I think we'll be fine on community development. >> Recording in progress. >> Good evening everybody. We're going to get started if you don't mind. >> Good evening and welcome to the Yarma Select Board meeting of August 12th,
2025. If you'd please join me 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. >> Tracy, this isn't here either. >> I don't know, but it's after 6, so we are moving. We have a quorum. Um, okay. So, uh, the first item on our
agenda, the first thing I'd like to bring up, um, as just a point of references, tomorrow marks the oneyear anniversary of, uh, the passing of Mike Stone. And, um, I think we
should just take a moment to remember Mike. Uh, a year has passed. It's unbelievable how fast time goes by, but um it still leaves a big gap here uh for our community and our town and I know for his family. So, I'd just like to
take a second to remember him. >> Thank you. I very much miss his guidance. Um the first item on our agenda is announcements. And on our announcements, we have um the recognition of Miss Mary
Mazlowski, which is our town clerk. She is here tonight. Hi, Mary. >> Hello. Thank you. >> I'm going to uh read our certificate into the record um because it's quite an accomplishment. >> Thank you. >> So, thank you. Thank you for all your
hard work and dedication and achieving that on on the behalf of the people of Yarmouth. It's official official certificate of achievement. Let it be known that the town of Yarmouth hereby recognizes Mary A. Meslowski for earning the designation
of master municipal clerk. And be it further known that the town of Yarmouth extends its sincere congratulations in achieving this designation from the International Institute of Municipal Clerks, Inc. in recognition of superior professional development.
International Institute of Municipal Clerks grants the master municipal clerk designation only to municipal clerks who complete demanding education requirements and have a record of significant contributions to their local government,
community, and state. This certificate was approved by the Yarm Select Board on the 12th day of August, 2025, signed by me on behalf of the board. >> I thank you very much. Thank you very much. I appreciate that. >> Nice work. >> Thank you, sir.
>> Well done. >> Thank you very much. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. Did you want to say a quick >> if I could? I just want to say thank you because without um support from
administration and uh the ability to go to the conferences and take the classes and my staff for making sure that everything is uh running smoothly when I'm not there. Uh I couldn't have done it as quickly as I did. So I really appreciate all that support from
administration and the office staff as well. So thank you very much. >> Thank you. Thank you for your um ambition to be able to achieve that. I know it's a very high recognition in in terms of uh in the field of town clerks and it's you know we watch what you do
day in day out with uh what is put upon you with uh the new election process and everything and it's extremely important that um your expertise is is there and like I said the entire town benefits from that so we're extremely grateful.
So, I'm happy and lucky to say that in the 5 years I've been here, I've never felt um anything but support from both the select board, from administration, from the finance department, and everybody all the way down. So, we um it
makes it easy to to be thankful when you get the support from every pl everybody from Department of Public Works all the way up. So, I really appreciate it. >> Great. Does any board members have anything that they want to add to Mary? Well, I was going to throw this into public comment, but it looks like Mary's
out the door, so I will say it now. Um, >> not going anywhere. >> Mary is a a great uh vote of thanks for coming in early this morning just to address committee chairs on the whole question of the update of the open meeting law and some very detailed
questions got answered and it made us all think we're lucky to have an attorney for a town clerk. Thank you, Mary. It was great. >> Thank you. I'm glad we had the attendance that we did. And like I said, we are putting together both open meeting law training and conflict of interest training for board and
commission members. Sometime this fall, we've spoken to town council and they're they're going to try and put something together for us to give people a little bit of uh an opportunity to ask those questions without having to call the state every time they need a question answered. So, um we're happy to do it.
Anytime you see a need, just let us know and we're we're happy to put something together. Yeah, thank you, Madam Chair. Um, I too want to also echo um the the sentiments that have been expressed. Um, a lot of folks here in town don't realize all the
time and energy and all the hard work that goes on in our town clerk's office and also in particular with Mary. Um, we we the elections, they run smooth every year, but they're not without challenge. um they have their they have their moments, but the work that goes into
doing the elections, working with our committees, working with all our other town departments, you've just done an incredible job. We're very lucky to have you, quite frankly. >> I thank you very much. I feel happy to happy and blessed to be here. >> And don't think for a minute we don't take anything that you do for granted.
>> I appreciate that very much. Thank you, >> Mary. Of course, I'm now going to have to put my two cents in and say Mary Meslowski has been my guide as from last December on, and I'm so glad that she was there to keep me um going forward. Thanks, Mary. >> You're welcome.
>> Great. Okay. Um does anybody on the board have any announcements? Any announcements from the boards? Okay, we're going to move into public comment. I see a hand up online. Zoom user, can you please identify yourself, please?
Is that me? >> Oh, Joe Glenn. >> It didn't put my name up there. >> No, it says it says Zoom user. >> Oh, I I I don't know if that's an upgrade or a downgrade, but uh >> it's not so good. >> Is Is Mary still there?
>> She is, Joe. >> Yeah. I just wanted to uh commend her also uh as someone who has been critical and as Mark said there's there's always challenges and uh uh it's a testament when there is problems how people deal
with it and and how Mary has dealt with it and and uh and specifically me you know I can be critical but um that's how you solve problems that's how you work through things and um I just want her to know that uh I've appreciated all the times
uh that she's dealt with me and uh and it is a great honor that uh she's moving up with all those uh professional accomplishments. So, thank you, Mary. >> Thank you, Joe. We appreciate it. >> And also uh just on a separate uh topic
um because it does have to do with boards and and open meeting law uh issues um that we uh uh as the the Yarmat housing authority, we have to post things. So we we uh we have to address those uh issues too. Um, and
speaking of the housing authority, um, uh, I just want to personally, not speaking for the housing authority, but just for myself that, uh, uh, just so the board knows and the town administrator knows, uh, I am still interested in airing out, uh, everything
and clearing the air, um, so and coming, uh, forward to the, um, select board uh, as soon as possible. So, if uh we can get some dates uh alternative dates out there, uh I know I would greatly
appreciate it and I think uh the other members of the uh housing authority would too. But thanks very much. Have a great evening. Uh Joe, before you go, um just for the public's um reference, uh probably be mentioned later, but we had made an invitation, a formal invitation
to the Yarmouth Housing Authority to have a joint meeting regarding the future of the property that is located by the senior center uh that they are trying to develop and the the meeting was declined. And was that meeting uh was that discussion the the letter uh in
a in a meeting of yours, Joe? Was that just was that something you voted on to decline the offer? >> No, we didn't. Um that was the chair and the uh uh as you know the the chair uh
sometimes uh in some of the boards uh and the uh administrators uh come up with the uh agendas and uh the the decision. Um there was supposed to be uh a housing authority meeting um tonight
also but I guess there was a mixup again with the uh posting of that. But um so you know I that that's why I wanted to come in. But I think in the future if we can just have uh several options so there's no conflict with uh dates then
uh I'm sure we can get in there and and have that discussion. >> Okay. Great. That's what I wanted to know. Thank you. >> Great. Take care. >> You as well. Is there anybody else from the public that would like to address the board? Oops.
Hi, >> how are you? >> Good evening. Can you please identify yourself for the record? >> Uh yes, Alden Childs from uh West Yarmouth. Uh first, thank you guys for all the work that you do. It's appreciated. Um just wanted to talk briefly about um the proposed uh boat
storage bylaw amendment that the planning board is going to bring up later on tonight. Um just hoping that the select board will recommend moving forward with this amendment. Um, I think it's going to create a lot of fairness and it and be a huge help to
people who have smaller properties and also don't have the space on the side or rear of the house for storage. Um, I also believe it will be uh it will greatly greatly lessen the burden that the building department carries in trying to enforce this bylaw.
as long as there's um you know adequate onuh on-site parking and no traffic hazards that are created, I think it's important to allow uh homeowners to be able to use the front of their property um if they have
no other option on the side or rear. Um so I'm just hoping that you'll support it. Appreciate it. >> Thank you, Mr. Childs. >> Appreciate your comments. Is there anybody else from the public who would like to address the board in public comment tonight?
Hi, Kurt. >> I'm glad Joyce is back. Um, I've been watching your conversations on on appointments and it sounds like you're worried about asking everybody else's permission to make appointments. They're your appointments.
I don't think you need to have staff. You don't have to have the chair. You don't have to have a committee. If you feel like you can interview somebody on your own, I think you should just do it. I know I know years past the boards have been known to reach out to people if they thought they were a good fit for a committee instead of just waiting for
them to come to you. That's another thing. Um I know there's some comments about waiting on CEDC appointments until you get a new uh economic person. Again, I don't think that's necessary. I think that committee if you have good candidates, name them and get them back
to work. Uh the economic development person should not be an assistant planner. the last economic development person was in that office and was stifled quite a bit. I think they need some independence to do what they need to do be because
our our economic development in this town is almost non-existent and I think it could be done much better. So, I think you need to seriously think about that and how you want to structure that position when it's filled because the last person actually left
because they got so frustrated with what they were trying to accomplish anybody got kept standing in their way. So, I would again think about that because I used to say we have a community and economic development department. We have no community and no
economic development. It was that way for a long time. So, it's time to move forward and make sure the economic has its own place in this town. Thank you. >> Thank you, Kurt. It's a good time to look at that for sure.
>> Anybody else from the public would like to make any comments. >> Okay, seeing none, we are going to go to our 6:15 agenda item. And while I read the um notice into the hearing, if the applicants can please come forward for
the um one-day alcohol license for the second summer cycle, Inc. Please. The Yarmouth Board of Selectman acting as the local licensing authority has received an application from W. Patrick Lentel of the Second Summer Cycle, Inc.
PO Box 2011, Katuit, Mass 02635 for a special one-day wine and malt alcohol license for the second summer cycle event, an afterparty for cycling charity event at the Bass River Beach,
also known as Smuggller's Beach, parking lot, 220 South Street in South Yarmouth, Mass 02664 on Sunday, September 14th, 2025 from noon to 5:00 p.m. hearing will be held on Tuesday, August 12th, 2025 at Town
Hall, 11:46 Route 28 South Yarmouth. The select board meeting begins at 6 p.m. Written comments will be accepted until 4:30 p.m. on Friday, August 8th, 2025, and the select board's office at town hall and can be submitted electronically to public comment at
yarmouth.mma. us. Verbal comments will be accepted at the hearing. So, with that, we will open the public hearing and um ask you to introduce yourself and speak a little bit about what it is that you're trying to achieve, please.
>> I am Patrick Lintel and I am the ride director for Second Summer Cycle and it is a ride. It's an our third year of the ride. It's only the second actual year we'll be riding. The first year we
um had a hurricane coming to the Cape, Hurricane Lee on September 17th, 2023. And at that time, we were ending our ride in Provintown and Province Town and
Wallfleet pulled our permits because of the concern about the hurricane and the damage that could have been done on the roads. So we cancelled it the Wednesday before the ride. Um and but one of the
things that we do for the ride is we ensured against um natural catastrophes and we did that. So for that ride all the monies that were raised by the
riders for the beneficiaries and we had 18 beneficiaries that year. Um the 18 beneficiaries got $231,000 for the ride. Last year we did the ride ending in Ptown and uh we raised
$250,000. Uh this year um one of the problems we had is that we had to go up onto Route Six uh for six miles and to go on to Route Six um with 300 cyclist is what we
had last year was very dangerous. So, we decided not to do not to end in Ptown. And we were looking at different spots to start it at. And uh a couple of people suggested we go to
Smugglers Beach. And I was talking to a woman named Allison Karan who lives in Yarmouth and she's a graphic designer, marketing person who does a lot of work with Mary and she suggested that I talk
to Mary and to start and end our event at Smuggler's Beach and we met with Mary and Mary gave us a great pitch. to do that. And so we have put everything together
to um start as Smuggler's Beach and end as Smuggler's Beach. We have four distances. We have 101 miles almost 102. Uh we have um 61 and a half miles almost
62 and we have 34 miles and we have 15 miles. They all start and end at Smuggler's Beach. They're all loop routes and some of them go out as far as Eastam uh to the east and as far west as
Sandwich and Katouit. um the 100 miles due and uh right now we have 405 people registered. If we continue with the track that we're on, we're probably going to have 500 to 550
cyclists and which is really good because many cycling events this year, in fact the majority of them are down as far as registrants go. And one of the comments we've gotten is the riders love
starting in Yarmouth and doing a loop roots and that it is really great. 22% of our riders come from off Cape. Um and um we have one group of riders, 10 women
that are coming up from Long Island as a team. >> Are they riding or I hope they're driving. They're driving up. >> Great. >> Well, Patrick, it's a wonderful event. You met a great resource here in town and we're very happy to have you as part of our community as an event. So, um we
had that approval already. Uh today, I wanted to talk a little bit about the um alcohol license and uh how how it is that you plan on serving it and making sure that um it stays in a contained area. I know just for the public's rec
and the board we have your uh certification that have been notified. I know that uh Pam has your certificate of insurance. So your paperwork is in order. You have your tips training here. But um just logistically in in in making sure that the alcohol doesn't get into
the hands of minors. That's kind of what we'd like to see if we could get some information on today. So we will have servers um from Bonstable Brewing. They are going to be the providers of of the beer
for us and they will also be serving uh the wine and they and they have a license for beer and wine to to serve it. >> Perfect. So they'll be bringing what their items on premises. It will be uh
managed contained and removed after the >> Yes. >> Okay. >> And the owners of Barnstto Brewing are the ones that will be here serving the beer. >> Excellent. Okay. Does the board uh want to ask questions first or do you want me to go to the public? >> I'm just terrified he'll ask us to ride
60 miles. Terrified. >> Um well, we'll we'll go to the public and see if anybody has any comment. Does anybody from the public have any comment either for or against the application? Seeing none, I will take a motion to close the public portion of the hearing. >> Okay. So moved.
>> Second. All those in favor? >> I. Any opposed? Okay. Uh Liz, you have questions? >> Yes. I just um was and it's not related to the alcohol license, so forgive me, but I was looking at your materials a little more closely. Are the sponsors also the beneficiaries?
>> No. Are do they cross over? >> No. >> Okay, that was my question. It looked like some of the beneficiaries were also sponsors and that seemed interesting. Thank you. That was answered. >> There's there's only one beneficiary that is tied directly to a sponsorship
and that is me. I'm the president of the board of the Youth Athletic Foundation and I'm also I have a company called Golden Summer Enterprises and Golden Summer
Enterprises is a sponsor of the event. That's the only crossover. >> That sounds reasonably distant. Thank you. >> Y >> Joyce, do you have any questions? >> Um I actually don't. It sounds like a fun event and um I hope everybody has a great time. Mark, do you have any
questions? >> No. I'm happy to make a motion to approve. >> Second. >> Any discussion on the motion? All those in favor? >> I. >> Any oppose? Passes unanimously. >> Great. Welcome to Yarmouth. >> Yay. >> Thanks. >> Thank you.
>> Hope you have a successful event. Okay. Uh, our next item on the agenda is the award of contract five. I need a drum roll for that. >> See? longed >> coming forward.
>> Yes. Good evening. Uh Jeff Colby, public works director. I'm joined by Lori Rosal, our water and wastewater superintendent, and Ryan Chase, our assistant wastewater superintendent. Uh we uh have two parts tonight. First is the award of contract five, which is
exciting. We talked about that at the update. And the second part is we wanted to formally introduce you to Ryan Chase. You've probably heard a lot about him and even in the updates we uh gave you his name with regards to the onbudsman role we've asked him to take on and how you can contact him through email and
telephone. Uh but this is a good opportunity to put a face with a name. So that's why uh we're all here tonight. Hi. >> And for the board's um information, there's a memo in the packet that has the motion that needs to
be read for the record. >> I don't have it. Sorry. You want to pass it down? I'll read it. >> Are you going to make a present? Are we going to talk you talk to us about this contract? >> I was just going to say real briefly about contract 5. We covered some of those details in in the uh the last
meeting, but I do want to go through a little more detail. I just kind of talked generally last time about the contracts and status, but specifically on June 5th, and some of this information is in your packet. We received seven bids. So, that was really good. There's a lot of interest in doing work, this type of work in Yarma. So,
that that's exciting. Uh because of that number of bids, I believe we got good attractive bids. Uh they range from just under $20 million to just over $30 million. And the low bid is $19,853,2645. And that was provided by Digit Construction. We've done all of the
reference research and it's being recommended to you tonight that Digit Construction be awarded contract number five. That's the the summary of what we're asking for. >> Good for a motion now. >> Move to >> Do you need more information?
>> Yeah. Can we just go over a little bit just for the folks that are watching at home? There are many people that are still very confused about wastewater. So, I appreciate you sort of indulging >> uh myself and and others. Uh can you explain a little bit when we talk about
contract 5 exactly the nature of the work, when it will begin, when it's likely to end? >> Certainly. Uh contract 5 is that area between the Parker River Bridge and Higgins Crawl Road. And the only other contract after that that's more west of
that is from Higgins Croll to uh to the Barsville Town line. That's contract number six. So they're roughly numbered in order and we're slowly marching to the west with these construction contracts. Uh so that's the limits of the project if you will. Uh the duration
is uh we are uh ready to sign the contract. In fact, the uh contractor has already signed his portion of the contract, provided all the documentation that's necessary. Uh it's waiting for your approval tonight, and the authorization for the town administrator to sign that, and then it will be
considered fully executed. Uh with that said, there's still a a month or so period of time in which uh submitts get uh generated and turned into the engineer of record, which in our case is CDM Smith. They review everything from pipes to valves to fittings to the pump
station. Uh and that gets approved, but that is a little bit of a process for that to happen. What we expect at this point is for Digot Construction, if this gets awarded tonight, to begin work on October 1st. So, there's a little time between now and then where we get everything together. Uh they order their
materials, they mobilize to the site. Uh so, that's roughly October 1st. The duration is 900 days. Now, we are hoping to move through that much quicker than 900 days. In fact, we've seen that with some of the other contracts that were uh completed ahead of schedule, if you
will. Uh but in the contract duration, they have 900 days to to complete the work. >> That's great. Thank you. >> You know, we might add that we're very happy as well to have a local contractor be able to win this bid at Cape Cod based. In fact, they're headquartered in
the town of Dennis. um they are qualified to do this work and I think we feel strongly that having those Cape Cod ties will hope it go a lot smoother. I know with our other Cape Codbas based contractors we've had a much smoother operation. >> Now I'm glad you I'm glad uh Madam Chair
I'm glad that that that that point was raised. It also means local jobs as well. I mean the people that are going to be working on this project most likely will be coming from the area and uh that's an important uh factor in all of this as well. might mention too good Mark in keeping
with your wish to make sure that everybody who didn't wasn't at the uh July 22nd meeting I believe that's when you made the first presentation and that is available on video so and they're all labeled with the go-to spot you can go
right to the discussion on and the presentation by Jeff and his team on the wastewater um construction project so people can review what we went went over last time. >> Good thought. >> Ready for a motion?
Move to um award phase one contract number five to Digit Construction LLC of Dennis. >> Second. >> All those in favor? >> I I oppose. >> That's the whole motion. >> That's the motion.
>> Is there anything else we need to do with respect to this? We're all set, Jeff. >> Yeah, that should be good for >> amount wasn't in there. It's not, but we can add it >> in the amount in the in the amount of 19,850 million. >> I wish it was 19,000 >> more than that. >> That would be nice.
>> 19,853,2645. >> Sounds good. Okay. >> I'm in still in favor of it. >> All right. I don't think we need it if it's not in there. I thought there was a whole written section on how it had to be >> No. >> read. It wasn't part of this memo, actually. All right. >> I also appreciate Ryan you're you're
coming here and showing your face and uh coming before the board. You've been we've talked about you a lot. >> Yeah. Your ears are probably burning, right? >> Do you have a few things you want to talk to the public about uh introduce yourself and how people can contact you?
What what it is that you do specifically for the project? >> Yes. So, my name is Ryan Chase. I'm a resident of Barnstable, but we actually used to live in Yarmouth um several years ago. Um, I've been here about eight months now. Um, like I said, as the assistant wastewater superintendent
and the unofficial embudsman or official embudsman of the the wastewater project. So, um, I know many people here tonight. I've got to meet a lot of business members and residents and I know that it's a, you know, very big task, uh, monumental task that we're doing, but
it's, I mean, I think we all agree it's critically important to, um, Cape Cod as a whole. um not just Yarmouth, but all the towns on Cape Cod that are uh undertaking this. So, I'm excited to be here and um I certainly feel after the short time I've been here, um you know,
there's no doubt that we're being led by a great group. So, I'm fortunate to be a part of that. >> Thank you for those words, Ryan. I know the last time, uh Mr. Colby was here, we talked a little bit about our um approach. you know, you weren't in place when we started the previous not in the
capacity that you know, you are now. Um, and with with October one quickly coming, um, and multiple contracts to to manage, um, Jeff had mentioned previous at our previous meeting that you would
be doing outreach, door-to-door outreach specifically in advance of any work being done, um, you know, in a budding property. So, um, again, I'd like you to talk about that, how what pieces you're
coordinating, handling also and how the the public gets in contact with you. >> Yeah, we've um we actually had a meeting today with the Chamber of Commerce, which went really well. But, yeah, I do like to try to get out to all the businesses. um not necessarily every resident's home, but at least um try to
get out and reach out to everybody that you know the the project um that is who will be affected by the current projects. I think that's important just to get the notices out. We've talked about um putting a name with a face and also being able to, you know, speak
directly to people and let them know kind of what's happening. So, um that's been something that, you know, we've also learned quite a bit throughout this process. I feel like we're getting better with our communication and um you know that's that's the first step is to to get out and get
>> when we talked to businesses about no business is going to be shut down which was the what we used you know the term that our board was told that everybody was able to operate throughout the construction. Um how are you going to manage to make sure that that both the
contractors, the flaggers and the businesses know how they're going to be accessed? I know that you used um ways before we asked people to go towards to ways um you know but having a longer
stretch now it's going to it's going to extremely complicate our traffic situation. So um I really want to be in front of this. We really have to get um >> a a game plan in place that everybody understands what's going to happen. And
you know I know we put a lot of information out. Unfortunately, a lot of people don't really read the information until it impacts them, which is which is problematic, right? And you you end up with that frustration, but at the same time, um there's a lot of people that go and then they're told, "Oh, you can't go
this way. Um you have to go over here, but the business is right there." How are we going to make sure that in fact people are going to assist them to get where they need to go? >> Well, I think that's a a cumulative effort. Um we have a lot of progress meetings. The police have been great.
Um, you know, they have a officer in charge that works with the flaggers as well. I keep in direct contact with the um detail officers and the flaggers. I think they've gotten a lot better as we all have um with the, you know, being a
little bit more welcoming to, you know, traffic and um and drivers. So, at least when they ask the questions or if they feel a little bit more comfortable to ask um because we have been pretty accommodating. they have been pretty accommodating with getting people to where they need to be. Um most important
thing is really that people have to engage with you know um the the traffic officers just if they have a question to feel free to ask. Um also with the reach out you know with the outreach um letting businesses know that you know they can post things on on their
websites um is also helpful. the ways apps is helpful and just having an idea, you know, the detours, having the information up on the website. So, I think it's kind of a spearheading it from a few different directions will um at least make it, you know, a little bit
more convenient. >> Your 800 number? >> My It's 7 cell phone. It's not an 800 number, but yeah. >> Yes. 7717921. >> The water department 5087717921. I think we need to get an 800 number
that says call Ryan. That's right. Call >> 1800 call Ryan. But what I was just >> the bullseye on your back. Just kidding. >> What I was going to add if it it wasn't perfectly clear is on this particular contract that you've just uh voted to award. Ryan will be going to every
property owner along the stretch. One of the things that traffic is certainly one of the big issues. The other one is making sure that everybody realizes they can have input on their uh service stub location and how to get that properly communicated to us if there is a need to make an adjustment. And so Ryan is going
to be handling that uh on the going doortodoor for every particular uh property. That's more than Lori and I could do under previous contracts, but we have committed to that for every single person getting individual business uh individual visit uh from town staff for this particular contract.
>> Excellent. Good. Does anybody from the board have >> No, I think um what's important to understand is um from from from from this board's point of view, we see communication is an incredibly high priority and that's one of the reasons why we had an interest in creating your
position in making sure that you could be sort of our ombbudzman on the scene on the site and communicating with the people most affected uh by this project. um that not it doesn't mean just you know being there for the call but it's
it's being sort of aggressive in making sure that everyone is affected is aware of what's going on and they have access to your phone number so that if they have any questions they can have them addressed. So, um, a lot's riding on this because, um, you know, we're very
well vested in this first phase and our hope is is that it'll continue to go well, let's put it this way, we hope that it goes better. All right? I mean, because the reality is we've had some bumps and some hiccups and there have been some impacts that have been of real concern to this board and our hope is is
that we can do a better job. So, like I said, I I don't want to sound like there's a lot of pressure on you, but there is. And uh that's that's just the reality of it. So um we don't want you to feel shy about coming back to our board. Um coming back uh I think it's
it's incumbent to come back when Jeff's back and Lor's back to give us updates to be part of that conversation so that we can all in the audience and the people in the community can really get familiar with you and who you are in your role in this because you you're you're you're like our cleanup hitter in
our lineup. you have occupy a very very important position and and a lot is riding on this. So uh again I don't mean to >> put put a huge burden on you but the reality is you're carrying a huge burden and we're going to be supportive if
there are things that you need there things that we should be doing if there are things that we can do to help make this job go better. Uh we're going to we're going to be all ears and we're going to be very open to any and all suggestions. Um because we we do see a
phase two, a phase three, and a phase four, but if we can't get phase one done, right, then there's not going to be a phase two. There's not going to be a phase three. >> Sure. >> So, good luck to you. >> Yeah, I do um I agree with that sentiment and like I said, that the communication is key, but I do feel like
we have a a great team in place and um being a part of that, like I said, um being available to to the public, um I enjoy that. So >> we have no doubts about the great team. We have We do have a great team, but with a great team that means they're high expectations. Absolutely. As well.
>> I wouldn't mind too if Ryan when you do come back for reports that you give us some anecdotes, you know, tell us what you have done and who you've spoken to. And I know from um the station avenue piece that there were a few few
residents who had specific issues and I was curious as to the followup on those issues. So I when you come to speak to us if you can bring some of those and and what you did to solve it. I'd also curious we talked very generally about a
public meeting. Where are we on that? Um through the chair, >> I can give a a quick update on that. What we are doing is waiting for the detailed schedule from this contract that was just voted to be awarded tonight. Uh digit construction in very short order should provide us that
detailed schedule that we can communicate to the public. That's going to be a big focus of the meeting. We expect it to happen in very early September. We've been talking with the chamber as recently as just today about that meeting when it might be best to occur. but early September with a
detailed schedule from Digit. We already have schedules from some of the other contractors, but we're still waiting for a missing piece on the schedule. >> Excellent. Okay. Super. >> Do you have any questions? >> I just had a question. Um, if you can
see where the real spots are where the merchants aren't able to get people's attention, would you ever think of civilian volunteers there? I mean, you know, with a with a kind of, you know, thing that indicated they were a volunteer and that they were trying to
help you get where you needed to go. Um, I'm just thinking that that might be a bit of an attention getter as well as maybe a help to the businesses. Um, I live in South Yarmouth, so the one that I'm very aware of is um Old Main Street
um and Route 28. um and especially the um the little shops that are um on the corner there in that little stretch mall that has no parking to begin with. Um have you ever considered that? Because we could always put out um if the board
were willing some kind of call for volunteers on that if if you think that would be helpful. >> I think we have a safety issue there. >> Complicated. >> Well, no. Oh, I mean, we have flaggers are are trained and and have a certification to be out on the road.
People unfortunately don't pay attention and I would hate to have a volunteer get hurt. Um, at least if they're working, they have they have a recourse to >> for themselves. Um, I don't know. For me, it would be a safety issue, but we could leave that to
the experts. It's something we can certainly consider and we'll brainstorm about other possibilities as well, but I do do think that there's if we were to have engaged volunteers would definitely be some training that would be necessary. So, we need to kind of think that through. >> Yeah. I wouldn't think of them as um
traffic directors so much as attention callers almost like with sandwich boards or a funny uniform. Um yeah, you know, kind of this this mart is still open. I'm I'm at the point where I'm willing to consider anything as you can see.
>> Yeah. >> All right. Thank you. >> Okay. Well, I appreciate you coming. I think to Mark's point, um yeah, the stakes are high and uh not just coming back for updates, but really honestly reaching out to us with any suggestions
that you have how we can help you because we don't know what we don't know. And um you know it needs to be it needs to be communicated so that we can fix it as soon as possible. And um I don't I you
know I've said it several times this is probably the biggest public works project this town has ever taken on and we have learning curves, right? We've learned already. So we need to get it right. We need to get it right and we need to do better. And um you know I
know you guys have an amazing team and you're up for the challenge. So, we're part of the team. So, let us help you however we can. And um I'm hoping for a successful next step. >> Absolutely. >> Bob, did you have anything you wanted to
say? Um, no, I just wanted to recognize Ryan, you know, our office, um, in the town hall is is very often um, you know, the spot where local residents contact us, whether in person, email, phone calls. We get a lot of contact on issues
related to inconveniences surrounding the wastewater construction. And I've worked personally um, with Ryan on more cases than you could uh, count on your hands. and that each and every case um you know the indispensable role of being
out there personally in the driveway in the living room with individual homeowners and business owners and resolving issues. Look, there's a lot of inconvenience associated with this construction. You know, we've learned that and having a single person that's
able to personally meet and work out all of these issues, uh it's worth its weight and gold. So, I know Ryan's in there and and he's fighting and if you hear of any types of issues, forward them to me. Don't hesitate and um you know, we've got um ourselves on speed
dial and you know, that's that's how we handle them. We get out there on a one-on-one basis and try to solve the problem. So, I want to thank Ryan for that. >> Great. >> Thank you guys for coming tonight. Thank you for your update. Nice to meet you. Good to put a face here for the public to see and I'm sure they'll see you out
there. >> See you soon. Yes. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Our next item is a discussion and vote to appoint Amy Frugali for as our assistant town administrator. Amy, I know you're here tonight. If you want to come up to the to the table. I'm sure um
Bob has a few words first and then uh we'll let you um introduce yourself. >> Um thank you, Madame Chairman. I first of all, I'm absolutely delighted to introduce you personally to Amy Frigilti. And I had trouble with that.
After a while, it rolls off your your tongue. Um it's >> I'm going to say it a few times. >> You say it say it a couple of times and you get used to it awfully um quick. And um so um Miss Frigidi um I have um appointed as a unanimous recommendation
um from our assistant town administrator screening panel as our new assistant town administrator and um for the public that doesn't get access directly to the um memos we send out. Um, Miss Fergili possesses a master's degree in public
administration with over 21 years solid experience uh in Massachusetts government and local government in Massachusetts. Her last five years have been increasingly responsible positions as the assistant or deputy town
administrator in some of the top tier communities in Massachusetts. She's currently serving as the deputy town administrator for the town of Franklin. And it's important to note that she is well experienced in many of the critical areas that directly impact our
community. Areas that we were very interested in uh when we met her. These include, we've talked already a little bit about economic development. She's uh an economic development specialist, arts and the creative economy, legislative affairs, planning, green initiatives. Um
she also and I I think more importantly possesses extremely strong communication skills and general management skills which um we just are in great need of in our community. She's very adept at working with a town administrator, a team of highly qualified department
heads which we have here an engaged board and the public in implementing community goals, improving local services. I feel that she will be a very valuable resource um for years to come for the town of Yarmouth in moving forward. And um she's in front of us
this evening. The um appointment is an appointment that I make subject to if the select board um is unhappy with that appointment, you can reject and we we start again. But we certainly hope you'll welcome Miss Frigidi um onto our team.
>> Y thank you. Thank you for your summization of um this very extensive and well-rounded uh resume that you have here. If you would like to just take a few moments and talk a little bit about yourself, that would be great.
>> I'm happy to. And thank you very much for having me here tonight. And thank you, Bob, for the appointment. Um like Bob said, I've been in um government for over 21 years. I currently serve as the um deputy town administrator in
Franklin. I'm a Yarmouth resident. I've lived in Yarmouth for over three years now. Uh I actually had applied for the position um several years ago when I knew I was going to be moving to Yarmouth and didn't get it at that time and I was really happy to see the
posting again um come forward and interview for it. The interview process was wonderful. Uh it was great to meet many of the department heads and um really looking forward to um coming closer to home and serving my hometown. So I'm happy to answer any questions.
>> Great. Well, thank you very much and and welcome Mark. Do you have questions? >> Um I don't have any questions, but I'm going to be thrilled to be voting in favor of and supporting your appointment. Um I think it's terrific that you applied the second time and um
you know uh we take a great deal of pride in our town administration and and our department heads. We think we have one of the strongest uh administrations uh in municipal government here probably in the state if not in the region and uh
I think you're coming on board and joining us um is a huge asset. It really is. Um, you know, Bob has briefed us on your background. We've looked over your resume and and all your qualifications. No, we're really thrilled to have you join us and uh uh I'm looking forward to
um um you're coming on board. I understand you have some other things to take care of in your life before you uh come here officially. >> Congratulations. Thank you. >> Congratulations on uh on on on those those developments in your life. But um yeah, no, we're we're very excited about
you coming here and uh wish you nothing but the best. >> Thank you very much. I appreciate that. And I can say as a resident um I feel very much the same way about, you know, all the staff here in the department heads. Um I've had an excellent experience and I'm really looking
forward to being on the other side of that and working with everyone, the boards, the community um in my role here. So I'm really looking forward to it. Thank you so much, >> Joyce. Oh, I'm delighted that you have the comparative experience of several towns and quite different towns,
Welssley and Franklin. Um, and I hope you'll bring all sorts of new ideas from those towns and from your own, you know, condensation of uh of the experience to Yarmouth because we are shameless about stealing really good ideas if we see them.
>> Everyone government does that. Yes. So, that's great. Yeah. the different form of a government is um is really interesting too. So in Welssley we had a representative town meeting you know here open town meeting and and um town
council um form of government in uh Franklin. So it will be interesting for me too as well to see the different um the different aspects of the the forms of government. So I'm looking forward to it. >> Oh welcome.
>> Congratulations. Thank you for being with us. And I just without disclosing your address, which part of Yarmouth are you actually a resident of? >> Oh, I am in Yarmouth Port. I'm over near Grace Beach. >> Near Grace Beach. Okay, good to know. And um yeah, no, I'm I think you're
going to be a terrific addition to what is already a terrific administrative office. So, thank you. >> Thank you, >> Amy. I'm sure you learned in your interview the dynamic um role that our former town assistant town administrator
played. Um for us here, I think it's a critical time to have um somebody with your breath of knowledge on our team because there's a lot of great opportunities to start a new right now. As was mentioned before, we're getting
ready to add some other um new department heads. So having some strong uh leadership qualifications and you know not only not only do you have town administration um and all of these things that I read are all things that you know of course we're dealing with here police fire all
that that you have you were chief of staff for city council you worked um in the senate you worked uh in in law enforcement um so you know it's just the compilation of all that together is really Um, I I feel like you're a very
strong candidate and I'm very excited to see, as Joyce said, all the different pieces that you're going to bring with you here. And, um, it's a new it's a new age. It's a new it's a new time. We're we're building our team and you're going to be here to be part of that. And I think that it's wonderful. And, you
know, we asked Bob when he brought this for uh, forward to us um, you know, you could wait 21 days or we could put it on the agenda and discuss it and vote it. So, that way we don't have to wait the 21 days. So I would uh accept a motion from the board to accept this
appointment. >> So moved second. >> Is there any discussion? All those in favor? >> I. >> Any opposed? Passes unanimously. We look forward to it. We hope you enjoy your little brief um time that you get uh before you get your uh get your wheels
running here. And uh we'll be off and running. We'll be getting prepared for town meeting. As you said, um it's a different form of government. So, town meeting, learning our charter, all that. I'm sure it's great reading material between now and next. >> I plan on it. And my my understanding is
my predecessor has very detailed and comprehensive notes. So, I look forward >> I'm sure. Have you ever worked >> wrote Amy a letter, a really long I can't wait to share it. >> That is That's nice. Do you have any experience with a a regional school district?
um not a regional school district, but we have um you know some of our vocational schools um well we had the Northfor County Agricultural School. So um but most of the the high schools were in uh were in the communities. >> Great. The dynamics of that is a little
bit different when it comes to the the funding formulas and such. So that's a little little bit of a a learn too. But I think the rest of it you're uh >> I do know that a little bit from working at the state house though. So, in the chapter 70 formulas, I think so. >> But I I I'm looking forward to diving right in.
>> We're looking forward to having you do it. It's great. Amy, thank you for coming tonight. We really appreciate it. >> We're going to see you soon. >> You're going to see us so much you're going to be sick of us. >> It's going to be great. >> True. Yeah. It's going to be great. >> Bob's like, I can tell you that's true. >> It's going to be great.
>> All right. Our next uh agenda item is a discussion and vote for um the appointment of our library director, which is also a memo in your packet here. >> And I'm also very happy to introduce you to Mr. David Aronson.
>> David, welcome. >> Evening with us this evening. >> Evening. >> Did you want to say a few words and then we'll let him >> Certainly. Um Mr. Arensson is currently serving as the library director for the town of Whitman. Um he holds a master's
degree in library and information study from the University of Rhode Island and he does hold a bachelor of arts degree from Brandeise University and is certified in professional librarianship by the Mass Board of Library Commissioners. Um
>> is that a boring class? No, it's it's just part of the process of once you finish your master's degree, it is required to get certified. You know, we'll have to find another international institute to to certify him as well. I just am so impressed to
see all of the department heads that that have sought the highest distinction professional development. That's just one of the hallmarks I think of the leaders that we have in our community and it's very noticeable. And so, another shout out to Mary up there. Um, but Mr. Arensson has developed a strong
and another thing we look for a progressively responsible career in library leadership. Um working through um three different communities um moving up the ladder every time. Um and um our staff representatives which we had five
library folks that assisted us um in the the overall panel. You know, I love the the panels and getting more people involved in it. Uh the the staff representatives found Mr. Arensson to be very direct, earnest and down to earth
and and in that that's in in their words from you know the written reports that they had uh provided to me and it resonates very well with me and and it's true he is down to earth and um he does possess all of the skills required for success in this uh position including
budget making skills for the library. He's got supervisory experience and we additionally think that he's going to do extremely well in preparing us for and it's a major issue we have the challenges that this community faces in
the design development uh and moving forward with the appropriation process and construction for our new library facility. So, we're already hanging that um on him as uh you know, a key thing to develop those partnerships and
engagement in the community that's going to see us through to having that new library um facility developed. And um we have a similar situation in in our charter where based on all the recommendations that I've received um I've appointed Mr. Aronson, but his
appointment is subject to um whether the select board accepts it or not. >> Excellent. Mr. Aronson, did you want to add a few things and introduce yourself for the public? >> Well, I just wanted to uh you know um I'm very excited to be uh hopefully working with all of you. Um it seems
like a tremendous opportunity. I uh was working on Cape. I've been working in libraries for about nine years. I was in MASHBY for four and a half years. Um my wife Aaron is here and our boys and I live in Sandwich. Um so we have three little boys. We're very committed to,
you know, raising our family on Cape and being part of the community. Um I'm very excited to be back on Cape and and getting to know the town of Yarmouth a little bit better. I think libraries it's a very exciting time for libraries generally because so many things are evolving um both in our service models
and um you know our materials and and being responsive to our community needs is really kind of the future of libraries in my opinion. So um working through that and then obviously um through the building project designing something that you know suits the community's needs and that will be um a
real asset in the future I think is uh is something that's very exciting. So, um, I'm looking forward to working with all of you and, you know, welcome your questions and input if you if you have any, uh, ideas that you like to share with me.
>> Excellent. Liz, do you have any questions? >> No, but I I like what I hear. I like the idea that you're looking to have a more modern uh, uh, facility because that's definitely what we need. and um the fact
that you spent some time in MASHP, I certainly know that that was that's a good facility. So, based on uh knowing that you're coming from facilities that have what we're looking for, that would be quite helpful, I think. And I'm delighted that you have a family with
some small children to make sure although Mindy Harrington is all over that, you'll be be uh right there with her. So, I think this will be great. >> Great. Thank you, Joyce. Well, um, from your resume, I'm convinced that you can run a library and probably keep an eye
on the design of the new library so that it will have, uh, maybe a a nice meeting room like the MASHP library does. Um, I'm curious, what book would you say was to you the most striking in the last five years? And, anything, any genre?
Oh, well, so I um I actually lead a book group right now and we alternate between um non-fiction, which are things that I'm interested in, um and classics. So, I torture them with um we read Mrs. Doway recently, which they did not
really quite connect to, which is hardly a modern book. Um, I would say though, a book that I thought that was really interesting that flew way under the radar was a book um about Soul City, North Carolina, which was a development that was built um that uh did not really
get off the ground in quite the way that it um was intended to, but it's just a very interesting study in um sort of the political process, the development process um especially at a certain point in time in American history. So, um, if
you're into, um, unusual non-fiction, I certainly recommend it. It's, uh, well written. So, >> thank you. >> There you go. >> All right, Mark. >> I don't have a quiz for you tonight. >> He does. He's just getting your guard
down. >> Robust quiz coming up. >> Well, welcome. Welcome. And, uh, Yarmouth loves its libraries, as you're probably aware. We love our Yarmouthport library. We love our South Yarmouth Library and we love our West Yarmouth
Library. We're we're ve very very very committed to to to libraries and obviously we have a new challenge. We're trying to do something that we've we haven't had much success with in the past and that is to figure out how how we uh improve things and and go forward.
The challenge has been getting a consensus in our community and then moving forward >> and uh that's kind of where we're at right now. We still have a lot of work to do. Um, we've got some bridges still to cross, but um, I'm wondering, have have you had any experience at all,
David, in working on a new library project or a building project, or maybe do you have some something in your experience that might shed some light on on on handling some kind of renovations or improvements? Um I don't have direct like project management experience like
this, but we did um in one of my previous lives um we owned a large commercial property um when I worked for the real estate trust and we did all of our own sort of you know renovations, improvements, all that type of thing. Um
so permitting and all that stuff. So I do have some um at least hands-on side of the construction world. Um and certainly in my current role um you know the the town of Whitman only recently kind of rolled out a facilities
department. Prior to that everything was sort of handled in-house. Um so I've been working very closely both with various vendors with the staff that there are just on on all of that day-to-day type of stuff. So um I do have some understanding of kind of how
all the pieces come together. >> Yeah. Well, what I I think what's going to help you with this project is uh we've got a terrific architect. We have a terrific OPM and the support staff here in town hall has been fantastic and you've got people on the committee that
have had some sense of the history of the project. So, the good thing about working on a project like this is just all the support and the and the talent that's involved. And uh I mean I have to say, you know, Jane Kaine was, you know, an institution in this town. uh we're
all going to miss her, but um so but but you've got some big shoes to fill, but you also have an impressive background yourself and I know we're all going to be looking forward to working with you as you come aboard here uh in the town of Yarmouth. So, >> well, I'm certainly looking forward to
working with all of you and yes, I mean Jane uh does does leave some big shoes to fill. So, it will be uh a real challenge to uh to step into them. So, >> great. Well, I've uh again, I've read your resume and I was I'm glad you
brought up that part about the the real estate and development because I was looking at that as a as a nice piece of experience when you're entering into this. And as Mark said, there's there's still challenges in front of you, but I think the experience that you bring um both in the library service and and and
elsewhere um is going to help. And you know, Jane is amazing, but having a fresh set of eyes and and and I just look forward to you getting your, you know, your feet wet and coming back to us with um, you know, potential
recommendations of things that you see that maybe we could do differently or do better. I um I just want you to know this board's very open to to hearing that and um excited. So, with that, I will accept a motion. I move that we appoint David Aronson
Aronson >> as a li Yarmouth Library director. I don't have um any of the other uh >> specifics. That's all that's all we need >> to be clear. We might want to endorse the appointment because it's the
administrator's appointment. We just want to enthusiastically endorse it. >> Very good. Authorize the appointment. That's the way it's written. Is that the wording you need, Bob? Yes, that's fine. >> Second. >> Any discussion? All those in favor? >> I.
>> Any opposed? Passes unanimously. >> Thank you very much. When when um >> when is the uh have you worked out a start date or >> We're looking at midepptember probably. Um I obviously have to give notice. So, um so, but yeah. So, but I'm very much
looking forward. I'm going to try to uh get in and you know um I have some time off coming up. So, wander around, talk to some of the staff that that I haven't met yet, and uh be ready to hit the ground running. Got a lot of work to do. >> Excellent. You're welcome. >> Make sure you make friends with anybody
who's wealthy so they can write checks to the Yarmouth Library Development Committee. >> There you go. Okay. >> Lots of cocktail parties. >> Yes. Okay. Thank you all. >> Thank you, David. >> Okay. Next, we are going to discuss the
um director of community development. There is a recommendation from Bob, another memo in your packet with puts forth um three finalists. This is a little bit of a different appointment as Bob had mentioned before. Uh this is an
appointment of and an interview process through the select board. Um in accordance with town charter chapter 5 section 51, the board of selectments shall appoint all department heads. Uh the town administrator shall submit to the select board the names of not less than three
candidates for the department head interviews and subsequent appointment. The group of department heads shall include uh designation by the town administrator to approve by the board of selectmen the select board. We should we'll change that when we get to our our
charter review committee. But in any event um we have three applications here. I think that this um Bob put it out also in an email and we have set aside a tenative date um pending uh whether or not which would be next
Tuesday. >> Um is that have you heard back from >> Yes, we have and I think we're locked in. >> Okay, great. >> Four, five, 6 p.m. for the three candidates. And no, I I think with your agenda this evening, this is is really great. These are some critical
leadership positions in our community. We've attracted some extremely highquality candidates to every single one of them. And the three folks that I'm recommending, I think you'll be delighted to meet. Um and we'll have some support with um suggested questions
and managing um the process for you. And um we hope to start on the the 19th sharply at at 4 pm and have you meet the candidates. And um we tried to slip it in between the two meetings so that if
the board has a comfort level then at your next meeting which would be on the 26th you could potentially take action. >> Excellent. >> So um as far as format goes that will
all be the agenda and everything will be put out. Usually we have in the past when we've done it we've done one at a time. they they won't all be in the room, but the rules are are typical. You can have a little bit of flexibility, but we usually ask the same questions.
Um, so if you're going to ask one >> level playing field, yeah, >> you're going to ask the same you can have follow-up follow-up questions, but um the questions that you ask um I'm not sure how many we'll have time for, maybe two each, and then with that's about right with a followup.
>> Um but those questions that you ask will be asked to all three candidates. So, choose wisely and um >> and we'll have some suggested questions and I really need to acknowledge Sarah O'Reilly, our director of human resources. First of all, for this entire
process of this recruitment, um the work that she's performed has just been completely admirable um to get all of this straight and um she's already schooled me on what's going to happen next week and I'm on a short leash. which I want you to know we're going to
be sequestering the individual candidates so they're not going to be able to to listen in and um you know hear the other uh people and get the questions in advance and we're going to keep it um you know safe from that perspective. But um you know and and
we're also going to have some suggested questions where you don't have to ask those questions but it'll help in trying to you know create a little bit of um consistency among the three candidates and um I can review those with the chairman you know before and we'll have
a packet that goes out similar to a a normal meeting only that our agenda will be the three interviews. >> Great. Does anybody have any questions? >> Tracy I had a question. Um it so is this like a posted open meeting then public welcome?
>> Yes. Okay. But it doesn't have a public comment portion. It is um >> yes styled as it's a it's a public open meeting that is a workshop process. So um the the public will be able to attend. We hope to televise it
just like a normal meeting but the focus will be on the conduct of the interviews. It won't be a normal agenda. Mhm. Okay. Thank you. >> Yeah. Um trying to think I think the who was the last one? I mean there's
probably fire fire chief police chief for the any of the ones we've done. >> Oh okay. I can picture that. Yeah. >> Um it's all the same process. So if you want to review how that kind of worked. I mean but the discussion our discussion and and everything in terms of who we
choose is in public. So whether we have it to at depending upon you know we should discuss that um how our agenda is chances are I mean typically it would be typical to sit on it and the nice thing
about having it in public which we we've never had too much sometimes you have a a gut right away but you know we won't post to vote at the next meeting we'll put it on the meeting after and then that way you can hear from the public >> and hear what you know what people's
feelings are on it and then the then the next week we can come back and have a discussion and vote in public. >> Mark, do you have anything? >> No, I think I think that process works well. I think it it would be a mistake for us to vote that day even though some of us may be tempted to do so. I think
there may be questions or things that we might want clarification on. For example, there may be something that comes up in our discussion that we might want to get clarified. So, we should give ourselves sufficient time to do some additional vetting and get things clarified if we need to get anything clarified by the other candidate.
There's nothing worse than feeling rushed into making a decision. I found that when we we've done generally well as a board when we've given ourselves sufficient time to sort of mull over what we've heard and spend some time, you know, deliberating and giving it
some thought. So, I think that process works well. Tracy? >> Yeah. No, I the only difference is I mean I'm Sarah, I'm sure you did a great job. This is no uh disrespect, but most of our most of our hirings for a department head, whether it's police, fire or town administrator in the past
has been done through a consultant. And I guess my question is is the consultant, you know, we lay out our our >> Yes. But, you know, with a town administrator or a public safety um
leader, the background to me is a little bit more I'm not sure what type of background checks on on a division head like a community economic development committee um community economic development director is other than references is that so I
>> Yeah, we do the reference checks. We do the Corey check. >> Okay. All right. >> Great. make sure that all those are done. If anybody have any questions or information they want in advance of >> Oh, surprises.
>> Oh, no. I don't have anything. I'm just I just want to make sure that everything is given to you that you need. Um or if you have everything in this resume here that you already want. There's nothing further. Okay, we're good. Perfect. All right. So, we're all set for next Tuesday. That's great. >> Moving on to our next agenda item. Um is
a presentation of the We're a little bit early. Is everybody here or Okay. All right. Perfect. We are going to have an update of our local comprehensive plan presentation. >> Well, timing is everything. >> Well, we didn't want you to have to like
get bored waiting. It's >> all right. Just got off the golf course. It was a great hot day. >> Oh, it was. Hopefully, you had water out there. >> These meetings hardly ever run early. >> I know. Well, you know, I'm trying. If you want us if you need to catch
>> something. No, >> Joanne, if you want >> maybe I'll try. Maybe I'll I'll watch and and learn something on how we can move ours along as well. >> Doesn't always happen. I wouldn't watch. >> No. Um, if you need a minute to catch your breath, though, we can >> I I do not. I do not. I hope I didn't hold you up.
>> Not at all. It just flowed perfectly. Just right like that. >> Thank you. >> So, I believe the first item the planning board has on tonight is our local comprehensive plan. Uh, good evening, Madam Chair and other members of the board. I'm Joan Crowley, chair of
the planning board, and I'm joined by our town planner, Kathy Williams. >> And we have a planning board member here, two planning board members, three planning board members. >> Make it and um Susan, uh, thank you for coming.
Um the the planning board is pleased to provide an update to the select board on our progress so far, which I think has been significant um with regard to our local comprehensive plan. In our last update with you on May 6th, we reported on some of the chapters, I'll refer to
them as um the community outreach efforts, goals, key issues, and action items, and our growth policy. Um in your packets to for tonight's review, you have all the chapters. uh of the draft LCP that are now out for review and
public comment. I would like to also add that the members of the planning board, our town planner Kathy Williams, the BSE group, our consultants have made exceptional commitments of time uh to this effort over the past many months and have contributed greatly to the
progress that we've made so far. Um at this point, Kathy has a PowerPoint presentation uh for you to bring you up to date. Um and we would welcome your comments uh as we move forward. Thank you. >> Good evening. Helps if it's on.
>> Maybe not. >> Oh, there we go. So, why is an LTP important? I think you guys as select board members know, it really serves as our master plan. Helps us make sure that the key issues that we've identified, we've have specific actions that we can address over the next 10 plus years. The
LCP is going to include these. Put the microphone down just a little bit. I'm sorry. >> It's okay. Is it on? >> Not hearing you too well. >> Yeah. >> Um the LCP includes the vision statement and growth policies. Remember we did the vision statement u back in 20121. It has our community goals, existing
conditions, you know, kind of what's the the definition. >> Can you move that mic closer to your >> Sorry, we're having our Can you hear it at all? >> We want the people at home to hear you as the PowerPoint. That's when we lose you. >> That's weird. >> There you go. >> All right. We'll try that. Does that
work? >> Okay. All right. Um, so existing conditions talks about demographic trends and some general data. And then we really spent a lot of time looking at the key issues and needs of our community. And we spent a lot of time with the with the community finding out those particular issues. We also also
reviewed a bunch of different things that we're actually doing right now to address a lot of these key issues and let the community know that we have a lot of things going on in the town of Yarmouth. Uh we have a section on housing which relies heavily on the housing production plan which was completed in 2024. We have a capital infrastructure facilities plan. We
outline all of our above public engagement, how we're going to be monitoring the plan over time and then the targeted action plan and implementation matrix. The implementation matrix is the heart of the of the plan. It identifies uh in brief summary all of the action items, who's responsible for implementing them,
the general time flame for them, and then also potential funding sources. So adopting uh we're hoping to adopt the LCP at the town meeting in fall and November 17th. Thank you for extending that later. We needed the time. Uh and also then upon uh approval from town
meeting uh seek certification from the Cape Cod Commission. There's certain benefits with getting certification. It has to do with development agreements. We're able to be a partner for that. We can also look at changing some of the thresholds through a chapter H or a or modifying our growth incentive zone.
So this is just the vision, a very brief portion of the vision that we did in 2021. We really want to be a town that's attractive, affordable, inclusive, uh really values our nice, clean, healthy environment and has a strong e economic base and a diverse business interests and also lots of places to have fun and
socialize and as well as educational excellence. One of the things we developed as part of the LCP is the actual growth policy. Where are we interested in growing and how we really are looking to manage growth? I think all communities are and add that development in places where we
can add benefits to our community and to our residents and business owners while also protecting all the great resources that we have and everything that makes Yarmouth Yarmmouth. The economic growth is really focusing on areas where we have municipal sewer um basically in our our route 28 corridor as well as our
hotel properties along Southshore Drive and then we get very specific in some areas along Route 28 that would benefit from some redevelopment and growth. And then one of the things for certification that's required is you need to reference the Cape Cod Commission's place types which are identified up there on the
top. So you're basically indicating that Route 28 uh we really want to see that go from what is kind of a suburban commercial development area to maybe village center nodes that are more uh in line with the Cape Cod Commission's community activity centers where there's a lot more walkable uh village centers.
Other areas of potential growth are enhancing our village centers along Route 6A um aligning with the historic uh areas and the place types and then also thoughtful reuse of the town owned former Madakis Middle School property which has a variety of opportunities to meet a bunch of different needs. While
we are doing this, we want to be sure that we are protecting um all of our historic cultural resources and promoting resiliency, which is also important, and then stewarding all of our valuable water and environmental resources. Again, trying to looking towards the LCP certification with the Cape Cod
Commission, you need to look for consistency, not line for line, but just general consistency with their regional policy plan. The Cape Cod Commission kind of breaks down their policy plan with natural systems, built systems, and community systems. And you can kind of see how we've kind of mirrored those
with the um Yarmouth LCP theme. So, we'll go into a little bit more detail. All right. So, natural systems. Um a lot of this particular section relies heavily on the 2024 open space and recreation plan. Had a lot of good information in there. So looking at
water resources, we have six action items related to wastewater management um to continue with the implementation of the wastewater program and some of those things are obviously completing phase one and looking for new affluent discharge locations uh continuing with our regional septage treatment facility,
continuing with the sport for the rack. For water supply, we have six actions that are related to attainable a sustainable water supply, a high quality water supply that meets our needs of our community for growth. Those are things like making sure we're on top of appropriate treatment, improving our aging infrastructure, uh looking at our
water rates for those capital improvements, as well as things like water conservation, education, water resources for freshwater and saltwater. We have eight to look at preserving and protecting and restoring the quality and functions of our freshwater, our marine and our ocean resources. And those are
types of projects like our title restoration projects, the water quality study that's being done at Long Pond, evaluating implementing some of the Cape Cod Commission's um pond strategies. They did a freshwater initiative recently. They have a lot of really good information and fact sheets and
different ways of of looking at our ponds. And then continuing work with the Hyannis Pifos um community working group and others. and then all of our great programs with shell fishing um and fertilizer programs and then looking at storm water projects, wetland resources. We have six action items to protect and
preserve restore the quality and the natural functions of our inland coastal wetlands and buffers. And some of those are with our wetland restoration projects that you're familiar with. Uh also updating looking at updating our wetland regulations, you know, having getting specific land acquisitions for
things like saltwater and uh wetland migration due to sea level rise. Um and then just continuing with a lot of public education on the regulations and what homeowners can do for their best management practices in in their yards. Plant and wildlife habitat. There's six action items there to protect, preserve,
restore wildlife and plant habitat really to maintaining our diversity and protecting all those rare and endangered species. Those um types of projects, action items are like our invasive species project, making sure that we're uh identifying and certifying vernal pools on town property, continuing with
our shorebird uh monitoring program, and then also looking at zoning changes to limit land clearing. open space or six action items to manage and protect expand our open space and conservation lands really uh to for protection and the great amount of passive recreation
that we have and just the great water uh excuse me quality of life here in in Yarmouth. So those are things like maintenance that we need to do. We incorporated something about adopt a park. I know that Mark had mentioned that before. Improving the signage within there and then wayfinding to other nearby attractions. you know, looking at prioritizing land
acquisitions depending on a bunch of different things, whether it's continuing uh an existing uh conservation area or it's protecting a wetland resource and that type of thing. And then just continuing with our our wonderful trails, continuing to print those and distribute those so people know what's available in our conservation areas. And the last one in
natural re uh natural systems is coastal resiliency. and we have nine actions to prevent and minimize um risks from storms, flooding and erosion and sea level rise in a wide range of of aspects of the town of Yarmouth. These are things like updating our hazard mitigation plan, making sure that we continue with the municipal
vulnerability program and with the 2.0 to make sure that we can maintain eligibility for all of our grant funding. We have a bunch of um resiliency projects, the packet landing resiliency project. We have that neighborhood emergency egress study that was done by an MVP, I believe. Amanda
Lima recently came to you with regard to some uh updates on that. That's south of Route uh Route 28. We're also looking into a Lewis Bay uh coastal erosion, accretion, and sholing study. And then I'll also continuing with our with our dredging program.
So the next slide just kind of shows you an example of the matrix and it just does it for the natural systems under wastewater. You can see a brief summary of the action item, the time frame that we think is going to be happening for the different phases, who's responsible and then all the different funding sources. And if we didn't know right now, it would be kind of a situation of
to be determined. >> If I could interrupt for one second, this is the only slide I think we're going to have on implementation correct matrix. Um, this is one of the more uh critical elements that the uh commission looks at that um annually they're going
to want uh us to update them on how we're doing. Um, and for all of the uh committees and staff departments that are identified, we need to get their fingerprints on all of these. Um, and of course uh with the help of Mr.
Writtenower and all the um staff here at town hall, um we need to make sure that all of these are um appro appropriately assigned and that we've got um all the right time frames. We've done checks and double checks on these, but as we go
through this process, we want to make sure we're not locking into a time frame or a re or a responsibility for um a particular group that that's not deliverable. >> So, it's important that these things be considered deliverable.
>> And these will change over time. Um we'll be adding and deleting these over time as um as we go through. Uh but this implementation matrix is for all of the action items um in the plan.
>> The good news is we're pretty much working on the vast majority of them already. So there's no super big uh workload that's just dumped on on any anyone. So that just shows all the stuff that we're doing. >> So looking at the built systems, we have the community design and land use.
There's five actions there to promote the creation of our walkable village areas and neighborhoods uh where we have adequate infrastructure. Uh a lot of the uh action items related to that is is zoning related. Taking a really hard look at our zoning bylaw, what we can do to expand business and housing
opportunities and expanding mixed use. We're also looking at maybe once we get certification of the LCP will be eligible to take another look at our growth incentive zone and see if we can modify that and and update that. And then also updating our design standards and our subdivision regulations which
are a little um a little dated. The next one is transportation and connectivity. We have 14 actions to maintain safe, accessible and efficient network of sidewalks, bikes, roads and public transportation. A lot of these are related to the Route 6A village center and the three mass DOT projects that are
going on on Route 28. We also have the Station Avenue corridor study that was recently done uh that had some short-term and long-term recommendations that we need to investigate further. Um the Cape Cod Commission also did a vision's zero safety action plan where they identified segments of roadway and
town that are of concern. So we could take a look at that and see what uh we can implement over time. Uh the Cape Cot Commission has taken on the brave task of doing a Route 6A visioning study trying to get some consensus on how we can make improvements to to Route 6A. Um
and then of course enhancing and strengthening the coordination between the town and the Gateway airport. Uh and then also things like solar um radar science to see what we can do about um monitoring speed and regulating speed for people. Um climate mitigation and
energy. There's eight actions to promote renewable energy initiatives, energy conservation efficiencies to reduce consumption and the production of greenhouse gases. This is all kind of in support of the Commonwealth statewide net zero uh carbon goals. >> I'm having a hard time hearing you. I don't know.
>> I'm sorry. Is that switch? >> You're talking back there and everyone can hear. >> Is the switch on the side? >> Yeah, I mean it is it's being projected. It's just you're talking low >> and you're not right up against it. So, >> okay. >> On western mass charisma. We have to
listen in. Okay. >> So, where was I? Climate mitigation and energy. Um some of the action items are obviously we have the um municipal energy manager grant and hiring somebody for that position and implementing green community act projects um and supporting the energy committee which I think is
being reconstituted now um looking at different green infrastructure at municipal projects whether it's solar solar canopies level three EV chargers geothermal um looking at different ways that we can minimize greenhouse gases and uh maximize efficiency for any publicly funded projects that we're
working on in the town Um and then also with regard to waste management, we have seven actions to promote a sustainable solid waste management system for Yarmouth and the region and some of the actions are there have to do with the PLA plastics reduction bylaw committee and finalizing that amendments to that
bylaw. Uh supporting the recycling and solid waste advisory committee. Uh I had an interview with them. It was very insight in insightful to find out the things that they were working on. Um regionalization of waste and sludge disposal and recycling composting. were kind of at our maximum with composting
at our facility. And then also different opportunities to convert waste products to fuel. I know we had looked at that some years ago with the anorobic digesttor with Ed Centio. I think they're still continuing to look at that and a different type of of mechanism for that. And then just minor things like license plate readers
at the gate house and the annual cleanup. capital infrastructure and facilities. That's a whole separate chapter unto itself that's required in the LCP and it outlines the the larger scale key capital facilities and infrastructure projects that are needed to accommodate future growth and redevelopment in location supported by
the community. So it doesn't include everything. It's really meant for what we can do to anticipate future growth. So there's a lot of things that have already been incorporated in the various action items regarding wastewater, water, title restoration. All those things I mentioned before are mentioned in the capital infrastructure and facilities which also includes a table
that identifies a bunch of additional information on who's responsible for those things and the timelines on those. The last comm system is community systems. Uh the community character and cultural heritage. We have eight actions to protect and preserve our important
cultural, historic and archaeological resources and help foster a nice sense of community. And these are action items related to a historic Yarmouth initiative. what we can do to bring um attention and tourism to our many historic locations. The uh revolutionary war monument, the town common public
art. Um there's also an archaeological re uh reconnaissance survey that's been funded. And then looking at the historic museum and repairing the Baxter Gristill U building itself, the economy, the economy, the economy, the economy has the most action items. There's 16 action
items to promote. You know, we're really looking for a thriving year-round economy with a bunch of different business opportunities while also supporting our wonderful tourism and hospitality sectors. We're also trying to promote more of a businessfriendly uh approach to economic development and take into consideration balancing that
with, you know, environmental and infrastructure impacts uh to our community. So some of the goals um there are related to um you know trying to incentivize mixeduse development on Route 28, defining and implementing maybe some the reuse of the Madaki site which has a lot of different
opportunities and including a possible larger indooroutdoor recreation facility. Uh looking at enhancing marketing efforts, additional economic development staff. I think Kurt mentioned that earlier. investigate um economic programs and creation of that community development corporation uh
that might be a little bit more nimble in acquiring properties and also simplifying some of the thumb permitting related to entertainment. The the housing section is again as I mentioned heavily reliant on the HPP the housing production plan. There's eight action items to really to pro promote preserve
and the production of adequate supply of safe yearround h ownership and rental housing uh that's attainable for people of all income levels. Um some of the action items obviously are implement the all the great action items in the housing production plan uh and also continue funding the affordable housing
trust which does a lot of great work uh and completing the short-term rental study that's being done by UMass Donahue. Um and then also looking uh they're actively part of the Madakis potential housing at that particular redevelopment site. Um and then also collaborating with developers and also
looking at um identifying town land or gray fields or blighted properties that might be good for potential requests for proposals for housing development. The town services and recreation those are two items that are not required to be in the local comprehensive plan but that is something that came out of the
visioning uh that people were very interested and had some very specific um goals for those. So these are really the first um with regard to town services is actions to provide an efficient and effective government and there's related to specifically the general government,
public safety, health, the library and education and learning. A lot of those uh action items relate to things like communication, attracting and attaining town employees, looking at residential tax exemptions, electronic voting, the regional dispatch, you know, all our great human service grants that are out
there, the library building, and of course continuing um with all the great um programming and facility improvements needed at the senior center as well as uh Emmy Small and looking at the regional school agreement periodically. recreation. There's nine actions there
to provide year-round active recreational opportunities kind of for all ages. And these things like completing projects like the Parker River Landing project that should be done this fall. Uh the Chasebook Park and all that great uh golf capital to keep our our residents enjoying our golf
courses and the athletic fields assessment that's being done and then looking at different uh ways to water. I know that um DNR is looking at that and accessibility and that's just all the great programming that we have for recreation. One of the things that we did as part of
the LCP earlier this spring is we did do a mixeduse study that was completed in June because we're really trying to get a better understanding of what was what was impeding people from doing what we the classical top of shop kind of mixeduse development and we did that with uh using a community planning grant
we hired BSC Group and also Union Studios to help us with those endeavors and the BSC group looked at a bunch of benchmarking and all of this is on the town website at www.yarm yarmit.mma. uslcp. Uh, and they they have a lot of good
examples and they were smaller scale projects which was good. They weren't like these big scale projects. I think the biggest one was like on five acres of land. And we als they also did a very comprehensive review of our existing zoning, all of our optional overlay district. They also looked at potential chapter 40r smart growth zoning and and
different tools and incentives on ways that we can solve these impediments. Um, Union Studios did uh did a great job developing site renderings and illustrations for three we picked three hypothetical sites like varying in size from what's typical in Yarmouth was one acre, two acres and three acres and we
did them. Some of them were midblock and some of them were around intersections and they kind of used our VCOD bylaw and saw to identify what they could lay out on a particular site. What we really found was that parking really had a significant impact on the amount of
density that you could um could do. So if you had something that was more like 1.25 parking spaces per dwelling unit, you could get up to the 16 units per acre, which is our our standard zoning. But if you really are looking at two parking spaces per dwelling unit, you
had a really hard time getting up to 16 because the parking took up so much of the site that it didn't have really be able to do that. So it was a very interesting analysis that they did and they have wonderful renderings that are in there. Uh we also had um held a discussion panel with business leaders and developers kind of getting their
input on what some of the common challenges were and what what might be able to be done to to help them out. Some of these things are beyond our control. The cost of construction has just gone through the roof. Um but some of the things had to do with um the the details of and it's a
balancing act because we want the architecture to look a certain way but then it adds cost to the project and and you don't want it to be so much so that the cost project becomes infeasible. So that was a very interesting um discussion and they were very happy to have these discussions and wanted to continue to have them as we move forward. As I mentioned earlier, we're
going to be looking at a lot of zoning changes. I think we need to look more comprehensively at our zoning bylaw and we'd like to have them be part of that. the final reports, they're they're in the link that's included in the um in in the packet there. So, you can look at those and again, those are on that website. If you go down, you can look at
all of those studies and the details. So, community engagement, we really started way back with the visioning. We had a lot of different meetings then, kickoff meetings, workshops, roundts. We had two surveys, we had over 30 planning board meetings, we had four select board updates, and then a formal vision uh
plan presentation. We've done a lot of different ways and working with the communication department to help get the word out. I've gone to two national night outs uh which are a lot of fun because I think you get hit a different demographic. You get younger people. Uh went to the seaside festival. We also been handing out town uh postcards at
town meeting flyers, social media, the the website news items, press releases. I think there's a radio spot going on right now. We have the channel 8 bulletin. I have a whole bunch of email addresses for um civic and neighborhood groups that I send out. Uh and then also we've been coordinating with the school.
Um and then just general email lists for things like people who participated in the open wreck open space and wreck um survey and just let them know that these things are going on. Um one of the things that we did first thing we did with the LCP is we conducted a ton of stakeholder interviews where we asked
people about uh what are your three key concerns? Uh what what are the three things that what are the things that you're doing to address these and what were the things that you'd like to see get addressed in the next 10 years? And it was a town staff, a lot of different boards and committees, the finance committee, capital budget. We met with the school, the school district, we met
with civic association, business owners and chambers. We had a great meeting with them and um that we got a lot of valuable information from those interviews. Uh and the same thing with the engagement. We had the kickoff. We did the interviews. We had also had a crowd sourcing map online so people could provide their comments online as well as on a map. We had a community
open house last September. We had the community meeting in January. We had that developer discussion panel I mentioned. So far, we've had 23 planning board meetings where we've discussed it, four select board updates. We're on our 30-day public comment period, August 1st through September 1st. Uh what we're
hoping to do is take this information, develop it in early part of September, kind of into a um a final draft um and then we're going to have a public hearing on October 1st. So, there'll be additional opportunity for people to provide their public uh comment on
October 1st. So, as I mentioned, we're out for public comment now. October 1st, October 21st. I'm hoping that we would come and give the presentation to the select board on that. I believe that's the last night for voting on the uh articles and then we'll have the November 17th special town meeting.
Hopefully, we will get approval and then we will seek uh Cape Cod Commission uh certification over the winter. >> Yay. >> Thank you. >> Do you have anything else you wanted to add or Okay, we'll go to the board. Liz, you have any questions?
>> I had took the liberty of meeting with Kathy this afternoon and let me preface that by saying one reason I wanted to meet with her is because I'm bowled over by this work. It's fantastic. It is such
a huge piece of work. I read every word in here. Well, I didn't read The Matrix, I have to admit, but I read every word and it was >> You saw the movie. I was in the No. Um and I um but one of the things that we discussed at a high
level and that I will um help with is some some additions to the climate mitigation and energy um the existing conditions page. We thought it would be um interesting for uh a disclosure or or
a statement on what the current solar that is in Yarmouth the value of that because it's some sometimes it's a little dismissed as it's just there but it's really working hard for us. So that was something that I offered to help
with and I was going to help with some geothermal comments but it's in there. So Kathy and her team, the planning board team is amazing. I will add a little bit about the upcoming opportunities because in December, a new grant incentive program will be launched
and it will kick off another big solar activity statewide. And it's particularly important to take advantage of it now because uh the federal tax credit for doing solar will
disappear. Uh this is it last years and that's a huge enticement to developers who would be offering a power purchase agreement. That's where they make their money. They or they reduce their costs tremendously. So we'll we'll work on that together. Um I and I think one of
the other aspects is to note the green communities and where we're at with that because we need to close out the current green community grant and and then we can apply for more green communities grants. And so those kinds of um
activities need to be heralded so that they are kept up and go forward because that's been a a boon. And so those are the kinds of things I we also talked about the difficulty as she was talking about balancing I know Tracy's looking
at the clock going come on Liz hurry up the balancing of sustainability initiatives with cost additions. So when we're talking about housing and even the capital improvement plans for town buildings and so on that anytime we try
to add some sustainability, it's upfront costs. It pays itself off in the end, but it's it is um can be difficult for developers to want to embrace that. The other challenge that they're having is with the architectural
improvements that the town wants to see. It's it's a balancing act. the developers every time you want to um give it some more clapboard they see dollars and cents in their eyes. So those are issues that Kathy and the planning board are quite well aware. And
so when I say well why aren't we doing all of that? She says because it costs a lot of money and the developers don't want to know about it. So those are the kinds of conversations that we've had and it's been terrific. >> Quite what I said. >> Not quite what she said. I misquote
right, left and center, but um in this in essence, yeah, they they they're not interested in the the the finer aspects. So, I think I'll ran I'll I'll wrap it up by just saying it's brilliant and thank you to the planning board and to
Kathy. It's wonderful to have Kathy's leadership, but it's wonderful to have the team. So, I am very proud that we have such a strong LCP for this town that reflects where we're going and what we want to do. Joyce.
>> Oh, well, to follow up on what Liz said, um she of course wrote a grant that was successful for the um um energy manager, and I would think that that person could be a real resource to you on the um uh comprehensive planning, especially maybe
for things like the mixed use. Um there's some some things that we haven't really tried so much in this country, but that are getting some attention now. when there's a a company that actually does them, a balcony solar, which is like vertical solar hanging off
structures. And um that's much much cheaper for an investment in in solar if you wanted to investigate that. And we might we might given that that's new to the US, we might be a a kind of shiny example that could get a discount. I'm
just pondering that. Uh but I think that the new energy manager will be a great help. Um, I'm so impressed with the level of community involvement you've gotten on this because, you know, this is not easy stuff to understand or to read. And I think that you've gotten
everybody to understand at least 60% of it, which is a huge victory. So, thank you for all the hard work you've put in. Much appreciated. >> Joyce, Mark, >> thank you. I too want to uh commend
everyone involved in this effort. Uh the entire planning board has been uh I've watched the meetings and the discussions. Everybody's been very animated and contributing um to the discussion. No, they've been they've been they've been great meetings and uh
your consulting help has been terrific. I mean, I have to give kudos to them. They often get overlooked, but I think they've served you very very well. Um, and I appreciate um the adding the suggestions that that that you have. Um, I think it reads well. That's an important component of this. Oftentimes
we're so focused on doing a document without getting it re making it readable and digestible and understandable. And I think that's I think we we can check that box with this. What's going to be fascinating to watch is how you uh
convey all this to a town meeting. But that that's another conversation for another day. Um the one thing that I would like to sort of focus in on is, you know, our community is going to be wrestling with some major financial
decisions, you know, in the next few years. You know, we have to wrestle with, you know, how we're going to fund uh wastewater improvements. Uh we're going to have to deal with the cost of a new library. I've been checking out costs of libraries and they're going up
through the roof. Orleans budgeted $20 million for a library. They're they're now looking at a $40 million library. Uh I'm in regular contact with Barnstable and their fire department. They're looking for a new fire facility. Their
estimates are now $36 million and that and that's for a facility that meets half the needs of the town of Yarmouth. So I think the more we can incorporate information in the document that gives a
realistic assessment of some of the capital investments that we're going to need to make. Um I know we referenced for example the library but we're not giving anybody and you're going to need help on this. This is obviously you're going to need help from the manager's
office and others. But I think the more we can provide full disclosure on all of the capital costs, I know we touch on them, but I would look at it I would look take a not in rereading it looking look at it for
how this document we can take this to the next phase in doing long range financial planning because that's what we're going to need to do. We're going to have to take this document once it's completed, once it's taken by town meeting, and then we are going to have
to this fall really do a fairly comprehensive financial analysis. So what you could do that can be incredibly helpful to us is make sure that we don't leave we don't miss anything in areas where we do have costs. I would recommend put that information in there
even if it's estimates or even a range because we're going to in doing a long range financial analysis we should be working from this document. The other thing is is that it does provide full disclosure to the voters if they're going to be voting on a document and a
comprehensive plan. They need to really get a full sense of what the the overall financial implications are and and this is what we're trying to do for everybody. This is this is our plan, the community's plan, but they also need to know what the financial implications
are. So, in some of these areas, um, there's a need to sort of come up with better estimates or some new numbers, and you're just going to need help. >> Wouldn't have a clue. Mhm. >> I understand and and I'm I don't want to go over those numbers tonight, but I
think in order for this document to serve a real help for us in terms of implementing it, the more information we have on even range of estimates for some of these improvements for example resiliency is is I mean that could be
almost anything, right? I mean, if we're going to So, if we want to in a long range financial plan make some budget allocations for resiliency, I don't have no idea what we're talking about. You know, how much money is that? 5 million, 10 million, 20 million, 100. What's the
number? I know what wastewater is going to cost us in 10 years. We got to come up with 100 million there. I know for a new library, we're going to have to spend 20, maybe $30 million possibly in that area. A new fire station, I'm hearing estimates of $36 million. and I
can go on down the line. I think the more we can provide the voters not just with a document that identifies these things but gives them an idea of what the financial implications are will just better serve the community and will serve us as we as we look at how we're
going to implement this because that's really what we have to do is we have to figure out how we're going to implement this plan once it's adopted and money is going to be at the heart of it. So, anything that you can do to flush out those numbers, I think would be a huge
help. >> Is that I just I'm just curious if that's how other towns um I guess I get concerned with >> I don't think we'll ever get the LCP passed because it will be an overwhelming uh it's overwhelming and
and because it's our plan, we we are we have to take each one of those pieces and look at them. And I understand what you're saying. It's it's a road map really, right? >> But it's a road map with but there's a section in it that is on the financing capital improvement program that's an
important component of an overall plan. >> So wouldn't we just attach our capital improvement plan to it? I I don't know. I feel like I mean you think about PAS alone like P what's the number on that? you start putting all of these numbers in there, it is going to become um
>> overwhelming, >> more than overwhelming. It's going to become something that people are going to very much push back about, which I don't I I agree with what you're saying. These are real numbers. These are but they're not all >> haven't been tuned. Yeah. >> All I'm suggesting is where we have
numbers where we can get better numbers in some of these projects, it would be helpful. there. It it is a it is a capital improvement section. I mean, we have a capital improvement budget with numbers in it. There's no reason why we can't find ways to sort of at least make
sure some of those numbers are in this. >> I'm not sure on our capital improvement plan for the 10-year plan that every single piece is is there, though. I mean, I mean, maybe that's where we need to add it all collectively. If I mean I just >> again if you want a c if we want a
comprehensive plan with a c with a with a legitimate and credible capital se capital improvement section in it because that's got to be a part of it. Um >> it's not a specific capital improvement program that's in the comprehensive plan. So we we got to kind of phase the
two. This is the long-term general plan and and I agree with you wholeheartedly the numbers are important but it's important to note that you know the critical piece is to take the information that is in this plan then we
do the capital planning piece. Now you put it on a time frame when can the town afford these things. doesn't it shouldn't say that we're going to invest you know all of this money immediately because that you know is the type of
thing that first of all it's unrealistic >> scary. >> Yeah. And and second of all, you know, it it just is not the purpose for the comprehensive plan that what one of the key things that we have to figure out is
the financial piece. It comes from this knowing that, you know, if there's hundreds of millions of dollars worth of projects we'd like to do, you know, that that's how wastewater got broken into eight phases. And it's the same thing with all of them that and and we do have a capital improvement program
that's going to have numbers for every single one of these things. But it's it's not a a comprehensive financial plan. >> I'm not asking for the comprehensive financial plan to be put in this document. We have a capital program in here. All I'm saying is it requires some
additional work in terms of making sure that we've got good estimates in here for some of this work. You've got some estimates in here, but some of them need to be looked at. fire station. There's no number in here there, but we have numbers elsewhere. All I'm saying is I think there's some value in providing
that information since we since that's a component of the local comprehensive plan. I recognize that some of this might be scary, but the thing is is that so what if it's scary? We need to know roughly in the aggregate what all these
major investments might cost us. And again, I'm not saying you need firm final. These are all preliminary. >> Mark, may I also or Tracy, it seems to me too though that if we're going down that road, we need to then also start
going down the road of what are the energy improvements going to save you that we that are part of the long the the comprehensive plan. So, that's one reason we were avoiding some of those comments. And it would seem like if
you're avoiding the the the positive, you want to avoid the negative, too. We just don't have the the numbers yet. >> I don't I don't want to avoid the numbers. >> No. Well, so I mean, I can cook up based on real uh evidence what we could save
if we get solar on the DPW by February of next year. >> I personally >> should that be in there? >> I don't think that that's where this document needs to go. I think we need to follow the Capecock Commission's recommendation and then once it's approved, we create our capital plan
based on that. We have a capital plan. It will be prioritized based on some of the items in here. I just don't think that h how are you going to put a number on housing? How are you going to put a number on the economy? that that's >> I'm there are there's a capital
component to this >> in looking there's a capital compon's I understand that and we have cost estimates in the plan all I'm suggesting is we take another look at them make sure that we got area >> yes >> Kathy's saying no I don't know
>> oh okay do you see any mark >> yeah I'm I'm looking through it right now >> because I thought that it was pretty void of that my only concern is I don't want people to think that they're voting for for that when they're voting for the LCP because each individual project is going to come before town meeting for a
vote related to the money. >> The money. Yeah. >> Yeah. I I kind of agree with that. >> Becoming over it would become overly >> uh >> it's a different type document. Yeah. >> That's why they call it a lo That's why they call it a plan. >> You can't afford to implement every
single one. I mean, we I do the capital improvement program every year. And the the key thing is is is you can't just sit here and say all of the projects that you want to do, we're going to fund them all. This is what it's going to cost and we're going to do it now. This
is a huge challenge for the community and it's absolutely fantastic to have the priorities laid out, but the process we're going to go through to finance these is going to be >> again, everyone seems to be misinterpreting what I'm saying. This is not going to be the document that lays
out the priorities. >> It lays out the items that we're going to have to wrestle with in the future. And all I'm asking for is is full disclosure. We've already identified these costs in other documents. There's no reason why we can't at least in the capital section that's here that I'm
looking at which is in the document cap se table 5.2 capital improvement and facilities key needs and priorities. >> Yeah. I I think Mark where I I think what I'm hearing again I'm looking at the local comprehensive guidance from the Cape Cod Commission and you're
you're on point with that. The capital facilities plan is a plan that outlines the key capital facilities and infrastructure needed to accommodate anticipated future growth and development and protect resources of the
town. The plan should include and they describe these things. Most of them are descriptions. descriptions of sources of funding, descriptions of the project, description of how the identified uh facility
projects support the vision of the LCP. It isn't a it isn't necessarily a budgetary financial statement, but I I do think that the the there should be a cautionary note somewhere in that chapter on capital infrastructure that
says that our capacity to fund all of these things is limited. I mean, I think that that would be an important >> I guess what I'm trying to do is set the stage. We have to do some long range financial planning here. And my hope is is that this document can be at least
the starting point for a lot of that work. >> And I think with the 10-year capital plan that now the capital budget committee finally has been proposing um in the in the past year or so, that can become um as just like we referenced the
out um the open space and recck plan, we reference the capital plan that was approved by the uh town meeting. and you've got all the numbers, you've got the projects, you've got what you have prioritized and what the town meeting has said, yes, we agree is a good thing.
Um, but I I I I would refrain from having this appear to be a budget document because it will have issues at town meeting. I think we will face issues on approval if it looks like there's some approval of spending, if
you will, >> at town meeting. Well, really, it's an intellectual master plan. I mean, it's the long-term big picture and um some of this will be implemented when we're gone, but it's still important to have it.
>> Yeah. But I think you need to check the reality box on what we what we can afford. Uh >> that's that's the job that comes later. >> Yeah. >> We got to start somewhere. I'm looking for a master plan that identifies where we're going as a community, the things that we need to do, and some rough idea
of what the capital investments are. That's typically what's required. >> So, don't do you see this as a are you comfortable with them referencing the capital improvement plan and then and then the document kind of the I think the document is
basically the vehicle on how we're going to take that and prioritize our capital improvement plan. I'm I'm we've worked very hard on the capital improvement plan. I think that that's a long range financial planning. To say that the town hasn't done long range financial planning is not quite accurate because
that's what we're doing. Now, there's a lot of details in that that we don't have. We don't know where our debt drop off is, where the money's coming from. All those are very important. But I think that just referencing >> referencing the capital improvement plan as part of this, but not putting it in
each section, having a cost associated with every item, I think is just I mean, >> yeah, we just disagree. I I'm looking for a document that's comprehensive. >> I do think it's comprehensive that way. >> I think that's it's missing. I think these are key ingredients that are missing.
>> But you don't think those ingredients are part of the capital improvement plan? >> They all have to weave together. So referencing and having the capital improvement plan as part of that isn't isn't sufficient. You want it you want costs listed in here. >> I'm looking at table 5.2 capital improvement and facilities key needs and
priorities. And I'm looking at some of these items with cost limits next to them. But there are some areas where it's totally blank. >> Like what do you want to put in for public arts? How how much do you want to spend? I mean that's we don't even have the committee yet but we know we want public arts and we're putting it as a
priority but to put in there we're going to spend >> if we've already had some discuss but Bob if we've already had some discussion as a community in terms of investments that need to be there we should at least articulate what we think what's known all right like I said I'm I'm looking
again I I don't want to go through each one of these I think >> but Mark I'm going to focus on the on the capital table okay because there There are 400 action items in this plan. We are not going to be able to assess and and align a cost for those action
items. >> But there are a number of them but there are a number of them that you do >> that we do that we can and on the capital to the degree that we've missed some things that like the maybe the library and the firehouse and whatever else that it that we're silent on, we
probably shouldn't be silent on. and we'll try to get some estimates on what those might be. Um, so but I I think I hear you focusing on table 5.2, the priorities in the capital plan, and making sure that we can try our best to
get some numbers aligned with each of them. >> I'm not going to support this if we fail to provide some due diligence and some real numbers on our capital. Yeah. It's as simple as that. >> Yeah, I'm I'm with you on that. going on the record. >> I I we should have there shouldn't be
anything in here that hasn't been reviewed by the capital budget committee and all of the members of uh that are participating in that. Most importantly, the town administrator. Um so the capital budget committee has the list, has the numbers. Um they're not going to
come from outer space. They're going to come from there. And to the degree that we can we can um integrate more information in this um associated with that that gives the plan some meat. I I we will try to do that.
>> That's all I'm asking for. >> I I I hear you. >> I think we're going to need to rely on the town administrator's office and it sounds like you have a lot of good information to maybe take a look at that and and put those numbers next to it that you know you rattle off a bunch of great numbers if that's what you guys want to do and put it in. We're going to need to rely on other people to provide
us with that information. I understand that they're going to be out of the sky numbers that we have no I mean like Bob said >> economic development how much do we need to invest in that? We don't know that answer. I mean that >> if there are areas where the information is unknowable then that's it's
unknowable. But for those areas where we have some idea of what the costs might be a >> lot of numbers in here. >> Yeah. There are a lot of numbers in there. That's all I'm saying is is make sure that in the areas where we have some costs and information, we just add that stuff in there. >> And specifically, if I'm hearing
>> library >> capital is key in terms of trying to lock in with whatever our best numbers are. >> Um, that should be our capital plan anyway. I mean, how how you take your master plan and build your
capital plan from it. >> Agreed. >> That's what I'm saying. So, we got to start with something. >> That's what I'm saying. This information should be here. >> I think it is as much as they have. >> Yeah. >> If you have more information, just let us know. >> Yeah.
>> Madam Chair, um I I think this is a multi-year process and so I I would guess that a lot of the numbers, you know, given the craziness of the economy at the moment are probably not very reliably predictable. But I think here's
an example question. Here's an example. For example, okay, waste water. We've identified phase one, right? But we have eight phases. Shouldn't we at least acknowledge that there are eight phases and that we have more wastewater investments that we need to make? >> This is a 10year I mean it's not meant
to be a 40-year. >> No, but I mean isn't there should be something in the in here that we have an eightphase wastewater plan. Yeah, but I would put that that's that's a capital investment that we're going to have to make. That's the easiest one. I don't want to spend all night going through
each one of these things, but >> in a time frame that they're they're trying to capture, I think, is what she's saying, Mark. >> Well, we've already made the investment in the phase one, >> right? And it's right here, >> right? >> There's a phase two coming up soon and the phase three. >> Phase two is in here and that would take
us through the 10 years. >> Is that what you're I think that's where they're coming from. >> All right. We we do we do mention Mark, not to not to belabor this, but on page 22, we talk about the 40-year plan. >> It's in there text.
>> We're not hiding it. It's in there. >> I understand. I'm just looking at the overall capital chart, table 5.2. I'm going through it. And I'm just suggesting that there are a number of areas where we should just add a little bit more meat since we know essentially what those costs might be.
>> I have no idea what phase two costs are going to be. I don't think anybody knows. >> I think we're in agreement. >> We have We have estimates. We have NG. We do have We do have an idea of what those costs are. >> We don't want to go out on too far out on limbs. I think we are in agreement that the office is going to work with
them to provide numbers where they where they can be provided. Does that sound acceptable, Mark? >> That's that's all I've been asking for. >> Okay. >> Is goals first and then numbers. >> Well, we'll try to get numbers where we can.
I I don't want this discussion to take away from a superb document and a superb process and an enormous amount of hard work. I mentioned this just as a as a suggestion and I didn't really want it to dominate the discussion and there's no need to have an argument over it. I
think it's a discussion that deserves some discussion among the planning board members about how much detail you want to get in there and I'm happy with you folks having that conversation. But there there is it's it's gonna not it's not going to be that difficult to add a little bit more meat to this. I I do
believe the voters are smart in this town. They can handle all the information >> and I want it to get approved by the Cape Cut Commission. I want to follow their recommendations. So to that to the extent that it's going to get approved by the commission, that's that's the
information that we need to make sure is in there. >> I think we have all the information in there for certification. I even sent this to Khloe for a double check because they had done a previous one and they had three things they wanted us to add. Um I don't think adding some numbers is going to be anything this that the LCP
uh commission has an issue with. It's up to you guys what you want to do. We just need to be be provided with the information. I'm comfortable being a planning document and I'm comfortable with our lo with our capital planning doing the capital planning work that it needs to do.
But anyway, moving along. >> So, >> review of zoning articles. >> Don't go anywhere. >> Thank you. I think you're the next article as well. >> She's getting more information, a new presentation. And now
Thank you, Kath. I didn't I don't have That's okay. Um, again, good evening. Um, thank you for this opportunity to review the draft planning board zoning bylaw amendments for the uh 2025 special town meeting planned for November. uh
early review with the select board will help us as we finalize the amendments and obtain further public comment. The planning board would also like to thank the public who have joined us at our most recent public meetings. Um some of them I think were going to come this
evening. I don't know if they're here. Um but I wanted to thank them for their interest and their participation is gratefully appreciated. Um, in your packets is a memo from Kathy that provides some background on these two amendments. Uh, one of which has already
been uh before the board uh way back in 2019 uh with regard to boat storage, recreational vehicles. Um, and some initial draft language that the planning board has discussed at a couple of meetings. The two amendments uh that
we're uh proposing for additional uh deliberation are retail sales in residential zoning districts for commercially caught fish and shellfish and on-site boat storage in residential zoning districts. And so Kathy has a
short presentation to give you on this. >> So this is in in your pocket for closer viewing. Um, but one of the things we're going to do to to resolve this simple issue of wanting to sell um I should step back a little bit. This draft amendment was assuming that we are a
community that wants to support commercial fishermen, commercial lobstermen, and allow this uh similar to agricultural uses that are in our community. Our agricultural table here does have a footnote seven and you can see it on the B1 the B2 and that
basically says it allows for retail sales with a special permit. So what we looked at was well let's just add let's separate forestry fishing and hunting and have a new B5 that's just fishing and then mirror what's in the agricultural with that note seven and then amend the seven to talk a little
bit more detail with regard to um the sale of of fish. So this is this is the footnote six or sorry seven that we're looking at amending. We just specify that the special permits from the zoning board of appeals. And then we go into some additional provisions specifically related to um individuals selling
legally harvested or caught seafood including but not limited to fish, shellfish, lobsters and cra and and crabs and shall be compliant with all applicable local and federal regulations. Just make sure you have your commercial fishing license, you have your commercial retail license. Uh, and then you to avoid somebody saying,
"Oh, give me all you what you caught and I'll sell it at my house, we're saying you may only sell what you have personally caught or harvested by the resident of the property." Uh, and then the seafood must be sold whole and not prepared or processed. So, you're not going to be selling lobster rolls uh on at your residence. And then we just felt
that um >> because they're going to be open periodically that we would allow some type of signage in residential zoning districts and kind of limiting it to very similar to food trucks where you're allowed to put out an A-frame style sign six square meters when you're open and just let people know u that you're open
for business. The planning board did discuss the potential of uh commercial off-site premises signs and they were not interested in in discussing that at this point uh because it would kind of open it up to all commercial um off- premises signs. We could be more involved than we realize. Uh and
then we also added a um a draft definition for uh fishing because we didn't have really have anything. It's just catching, harvesting or taking of fin fish, shellfish, lobsters, crabs, and other seafood from a natural habitat. um doesn't want to go.
>> There we go. So, at our last planning board meeting, um there's some concerns that were discussed about is this too broad? Is this is this now expanding beyond what the issue is? Is is lobster sales uh commercially caught lobster sales in a residential zoning district
because now we're allowing it um for for fin fish. So maybe someone goes out on their boat and they have commercial fisherman's license and now they're selling it next to their neighbor who may not like that. So do we want to limit the amendments to just lobster sales only and do we want to just limit it to the residential zoning districts
um excluding the more restrictive RS40 residential zoning? I think this would still allow Mr. Tally to do what he is looking to do. Uh we I did request further input from town council just to make sure that it would be okay to limited it. uh he brought um back to me some com um some amendments very similar
to what I had proposed to him just some minor modifications. Didn't seem to think that there was going to be an issue to limiting it to lobster sales only. Um I've just heard some people grumbling or saying they're concerned about how this might expand the sale of these types of things throughout all our residential environments and that might
be a situation where we get to town meeting and it gets voted down. But we didn't necessarily need to be that broad. Do we want to narrow it and bring it down to lobsters in the residential zoning district to solve our current issue? >> Okay. >> We we also um discussed that the special
permit would once it was issued would expire with the property. So if the property were transferred u the the special permit would um expire. >> So the it's uses with the resident not with the property.
>> Thank you Joy. Okay, Joyce. Um, I had a question about the um, question about limiting amendments to lobster sales only. And I was trying to weigh in my head whether that was a, you know, a kind of political issue, you know, to get this improve approved or whether
that was like a a very serious planning issue um because other fish, excuse me, other types of seafood um smell more and are miscellaneous and and might cause
more more difficulties for the town. >> I think I don't think that's the case. The whole idea initially was to make it be applicable to everyone but then the concern then we're like well wait a minute >> are we trying to do that which is fine or is this a case where we would are
interested in solving a particular issue that you know lobsters are different than people for people you have to have a lobster boat which is not inexpensive so you the number of people who are going to be selling the commercially caught lobsters at the residential property is probably somewhat limited it's not going to be an extensive number
of people but if you have a boat and you can get a commercial fishing license and you want to sell what you caught at your house, then you might find that that pops up more in the residential neighborhoods. >> Kind of like limiting it to Sorry, Mark. No, can I just I think one of the things we'll find out is in my discussions with
the Mass Division Marine Fisheries and other state officials the prospect of us allow seeing envisioning if we were to make this a broad definition the likelihood of these other uses taking place in a residential area from what I
understand is between nil and very slim because of the very burdensome rules and regulations that are already in place with those other uses. So from my point of view, if you left it in creating the appearance that there might be we're being open and discreet
and trying to be fishing friendly, um I can understand the value in that. But the reality is is that the only type of activity that could take advantage of this would be lo the lobstermen or the the lobster situation. shellfishing is not going to be done handled that way
because that's strictly regulated as well as handling the the the the sale of fish or fish fillets or something like that. >> Why do you think that? I'm sorry. >> That's what I've heard. That's what the division of marine fisheries has told me. I've spoken to them to find out better understand what the what the what
the regulatory standards are and requirements are. And I've had this question and I've asked this question straight up. But a lot of I I don't understand that because a lot of the Scala people have licenses to sell right off their boat. So why wouldn't they be able to >> They're allowed to do that off their boat,
>> not their property. If we had it, you think they would sell them off their property, though? >> Um that's not under the state regulations. I don't believe it's allowed. I think it's worth double checking so that we have at least some authoritative information on that. >> Be good to know. Yeah, because my
understanding from what I've been con what's been told to me is that the likelihood of these other activities happening in a residential zone would be very very difficult just given the nature of the state's requirements. >> Not knowing though maybe we should stick with lobsters to and in light of the
upcoming town meeting and do some more research for an expansion. But at this point, I'm happy to to approve the lobster sale zone. I'm comfortable with that as well with the because my understanding is that being able to do this other stuff is going to be almost impossible.
>> What is the board of health um what is their requirements? >> They have to do an inspection >> for no matter what it would be for the sale of any of the seafoods. Correct. >> How they're stored, >> you know, the temperature of the water, all of that. There's a there's a whole
bunch of regulations >> thing is in your uh bullet point seven where it talks about in addition to other applicable special permits individuals selling lo legally harvested or caught seafood. Don't you think it should say personally caught there as
well to be consistent >> and I have a I do have a concern about the signage. I think that that signage is too broad. It can it be lit? Can it be neon? Can it what what kind of I mean I think you're going to somebody's going to push the limits of just the A-frame. I mean what kind of
A-frame can like I said can it be illuminated? Can it be neon? I I think that you have to spell out unfortunately. Um >> check the there's a definition. I can check that and see if it's already included in the definition.
>> Be good. I don't have my >> I don't think you need the personally up top, Tracy, because it's it's comes right after that with a semi with a semicolon. >> It's the next >> Again, I just want to remind you we are
going to have this looked at by town council, >> right? I'm I'm really not prepared to to say what I support, what I endorse because, you know, I think that, you know, it's an evolution. you're still working through a lot of the issues. You haven't had your public hearing, so to
speak, on it. I I don't think we should be taking a position till the uh the legal public hearing has has um I'm just going to give you my my thoughts on it. I personally, you know, um I think you have to be really careful. I know you
talked to town council about sculpting a zoning that applies to one person. Um, I would be interested in the Department of uh, Fisheries opinion on whether or not only one specific type of seafood is
there. Um, I don't understand why we would do it just for one person. So, if we're if we're supporting fishermen, we should support fishermen. So, I don't know why why one person would have more of a benefit than the other. I mean, if we're
going to take if we're going to take the position that we're doing this because he was grandfathered, that's a different thing. But if we're creating a zoning article to support fisherman, why is a lobsterman more important than um a tuna fisherman? I don't know. I'm just asking
the question. >> A good point. That's why we started with the broad. >> Yeah. But then there were some concerns that that might >> I like Joyce have uh that's why I asked about the board of health. I would be concerned about uh smells and storage and board of health, but if they've meet
all the requirements, >> I' I'd support the way that it's written. >> And I think there's always, of course, if we um approve just lobsters, um there's there's a potential backlash about uh people who can't afford
lobsters but might like to buy them on their street. I I think again our reason in bringing this forward now in advance is that we I happen to be on the board in 2019 and we learned a lesson that when we brought
the item forward on boat storage and recreation >> we'll get to that. I we got all the way through public hearings. We got all the way through unanimous approval by the by the planning board and the board of selectman at the time said no. >> Right. Okay. So we had done a lot of
work, a lot of effort um in terms of public hearings. So we just wanted kind of taking a temperature here as to us going forward with the public. >> The temperature on this side of the table is warm. >> Okay. You're going in the right direction. I think I I respect your
recommendation. If you believe that you have to go broad, then I will be supportive of that. If you feel that in your judgment that the board wants to be narrow, I will be very supportive of that. I just appreciate that you spent an enormous amount of time and energy taking this issue up, hearing from a lot
of people with all the other things that you're doing. The time and attention that you've put into this is just commendable and it's very much appreciated. So, thank you. >> I might while we're taking temperatures, I might note that I would limit the zone
to limit the zoning. Um, I wouldn't go broader just because I think >> keeping You mean keeping it out of the RS40 district? >> What's what what's the difference between the res? >> No. >> Historic district along Bass. >> Yeah, it's a historic.
>> The only thing that's really allowed there question, how soon does the final uh wording have to be ready for the special town meeting? >> I'm sure there's a date already set. We have one more planning board meeting before the public hearing which is scheduled for September 17th.
>> You go. But but also like B3, you have it allowed in a B3 which is a business zone. So I don't understand if it's for people doing it at their house. >> I mean, don't we already have zoning for B3 for >> There's no retail allowed in B3. We can
certainly combine them lobsters and then and then or leave it more broad, but then restrict it to just the residential zoning district. So, we can take this input and talk about it some more and but we need to come up with something that we're going to present at the public hearing so that we can notice it.
>> All right. Does anybody else have any comments on Did you get a sense of the board where they're at? Okay. >> I think so. >> Okay. >> I think so. >> Great. Let's move on to boats. >> Boats. Boats. Boats.
>> Bring out another thousand. >> I don't know why this isn't working. Maybe it's Are you in the way? Maybe >> I'm in the way. >> Okay, there we go. Um, so really the general purpose is to allow seasonal um storage of of a one boat in the driveway
during the active boating season in residential neighborhoods. Right now, the zoning bylaw requires you to put it behind the front face of your building, so it's not as obvious. It's off to the side. There's some people with smaller lots, as Mr. Charles was mentioning, um, or just not the space on the side in
order to put it there. There's also people who, oh, I can put it there during the winter time, but it's going to take me a little maneuvering to get it over there, and they don't want to keep doing that every time they take their boat out. So, the idea was whether maybe we could allow for some modification there. So, alls it does is it shows you the draft uh modification
here. It's the regular uh camping and recreation equipment, which does include boats. Um, and then just saying one exception of one boat lawfully registered to the owner or resident of the property with a maximum length of, and we picked 28 feet. that's still up for discussion. Uh and located on a
registered trailer may be parked in the driveway of a residential lot regardless of location related to the building so people don't have to put it there from April 1st through November 1st provided it does not create a traffic or fire safety issue and adequate on-site parking remains for the property so people aren't putting their boat in
their driveway and then parking uh in front of their neighbors house and causing people to be upset about that. And this just is including there what the what the definitions of the boats. It is interesting that you know for trailers 32 feet is mentioned for motor
homes 32 feet is mentioned so maybe 28 feet should be 32 feet or something along those lines. So what are we really looking at? You know um the planning board is looking at the the suitable location for boats on residential properties. They picked the driveway um the seasonality of the boats in the
driveway. They were keeping it during the boating season. So it would be it would be not something that would be stored there shrink wrapped uh in the front of your house all year round. uh further discussions on the maximum length of the boat in the driveway and should we limit this is a new one that came up which would require quite a bit
different than anything we've talked about in the past is should we limit the number of boats allowed on a single property >> so that's kind of where we are on boat storage >> oh um I was looking at this and thinking
maybe we should limit the number of boats on a single property because you could start to move toward something commercial like renting the extra boat or something like that. Um, but on the whole I I would like people to feel that
they could do more things with their property than we have we have already allowed. And I think it's a it's kind of crazy that and I'm a non boat owner um that that you would have to kind of get it behind your house where you might have like you know 10 ft when you had
like a lot of of front lawn. Um so I guess I'd be okay with the boat just about anywhere on the residential property. Um I realized that um we can't have it pushing any vehicles out onto the street for parking. Um, I don't know
what to make of the seasonality of boats in in driveways or whether they might even look better with snow. Um, but uh that's one I have no opinion on. But I I think the maximum length of the boat, the driveway or the 28 ft and
the uh limiting boats um to a single one on a single property is good. But I'd be very flexible on that first question about where on the property and all that. Great. Liz, do you have any comments? >> I wondered um and I don't think that
there's a way around it. The one boat lawfully registered to the owner or resident of the property. And I look at that and think, gee, an owner might actually object, but that's up to them to have in their
lease that you can't park. Okay. Um, white wrap is okay. If the boat is in white wrap and it's parked in front of the house, >> it doesn't say that you can't. >> Yep. So, it would be okay. >> All right. I'm okay with it. Um
>> Mhm. >> Mark, >> um yeah, I just want to go on record. I'm I again appreciate you're taking this up. I again, a lot of time, a lot of energy. Um and I I completely endorse Mark Grills's comments before the
planning board. you know, he's made it very very clear. I've driven around the town, um, gone to places, looked at some of the problems that he's described. Yes, Yarmouth is a community with a lot of small lots, and I've seen
recreational uh, boats uh, in areas that they probably shouldn't be in. But I've also noticed they have no sideyards. And in some cases, the sideyards are so small that whatever vegetation, trees,
and buffer may exist between two houses, that would have to be eliminated in order to comply with the bylaw. >> Um, so and and I've been around my neighborhood. I see and I've seen
several properties in my own part of town where this is this is an issue. So, I can tell you I would not want my next door neighbor getting rid of all the buffer that exists between our two houses, but if they had a boat, that's
probably what would have to happen. So, uh Mark has suggested that we need some relief. There's some people that are going to have difficulty complying with the bylaw as it's currently written. So, they need an option, and I think you you're trying to come up with a good
option, and I I totally support that. Um because we have and I was I was corrected today when I was when I said we have hundreds of lots that are small. I was told we have thousands of lots that are small. So uh I appreciate Mr. Child's uh coming here tonight and uh
speaking to this. But he's not alone. There are lots of people in the community that would benefit by having an option of taking their boat and putting it in an area wouldn't they where they won't have to destroy buffer or or take some other course of action
that may actually be more disruptive and uh opposed by their neighbors. So these for some folks this is just not an easy decision. And like I said with all of the small lots that we have um they're folks that have problems. So, um, like I
said, I I support the the the the building inspectors or the in director of inspectional services. I I support what Mark has been saying and I appreciate all the time. Again, I know you folks have spent a lot of time on this and I appreciate your work on it. I really do. >> Are you okay with the seasonality?
>> I would take that off. He said at your planning board meeting that he would start the phone would start ringing once this passed with that requirement in there. And I'm I I am totally endorse what he's saying. our our inspection department is incredibly busy. We're
asking them to do a lot of work and quite frankly I don't see having to the time that is spent on these kinds of actions from my perspective is where I want to see them spending a lot of time. We're a boating
community. We're a coastal community. I think these two measures is at least some way to reaffirm to the community at large that we still see ourselves as a coastal boating marine fishing friendly community. And I think we should really put our our our you know we should speak
to that and affirm that. And so I think what you're doing with these changes makes all the sense in the world. So I but I would take that out. But I agree with Mark that if you keep that in there, that's just going to keep them busy. And I don't want him calling to Florida trying to chase people around to
get them to move boats. >> Now, if if the town had a lot and we were in the business of boat storage, >> we do have a lot. >> If we're in the business of boat storage, then that that that's a different story. But the reality is we're not offering people for the taxes
that they pay to be a Yarmouth resident or the boat t boat excise taxes that they're pay. They're really stuck with having to deal with this themselves if they don't have the spot. So I like the idea of providing relief. I think you're on the right track. I would get rid of
that time restriction and uh to me that would make the most sense. >> I think it makes absolutely no sense. I would I'm not I didn't support it in 2019 and I won't support it now. I think that this is not the vision that we want for our community. I I've said it several times. I had a camper. I had to
build um a driveway to put my camper on. So, are you prepared to to handle campers in the front yard next? Because hey, we're we're we're a camping community, too. We support camping. >> That's not a living, though. >> Small planes. I mean,
what you guys vision in the front yard and what I vision in the front yard are two totally different things. If you had a beautiful boat in the front yard, I got no problem with that. I love boats. I love being on the water. I love being near the water, but that is not what's going to happen. >> We know that >> that is not what's going to happen. And
and I don't want to see that. We already have eyes all over this town and this is only going to add to it. And I feel bad for Mr. Childs. I I watched the presentation. I think you guys have done an amazing job. It has nothing to do with the context here. It has to do with the principle and I think that it's
going to be a slippery slope of what's going to come next. What are you going to allow in the front yard next? These people are going to be parking on the street. They're going to put their boat in the yard and they're going to park on the road. How are you going to handle that? >> I mean, there's just there's >> I I have a specific >> especially Excuse me. I'm not finished
yet. But if there if if you had a seasonal time, so that way at the end of the the time they put it somewhere else, but now you're going to you're going to make a recommendation that's going to be there all year long. It's not going to go anywhere. So if it is a eyesore, you're never going to get rid of it. It's I just think it's a slippery slope.
I I mean, again, you have every person with a camper that has the same problem that has to do the same thing and is and and unless you're prepared to do that, then I wouldn't support this. >> Go ahead, Mark. Um, are there other towns that have a similar bylaw to this
on boat storage restricting it? Because I've asked around in a number of towns and I'm told that Yarmouth, people are only aware of Yarmouth having this bylaw. Marshfield, I was told, had something similar to this years ago and they got rid of it because of the
problems that it created. But I'm not aware of another town on Cape Cod having a restriction in terms of boat storage. I I haven't done the research, but I did have a conversation with Mark Grills, and he thought he didn't think anybody else had it. >> Yeah. So, >> well, this has been in our bylaw since
like 1972 or something, so it's been in there for a long time. >> And my understanding is is that in the 1971 town meeting when this was taken up, the principal thrust of the zoning bylaw was to deal with campers, recreational vehicles, and that kind of
use, which apparently was proliferating in town. uh there was the only reference to boats was uh either as a footnote or as a under the an explanation of what etc meant. So the thrust of the article
in the 70s was on campers. That's that's what I'm being told is that it was the thrust was campers and RVs that in the in the in that period of time Yarmouth was having a fair amount of RV camping activity going on uh in homes and the
idea was to restrict that but boats wasn't the thrust of it. >> Well, I I I will share with you that this is going to be a slippery slope. U members of the planning board, if you've uh had the chance to u listen to any of
our meetings, um the whole change in the availability of accessory dwelling units um and the rights that property owners have, questions have been raised as to well, can they have a boat?
How many boats on a property should we allow? And if they're doing it properly, it's behind the front line of the house. So the ADU in the back can have these are just some of the questions that have been raised >> in terms of how many boats and where and what rights will people have under the
existing one. I mean if we don't change this under the existing one it's it's it's we don't know but it's possible that people who have um have uh legal ADUs um that's a resident. Um, so these are
the some of the concerns that have come up from not only planning board members but the public in terms of um the the uh this this particular So we know this we know we're going to hear all sorts of different opinions on this. Um and um
and your job has been made harder by the state's accessory bylaw when we had gotten one passed through town meeting that was a better match for the town. >> Well, it's they're easier. there there's less permitting involved which uh for some people is a is a is a is a good
thing. Um but um this this kind of complicates this issue and um as Kathy mentioned on the previous slide, we did talk about um some consideration deliberation. Maybe we limit the total number of boats on a property. If if
that were to be where the where the board kind of winds up, that will take a much longer process than special town meeting. This is not something we can accomplish at special town meeting >> if you limit the number of votes. >> If we limit the number of votes.
>> Um so uh any so anyway there we we know the coming up is going to be uh the next couple meetings and the public hearing will be um >> uh will be interesting. Mhm. >> Tracy, can can I ask >> We do we do just need the sense from the
generally from the majority of the board that we can go forward with this with public discussion. >> Yes. >> Yeah. Thank you. Can I ask what the um date um is for the deadline for the special town meeting for the the final wording of bylaws and amendments?
>> It's in my um schedule, but it's on the zoning. We don't need the final language till I think it's the third week in October. >> October 21st is when you >> Oh, okay. We need the well as long as we have the uh the general article which we
have a place already in there that initial deadline is September 12 and then they go through their process with the um public hearing and then get us the the final language by that third week in October and then um the
subsequent week that it would be on the agenda for the select board and at that time um we've put it right at the end so we need to finalize the recommendations on the zoning and execute the warrant of all that last week in October.
>> Okay. Thank you. That's very helpful to know. >> It'll be here before we know it. >> Yes, it will. Thank you. >> And and we don't want to screw up Halloween. We We've got to get it out of the way. >> All right. Great. Uh Joyce, the
discussion for committee policy. >> Okay. Yes. And um here is our latest version. I made a mark where there was an edit from one person who uh uh sent me something. Um there actually two people um Deerra and
Joanne who have gone through the qualitative process. One is um uh as a candidate and the other as a chair. But unless you want me to go grab them in the hall so you can interview them and find out how what they felt about it,
they're getting away. But I think I've I think I've satisfied um some of the things that concerned you. Um I think like for example making clear on page two, you know, yes,
there's um there um some arrangements for um committees. If any committee wants to um uh have a full committee interview a candidate, that's all that's all there. They just have to make it comply with open meeting law.
>> I appreciate that. But I guess logistically then how do you envision the conversation to happen? So you know when we had the sheet and that happened, they weren't discussing their
recommendations and potentially as you mentioned hurting somebody's feelings because they just did their average and they handed it in. But now if you're gonna have a whole committee in public interviewing, how do you how do you how does that happen? >> Yeah, actually there won't be a whole
committee meeting in public because um the only person this morning with the meeting of the committee chairs who wants all the members to interview new people is Old Kings Highway. >> But we have to take care of them, too. >> Oh, yeah. But see, they have they have a
way to do it. They have a way to do it, but they're going to be doing it and discussing the applicants in public is what I'm telling you. So >> worried about the grading, not not the meeting, the grading. >> The grading. >> Not even the grading. It doesn't have to be a grading system. If you're uncomfortable with the grading system, that's fine. I I just want you to think
about when you go to that meeting and you do three interviews, at the end there has to be some type of deliberation. How do you envision that in public and your cons with your concerns about not wanting to use the paper? >> I feel that that's the concern of the
chair of the committee who wants that form. I mean, I I wouldn't recommend it, but I think it's it's their choice if they want it. Should that be in there, I think, is what Tracy's saying. >> Right, Tracy? >> I'm just saying that you're not solving
your problem. your your your issue of concern about the grading system is because you're afraid that somebody may not get graded in a certain manner or whatever. >> Oh, that's not my issue. >> You don't think people should have a
number system to however people feel about them. But if you're interviewing as a group, and I'm not trying to belabor the point. I know I'm alone in this. That's fine. You guys can do whatever you want. But you really have to play that out. How is it going to be? It's to me it would be much better to
have them make their recommendations on a piece of paper with a system than to have a full discussion about what they like and don't like about a candidate. That's not going to help help you. So >> and we can always go back to what you know we do with requests for proposals in this incident where we do have a full
committee and how do you collect the opinions which >> and you can go back to the RFP which is satisfactory not satisfactory adequate most satisfactory and most advantageous and you and then you don't
have a grading system you just have a way of everybody weighing in >> and given that there's only this one committee that wants it. >> That's right now though. When you get other chairs and other committees, it's I mean that's not what this says. We're not I mean this says that if a committee
wants to be involved >> Oh, absolutely. But they're clearly at this point they don't want >> So we need to be prepared for that to happen which because I think it will happen and I just want you to think about how that deliberation in public is going to be any better than the system
that we have now. It's not. I'm going to tell you it's not. things are going to be said that you don't want said and um I don't I'm just I'm just playing it out >> advocate and you're right. She's right. >> So, do you want us to go back and and
speaking on your >> I'm not I'm not trying to be >> Go ahead. I I'm not afraid of unpleasant things being said in public if if they're merited. Um I I I'm not seeing and not practicing uh a com uh committee
management where one person usually is interviewing just for one co committee. I mean we have a um a sort offormational thing about the candidate and try to figure where they would be um a good fit. Now with old Kings Highway committee I can tell you they already
have their people picked. It's and I I shouldn't be saying that in public. Just did. In fact, the chair of Old Kings Highway was lobbying me to get um a nonarchitect, nonbuilder, um tucked in system needs to be in place
and that was just this morning >> as a voice. That's why it can't be arbitrary. It has to be >> there has to be a system. That's all I'm saying. And and I know I'm like I said, I'm in the minority. I'm just I I just I don't have a problem with the way that it was and and I think that there's
reasons for that and I just don't see this solving that issue. That's all. Mark, >> I understand what Tracy's trying to protect you. >> Yeah. >> All right. >> I'm good. >> So, no, but No, you won't. >> No, I I understand that. >> But, for example, we're going to have
interviews with candidates >> next week, right? And we're going to be asking them the same questions and we're going to have in our own heads criteria that we have, right? >> Sure. >> Uh which one has the most experience?
Which one is has the time and the commitment, the energy? I mean, they're going to be things that we're going to be looking for. And I think all that I I think what would be helpful is to flush out the criteria, the things that we're looking for so that you can make some
comparative judgments in terms of which one gives the committee more is the best fit on a topic. At least identify some criteria that can be utilized rather than putting a number. You could make it they they could be subjective judgments.
one is superior as opposed to or rank them with but yet but something >> as if there were people to be ranked. I don't know. >> But the point is >> I haven't had that situation yet. I've been there. That's the only way. >> Yeah. No, no. It the challenge is at some point you've got to and I don't
think this is going to happen, but you know, the chances are one in a billion, but there could be a situation where the claim is made that somehow a decision was made without >> discriminatory or >> discriminatory in some way. And all I'm
doing all all that's being suggested is and it doesn't you don't have to rank people in a hard number system but at least some way to make some judgments so that every candidate is being evaluated equally and on the same factors. That's all. >> Thank you. You articulated that much
better than me. >> And I would answer Oh. >> So just give some thought to that. >> I would answer to that that different committees require different skills. >> Exactly. So that you can't do a one-sizefits-all with some kind of a rubric.
>> You can still say satisfactory, not satisfactory. >> Ex this there's a way to work this, but again, it should be you should have some uniform standards or criteria. Um, you know, I' I've I've looked at other towns, for
example, do they do they have the time? That's something that's certainly a question worth asking and drilling down. >> You have to be really careful with that one because that gets into gender stuff where employers wonder if somebody who's a parent will have the time. I would just be really careful about that. But I
would be listening for it. Well, I've seen people not selected because they get so many other commitments that that they're struggling to maintain that sometimes they don't, you know, >> anybody who's already struggling with
their commitments. I mean, I think that's an issue. >> I'm just I'm just I'm just trying to explain >> satisfy you. >> If for let's just use historic, they're going to be at their meeting. You have that feedback from every individual including the chair. I mean that's
that's fine. >> Yeah. A better a better word is that we use in procurement a lot there and and I want you to notice that they're both positive terms. Remember we talked about this last time >> advantageous >> is yeah that that um you know >> it's not satisfactory
>> on the basis of the qualifications and experience a person could be designated as highly advantageous and anyone who applies is advantageous and it would enable you to single out a person that had a little extra and the other person
might be highly advantageous on a different one but nobody is not advantageous or unacceptable. able just to indicate that you know >> there was that that person who who screamed at the staff member and also at the chair of that committee that was pretty bad
>> I realize that's somewhat of an exception >> thank god >> we can build that in don't you think >> if you want to put in advantages or something I mean that seems fine um but it seems
>> what it it it seems like a little a little piece of this And what I really am trying to trying to get across is that we want to when somebody applies, we want to fit them in the best place, not in the place that has an opening. >> I agree. I don't think anybody
>> and if you want to state that in the narrative that you know, >> I think you did. >> That's fine. >> Yeah. No, I agree with that. I just I know you haven't been in the situation yet where you've had multiple candidates and had an accusation that you picked
your friend, you picked this whatever. >> You didn't pick me. >> It's it's just >> Oh, I've had that. I mean, my in-laws got a call on one of their cell phones. We've switch around phones in the family um from a guy who said, "Well, I think this is your number. I had a hard time
getting it. It may not. I think it's your number. Um, who wanted to know why he wasn't picked for X committee. Um, and indeed that was the screamer. >> Well, so again, I think Mark's point, you know, I took this on knowing that
there would there would be, you know, blowback at some point. >> I think we're trying to do this to be helpful. >> It's not blowback. >> Yeah, we're trying to be helpful. I really to make sure that trying to play out the scenarios in in my head
about when you do go now if it's just you that's one thing and you go to a full committee which it says in here now which I'm I'm happy about because I do think some people want that >> put that in for you >> I know but but now you go to this committee and you have a discussion in
public instead of doing it handwritten that I don't think is helpful to your cause to make sure that you savor this person and get them in the right spot. Not right. >> I think it's ridiculous, but that's why the other committees don't want it.
>> I think we've got a solution. Let's try to insert that that for the the multi-committee review >> for for the open committee review. Everybody passes in a satisfactory, unsatisfactory, >> something that you >> or advantageous, less, you know,
>> highly >> highly advantageous, very advantageous and advantageous, >> something >> not over my dead body. >> Something that you can take all of them. So you don't have to have a discussion any say anything negative about any of them in public and make a
>> you could even only rank the highest candidate to say is anybody in this you know in this mix highly advantageous for this particular spot. Well I think this is highly advantageous because of this experience and at least you have something you could fall back on.
>> Maybe that's a >> you're going to need something that's all. >> Yeah. >> Debbie I'm sorry. Did you >> Yes. Please. >> Okay. >> Come on down. >> Down. >> Listen, I I've been on my board for many, many, many, many years, and I know
people are having a little issue with people uh signing up to be on the rec commissioners. Now, for years, uh Mike Stone, Dr. Sarah Jin, you know, all these people. We used to get
together and it'd be at least three or four people and we interview them. We had questions for everybody, what their likes and dislikes. We had plenty questions and we chose people that we thought were good for it. And there was
a couple people that we didn't choose because they were just into golf, not anything gender or elderly or anything like that. So, I think we have to get together as far as committee
members like we used to and it worked out fine and and there was no problem whatsoever. But now I I'm seeing people or hearing about people that that are on the board I've never heard of before and
our our board we we have to work with these people. So what we did is we asked all the questions and it was one or three people that we're looking for and we put our hours down first, second, and third. Then we give it to the board here
>> and then let them make the final decision knowing that the questions we asked is what we we need >> we need on our committee. >> I think most of the committees did it like that in the past. >> Yes, they did. It worked out fine. And now I'm meeting people that have never
met before. I don't know what their their likes or dislikes or what they can offer us or what kind of change we need. And it's it's getting to the point where who's this guy? I I I don't know anything about him. And then we're
hiring people, you know, opponent people that don't even make all the meetings. Now, when I back in the day, we had two meetings a month. And if you miss three meetings throughout six months to a year, you're gone. >> Yeah. I don't want to have to repeat the
minutes of the meeting again when they should have been here to to listen to them. You know, I don't know. Maybe I'm a majority, but I love recreation so much that uh you know, I'll know when it's time to leave and it's no way time.
And I belong to two other boards and unfortunately a couple one of them I had to I had to for now. I'm coming back. So, watch out. >> All right. Thank you, >> CPA and everything else. >> Thank you for your comments, Debbie.
>> Thank you so very much for listen and doing a great job. >> Thanks, Debbie. >> Everybody, thank you. >> Not again, I'm not trying to belabor it. I know if you guys want to vote on them, >> you want to do like advantageous, less advantageous. >> No, no, no.
>> Highly advantageous, very advantageous, advantageous. Those are the three >> qualifications. and then kind of >> well yeah and then you still have your paragraph which is fine but in the case of where you have >> you don't even have to bring that to us
I'm not when I say that I'm not talking about bringing it to us I'm talking about >> for having it in the records >> in the records that you turn in >> you've interviewed with the committee you've turned this in here's my recommendation for appointment
>> based on the average of of whoever was involved when the when the comm full committee interviews. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. >> Sure. It's it's just that one committee that wants to Sure. >> We understand. >> No. Oh, but also remember they have now
asked >> to have an a nonarchchitect, non-builder appointed that was just this morning to their committee. So, there going to be some things that maybe even town council will have to look at. I don't know. They're beyond my pay grade.
>> Okay. I do I will make an issue >> guys just to make everybody mad I I honestly oh you don't want to mention that you know remember the select board makes the appointments so um you don't need to
make appointments that I mean committees don't um have the even if they meet as a whole committee they don't get to pick who the people are on that committee I mean you might get a situation where you know these committees are trying to prepick people to be on to support one
thing or another and you may not want to go along with that. So I think it's important to get the feedback input and then um >> but you can say appointments chair >> right >> they're picking the people to get their thing done too so I mean there's a
balance whether it's the committee or them that's why having at least the chair and them do it together is is good >> that I I happen to think the chair and the town rep to the committee is is maybe better but smaller group and all
All right, moving along. We can >> so so we we can live with this. You want an adjective like on any in any situation where there's um >> um a multiple where where there's a group interview on record, you want a
simple adjective vote um in the advantageouses or something um from each member that they will pass into me on a card >> and you make the decision based on that. >> Yes. And you come to us with the recommendation. I don't need to see it. We don't need to see it. We just it
there's needs to be something so that way >> and it needs to then be in the records because when there is an issue >> I always gave it to him. >> You need to you need to be able to go back to something that happened and directly you don't want negative things being said to people about people who
are trying to volunteer in town in a in an open discussion. They may feel a certain way but you don't need to I mean >> yeah so there needs to be some way of them to express it. There might be a possibility of an
entire committee wanting um highly advantageous somebody who qualifications did not meet the legal restriction. In that case, I would disagree. >> That's up to you. >> Okay. Just so you're clear because the one I I know you like the idea of the
committee interviews and I'll tell you we're heading for a bumpy ride with that one. >> We're going to be >> but I'm not afraid anyway. Well, the other thing is is there's always an option. I I don't think we've done it too often, but other towns do this quite a bit where the candidate list is called
and the top candidates are presented to the board or in some cases the select board interviews all the candidates. I'm not opposed to any of that. We we've we've inherited the thing that you've done, Joyce, that I think is incredibly
helpful is you got us to think sort of expansively about how we handle this. There are other towns where quite frankly they do the interviews. They set aside time in their agenda to interview the candidates >> and they and it eats up a lot of time,
but there's no there's and and there's usually some diversity of opinion. Um when I was the interim administrator in Brewster, that's the way the select board wanted to handle all the committees that they appointed. >> Wow. >> They reserved time. >> Every single member they would they would interview
>> they would interview the applicants for that position. Now usually that would turn out to be a manageable number usually up two or three people. But sometimes that in and of itself helped sort of clarify uh the candidate pool. But in any event they w they all wanted
to do it. they didn't trust a committee >> person >> or or some other process since it's on them they wanted to do it and I'm I'm open to having that conversation as well. I think one of the things that um you know is on our list of things to do
is we're supposed to meet with >> in our charter it says we're supposed to meet with all the committees that we appoint, >> right? >> Didn't we have an annual report thing going? we well we have an annual report thing but um we got away from that and I don't want to get into why or how but
you know that that could be something again I'm I'm interested in in doing what this board is comfortable with. I'm I'm very flexible. I'm very wide open. But I I do appreciate you get getting us to think about this because um it's
important and I I'm with Tracy in the sense that it's important to at least have some system, some criteria, some way of evaluating the candidates to at least be able to withstand some charge of favoritism or discrimination and that's only to protect you and and to some degree it comes on the board and we
have to be sensitive to that. All right. So, um, yeah, if you want to go back and work on this some more, but I I'm I'm happy with ultimately on some of these committees if you feel that you've got a cuz you mentioned that there may be a thorny appointment or two coming up. Well, maybe that's one you bump up to us
and say, "Hey, you know, on your on your on your recommendations, you say on this appointment, my fellow board members, I want this one to come before the board." I'm totally open to that. I think that would be we should do that from time to time. That raises actually an interesting procedural question that I
found myself like after this morning's um committee chair meeting um that I found myself puzzling. Should I even interview somebody who does not legally meet the qualification for restricted post? >> How would they get how would they get the interview in the first place if
they're not qualified? >> How would that chair wants them appointed and said so this morning? No, that's if they don't qual if they need to meet the qualifications. I mean, if it was a if Pam wouldn't give us somebody who wasn't qualified, Pam wouldn't give you somebody who's not
qualified for that. They have to be a legal resident. They have to fit the criteria of of that appointment or why would you even be wasting your time? >> Oh, I agree. >> Okay. >> But that I was asked to this morning. I was deliberately asked to. >> Okay. Well,
>> so and the person it doesn't have the professional qualification. So I guess maybe >> I should not meet not interview him at all >> except if they're not qualified, you're not I don't think you're going to have an issue with anybody here on the board. >> Okay. >> I I indicated um concern this morning
when I was approached and then it was time to start um Mary's talk on open meeting law. But um yeah, I mean it's >> that's the simple thing. It's criteria. If you meet it, I mean, you wouldn't if for a town committee, if they weren't a resident and didn't meet the criteria,
you wouldn't interview him. Why would it be any different there? >> I don't find it different. The chair finds it different. >> Okay. Well, he needs to be educated. >> Well, he can come and he can come here and speak to >> We got your back on that one. Okay. >> Okay. You got my back. >> Then go. Great.
>> And and I I think it's it's helpful to have this dialogue so that um you know, Tracy's been doing this a while. I've been doing it a while. Uh sometimes we don't sometimes you forget that you know all the stuff that you've learned
over the years. So feel free to anytime. >> There's reasons typically. Now I'm not trying to be again I always say that I'm not trying to be difficult but I've been in >> Oh she used to give me a hard time all the time. >> We that's what she does Mark you know. >> No she but no she would make sure that I was as I mean I I don't have a problem
with it. It was good. >> Robust. >> Yeah she was good. I would note that just two other changes >> that one is that it's been written in >> on the page two >> second paragraph on the bottom. >> Go ahead. >> Yeah, >> just let them know.
>> Oh, it just they've they've got it on their copy. The little carrot with potential approval. Um just to indicate, don't think this is a rubber stamp, >> right? The other thing that is on here that's new that I just saw, applicants interested in um another or alternate
committees can view new vacancies on the town website. Is that true? >> No. >> Yes. >> No. >> Go to I but the with the >> but the challenge has been to keep up with a lot of this stuff. >> I would not
>> unless we are going to fix it. >> Where on the town website is it? Um, if you go to the government part on the town website, you know, the little drop down, and then go to I want to >> and then put join a committee. >> Okay. But that doesn't tell you where the vacancies are.
>> Sure, it does. It's further down. >> Take a look. I I haven't researched. >> There's a there's first there's a list of vacancies and then there's a list of all the current committees from which the the dead ones have been weeded. >> Well, if it's if it's working and it's
being monitored, that's great. It wasn't when I was the chair. >> Maybe it's been fixed. >> I I made a a spreadsheet and gave it to Pam because there was no spreadsheet. So, I don't know where that's at. But
you as long as there there is that's true. We should we can leave that. Okay. Moving on. Sorry. I mean, I know that there was a thought that um staff member would um you know, if a if somebody was interviewing for one committee, but it
applied for five, um let the person know every time there was a vacancy on any of the five, but you staff time can't do it. So, I thought direct them to the site where they can see. Oh, thank you. I haven't signed any of that. >> Um okay,
>> good. All right. So, >> coming back to you there. >> Yes. Can we put that on the next agenda again, Bob? >> As as a little paragraph about if the um we're specifying the grading procedure for like the open
>> multiple when multiple Yeah. If you're group um quorum interviews >> should I found a spot for it. >> Okay. Um thank you, Joyce. Over here. >> Ah, you're welcome. Board and committee actions.
>> Oh, it's still muted. >> Oh, right. Here I am signing. Okay, let's see. Um, we'd like to, um, accept the resignation from Ed Hoops from the Conservation Committee. Um, with thanks for his
service. >> Thanks. So moved. >> Second. >> All in favor? >> I. >> Okay. Uh, we'd like to make an appointment to the Recreation Commission and alternate for one year to expire in July 2026. Alan Harrison and as you can
see, he's he's a catch. He's the one that there was a question mark last time because Steve Suzanski didn't make the interview, but it turned out his daughter was in the ER. So, um, I've checked with Steve Suzanski. They really really want this guy because he's um he's the athletic director at uh Cape
Tech and has worked in um recreational capacities in Orleans, Harwitch, and Brewster. >> So moved. >> Second. All in favor? >> Mention how many years and when it expires >> on your motions? >> In your motion, >> she did the first two. >> Alan, >> you've got the paragraphs on
>> Well, you have to say it. Read it to to appoint Mr. Harrison as an alternate member uh to the recreation commission. This appointment is for a one-year term that runs through July 2026. >> Yes. >> Yeah. >> Okay. >> Okay. So,
>> we didn't vote. >> I >> I >> I >> Okay. Thank you. Um on the uh water resources advisory committee um a motion to appoint um John Greco um for a
three-year full term that will expire in August 2028. >> So moved. Second. All in favor? >> I. >> Okay. Um reappoints. We have three from planning board. Um all are for
three-year full appointments to run through 73128. Deerra Gakwin, Joanne Crowley, Ken Smith. >> So moved. >> Second. >> All in favor? >> I. >> I. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Thank you.
And next we have the minutes of June 4th, 2020. >> I move that out of uh necessity we approve the minutes of June 4th, 2024. >> Is there a second? Second. >> Any discussion on that? All those in favor? >> I.
>> Any opposed? Passes unanimously. Now I'll take a motion on September 17th, 2024. >> I move that out of necessity, we approve the September 17th, 2024 minutes. >> Second. >> Any discussion on that? All those in favor? I I >> Any opposed? The minutes pass. Upcoming
agenda review. Uh we have to put Joyce's policy back on for August 26th. >> It will be its fifth appearance. And may it be the charm. >> We have the August 19 meeting. We'll add in >> um you know what I didn't see this year
and I never mind. I'll get to that I guess later. Individual items. >> What did you say about the 19th? >> We're adding the interview. for community development on the 19th. >> Oh, >> August August 19th. Next week.
>> Yep. >> Oh, right. Okay. August 19th. >> And then we have to on the 21st. The LCP update was on there of October. >> October 21st. LCP. I had something left
over from the last meeting. Maybe what this is what you're talking about. Joint meeting planning with LCP. That's what we just had. Well, we'll have a final one. >> We will we will have one before before. >> Yeah, >> that's the October 21st. That's what
you're saying, right? >> Um October 21st is the date that they she had in her presentation for >> I had that for something else, too. Okay. >> Yep. And so we have a proclamation for suicide prevention. Did we How come we
didn't do August for the overdose? We didn't have any presentation or anything for the overdose awareness month. I know the purple flags are out there, but I haven't seen anything. >> She submitted a a use of town property form for the um flags and and I approved
that, but she didn't come in to do a a proclamation like we usually do. >> What about um the event that she's doing at Smugglers? >> Doesn't she usually do a an event in Smugglers? Have we seen that yet? We have to I have to look into it. I haven't
>> I'll check on it, too. >> We should mention the purple flags that are outside. Uh for a while, I know the police have the flags on their little banners on their cars. For a while there, we were putting purple lights in some of the um town facilities to
recognize those that we've lost to opioid addiction. So, >> Oh. Oh, yeah. >> Um anyway, upcoming agenda items. There's Is that right? that there's only one thing on for August 26th. >> Yes. >> So far. >> Okay. So,
>> suicide prevention and Joyce's policy. >> Yeah. But I mean, >> there'll be a flurry of appointments. >> Appointments. Is there anything that we can move up? Anything we're prepared from the a list of possibilities, Bob? If if there's room on that, maybe we
could move something up. I don't know if anything >> I'm I'm lobbying that we start talking about a transfer fee on property sales. There is a study mark or something. >> Nudes to I I I I have
>> that's going to take special legislation. >> We want to put the selectman goals on for discussion on August 26. >> Yes. Perfect. We need >> on the 26. So, >> is there any interested in in the uh transfer fee discuss? >> I'm not interested in it, but you're not.
>> I'm just one person. No. >> How about um the town of Orleans and some others have now brought forward a penalty and an and an enticement for year round rentals over seasonal. Would you like to talk about that?
>> I would, but I think it's part of our study that's going on, the housing study, right, Bob? because that was one of the things that I've been trying to work on is an incentivizing people to rent year round. But that >> Yeah, that's what what we were planning on doing was talking about it in in the
with the results of that study is what initiatives should we adopt, >> right? All right. So he's going to I'm sure there's other things too, but we will keep that and if there is room on that, we'll try to see what's ready and prepared documentwise to move up from
our discussions to >> and I have a question about the transfer fee and forgive me if I'm dense. I mean I because I I know that there have been recommendations about that and all but each each town would have to vote on it individually. >> It's my understanding that there'd have
to be a home rule petition uh legislation. So, it would have to go to town meeting and then it would have to go get approved. >> Okay. I guess I would be interested in that if we could get that on some future agenda. >> Going most of the towns are considering
it. >> So, put it on or wait for the study, right? Wait for the study. >> Okay. >> Well, it's up to up to this board what they want. If you have any information on what it is that the other I I have not paid any
>> make that >> Yeah. I mean sharing information on what other towns have done >> is certainly helpful. Like I don't even know what the article would look like. >> Let's do that. >> How many towns have acted on it? >> It's an additional transfer tax. >> No, I I understand that but I I I there's just a lot of background. Uh I
know there are >> Wait. Are you guys talking about the transfer fee? >> Yeah. >> Oh, great. Okay. >> That's what you're talking about, right? >> Yeah. I thought because I >> what I'm saying is is that we don't I don't think we have any information on it >> so I'm going to make sure that you do and I will have it so that Tracy can
look it over for the August 26th package. If it's not enough and you don't want it on the agenda, so be it. >> Well, I don't ever want it on the agenda, but I work on beh So >> So we'll we'll see. We'll see. I mean,
I'm not sure if it'll be ready, but and and what else we have >> there, but if there's room for it and we have enough information to have a an actual discussion, I'm not sure it's ready for that, but if we do, >> I will get some. The other thing that we might want to not maybe on the 26th, but
then again, maybe on the 26th, I'm speaking for the plastics test committee. Oh, Mark, sorry. Go ahead. Because they're they they're going to be ready for review pretty soon. We're going to the 18th. We go to board of health and then we go we have our plastics meeting on the 20th. As far as
I know, Bob, isn't the um the regulation is in front of town council at this point? >> Yes, we there they developed a draft set of recommendations on a regulation and um it's town council is reviewing it and the board of health is reviewing it.
It's quite comprehensive. >> Yeah. And it's modeled on what the town of Felmouth did. >> Do we want to have that in front of us on the 26th? >> Well, there's going to be something. There's going to be an article in the town meeting. >> I know that's >> right. So, all I'm suggesting is that we can take it up when the articles are being discussed. >> Don't have it.
>> Yeah. Not on the 26th, but but soon in September. >> Yeah. We'll be we'll be looking for something because we're going to have to make a recommendation on whatever article they're proposing. So, >> when does >> I don't want to have two meetings on this. Let's get it when they're ready to present something as an article and we
have to have an recommendation. When does the seaside festival committee go before the um I know there was an email from Jan. >> Their funding for this year is in place already. >> I know. No, that's not my question, but when are they going before the conservation
>> conservation commission? >> Is there time for us to have a discussion on our next meeting before that or >> I don't know. They've been um they've been in front of Kong I think already and they were requested to come back. Um I I think the feeling was they they
asked him to put together some volunteers to clean up the the whole issue is the debris on the beach and so they were looking for that additional information and I don't know exactly when the concom comes meeting is that they're coming back. >> All right. Well, I don't know how the
board feels about it but I would like to write a letter of support of them if we have time to discuss it at a future meeting. Sounds like there's room on the 26th. >> I mean, I just don't know when the meeting is, but if if it if the if the cons meeting is after that, would would
you want a agenda item to discuss perhaps writing a letter of support? >> Sure. >> Support for what? >> Or allowing the fireworks to continue. >> I think they what they're fighting over is making sure that there's sufficient debris removal. I think there have been problems. So, that's what they're sort
of negotiating or trying to work out, right? >> Yeah. any any debris control at all. I think that Concom would find, you know, refreshing. >> Well, I just don't want to sit here and find out that they've been not approved. So, whatever to whatever extent we as a town can help that happen, those are the
only fireworks we have all year long. >> No, I understand. >> I think it would be very a very bad move for our town to not continue that. So, if if we just sit here and we don't do anything, chances are they could not get the funding. They could not get approval.
and maybe they won't get approval anyway, but I think it's I think it's enough of an event that we should have our say or or write a letter. >> You're suggesting we pressure or put something in front of the C because the concom I think doesn't have an issue with it provided the debris's taken care of, >> right? They they're not taking they're
not against the fireworks. They're just worried about the the beach because they've had last year there was no clean up whatsoever. >> No cleanup. >> There's no cleanup. >> Whose job is the cleanup? >> It's the committee. So, I think what they're looking for is they're looking for a a better, more definitive game plan on what to do
>> and not expect town staff to clean up after them. >> Exactly. It sort of was left to the town. >> Was a mess. >> Seems like a discussion. >> But that seems like a thing grown-ups could do. >> What? >> That seems like a thing grown-ups could do. Clean up after themselves and their party. >> Has to be a charge for somebody.
>> Is that a discussion item then? Well, I would like to discuss it from our perspective. >> I'm happy to put it on the agenda as a discussion item if someone can update us on what it is. >> Want to see if Jan is available to meet with us on the 26th. >> I don't know if it's could be too late by then. But I'm just saying if we could
to the what what what is it that we can help? How can we help make sure that it happens is my point. That's what I want to know. I just >> Do they need they need bodies? Do they need volunteers? Do we >> they need volunteers? And because if there's no volunteers, then, you know,
we we'd have to send the DPW out to do it. And if that's what the board wants to to do, then, you know, that's perfectly fine to discuss. I just think >> I just don't want to sit here and then find out we're having no fireworks because the town didn't couldn't cooperate with with getting it to happen
because I can already tell you what's how the feedback on that's going to be. So, >> okay. Well, if we're going to have I don't want to get into a fight between the Seaside Fest folks and the Conservation Commission. So, if we're going to bring this topic up, we should invite the Conservation Commission to
come in as well and explain what the problem is. So, if we're going to dive into this thing, >> Brilliant. And then they kind of work it out themselves. >> Hopefully, they'll have figured it out. And >> so, is that on the >> can write a letter and endorse their cleanup >> meeting is if the meeting is before
that, it's a moot point. So, we'll see what happens. >> So, it's potentially on for the 26th. >> Well, even if if they do have a meeting and if it's not resolved, I I think there's a little time between now and, you know, I think the concom has already seen their plan which doesn't include
debris pickup >> and has asked them to include debris pickup. And if that issue is unresolved, maybe by the 26 we can help resolve it. At least you'll know. >> Yeah. And if they know what's coming up on our agenda that we're going to talk about it, who knows? that might accelerate the parties working it out.
>> I just don't want to be caught off guard after the fact where there's nothing that we can do to help. >> Be proactive. >> Mhm. >> I am with you. >> Okay. Individual items.
>> I want to You're ready for one? >> Go ahead. I I want to um give my heartfelt concern to Jim Sabin and my thanks for all of his hard work for the many years, but according to his
letter, he broke his back. >> So, um Jim, get well soon. My gosh, that's that's my individual item. I do have something else, but I'll share the floor to somebody else.
>> I've just, and this is fairly frivolous sounding after um what Liz has just said, I wanted to wish everyone a happy World Elephant Day. >> A what? >> Happy World Elephant Day. >> Oh, thank you. >> You're welcome. >> Thank you. >> I was waiting for somebody. >> I'm the first to wish you, but you know,
I realize I might not have been. I can't believe it's taken till >> 9 >> 9:25 p.m. The day is almost over and I and I'm I'm grateful for you. >> There you go. >> Thanks. >> Anything else? >> Well, I'll go back. Mark, did you have an item? >> No, I I'm glad you mentioned Jim because
um Jim Sabin is >> part of parcel. >> Yeah. No, I I I feel bad as well and I think we're all hoping and wishing that he gets better soon and can get back on his feet. I hope it Yeah, I hope it's >> I think we're all on board with that. >> I have a concern that's been brought to
me. That's so But I don't know how There is a piece of property that is in Yarmouth right next to my property, not adjacent. There's something in between a right an access road. the um young man who owns the property has clearcut all
of his trees and uh it's a giant mass of trees and leaves and he's left them lying there and the neighbors are starting to get concerned about fire which is legitimate because it is that
time of year and uh I did reach out to um our fire chief. He hasn't gotten back to me yet. He did in his email response say he hasn't had much success with being able to dictate to people about
clean up your your lot. Uh and so I just bring it does anybody >> is that future agenda item? Is that what you're suggesting? >> Perhaps because this is a real um issue. If anybody takes a a drive over there May Corner Mayfair in Satucket, it's you
cannot walk his property now. It is so covered with crisscrossed trees, limbs, branches, giant trunks, and he doesn't seem to um be inclined to clean it up. >> This is a resident complaint. >> Yeah. Yeah.
>> So, >> two two residents have complained >> and they don't feel that they're getting sufficient action from the town. Is that it? >> Correct. And I haven't heard back. I I I should give him another poke. Uh >> oh. My tendency on these things just I would recommend is is I always try to
get complaints in writing and then go >> I did send a complaint to to the chief. >> Did you go to Bob? You should be going to Bob. >> I copied Bob. >> Yes. >> Okay. Yes. >> And I I can now go to Mark Grills. >> No, you're not. You can't don't go to anybody but Bob. Bob has to handle it. I
don't think it's appropriate for people. >> I'll I'll send along to the building commissioner and and the fire chief that they can look at it. Um, >> yeah, >> you know, it might not be illegal, >> right? >> That's what that's what Chief Rescue is basically saying. >> And so that's why I bring it up. And
Mark, maybe you're right. It's maybe there does need to be something on the books for a situation like this. >> Yeah. find it sometimes it's helpful to get the complaint investigated, looked at, let Bob and the department heads look into it, figure it out, and then the next step is if if we learn from
their review that there's nothing that can be done about it, then it's certainly >> the chief may have some strong feelings about something. And so by then it'll be ripe enough that it could come back to us where we can have an intelligent conversation about next steps or actions. Okay, now that there's been so
much dry weather, maybe we should just try to find him somebody who'd be interested in buying the wood >> before it rains. >> Here you go. >> I don't think we should be getting involved in personal property items like that. It's his property and if he's not doing anything wrong, I mean, we can we
can look at the rules and see if if they need to be addressed, but I don't think we should. >> Thank you. I think that's well said. >> All right. Any other individual items? >> Nope. >> Nope. Bob. >> Okay, I'll try to go quick. We've actually talked about a lot of my items.
>> I didn't do the consent agenda. >> You want to do that first? >> Does anybody want to make a motion on the consent agenda? >> Yes, I'll make a move a motion that we approve the consent agenda. >> Second. >> All those in favor? >> I. >> Okay, Bob. Sorry. >> I had we wanted to talk about the
community development interviews. We're all set for that. That's going to be next week. Um I also the we talked about having the goal discussion on the 26th and I want to thank board members for um
the great feedback. I sent out my draft. Now when we do on the 26th um I just you know want to let you know some of the feedback that I'm getting are you know for items that I had in my notes that were not included into the overall um goals um but were in other people's
notes that they were included. So, I think that there may have to be a couple of, you know, calls by the board or what is this item a future agenda item or was this incorporated into the goal and we'll have um >> we can have that discussion at the when we go over it. >> When we go over it.
>> Yeah. And and so um that's good. But I really appreciate the the feedback and um I I think it'll be great to get those goals um put together, finalized, and then we can begin to work with the departments, boards, and committees. And I was also glad to see on the local
comprehensive plan that they paid a lot of attention to the priority goals of the select board. They had the the 24 edition, but those were all reflected in there and I felt really good about that. You know, the the goals have been received, I think, exceedingly well by
um all of the town and the departments. And um I also wanted to bring you up to date on the um the plastic site. Um and we talked about this. We do have there is a um a detailed set of recommendations now before it comes
before this board. We want to get some feedback from the board of health. It's been a board of health on the um committee studying it. But the um the board of health and I had had this discussion with the chairman and the chairman is very strong you know and favors the town having leadership on
addressing this plastic thing and um I think working with the regulations it provides a much more um practical way of eliminating plastic from um all of the the food service industry. And so I'm dying to see if the if the board of
health is behind these regulations and supports them, then I think it'll be perfect timing to come in front of the select board, review them, review how it's going to be implemented, and then move from there. But um I got to say I was very impressed by your task force,
uh what the the work that's been done. I've been to most of the meetings and it's a very high level of discussion, very detailed. They um had folks from representing the industry, other communities, the Falmouth experience. They've done a tremendous amount amount
of work and they they've met almost every week throughout the entire summer. So I think that that's going um ahead very very well. And um just the last item, we we talked about maybe a little bit, but I I really want to give some recognition um to Joyce Flynn. I
attended the meeting for all of the chairman of the committees today and you know that was a superb forum and it was very welltimed. It was very well attended. Um breakfast bread was was great as well but um Mary did uh a great
job you know and and we want to get this information also uh to members of the board of semen the packet that there's a checklist that you know she got from the attorney general's office. It's really fairly new. was just done in 2024. I hadn't seen it before, but it covers
every um sort of area where a committee can be involved. How to take minutes, how to handle executive sessions, how to handle votes, how to handle uh posting, how to handle all of the issues about the remote and the hybrid and
great piece of work. Everyone um you know really appreciated it very much and the it was a very lively question and answer period too. So, and and you know, part of it it's great outreach from the lead leadership of the town to the boards and committees, you know, showing
the the respect and caring for them and appreciation for their service. All of that was sort of woven in. So, thank you, Joyce. It was great. And I guess that's all I have for >> I think you have one more, don't you? The monument. >> Oh, yeah. I I thought you were going to
bring that one up. Um so um I I I had um on the monument um responding to the correspondence from um Mr. Chris George and he had met before the board and then subsequently sent a
correspondence and so I wanted to respond to him and um I know I just want to say that um I I got back the responses that um four of the five members of the select board felt that um we should you know respond that the board um at this point you know because
it was voted at town meeting and discussed publicly so many times that that the board was not keen on reconsidering their vote at this time But I did get one member who um would like to further discuss it. And so um that I I didn't want to run ahead with
the response until we had a chance to acknowledge that fact as to how the responses go because I didn't want people thinking that if they responded that it would automatically be done because it was kind of a situation where four people wanted to do one thing and one person wanted to do another. So I
thought we should discuss it and uh before I I sent a response. So if the response is you know with the forum members that that it's something that you guys you know acknowledge and discuss and I I didn't want to throw out the um other suggestion
>> very considerate and it's mostly a consideration of me because I was yammering about consideration. So and I was the person who said maybe we should give him one more opportunity and since the rest of you said no I'm
fine with that. So, but the fact that I I appreciate the fact that Bob's trying to give it an opportunity rather than it just kind of being decided without a quick discussion. >> Thank you, Bob. Well, he was here before us and nobody seemed to say anything
with that opinion >> and it's unfortunate. >> It's hard to make these decisions and you know, it's all very complicated. But I do I just want to say I appreciated the ability what we're all kind of working on just knowing what we're doing and why we're doing it and and taking
everyone's opinions into account, you know. >> Absolutely. >> Well, my my general approach is that if there's something that's been decided by town meeting, um I'm I'm not up to secondguessing or derailing a decision
by town meeting. If there's someone that would like to have town meeting revisit their question, that's that's that every every citizen has their right to to do that. And I'm I you know, I may not recommend or endorse their article petitioning, but nonetheless, there is a
process. And I think that's something that uh I think Bob was going to make it known. I think this is part of what we have to do on an ongoing basis is make people aware that even though we may not take that item up, there is a process.
this is the avenue to pursue uh if you decide to to sort of move forward um you know on your on your on your on your concerns and um I think sometimes um that's I think what we're learning
from the Tali situation and some other situations is the importance of constantly educating people of how our process of democracy our governance self-governance works that yes we we have a role to play But this is a very democratic system. People have avenues
to go directly to town meeting or to petition through us to go to town meeting. And uh I think that's one of the reasons why town meeting has sustained itself for so long. >> Great. >> All right. Thank you. That's all I had.
>> Motion to adjurnn. Madam chair. Second. I 9:35. We are late. I thought we were going to be later than that though.