recording in progress. Thank you and good evening. Uh, welcome to the Arma Select Board meeting of August 26th, 2025. Uh, if we could please start with the pledge of allegiance, that would be great.
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 very much. Um, I will take a motion to go into executive session to return to open session approximately around 6 p.m. So moved. Second. Well, we have to read the motion. So the motion is that the Arma Select Board enter into executive session pursuant to
master law chapter 30A section 21A6 to discuss the possible purchase of property Kingsway Nottingham Drive parcel map 142 lot 17 and section 21 A3 to discuss strategy with respect to
litigation involving Blue Sky Towers 3 LLC 1044 Route 28 South Yarmouth if the chair declares an open meeting to have a detrimental effect on negotiation position of the public body which we do.
So with that I so make with the motion. Is there a second to the motion? Second. All those in favor I I need to take a roll. Yeah. Roll call vote please to go into executive s. Forest votes I. McGarin votes I. Joyce votes I.
Argo I post I. and we are in executive session to return to public session. Thank you. Crazy person walked into this room. I want to get out the back. Yeah. Yeah. Take a long time to get out those windows.
I'll give you 10. I'll give you 20. I'll give you a buck 380. Be you amazed if the motivation was there what you could do. Yeah, this is true. Let's hope we never have to worry about it, but it is something I always think of.
True. All right. Are we all set? We are all set. All right. So, we did our pledge of allegiance. We are back in public session and we are going to start with our 6 pm agenda item of announcements. Does anybody have announcements? I just wanted to make a quick comment
very, very, very quick. I was at the transfer station today in a new car. Of course, I totally forgot that the new car doesn't have the dump sticker, transfer station sticker. And the fellow stopped me and he was so very good at
his job by telling me that there were no ifs, ends, or buts. I didn't have a sticker and I didn't have a coupon and I was not going to be using the transfer station. And I thought, excellent. Very good work. So, kudos to the transfer
station person who turned me away today. Thank you. Okay. Joyce, do you have anything? Nope. I'm good. No confessionals here. Bob, do you have any announcements? Um, no announcements. Okay, great. So, we are going to move to
our 605 public comment. Is there anybody here that would like to make a comment, please? I'm here. Should I move or should I? Yes, ma'am. Come to the microphone. Please identify yourself for the record. Sure. These things aren't light. No. No.
Well, I'm going to use my tablet. Okay, if it's okay. My name is um Good evening everybody. My name is Nancy Trafton and I'm going to tell you a little bit about myself to explain why I'm here and why Yarmouth is so important to me. Is this less than five five minute
present? Okay. I currently live in West Barnstable and there I served on the town's planning board. I chaired the committee that drafted my villages component of the local comprehensive plan and I worked to implement its goals through zoning changes. I devoted many hours to the to
fundraising for my library and in 2016 my library board honored me with the citizen of the year award. Congratulations. Thank you. But I resided in Yarmouth for 23 years. I brought my two sons up here. I served on a number of Yarmouth town boards and committees. I was on the
Yarmouth planning board for about a decade. uh serving as both clerk and chair. I was on the sign code review committee, the open space and recreation plan committee, and most important to me, I co-chared the land acquisition and town property committee. Um that committee
working with the town planner and others was responsible for identifying and recommending the taking or friendly purchase of hundreds of acres of land for open space, um recreation, welfield protection, and affordable housing purposes. On January 7, 1987 alone, our
committee successfully convinced town meeting voters to reach into their pockets and vote to acquire nearly 600 acres of land. We were able to convince voters to do this without benefit of the land bank or CPC funds. Preient taxpayers saw the need for open space
preservation to protect the town's future. It was a big win for the town and one that I'm very proud of. The reason that I'm here tonight is to talk about the Joshua Sears playground. The history of how this playground came to be is laid out in your town records. In
1927, the planning board reported on the importance of having a playground on both the north and the south sides of town in order that the children have, and I quote, healthy bodies and healthy minds. In February 1931, the town meeting voted a series of articles for
the explicit purpose of securing um that property for a playground. And as a result, the um the land was acquired by the town in 1935. It was accomplished through a gift by to the town from a
trust established under the will of Joshua Sears and it also provided for the playground's care. The trustees of the Sears Trust, the Barnstable Probate Court, the Attorney General of the Commonwealth, and the town meeting all approved the use of the Sears Trust
explicitly for the purpose of a playground. That clear charge of purpose confers important restrictions on the land's use today. Now, I understand the town is considering developing this land. As much as I support libraries, um
this is not the place to put any building or make any change to the land's long-term use as a playground. I devoted many hours to the acquisition of open space for this town. I did it with an expectation that protecting it would be first and foremost in the minds of
town leaders. The Joshua Sears playground that more than qualifies as open space. It has been used as such for close to a hundred years. According to your open space and recreation plan in table 5-6 under town of Yarmouth recreation lands,
the Joshua Sears playground is identified as protected open space and recreational use. The open space and recreation plan goals stated in 6.2 are very clear. They state a need to, and I quote, protect Yarmouth's recreational
and conservation open space properties. It also states a goal to quote concentrate on maintaining and upgrading existing open spaces. In developing this plan, respondents to the plan survey were very clear in their objectives. They gave a high priority rating to the
following matters. Preserving land for natural resource protection, concentrating development in suitable areas to preserve meaningful open space, and the need to promote redevelopment. redevelopment over green field development. Based on the sole purpose
of acquiring the land on which the playground is located and its continuous use being consistent with that purpose for 90 years, I am convinced that it has full protection as open space under article 97 which is a part of our state's constitution. It ensures that
protected lands shall not be used for another purpose without a roll call vote of twothirds of the state legislature. Article 97 and open space protection have evolved and strengthened in recent years. Um, most notable is the 2017
Supreme Judicial Court decision in Smith v. Westfield in which the town was barred from building a school on a site that had been used as a public playground for more than 60 years. The Westfield case near mirrors the plan to construct a library on the public Joshua
Sears playground. It's interesting to point out that the APCC, the Ottabon Society, the Conservation Law Foundation, the Massachusetts Association of Conservation Commissions, and the trustees of the reservation, among others, all wrote amicus briefs in
support of the outcome of the Smithfield West Smith versus Westfield case. One wise jurist in the Westfield case said, "The overriding point of article 97 is to insulate dedicated parkland from shortterm political pressure."
Open space protection was also given a boost when in 2022, Governor Charlie Baker signed the Public Lands Preservation Act to strengthen protections for open space and parklands, ensuring that there is no net loss to publicly held open space. This
means in order to place a library on this site, you would need to provide a parcel of land not currently in open space equivalent to or better than the one the Joshua Sears playground sits on today. After that, you would need a twothirds vote of the legislature to approve the exchange. I respectfully
request that you stop to confer with the town's legal council before continuing your plan to even consider utilizing any portion of that land for use as a library on what I firmly believe is chapter 97 protected public parkland
um that has been in open space use for 90 years. I'm also very discouraged to think that the town would choose to construct a library anywhere on open land in proximity to the Joshua Sears playground. The entire site is a much
needed and welcome greenscape, playground, and park on an overdeveloped highway that offers little visual respite. Redeveloping an existing site for the use of the library would be a more appropriate land use. And in keeping with the goals set out in the open space and recreation plan, that
document was driven by the wishes of the town's people. Um, apologize here. Um, yeah, I'm asking you to honor their decision and insulate that entire parkland from
short-term political pressure. Okay. If you don't mind, I know you probably cut some of that off. If you want to submit that in an email to us so we have all of it, that would be great. Sure. And I I I hope you will speak to council because I I'd be very surprised
if they didn't agree that it's article 97 protected land. Thank you, Nancy. Thank you for coming and for your words. Is there anybody else from the public who would like to address the board tonight? Is there anybody on Zoom that would like to address the board tonight?
Okay, seeing nobody. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Seeing nobody, we are going to go to our 6:15 item, which is a proclamation uh for suicide prevention awareness month, which is September. We are just a
couple of days away. So, if it's okay with the board, I'm going to read this proclamation into the record, please. This is a proclamation from the Yarmouth Select Board for National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month.
Whereas with September being recognized as suicide prevention awareness month, the Cape Island Suicide Prevention Coalition invites our communities, mental health advocates, prevention organizations, survivors, and allies to
join us in helping to destigmatize mental health and take proactive action towards suicide prevention. We seek to raise awareness and visibility of mental health and suicide prevention resources in our communities and help connect individuals with the appropriate support
services. And whereas according to the American Foundation of Suicide Prevention, which is the AFSP, suicide is the second leading cause of death among individuals between the ages of 10 and 34 with more than 48,000
people dying by suicide annually in the United States. And whereas with an average of 132 suicide deaths daily and each one directly impacting 125 additional people including friends,
service members, families, social media connections, neighbors, we know a significant number of individuals have been impacted by suicide. And whereas Barnstable County suicide rate is one and a half times higher
standing at 14.4 4 per 100,000 versus the state of Massachusetts suicide rate is at 9.5 per 100,000. We recognize the needs to create hope through action by changing the narrative locally. And whereas our local Cape
Islands suicide prevention coalition works hard to spread the word about prevention, awareness, education, and action through training forums and events in our region. And whereas the town of Yarmouth, Massachusetts, publicly places its full support behind
the Cape Islands Suicide Prevention Coalition and those who work in the field of suicide prevention and research, mental health, education, and law enforcement on a daily basis. And whereas we encourage all residents to take time to understand mental health
through education and recognize that we need to take care of our mental health while we take care of each other. Now therefore, be it resolved that the Yarmouth Select Board do hereby proclaim the month of September at 2025 as
National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month in Yarmouth, Massachusetts, signed by the board. And I think that those for me having uh read this that was, you know, prepared for us reading that Barnes County has one and a half times higher at 14.4 for um was something I I
don't think I knew previous and um you know we've had so many closings of different facilities and things due to mental health that um you know it's good that we bring oursel to this and um you know recognize this
the struggles that uh so many of our residents deal with on a daily basis but just know that there is help and there are people out there. So, if you feel alone, please um find find the resources. Maybe we can get something together to put on the website with this Bob for some some resources how they can
get in contact with the uh Capeen Islands Suicide Prevention Coalition and um such heartbreaking to think of a 10-year-old. It's such a heartbreak. It really all the way around suicide. I think in the day of social media, I can't imagine it's getting better. I
mean, what our kids are dealing with at such a young age, they're being bashed is just it's it's a whole new world out there. So, and it always has a suicide has been going back. I have um acquaintances who
have lost members of families at that age from suicide. So, it's very real, but it's important to get the solution up in front in front of everybody. So, great. I'm glad. Great idea, Tracy. I wonder what makes our county, you
know, I don't know if Mark, you've ever had any conversations at at the county level that um about what why is it have we done any type of analysis as to to to why we have a higher rate? No, I think that's a very very good question and I'm
glad that um you know the board you know is is discussing and voting on this this proclamation. Um I don't know but I'm be more than happy to inquire and see if we can um get some information for the board. Um it certainly is a topic that
gets talked about quite a bit at a county level and with some of our regional um health and human services groups that that that uh are working on um you know a whole range of issues. So let me let me let me try to get some information and report back to the You know, I guess it brings me back to
funding and you know, there was there was many years through Free Cash um where we've and I don't know where we're at now, but we used to give grants for a lot of our um you know, our nonprofits that helped
Yarmouth residents uh whether it was Children's Cove or Independence House and we still do that. Yeah. I don't know to what level that this is funded or has been funded and if any um you know if there's any correlation to the to what's available based on funding that
well they just have to apply for funds and the board of health administers those so maybe someone can outreach them while pass this information along you know I I've had this conversation before with the with the previous board of health director that there would be some value periodically in coming before
the board in explaining to the board what they're doing with the funds um because they have their own process for allocating those funds and uh I I think the more there's a public awareness of what they're doing, how much money is available and what they're
doing and how you apply for it. Uh I think the more that information is out in the community, we might have other groups. There's several and yeah that that could certainly benefit from being at least considered uh you know to to to address some of these problems. So my recommendation
would be when we when we get to agenda items, uh, put on our list of things to do to ask the board of health a representative from the board or the health agent, health director to come before us and update us on what they're doing with this program. Good.
Yep. All right. So, our next um agenda item, unless anybody else has anything on that, is the select board goals. Uh we have goals that have been um put in our packet. They have been reviewed. We've had them. We were part
of uh creating them. So, what we're looking for tonight is basically a vote that this is in fact um what our wishes are and this will set Bob off on his path to um create a plan
of action based on uh what we vote on tonight. Madam Chair, I'm a little confused. I I know that what we discussed and voted on um starts with the 2025 priority goals, but page one of the uh packet that we
received talks about some goals that I don't remember us approving like and and I could talk about that briefly and you know first I wanted to congratulate the board on their annual retreat in July to take away from the you know dayto-day uh town operations in
these meetings and just work on uh you know setting some overall goals for the town. It's the most important thing you do I think um each year because it really sets the tone for all of the efforts of all of the departments. So um what we did is I I had worked with your
facilitator Warren Rutherford um after the goal setting session with all of our copious notes and put together the draft what we saw of the um the goals and we distributed those to all of the board members to see if that you know was what
you recalled for all the goals. and I received a memo back on a number of things that um you know were proposed to be added to the goals and um I did not have those items as um voted as goals or
established just the ones that were in my list. So what I did and and I thought maybe that that if they weren't approved as goals they could some of them be future agenda items. So, I wrote a memo and this just the first page memo just this outlines the items that were
suggested um in the feedback that that I received but that I did not have notes to support that they were included in the goals. So, and there I just listed them out and um there were also a couple of future agenda items that I did not have in my notes as put on that list.
So, um, just I wanted to make everyone aware that there's some items that board members asked questions on that I didn't have in the listed. So, so for purposes of this discussion, I see the memo and the memo items are um
perhaps different than what we're looking at under the what they call priority goals. Um, but on the memo in the front, there's items like goal of home rule petition for Gateway Airport. I don't know what
that means. Um, and what that's related to. That would be part of number eight, which is initiate discussions with the town of Barnstable to discuss issues related to Cape Cod Gateway Airport.
Right. But what is the home petition? I don't remember discussed and I'm not clear on um what what the plan was but I think it was to get Yarmouth as a voting member on the on the airport commission.
Is that what the the meeting with town with the the council meeting with Barnstable and town council and then trying to get home rule petition for that? Would that would that require a home rule petition? I think what my notes indicated that the goal was to initiate
discussions with the town of Barn Barnstable. Yes. And and the you know it was in in that goal to get greater representation and it was talked about that you know down the line you could use a home rule petition. But the the part that was
approved as a goal was to do the meetings with Barnstable. And I think that the um my notes seem to indicate that a home rule petition might be a potential future step that wasn't adopted as a goal. It's actually no on it's number it's on it's it's above meet with Barnesville
Town Council, right? But it says it right there. It does. And I'm I'm fine with that. We did talk about initiating a discussion with town council, but to me that it's a process. It's a process of having that conversation without saying our goal is to
um get a home routine that that may be something that we need to do based on the discussion, but I don't remember saying that that's one of the things that we're going to work towards right away. Um I don't necessarily think that we should put it in there because I think if if if we're going to put that in our goal, it's kind of superseding our our
our um neighborly duties of having that discussion first. So, we want to reverse two and three. On page four, that's what I'm saying. I have a little problem with this first page. Um, are we on page four? Are we reversing?
Oh, this just page one we're talking about. Well, I know, but it on page four in the goal package. It's there. It specifically says initiate in possibly through a home rule legislative petition. And then number three is meet with Barsville Town. No, we want to definitely meet with Bar.
I'm just if that's my recollection because we have items. I just want to make sure I'm trying to recap in my head. Do we want to do discuss home rule legislative petition or should that be struck? Um I I don't think it should be in there. I think it's I think what we're
what what our goal should be is to um basically talk about what we're trying to achieve and then the specifics of it I think need to be kind of a a free flow of how for opening the door. Yeah. I I just don't think it's very
neighborly to say here's what we're going to do and if not that this is it. And we may end up there, Liz. I mean, I'm not saying it's off the table, but it's not my goal. My goal would be to have a um a great conversation with our neighbor and advocate our position as to why we
feel like we should have a voting member and then, you know, take it from there. Not advocating at all. I was I just had it in my notes that it was discussed. Oh, yeah. I mean, it's a potential here. So, should we strike it? Yeah. I don't I personally wouldn't don't want it there,
but that's just page four person. How does everybody else feel about that? I agree. I don't think we it better for us to open the door. Yeah. And get a seat of and then discuss. Okay. So, number two, just so that I understand what what
we're talking about is a little confusing. All right. We were giving the administrator gave us a memo and and then attached to the memo, the memo identified some items that came in for feedback
uh dated the 22nd. The 22nd, right? And then after that one-page memo with all of the list of potential future items and potential goal additions is a document that pretty much reflects what we had come up with at the meeting. So,
are we what I'm unclear on, Madam Chair, is what we're actually talking about tonight. Are we taking a vote on the document or are we having a discussion about this memo and what should be added or modified? I think we should go through
the 2025 priority goals and make sure it's as we um I know Bob Bob pointed that out because you know I think that right we want to make sure we capture everything but at the same time let's just go through um yeah we have time tonight so we have plenty of time that we can have
this discussion so I think the first question are we comfortable with page one so so let's go priority goal number one and and and just for the public's and our note this is not an organized number of priorities. These are priority goals
all um equally important. There's not one. We're not saying because it's number one on this that this is our number one goal. Okay? These are just in no particular order. So reorganize the community and economic development functions to support committee and support committees for the
implementation of the comprehensive plan to focus and unite a common vision and strategies in support of tourism and local economy. So, if you just want to read that below it, the areas of focus and if anybody has anything, if not, we'll move to number two.
I had two um and because this memo I'm there's no reason not to point it out. This is from me essentially and it's not goals. It was elements that were discussed as part of these goals. Okay. So we're it's a little bit mis
well just as we go through do you mind just saying what you're and we can have a discussion whether or not it was part of it or indeed so as part of the air an area of focus underneath uh one uh explore
creation of redevelopment authority okay I do remember talking about that and I don't know whether or not it was an area of focus or something that we wanted to further discuss is that a future your agenda item. For me, that's an that's an agenda item.
I think what we need to do is get our community development director hired and underway, go through a process of figuring out how we're going to strengthen uh the various committees and get our act together there. I think that comes out from that conversation.
So, we're moving that to future agenda items. That's an that I would recommend be an agenda item. Are you okay with that, Liz? That we have a Yeah, I'll go with it because I don't want it. But I really do think it's it's on a uh on a par with other elements that are now areas of focus. So
I'm sorry sort of sorry to see it become less important than um I'm not sure it's less important. I don't want you to think that. I feel like it deserves a it deserves an agenda item where we can get information on what it means.
Okay. Um there could be negative uh impacts to something like that that we haven't really had the chance to talk about and we we should well that's why it's explore. Yeah. Um okay. So that's going to go under agenda agenda items and then you know we can get whenever we
have that discussion we can well I'm not sure actually it's that's a that's an interesting thing because I'm not sure how the town the town doesn't typically um that's usually an outside entity. Well it was sort of an extension of community development and the economic
director position. So that's why I thought this is that's where it belonged. Well, I think it should be a discussion and then we can maybe have them maybe go from there. Yeah, I think I think it's helpful to have a discussion about creating a
capacity to implement specific initiatives that are part of our overall economic development plan. Now, in some communities, these entities are redevelopment authorities. Mhm.
Um and in other areas um they try to communities will try to facilitate the creation of CDC's to target a particular area or initiative. So from from my perspective I think it's a great agenda item but I wouldn't limit it to just
redevelopment authority. I'd limit it I would expand the conversation. Could be CEDC. Yeah. because it could be there may be some value in expanding the role in the jurisdiction of our own community and economic development committee to to pro
provide greater clarity for that group in its work. Exactly. And maybe there's there may be some need to sort of expand their powers or they might all they might also this they a potential redevelopment authority might play a role in in helping our smaller businesses that are suffering
right now with the uh sewering too. Right. So I think these are things that are certainly worth discussing and thinking through in a in a in a very strategic way so that we make sure that um we're creating. The other thing that I had under um that I had suggested that I
thought we were still talking about as part of the reorganization of our economic development was also the the thought that we have a professional firm look at rebranding Yarmouth for marketing efforts as a commercial for commercial. Yeah, we did talk about
that too and I think that the conversation was it was one of those things that we don't have any statistical data and the process of which that came um I personally would like and I know this is going to be a lot on our new economic development
director but these are things that we should have asked these questions in the interview now that I'm thinking about it because they would have been great to see the thoughts on it but once we get somebody Yeah. Yeah, I mean once we get somebody on board I think these are great conversations that that we should have with them. So should that be a conver an area of
focus because obviously this those areas of focus are after we do have somebody in the position. So should the idea of exploring with this new person the rebranding be on this list as number seven
or do we make it a future agenda item say six or seven or eight months out after this person's had a chance to have their fine that's what I was on the ground okay yeah I I wouldn't from from my point of view I'm not comfortable with jumping to the conclusion that somehow our
rebranding needs to be completely changed I know there are some That's not what it's intended to do. It's a Okay, but that's the way it that's the way that's the way it reads. It says, "Work with a professional firm for rebranding of Yarmouth marketing efforts." That's a pretty direct
That's my language. That is misleading. You forgive me. Okay. you just explore the I think that that that an upcoming agenda item would be more like um you know have you know a discussion on the need like I I don't
know I I guess you know and I said this before when we were talking about the CEDC I've been here we've spent thousands of dollars several times to do it and I'm just not convinced that um it's a good use of our money until somebody can
convince you convince me otherwise at this point and I just I'm not there. No, I'm I'm in total agreement. I I think um I know Mike would be very happy right now to hear you say that because he I love Yarmouth within reach. He hated Yarmouth Within Reach from the
minute they took it. Oh yeah. I know. I know. Doesn't do much for me. So I I also see it that I don't want to pigeon hole the the new incoming director. I want to give this person an opportunity to be in place to do their own analysis and to
come back to us with their recommendations, what they think we should be doing at this particular point. I mean, I don't think we should be just giving them marching orders and leaving it as, you know, this is it. This is what you're doing. I don't want to styy their thought process.
So, under um the item number two, which is well, first are we done? We everybody okay with the way number one is? All right. So, we're going to Well, I do I do have one change. I'd like to recommend um we refer under areas of focus. Um item two, uh we've
been generally calling it the route 28 economic corridor analysis, but I think we should be accurate. The official titles of the studies that we have been performing with the consultants is the route 28 mixeduse regulatory review,
that's one study, and the feasibility study. Um and those that was the union and BSC. So the corridor analysis came in the form of those two studies that we funded with that state grant and um mixed use what was it? Regulator. It's the route 28 mixed use
regulatory review um that studied the physical um thing and the feasibility studies. Okay. So what what feasibility are they? They were doing um the the feasibility incorporated uh interviews that were
done with u business leaders throughout the community developing you know benchmarking and uh different suggestions and ideas for stimulating uh economic activity in the corridor and that was the BSC group um spearheaded
that and then the union company did the uh analysis of the physical construction of the zoning and and what some um they did the one, two, three acre sites that you saw. We we talked about that and and those formed the basis for the economic
vision that's in the comprehensive plan. So, it just links it up officially with the studies that we have. Okay. So, but and and when we talk about moving these to future agenda items, you're making notes, Bob, to Yes. We're gonna have to move it. Okay. Well, I know you are.
Okay. Okay, under number two which is the water quality. Well, let me just let me just talk let me read read it into the so people at home know and then we can So goal number two is continue to maintain a broad vision for water
quality protection in our town including ponds, lakes, streams, estuaries and embements which focuses on public water supply protection and wastewater treatment capacity. moving forward with uh the development
of a public wastewater treatment facility. There's some typos in there. So, get rid of end. Um it should say like move move forward. Moving forward and um it should say get rid of the end. Yeah. Which focuses not and which
focuses. Okay. So, generally that was my recollection the areas of focus. Um, if you guys want to just read them and see if you have any comments. Just sounds like a good idea. It does. What was What is item C under there
supposed to mean? Policy focused for select board. What does that mean? That the select board is focused at a policy level, not directing the day-to-day operations of of the project. Oh, maybe reverse those two words. focus on
policy for select board or something. Well, we'll know what it mean. I asked the same question, Liz. I was I I had asked him when we had our discussion about this what that meant. So, maybe there is a way to make that a little clearer. Um,
focus on policy for select board makes it pretty clear, I think, for select board to focus on policy issues. Select board to focus on policy issues. Bob. Okay. Got it. There's some capitals too that don't quite make sense in B.
Maintain firm budget control. Capital, capital, capital. All right, everybody's comfortable with number two. I wanted to add um um under under number two two let's see two two okay
which is the PAS okay paragraph I um we did at one point we were talking about getting some shellfish testing and we I thought maybe we could add that there I think we already asked that of the consultant and
they're supposed to be working on that I don't know that we that we did or if that it is. Yeah, you did. It is. We did. It was part of the discussion. So, do we continue to test? In other words, if we're testing things, is that something that we should be testing as regularly as well? Should if if you
don't think it needs to be added, that's fine. It just seemed like that was part of our testing. Now I think what we were doing if I remember correctly is is we had the consultant doing that and from what the consultant comes back with us is how we were then going to develop our future policies.
That's fine. Understood. But I do want to point out that there is any test results to know we need to keep testing. That's correct because the plume is moving and so it would be something that even if it's I think it makes sense that we will continue. I think I think we're gonna be forced to to do more testing anyway, but
um that's fine. Whatever everybody wants. All right. All right. Number three, revise communication plan across the board for increased civic engagement that addresses town cable vision, television
production capabilities, all social media and other means for reaching out to local residents regarding important topics of public discussion. Um the only the only thing I have is um
it says local residents. I I think the public at large um only because there's a lot of Thank you. things that are going on that our our visitors may be interested in. I don't know if we want to limit it to just local residents as our goal, but that's up to the
No, I think that's appropriate. So want to see reaching out to the public out to the public and leave it at that. I mean obviously our residents have more information they need with town meeting and so on so forth but there's a lot of things that that we want to make sure we focus on.
We like to see what the visitors have to say as well. I mean they're a big portion of our economy. There has to be a lowercase B on the board first sentence across the board. Yeah. Okay. In the areas of focus everybody's
okay with. So, we will move to number four. I was trying. That never happened. All right. I um at one point we talked about um better improve communication between
board members and um town administrator. I find I'm I'm not getting much information until I come to a board meeting and sometimes I feel confused as to what's happened in the two weeks we've been apart. So I don't know if there's a solution for that.
Just nightly checkins. Oh no, we want to keep Bob. We love Bob. Um I don't know. I No, I understand you. I uh this has always been for me um something I think
especially in our in when we rate Bob. This is always probably one of the things I'm the hardest on in his annual review because I feel often caught off guard. Yeah. Um you know right now I I he's got a lot on his plate and um you know I'm sure things will improve. One of the things
that I have seen get better um are like residents email with an issue and then it goes into a black hole. But we don't. So now I feel like we're at least copied on the fact that we know somebody's working on it, that kind of thing. Um,
but that's all to me that's, you know, communications has always been a goal. But at the same time, you know, again, we we're here to set policy, not manage every little thing of the town. So point um there's a balance. We don't need to
know everything, but we do need to know what we need to know. So, if there are issues that um I think are important enough, Bob, you know, has reached out. I don't know how everybody else feels about it being a goal. I I think it's as his as his job that is it's he's he is
um that's part of his evaluation. That's fine for me. So, and I've always felt comfortable that um I feel that there's uh anytime that I have any questions that Bob has always been readily available to answer those questions for me. And a lot of times it's something that's really a
question for me, not necessarily a question for the entire board. I think as long as the the communication stays open the way Bob has had it, I think it works out well. That's fine. And then you'll settle in. I think you're um you're
and I don't mean this in a negative way. You're very excited. you want to like, you know, but a lot of it I think after time you you kind of um I think because at first I was that way, right? I wanted to like but I do I do there for for instance
it's so it's such silly things but this this this silly boat ride that um they want us to take friends of Bass River and it was like 20 people were kind of trying to figure out who's supposed to collect the dates and find out when we
can go and it's it's happening so it's off. Yeah. And you know that's not true at all. I mean, we we had twice I had to send out from Rick Bishop. All he was looking for you to do is say, "Can you come? Can you not come?" And you know, you wouldn't
respond. And I mean, and then I and I sent it out a second time. You know, it's frustrating. And a lot of the things that you, you know, you ask about is, you know, I I I can't keep up with the um you know, you handling the day-to-day aspects of the town. I mean,
that's kind of what it was sort of interesting. We were talking about um what is the select board maintaining a policy focus? Well, that's what it means. It's that um not trying to do the dayto-day operations and then have me update you daily on the day-to-day
operations. It's to focus on the big picture. So, if we need, you know, to work on defining what our roles are, you know, maybe that's the discussion. But as far as me not keeping you up to date on the day-to-day operations, I I mean
my schedule, it it's just I would never get anything done. And the the types of expectations you have is that I'm going to achieve carrying out these things, but I I can't do it and and give you a day-to-day um update on all the day-to-day operations.
It's hard because the public looks at us. So, it's frustrating on both ends. Yeah. They come to us for everything and they think that we're and we don't know, right? and they're like, "Well, what are you doing?" Right? And but we don't know. We're not here to Well, I can give you a good example. So,
um when this fire thing happened, the the fire concern at on Mayfair corner of Mayfair in Sucket and we talked about it in our at the end of the last meeting and I sent out an email to let you all know that it had been resolved and resolved well because
it was an open-ended discussion that we had and I that's probably part of what makes me um feel like our communication is lacking and it's not Bob. It's it's I wanted us to know we don't need to have any more discussions about it because it
was resolved instead of having to create um policy or legislation because remember when we talked about that at the end of our last meeting, should it should we create do we have to have a legislative action on the books to
prevent this in the future? And I thought, well, let me close that off. say no, it was taken care of. End of discussion. So that's kind of what I would love to see more of is and of course we can't discuss anything but it's just information so that it's you're not kind of left hanging with
wonder what happened with that type thing. See I guess I just have faith when I give when I give a constituent issue to Bob I just have faith it's it's taken care of unless I hear otherwise. So I don't know and maybe that comes with years of experience but Okay. All right. But then we did also
talk about improved preparation for town meeting. Yep. That's always been that's always been we always tweak that. Although I have to say that I think that it's come a long way from what it used to be. You want to add that or not? Well, I mean that's within our control,
right? So when we get to town meeting or if we want more meetings, we can have we can schedule a public meeting. We can do whatever. It's I mean well with in concert with the moderator the meeting is actually the moderator's choice. in ter in terms of what we've done in before we've never specifically outlined
it, but we've had conversations on how to outreach. You know, they've done better with videos and we had the pre meeting a couple of times. So, I think that that's just a discussion we have. I don't I mean, it's always a goal to have better communication. I think that that's the whole point of number
of number four, right? Four, I'm sorry, three. Yep. What Bob said a minute ago though gave me a a a flashback to Bill Hinchie um and a conversation that he once had with Vita Morris where uh Vita Morris
was pressuring him to have office hours during which he she would visit and he said if I had those I would never get anything done. There you go. Thanks a lot. So true. All right. Number four. finalize the study and begin implementation of the reuse and development of the Madaki
school property, which is well on its way. Um, we're we're down that road. Everybody want to look at the areas of focus, make sure we're good. Number four is good. Number five, getting there, Tracy. We're getting there.
Promote staff retention uh efforts in our town. Uh, we had conversation about that. Anybody have anything to discuss on that? Nope. We need to do it. And all right. Number six, develop additional recreation facilities and
sites. Some ways that depends on what we do with the met piece of property. I suppose Yep. Coordinate stakeholders. Yeah. Okay. I think there's some language um on number two. It's just bad again. Bad
use capital improvement program to develop a the word to is to make to make strategic improvements. Yep. Um and I I brought up the um ways to water and the walking path maps,
but that again that's just getting specific. So there's no need to go there, I guess. Well, it's the whole goal is to additional facilities and sites. So yeah, I think while we're talking about this, Madam Chair, I think we we need to sort of keep in the back of our minds
that we're going to have to revisit the drive-in site specifically because pretty soon it's going to be open to the public and we want to make sure that we've got a sort of a game plan in terms of use in the management of that facility. Yeah. So, we had our walk through. We just
talked about that they were coming up um with the application I believe to for for use. Yeah. So, at some point this is all going to have future agenda item. That's a future agenda item. Yeah. And I think we need to be dealing with
get that which is the one drive-in site specifically the public public use of that property that we should have a discussion about that once it gets opened. Okay. Number seven, analyze regional and
combined public safety dispatching which we have um have done and uh the chiefs are on their way with um with that. We we just I think we just asked about a update or maybe I asked Bob about getting an update on that soon, but we weren't
ready yet. Yeah. because I'm I have right here educate this board of select person as to any response plans and um educate our zero responders which is a new term
that's being used in um disaster settings. I think I've got to ask what is a zero responder? The people who were there like dork before a first responder neighbors. Yeah. Um I I see that coming through on
the when the chief come to update us on what's going on. Yeah. And I don't know, have you toured that facility, Liz? Have you taken Have you gone up to Doug? I'm more interested in if if something were to happen here in Yarmouth. You talk about our e You want to know
our emergency response team? Yes. Okay. And I want to know what specifically I do as a select person to contribute or get out of the way. Yeah. I would say get out of the way. But but but that's just me. People are going to be calling me to say what do I do? What do I do?
Oh, you'll get phone calls at 1:00 a.m. Why? You're the important thing is that we need to not muck up the the works and allow the people that have been trained to do it take care of it. Hang tight or go check on your neighbor. Do we say go check on your neighbor? Um I think the town has put out a lot of
great correspondence in the past when um when things come through. I've had the ability to sit through the emergency operations center and I think maybe when a when our first um storm so to speak comes and you have the ability to watch
that um and see the information. Where would I watch it? What do you So they do that upstairs at the police department and so would I go there? Um you could I think you would work that out with the chief or whatever. But um I think you'd have a lot of more
confidence and comfort in having watched that process. And then I could also spread that. So that's my I feel like that's my role as a board of select person is to be able to give comfort and and to help educate others as to what our plan is. I would I
would just jump in again partly from my past role as director at Heatherwood and being part of the emergency response that um you're better to keep the number of people that are are handling all of that communication and everything else
to those that have been fully trained and have had all of the you know you'd be amazed at all the game plan scenarios that go into play. And I think it would be more important in our role and certainly what I would do as a select board member is to refer them back to
our emergency management people and not not not get involved at all in it. No, and that's not what I'm saying. Dorcas, I don't I want But you were saying to talk to their, you know, to your um zero responders and so forth. I think again
to to is that something it was something that I went to a conference on and it's a new it's a new thought in safety perhaps when the chief and the fire chief come and and they're updating us and I ask them have you heard about zero
responders and what's your take they might have an answer yeah we don't want that or they might say that's great and then I would know that it it it is something that they also approve of you know if In a snowstorm, do you check on your neighbor? Yeah.
Or do you sit tight? That's I just want some I want to be It seems like neighborly you check. I mean, that to me is a little bit of common sense. I mean, as somebody that has a 96 year old that lives across the street and an 87y old that lives on the
other side. I just that's what I do. I check on them. You know, understood. But you're not I'm I'm not getting through. Skip. No, never mind. Sorry. that it's a good one. The only the only thing I'm trying to say is just that I'm not really a safety vest and an axe,
right? We we should continue to just refer everyone back to the people that know what they're doing and keep the numbers as small as possible at that decision making right level, especially for issuing axes. Absolutely. Or the vest. Don't forget the vest.
I already have my own hard hat, so I'm ready to go. Right. Okay. No, I understand what you're saying. Information is good. Yes. So, yes, we'll try to find a way that we can and it might calm me down, which would make everybody happy.
I think I think people are always I I I my years on the planning board help me realize that the fear of the unknown things that you can't see is a difficult thing to to explain to people. So, sometimes I'm a visual person. I like to see it. So when I say that you should watch it, I don't mean intervene, but to
just be in there and see the pieces that go into it, I think is um helpful and I've done it at the county level. So I agree it's probably I would like to have that exposure at some point. All right. Initiate discussion town of Barnstable. We've already kind of
covered number eight. So um we can go on and then the future agenda items. So we do have a lot of agenda items to to discuss in the future, but that's okay. That's good. Anybody else have any any notes or thoughts for Bob on the
goals? I would move that we approve the goals as presented today with the uh addendums that we have made and a typost fixed second. Well, that's part of the addendum. So, all any discussion on the motion? All in favor? I I
Any oppos? All right. Great. That was a good exercise. It's good for the public to also know what our goals are, so it's good to go through them. Next, we're going to have a discussion and a vote on uh the community development director and whether or not we want to have a vote tonight. I'm not sure how the board wants to would like to proceed if they
have discussion they would like to have. Well, actually, Madame Chair, um I would like to, if I could start by saying that I was very impressed with the candidates and my thanks to Sarah and to Bob uh for what you've put together um for us to
review. And I thought that they were excellent candidates, but for me personally, one kind of rose to the top. And uh I would be I think that with her uh background
uh her experience in um in town government as well, I I really would feel very comfortable in uh proposing Megan Eldridge for the position. Is that a motion? And I would make that motion.
Is there a second to the motion? I'll second the motion. Let's have for discussion. Let's have a discussion. Does anybody have a discussion on the motion or anything that they would like to I confess that um I I really liked different candidates and what I don't
feel I'm I'm in a place to weigh is how much the municipal experience counts obviously heavily because somebody like Megan would be an easy hire and how much like a different background but that
might be valuable should count. Um, and I I I find myself kind of reluctant to let to let go of any of the candidates, but I I do see that if it's if it's municipal background that that we're we're looking for, especially if we're
going to have a new person, um, you know, as ATA and, you know, we're going to have a whole lot of things launching at once, then then I agree that that Megan would be the way to go. Um, I confess with some of our our priorities that we were just saying, it seems to me
that somebody with national park experience with would almost sound tempting, but I realized that this may not be a year in which we can give somebody um a long running board. Well, and I was wondering if there may
be a possibility of um offering a consulting position for instance to be able to access some of that experience. that you say that because uh I which is my thought process. Yeah. Um it's weird because in in my position
here, I've sat through many of these um mostly either town administrator, police chief, fire chief. Um all of them come from a very similar background with different strengths and really it's a personal preference in what I felt that
the town needs at the time. Um, in this particular case, we had such diverse backgrounds, all of which there were pieces that the town needs now. Um, so that's why at the end of the interviews, I said, "Wow, that that's hard because I'd love to have them all." And when you
talk about the parks director, I felt she was a um she was a taskmaster. I felt she was um she was a special projects uh type of um person that we certainly would love to have but um not
sure you know that how you know when you talk about the municipal experience I um obviously Megan was the one with that all all of them had great qualifications and it's really about what you feel we need right now and and to me there were pieces of all of them that we need
um So, I'm comfortable with um if the board has a strong feeling about a particular candidate, um I don't think we could go wrong with any of them to the extent that we could utilize the others um in at some point in some way.
Um that would be great. Well, that's what I I for me personally in in my thought process, it was because we really are limited to one person that we can ultimately decide upon. And uh part of what was really a leading factor
for me of course was her was Megan's municipal experience but also I was rather impressed with uh her ideas on um team um motivation and uh the fact that to me I see this
position in many ways as being which is why I asked the question we have some singularly um very qualified people that are already in play and who who can bring those people together and allow them to
rise even further. And I felt that like you actually that um Ellen who was our national parks experience was more um on individual goal setting and pl and
projects. And I felt that Megan was a little better qualified at looking at the big picture and how that would all fit in. And also I was impressed at one point she made a comment that is exactly something that Bob has talked about on
how to support the staff and that I I feel is very important to Bob is how the staff is um incorporated into anything we do. and I felt that she would be a better mix better fit with Bob to be in
that position. So again, and then looking at um at Ellen, our national park, as more and I don't think like hitting the ground that we would be hiring her as a consultant, but I think reaching out to her after Megan has had an opportunity to be in the job for, you
know, six or seven months and start to to feel it out that um particularly, for instance, when we get to the whole um plan for Route 28 and so forth. I think that Ellen would be very helpful to come back and discuss, but in a in a
consulting position. You know, there's a a thing about Megan's resume that didn't get any play in the interviews, but I mean, the the fact that she's worked in health backgrounds, and it occurred to me that given we're getting hospital creep, you know, West Yarmouth and
uproot 28, I wonder if some of our um thinking about yearround development and and recasting our idea of Yarmouth couldn't involve um a health environmental emphasis and That would be that would be something Megan would be
really set to do. also her discussion on the cultural center, you know, like and what that came at the last minute, you know, that she basically was bringing that up and I was kind of intrigued, but it was already at the end when she was bringing up about um being involved in
that because I think that's something that I've kind of heard as a a theme going on, you know, when we look at Yarmouth is looking at our culture and looking at our history. So having that experience I think would be very
helpful. Well, I do want to say that um I think that that Spiro has um he's thought long and hard about where Yarmouth should be going in it in the big picture future. And I'm I'm excited
by what he sees and and what he talks about. I a lot of what he talks about makes a lot of sense to me. Um, but I have to say I was swept away by by Ellen. Um, I thought that she was
inspiring and um, she had so many out of the box ideas that um, when we'd asked her for instance um, what what you might do to to Route 28. Um, she she had a great
list of of businesses that she that I hadn't even thought about that would could be dropped in. And I think that was your question. What could you drop in there? Um, and I like the way she responded to the chamber and the economic development um, piece. Um,
I liked um, so much of what she said. I thought she spoke so well. Um, and that she is she mentioned she's a team team um, builder. I think they all had that capacity um that they would be able to
lead a team very well. They had pretty much answered those questions about what would you do in the first 30 days, 60 days. Pretty much all the had the same kind of approach. Um so I I liked I thought Ellen was a
little bit more matured and would be a better fit with somebody like Kathy Williams who is also so advanced in what she's doing. Um and and I thought Ellen also um was more was more specifically
um in the planning world in the development world um rather than in health or and I I don't disagree with that point. Okay. Um but we have a planner. So maybe I'm using the wrong the wrong terminology.
So no no I think you're right. You that's what I said in the outset. There's nothing there's nothing negative about any of these um people. we we would win no matter no matter which direction we went in. But I said originally I feel like she is a a
taskmaster, a planner, but we need somebody who can manage a group, a team of of a very qualified um multiple I mean you got conservation, you've got so many things under this umbrella,
right? And that's that's what I was trying to say saying it poorly. She would be a good manager of those excellent staff people. So that's what I was trying to say. Y Tracy, I have a question and I remember when we were talking about the appointment of the assistant town
administrator that there was a plan to get some planning background in that slot. Do we feel we've achieved that in in the assistant town administrators hire? I'm just trying to figure how much
planning we have on board already. Yeah, I'm I think I'm I've got all the confidence in the world on the assistant town administrator, the experience that she has in in these government. She's not a town planner, but I think she'll be a very effective
administrator. And so, um, I think one of the other one of the other nice pieces that, um, I think that we talk about a lot too is growing our bench, right? I mean, um, to have somebody like
Megan, you know, obviously we have an assistant town administrator, but she's highly qualified to be able to step up in and and grow as in our community. So um you know again I would hope that the
board would be able to come to some unanimous type of decision. I know that we all have again I I typically leave those interviews with a very strong gut feeling and um you know I just felt like they were just
so different. they had different skills that I'm not willing to dig my feet in against what the committee or the board feels collectively. Um so, um I know you have a strong
opinion. Um we can leave it at that. No, and I don't mean that in a bad way. I typically do too. That's what I just said. So, um, you know, it would be nice to have somebody start with a with support of the board and, um, but if
we have a motion on the table. I don't Oh, can I ask one more question? And I don't know whether this would be of Sarah or of Bob. Do we have any um any difference in um when different candidates could begin
start dates? Did they all have about the same? I think they're all readily um I mean available. One of the good things is is that all of these candidates are from Cape Cod which is for a highly professional position like this one from our town, you know, that that's a a godsend. So,
they're all available, right? And and that's something I think that helps you a lot with me with Spiro. I mean, having been a resident, I've known him for years, we all know him. I think that that's a great it's a great thing and I'm I'm happy he put his name in the mix. I just think
that uh this department level with all the expertise that's under is just maybe um you know I just feel like Megan probably has has that edge so to speak but I think he would be
great at other things and I just love the fact that we had two candidates that are vested here in our community so um you know they know the town they're not gonna you So either one of them could hit the ground running.
But with that, um, unless anybody else has anything to say, I guess we're take a You have a motion on the floor. All those in favor of the motion, I I I opposed. Okay. I All right. Thank you. So, it passes
unanimously. Congratulations to Megan. Wasn't easy, but it's that's not hard. Thank you again. Yeah. for all three of the candidates. Wonderful candidates. It it made it they were good. We made it difficult for us. So that's a good problem.
Good job, Sarah. Thank you very much. Yes. And Bob. Absolutely. All right. Let's move on to board and committee items. And will you thank them all on our behalf? Absolutely. That would be great. There's a great group of finalists. Yep. Absolutely.
Uh yes. Well, um board and committee actions are a little bit light this week. Um, we have now the official resignation of Jim Sabin. We got that as as news last week from the planning board, the land disposition committee, design review committee, drive-in
utilization committee. Um, and I move that we accept his resignation with great thanks for years of service. He'll be back. I hope he'll be back. Absolutely. Except Jim on Zoom. So, okay, maybe I moved.
Thank you, Jim. Hope you're feeling better. Okay. That we accept it. Is there a second? Second. A second. Okay. Uh votes. All those in favor? I. Any opposed? With deep regret that we have to and
also gratitude to Jim for the tremendous amount of his time and love and effort that sharing them and to Tammy for sharing. She's probably grateful to Sharon. And then our one appointment is um to appoint Peter Malpass from community and
economic development as that committee's representative to the design review committee. Um and that's an appointment for one year to expire at the end of July 31st, 2026. So move. Okay. Discussion.
In favor? I I post. Thank you. Okay. That's record fast for appointments. Thank you. So, there's some minutes here. Um, I don't know if the minutes have been amended. Let me just read the ones that are here in my packet because I had asked for an
amendment. I just need to make sure when it came to the vote on the um the contract, yes, it says abstained. Originally, it said I had made the motion, voted on it, and I did not. I abstained from those contract votes. move that we approve the minutes
for uh October 1st, 2024 as amended. As amended. All those in favor? I I. Any opposed? Okay. Upcoming agenda review. Well, we just we just uh kind of did that added a ton of things
to Bob, but what we were trying to get a few more things off our plate. Um we had some availability tonight and we tried to uh see what we could move up what was ready. Um, and in the midst of that, we got in touch with Julian Seir, and so
Julian will be at our next meeting to talk about the transfer fee. Yep. Good. Because I was texted with that. So, I'll take that off of my my um to-do list. He was not available tonight, but he was available on September 9th for discussion. I was amazed how how fast we got through
the community and econ economic development part. I was I was thinking that was going to take a lot more than it did. Yeah. Well, did we I just wanted to mention we talked about having a fee review.
So, um I thought we said in December every year we were going to do that. So, we're should we add it to our our agenda then? At some point in December we'll have to look at all of them. I think we had a discussion about that if I remember correctly. Yeah.
So, yeah. I mean it could be plugged in there. I'm not sure where, but there was something we needed to plug in last week too that we talked about. And um I'm going I have made reservations to go away based on this calendar. So I hope this is
we always hope. But perhaps when uh the police and fire are in for their promotions on the 23rd, Bob, I don't know what else we have on the 23rd, but perhaps we can get an update on the regional dispatch then and perhaps talk a little bit about our emergency
management response. Be great. Oh, wait a minute. No, they're on the October 7th. They're on October 7th. It just seems that they have to come back two times, but Never mind. I see that they're already on there. One of those times we'll get the update though.
So, we Yeah, we have the update scheduled for October 7. We could we could put emergency planning on there. Yeah, just uh maybe just like kind of a public information on kind of what happens. Yeah. Like there's um I'm sorry, what's
it called that uh you sign up for where you Code Red? Yeah, Code Red. Code Red. Okay. Yep. I didn't know about that. Oh yeah. You don't get the You didn't get Frank's poems all those years. No. Oh, that's unfortunate. I guess not.
It's unfortunate. I loved his accent. Yarmouth half the time in Frank's accent in the phone messages would come out as llama. It just it made Yarmouth sound so exotic and interesting that he had llamas running around.
Oh boy. Yes. All right. Is there any any conversation on the upcoming agenda review? We're good with that. Did we Did we want I think Bob has it. The board of health update on the list of It's coming on the 23rd.
The That would be grant dispensation. What? We talked earlier today about the board of health telling us what the monies that they dispense. Oh, no. I thought you were talking about the um plastics. Yeah, I know. No, I was talking about that. The plastics are going to be on
the 23rd, right? Right. So add that. Wait a sec. Classic reduction is September 9. Oh, I was going to say when is it? September 9. Is it on there? It's not on there. Okay.
That's an update from the um Okay. And don't we have to approve the regulation? No. No. No. Okay. All right. Okay, moving on to individual items. Does anybody have
discussion vote? So, we do have to vote. Okay. For what? On the the plastics reduction regulation. We don't vote on the regulations. Those would not be ours. I know it says that, but it's just a discussion. Yeah. Okay.
Town meeting votes on it. Right. No, I thought you would read it. The regulations will be board of health regulations, right? Ultimately, it will go back to the But it will go to town meeting. Yes. By law change, will have to go back to town meeting. Exactly. Correct. And that's a recommendation of
the select board. So, you're kind of in charge of the whole thing. But are we going to make a recommendation on the 9th? No, but we will before the warrants closed. Right. Right. Yeah. Right. So, so this is just an update from the task
force um because they're moving now into their public review of the documents through the board of health. So, they uh wanted they were anxious to get in and to update the select board as soon as possible. Excellent. Okay. Individual items. Liz, nothing.
All right. I'll think of something. That's all right. Having a quiet week here. Joyce Dorcas, anything. Mark, I'll take a pass. All right. This is great. All right. Consent agenda. In the consent agenda, I move to approve the consent agenda.
Second. Any discussion on the consent agenda? All those in favor? I. Any opposed? Okay. And town administrator updates? Bob, we're not even going to rush you tonight. Okay. Good. I have a couple of really
nice things I think you'll appreciate. Um, first I want to read this news released from the Government Finance Officers Association out of Chicago, Illinois. And says here, the Government Finance Officers Association of the
United States and Canada, the GFOA, has awarded the certificate of achievement for excellence in financial reporting to the town of Yarmouth for its annual comprehensive financial report for the fiscal year ended June
30, 2024. This report has been judged by an impartial panel to meet the high standards of the program which include demonstrating constructive spirit of full disclosure to clearly communicate
its financial story and motivate potential users and user groups to read the report. All right. This certificate of achievement is the highest form of recognition in the area of governmental accounting and financial reporting and
its attainment represents a significant accomplishment by a government and its management and this is dated 822. Yeah, I'll pass this along for you to look at the key staff is
to the staff to and that is that's the nation's highest honor for financial reporting and we did the whole thing to try to increase the transparency um with the local residents and provide information people cared about and Jennifer Mullen our um finance
director was spearheaded that effort and so my congratulations to everyone Hopefully that will translate to a better bond rating. Hopefully. And um I wanted to give you a quick update. I promised I would. I know
there was some skepticism on, you know, all the work we were doing on the PAS litigation issue, but uh we've reached I promised when we reached the million dollar mark, I'd be in here. And um so far the town in just the initial uh
dispersements has received $1,69,88 for the PAS litigation. So we are over a million and um we worked very hard on that. Uh Lori Rosal as well and the whole legal team that worked on it and uh we're trying to figure out what the total amount is going to be. There's
still a couple of settlements dribbling in. So, we don't have the final amount, but as soon as I know the final amount, but we we've already got a million dollars. So, um well done. We we made it. And uh another item that is of particular importance that um is
also reflected in the select board's goals that I want to give you an update. We've had uh a significant sort of um achievement in working with the uh at least starting to work with the Cape Cod Gateway Airport and Ron Price, our uh
airport consultant. He's online. Well, that is fabulous. Um he's checking in on us. Ron has been on fire and uh we have a new director um former air traffic controller um at the
I think it's Mike Nelson. He he's at the at the airport and we've conducted some discussions uh the airport consultant has met with him directly. I've also had some direct contact and discussions with them and um what we've um received is
that they're agreed to move forward with our standard instrument departure system development that is the primary goal is to reduce the noise of the airport for the local residents. And this is the what we've
been working on. was um recommended when we did the um airport master plan by our consultant that they could do a voluntary flight path adjustments that would uh take the traffic away from the homes and and that was when we worked
with the community. The number one item that folks were interested in is adjusting those fight flight pla paths so that we can remove the planes from being right over the um the home the homes. So, u the airport has agreed to
having some um sessions that involve the FAA, our consultant, uh the airport, and that um they're going to work to develop these standard instrument uh departure items. And um once once we have that
standard instrument departure system mapped out, then the airport can begin to do the tests with the actual flights and to make sure that it has a measurable impact. And so I I really want to thank the airport for finally agreeing to work with us on this and and
also our airport consultant who is um you know highly skilled individual and and he has the ability to put this program in place for us and um I've also sponsored an article that you you'll see we need some additional consulting funds
um for the airport um project in order for us to begin to make sure that we've got the horsepower to bring the results, you know, to the table and and make it happen. But since we've been working on these airport issues and it's been close
to 5 years now, I think this is our single largest victory that we have is them agreeing to work with us to develop this system and implement it. So, um, my thanks to to Ron and I know he's listening and, um, so that's moving
forward. Can I just add too? I think Chris Gley has been quite Chris has been great on it representing these issues on the um on the board at the airport commission. Yes. Very. And she's also met directly with the
director as well. So, we're very happy with that progress and um those are my updates for tonight. Madame Chair, if I could um ask a a question. Bob, uh, we're having a
library meeting on Thursday, and I'm wondering if you have an update for us on the legal. We've been asking for update as to the legal of Simpkins, uh, the MacArthur School. Um, do we have anything that we can
report to them about? Obviously, we heard an impassion plea that claims that that property is under article 97 protection. And um what I can say is that um we've tasked town council with doing the complete research on on
those properties and the history to make all all of those determinations that it's a two-step process that um requires the first thing that has been completed is they've assembled all of the deeds and researched all of the deeds for the
properties and uh they've indicated that the article 97 protections are not included. in the deed. So the deed research um indicates that that the property is not under article 97. However, there is a full title search
that is required um to go through every action that's been taken since and some of these properties go back to 1935 um and and that's ongoing. They say that that that process takes a few months to
complete and if it has been designated as as a playground legally. That's the process. We'll we'll uncover that. So, um they're in the midst of the legal research. The deeds are clean, but you can take action
to designate properties as open space and and sometimes, you know, it it has the same impact as a deed would. um that I I I know that there there so there could be there could be an issue there but we are um you know town council is
going to painstakingly go through and and they it takes a lot of work for to go back 100 years on it. So any idea when Bob you know where we're on that time limit with the library that we have to come back in December to render a decision will any idea of when
this will happen for I think it's probably when when they indicate that it's going to take uh you know four or so months that I would say that we'll have their title research completed right probably around December. Okay.
Yeah. Yeah, if I could just add, I mean, the information is also relevant for the, you know, the article that was passed at town meeting regarding the comment property, the town comment that in fact the request to do the legal research was originated with that project. So, there's there's some
history to it. Um, you know, I recognize the comments that were made this evening and I'm I appreciate the fact that even, you know, citizens and residents of the area, you know, are interested in the outcome of the legal work. But I think in many respects it's going to drive how a
common how we approach the common because I think from my point of view I think the goal is to make sure that the public access and the public uses that have been historic in that site can be protected and sustained. Um, and even
though there was some some area designated as a memorial playground, um, um, I've approached this with the understanding that most of the playground that was designated is gone, but there should be something done in
the future in order to sort of reflect the spirit of and and and to some degree fulfill that um, uh, requirement, whether it's legal or Odd. I just think that if you're going to have a memorial playground, you should have a playground.
There was one there. Yeah. My kids used to play there all the time. I used to take them there almost every day. So, I'm very familiar with the playground. I have had a long history with that playground. Um, and I think many of us have had uh our own histories and our own memories of being out on that field
and using that area. And I think to me it's very very special. It's a special area in the community. And I think on the common idea, the goal was to make sure that we preserve it and protect it and all of the virtues and the assets that are attributed to it. So, um, and
my hope is is that that the legal work will help us at least help us better understand what our obligations are in what some what what some of the other incumbrances might be so that whatever ultimately
town meeting decides to do because eventually this all goes to town meeting. So ultimately whatever the community decides um like I said the various in interests assets are all preserved you know for for for future generations and um so I'm I'm I'm
anxious to see uh the results of this legal work as as well. So I'm I'm thank you Dorcas for bringing it up and hopefully we can get to this get get some answers to the question these questions very soon. And the other thing that people need to understand is like four or five parcels
out out there. It's not all one parcel and um a lot of what we've been doing is taking that key area and sort of reserving as potential common you know because everyone the the common idea is really driving the whole site
analysis. So it it may wind up that there is a playground portion and and that but it it's not the entire site. It's a very large site. Um it, you know, goes all through the Simpkins and the MacArthur and the Field and all the way
out through 28. I think it's important uh to note for the public's information that in the planning process that the library committee has been doing, they've been uh very cognizant of the common approach as well. and they just understand that
that's not coming within their purview. But they're also looking at their proposals on that site still are are kind of keeping in mind that a common would exist on that property. It isn't like just for the library for people listening tonight.
Yeah. I think what we're hearing from from the community is that there's a very strong interest in protecting public access and protecting, you know, the so-called Simkins field or the common area as we've been referring to it. So I think that's one of the reasons
why we approached this whole initiative and brought it to town meeting is because I think we see the value in it and um and so hopefully like I said the legal work can be done and we can we can build you know future plans you know
based upon that. So um I'm glad we're talking about it. Tracy, I have a question for Bob if I may. Um so I I got a little bit lost. The shellfish testing has been done at down there at the edge of the Lewis Bay.
Yes, some shellfish testing has been done. I don't have any results or anything, but we can get an update on that from DNR. DNR has been Yeah. working on that. Will you give us that or should I reach out? No, I can do it. I can do that. And he's going to be coming back to us
too, right? with his plan for when is that when is his maps and the plan for the the other no not the pest but the other piece that you the ways to the water ways to water he's not on our agenda but I'll have to check and see when um I I know he's
looking forward to coming back and taking the next steps on that and it's also incorporated into the um capital improvement program to take the next steps there as well. So that's going to be ongoing. And there was a um a a um mapping of the
paths too, right Bob? That's what we were just talking about. Yeah. Well, waste to water is ways to water, but there was also walking paths that I thought we were make. He was making a map as well. He's doing the waste to the water. Just the ways to water. Okay. We somebody talked about a mapping of our
walk paths through the forests and so on so that they were trails that people could would know about that they could take advantage of. I think the con may have some of that information. Yeah, we have existing walking trails and maps for those.
It's a great map that are in town. There's a map. There's a brochure and there may even be something on our website. Helped us with that, right? They did. They did. Yeah. Okay. recreation. Madam chair, one one question for the town administrator before we adjourn. Um, and
the question is, and this this this this came up in a discussion separately, um, is there a safe streets policy sort of working its way through the town bureaucracy and eventually on its way to us to take a look at? A what, Mark?
A safe streets policy. Um, I I watched I I have a habit of watching reruns of old meetings and uh in watching a re recent meeting of the planning board, there was a discussion of a safe streets policy that they were commenting on that eventually would find its way to the
select board. So, I just wanted to I haven't been you're not familiar with that on on the safe street. The person making the presentation was Amanda. So, I would could again I'm not going to call Amanda. I'll if you could inquire. Yeah. No. Well, it it's
I think I I I know what you're talking about. I suggested that that they that we participate in in this program that has significant state dollars associated with it, but um we had historically not participated in it. So it would take um a big effort and
I asked them to look into it but u as far as I know it's still in its infancy stages but it's you know to to work with the state do but I can give you information on the program. Well I'm familiar with the program and I'm familiar and and I know many other
communities go after these transportation dollars. Absolutely. Yeah. And and they and other towns do well, but it's not. But I'm just saying the way it was presented at the planning board meeting was that there's a policy. They were asked to comment on it. I think they voted on it and uh
it's nice to see it moving forward. We're not ready to bring it in. Well, that's what I'm asking is is is there something out there in the works that's eventually going to come? I hope I hope to see that. Okay. So, you hope to see the email that I sent you, Mark. Okay. Madam Chair, I move a journ. Oh, thank you, Joyce. So, I'll second
that. All those in favor? I I thank you. Have a good evening. Thank you. You as well. See you in September.