on human rights issues, host speakers from local organizations, and share information about their work in the community, celebrate achievements, give public presentations and exhibits at community events. Community education serves both
to promote mutual understanding, collaboration between people. The Barnesville County Human Rights Advisory Commission firmly believes that Cape Cod is for everyone. We support everyone's equal right to live, work, study, worship, and play here freely and safely
on our beautiful shores. We therefore agree that Yarmouth is also for everyone. We support the town's Yarmouth's commitment to values of freedom, justice, and equality for all Yarmmouth residents, businesses, and visitors. We ask on your on behalf of
the Barons County Human Rights Advisory Commission to vote to pass this resolution reaffirming, I'm sorry, reaffirming and supporting the civil liberties, safety, and human rights of all Yarmouth residents and visitors along with towns of Barnesville and
Dennis. This is a step in the right direction to collectively reaffirm commitment to respect all residents, workers, and visitors and keep COD safe and a welcoming place. Thank you. >> Wolf,
>> hi. Thanks for this opportunity. Um, you're doing a great job being select for this town. My name is Jim Wolf. I've been in Yarmouth for 13 years. I'm a registered voter. I'm recently retired from uh being the sustainability
director at Cape Bear. And uh in my first year of retirement, I had a long honeydew list and um I climbed up a ladder to do some of that and I fell and I broke my my hip, which
was absolutely fine until that happened. Then I found myself in Cape Cod Hospital once, twice, three times because my replacement hips kept on getting infected. So this is all in 2025. I'm standing here and I'm very happy to be standing here even though I'm leaning.
So I want to say while I was in the hospital, never there before I I realized that hospitals are a great place to get some stories and I love stories. So, in the middle of the night, they come in every hour and they uh do something, whether it's taking your blood pressure or what. And I want to
say I was very specific. I had a notebook and I was looking for things that moved me. And I got 13 different nurses to tell me their personal stories. How did they And by the way, 13 out of the 14 were recent immigrants and
they took care of me. Okay. I'm pretty sure that taxes were being taken out of their paychecks. Okay. So, um then also this year, my mother passed away and we moved my 95year-old father to Cape Cod from Philadelphia, which is where I grew
up. And we've been we've had 247 um care for him. Um the woman who's the primary caretaker is from Jamaica. She came about 15 18 years ago. Um she is
like I mean I think my brother Dan and I would be killing ourselves if we didn't have Dion. So when it comes down and then I guess the final thing I'd say is all of my ancestors, all four sides going back from my grandparents arrived in the United States without driver's
licenses and without speaking English. I'm the second generation from them to graduate from Harvard. Okay. So, there's been a lot of predu uh productivity in my family. So, to me, this is about it
is about reaffirming and the reason we need to reaffirm our commitment to these things. And by the way, I was just down in Philadelphia visiting the National Constitution Center. I hope some of you will get there sometime. It's a place where you can study the constitution.
Um, so I feel that the reason we need to reassert this now is because we're losing it. We are not committed to this in the United States. We are all the things that we've heard u about arresting people and make giving people the fear and everything
like that. That is not a part of who we are. And that's why as Yarmouth uh we need to reassert our commitment to these values so that we can go on and it may come to a fight. It may come to a situation where we expect our police
department to interfere with ICE arrests. Yes, that might actually happen. I believe that our town should be on the right side of those kinds of issues when people are being arrested and they have their citizenship, etc., etc. So, um, you know, overall, I think
it's a perfect time to reassert this. And the final thing I'd say is statistically, there's a lot of fear going on. You know, our first speaker, you know, threw a lot of fear at us. Um, the crime statistics nationally
are that the percentage of American citizens who commit violent crimes is much higher than the percentage of legal and illegal immigrants who commit crimes. So, you know, the idea that our
nation is going out and seeking them everywhere to arrest them and deport them doesn't make any sense at all. You know, if you're going to look at uh the history of some immigrant in Yarmouth, I suggest that you could start looking at the history of a lot of us in Yarmouth.
I mean, I'm six generations removed, but So, there you go. Now's the perfect time. Let's do it. Select people. Let's do it. Let's get it passed. Let's stand with the rest of the towns. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Wolf. >> Madam Chair, members of the board, thank
you for the opportunity to speak to you tonight. My name is Francis Leaport. My wife, Donna, and I reside on Springer Lane. Um, I washed a shore in 95. She's not left Yamoth yet. I want to speak to you in a way that no
one else has said tonight. Uh, let me give you an idea why I have this purchase to speak to you. 100 years ago, my grandparents immigrated legally to this country. They didn't have to worry about driver's licenses because there were no cars.
They settled into Miltowns in in the southern southern central Massachusetts in the north eastern Connecticut area. My parents were born in 17 and 18. That's not 20. That's way back. They grew up in those small towns working in the mills. And at one time or
another, every member of my family, and yes, myself, worked in a factory just down the street. During World War II, my dad worked for a factory that created the holding mechanism for the bomb sites of B7s. He didn't serve in the service.
During Vietnam, my older brother worked on gyro systems for the Apollo mission. Again, he didn't serve. In 1971, I registered for the draft. However, my number was too high to be called in. The result was I was able to be the first
one in my family to graduate college. None of us served in the armed forces, yet all of us served our country one way or the other. That was our interpretation of fair treatment. Tonight, you've heard impassioned on
both sides. I'd like to take another corner of that triangle. If I could please, I'd like to talk to you about a marginalized group that I believe needs our support more than fair treatment deserves our support. Based on recent
data, as many as 50 or more homeless veterans are believed to be living on the streets in Cape Cod tonight, the Cape Islands region hosts a disproportionate share of Massachusetts homeless veteran population.
We account for 21% of the total homeless veteran population of this Commonwealth. One out of every five right here on Cape Cod. Now, I wasn't able to get updated for this this uh
town. However, the Cape and the Islands region says that veterans in this area veterans are only 6% of the entire population being served. For context, a recent federal study just found that 830
homeless veterans across the Commonwealth. Do you see where I'm coming from? Now, I don't have numbers for Yarmouth. Yarmouth is part of the district veteran services office serving the 15 towns here in Cape Cod with a total ve v
veteran population more than 25,000. Although no one in my immediate family served in the military, I have the highest respect and admiration for members of my extended family, my friends, members of my church who have served and
some who are serving right now. It's my strongest recommendation that we first care for those veterans presently in our community. They deserve the treatment first before others. Thank you for your
time. >> Good evening. >> Good evening. My name is uh William Kerwin. Not much of a public speaker and the words I did prepare I get the feeling most of you wouldn't like them. So, I'm going to >> Are you a Yarmouth resident, sir? >> I am. I've been a Yarmouth resident for 22 years now. >> Okay.
>> Um I just don't get out to these meetings very often because I never thought much about my local government. >> It was about uh 5 years ago actually when I started paying attention, my 13-year-old looked at me and said, "Dad, can I get top surgery?" >> And that got my attention. So, without
uh jumping around because a lot of you have covered some of the things that uh I wanted to speak about, but uh one of the things that um I brought with me was a copy of the resolution that Barnstable did cuz I figured the out oftowners would lead with the same words. And then
because I do it for a living, I said, "Well, let me cheat and I'll just run this through chat GPT." And I said, "Chat GPT, find me where it says that in the laws that we already had." So, here it is in the US Constitution. Here it is in the Massachusetts Constitution. Here it is in the Massachusetts Civil Rights
Act. I could go on and on and on, but that's that's rather boring. I believe the format was uh introduce yourself, your bio. So, uh heard a lot of talk about everybody's bio. My background uh the 90s I came here in '92. I was uh in
the Marine Corps reserve. I attained the rank of E4. So, I can say I was a non-commissioned officer of Marines. So, that's uh that's my background. Uh I might be a washer shore, but my uh children are natural-born Cape Coders and I've actually traced their lineage back to the Mayflower. So eventually
I'll get them to sign up for the Sons and Daughters of the Mayflower. So as all service uh members are required, I won't swore an oath to the Constitution to defend against all enemies, foreign and domestic. And in these times, it's real hard to figure what that actually
means. But let me conclude by saying what you guys are presenting here isn't governments. This is compelled speech dressed up as a resolution. We've watched this pattern play out over and over again. We redefine the language. We redefine the categories. Now we use
those definitions to change the narrative. We mandated pronouns, you know, right? I haven't met a superintendent yet that doesn't have he him in his pronouns. You know, they teach that at school. Well, we had pronoun day just a few weeks ago here in uh the people's republic of Yarmouth. We
manufacture terminology and ideology assertions presented as unquestionable fact. You know, we can't we question, we get silenced, you know. Now, this resolution is using that exact same playbook. We create symbolic statement today, right? We all feel good, you
know, because you know this country was founded on immigrants, never mind our laws or law enforcement. you know, you don't have laws, you don't really have a country, but that's another conversation. So, I would just prefer to think that the folks that are running this town are smart enough to recognize that and not
allow an outside faction to manufacture a political storyline to legitimize their ideology by embedding it into municipal documents that could be pointed back to later. This isn't 1984. This is 2025. This is the age of accountability and consequence. And
those of us that have been asleep at the wheel are paying attention. Thank you for your time. >> Thank you, Mr. Kerwin. >> Good evening. >> Good evening. >> Uh my name is Brian McGinness. Uh thank you for the opportunity to speak. I am a Yarmouth resident, a 50-year summer
resident, 7-year permanent resident. I'm a taxpayer and homeowner in West Yarmouth in precinct 5, I believe. I would like to speak out uh to advocate for the passage of this resolution and to speak out generally in support of the
immigrant community. General Stanley Mcristel wrote in his book on character. We fear people and ideas we don't know most often because we don't know them. In my case, I worked for a social
service agency for 32 years and I had a chance to work on many occasions with immigrants and I believe that um immigrants share a lot in common with people who have been here for generations.
The great majority of them wanted to obtain and keep employment. They wanted to live in a safe community and they wanted to raise their children. and I wanted to get ahead. Um I believe that um being welcoming in
general is morally right. Uh my faith informs me on that. I'm also a member of the racial justice group at Dennis Union Church. But beyond that, I also think it's good as a practical matter in welcoming everyone, including
immigrants. We may be welcoming a valued future employee. We may be welcoming a future business leader. We may be welcoming a helpful neighbor. Again, I encourage the board to pass the
resolution and thank you for the opportunity to speak. >> Thank you, Mr. McGinness. >> Good evening. My name is Mary Jane Beach. Uh since 1979, I've lived on Winter Street in Yarmouthport and that's precinct one. Um I think you heard my
husband John a few earlier in this evening, but I I'd like to highlight that my uh two children graduated from DY schools and did really well. They had a great education. I am a child and family therapist and um uh I've served
many students and their families who live in town and across the Cape. I've collaborated with this district and others on the Cape and with the county on uh grants and staff training. I am also here in my capacity as the Yarmouth
liaison to the Bronstable County Human Rights Advisory Commission and I was interviewed by select board U member Doris McGern when um I applied and was appointed I think when Mark Forest was chair is that right? Mark Forest was
chair of the select board. uh I didn't go back to count how many years ago that was but thank you both for easing me into this process um in the capacity of the liaison I have also met with um chief uh Kevin Lennon
twice initially to introduce myself and most recently to share um the proposed resolution with him as presented by Susan uh Gregory Davis. We wanted to hear his perspectives and reaffirm that the resolution supports and encourages
uh the professional practices of Yarmouth police. Both meetings along with the discussion of um the uh Yarmouth Police Department website immigration frequently asked questions. Um I found those very informative and um
I've also learned through this process about separating politics and personal opinions from the law. Um, I've been reassured this proposed resolution is solely based on the law and uh, Chief Lennon went through what he and the other police chiefs have uh, done in the
legal counsel they've had. um through the counterhuman rights commission and my more than 50 year counseling career. I'm also very aware of the painful impact discrimination, assault, and harassment has on successful learning,
community engagement, and ability to work and thrive in a community. Unfortunately, this happens on the Cape and in our town. Um, everyone deserves to be protected from harassment. Um, and criminals deserve to be caught. And I don't think anyone here would disagree
with that. Adoption of this proposed resolution is important for our community. We uh deserve to live with peace, dignity, freedom from fear, harassment, and violence. This is a basic human right. And I think all of us in this room wish for our children,
friends, and relatives um those benefits. I guess the town's website highlight highlights. You'll find it all in Yarmouth. Cape Cod within reach. Um when we were thinking of a name for this group, um the slogan Yarmouth for all
came up. And then uh another member of the um group drew a logo with a heart and put Yarmouth in the middle of the Cape. And I thought I' I have envisioned that is a nice uh slogan, Yarmouth for all at the heart of the Cape. And I
imagine that concept might benefit tourism as well. Thank you. We spend we spend thousands of dollars on on consultants to try to come up with these logos. So >> it just popped. >> Yeah, I know that. That's great. It's actually great. >> I love it.
>> Thank you, Mary Jane. >> Good evening. My name is Reverend John Grevy Davis. I'm a retired pastor currently living in South Yarmouth. To begin with a bit of humor and also a fact check. Um, prior to coming here tonight, I thought I was married to Susan, the one who presented, but
hearing that this resolution came from uh Wayne, I guess we have a relationship. I didn't know about Wayne. We've only met tonight. But, so, just to be clear, this was not presented by someone from outside of this town. This is homegrown in this town. There may be others from outside who care about it, but this has come from this town. It is
about this town. And to be clear, much of the objections have been raised. They may be legitimate. They may deserve consideration, but they're not about this resolution. This resolution is so clear in that it it does not make Yarmouth a sanctuary city. It does not
change the the way that the laws will be enforced. It does not um uh uh forbid the police from working with ICE. It doesn't do any of those things. What it does do is to say we are a community. We are not a gated community. We're not a community where you have to meet certain
criteria to come in. a community that welcomes everyone by virtue of who they are as a person. Now, if you want to say, well, I'm not sure I'm comfortable with immigrants, for example, being uh im innocent until proven guilty, I would ask you also to read the constitution.
The truth is, of course, there can be people outside of this country coming in who do terrible things. Of course, there can be. They are a significant they are a minority, which is significant. If we didn't assume that the majority of our neighbors will be good people. If
instead we assume that every one of you is a potential danger to me because factually more people who look like me have done harm to pe to any of us than people who don't. If we didn't make that assumption, we couldn't live. We couldn't be a community. We have to begin with the assumption that we are
all human beings who are gathered together to to to share common values. And as it's been said earlier, many of the services provided in our community are provided by immigrants uh that do that do that provide that provide
service in in ways that we would be bereft without. I also think it's significant that one person mentioned this isn't just even though the focus has been on immigrants, it's not if you read the resolution, it's not just about immigrants. It's about people across the spectrum. Because you know, no matter
how much we may agree or disagree about anything, one thing that's fundamental to being human, we all know what it is to be excluded and we all know what it is to be included. We know that in our bones. And this is asking the Yarmouth giving the Yarmouth town a chance to
affirm that we are a welcoming and inclusive community that cares about everyone who lives here and treats them with respect and dignity regardless of what they look like, what their gender or sexual or any of that is by virtue of there being people. And I would just ask
you what would be the alternative? Would we decide to be a non-welcoming community? Is that the legacy one of this town? I suggest it isn't. I encourage support of this resolution not because it I mean the other reality is it's not really going to change who we
are or how we operate. So the folks who are against this need to need to militate against the way the town is. What this is about is affirming what this town is, what its values are, what we stand for, who we are as a people, and why that matters to us and to all the people with whom we share the town
of Yarmouth. Thank you so much. You're >> Evan Davis. I'm Lisa Standish. I live um 80 Country Club Drive in South Yarmouth. I have um two grandchildren. Well, I have five, but two of them
graduated from the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis. And my grandson Spencer is a captain in the Marines. He flies the F-35B for the Navy. That's the jet that goes
up and down. And my granddaughter Mimi is uh cyber security. She's down in Jacksonville, Florida. And she manages a team of 18 pilots and that go out and gather
information. They're spies. They bring all the information back to her and she puts it all together in readable form and then distributes it to whoever needs to read it. So I'm proud of them. >> You should be. >> Yeah.
Um so my heritage goes back here on the Cape over 400 years really. And um I had Thanksgiving uh at the house that my great-grandmother built in Barstable
Village. And I figured that that's a tradition that's been going on there, that house for over a hundred years because she built that house and then it went to my grandfather, then it went to my uncle and now one of
my cousins owns it. And every year and the way the family has grown exponentially, I mean, it used to just be a small group, but man, now a lot of us. There were 36 this year.
Um, so, uh, you know, I have a lifelong history here on the Cape, but unfortunately, um, in 1954 on September 11th,
a car hit over at the KUI golf course uh, train tracks, the car that my family was in and they all died. Mother, father, brother, sister. And so I left the Cape at that time and at that time you know the Cape was farms and
uh it was a very different place. It was a very different place and I would come back occasionally to visit my grandmother and grandfather. But I moved over and uh was raised by my maternal grandparents in Dartmouth
and then married and moved to Gloucester and divorced and put myself through college digging clams fishing for tuna worked in the fishing industry. That's how I where my career was
until I retired at the age of 60. And then I bought a farm up in Maine and I ran a bed and breakfast and did all had animals and did all kinds of things. I moved back to the Cape a few years ago and I'm glad I did because I
there's just no place like it, you know. But I moved here to Yarmouth and I mean it it just uh shocks me every time I drive around Yarmouth how densely populated it is, how many people are are packed into this town. It's a management
issue. But I want to tell you something. I know what it feels like to need support. I know what it what it feels like to
need support. And I also know that right now brown colored skinned people need support. I know that. I see them all the time. And they need our support. and they have mine. >> Thank you, Mr. Sish.
>> Hi, my name is uh Frank Machenzi. Um I'm a voter in Yarmouth and you know I came here a couple of days ago. >> Pull the microphone up just a little. Ah, thank you. >> With all different heights. >> I came here yesterday and I think you
guys were down here. It was a little dark. Um, I wanted to know what you were up to, you know, to be honest. >> That wasn't us. We weren't here yesterday. >> One of yours were, but that's okay. >> Okay. >> All right. >> Uh, I don't want to split his. I'll get right to the point. >> That was That was me. We We work hard.
That was a department head meeting and >> had a nice jacket and I know you're a hard worker. I rec I recognize you. I recognize the jacket. Um, but anyway, you know, I hear the word fear, you know, and uh if
you're being honest, you're not going to be afraid. And if you're being dishonest, you can share it with another person. Okay? Now, my first language was Italian. Okay? And uh I grew up in an Irish neighborhood. They were a little
tough. We fought, okay? I got picked on a little bit, okay? Okay. But I'm still friends with those kids today. We got no special treatment. Okay. I love immigrants. I like some of them more than Americans because I'm from Italian
descent. But I still think we should do things legal legally or otherwise you're going to lose your freaking country. Okay? And it's a slippery slope. There's false compassion and there's true compassion.
And spiritual principles will solve all your problems, not just a couple of them. I asked uh who is the governor? Governor Baker before I asked him that question. He says, "Frank, can I answer both?" I says, "No, you can't. Either you're of truth or you're not. You know, get some spiritual." You know what I
mean? You know, get some courage. So, um, you know, I've had Brazilians in my house. I've worked with them. I've coached. I've been on soccer fields since I've been my kids been five. Uh my son played professionally in Brazil. He
lived with families there. Um you know, and on the last day he was there, okay, he was laid on the plane. They were going to put him in jail, okay? They went through all his bags. I know we don't do that here, okay? But if they do
that here, why aren't we protecting our own people? Okay, I'm going to leave it with this. My I was having a hard time in my 20s and uh I was talking to my dad and he says, "You know, we were under occupation by the Nazis and he says, "I
had to shine the shoes of the Germans to to feed my family. We were starving." He says, "People don't know what they have here. If they're not careful, they'll lose it. So you guys, please be honest and don't take any payoffs from those
creeps behind the scenes. Thank you. >> Hi, my name is Excuse me, I have a cold, but my name is Trisha Tumi. I live in West Jamoth. I've been here for four years going on five. I retired down here. And I came to the Cape cuz the Cape was always awesome when I was
growing up. We came down here at 18, 19. We had the best times. So my memories of the Cape and Yamoth and Dennis were great. And now I see these changes and I I hear people talk and they say brown
people need help. That's the most racist comment you could ever make. Not brown people only. A lot of people need help. A lot of people need help. The times have been tough. And the um when you hear like
everybody's talking about immigration, immigration, we're all for immigration. We all came from immigrants. We're not for illegal immigration. That is the difference that people seem to forget. I see your little badges. I stand with immigration. It's illegal immigration
and the toll it takes on your school systems, on the tax people, on everything. And they don't and they don't the new people coming in it seems like they don't want to assimilate. They don't want to learn the language. They don't you know they stay in their
groups which is kind of probably how all of them were back in the day. But our gender our grandparents didn't get help. They had to go out and work and they had to find jobs and they had to work their fannies off. These people are getting everything handed to them. So much
money. I know you can see, you know it because you just looked down and that's a sign that you know it's true. They get so much given to them for free. They're getting housing from Governor Healey now. They've got moved out of their hotels and now they're all getting free
housing. I'd love to have free housing for two years. Wouldn't you? Who else has a mortgage? Would they like free housing? I would love it. But we don't have it and we don't ask for it. And it's getting out of control. And this state is out of control. And I see Baron
Stable. Okay. This, but I noticed this gentleman doesn't have it. Does he have it in Dennis where he lives? I hope so. Cuz that's where we should have started. Like, you don't bring it to other people. We don't want it here. I don't want it. This town, it's like I drive
down 28 and I'm like, what do they have to offer? Nothing. They take away stores. All the cute little stores are gone. Everything's gone and they're building these highrises and big condos and they want another condo unit right
there where the laundry mat was. I'm like, what? How many condos do you want? It's like the Cape is losing its charm and it's because of people who run the towns like you people. I'm sorry. >> Good evening. Good evening.
My na my name is Paula Peron. My family bought a home here uh 51 years ago in 1974. I've been a summer resident since then. I've been a yearround resident for the
last 17 years in my family home. I'm speaking as a Yarmouth resident for another South Yarmouth resident who is an educator in town. He has concerns. He says,"I am writing to express my
strong support for the proposed resolution affirming Yarmas's commitment to freedom, justice, and equality for the safety and dignity of all residents and visitors, particularly during a time
when I am watching many of my students live in a constant state of fear of being separated at any moment from their families. This resolution reflects the best of our community's values by
reaffirming compliance with the Massachusetts Constitution and federal law and by explicitly protecting the civil liberties and human rights of all people regardless of age, race, religion, ethnicity,
ability, sexual or gender identity, marital or economic st status and immigration. migration status. The town of Yarmouth can demonstrate principled leadership and a clear dedication to ensuring ensuring that everyone can live
and work and visit here free from fear, harassment, or violence. In a time when many communities across the country feel increasingly vulnerable, a statement like this is more than symbolic. It is a
practical affirmation that Yarmouth stands with his residents and visitors and that the town will uphold the rights and dignity of all who call this place home or who come to enjoy it.
He also writes, "Thank you for considering this resolution and your ongoing service to our community. I urge you to adopt this resolution as written. His name is John Fani." Thank you. >> Thank you, Miss Puny.
>> Good evening. >> Good evening. >> My name is Mark. I live in South Yarmouth. Um been a resident here for over 20 years. I've raised two sons and currently three grandsons here on the Cape. I'm here to speak against uh not necessarily the resolution, but
specifically uh as it pertains to immigration status. I've heard a lot of words here tonight about community um you know immigration status and whatnot. I would say that if um if someone wants to be here and be a part of our
community and seeks that support from the community, they need to do that the right way. They need to do that the lawful way. Heard somebody mention fear. I've heard that a few times. If you're like the gentleman said a couple before me, if you're here legally, you're doing the
right thing. you're telling the truth, you've gone about it the right way, you got nothing to fear. If you're not, you should be fearful. You should be you should be you can either self-deport or if I say if ICE shows up at your door,
then you need to go and nobody's separating children. You're welcome to take your children with you if you're here illegally. It's a matter of it's a simple matter of the rule of law. If we don't have a rule of law, you know, we don't have anything. Nobody here. I see everybody
where they're wearing their im immigrant shirts. Nobody has a problem here with legal immigrants. Um another gentleman said I think before me um sometimes I have more respect for people that are here that went through the process to get here. I was blessed enough to be born here. I've
served in two branches of the military on four deployments. I've worked with openly openly gay people, people from all backgrounds, rich, poor, doesn't matter what color their skin were. I've worked with immigrants that people have come here, immigrated, and served in the
military. Um, so this isn't about race. This isn't about trying to um discriminate against anybody. This is simply about the rule of law. And you as the people that represent us in the town of Yarmouth, you have an obligation
to to look after us as the citizens, as the residents of of Yarmouth, and the guests that come here, the visitors that come here, whether they're here legally. That's your responsibility. And to accept a resolution that openly flies in
the face of law of law and order and openly flies in the face of federal immigration law, it's irresponsible because, you know, somebody said I I see people all the time throw out that status about, well, there's, you
know, more legal citizens here commit crimes than illegals than illegals do. That's not true. Everybody that comes into this country overstays a visa. Every single one of them is a criminal. Cold hard fact. That's it. So if these people want to be here and be in the
greatest country that's in the history of mankind, you're more than welcome. Please go through the process, do the right thing, be a productive member of that community. That way you're not going to have to live in fear. Thank you. I think he set the table pretty good for
me. Uh my name is Jerry Oonnell. I live I live in Yamathport. Um it's been talked about the word truth. I want to set the record straight about truth. I was listening to Pat Desmearis on Sunday morning and I heard Mark Forest talk about how the select board
led the led the way to help the farmers and the local fishermen. Well, no, that's not true because not one select board member met with John Torley or Chris Wilson. Okay. Now, that has nothing to do with this meeting right
here, but it has to do with truth and it has to do with don't create truth. Okay? In my line of work, in my life, I have visited and seen the absolute worst of this planet. I have seen what humanity
that the worst parts of people I have seen what it can do. If you let one law slip, another one is behind it to slip. Another law they will they will they will a society. If
you turn your back on one if you try to create truth where truth truth doesn't exist. Okay, it's about fear, truth, and creating things that don't exist. I love how the weak and feeble and the
protected of the world finds some issue like this to rally behind. When the crap hits the fan and when one of these people comes to commit a crime at your door, it's probably going to be a guy that's speaking out against this that
comes to protect you. >> I also have children um that will be attending school soon. What are we leaving for them? What kind of cape card are we leaving for them? Like it was brought up, the Cape has changed drastically in the last few years. How much is it going to change in the last
in the next 10 or 20 years? It's going to change even more. A lot of the illegal or a lot of the immigrants here that we see that are getting hauled away by ICE, a lot of them are criminals. That's why they don't apply for citizenship. That's why
they're not trying to become citizens because they will be found out to be criminals and they're going to get launched anyways. >> Then why have they not applied for some type of citizenship? >> My grandparents did it. My grandparents
came here. My grandparents came here as immigrants. They went through the process and now here we are. We are legal. We're here legally. My cousins on the other hand, they're doing this same thing
right now in Ireland. They're going through this same thing. Either way, my grandparents came here legally. We as a country allow over 900,000 people to immigrate to this country legally every year. we allow them to come in and apply
for immigration status in this country. The others that come here illegally, that's the problem. So don't confuse the two. There are legal immigrants and we love them. We do love them. They are part of our melting pot. But then
there's illegal immigrants that come across the border and they do nefarious things. A lot of them do. And by the fact that they came across here illegally or they come here illegally, they are criminal. And those are the ones and for the most
part that are going to do wrong. They are going to do wrong in your community. And when they do wrong to you, don't call me. >> Hello there. My name is Holly Anderson. I'm a Yarmmouth resident, precinct 8. And that gentleman actually set the
table very well for me, too. Um, there's a lot of talk and I did not come with any prepared statement, so I'm sort of speaking off the cuff here, but I've heard a lot that I feel like I need to respond to. First off, I want to say I encourage the board to pass this
resolution. I am totally in favor of it. I've heard a lot about truth. I've heard a lot about law and following the law. I don't think there's anyone in this room who has an objection to anyone who has committed a crime, be they an
immigrant or a non-immigrant, being held to account for their actions. But we have seen over and over again these unidentifiable masked people turning up in unmarked
vehicles without any badges, unable to identify them. I'm sure you're all aware that anyone who wanted to could go on to Amazon and buy a full kit of ice looking gear and if they wanted to go out somewhere and cause mayhem,
they could. There has been no attempt to try to bring this enforcement group under control to make them follow the same standards that our local police would be following. They have to be able to be identified.
They wear body cameras, all that kind of stuff. And there's also the talk about the illegal immigrants and how many of them are coming in. Well, coming in illegally is a civil crime.
It's not a felony. And the constitution says that everybody, every quiet, >> I'll use my mom voice on you. Um, the Constitution says that everyone
in this country should get due process. Everybody, whether you're here legally or illegally. And we have seen over and over again these, and I'm going to use a word that's a favorite word of some of
the people on the right, these ICE thugs going and smashing people's car windows and taking people who they're going to places. They're going to courtrooms where people are following the rules. They're they have applied. They're
following all the steps to get their approval to stay. And unfortunately the immigration process in this country is broken. It cannot handle the total number of people who want to come here. So these
these people are getting grabbed from courtrooms. They're following the rules. There are American citizens, people who have come followed the rules and been naturalized and ICE is grabbing them. Not only are they
grabbing these people, but they are taking them, whisking them away where they can't be found, shipping them from state to state to state. They're they can't find a lawyer. Their families have no way to find them. Now, would any of
you like to be treated that way? >> If no, >> my family is legal. >> It doesn't matter whether you're legal or not. Would you like to be treated? Yes. Would you like to be treated that way?
>> That the gentleman before me was talking about the importance of following the law. >> What ICE is doing is not following the law of the constitution or the law of this land. >> Okay. >> And
that's and I did also want to address one comment of the first woman who spoke who had her little pictures. Um she made a comment about uh mass shootings. Mass shootings in this country are not
committed by immigrants or illegal immigrants. >> I didn't talk about any mass shootings. >> You did mention mass shootings. >> You mentioned guns, folks. >> No, you folks, >> she did mention >> I feel like I feel like I should be a kindergarten teacher right now.
>> All right. in the schools when you start seeing this all the parents in this room must know what this means. Anyone want to tell me? >> Quiet. Thank you. Everyone has a right to speak in their own time. Thank you.
>> Yes. And I do just want to say in spite of what this lady said, >> she did talk about mass shootings and how mass shootings would have been able to be stopped. >> Watch the video back. >> I will watch the video back. That's five minutes. >> Anyway, thank you very much for
listening. I appreciate >> we're going to wrap it up. Maria, you'll be the last speaker. We have people on Zoom and we have a full agenda still to get to. So, >> hi. Good evening. I will be brief. Um, I have pages and pages of notes that I had started with, but I'm going to jettison all that because nearly everything that
I had intended to say has been said. So, I'm really just want to comment on things that have been said. >> Thank you. >> My name is Ardan Twining. Um, we live in Yarmouthport. We purchased our house in Yarmouthport in 1999. So, we have been here about five years. Um, we became residents of Massachusetts selling our
house in New Hampshire this year. So, now I'm a voter as well. Um, that said, and that sounds very recent. However, my roots in Yarmouthport go back to 1629 when my first relative came here and was instrumental in the founding
incorporation of the town. So, I'm back in a place where we have very, very deep roots. My frustration with listening to some of this is the vagueness in terms. So, I'm only going to address two or three points, not my
10 pages here. Um, but the first is is the term immigrant. To be an immigrant implies legality. I have several friends from Portugal and Brazil and India and um Baltic countries
who are all here and they are now citizens. So they came here, they were immigrants, but now they're citizens and now they're Americans. There is a huge chasm between a legal immigrant and an illegal immigrant. And it it's upsetting
when people are talking about immigrants and lumping everybody into the same group because they are not the same group. So I just want to really make that clear that I found that very frustrating in listening to this and hearing the you the word immigrant when really we all know that the reason we're
all here and the reason we're all having this conversation is because we're talking about illegal immigrants. Nobody has an issue with legal immigrants. Additionally, this um proposal is redundant to laws that are already on
the books. We have laws against harassment and bullying and committing crimes and discrimination. We have protected classes and we all respect these things. These things are important. However, illegal immigration is not a protected class. and referring
within a piece of writing with a glib term such as visitors which encompasses, you know, what we would assume tourists, but really it seems to encompass more than that. It's a slippery slope. This this proposal is not something that gives
anybody more protection or will make anybody feel more welcome or more safe or be more welcome or be more safe. It's not going to protect our our very respected gay or brown or white or yellow or red or anything neighbors and
friends or any um of our population with special needs. It's not going to it's not going to change any of that for any of them. But what it is going to do is is take us one more step down the path of changing
the language, changing the perspective, to change the argument to to go down and I heard the term slippery slope and and I agree it it it is a step towards that. Um another two other points and then I will shut up. Um, one is I heard a
statistic uh brandished by a couple of people about how immigrants and again using this full term um commit fewer crimes than um than natural-born citizens. And this actually is not true. So when you break it down, legal
immigrants actually do have a low rate. However, illegal immigrants that's not the same. And a lot of the reason that these statistics can be um pulled up in branches is because they're based on incomplete data. If you don't look for something, if you don't um report on it,
it doesn't exist. And in many places, in many jurisdictions on purpose, these crimes are not reported. They're not looked for. So there there is that. The other thing is about ICE agents. And I will just quote a little bit here. Um, article 1, section 8, clause four of the
con US constitution, which gives Congress the full authority over immigration. Article six of the constitution through the supremacy clause provides that federal law takes precedent over conflicting state laws. And article two of the constitution through the take care clause vests
within the presidency the authority and duty to ensure the laws are faithfully executed. And the instrument through which those laws are executed is ICE. And they are they do operate legally. The reason that ICE agents wear masks is
because they are doxed, threatened, their families are threatened, they are followed home. We just saw now they are not ICE agents, but they were national guards in uh in in in Washington. We just saw what we can what can happen. Um that's the reason people cover their
faces. It's it's to protect themselves and their families. I guess that's it. Um, thank you. Thank you for the time. >> Good evening. My name is Maria Morasco and don't know my precinct, but I live in historic Bass River Village. Um, I
hope that you all have the letter that I submitted a while ago. So, I'm just going to hit the highlights. Um, thank you. >> I I did write to you to urge you not to adopt the proposed values resolution modeled after Barnesville, North Adams, Northampton, and Ammerst. the resolution is unnecessary, redundant and likely to
create more confusion than clarity. And I think that point is now come really um come to home after hearing this past hour or so. There's confusion. It's not a policy on sanctuary cities, but almost
every speaker talked about immigration. It's not a a question about whether or not our police and fire are doing the right thing, but they are. This is a great town, and we started off We started off this this uh session
honoring our police and our fire. They have all sworn an oath. When my mother needed help, firemen came. They didn't ask me who I was or whatever. When my store was broken in, the police came immediately. So, I don't think that's a
question. We have the most amazing town staff force that upholds the law. Selectmen that hopefully should uphold the law. Firefighters. And I think the confusion comes in the
blurred conversation about what is meant to be. So I'm going to put my little lawyer hat on. And I do want to do recommend that you run this by um council. A resolution is a very very powerful tool that you have as selectment, right? And one would think
that you would use it sparingly. So as a as a um suggestion that you as a body consider when a resolution is necessary and important in this town, especially when after the actually the woman who spoke previously to me, um we have a
supremacy clause. We have um a Supreme Court decision in Massachusetts that says nobody can be detained without a um a warrant and and we have laws on our books in this commonwealth to to protect everyone. So with that being said, I'd
rather that this board invest your time um in something other than symbolic gestures. And I would also um actually encourage the people with all the I'm going to call you Star Trek buttons because I'm a Treky. Um to use your
voices to change the federal law if that's really what you want to do. Because here in Yarmouth, our police and fire and our Yarmouth employees uphold the law every day. And I know that because I've lived here on an a summer resident as a legal a full-time resident
for my entire life. So with that being said, um we need practical action, not symbolic statements. A symbolic resolution will not make life any more affordable for anyone. St. As I
mentioned, town staff already uphold the constitution. Schools already must educate every child regardless of immigration status. Police already serve and protect regard without regard to status.
A symbolic resolution does not improve any of those things, but it does risk being misinterpreted and misinterpreted or used as leverage for policy shifts the town may never have intended, such as a sanctuary or affirmatively
instructing our police officers not to cooperate with federal authorities. So I wish to say um uh selectman post I think at the last meeting you did say that it was a you considered it a symbolic
gesture and I just would ask you all to consider the power of your using a resolution and if you each individually I know you Liz might want to make a public comment make it as a public select person not on behalf of the
residents of Yarmouth. Thank you very much. Thank you, Maria. Um, we're gonna go to Zoom now. We have some hands up on Zoom. Um, if you could please There you go. Thank you. Good evening. Please identify
yourself for the record. >> Yes, Christopher Garren. And just point of order, uh, Select Chair Post. I am a homeowner and um, taxpayer uh, but technically not a resident. May I speak quickly? Uh, I have I we well we've let
you speak before. Um, if you could be very brief because we have not let any other non-residents speak. Chris, >> just just following up quickly on the last speaker. Yeah, even though a town resolution does not appear to be legally binding. Symbolically, it can be very powerful and traditionally a
resolution's purpose is to bring unity to a town about something nearly everyone agrees is a good idea. >> There's no unity here >> tonight. There's no unity. There is no unity. And if we Thank you for recognizing Yarma's Heroes earlier
tonight. If we were here to have in support of a resolution for them, everyone in the room would be voting yes. And there's no unity here. And so passing this just doesn't make sense. Um, I do want to say I heard earlier and
I want to listen to the the tape again, the video tape, but somebody seemed to say in support of the resolution that at some point Yarmouth police force may have to stand up to the federal government. And that's news to me. Is that something the police department,
our heroes earlier tonight, uh, the police chief, uh, Mr. Written is a a warrant being written for the next town meeting to, uh, purchase military drones? I mean what does that mean? Um I think that it should have been addressed but the bottom line is this is not a
unifying resolution and that's the purpose as the last speaker said that's the purpose of a resolution which is merely symbolic but thank you and I appreciate the opportunity to speak. >> Thanks Chris. >> Next Zoom user.
>> Good evening. Hi, Madam Chair. I don't know why I always I used to always be Joe Glenn, but now I'm now I'm a Zoom user. >> You're just a Zoom user. >> Is that like a dreamw weaver?
>> Um, you know, I I've heard a lot tonight and I've listened to everyone. Um, and I just find it fascinating that uh we're later on and unfortunately it's going to be very later on for you. Um, we're
going to be talking about the history of our country and the US Constitution and and at the same time that we're going to be talking about revolutionary uh war heroes from Yarmouth and we talked about the Constitution and you
know I I kept saying to myself, everybody on both sides are saying the Constitution is this. Okay, well let's just Xerox the Constitution and have everybody read it. There are bodies that do that. Okay, those are court systems. Those court systems up to the Supreme
Court decide what is constitutional. It's not the job of the Yarmouth selectman. Although um sad you guys take an oath. The Yarmouth Fire Department and the Yarmouth Police Department take an oath. What's concerning to me is when
you hear the things like, well, the Armouth police might have to step in and uh stop the ICE agents. Okay, that's what's concerning to people is it's not just this resolution reaffirming our
values. Our values are in the Constitution. And I will also note that uh 240 years ago this week, George Washington uh uh gave farewell to the constitutional army uh the
constitutional uh military and he became a citizen. Okay. Now he served in and went through Valley Forge in cold winter in December six years earlier with ath
resident. Okay, we all know about Taylor Bray Farm. Four people from Taylor Ray Farm including Samuel Taylor went to Valley Forge and George Washington said that we're going to uh
commit to this and he stood with them. Um and that you know when he did that he subsequently resigned from Congress to become a regular citizen. He did it. He did it so that he would not become a
military or governmental commander like other death spots who won wars or god forbid be declared a king. His incredible leadership prompted that that he he should and needed to continue. And
my my point being here is that we need to honor when when Samuel uh when Samuel Taylor came back to Yarmouth, he was a penniless veteran. Okay? And someone said earlier about uh we have homeless
veterans. We're not taking care of those people and we're taking care of uh um you know other people. I we're all we all have the values of the constitution and and Yarmouth had two um
representatives in the state legislature that brought the mass constitution which a lot of people don't know the towns had to approve the constitution and uh and uh uh attorney house and um uh Mr.
Thatcher, David Thatcher, an attorney. Um, he brought it down and the town voted on it. We don't know if Samuel Taylor got to vote at at the thing, which actually was where Thatcher Park was, and it was also at the ancient
cemetery later on, but we don't know if he got back in time to vote for the Constitution, but the people of Yarmouth did. And we want to uphold those values of the Constitution. Everybody does. and we should continue to do that. But when
we're watering it down and not respecting our veterans and not taking care of them like George Washington did, we we do get in that slippery slope. We want to take care of those veterans and we want to take care of all our people.
I know you have an ambitious agenda. I thank you for it. You ran a fantastic meeting. I hope everybody felt heard and and I heard them. So, thanks very much. Have a great evening. >> Thank you, Joe. K. We have two more and then we're going to
move on to our >> Hello. >> Hi. How are you? Good evening. >> Good evening. How are you? >> I'm well. >> I'm just hoping this technology works tonight. >> We can hear you fine. Can you please identify yourself? >> Sure can. Um, my name is Kristen
Whitney. I live in West German. Um, I've lived in the same square miles here, five square miles 51 years. So, seen a lot change. Um, I just I've heard a lot from both sides and, you know, we've got
everybody who sympathizes and then we've got everybody who's talking about um, you know, all the layers to this onion, if you will. But I think that the most important part that we talk about was one of the last speakers that stood up
was um the legal kind of ramifications of this. And just so you know, just to put a little tidbit in your ear as you're voting tonight that we can go down a slippery slope with this um and it can change things. I don't I'm no
lawyer. I don't know what you know what the ramifications of resolution or you know the legal terms but I mean I think that we all have a pretty good idea of
and and we already have all these things in place you know for um fair practices with people of all kinds. So I don't really think that we need to reaffirm
anything. they're already there. And um I think that doing a resolution, whatever um you know, legal recources or anything that could have is just something that
um should have been um what's the word I'm looking for? Anyway, um it so anyway, I guess public speaking. >> That's okay.
>> I guess that's that's kind of my thing. I think that we already have these things in place. I think before any voting's done that, you know, as a town, how that how any of any ramifications down the line of resolutions and legal
speak can, you know, get put back on the town. >> Thank you. Thank you for your comments. >> That's my two cents. >> I appreciate it. >> Okay. Uh we have uh Vita. I think the Zoom Vita is next. Is that Vita? Yeah.
>> Hello. Good evening, Vita. Hi. Um, >> how have you been? >> H pretty good. >> We haven't heard from you in a while, >> but I wasn't going to venture out tonight. Anyway, um I'm going to be quite uh short. Uh I just think that uh
towards the end there uh you were getting some um uh information there that uh uh uh if I were you as a body I would take uh to heart because uh you actually it goes back to to the
beginning where somebody raised the uh question about whether or not uh this body had passed this resolution by the uh town council and I think the answer was no. And I think that you are not in that position as a body to be voting
tonight, especially as one of the the first speakers online said because it it's become very obvious that this is not a sense of uh you know uh it's a very highly divided issue. So just that alone I think should give you pause and
at least get get the the uh the legal opinion um about this resolution to begin with. But uh I just think uh on the whole you you do have a very divided uh uh situation and I don't know I think
uh it would probably be best if you just uh uh put it off at least for a while and let things percolate or whatever is necessary. Uh, I hope you can do that. Okay. Thank you. >> Thank you, Vita. Okay, that's gonna end our I know that there's a few other
hands up, but um we we we it's after 8 o'clock and we need to get into our agenda. I think we've heard everybody that needed to be heard. We will be discussing this later if you want to stay, but um we are going to go to our 7 PM item, which is proclamations uh for
Pearl Harbor Remembrance, remembrance and uh wreaths across America. Is there a presentation for this, Bob, or >> no? >> Just Okay. All right. So, I'll just read these proclamations um into the record. >> So, the proclamation for Pearl Harbor
Remembrance Day, whereas the right word that's the annals of American history, only a few events are so well known and so deeply rooted in national remembrance that the mere mention of their date suffices describe them.
>> Of these occurrences, none could have had more of a significance for our nation than December 7th, 1941. Whereas on Sunday morning, 83 years ago, the Imperial Imperial Japanese Navy launched an unprovoked
surprise attack upon the United States forces stationed in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. This attack claimed the lives of 2,43 Americans, wounded 1,178 more, and damaged our naval capabilities
in the Pacific. And whereas every honor is appropriate for courageous Americans who made the supreme sacrifice for our nation at Pearl Harbor and in the many battles that followed in World War II. Their sacrifice was for a cause, not a
conquest, for a world that would be safe for future generations. Their devotion must never be forgotten. Now, therefore, we, the select board in the town of Yarmouth, do hereby announce a proclamation December 7th, 2025 as National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day in
Yarmouth, and we call upon its citizens to observe this occasion with the appropriate ceremonies and activities. Madam Chair, I move that we as a board adopt that proclamation. >> Second. >> Any discussion on that motion? All those in favor? >> I.
>> Thank you, Mark. And the next one is Reese Acacross America Day. >> Whereas Reese Across America's year-long mission is to remember the fallen, honor those who serve, and teach the next
generation the value of freedom. Since its inception in Maine 32 years ago, the program has gr grown to include more than three million volunteers, a third of whom are children and over 4600
ceremonies in every United State and territory on the second Saturday of December. And whereas today we honor the men and women of Yarmath who since our town's founding have answered the call to serve their country in defense of
freedom. Whether they have reached their final resting place or are standing here today, we can never forget their sacrifice. For this we say thank you and we are honored to be among you. Now therefore, we the select board in the town of Yarmouth do hereby announce the
proclamation December 13, 2025 as Reese Across America Day in Yarmouth. And we call upon its citizens to observe this occasion with appropriate ceremonies and activities. Madame Chair, I move that we adopt said proclamation.
>> Second. Any discussion on the motion? All those in favor? I >> I. Any oppose? That passes unanimously. Perfect. Uh our next agenda item is a hearing. Uh we have a uh let me just get my packet ready.
I will read the hearing notice into the record. And while I'm doing that, please come forward. The Yarma Select Board ABCC application for a transfer of license. The Yarma Select Board acting as the local licensing authority has received an application to transfer
license from 1078 Yarmouth Inc. DBA Dagets Liquards Navan Patel manager located at 1078 Route 28 Yarmouth Mass. The new Lency will be Cap Shawara. Did I pronounce that properly?
>> No, that that's the name of the corporation. Correct. Cash is the manager. Yeah, >> correct. But the new license will be Capeshawara Corp. DBA Daget Liquors and manager will be Rakkesh Patel. The hearing will be on Tuesday, October 21st, 2025 in the hearing room at at
town hall 11:46 route 20th. The select board meeting will begin at 6 p.m. Written comments will be accepted until 4:30 on October 17th in the select board meetings and can be submitted electronically to public comment. And for the record, we opened our hearing on that date and we had an agreement to
continue the hearing to this date. So now we are u back in open session. Um if you would like to introduce yourself and just give a brief description of what it is that you'd like to do. >> Sure, I'd be happy to. Uh thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you, board. My name is Matthew Porter. I'm the attorney
Karpishwa Corp. Alongside with me is Rakesh Patel. Mr. Patel is one of the principles of the corporation. and he's also the proposed license manager, meaning that he'll be the individual there 40 50 if not more hours a week, I'm sure. Um before you um is a transfer
to license related to the sale of Dagots uh that these folks are going to be taking over. Um in addition to that, there's also a request for a pledge of license and inventory. Rockland Trust is financing the transaction. Um so we'd be asking for an approval to transfer that license as well as an approval of the pledge of license and inventory to
Rockland Trust. Um but generally um just a very straightforward transaction. There's no changes anticipated to the business. So no changes of hours, no changes to the way that the business is structured in any sort of way. Uh Mr. Patel owns another location in Austville. Um he's had that for about
two years now. Um they've had no violations whatsoever. He's alcohol tip certified. All their employees are required to be alcohol tip certified as well. So he certainly understands the rules and responsibilities that come along with this type of business. So, um, you know, very long-standing store, um, being taken over by an experienced
ownership group. Um, so with that, I can certainly answer any questions the board may have. And Mr. Pulkin as well. >> Excellent. Thank you very much. Amy, is there anything you'd like to speak to this? I know you had a lot of work that went into getting all the paperwork together for the board. >> Yes, we did do a lot of work and thank
you very much for the hard work of uh the the um applicant as well. Um there have been no um no communications since the the hearing has been open and um everything looks to be in order.
>> Nothing from the public either for or against on this. >> Correct. >> Okay. If it and um all the paperwork looks to be in order. Thank you for the memorandum that outlines all of the requisite paperwork. It's a lot. >> It is. >> It's a lot. Um, but I will, if it's okay
with the board, I will go to the public before um, the board asks questions. Is there anybody in the public who would like to speak either for or against this application? Is there anybody on Zoom? Seeing nobody, I will accept a motion to close the public portion of the hearing.
>> So moved. >> Is there a second? >> Second. >> Excellent. All those in favor? >> I. >> Any opposed? Does anybody on the board have any questions or comments on the application? >> Been before us for a long time. >> Is there anybody um that would like to make a motion that we approve the
application as presented? >> Does it need to be specific about the uh transfer to to Rockland Trust or >> Yeah, the ABCC can be a little bit finicky. Um so it doesn't have to be specific as to Rockland, but if it can be an approval for the transfer of license and pledge of license and inventory, that would be excellent.
>> Excellent. Is it moved with that? Um I move that we approve the transfer of the al all alcohol license um from Dagots Liquors uh Naven Patel manager to Capishiara Corporation still doing
business as Dagots Liquors u and Rakesh Patel the manager um but still at the same location of uh 1078 room Route 28. Sorry just tired. >> I understand. Um, and if you could just add the pledge of license and inventory
to that motion as well. Yeah, >> as part of >> pledge the license and inventory. Just say that. >> Um, in including the license pledge >> pledge the license pledge it >> license and inventory. >> Okay, >> there you go. >> Is there a second to that? Any
discussion on the motion? All those in favor? >> Any opposed? Thank you very much. Good luck. >> Thank you. Good luck. >> Thank you. >> Okay. Next on the agenda is um >> You're welcome,
>> Mr. Kelly. Update from a Declaration Day event for the new American Revolutionary War placement marker on the uh on the Revolutionary War veterans grave at ancient Cemetery.
little on the lighter side this subject. >> Hello. >> Thank you for your patience. >> Um, we're going to present uh you should have all gotten a copy of the >> We have We made one or two edits, but
they're minor. So, rather than confuse you with paperwork, we'll if you would like them after, >> we'll we'll pass them out. quick studies. >> Um, for those who don't know me, I'm Bob Kelly. Um, I'm uh vice chair of the
Armouth Historic Commission. And with me, >> Hi everybody. Can you hear me? I'm Susan Flack. Um, I will say this is my first select board meeting, so I'm happy to be here. Thank you. Um, I'm a Yarmmouthport residence. We moved here full-time in
2021, uh, in one of the historic houses on 6A in Yarmouthport. So happy to be here. I'm also here as my role as co-programming chair for the Historical Society of Old Yarmouth. And we'll talk a little bit more about my role in this project. I've been serving as um project
manager across this event that we're going to talk to you about today when we give you the update. >> Technical difficulties. >> Holding pattern. >> It's up there a minute ago. I saw it. >> We have our best guy on it. Don't worry.
Yeah, that looks familiar. >> Thanks, Steve. >> Okay, great. Thanks, Bob. >> Thank you very much. >> Save. Oh, man. >> That was our entertainment for tonight. >> That's that was the assistant town
administr. >> All right. Thankfully, >> Amy, you would have to step in pretty quickly, wouldn't you? Yeah. >> Jeez. >> All right. Our goals for the day are to provide an update on the monument and the grave markers, >> share the vision uh for the Yarmouth
Independence Day event, town history, cultural, educational importance, tourism, draw to visits, and discuss funding needs. And the next page >> glitchy, >> is it?
>> Yeah, it's not. >> There we go. Yeah. >> Right click. >> Roll it. >> There you go. >> Okay. This is um the first image that we have of the monument in 3D. So the
sculptor uh Robert Sher who is pretty renowned for his uh bronze sculptures um has uh helped us uh devise this monument into a
Yarmouth monument. So um we have is a a soldier holding a baby and his wife by his side. The uh stone is granite. The uh plaque on front and back is uh
bronze. Uh on the front is a scroll with the exact words in the town Yarmouth town minutes of the day Yarmouth declared independence
uh 20th June uh 1776. And on the back is the old map, the map of old Yarmouth when Dennis was part of it because uh Dennis became a town in 1793. Um, so, uh, anything that happened with
the, uh, Revolutionary War happened as a, uh, uh, old Yarmouth. And on the bottom, uh, where there's room for more names if, uh, if further research is done, and I know that there
currently is, um, is part of Washington's farewell address with a, uh, silhouette bust on the left and his signature on the right. This is kind of the timeline just to re uh to bring everybody up to speed again.
Um uh Yarma secures uh $25,000 uh in October 2024,000. >> What' I say? 25 >> the armist secures $25,000 for from CEDC >> is the update >> and for the design for the design of the
monument and 235,000 from the CPC for the creation of the monument to honor 450 plus Yarmouth patriots including which includes former Dennis and uh West precinct of Yarmouth which is Yarmouth today. So that was the
edit that we made and I'll give you a copy of uh of this when when we're done. Uh in August um a joint event the planning committee is established. We have about uh 10 people
uh on this committee which includes the Yarmouth Historic Commission. Um the Yarmouth uh historical society of old Yarmouth, the D, the S um
>> Friends of the Friends of the Ancient Cemetery. >> The ancient cemetery. Okay. So, uh we started in August >> town represent town representation as well. >> Yeah. Megan uh has been in our in our meetings.
Um in October uh we visited the site uh and conducted uh a site visit for installation. We located the monument. If you were to go out there tomorrow, you will see it painted in the grass. It
is um probably about 40 feet south of the flag pole. So the flag pole would be in the background and it you'll see it painted out there. Um,
the Yarmouth Historic Commission learns CPC and CEC CEDC funds can only be used to fund the design, creation, and installation of the monument, not for the event.
Um, a joint committee begins the process to find out to find funding for the event. So, that's what we have been working feverishly on. In this past month, uh, an RFP is in the process for the
foundation work for the monument currently between the sculpture and the DPW awaiting specs and placement drawing. So, they need a stamped engineers drawing which is in the works for the placement.
And uh the physical layout of the uh monument uh at that park is was confirmed. Um a joint committee creates a grant proposal for funding through the tourism
town of ar tourism uh special event uh fund the special event and programs. This month we're meeting with the select board and submission for approval for classifying this as a town event.
Um our target for the monument installation is April next year. Um monument will be installed in June
before June 2026. I think that's uh by June 2026. Uh and the Arnith um patriot monument dedication, ancient cemetery commemoration and living uh
history fair. So the committee has decided that um the placement of the 53 SA markers in ancient cemetery and the monument dedication would have there's economies
of scale if we had them on the same day because they're basically in the same place. And so uh this is what we are uh proposing. Okay. So, as Bob mentioned, um the um historic commission only really recently
realized that the money that was appropriated for the monument structure um itself was not going to be able to fund an event. So, we're submitting a grant through tourism and this is our proposed what we're calling Yarmouth Independence Day celebration. And as Bob
mentioned, one of the things we're going to ask of you all, which we'll get to in a little while, is to really back this as a town, make this a town event. This is a very unique opportunity for the town of Yarmouth to engage in an amazing celebratory event. Um, and we have
vision to go beyond just Cape Cod with this, right? We think this is a huge opportunity for tourism. um to bring folks in to learn about our town, to learn about the important part of history that we played in the Revolutionary War. So, what you see on the left and the right side are the two
components of the of the event. Um and I'll also mention this would be a free event open to everybody. We're not going to charge for this event. Okay. So, on the left side, you have um what I would call the dedication aspect of the event. So we would start the day with um a
dedication of the monument with speakers and with the scouts involvement and color guard and militia and a whole big um presentation. Uh we also have aspirations to invite the governor um
andor lieutenant governor and some other you know higher officials um if we can get them to come. Um, I mean, there's a lot happening for the 250th anniversary, but we're hopeful that, um, we can we can have some representation and that would also be a big draw to bring people from outside the Cape to Yarmouth for
this. Um, and that will take place. And then, as Bob mentioned, we're going to move then with a little bit of a processional led by Militia and the scouts um, over to the ancient cemetery where we'll have another ceremony to commemorate the graves and the markers
of the folks buried there. And to make it a little more fun and interesting, we're going to have volunteers dressed living living volunt I can't talk. Volunteers who are dressed as living history presenters in costumes representing anywhere from five to 10.
We're working that through of the individuals buried. They're telling their stories. So people will sit for about 35 minutes or so going through, you know, the the actual speakers. The S will have some speakers. the D. We learned recently the children of um the
>> American >> American revolutionary that other C will also we were going to try to bring them in as this and then that will consummate with people being able to go and visit the graves and and get that experience of of learning more history of our town.
Um so that part of the program um we have estimated to do it right um would have a budget of around $40,500. We're going to be looking for, which you'll see in a minute, $50,500 from the tourism grant to fund this. Um, and I mentioned that because the right
side of it is what we're calling the living history fair. And you know, we we need a significant amount of money between shuttle buses because you can't park at that park. We're trying to secure parking at DY High School and rent, you know, borrow the shuttle rent
the shuttle buses that um are school buses to transport people back and forth. We've got to do tents because it's a rain or shine event. We're going to do chairs for seating, podiums, you know, the the portable microphones and sound systems that we're going to need,
police, portaotties, permits, etc., etc., etc. That all adds up. We've worked very closely with with Megan and others to really get the numbers around what this would cost us. >> Chamber >> and the chamber as well, the Armouth Chamber. We've spoken to them. Publicity budget is, you know, fairly decent. Um,
and it includes paid advertising as well as a lot of free opportunities to advertise, but it scopes outside of just of just the Cape. We want to go out into Boston into surrounding areas to really get people excited and want to come to this. So, there's a pretty robust
marketing plan that goes along with this as well. But having just the um the ceremonies would be great. But if we can turn it into almost a full day experience like from 10:00 to 3 with this living history fair, this will give
individuals the opportunity after the the ancient cemetery portion go back to Thatcher Park and there they'll find um a reenactment revolutionary war encampment so they can experience what life was like at the time of the revolution in Yarmouth. Um and this will
also include a variety of colonial demonstrations. Um we have a print maker who recently did a presentation for us from from HSoy. Um he would come back and and show the printing process of the time and how important print was for communication in the revolutionary
period. Um spinning, quil quilt writing, um stone carving, woodworking, all kinds of crafts, candle making um so that people can experience a bit. And we've also um been able to um we've gotten uh information on the Bristol County Fe and Drum Corps. And we were thinking in the
middle of the day maybe there's a little performance um so people can hear the music of the time. Um and then um we're going to build a replica replica Liberty Pole that the scouts are going to help us build. There was a Liberty Pole at Thatcher Park location. There were two. There was one at where the Liberty Hill
Inn is and one there and have that also commemorating so people can see what life was like and um food trucks because if we're there from 10 to 3ish, people are going to want to eat. Um and so we're talking to some vendors uh to have a couple of food trucks there as well.
So, you know, to do that add-on component is less than 20% of the overall budget. It's another $10,000. And we feel that that would really be the draw if we can get the whole 50,500 to make it a town event, a day of
celebration, very fun event, attract families, attract people from off Cape, on Cape, and really be able to show the pride um in our town and the his role we played in the history. >> Yeah. So um there would also be traffic
control around Thatcher Park. Um, and we're figuring uh for police, even though it's about a 5 and a half, 6 hour event, uh 8 hours, um, uh, for their presence, um, and, uh,
>> we're also going to have a town videographer and photographer to take photos and videos, and we can then use that postevent to again up the, you know, the the presence in the um, >> right? And I would al also say that um if a government official comes it could
mean a difference between four or 500 participants and a thousand. >> Okay. So and not just from off Cape. I think that uh uh official from uh from Boston or uh wherever um would draw Cape
people. >> If I could interject for a second uh you talked about the police department, fire department. You just make sure you've got that in your notes, too. >> We have them in our notes, too. Megan's helping us. >> All intents and purposes, it could be a hot summer day.
>> We're going to be 4/10 of a mile from firehouse number two. >> Fortunately, >> yeah, but that's all accounted in the budget. We have a I mean, it's like $12,000 to have the police and the fire and all of that there. So, we have the right and they're working up a traffic
plan for us as well to help with this and have the proper signage to make sure um we're directing people and also ways to get accessible people get accessible folks to be able to attend and what that looks like. So, we we're taking that I have a pretty detailed elaborate project
plan that goes through logistics and um the actual events. We'll have a run show. We're going to have a robust volunteer plan with um volunteers and volunteer captains and communications and walkie-talkies. So, like, you know, we're going to run this event. I I in my former life ran some very large events.
So, I've got a little bit of experience with that that I'm hoping to help bring to this. >> Yeah. And to give you like a vision, uh it would start with the uh commemoration of the monument and then uh with the various militias, scouts, and
everything. There'd be a 4/10en of mile walk as they lead it maybe with the fif and drum into ancient cemetery where there would be another uh ceremony and then the uh living >> history interpreters
>> history interpreters. It's a that's a new term for me >> term for us >> and then uh they would return uh when all that is said and done. And uh so >> so um this is what we're this is what we need from you to make it happen. Um so
um and that we have an updated thing on um on our other things. So what we're looking for is three things today. One is um your support select board um to actually designate this as a town event as opposed to a historic commission event. Um so that's number one. Number
two, um to support us um with our grant application when it goes in. I believe you guys will be voting on that to please give us your support so we can get the funding to do the the event. To to be honest, if we don't get the funding to do the event, we will
dedicate both things. But it won't be a big publicized event. We just >> it'll be just the monument will be planted >> planted. whoever wants to show up that day. >> Whoever wants to show up can >> and we think it would be a missed opportunity not to make this into a great event for the town. Um and then
the third thing is we'd like you to participate in our event. We talked about the speakers at the beginning and we have four speakers for the monument dedication and one of which we would like to be representation from the select board. If you would if you would join us >> in costume of course
>> optional if you want to be in costume that would be amazing. >> Historical society will help with that. >> Yeah, we'll help with that. Anyway, um so that's our pitch and um any questions that anybody has? >> Thank you very much. Um sounds like a a wonderful event and you've definitely uh
put a lot of work into this. I I have a question in terms of um your funding proposal. You have your grant in. When is that when will you know by? >> Well, we were told the grant submission we submitted the grant yesterday. was due today and my understanding is it's
going to be reviewed this month >> um and pass through whatever yeah by the end of the month we should have an answer that was the timing that Megan shared that I think it's going to you guys >> to the select board for approval >> so it'll come to you guys it's not it's
not okay so we don't have to wait till town meeting it's something that we can handle before just so that they have an answer in terms of whether or not they have their funding in time for the event correct okay and then and and I One other question for you, Bob. When when you talk when they ask or request for it
to be a town sponsored event, um is there a process for that or can we just >> You could just designate it a town sponsored event. >> Perfect. Okay, great. Mark, do you have any questions? >> Yeah, I would like to make a motion that we um make this uh celebration um a
townsponsored event. Um I think your presentation was wonderful. It was great. And as you know, I we've we've had discussions with with uh Bob and others on this and uh we've all been very enthusiastic and very supportive.
So uh it's great that you've made more even more progress. So I would like to make a motion to that we move in support and of this as a as a as a uh townsponsored uh celebration. >> And are we are you is that motion to
support the grant application as well? or do we need separate I >> I'd like to make two separate motions make let's get this one on the table madam chair if that's okay >> there's a motion and second is there any discussion on that motion I think a free motion is wonderful
>> all those in favor >> I I >> yeah the second >> okay sorry I just wanted to mention that the that it there's a lot going on that weekend that's local so I think it's going to be um a terrific opportunity
>> that we can capitalize on and the other things that are going on >> at Taylor Bray. >> There's a Taylor Bray event that's happening, >> right? >> Yeah. Same day. >> The same day. And we our plan is to speak to them so we each know each other's events happening and be supportive. >> Now, I'd like to make another proposal,
and that would be to move that we approve the funding request up to $50,500 uh to underwrite the cost as presented uh tonight. >> Second. >> Any discussion on that motion? All those in favor?
>> I. Any oppose? No. Excellent. >> Thank you very much. >> Great. >> And uh >> now the fun begins. >> I'm sure I'm sure we will be there. Go ahead. >> One question. Um >> Susan, is this going to be this the same
weekend as the um um Yarmouth Day at the uh Yarmouth Dennis Red Sox. I was just thinking the whole thing could package beautifully together if it were. >> Yeah. I don't know that day. We'll look into that. The date, the reason the date was picked is it's the anniversary of Yarmouth declaring independence.
>> Oh, sure. Yep. I'll look into that though. Yeah. >> Right. So, I'll I'll pass out the updates for you. Thank you very much. >> Thank you for all your hard work on that. It's going to be beautiful and uh as Mark said, we've talked a lot about >> about our history and and um you know,
it's a >> Thank you very much. >> Okay. Excellent. >> You should give us your fees. We may have other things that we could use you. >> Yes. Well, I'm actually thinking about that. So, let's talk. >> Great. Good. >> Our next agenda item is the update from
the Cape Cod Collaborative. If Dr. Hansum is here or thank you. Hi. How are you? >> Hi. >> Hello. >> Hello. >> Hi. So, I drove up tonight and I thought all
of these cars were here to listen to my presentation. >> Wonderful. >> And then I was like, I was a theater major in undergrad, so this is like right up my alley. So, I'm a little disheartened that everybody left. >> We're here for your presentation. >> Just kidding.
>> Thanks for having me. >> Excite you. You are being recorded. >> Oh, my husband actually has been watching from home. if he's still watching. Hi. >> Hi. Hi, husband. >> His name is Matt. >> Hi, Matt. >> So, I'll get started because everybody's been here a long time if that's okay. Is
that all right? >> So, thanks for having me. My name is Hope Panskum. I'm the executive, very proud executive director of the Cape Cod Collaborative. Um, I moved over to Cape Cod Collaborative from uh I was the assistant superintendent for the Mashpet public schools for the last eight years
and went over to the collaborative in January. So, almost a year. I still keep calling myself new. I'm gonna get five years out of that. I have to. Um I mean, although I was at your select board meeting in November when um your town manager was commenting on his 40-year
tenure as a town manager, and yay. Um I don't think I'm going to make that, but uh as a as an executive director, but um I'm going to call myself new for a long time. Uh I also was at your town meeting uh your special town meeting a few weeks ago and just even tonight to want to
commend this community on its civic engagement because um no matter how you feel on the issue, I go to a lot I we have 20 member districts at the collaborative. I go to a lot of meetings like this and all three have been very actively involved um experiences. So I I
think that's fantastic. Um oh this is me. Okay. So um I wanted to come tonight. There was a lot of conversation about um the collaborative at previous meetings. There were some in October that one I couldn't attend but then another that I
watched and um I wanted to just come and meet you, tell you a little bit about what we do, but then also make sure we have a connection so that if there are questions about anything related to the collaborative um you can know you can come to me but also um so that you
really understand and so do your viewing. um so does your viewing public how we serve the town of Yarmmouth. So I will take a very short amount of time to do that tonight. Um for those who don't know, collaboratives are public service educations. We are public schools. We
are made up of member districts that and and it's our responsibility to serve those member districts to provide cost-effective programs and services. Primarily there are 24 in Massachusetts. Um, Cape Cod has 20 member districts as
of July 1st, which is the entire Cape, both islands, Wearham, and we just added Plymouth as a member in July. Um, the governance is made up of school committee members from each community. They one member makes up uh a member of
my board. So, our board of directors has 20 members. So, getting a quorum is super fun. Um but actually we do a pretty good job. You know I I'm proud of our board is very dedicated, very committed. Um and the superintendent and
you know I was here a couple whenever um Dr. Smith and um Dr. Hearn came and spoke um and shared that letter from the Cape Island superintendent. Uh the superintendent have a very strong say in what it is we do and how we do it as do special education directors and business
managers and curriculum directors. We are an arm of each of your public schools. Uh, I'm not going to read you our mission and vision for a couple reasons. One, it's late. Two, I didn't write it. And we're doing strategic planning beginning in January. So, we're going to have some new ones because there's some
like mixed up particles in there that really, as an English person, bother me. But ultimately, it's what I just said. Our job is to serve the member districts. And our vision is to ensure the success of every child on Cape Cod and the islands in a lot of different ways.
So what's our role? Our role um I also late at night I don't like to read so much so I put pictures on here. Um our role is to serve the communities the 20 member districts and we do that in a lot of different ways. Um it's also oh I didn't bring my yeti up. It's our 50th
anniversary. So um the collaborative began in 1975. So you can see our staff at the bottom at our star program made the number 50. Uh and we used a drone to take that picture. We are celebrating like crazy. Um the kids at the Oh, there it is. Thank Thank you. See my sticker.
I have stickers if you want them. 50. By the way, I just turned 50 last week, so I'm just saying. I know. I know. I don't look it. I don't look it. I get it, but I feel it and I do look it. Um so, uh we have two special education programs. One is in Austerville, which is where our
main offices are as well. And that's those kids at the top who are have the fun rainbow p uh shirts. Um that services students with um social emotional disabilities, autism, medically fragile students, students with intellectual impairments, and it we
are a public school, but we are a public day school. So, it's for kids who um the districts have tried everything they can to provide them with a free and appropriate public education. and the teams have decided that they need a higher level of service and that's where
we come in. We are very cost-effective compared to the private schools that also provide special education services. And then um Cape Cod collaborative that sign at the top our new sign which is um for our uh waypoint program which is at the MacArthur building and I'm going to
talk a little bit more about that in just a minute. I just have to I'd be remiss not to point out my boy Calvin right there. Calvin is our therapy dog. Um who our program director at STAR, Julia Bryant, she fundraised um and the
board supported um bringing in uh we brought in Calvin. He's two and all of the training, but he lives with Julia, so she took on a third dog as part of this. But I I didn't have time tonight, but there is you have to see this dog with the kids. It is remarkable the
difference that the emotion the emotional regulation that we see in our kids as a result of having Calvin. I was going to say and >> not quite tonight. >> Yeah, I'm not saying not tonight. But um but also Julia will come out to my office. We meet, you know, we met today
at 8:30 and I'll be like, "Where's Calvin?" And she's like, "Oh, he's here for the kids. He doesn't come to meetings with you." I'm like, "But I need a Calvin break." We'll have to we'll have to set up a meeting for Cal I mean a playd date for Calvin and Finley. >> Who's Finley?
>> Finley is our dog at uh the DYMS. >> Oh yes, I met Finley. Yes. Yes, please. Okay. Um so that's just some sort of an overview of our kids, but our programs and services. So right here is Oh, jeepers creepers. Sorry. Oh, I'm really
proud of the control in my language right there. >> Okay, that's our Austerville site. That's where the star program is. And then behind it there are two modular buildings. Um the blue trailer and the green trailer. I'm in the blue trailer. Um and then um this is our waypoint site
which is the MacArthur building. We've been there since 2023. Um, we have an ASLP program which is a program in the summer at Mass Maritime Academy where middle school students in our only in our member districts who are found um
recommended by their guidance counselors. They tend to be um high achieving gifted students, they come and have a two-week experience uh STEM experience at Mass Maritime. Um, and they're taught by Mass Maritime instructors. It is a phenomenal program
that if you don't know about it, you should. I am a parent of two kids who went through the ASLP program. Um, and we do cooperative purchasing. So, um, we, an example is through virtual high school, but we as the collaborative can
work as a procurement agency to get extremely cost-effective services for our districts because we can buy in bulk and then the districts can get it at a much cheaper rate, much cheaper. Um, which is another opportunity um that collaboratives offer. Uh, we provide professional development. And you may
have heard of Alcape Day. We host every o um it's the Friday before indigenous people's weekend. It's the common PD day for staff and we host that. We do a ton of professional development. And then last but definitely not least, we do a lot of transportation. We do general ed
busing for Mashpi, Monoy, NSET, Bourne, Nantucket, and Truro. And then we do a ton of special education or small bus um transportation as well. So we do a lot of different things all in the service of our member districts and all at a
much reduced rate from what private agencies can provide. And any we're obviously we're a public school. So any additional funds that we um have at the end of the year uh go back to the districts. We send them back.
Okay. So you recognize that building? I'm sure you do. You can see our 50th anniversary banner is on it cuz we love a good branding. Um, so we love being there. They moved into the MacArthur building um in 2020.
Oh no, it was supposed to say 2023 through present, but Mary Alice emailed me the day before Thanksgiving and I was like, "Oh, shoot. I got to get this together." So, my bad. Um, so I'm going to just give you a history. Waypoint is our program for students with emotional impairments, grades 6 through 12. Last
year we graduated high school graduation diplomas, seven students, which is amazing. Um some of which were um potentially from your community. And um it started the the districts started it at Joint Base Cape Cod back in 2000. Um
it was there at a decommissioned building um until 2017 when the building was literally falling down. So they moved at that point to the Wing School in Sandwich. Does anyone know what happened to the Wing School? >> It got knocked down. And this was all
prior to my time, but um we then uh subleasased with Bridgewwater State into the MacArthur School here in Yarmouth. And we love it. It is fantastic. Bridgewwater had put um about $3 million of their money into renovating the
building and um since we moved in we've put more than $5 million into the building and I wanted to make sure that number was out there um because it's a significant amount of money. One of the challenges with collaborives is we have no um ability to pro um to raise funds
for capital planning and for purchasing and things like that. We you could say, you know, after the lease is up, you're out. And we're out the districts are out that money and they're out that stability for kids. So, that's tricky. We're working with the legislation to um
hopefully fix that funding source. Um I also put in your packet the statewide um financial support. So, Senator Seir um sent out a press release back in uh May because he um put through 175,000 for
us, the Cape Cod Collaborative specifically to replace the boiler over at the MacArthur building, which costs more than that, but it supported us being able to do that this summer. And that boiler needed to happen. There was no getting around it. And if we hadn't
gotten that money, I'm not actually sure what we would have done. So, we were super grateful for that. But I also put it in there just because I didn't know if the committee knew that that that was something that had happened in your town with um the fair share funding. It went directly to that building and to serving
the kids in um at the Waypoint site. So what's next for us? Uh I joked about this the mission and vision. We're doing strategic planning this uh we start in January. If you have any desire to put input into what the Cape Cod Collaborative does, please reach out.
Um, we are updating our articles of agreement because they um drive everything we do and and they're also a little wordy and out ofd. And then capital and facilities as I mentioned a lot of legislative advocacy on behalf of collaboratives because right now what we
we save we're doing our annual report right now from last fiscal year and we save the districts anywhere from I mean each district we save them anywhere from $40,000 a year to millions of dollars a
year between transportation and programs and services. If we can't provide services here on Cape, not only do they have to go to a more expensive site, it's a less restrict, it's a more restrictive setting for children. So, they're not able to then benefit from being in their home in their community,
being on their own sports teams, but also you have to pay for transportation over the bridge. And I can't even describe for you how extremely expensive transportation is for special education. So, I wanted to just, like I said, put that out um to you just as a piece of
information and and say hi and um see if there were ever any questions that you had that I could answer or um and hopefully be able to um collaborate moving forward. So, thank you for the time. >> Thank you very much, Dr. Hanscom. I I appreciate the update. I think um so
just for the public to to understand kind of where we are with this is um you know we had a partnership with Bridgewater um I I wasn't on the board at the time that um the I know you said you had a sub lease but I I actually had
gotten today just today the actual leases and it appears to me that the lease is directly with the town to you and that's where like I guess the mechanics that I was trying to figure out how lawfully, you know, without them being there if they vacated the
building, you know, and it's sad because we had a lot of high hopes for what they were going to bring to our community and it didn't really come to fruition. Um, you know, the reason that we at the time did the lease for the dollar was because
we really were encouraged that we were going to get um, you know, programmatic um, a full scope of programs there that was going to, you know, they came and they they had done a great amount of research about, you know, our educators
need to be reertified and they were going to do that there instead of our educators having to go off Cape. There was just a whole litany of of great things. And Ed, I just remember him being here and at the time we were talking about redeveloping Route 28. And I was like, "Oh, well, maybe they will
want some of these older hotels to be dormitories and we could really make it into having a um a program here." And and it didn't work out and it and it's sad. And then we heard that they're leaving, right? And um can I speak to
that because I actually I called President Clark because we meet and we talk about planning for all of the things you described. The collaborative can be the conduit to and they're not leaving. They're definitely not going to sandwich. Like I heard that on the video >> and actually on their own website it
said that this facility was closed. They took the sign down. So >> maybe I I just I asked him about because I was like do I not know like are you is something happening that and he was like there's nothing happening in Sandwich. So he should come out and talk to you all. I really think >> but so but I get it.
>> So as you know we're we are in um a situation where we need to build a new school. We need to build a new library. And we literally need to look at all of our resources and make sure that we present something in the most cost-effective way to the taxpayers. And that's that's what it came down to. That's why the building came into
conversation with Bridgewwater going. Um so it was no it was no uh disrespect to what you're doing. you actually um the collaborative saves the district a ton of money uh to educate our own students here. We understand that and we're not trying to put you out, but we need to
look at all of our options. Um and so I had been asking for a copy of the lease to figure out the mechanics of how you're there um if you were there under them and whether or not they had the ability. I know the board at the time approved it and has approved it since.
um or if there was a direct and and what that means if the rest of the building is vacant, you know, for you. So, um I think it's great that you're here. Um but all those things play into our conversation. So, I just not just for you, but for the public to have a little
bit of background of why you're really here. And you know, you heard us talking about the building and you know, we had a lot of questions. So, um and and that's not not minimizing the work that you do. So, does anybody have any questions?
>> I I just had one. Sorry. You have a question? >> Yep. >> Okay. I just want the busing. I know that uh Dr. Smith has talked about how much the busing >> is costing. Um because so you said that you provide some of that. >> Not for Dennis. We bid when um when
districts are out for bid for their transportation contracts. we do bid um or we talk to the superintendent and say do you want us to you know because we're also in a trailer like so it's not we are out of space but we certainly are open to having conversations about
providing it for anybody who wants us to >> he's totally aware of that. >> Oh yeah we he's a great um he is a great partner to the collaborative Dr. How do you I I'm I'm just going to ask then because I I just want to know how you foresee your future there as the
building perhaps becomes vacant. Are we are we looking I guess we're still waiting for Bridgewater to make an official announcement to us or >> No, I the the situation as it stands today is that the building is under
lease to Bridgewater State University through the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and um they have subleasased it to the collaborative but they couldn't do that on their own. came in front of the select board and so uh
the select board approved and there is that second instrument which was the agreement and approval to have the sub lease to the collaborative. So um the the lease currently extends through
>> 2031. >> I I know at that time at that time it expires. So the um the question of whether Bridgewater State is interested in renewing that lease has not come up yet um even in the most remote fashion.
So the the issue really I think is uh between now and and again it's it's like well they've got another five and a half years to to go on the lease. Um it has to be determined what the next lease, if
any, is going to be comprised of. And at at the time, you know, the collaborative, you know, that when they came in front and were approved the first time, they indicated at that time that they had a strong desire to locate
in that building after this current term of the lease. So, so we've been in informed of that, but um so far the only decisions that have been addressed is the renewal of the lease that originally happened. So, so there is a current
lease in place, but it it does have a a sunset. >> Well, I'd like to have Bridgewwater in because in my opinion, they haven't held up to their end of the end of the deal. I don't think it's a value to our taxpayers at this point in time that they pay a dollar and provide zero service to the town. That's not what we
entered into the lease for. That's my personal opinion. I think we need to resolve that before we can make any determination on the building or um the great work that they're doing there. I mean, maybe maybe we could look at it for
something else that partners with what they're doing. maybe they want to expand their program, but um right now, you know, I I think it was a missed opportunity at town meeting to not do the feasibility study for um for the building because one way or the other,
we need to know what we're dealing with there. >> And um as it sits now, this has nothing to I'm sorry to bring you into this, but that's it's all kind of together. Um, you know, I I think that the lease that we entered into with Bridgewater isn't being upheld to what the agreement was.
And I and and I I think that that's caused for termination. That's my personal opinion. So, I was just trying to figure out if they had the right to subleasase if the the agreement with them was between them and Bridgewater or us and what happens
if Bridgewater leaves to them. >> Yeah. So >> well again it's it's legal because it was approved by the select board. In other words, Bridgewater State does not have the authority on its own to subleasase to >> Bridgewater is not there anymore. Where
does that leave the lease at all? I mean, if they're not providing the programs that that they're they were going to, why would the taxpayers want to lease that building to them for a dollar? It's not, like I said, it's granted we're not paying insurance for a vacant building, which is which is great
because that's very very expensive, but maybe we can utilize it for something better >> and and still take care of the cooperative. >> Yeah. >> Collaborative. >> Yeah. I I had a question. Is Bridgewater charging the collaborative rent? >> No. >> So, they're not profitering?
>> No. And we are using we are using the entire space for our program. I I wanted to clarify that, too. I mean it's not um we we have the enrollment to we are using all of it um >> the entire building. >> Yes. >> So you're using the Bridgewwater section.
>> There is no Bridgewwater section that is marked. >> Exactly my point. They're not there. It's it's just a it's just a >> but we have we have met with them about offering those lensure programs. I think and again I'm not here to defend I'm I wasn't here but I have a lot of dreams
and ambitions for this program for Cape Cod collaborative and one of them is that that lensure can happen here in Yarmouth and I think Bridgewwater we can still partner with them wherever they end up going we can provide lenture opportunities for our teachers here without them having to cross the bridge
the collaborative can facilitate that so I've met with them lots of times to talk about the way we can do that I don't have any more information obviously because that's for but I want to make sure you know my vision is what you just described for that space. It's a hub for
our communities to be able to get what they need so we can provide the best schools that that we you know we have great schools here. So >> thank you. >> Just one do you find the stairs are a problem? I mean, it's been brought up that there's there's an elevator for
anyone who uh has mobility challenges, but for the current case load we have, no, they're um able to they're faster than I am. Are you kidding? >> Dorcas, did you have any questions? Mark, do you have any questions? >> Uh, no, I don't. Thank you.
>> Well, presented, Tracy. >> I'm sorry I had to go off on that diet tribe, but >> that's why I came really. And I wanted you to be able to have that conversation with us directly have because we've been having it really behind the scenes, right? >> Um without without knowing and it's just
seems to be continuing to >> Can I ask one more favor? Absolutely. >> If you were I think you were starting to say like what's your vision for that and and I don't know because I have a board too but I would love to be a part of any conversations about that building that happen. Not a decision maker that's not
up to me but I would love to be considered as a partner a thought partner around this. Well, well, you should be. You guys have also and and I know Bridgewwater invested quite a bit of money. Um, but you've also invested a lot of money into the building and um we
we certainly appreciate that and I like again it's a huge savings to have the collaborative within our own community, not not in especially for transportation and not having to send them off Cape. So, I I you know, I'm very familiar. The collaborative has been um around for
many many years in many different forms and um you know when I was at Madakis they had the collaborative even within that the students were able to work with um some of the other students and I thought it was a great program and um you continue to do good work. It's it's
none of that. It's really the the structure. So, >> um, >> yeah, Madam Chair, if I could just make one point. Um, you know, I I've expressed a lot of interest in the past with respect to repurposing the building in utilizing it. And I just think it's
important for you to understand. I don't know if the other board members shared this with you, but my concern is is that we we have a lot of buildings. Um, you know, we we we've unloaded. We have MacArthur School that some might say is somewhat underutilized. Um, we had a
plan with Bridgewater State that was in place to with a grand vision, a grand dream, and that didn't pan out. Um, and then we also have uh the Madaki Middle School. We're trying to figure out what to do with that. And then pretty soon we're going to have the Margarit School
and then we have to figure out what to do with that. So we're we seem to be gaining a lot of underutilized buildings while at the same time when you look at our capital plan, we have all these new initiatives and new buildings that we need to address. And let's put it this
way, there are needs. Whether or not there are buildings or the building side of it still may be uh a question, but you know, we're being asked to fork up a lot of money for possibly a new elementary school. We're going to go into a feasibility study on that.
There's some that believe that an option that we should be looking at is how do we utilize an existing building for that? What's what's the best one? Um we have uh a proposal for a new library in town. >> Uh the cost estimates just on the cost
estimates alone between a new school and a new library, we're hitting $100 million for those two buildings. We need to do a fire station. Um, so our challenge is is how do we address some of these other major needs in the
community? Uh, and we're not a rich, in spite of what people up at the state house might think, we're not a rich community. We're really not. Um, we have pockets of wealth, but um, this is a town that, uh, you know, um,
these kinds of investments, these decisions are very tough. >> Yeah. So, I've been making this point and others on the board have sort of weighed in um somewhat sympathetically that we as a community owe it to our taxpayers, to the voters, the people in
town to really look along and hard at all of our options in terms of how we address these needs. And so, in that context, that's how um you know, we've come to discuss the MacArthur School. That's not to suggest that there aren't important things going on there now. And
there's certainly services that um if can't be provided there can we we we obviously have a direct interest in making sure that they're properly delivered and done in a way that's convenient for the families and the children involved. Um but on the other hand we have this other big problem and
that's what we're wrestling with and and it's and it's and it's not an easy one. So >> it's not unique to Yarmouth. I mean, you said I'm from Mashby um where I worked for eight years and I live I and on the Cape it's just the reality of it. I would encourage you though to look at what's happening at the MacArthur School
not as underutilization because I I think you were out of the room when I said it. It's full and come over anytime. >> That's that's that's relatively new information. So it >> and that's where that being that thought partner and having the conversations I think is just so valuable so that we actually are having real time
information being shared. But I get it and I'm just here to say thank you for letting us you know serve the kids in your community in your community and if I can be of any service to the work that you're doing to support that mission I'm
here for that. Well, one of the things that we may be asking you to do is submit a bid on the building when the lease comes up and make a real I mean, I think I think it would be incumbent on the the organizations involved in serving the collaborative to figure out, you know, um a a good proposal.
>> Yeah. The those are the public school districts. That's that's the who runs the collaborative is the public school districts. >> So that that's the group then. >> So they would need to come your town would need to come up with that funding. they need to make a proposal. I think when the lease comes up, we may have to
go out to bid again. >> Yeah. And and again, I'm just excited to be in the room while we have some of these conversations. >> I'm glad that you're here because quite frankly, things have been going on over there and we've been sort of somewhat in the dark. We haven't been really kept a breast and uh it's great that you're
here and uh you know, hope this hopefully this will be the first of many meetings and discussions. >> I like I said, I feel like I live here now. I've been here a lot. So, and I'm sorry. I know it's super late so I apologize for Thank you though. And I am going to go home and hopefully Matt you're making dinner.
>> I hope he heard that. >> Wonderful. >> Thank you. >> Okay. So, next up on the agenda is the resolution discussion and it says possible vote. It's over here. And uh one of the things
I didn't get to say when we had public comment is we have a whole packet of um >> letters that I'm that are public record for and against many many um so uh I
don't think we need to to read them. They are very reflective of all the points that were made tonight both for and against. So I'm not sure where the board would like to start with the discussion. If I could, Madam Chair,
>> I'd first like to thank the 26 people that spoke tonight and all the other people that did come. Um I and as uh our chair has mentioned, we've heard from a great number of the community as well. So, we've heard the passion and forgive
me for stepping up and acting like the kindergarten teacher for some of you, but um kindness is is something that I uh think of very strongly. Um just jumping in with this, I
to me there personally there are kind of like two ways to look at this. There's the heart and the head. You know, the heart wants to go one way. Um, but the head really needs to be more practical. And for me
personally, I look at what is in the best interest of our town. Um and I when I look at that have to see that in the resolution
are as has been stated by many people tonight already information that already has been provided by the constitution by other laws. Um it's a reaffirmation in essence of of um
of of those items and I get concerned just from like what I saw here uh what I saw in the emails that were coming into me, what I've seen on the
local radio talk shows that well-intentioned things can be misconstrued. And at the end of the day, when I put all of that together, for me personally, I don't think it's in the best interest
of Yarmouth to go forward with a resolution. >> Mark, >> um well, first of all, um my reaction right off the bat to this is I think tonight is one of the reasons why I love
this town. Um we had people with passion speaking on all sides of it and they were candid. They were real. Um they spoke from the heart. They spoke from the brain or wherever wherever their words of wisdom,
their thoughts were coming from. Um in this room certainly was packed. And uh um I think it speaks well to Yarmouth that we have people this engaged and this concerned about um matters like this. Uh, I will admit I I I just got my
packet. I came to the to to this meeting a little bit late there. I've got a whole packet of emails and stuff that I would certainly like welcome to to go through. Uh, there were a couple of speakers that were somewhat critical of the resolution that thought that we could benefit from having some words of wisdom from council to look at some
things, to scrutinize some things, to make sure that some issues are carefully looked at. So, I'm very comfortable with with doing that and that's sort of where I'm at. I'm sort of in the process of still deliberating on this because uh several speakers actually came up with
some very thoughtful questions and concerns about the resolution and perhaps what are what might be called unintended consequences. So, uh from my point of view, I think it's important to to pursue those questions and make sure that we get clear answers on them. So,
that's where I'm at. Joyce. >> Um, I listened very carefully and I did get to read the letters um, back in the packet. Uh, I guess I feel that um, no document
other than the US Constitution is so capable of having things projected onto it as this resolution. Um, certainly it it sounded as if people were talking about all different things sometimes in the public comment tonight. Um, that
said, I see this resolution as symbolic, but I also see it as practical. Um, as a as a statement about how we treat people in this town. It does not change anything in the law. Doesn't change
anything in anything in Yarmouth law, state law, federal law. doesn't change anything that our police are already tasked with. In fact, we have a model of community policing. If anything, if Yarmouth police accompanied certain
masked agents going about the country, um none of the horrors that we read about would happen. No. I I mean I have great faith in the Yarmouth Police Department and I have great faith in um their ability to reach people because
one of the things that I became very aware of in this whole discussion of the last couple weeks is how badly we miss the register. How badly we miss having a local paper where people can write in with opinion pieces
and and have a dialogue. And I I do shudder to think of that going only to Facebook or to talk radio, but there you are. Um I did feel some people tonight um
had information that was incorrect. Um, and I guess the question of misconstring, um, although it's an important one that Mark raised, I don't think that that should be held against the resolution
itself. Um, I think many things are capable of being misconstrued. And I frankly think that our constitution has been misconstrued back forth and up and down um in the
last few years. So I'd like to say that I appreciate all the effort that put in that was put into uh this resolution. Um I appreciate the good faith that went into it, but I don't think it's just good faith and good heart. I think it is
also good brain. And I am absolutely for this resolution. >> Liz, um, yes, I will also be in favor of the resolution. And I wanted again some of the misinformation.
Um, it was the letters that we got after I brought the resolution that was in our packet to the select board and said, "Gee, we have this resolution that's been proposed. What do we want to do with it?" and uh it was basically nothing. Well, then we got a flurry of
letters and emails. So, that's what brought it back to the table and um that's why we're where we are now. Um and I was very happy to hear everybody, opponents and proponents. It was really
an opportunity to have everybody get together and talk. Um, and I'm not going to repeat the fact that it has no purpose or power other than to send a message, but I I also one big misinformation that I want to clarify
and this is because I had the experience of visiting the Brazilian resource center when this came up to talk to Michael Msinus who runs it. He's the executive director about is there a problem? Are you experiencing stories,
issues, problems? and he told me a heart-wrenching story that is absolute fact and it exposes a gap between an immigrant coming in and and trying to get everything in line, the Corey review, the license, the social security
applica, everything. He's on Cape. He went to Target and they picked him up and they took him away. He had a three-month-old baby. They took him to New Hampshire first, then to Georgia, then to California. He they didn't have
his phone number um because he did his phone was taken. He was allowed to call them and speak from all these different locations for a couple of minutes when uh during the course of this trip that he took. I don't know how it's um resolved itself, but that's where Yes.
Is he illegal? Yes. Is he trying to become legal? Absolutely. And he's done everything right and he still got picked up and and taken away and it and he has he's just it's the system the system is
not working right and that's why this affirmation doesn't change any of that. It just is a a message of hope and it it is the season of love and giving and I think it's the kind of the right thing to do. I I was one of the letters from
an opponent said, "Why don't you take in all of the immigrants?" And frankly, I did. Back in the 80s, I took in a young woman from uh Costa Rica and got her legal. I sponsored her and made her
legal. So, I'm in that world of um I see value in a lot of the immigrants. Clearly, they are what founded this country. We are never in this room in this town going to reach uninvity on this subject. It's clear. So, is that a
reason that we just table this and don't do anything about it? I I don't think so because I know you're all shaking your heads. Yeah. But I I have to disagree because I think that unfortunately there was no uniminity about um us freeing the
slaves either. So I unfortunately that there is a parallel there and I think we have to vote I have to vote my heart which is there are some really good immigrants who are not being treated right right now because our system is kind of messed up.
>> Well I appreciate your comments and while all of those facts um may be true this changes unfortunately none of it >> I agree absolutely none of it. So the letters that I read that talked about um you know people are fearful this does
not help that. This changes nothing. I mean >> changes the mood. >> I mean I I think our immigrant population is is wonderful. The ones that are here lawfully. I agree. They have they add a lot to our community.
Mr. Msinis was here tonight. Um, I've spoken to several people in the um, you know, immigrant community that, you know, they're not in favor of this because they they think it's a false sense of security. It's not going to
change anything. You know, I I I read the letters where people are afraid of their, you know, their people are in fear with their cleaners. Is that terrible? Yes. But but this is we take an oath here to uphold the Constitution. And the Constitution is is clear. While
you may think it's not, I I feel like it's a very clear document. To me, clear all agree on that. So, we agree it's not changing the Constitution. So, I can't I don't understand why people keep >> So, to me, this this is useless. I mean,
it's absolutely useless. If this board wants to talk about something that is affecting Yarmouth residents, and I've said it before, I think everybody should be treated fairly. Show me a case of somebody in Yarmouth that we have told you of something that we have control
over and I will be glad to discuss it if it's something that we can affect change on. We cannot affect change here. It has nothing to do with our board. This has nothing to do with our board. >> Feel good. >> It it's it is a feel good. >> I agree. >> And I mean I love all people and I know it's going to be taken that you know oh
you know she doesn't have a heart. It's not that at all. It's not that at all. I I find this to be completely um a distraction to what we we should be doing here. I I I I have never been told of anybody in Yarmouth being treated poorly about something that we can
actually control. That's what I'm here for. I want to affect people's lives in Yarmouth to be better. So, give me a case. No, ma'am. We're not doing that. Give me a case where we can affect change and look at a policy decision that will actually do something. And I
would love to take that up because I think that that's that's where we have control. This is a federal issue. Our immigration system is broken. It's a complete slippery slope. I I would never vote for this. So that's my opinion. That's where I'm at. I don't think it's a surprise to anybody. I've been very
clear on my position from the beginning. Um I I completely love the fact that people come out and um you know, they're they're they should they should be heard by their government. And if there was uni uninity, as you've said, um, and I
and I felt like that the majority of the people of Yarmouth, I would put my own feelings to the side and vote for what I felt that the majority of people in Yarmouth want, but we're elected by the people who are registered voters in this town, and we have a duty to keep them safe, and this does not do that. And I I
just that's how I feel. So, I don't know. Go ahead, Joyce. >> Oh, thanks. Um, I was just going to say I have been so engaged in watching American Revolution, the Ken Burns series. I mean, I can't believe, you
know, meals went to the side, schedules got changed, and that was even though I knew the ending. Um, because it was so engaging. And if people only acted on what they could control, there would have been no American Revolution. Um and
as we think about things that are only symbolic, I say how do we begin our meetings? >> Um how do we pair off for life marriage? I mean how do we put people to rest when
their life is over funerals and in the case of Irish people wakes. Um all we do when you think about it that really matters to us is is tangled up in symbols. And I actually think symbolic is an important thing to do
aspirationally sometimes until you can get to something that's more practical on the ground because we all need to be better than we are. Um, the country needs to be better than it is, but the town I feel great faith is always
aspiring to be better. And I count all town employees, police department, fire department recently called on in a a very sad situation. I count all those people in it. But we can never just stop with what we currently have under our
control. >> Anybody else have anything to say? Um, I don't personally I mean I we could we could get an opinion from from from legal but but there's no there is no uh
actionable items in here. So I'm not sure what what it >> that only delays that only delays the situation. I I personally feel that we really should come to a decision tonight. I think that the people themselves are kind of waiting for that. Well, and if someone doesn't like it,
they can petition an article a long time. >> They can bring it to town meeting if they want to and let the town take care of it. But from where I sit, I can't support this. >> And and as well as as I want to treat everybody fairly, I I think the slippery slope effect is is is what we heard
tonight from what what will be next. And I have zero interest in that. I think that if we ever got involved in trying to tell our police department what to do or interact with with the with what do they they call them? Um the thugs.
They're doing their job. They they have a job to do. We have a job to do. This isn't it. So I would, Madame Chair, I would make a motion that we not approve the resolution. >> I'd second that. Any discussion on that motion? I I feel it stuck in our
responsibilities. >> Understood. >> All those in favor? >> I >> I Any opposed? >> I >> Okay, >> I think we should say nay just to be nay. >> So >> So it doesn't pass. So you can make your
own motion. >> I move that we uh uh approve the resolution as presented by concerned citizens. >> Is there a second to that motion? Any discussion on the motion? All those in favor? >> I >> I
>> opposed. >> Nay. >> All right. So, that's it. It's done. There's It did not pass. It didn't pass on either side. So, we will not act on the motion. Okay. Our next agenda item >> is um >> Madam Chair, can I make another motion?
>> Sorry. Absolutely. Um, I would like to move that we take the draft resolution and present it to town council uh for review and uh invite council to provide comments based on some of the legal questions that were raised at tonight's meeting. >> That's my motion.
>> I can second that. >> Any discussion on the motion? All those in favor? >> I opposed nay. >> Nay. >> Okay. Passes. So, we'll get we'll get an opinion on that and then we'll discuss it again. >> Yeah. >> Yeah.
>> All right. So, um our next item is uh to accept the mass development grant um a vote and discussion. We all have in our packet a letter from Julian Sears office. This is that's
>> no on on this one and I can >> the one after it >> give a a brief there's a letter from mass development that um awards a grant in the amount of $200,000 for site readiness um for the Madakis
redevelopment project to prepare it to move forward as the board had um directed at your last meeting but um we >> folks >> had the vote excuse me approve the grant >> folks we're still in the middle of session here so if you could take your comments outside that'd be great. Thank
you very much all for coming. >> And this includes the key work that we would start immediately is the um the feasibility and market analysis that's required to put together the proposal so that we can be prepared to to go to the market and see if we can come up with a
feasible program. >> Excellent. >> Would be for the recreational facility supplemented with housing. Is is it based on a decision from Muk in terms of direction?
>> No. The MUK made their initial presentation to the select board and the select board gave us some some guidance >> back and where are we now? And so what um we received a grant and this would enable us to accept the grant and then we would move forward with a market and
feasibility study >> to determine which for instance of the five scenarios we're going forward with. Is that right? >> No not >> partial housing or whether we we reserve it to three maybe >> well it's more than that but reserve the
the land for Emmy small sequestering that Where are we with those kinds of decisions? >> What we're going to be doing in initially with this is studying the development of a proposal for a recreational facility.
>> And at this point, we still have any small school is is there. That property is not part of the recreational facility. Um >> Okay. >> But but we need to do the the market determination as to whether that use is is a feasible use financially. Can can
we put a program together for that? Is there the demand? Is does the market, you know, would it >> and would it help guide the size of this recreational center? >> Absolutely. Yes. >> I got >> all right. Is there a motion to accept? >> So moved. >> Second.
>> Any discussion on the motion? All those in favor? I. Any opposed? >> Nay. Okay. That passes unanimously. All right. Resignations. Board and committee actions. Thank you, Madam Chair. >> Came up just like that. Like it just we
just flew to it >> because of the hour. I'm I'm I figure you're going to get us out before 10, but I don't want to be a part of delaying one minute. >> Um well, I I suggest that the board accept with thanks the resignation of
Caitlyn Chay from the library board. >> So moved. >> Second. >> All in favor? >> I. >> Okay. Thank you, Caitlyn. Um then two appointments um one to the age friendly com uh committee uh Margarite Nukem.
This would be a regular three-year appointment that would expire at the end of October 2028. >> Moved second. >> All in favor? >> Okay. And our final piece of business is our first appointee to the public art
committee. Wonderful. >> Haven't read it. Sorry. >> Um I'm I'm crushed list crushed. I would say crushed more times except the time. Um so I would like to propose um Aman
Sharma as the first member of the public arts committee. Uh a regular three-year appointment that will expire at the end of December 2028. >> So moved. >> Second. >> All in favor? >> I. >> Thank you. >> Thank you, Joyce. Next we have our
minutes of January 21st. >> I move we accept the minutes of January 21st, 2025. >> Second. >> All in. >> Any discussion on that? >> All those in favor? >> Any opposed? And we have November 17th as well. That was fast.
>> I move we accept the minutes of November 17th, 2025. >> Second. >> Okay. Any discussion? All those in favor? I >> opposed. It passes unanimously. We have upcoming agenda review. Now, our next meeting is the 16th and I
will not be here. >> So, um >> date >> the 16th. >> You're not going to be here? >> I won't be. >> So, we have um a liquor license for Best for Golf Course. That's Was that on there before?
>> New liquor licenses. >> Yes. >> I didn't know that was on there. Did that just get on there? >> Um, yes. That is a request from Gab. They just did an RFP and they're changing the vendors at the restaurants.
And so they need to redo the the liquor license isn't being renewed. It's in the name of the old purveyor. And so the recommendation is to put the license in the name of the town with the manager designated as the the vendor.
>> I think that's a conflict. ABCC um has requested it. >> I know. But how do we act upon a license that we hold? >> Oh, that is easy. You can do that. That's not a conflict. >> I don't think so. >> No. >> Huh. Okay. And it can't wait till
January 6th >> without doing harm. Given that given that our chair is the chair of licensing, it would be >> No, I I I we could we could probably see if they could delay it
>> without I think I would suggest that trailer transfer dispatch, which is a update we've been waiting on for a while. I'll have to watch that. National grid storage tank replacement. Uh capital improvement presentation.
These are both tentative and community and economic development special event funding. I think that would be great. We need to get back to that because there's already people interested in utilizing some spaces and we need to talk about >> where do we stand with that committee?
Um who's on it now? >> Megan was going to give us an update on all of that. >> And in fact, we just had a um a meeting about that. So we'll be prepared to um give an update to the select board. We have a recommendation to move forward
reorganizing the um economic development committee, the economic development function. We've been working with the budget to get adequate funds for that and I I think we're preparing right now to make a presentation to the select board because you had indicated that was
one of your high priority goals and you requested a report on that. So we've made substantial progress and I think right now we're preparing to to come in and make a pres. know you're ready for the 16th to do that because that's basically that that's down now tentative
tentatively. Yeah, tentatively. Can you do it on the 16th or do you want >> I I think quite frankly I I would I think it would be helpful if everybody's here >> for that discussion. >> I was I was thinking that that part of it we would do the first meeting in January. >> If we could that would be great because
I don't think Tracy should miss that. >> No, I don't I don't I wouldn't want Tracy to miss it. The one issue that I'd like to put on this agenda is a discussion on the feasibility study for the for the school. >> Oh, feasibility and communications. >> Yeah, >> we need to get that on the agenda coming up. A communications plan.
>> And I'd like to have an update from the new energy manager maybe um the first meeting in January. So, you'll be here um because um some funding deadlines come up in spring. while we're updating and thinking about funding
>> energy manager. Well, so feasibility we need to get on there. Is that on the upcoming? >> Let's see which feasibility would that be the Amy Small. >> Yes. Yes. Um I I want to make sure and just so that there's no mystery about
this. um you know the uh the state has approved a scope um but we really haven't had a chance to talk about the scope of that and um I can recall that at town meeting uh when that slide
showed up on the screen um I clearly recall a reaction on the board uh and I won't repeat what I heard but it clearly it was a surprise. All right. The scope of work for the the
feasibility study. Um, typically in studies like this, you don't just confine your options to three options. All right. You need >> You're talking about the um school the financial >> we're talking about the uh the new the proposed feasibility study on the new
school, >> right? Is that the one that the the finance committee did not >> No. No. This is the one that was approved at town meeting. >> Yeah. Okay. >> And we recommended it. Um, but I think some of us thought that there'd be more of a deliberation, more discussion that on the scope of that study
>> that it was so limited already without really taking everything. >> Exactly. And and >> and it was me I think that commented because it was um his one of the proposals was a combination of a new school that included station a which was the first time we had I had ever seen
that. Well, I I we've I that's been mentioned before at prior meetings that but I don't dispute that you might not have been familiar with it. Um but to me what was new was the proposal of a combined school someplace else. >> Yeah. Um and again we're still in the
combined school. And I think um the the other thing is is quite frankly uh there are other members representing Yarmouth on um this Margarite small uh school building committee that have raised questions about um the enrollment
numbers. And so um and just as an FYI, we're not the only ones that have raised questions about enrollment numbers. There are numerous news reports in other communities about enrollments dropping dramatically. And so I think what I'm hearing from the other members, Richard
Simon one from the finance committee and will Rubenstein is that we as we we need to to look at a a no build option because they're of the opinion that we may have plenty of school building space um if we realign the the space
configuration. And that may require having to revisit, which is what the chair has talked about in the past about revisiting the school agreement because that might require some some collaboration and deliberation and agreement on both Dennis and Yarmouth's
part. So, um I think Will Rubenstein and uh Richard Simon have put a tremendous amount of time and energy into this. Um, as I've mentioned to you, I'm happy to represent the board on the committee, but I think at every significant milestone, if there's something that
comes up, I want to have a board discussion. So, I think we should invite Richard, we should invite, um, uh, Will Rubenstein. Uh, Curt Sears is, uh, the vice chair of the committee as well as the superintendent. And there
may be others that have, uh, an interest in this. I know for example if we're going to be thinking about building a new school combined with station A at some other location then I'm not sure what the other location is other than
the Madaki site and we already have a process underway >> we did set aside we didn't we agreed to set aside >> whether or not that's sufficient enough is a is an open question. I don't know if that's sufficient enough, but I' I'd like to think that they they should at least be in the loop.
>> So, can we put that on for January 13th? >> Um >> um I I think what what I'm concerned about is I feel like to some degree this study is a bit of a runaway train, >> but it was last time. We've been we've been down this. >> Okay. Well, that's why I was pitching
that >> that's why I was pitching that we put it on for the uh for this as soon as >> soon as as soon as sooner as soon as possible. >> Okay. >> And I and I and and I and I I think quite frankly I think we can have a very good discussion, get a lot of good
information on the record. Um Madame Chair, I mean it would be great if you could be there, but I understand you can't. But what I I think the deliberation and recording it I think will be of of real value to everyone including others in the community that are interested in this whole decision.
And so um >> I'll watch the meeting. I just >> Yeah. >> I have one concern that um I would think I would like to see placed on uh the December 16 meeting and that's in regard
to the library. That one is time sensitive because my understanding is that the grant has to be submitted December 31st. >> Well, and we have to we have to sign off on that and that's not anywhere on any of our upcoming agendas before the end
of the year. So, we've got to figure out a I have no problem attending a special meeting on that one. >> The other question is is do you want to have to hear from the public? >> Yeah. >> On on on the the the proposal? I thought we did already approve the grant >> application to submit
>> application. No, no, not to. We we we've approved the process, but we never approve the actual >> the application is going to go to the state with a proposed design for a new new facility, >> which we don't have. >> We don't we've never we don't even know what's in it.
>> Yeah. So, we we need to be briefed on that. >> Like the the new design that came up. No, >> but I think we need to know a little bit >> afford it. Yeah. >> Well, that's the thing we're gonna >> Okay. So, we need to get that on too. >> We need because otherwise we won't be
able to submit an application unless we endorse an applica. We have to submit an application. >> Haven't been rattling our Well, I guess Dorcas is maybe >> because we otherwise drop out of the queue, right? >> We're the board of selectmen. Our job is is to apply for, accept, and expend grant funds and um
>> best interest of the town. >> Exactly. So that prompts a discussion and I will admit I watched the video of the last meeting quite frankly and I was I was a bit disturbed at what I heard at the meeting about um this
idea that there's no commitment to having a West Yarmouth library. >> Could I suggest before you go any further that we don't have that on this agenda and why don't we just hold those conversations for December 16th when the library is an agenda item? >> Fine. I'm just I'm just saying I'm just
I'm just saying that >> I'm just saying >> I'm not I'm not proposing a deliberation. All I am saying is I heard >> even bring speaking to the urgency of having a briefing. >> Right. Well, that's Well, thank you. >> Right. That's where I'm >> That's why I'm I'm saying we should put it on for December 16th.
>> All right. So, December 16th's going to be library Bob and feasibility discussion and then communication plan and energy manager. We're going to have to put um >> first one you're back for. >> I have no problem putting those on hold.
>> Okay. >> All right. Anybody else have anything else on the agenda? Okay. Moving on. Individual items. We have some stuff here. Um
I don't have anything. Sorry to disappoint you. >> Please, >> I am empty, too. >> Well, we have someformational items in the packet here. Um, one of the things that I'd like to talk about is the wonderful thing that um, the Yarmouth Health Department is doing
>> with the giving tree. And I just stopped at the giving tree on the way here and there's, I think, only three families left that um, are in need. So, if somebody stops by uh the town hall downstairs by the health department, there are, I think, three tags left of
of um students um or families that um you can purchase a gift for and drop off here at the health department and they'll get it to the student that's in need. And I think they got that information in and the need through the um school department.
So, that's really great that we're taking care of our students. And um let's see what else we have in here. >> Anything else that needs mentioning? >> The public doesn't need to know about that though. >> No, but a blood drive would be good for them to know. There's going to be a
community blood drive on uh Friday, January 23rd >> at the Luso Lodge at Flax Pond. >> That's great. And unfortunately over the holidays is a time when blood is desperately needed.
>> Allowed to get blood. >> All right, Mark, do you have any items? >> I'm fine, Madam Chair. >> All right, Bob, take it away. >> Okay. Well, the first thing is the consent agenda. We have um three donations for the fire department, conservation division, and senior
center. >> I move we accept the consent agenda. >> Second. >> All those in favor? >> Any opposed? >> Okay, just to recap a few items. Um things have been moving so fast. I'd like to just take a moment. I wanted to
thank the select board and also everyone who worked so hard to prepare for our fall town meeting that we just held which seems like ages ago. Um this really was a culmination of a tremendous amount of hard work and it was nice to see it come together in the community to
come together around all of those issues and I think special thanks this year also goes to our planning board and our town planner for all of their work. I mean, we've got the new comprehensive plan and all of that zoning and so um it's a very successful tow meeting I felt on most accounts. Um I wanted to
let you know also on November 20 we conducted a very detailed cyber security tabletop exercise to review all of our procedures across the boards and protocols for a cyber security emergency which are happening so frequently. We're
under constant attack. You have no idea. It is just a strange situation that's out there. But all of the departments participated in its increasingly important training and we're on I think this community is on the vanguard of the cyber security sort of training and
preparation and I think we do have a plan in case we're we're attacked or a successful attack. We get a lot of attacks but no one has infiltrated so far. Um >> while while on cyber security have you been to the Bridgewater State University
cyber security center. >> No, I have not, but I heard about it. >> You need >> good one. >> I wish I wish I wish. No, they they they the university received a ton of money
to do training and to help towns address and identify cyber threats. So I was invited that the ever since the collaborative discussions been going on I've been getting a lot of invites from Bridgewater people uh to >> we're going to we're going to outreach
them because we are completely um into that in a very big way and >> well uh Vinnie Dto the director of external affairs at Bridgewater State University would love to uh uh support a trip a field trip for for Yarmouth folks
to go there. Um, I've talked to uh the county officials. Maybe the county can organize a a municipal group to go over there, take a bus trip over there. They'll feed us, take care of us, >> and we can even do some simulated training or cyber exercises. I don't
understand any of this stuff, but the people that do seem to think great >> that they're doing a great job. >> That's great. That's awesome. And okay, I had also on my list I you need to know that we are right now completely immersed in the fiscal year 2027 budget
process. Um we're currently meeting with all of the departments going through everything with a fine tooth comb. In fact, um that was the meeting we got caught at by the speaker earlier today. I was uh preparing our budget for for next year with department heads. And so
um it's great to see and we were also we invited them in and I had a long talk. what you noticed the thought was there was something nefarious probably going on that it was it was he thought it was nefarious but um we we actually had a very good chat with him at the time I I thought he sort of knew what's going on
but at any rate um listen it is a very challenging year for the um budget um you know simply put costs in our community especially in the education area are growing faster than revenues I know that's sounds like a broken record but you know this year is a big
challenge and so we're working very hard trying to come up with a program that's going to work. Budget recommendations will be prepared by the end of December. So, um you're going to have those um for the first of the year and we're going to be reviewing that. It's too early to make any um statements on how it's going
to turn out, but everyone is engaged fully and people are aware of um the importance and you know the issues and concerns that we have. >> Would you say that education costs specifically are rising >> specifically education costs? a you can
see into the school bus. >> We had a we had a meeting we had a meeting a preliminary meeting that they've been doing uh lot of just high level >> spaghetti on the wall but the projections aren't looking great >> and and the other issue is um the actual
enrollment >> at Cape Tech >> is is up. >> Yeah. >> A large number of students for Yarmouth and that's the first time we've seen that. Now, um, even without a budget increase, that's a big increase. So, um, just be aware of that. Cape Tech is is
um and and I and I think that's another >> Wasn't it something like interesting issue? >> Yeah. >> You know, and and um why the sudden spike from Yarmouth? Um, >> something's happening in Yarmouth. >> So, to get to the bottom of it, right?
>> So, so that's an issue and enrollment. And um I wanted to bring up also Yarmouth Port Christmas Stroll. >> Oh yeah. >> So that's coming up on on Sunday. Now listen to this. >> Um I've accepted an offer from the Chamber of Commerce to perform at that
event. >> Whoa. I'm going including >> Does that mean peace is broken up between the town and the chamber? >> Yes. you know, and um so I I I thought, you know, to spread holiday holiday cheer, you know, keep the public outreach, community building and
goodwill for, you know, this wonderful community, especially like Yeah. Yes. It's I'm going to be singing and um playing guitar >> at Thatcher Hall. Where will you be going to be? >> Definitely have to go. We have to be there. >> Where will you be in what time? >> Well, um I've been told I've been told
that it's potentially the golden jalapeno. Oh. >> Oh, wow. >> And I think you know, look for me maybe between the hours of one. >> You need backup vocals. I see some uh volunteers over here. >> I have a tambourine if you need uh >> Bring it. Bring it. We'll be singing
some Christmas songs, but not only Christmas songs, other songs to make it fun as well. And something for the, you know, the community to hopefully participate and bring a little human side and and love and joy to folks in town. So, um, so that's happening. I wanted to let you know
>> we should have started the meeting >> Sunday. Huh? >> Sunday. Sunday. Sunday. >> That's all I have for tonight. That's a lot. >> That's a lot. >> Yeah. >> Madam Chair, I'd like to make a motion to adjurnn. >> Second. All those in favor? with