Yeah, >> recording in progress. >> Good thinking. >> Excellent. Thank you very much everybody and welcome to the Arma Select Board meeting of March 10th, 2026. If you please join me in the pledge of allegiance. >> I pledge algiance to the flag of the
United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. And I'd ask once again if you'd indulge me in a moment of silence to think about
and remember our service members that are serving um in harm's way overseas and for those that we have recently lost. Thank you very much. Okay, we are going to begin our uh agenda with uh announcements. We'll
start with the board. Liz, do you have announcements? >> I just wanted to bring something forward that was in our packet that I thought might um it have relevance to everybody. conser our conservation division is seeking data on storm damaged trees and
um it's if there are trees on your property that were damaged and require removal please email photos to um jeralamo@yarmmouth.mmass us um and of course it's it's probably on the website I hope it's on the website so that you can go to the
website and follow up on that if you do want to get they they're trying to document storm damaged trees across Ross Armouth. So, send in your photos. Thank you. >> Excellent, Joyce. >> I'd just like to thank everyone who worked to make the St. Patrick's Day
parade such a success. Um, I see one of the organizers in the in the back there. Um, who's ducking personal recognition, but who did a lot of work. uh we we made the best of it even though there was u um some snow still on the edges and I
think it intimidated some guests who might otherwise have come but still a couple hundred people that's that's not a nothing >> a couple thousand I would say >> so any anyway congratulations it was a real success thank you >> thank you Tom
>> thank you Joyce and yes I want to also um thank everybody that was involved it was a full-scale effort after a week after a blizzard to put that on and and Bob especially. Um I know that you had to do some uh fancy dancing to make sure that our
sidewalks were all cleared and um you know the DPW and everybody that was involved. So I want to say >> thank you for that. I also want to say thank you to Amy for uh bedazzling our golf carts and um making sure that we uh
had everything that we needed as well as Mary Alice with the candy. And we always joke that if you think you have enough candy, get more. And um she did a wonderful job. So it's a it's a team effort on that. Um
Madaki's site reuse, future reuse is um having a meeting here March 11th, tomorrow night. Um it's it's at six o'clock. So if you want to have any feedback on that property, that'd be a great place uh to
go. Bob, um I assume at the end of the meeting you'll give some administrator updates on um the storm progress still with um >> yes >> brush and um where we're at with that as well as um uh possibly talk a little bit
about uh the mass DOT situation. And we should probably talk just a little bit on the the brush um early while you know we have such a fabulous viewership and all of the people here but um under the direction of the select board the DPW
has arranged for the next week they've um cleared um all the space at the waste management facility to accept from residents only um free brush disposal for the storm damage um branches and things that that people are collecting
in their yard. So, um it'll extend for the next week. Um at the waste management facility, um you need to have your normal sticker and um just get inside and and so that doesn't apply to there will be a nominal fee for any commercial haulers, but for residents
only, it'll be free for the next week. >> Excellent. Good. Bob, what's the last day for the free brush drop off? >> Um that would be um the 17th. Okay. >> Which which is going to be St. Patrick's Day. >> Easy to remember.
>> Thank you. >> So, drop your greens by the green day. Dorcas. >> Oh, very good. >> Yes. Uh, in addition to saying uh a great heartfelt thank you to everyone that participated in the parade, which was as always just the highlight of the
spring. Um, I would also like to send out congratulations to Pat McKeen. Pat um is Jack Malen's widow. Uh, many of you, I'm sure, remember Jack. He was a very devoted volunteer in town. And Pat
celebrated her 100th birthday on Saturday. >> Happy birthday, Pat. >> Pat. Yes, absolutely. >> Amazing milestone for our citizens. Mark, do you have any um >> announcements? Bob, do you have any other announcements? No additional announcements, but thank you for
mentioning the the Madaki school meeting that is tomorrow evening once again um at 6 pm here in this room. And I just wanted to make a second mention of that because it was postponed. It was scheduled for the height of the blizzard. So, we had to move it from the
this is the meeting that was supposed to be on the 25th and so now it's going to be tomorrow. Please come on out or catch us on Zoom. It's all up on the town's website how to get in there. >> Excellent. Thank you. Okay, we're going to move on to public comments. There is a Zoom user. If you'd like to bring in
the Zoom user, please identify yourself for the record. >> Madam Chair, can you hear me? >> Yes, Joe. >> Yes, this is Joe Flynn. I mean Joe B. Glenn. I wanted to apologize to Joyce Flynn if anyone in the parade thought we
were related uh and threw tomatoes at her. That's It's not my fault. It's Fs Fargo's fault that started the rumor. >> Um, >> it it it's the rhyme thing, Glenn Flynn. Yeah. >> You know, we we have the DY finance
people, I think, in the room, but uh I told David Flynn, the former finance director, if someone yells, "Hey, Flynn, duck first and ask questions later." U but in all seriousness it is uh uh
serious that the budget and the school budget and as it was said last night at the school committee meeting um these are people um involved in in the district um and teaching and uh staff of the district. Um, but I just want to point out that the that there are people
dealing with household budgets and paying their taxes and paying for medicine and paying for the high cost of heating and electricity and utilities and gas for their cars and uh you know many of those seniors are on fixed ins
and they uh they don't get a two two and a half% raise and um you know that that 2 and 12% raise is the law. It's not a guideline. it's the law and unless the town town's people approve an override
um it's the law. Um so I think that the that there's been kind of a warning that says that this budget is going to go up and up and well if it does if it's 1.5 million and it goes up another 6% next year um then it's going to be more than
1.5 million. Um, and you know, we talked about the END previously. Um, and this all comes from projections. Um, the district um, put out a projection of what they thought the health insurance was during the course of this budget and
it came in less and that's great news. Um, it came in like seven or 8% left, but that means that their projections were off. Um, and so they can over project. Um, and if the town people approves the override, um, the END now
is at 2 and a.5 million or close to that. And that's, um, you know, you don't have to go back very far to to figure that all of that money is Yarmath money. And if it goes back into the budget, the operating budget, then
that's okay. But we still at the at best we lose uh 30% u because you know that's we're we're paying 70% into the budget. But if it goes for a boiler in the Baker school we lose 100% of that money and it was all
Yarmouth money to begin with and and it could be just because of a an override. But when people go to work they um uh that are working and they don't get a pay raise. They still have to perform. And uh unfortunately it wasn't even mentioned about academic performance and
improving and that's the big part of the budget. Um we're losing kids to to choice and charter and uh that's based on academic performance. People are choosing out. Uh so if you don't tie it into how you're going to improve the
district academically and that should be the number one goal of the school committee that should be uh played into it. But um is this a uh is there a public hearing on this because the the school committee didn't have a public hearing? >> Uh they're they're in tonight for their
public hearing. >> Okay. So, but this will be a public hearing. We can speak on it later. >> Correct. >> Okay. I'm sorry. Okay. Thanks very much. Have a great evening. >> Thank you, Joe. Okay. Is there anybody else in the public that would like to Yes, please, ma'am. If you could go to the podium. Marian, I'll get you next.
You identify yourself for the record. and Goring Collins Pond Road. I'm going to talk for a couple of seconds about the blizzard and its aftermath. I'm quite sure that the administration and the DPW offices were fielding hundreds
of calls complaining about the roads, the fallen trees and limbs, and no heat. I'm not here to complain, but to thank the many departments that helped to get this town up and running again. Other residents may not agree, but the town
has done a herculean job, and I thank you. Uh, the warming shelter at the DY High School was appreciated by so very many people. Thank you to the Red Cross, the American uh uh core, that's not
their exact name, but >> Americaore. >> Americaore. Thank you. um the buses and all the many others who helped during this time. I spent one day time there and appreciated the meals, the
ability to recharge my phone, and mostly the heat in the building. Again, thank you for a job well done. >> Nice. >> And thank you so much for taking your time to come out and thank them. We were able to do that um ourselves at our meeting last week, but we will be doing
that on a more formal uh basis soon. So that's very much appreciated. I think there work sometimes goes unnoticed and unappreciated uh in such difficult times where people are struggling and yes, there's there was a lot of cold people and awful things, but we were doing
everything that we could behind the scenes and so I really appreciate that. Thank you, Mr. Simon. Oh, I'm sorry. Wait a minute. Marian's ne Marian's next. I' I've see how I'm soft and shiny Nemo.
>> So, my name's Marian Bridick and I'm actually here tonight uh to represent the Salts Box Association on another issue, but I wanted to take this opportunity to address the selectman in regard to the storm. And I agree with an it was herculean. It was unbelievable.
Everybody worked together. The public was as safe as they could be. Neighbors were helping neighbors. But I just wanted to point out that Saltbox Association on Saltbox Lane abuts the Bass River Golf Course and the only
egress into our association is on Salt Box and that's where the public goes to sled. So when schools are closed, the kids are out and it's wonderful. But I'm just um I guess on behalf of the
association, we would ask if there could be any consideration to having the plow drivers come to our location first >> to clear the roadway before the sledders come and trample the snow and the plow drivers can't even get in.
>> So I think just for a safety issue, it's something I wanted to point out for future snowstorms. >> Appreciate that. And uh Jeff is here, so he heard you and uh we'll see what we can do about that. I'm not uh you know there's always cars lined up up and down
that street. I mean it's and I don't know if the town actually wants to um incentivize that but uh >> well I don't know that we can help it. It's tradition and we're fine with it. It's just if the road could be a priority for clearing because you know people are going to be there pretty
quickly. If they're not in school, they're on that road. So right. Thank you. >> All right. Thank you, Marian. I appreciate that. >> Okay, Richard. Sorry. Good evening everybody. I'm Richard Simon, precinct 2, also the chair of the finance committee, but I'm here tonight
on behalf of the personnel board. Uh we have several recruiting events that are coming up. The town of Yarmouth will hold its own job fair on Thursday, March 19th right here in the town hall uh
hearing room from noon until 3:00. Uh we are going to have multiple departments here. So uh they will be here not just to talk about seasonal jobs but also opportunities for future employment um as well as full-time opportunities. So
uh we encourage and ask because this is we're headed into our peak season. So, please come by. Uh, we also are going to be hosting a uh a targeted uh recruiting event uh at the mass hire uh offices on
in Hyannis on April 2nd. And we also have multiple job fairs for students specifically. Um on March 4th, we did have a job fair in Hyannis. Uh Cape Cod Tech is going to have a job fair on u March 12th.
Uh March 25th we're going to be at Cape Cod Community College and April 8th we are going to be at Mass Maritime. >> Oh awesome. >> Thank you Richard. Great information Mr. Nicknell. >> Thank you Madam Chair. Uh Tom Nickello
um from the very old and historic town of Yarmouth 387 years strong. Thank you very much. Um, just to pick up on that parade, I'd like to thank all you folks for allowing us to have it. Uh, our chairman, Desmond Kho, is actually
working on the next one. Um, as we speak, it takes that long, believe it or not. Um, I also like to thank all the departments and the town administration for all your work. Thank you so much. Uh, department heads called out the the maestro of the Department of Public
Works, Mr. Colby. Thank you. And, uh, Mr. Gilmore for the wonderful rides and everybody else that that pitched in. Also, a couple of notes. Um, as it was stated earlier, the the snowstorm and we had some um people donate their time in
heavy equipment. My fellow snowfighters, Chuck Charles from Charles Incorporated, uh, Christian Davenport from Davenport Incorporated, and um, Connor Hines from Cape Cod Firewood. So, it was a great time. There was a lot of people. Uh
there's almost 30,000 views on the internet. >> Our IT director and and our communications director did a fine job and uh it was a great day. So, thank you all so much. >> Thank you, Tom. >> Is there anybody else from the public that would like to address the board?
Yes, Brian. >> Uh hope I'm not uh violating protocol. Uh but uh I wanted to come in tonight and thank you very much for for giving me the chance to speak. Uh I want to introduce you to something that is uh that I'd like to try to uh to get
support for uh and that is uh uh a investigation uh and uh and uh determination of some significantly important historical sites uh at the Sandy Pond Recreation Center.
uh specifically uh around the coast of Sandy Pond. Uh there is still the remnants of the Sandy Pond Ice Company. Uh and uh and the uh the um area around
it uh is uh is still uh quite obviously uh showing signs that this is where uh the ice industry or any ice industry activity was conducted uh at that pond. And uh
and ice was a critically important resource on Cape Cod. uh there was a ice industry uh that actually incorporated ice ships which sailed around the world bringing Cape Cod ice uh and uh and I believe that this is something that's
important to our past and uh and will be important to future residents in understanding you know what things were like before 1950 when refrigeration became real. So, I put together some information. I just wanted to pass it around to you so you can familiarize
yourself with it. I'd like to come back at a later date and get into some details. Mark and I have talked about this on several occasions and uh I thought this would be a good time for me to come in and and uh and introduce the concept to you. So, if I could. >> Yeah, absolutely. Um, thank you for
doing that because I think um, you know, while we look at these properties and uh, different uses for these properties, it's important that we are um, all aware of >> what is uh, on that site currently.
>> Thank you so much. >> Go back a long way. >> G Brian, I thought you were going to get up and talk about your dad's social club and the origins of Sandy Pond there. Well, that actually to tell you the truth, what I what I'm >> Can you go to the microphone? I'm sorry.
People at home won't be able to hear you. >> Uh what I'm suggesting uh is actually looking at the area from what used to be the old Sandy Pond Club all the way down uh to uh where the pond circles back
around. Uh that is where the ice house was. And in fact, historically speaking, uh the only piece of property uh in Yarmouth that was zoned industrial was the land at the top of Town Brook Road.
>> And that's the reason why >> Bobby Lurin, >> it's pretty amazing stuff. I think it's really cool. Uh and I think that this is something that we should be uh we should be embracing and uh I think it's an important thing to do. >> So, thank you very much.
Thank you, Brian. Is there anybody else in the public that would like to address the board? Okay, seeing nobody, we're going to close the public comment portion of the meeting and we are going to go to our 6:15 public hearings. Uh the first public hearing will be uh from Peterson's
Market and Good evening. Yep. You can have a seat right up here. And I understand you're um some people online with you tonight. Sarah should be online as well as Harsh. >> Okay, great.
You could bring in Sarah and Harsh. I'm not sure. I don't see >> I don't see Harsh. >> Sarah, >> uh Harsh should be joining. So when this hearing got rescheduled, um Harsh had a family trip to India. So
it he's abroad. Um so I apologize. I'm just trying to get my camera to turn. >> That's That's fine. We'll we'll bring them in. I don't have the >> the I don't It's not in my packet. Unless it's out of order. Sorry, I just
need to open the record. >> Oh, no worries. I will work on switching over to the right camera. >> Okay. The Yarma Select Board acting as a local licensing authority has received an application for a transfer of an annual all alcohol offremise liquor
license located at 918 Route 6A Yarmouthport, Mass 02673 uh 02675. The license is being transferred from Book Hill Farms LLC DBA Peterson's Market to Peterson's Market, Inc. DBA
Peterson's Market. The new manager will be Ross Brennan. The hearing will be held on Tuesday, March 10th at the Yarmouth Town Hall, 11:46 Route 28 South Yarmouth. The selectman's meeting begins at 6 p.m. Written comments will be accepted until 4:30 p.m. on March 7th in
the select board's office, a town hall, or can be submitted electronically to public comments at yarmath.mma. us. So, with that, we will open our public hearing. And if you would like to introduce yourself and uh talk a little bit about what you've applied for tonight, Mr. Brennan, that would be
great. >> My name is Ross Brennan. I have applied for the manager's license uh for the liquor license at Peterson's Market. Uh currently, I have been the manager for Dennis Public Market uh general manager since 2006. Prior to that, I was the
manager at Peterson's Market from 2000 to 2006. >> Okay, great. and I I'm Sarah Wegman with Hacket Fineberg in Boston. I appreciate the opportunity to join virtually. Uh I represent the applicant Peterson's
Market Inc. Um and Harsh Patel um Ross and also the LLC that is buying the real estate uh which is also controlled by Mr. Patel. Um as Ross said, he is the proposed manager on the liquor license.
Um, Harsh Patel is the manager of record of both of of the entities. Uh, Harsh currently runs Dennis Public Market as well as Chattam Village Market. And like Ross said, he's been uh with DPM much longer than Harsh has, but the
transition um over there to Harsh as the new owner has gone well. Uh, as has the transition at Chattam Village Market. Um between the two of them, Harsh and Ross have been in touch with all the departments per Amy's instructions,
uh spoken to, uh police, everything like that. Um this is for the transfer of the existing all alcohol package license, um which is currently managed by Jeff Blankenship. Um there's no changes that are going to
be made to the business as it's currently running. Uh including delivery logistics, open hours, hours of sale for alcohol. Um Jeff is also staying on as a full-time consultant for the transition period for 30 days at full-time um after
the real estate and asset transfer is complete to help keep the transition um as smooth as possible. And I believe that's all I have. and we can answer any questions that anyone has. >> Excellent. Straightforward. Is there anybody from the public who would like
to speak to this application either for or against? >> Seeing nobody, I'll take a motion to close the public portion of the >> So, >> second. All those in favor? >> I opposed. Anybody on the board have any comments or questions?
>> Seems like we're dealing with experienced professionals. >> He's done a great job. And Dennis, >> he's a he's a Yarmouth kid. So, it's great to see uh our Yarmouth kids grow up and invest in businesses here in our >> I'm the dentist kid. >> Yeah, that's okay. We won't hold it we
won't we won't hold it against you. >> Madam Chair, I I move that we approve the license. >> Absolutely. Is there a second? >> Second. >> Any discussion on the motion? All those in favor? I. >> Any opposed? Passes unanimously. Thank you very much. Good luck. >> Give me your time. >> And you met um you've met with um the
police department. Okay. All right. So you know the rules and requirements and all right >> thank you. >> Good luck. >> Okay. Our next hearing is for an all alcohol license weekday entertainment license by J Hospitality Company DBA the
cafe at Bass River Bass River Golf Course 62 High Bankank Road. So I'm going to read it. Good evening Mr. Chile. I'm going to read the public notice into the record. The town of Yarma Select Board acting as the local licensing authority has
received an application for an new alcohol restaurant license and a weekday entertainment license from J Hospitality Company DBA. The cafe at Bass River, Joseph Jal, manager, 62 High Bank Road, South Yarmouth, Mass 02664.
Premises is Bass River Golf Course, Restaurant and Golf Course, 18 holes on 121 acres except for the maintenance building in all parking areas and entrance roads. The restaurant is located on the first floor of the clubhouse with a seating capacity of 162
and storage in the basement. Alcoholic beverages will also be sold from two beverage carts. Entertainment will be indoors and outdoors and will include dancing by patrons, entertainers, live band with up to four pieces, including singers, recorded music and
amplification system between the hours of 12:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. Hearing will be held on Tuesday, March 10th, 2026 in the hearing room of of Town Hall 11:46, Route 28. The select board meeting begins at 6 PM. Written comments will be
accepted until 4:30 p.m. on March 6th in the select board's office or can be submitted electronically to public comment at yarmath.mma. us. And we have received some uh uh correspondence on this application. I'm not sure if you've received copies of
>> the letters, but um all right. With that, we will open the public hearing. Mr. Mr. J, if you'd like to tell us a little bit about um what you what you'd like to do at this place. As as people know, um Mr. J was a longtime operator here in Ardos
um at in Yarmouth for for many years. So, >> yeah, I've been doing Sorry, I don't have much of a voice. >> Okay. >> Um been doing this for 45 years. So in both Ayanis Dennis Brewster and we've
never had any issues operating our establishments. Certainly don't intend to have any moving forward. Um we've had many of our customers ask me to bid on this location.
it seem seems to be uh they weren't real happy with the food and beverage in the past. So I told his offices come in manage it properly improve the quality and try to build a dinner business from
4 to 8 on that beautiful patio with that beautiful view. Um, you know, the the job business, it is what it is. From 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 pm, you'll do your job
first more, you know, fast in and out. But we'd like to really extend this the hours and do some business in the evening again from 4 to 8 with a full menu and full service.
>> Excellent. Can you can you speak? Um, so we've we've had uh several operators at this particular location. Um, unfortunately, we had an operator who um did dis disregarded
I guess in I guess probably not the best way to say it, but um the neighbor the neighborly uh part of being a good operator. And so it set us back quite a bit with the neighbors in terms of outdoor entertainment. So that's um for
me looking at this application. Um I'm interested in what you plan on doing outside. >> Uh the times uh I see you're looking for amplification. I you know um >> I mean that's a relative term today.
Everything's amplified, >> but we're not looking to do big entertainment. We felt the simplest way to apply for this license was to not change anything.
So, I applied for what was approved with the last concession there. No more, no less. I'm not intending to do a lot of entertainment, but I don't want to not have that option
in case we have a private party. Um, we're hoping to do a lot of that business and they want some entertainment. I'm too old for the nighttime stuff. That's not happen. When the sun goes down, I go home.
>> So, >> Oh, those are the good old days, Joe. Yeah. So again, I applied for what was there, >> okay, >> last year, figuring not to change anything. >> Okay. >> My plan is to really have background
music for dinner service from 4 to 8. That's what we plan to do. >> Okay. So, as far as public comment, we have um I don't know if the board wants me to summarize or read them all into the into the >> probably summarize
>> record, but we have several um Merrily Fellows from South Yarmouth. Um she'd like us to consider limit limiting the outdoor license um to amplified music only with sound barriers.
um ensure that the noise is confined within the building which would be if you are only applying for indoor license. Um and she talked about the anti-noise bylaw that we have. We have somebody uh named Eileen and Tom
Moore from South Yarmouth. They're unable to attend. Um they've enjoyed going to the golf course in the past and really enjoy it. have entertainment would be wonderful. We have Barbara and Robert Trout
who um they live close by and of course in 2018 the music was so loud that our house seemed to be in a you the music seemed to be in their backyard. Um Sundancers is confined to the building patio at the golf course. It's a full
spot. Many people would go there if it had good music, good food. Music is not necessary. We have an email from Bob and Pat Hoben. Um they said the course is surrounded by
residential, not commercial areas. The areas would be negatively impacted by this change both uh in value and usage. They support the golf course as an asset as it exists. Pat Hoben
has another letter in here about um the saltbox community which was already spoke about today concerned about the change value in their homes increased evening numbers of crowds in the neighborhood. We have uh Mark Forbes who is a resident
of Dennis and um he's concerned about the amplification of music. Robert Charard of West Dennis um also sound
solutions that worked. We have a letter from Aail Burke. It's a very lengthy letter. Uh also concerned about the noise like to voice our opposition to the following at Bass River Golf Course which is from Marian Haley from West
Dennis. We have Thomas Smith from West Dennis. They're asking to prohibit amplified music outside limiting outdoor entertainment to earlier hours requiring directional speakers face a certain way. Stephen
Peterson doesn't um they live in Horsefoot Road. Um just concerned about the sound traveling. Aiden Marina also concerned about the live music
house lies directly southeast of the clubhouse. Um Just want to make sure I get them. Kevin Sullivan and Katherine Sullivan of West Jarmath. I'm sorry, West Dennis. They support local business. Understand the golf club rule in the community.
However, we believe the entertainment of the scale should remain indoors and compliant with the established noise limits. And we have Charles Burke also from West Dennis talking about the noise pollution policy.
and should operate a family venue, not an outdoor bar. That was the abutdder's notification. We have Philip and Kathleen Breen also of West Dennis. Most of these people are on, you know, around the the water on
the other side where again um the noise has traveled in the past. You mentioned 2018 >> was a big problem. >> But from then to now, has there been any issues?
>> Um, it sounds like we have eight years of no issues. >> Right. Um, we have a letter from Saltbox Neighborhood uh association. Um, we experienced music coming from the
golf club in past years. 9:00 p.m. music cur curfew has often continued till 10:00. Um, friends, venues, it's not fair for hardworking residents, well-deserved retired residents to seek peace in their homes.
We have Gary and Cynthia Gumpright. Um, longtime property owner, Georgetown Landing. They welcome the improvements to the golf course, food and beverage. Uh the clubhouse restaurant was known for having high quality reasonable place meals. The food program was lost and the
chef at the time we support this request. Pass river golf course sundancers the systems be set up to direct input away from the neighbors. We support this request and think that a broader range of entertainment options should be considered potentially.
Um Alisa Sakardo uh directly across from the Bassro Golf Course. She loves the view and serenity. She wants to be clear as in a butter the allowance of outdoor music singers associated with amplification will be un an unnecessary nuisance to the piece of
her home. I mean these I I don't want to I don't want to disenfranchise anybody who's who's written a letter but it's the same common theme. um from Robert Harrow,
Saltbox Association again, Pat Husk, Nancy Harrow. I just want to make sure that they know we've received it and we have all have it in our packet and have read them. Peter Riggus, Steve Ducharm,
Karen Eastwine, Marilyn Gosman, and then we received one after the packet from Martin and Pauline McGawan. Uh, again, they want us to limit the impact to the neighbors. Um, Scott, did
you want to say something? >> How you doing? Scott Gilmer, director of golf, town of Yarmouth. Uh, yeah. I mean, I haven't I've been here since 2018 and we didn't use the license all that much when when we were running the restaurants and then when Chess has the
the restaurants for the last five years there, I can count a handful of times when we actually did entertainment out there and we were never past 8:00. Um, we've done some things to help with the noise. We point all the speakers inside away from the river and we keep the
noise down as much as possible. But as Joe was alluding to, it's it's a occasional thing that, you know, we're trying to just get some some uh growth in business and stuff like that. We're not a nightclub or anything like that and we just want to want to have a little bit of entertainment out there.
But um I don't think you guys receive any complaints over the last five years from from us when we had it. And uh we tried we're pretty much proposing continue the same thing. But um we are definitely very very aware we're in a very uh tight neighborhood and we we do
everything we can to help keep the noise down. We also invested into sound absorbing panels into the uh restaurant itself. So that should help keep noise down in there as well and I can help answer any questions and if uh needed. >> Thank you, Scott. Okay, we're going to
go to the public if you'd like to come to the podium ma'am and identify yourself for the record. Hello, my name is Mary Nolan and I'm from T-way and my house abuts right on the pond. The noise carries across the pond. There's a southwest wind in the
summer that brings the noise right across and there's no way we can get peace in the house. Um, spring and summertime, we'd have to close all the windows and my husband is currently undergoing treatment for pancreatic cancer. He needs to get his rest. I don't know if he received the letter
from his encologist. >> Oh, I I >> I have a copy of it. I I wrote a letter. My husband wrote a letter and his oncologist did >> and it's important that he gets his rest. And I can't see how he is going to do that with music going from noon time
till 9 10:00 at night. And we hear it as if it's almost right in our house. So, it's going to be very problematic. and I'm here to fight for him and for his health and well-being. I have no problem with an alcoholic license. Um, I
can understand having a little background music with dinner. I have no problem with that. Outside music, we hear it and it's going to be a problem. So, I just wanted you to be aware of that. And I wanted to know if you had the letter from his doctor that states
the importance of him getting rest. >> Thank you, Miss Nolan. Does anybody else from the public would like to speak? Yes, sir. >> Thank you, madam. Thank you, Madam Chair. U my name is Arthur Eswine. I'm a retired physician. Uh I'm in a butter at
34 Fairway Road. Uh and I'm a member in good standing uh of the Salt Box Association. Um I wanted to follow up on a letter that my wife and I uh wrote uh to you, which you mentioned. Thank you very much. Um my purpose in in
addressing uh the committee and thank you for this opportunity is to understand a little bit more about low frequency sound. uh and I did prepare some exhibits if the uh board uh if it pleases the board to to give you um but
essentially what we're talking about is low frequency noise that has been shown repeatedly in the medical literature as being responsible for physiological uh effects on the autonomic nervous system and and other systems of the
body. Um the I I'm submitting as exhibit A um uh and uh it's called the effects of low frequency noise from wind turbines and heart rate variability in healthy individuals. Now, I I understand we're not talking about wind turbines
here, but the idea behind this article is that it was one of the first landmark articles that was able to quantify the sound, the decibel range of the sound, the consistency of the sound, and
to do it with a stable test population. And so, it it is truly a landmark article from that standpoint. And also it is it is truly a landmark article because it contains innumerable references to the effect of low
frequency noise on health related uh issues. The um the conclusions of the study are sharply focused but inescapable. There is no question that heart rate variability was affected due to the
effects of low frequency noise on the autonomic nervous system. This report from 2021 concurs with a prior report from 2016 and I will enclose as exhibit B if the committee please uh implicating delterious effects from road traffic
noise. Uh so you know we're not really uh uh saying that acoustic amplification is the only source of low frequency noise as a health issue. Um but many of the low-frequency noise issues that we
have to deal with as a society are much more difficult to regulate such as road traffic noise, air traffic noise and things like that. But on the other hand, entertainment industry is something that that is able uh to be uh controlled. Um
the the third exhibit I have is just uh some representative opinion articles gleaned from the internet. They're not well referenced but they are opinion articles. And the fourth exhibit with the again with the committee's committee's pleasure. I'm I just did a
little bit of a Wikipedia excerpts and the importance of that is that Wikipedia does not distinguish low frequency noise as related to automobiles, trucks, airplanes, uh acoustic amplification. All of these things actually are one and
the same. And um just as a quick summary and thank you for your for your time and patience. Um as a quick summary, low frequency noise is different from uh high frequency noise. High frequency
noise as a function of distance tends to dissipate and and decrease. Low frequency noise does not. It comes straight across water. It comes straight across a golf course. Uh it is not hampered by barriers or buildings. It
goes right through them. whereas high frequency noise is is stopped by barriers and buildings. So low frequency noise is definitely a different animal. Uh and the the concern um uh regarding the low frequency noise again is on the
peace and equinimity that that our uh community uh enjoys uh in its relationship with the golf course and the Bass River. Uh, and my impression again, I'm I'm not a member of the Saltbox
uh uh committee. I'm I'm a resident. Uh, but my from my own standpoint and my wife's standpoint, we just don't want to see a drastic change to uh the ambiance of our neighborhood that would be brought about by outdoor
amplified musical entertainment. >> Okay. Well, thank you, Dr. Eswine. Unfortunately, uh you can, but we obvious we don't have time to to um you know, digest that information right now when we're have a public hearing to to make a decision. >> Is there a time I could submit it in the
future perhaps? >> Pardon me. You can submit it. You we just unfortunately we just don't have >> that was understood. I >> Yeah, we just don't have time to read it now. But you know, when you talk about >> approach >> Yeah, you can hand it to the town administrator. He can uh scan it and make sure that we get copies of that.
And I think that that is, you know, we we've dealt with wind turbines before and low frequency and I think one of the things with the health issues of that is the repetitiveness of it. So I'm not sure you can I'm not a physician but um I think there's something very different
between something that is a constant then you know music and um as Mr. J has said he's asking for what we've had in the past. So, if if you haven't had um you know, in the in the past five years,
which is the license that he asked for, if you haven't had any specific issues with that, um I think that's what we'd probably like to to hear about. Yes, ma'am. Please come to the microphone. >> Hi, thank you for allowing my time. I'm
Alisa Sicardo. >> Okay. >> Um I live directly across the river from the golf course on foot road. I love Ardos. I I love Joe. I love
uh the golf course. However, I want to talk about the last five years because I've heard it mentioned that there's been this employment of a particular license type over the last five years. And I want to say from a
personal and operational standpoint, there has been no outside entertainment in the last five years. So I think there's a misconception. I would like to be corrected by >> No, I think Mr. Gilmore uh said had said
that they they had the they had the approval for it. They just didn't utilize it often. >> And do you know why? >> I don't know why. >> Because we called the police. Well, and that's I mean >> and that's the reason I'm here today. >> Absolutely. No need to be negative. >> No, no. I'm just telling I just want
everyone to know that if it's allowed that situation would still when you have a license, you have certain rules and regulations you have to live within. So you or any neighbor that feels that they're violating >> correct >> entertainment license has the authority
and the right to call the police. But you're it's it's inferring that there's been an operational um production of music within that license. It actually has not been excess. He's
not employed the full scope of the license. I'm hearing you all suggest particularly you you'd like to see that full employment of >> No, I'd never said that and nobody else on the >> difference I got. >> No, that's not at all. That's what he's applied for. That's what we're talking about.
>> I'm here to talk about the personal impact, not um I mean I'm a specialist in aiology. I understand noise induced hearing loss. This is not that. This is nuisance. >> Nothing more, nothing less nuisance. I
love music. I want to choose my music. Thank you very much. I do not want a wannabe Frank Sinatra, which we listen to. Oh man. Once. >> Well, it was the wannabe. >> Okay. The wannabe. >> He was a bad knockoff. It was also um
while I was out entertaining on my deck, which overlooks the Bass River and looks directly at the golf club, only to be followed by um airplane air airline lights on the
roof of the clubhouse that kept me up at night during that era. So this is not a new issue to Horsefoot Road or to other people that are but I am an abuter. >> I have called the police. I will again
do that if my serenity is disturbed. I love music. I do not want it imposed upon me and I don't feel as a resident o homeowner that I should be impo that that should be imposed on me. It's an invasion
directing speakers one way, speakers another way. Whatever, however you slice it, uh sound carries across the river. It doesn't take anything. I can hear conversations of the Boers going by. I
know what they're drinking. I know where they're going that night. I know their names. Um, and I can hear four occasionally at the golf course across the way. That's what it's for.
And I appreciate the desire for revenue. I appreciate its beauty and its potential in some eyes. But it's a residential neighborhood. We live across the river. We live next
to it. And do not assume you can judge the um nuisance level. It's horrible. >> Horrible. Horrible. Um impeding the use of my own deck so that I have to sit out front and look at
Sundancers, which by the way, you don't hear. You don't. >> Okay. I live there. Uh, but I cannot enjoy the use of my own rear deck over the Bass River because I I need to
listen to whether it's a four string quartet or a rock hard. I don't care the quality of the music. I want to pick my own music and I should have that right. Um, I do not want to have an imposition
by the business across the way. I have no objection to follow than following the law inside music. >> End of story. If you want a larger space, build a larger space,
build a stage inside with soundproofing. I'd be all for it. I'd go myself when I want to listen to music. Um, but in the meantime, to me and to my neighbors, it's there's a
history. I do not want I want to be clear on the fact that over the last five years, while the license might say they had the right to do XYZ, they didn't go to XYZ. So, I don't want
the assumption that everything's been copetic and quiet. It's been quiet because it's not been employed. >> That's a big difference. Um, and that's pretty much all I have to say. I appreciate your time.
>> Thank you, Marian. >> So, Marian Brid, I'm vice chair of the Saltbox Association. Unfortunately, our chairman is in Florida, unfortunately for the rest of us, but anyway, I'm speaking on their behalf. And um while the notice was fairly quick for us, a
lot of our neighbors are away, but the board did convene to discuss the issue and that's what I'm here to address. There's certainly several neighbors that are here to speak individually as butters, but uh just generally the board felt that um to say that we're opposing
the license. I think what we appreciate everything that Mr. J has done in the community. um he's had great success and we actually a lot of us look forward to going to the restaurant and enjoying what he would have to offer. But it's the entertainment license and I think
what really needs to be considered in this situation is that the location of the club is on probably one of the highest banks along Bass River. So it echoes across the water and echoes up and down the river with no natural
buffers. and the way the club has been oriented, which is absolutely fabulous looking out across the water, but that amplifies the music going out. So, I we're we're concerned about the noise level. We're concerned um about the
hours that it would be imposed or be available. Certainly, more reasonleness in terms of what is being offered. We do know that we have the right to complain if it if we feel that it's a nuisance, but we're asking for a compromise and
consideration and turning the music in as opposed to out. As they've mentioned, sundancers, you can't hear, and there's a reason for it because they've focused on not having the sound reverberate across the river. So I think you know in terms of granting it the license has
been there before whether it's continued again but with some restraint for the neighbors which would only benefit all of us. >> Right. >> Thank you Marian. >> Yes sir. >> Hi. My name is Tom McNamer. I live on
Tway across the street from uh Mary. And uh I'd like to express my opposition to this entertainment license. Um, I understand that Bass River, uh, Golf Course is entitled to do business and
I'm sure they pay plenty of taxes to the town. Uh, all of the people that live in Salt Park Association have very well assessed homes that also pay very high taxes to the town. So, we have an
equilibrium here. And I'm concerned that uh the noise level that we're going to uh produce is going to seriously unbalance at equilibrium. Uh I have primarily two concerns. One is the number of days of the week that this is
going to happen and my notice said weekdays. I don't know if that includes weekends. Uh and the second is obviously the noise level with amplification. Um I have done some research and uh there is a regulation in the federal
total regulations by the uh EPA that states that exterior outdoor noise should be no no greater than 55 dB with enhancements by 10 dB to 65 dB. So, I would submit this as a consideration uh
if the board does consider uh granting this license that the Bass River would be able to demonstrate that they could meet that requirement at the perimeter of the golf course uh prior to granting the license.
>> Okay, you can hand that to um Mr. Rittnar if you don't mind. Uh the town does have a uh noise bylaw where um they enforce a certain level. >> It does and I've looked at that and it's quantitative. It's not I'm sorry
qualitative. It's not quantitative. It's expressed in terms of excessive but if you look at that regulation the EPA defines excessive as 65dB and 65dB if you uh do any kind of research that is equivalent to the sound
of a dishwasher in your home. >> Okay. Thank you very much Mr. Mc >> Appreciate it sir. >> It's hard to follow. Absolutely. I >> was hoping I could talk before her. Hi,
my name is Scott Kan. Uh I live on 19 Herring Run Road. My house directly abuts the golf course. It is a family house. It's been in the family for 30 30 plus years. And I I would like to thank
the town of Yarmouth and the Bass River Golf Course for being great neighbors for 30 years. years. It was my parents house and now we've bought it and we've been there four years. We just love it and we love the town of Yarmmouth. We
were in Brewster before and we like Yarmouth better. Um, having said that, you know, and I I heard with the good doctor who's one of my neighbors and this young lady who's an aiologist, they clearly know the science. I don't think
this is a science issue. I think it is a nuisance issue. I think it's all about our our peaceful uh quiet enjoyment and there are certainly nuisance issues that we can't avoid. And when we move to an
area, we just have to get used to it. Uh certainly there's cars up and down High Bank Road all day long. You hear it more in the summer. It's a fact of life. There are nuisances in the winter. So, we all have our windows closed in Salt
Box community all winter long and every single night when it's dusk and the geese are trying to figure out what to do and the coyotes are waking up. >> You hear them screaming every night and
they're all the way on the other side of the golf course and the windows are closed. Uh an another nuisance we can't avoid. We have this beautiful river, the Bass River. We're four blocks away up
over the bluff. And like this young lady said, you can hear every boat go by. You can hear every conversation and we're much farther than her. I can tell you every tune that's playing on every boat
all day long. And I think this is just a nuisance issue. I know this gentleman has done a great job over the years with his restaurant and I hope he continues to do a good job, but uh again, I think we just would ask that the town continue
to respect our peaceful and quiet uh enjoyment of the properties. Thank you for uh giving us all the time to give you some feedback. Thank you. >> Thank you, Mr. Kogan. Appreciate it. We're going to go to um Tom Nicinelloo. How'd you get home so quick
>> on Zoom? took the parade route. >> Hi Tom. >> Here I am. Here I am Madam Chair. Thank you very much. Um just to tonight's issue of the public hearing. You know I love um the way the public hearing brings the community together in this
process. And as you know, other parts of our community because we're so fragile, uh there's a lot of business and residential uh that abut each other. And uh I know where I am, it's a it's a a
relationship with the with the neighborhood to work together. And there's other parts of town where the neighborhood comes together and they work out these issues so everyone can work together. And that's the the whole
whole key to what we have. We have a an applicant that's there before you tonight demonstrating and understanding the concerns he's hearing in that neighborhood. He seems to be very wellliked and has a great reputation and already stated that that's not his his
desire. His desire is other intentions. I believe the applicant deserves a fair chance and let him uh proceed with his business and work with the neighbors to make sure that the neighborhood is adequately for everybody. We all want to
have the best time here in this community, all of our community. And the only way we're going to do it is by reaching out and talking to one another. So, if those neighbors have concern and Joe seems like he he can talk on the
phone all the time, then that's what probably needs to happen so they can work things out. So, that's what I want to say. Thank you, Madam Chair. >> Thank you, Tom. uh Zoom user. >> Madam Chair, Joe Glenn, I just wanted to uh enthusiastically endorse Mr. Jal. I
think of I can think of no one better to be in the community that has done business in the community, worked in the community, but also he, you know, he he had a a restaurant on a golf course in
the neighborhood in Yarmouth. Um, but he is certainly uh I can't think of no other person that you would want to be running this business from both the food side and uh being amenable to the community and and working out issues. I
don't I think that I'm sure that he is compassionate about uh health issues and and doesn't want anybody to have any ill health uh ill health. But um I think that you know they're the uh constraints of the entertainment
license license and the and the select board doing their job as a liquor license holder this liquor license authority. Um I think if everybody does their job and everybody works in the community, I think that Mr. J will you will find will um work any issue out. So
I I enthusiastically endorse Mr. J. >> Thank you. Is there anybody else from the public? >> Yes. Hi. Hi. Um, I'm Dr. Gail Burke and I have several things to convey. Uh, we
know very well that there are at least 15 letters that were submitted prior and thank you very much. I know you passed them on. Thank you very much. And that was a super thing. And there is certainly that theme throughout.
I don't think anybody is trying to, you know, hurt this new business. I think the point you keep hearing over and over again, it is not an appropriate place for outdoor entertainment and
you've heard all these people. They've they've given you lots of evidence and there is lots of evidence and fact there was a lot of police evidence prior in prior times. I mean, it was really rough way back um 2009 to 2011. Um that was
just an incredibly horriful time where that place was booming constantly with noise. Now, I also believe that at some point the zoning board had gotten involved and made sure
that it was clearly understood by the management that the Commonwealth of Massachusetts also has a lot of jurisdiction in controlling noise. They do not want nuisance noise and they're
very strict about how they define it. And I love the fact that so many of the people who spoke already today have been able to do it. Whether they speak it in decibb, whether they talk about the way the land is and how the
water projects or helps to project that noise. How open space of golf course with no um what are you going to call it? no uh nothing that will stop the noise from traveling. And I think that's
what we're pretty much all here about today is the idea we're trying to say, look, we've been through the suffering before. Okay. We've been through it. It was not at all pleasant. Okay. Yeah. And the nice thing is it is true
pretty much there was no exercising of the outdoor option over these last many years. So that's probably why you haven't heard from us. You know, I mean, it's one of these things. If you can keep olly
noise and again, notice we're using the word noise, nuisance noise, because as people have expressed, you know, it's beauty's in the eye of the beholder. And it's the same thing when it comes to something you're listening to. You all want to
choose your own music. You don't want to be subjected to somebody else's music. And when it is outdoors and projected in any way, it becomes a nuisance. And that's the point. So the main things are
this. Keep it indoors. That's basically you've heard it. You've heard it now from what 15 different letter writers and now you've heard it from a whole assortment of more people who showed up here tonight, which I think is just fabulous. And therefore the main thing
is also aspects of again even just liability. You're now hearing from doctors. You're hearing from aologists. You're hearing from all kinds of people who are specialists. And I know some of the letters that went out from others
that wasn't necessarily quoted here, in other words, in this meeting, but I know you've read them and there are people who really do understand the problem with noise projection and the kind of damage that it does to people. So again,
basically what I'm just reinforcing and really want to say is we do not want to go back to the past. Okay? There were problems then and all you have to do is make the restriction that all the noise
is confined inside the building. That's you know that's really the basic bottom line and you can look histories of police reports. You can look at even Yarma's own um basically what was that referred to as your own uh conditions
for the decision that goes back to let's see uh 2013. All entertainment is to be confined to the interior of the restaurant and be within literally an area that they marked out as referred to as the dance floor. Okay? And that's
where the entertainment can be contained. All noise from entertainment is to be confined within the building. All doors are to be closed and windows also closed when entertainment is provided. There should be no noise
outside okay due to music or entertainment and particularly not for any amplification. the Yarmouth uh board of selectmen and um the licensing authority actually make a statement too about entertainment and
right there point B the Lency must ensure that all noise from entertainment is confined to the building. Okay. So, that's basically the point we're making and I think you've heard it plenty tonight and we appreciate the fact that you are, you know, you have allowed us
this situation to make it real if you can see all these people. I mean, these are people and you're you're going to negatively affect the quality of their lives and I don't think you really want to do that. So, we do make want to make
clear, please limit any of that entertainment noise to the inside of the building. As it is with most every place, even in commercial locations, it's confined. It's inside and people
want to listen to the music, they go, they buy a ticket or they or perhaps buy a meal and then they can enjoy it. But don't subject people to noise they don't want to hear. >> Thank you, Dr. Burke. >> Thank you. >> Is there anybody else in the public who would like to make a comment?
>> Okay, seeing nobody, um, just for the record, there was there there is also in our packet the board of appeals decisions from the past. Um, so there was a board of appeals decision that was in 2013 that um
appears to have limited it and then there was another one in July of of 2018 that um talked about uh amplification to be limited to two music ensembles. The music is limited to Wednesday through
Friday 4 to 8, Sundays 9 to 1. the music be permitted each year from March through Columbus Day. So that was that was >> never enacted but that's >> that's fine. I understand but this is this is this is what what what we have and what was allowed by board of appeals
decision. Um and then there was uh there was a decision in 2021 that no further review from the town would be required. So um okay. So is
there a motion to close the public portion of the hearing? >> So moved. >> Any second? >> Second. >> Yep. Any discussion on that motion? All in favor? I. >> Any opposed? U Mr. Mr. J, is there anything that you would like to say to um respond to any of the members of the
public with their concerns? >> Uh yeah, I'm I'm dumbfounded with the reaction. I had numerous meetings with the job management team and I simply wanted to
deliver what they wanted as an operator. >> The last thing I want to do is upset a neighborhood. I've had numerous restaurants in numerous towns. I've always my core business has been locals.
>> The local people support my restaurants. >> I don't need this to have headaches. The last thing I need, I've done this too long. >> Gotcha. >> As I mentioned to the golf management, I
have a restaurant. It's successful. The last thing I need is someone upset, >> right? >> And not go to my other business, >> right? >> I'm not doing this to make people upset, >> right? Understood. >> I'm trying to create a really nice
environment for you to have some food and have a nice time. >> But having having said all that, is is there anything that you're um willing to amend in in in your request that would make it more amendable for the neighborhood? I would amend whatever
works for everyone. >> Again, to be honest with you, I applied based on what the license was, >> right? >> I spoke to the management team. They said they've had no issues over the last few years. Tonight's the first time I
heard there was not any any entertainment. I think I'm hearing that they had the license and didn't use it, >> right? >> But I wasn't told that. >> Okay. >> The job management told me they had
not a lot but occasional entertainment and had no issues. >> So, >> okay. No, understood. Understood. All right. So, >> so yes, I mean if it's out, I'm happy to do that.
I'm certainly not tendon to have rock bands and create people's health issues. No one has more health issues than me. So, I'm don't need people getting upset over this.
>> Madam Chair, may I ask a question? >> Sure. >> Mr. J, would you be um interested then in amending your license so that it does not include outdoor entertainment and is restricted to indoor entertainment only?
>> I don't believe I would really ever have indoor entertainment unless it was a private party. >> I would like >> the inside isn't conducive to that. People go there because they want to sit outside.
I don't I mean that's my opinion. I haven't seen it in action. >> My idea was outside guitar player playing background music. >> Wait a minute. Yep.
>> Dorcas is speaking. >> So in in other words, you do not want to amend your >> outdoor entertainment. >> I don't think I would utilize a indoor entertainment license. Okay. >> That's not where the business is.
>> I mean, you folks, I assume, have been there. >> Oh, I've been there. >> Everybody wants to sit outside. >> I think the um you know, the issue is the amplification. So, if if if what you're looking for is it's ma'am, sit. You've had your time. It's it's the public portion is closed. We're not
taking any public comment anymore. Um the amplification um you know that word in itself. So, if you want a one-person guitar on certain hours and days, that might be something I'd uh consider, but I would be very
hesitant to have um amplification. Uh go ahead, Liz. >> Could we hear again from Mr. Gilmore regarding what he seeks in terms of working with Mr. Jill on this? Ma'am, please.
>> Um, when we had conversations with with Joe, we're very excited to have Joe on board at Bass River. Um, it was to continue what what we had in the past. Now, we all are aware that there were many issues in the past and we have not
done any of those. We do not plan to do any of those ever again. Um none of us were here at that time. Um we've done a lot of changes. >> I was um within the golf organization. Um >> but um we really stressed on being a
very good neighbor to the to everybody. So um mainly most of the times that have occurred were between 4 and six. Um, when we had the end outdoor entertainment, we've had some stuff going on. Like, uh, I don't know if anyone came for the 125th, we had some
music out there during the day, but as Joe said, he's not looking to do a nightclub. We are not a nightclub. We are a golf course, and we're just looking to have, >> you know, just a little bit on the on the uh patio for people to enjoy it. Um,
we certainly will do our best whatever we can to to check noise levels, check everything um to make sure it's not causing any much of a problem for anyone, but uh we do everything we can to to make sure that we're good for the in um neighborhood.
>> Right. Thank you, Scott. And I think it's I think historically this board has done its best to um manage, you know, having a successful operation and people living in peace in their homes. And we've done, you know, we've we've had to
make some modifications to some applications, but um certainly our our goal is to to make sure that um everybody's successful. Like you said, you don't want any unhappy neighbors, neither do we. Um but we also want a successful golf course. So, um, and make
it worth your while to come to town. So, and and and then that's an amenity. So, um, I think we're just trying to find some middle ground. Mark, do you have any comments? >> Um, thanks. Thanks, Madam Chair. Um, I
think it's well established that um, people in this community respect Mr. Jamial in and his business and folks are thrilled to see him with this new enterprise and I appreciate um just over the years that that I've done business
with the Jamu's um they've been genuinely interested in being a value and an asset to the community. So I take and uh agree and uh want to offer some uh endorsement of his commitment uh to
work with the community. Um there was a letter that we received from a critic of this but suggested a number of options in terms of a way forward and um um and
this was a someone who suggested that there be and I'm going to quote from Mr. Smith's uh email uh to the board and um this is Tom Smith or >> Smi. Yeah, I thought he made some
interesting suggestions as a way to sort of carve out a path forward and I just think they're worth thinking about and considering. He suggested a prohibition on outdoor amplified music. He suggested establishing a decibel limit measured at
the shoreline. He suggested that the outdoor entertainment be limited to earlier hours, not go as late. He suggested that um if there are speakers they face away from the river towards the establishment but then again
I think if there's speakers that's an amplification right so >> um and then implementing some kind of clear enforcement mechanism to make sure that some the restrictions are adopted and enforced. Um, I'm not sure if
tonight we'll have the ability to sort of work this all out and I don't want to close the door to having some reasonable outdoor entertainment, but I think quite frankly that's going to have to be discussed and worked out at a at a at a
future meeting. Um, but I'm o I'm open and I appreciate Mr. Smith's suggestions to consider some way to offer a compromise, but I think those are those are discussions uh that should happen outside of this meeting and and worked out separately. Um, but I'm I'm very
supportive of the entertainment license. I'm glad that you're here. I would like to figure out a way to make it so that you can continue to do business here and work work things out here. And uh I'm open and I'm open to some compromise, Madam Chair. So, that's more or less where I stay.
>> Absolutely. I and I I agree with those recommendations ex except I think the um the decimal the decibel situation is is a hard thing for us to quantify and I'm not sure whether or not the police department has the proper equipment to be able to do that. Um I'd like to hear
whether or not they did. So that would be difficult. I mean, I would be inclined to um approving the application for alcohol and entertainment indoors. Um and um put the pro prohibition of amplification. And I think that if we
put the prohibition of amplification and we amended the hours as a trial um to something earlier um more protracted um and then you know at the end of the summer you come back and we further
discuss if we have no issues that you know that's about as far as the outdoor portion of it what I would be uh comfortable with. >> Can I ask Mr. Jam, is that a compromise and a suggestion? >> Yeah, I mean, whatever it is, we're
going to work with it. But I do have one question. The last time the license was approved, did we have the same discussion? >> I'm trying to remember it. >> It's been approved. I know I've seen
several of these faces in the room previous um they've been here for uh the board of appeals. they've been here for previous licenses. Um, you know, the difference and and I've always had an issue and I'm glad that we've corrected the issue because I don't believe the town should be in the business of having
a liquor license. So, the way that it and it shouldn't be. It's a to me it's a conflict. I've always felt that way. Um, how do you uphold your own standards? Right? So, um, I think on the negative part of that, that's how I feel. But as
far as the entertainment, we were the proprietor. So we had more control when somebody if somebody were to complain um to be able to to manage it properly. >> But that this past concession was approved
>> for the exact same thing. >> I understand. But it wasn't. >> That's why I'm confused. >> I know. I get it. >> I'm confused about this whole thing >> process. I understand. >> I only applied for what was there already. >> I understand. I understand and and again that's how I started the meeting just so you knew the history. This has been a
very long history that I'm sorry that you you weren't aware of it before uh you came tonight but honestly the the history here has been very lengthy and again we had some very terrible um to say it nicely operators in the past that
you know they're still remembering. So they're they're they're hesitant and I can't and I can't blame him for that. So >> um if if you would if you would be amenable to >> he wants to go home >> figured this out. >> Um
>> go ahead Dorcas. Uh Mr. J I I commend you on the business that you have run in this community. Um I think it's wonderful. um to say that we've had that license in the past is is true, but we
always need to be kind of flexible and understand and learn from what we've had in the past. And clearly what we've had in the past has not been helpful to the neighborhood that is there. Now, saying that, I want to make sure that you have
a very successful business, but you have, and no one has talked about this tonight, one of the most beautiful views on Cape Cod for that outdoor patio. There are not many water um con
adjacent properties that have are restaurants on Cape Cod. >> And that's why I'm here. >> Right. Okay. I'm here for the given given that Mr. Jal, that's what's going to sell your restaurant, not the music. >> And and in that case, if it is such a
hardship for the neighbors, >> I personally would vote for no outdoor entertainment >> and vote for indoor entertainment only. And I still feel that that would that you would have a very successful business because, as I say, that view is
spectacular. Joyce. Um um I've admired Mr. J's uh businesses in the past and um certainly his golf course um restaurant uh at
Kingsway is an example of uh being a good neighbor, having a um a restaurant and bar that has entertainment and King's Way would have crucified you by now if you weren't a good neighbor. So,
I mean, I think Liz still has to speak here, but I would certainly be open to moving um the license with the amendations, no amplified outdoor music and an 8:00 PM cuto off time if that
worked for the rest of us, including Mr. J. >> Liz. >> Yeah, I because I I know we're we're dealing with Mr. Jal, but I also recognize that we're setting some precedent and um that it is uh so I I
agree with Joyce that I would like to see the um the conditions placed on it that do not seem to exacerbate will not cause Mr. Jaml any stress and will also allow the golf course business to operate the way it has been most
recently. So, that's where I come down rather than just limiting it to indoor music. >> Okay. So, let's take this one at a time. Um, can we um will somebody be willing to make a motion to approve the alcohol uh license as um
>> as written? >> As uh applied for. Yep. >> Second. >> Any discussion on that? All those in favor? >> I. Any opposed? >> Okay. Okay, now let's take the um >> entertainment. >> I think we can all agree that um we're
comfortable with indoor entertainment. I know that that's not in your business model, but it may have to be. Um, I I would I would make the motion that we approve
the license for indoor um as requested and outdoor to be limited to no amplification, a maximum of two musicians,
uh maybe maybe a I don't know, a guitar or a thing, a singer maybe with no no amplification whatsoever. and uh and make the cuto off time uh 8:00 p.m. with
also the condition that at the end of the um summer some sometime after Labor Day that uh you have you know we review any complaints that you potentially have and that you come back in for a review
of the application. >> Second. >> Yeah. >> Is there any discussion on that motion? I I would like to add because I can see that there is the question why and I and I'm trying to go back to the fact that
there were some um events that were run by on the behalf of the golf course that did not bother the neighbors and we're trying to keep that window open. So that's the that's why that's
>> I think it's a fair compromise. I mean, I think it again to Dorcas's point, >> they're there for golf, for food. You have you'll put out a wonderful thing. You already have the the view. Um maybe a little something as long as it's it
stays quiet. I'm I'm comfortable with. And again, we we we're going to have to check in and see see what it is. So, I think that that's a fair compromise. >> Discuss it. >> Dorcas, do you have anything on the motion? I seem to be in the minority on this
one, so I'll just stay quiet. I've made my point. >> No, I I'm I'm very sympathetic to um I think the proposal is is is is fair. >> Um but I also think it's worth noting that Mr. Jamal went into this whole
enterprise with the understanding that he had a lot greater latitude in terms of what he was going to be able to do. And so what we're doing tonight is we're placing limits on him based on what he originally went into. And so I think that just needs to be noted for the
record. I'm very sympathetic to anyone in business who makes a commitment to do a business with under certain conditions and then find out that the conditions have changed on the business. I think that's that's a problem and we and and
and and we we own that problem and uh we're gonna I don't know if we can do something about it, but I I I want it noted on the record that he's he's making a commitment to do this business and now we're tying his hands a bit and uh and and I and again I'm I'm
sympathetic to the concerns of the residents. I've been in the hearings before where people have come in here and been very upset at the noise. Um, but I also know that if there's anyone here in this community and in business in the town of Yarmouth that will make
more than a good faith effort to do business in a community in a neighbor neighborhood where people will be proud u of that business enterprise, it's going to be you. >> Thank you. That's very >> So I have I have I have complete faith and commitment in in the Jules and uh so
I'm I'm I'm willing to go along with us myself. Okay. All those in favor of um the um motion as amended, >> I guess. >> Entertainment license with till 8 and no
amplified music outside. >> Yeah. With a maximum of two people. >> And to check in after after Labor Day and we'll have a review after Labor Day with a review. >> Okay. All those in favor? >> I opposed. >> Okay. Passes. Good luck, Mr. Ch. Thank
you. Thank you all for everybody for coming. Um, >> see you in after Labor Day. >> Well, hopefully not. Hopefully not, but hopefully not. I mean, >> notified after Labor Daydess >> come. We It will be a public meeting. We're there for you. So,
>> it'd be posted. >> Yes. >> Came in and talked to No, it will be a public meeting here. >> And how will we find out about it? >> Be posted. >> It'll be a posted meeting. >> So, we'll make sure that that's an agenda item. >> It'll be an agenda item.
>> Hopefully, you will hear. >> We just approved the license, sir. So, the license will have a check-in after Labor Day and it will be on a posted meeting here. It will not be another uh hearing. It will be a check-in for the board to to look over. Now having said
that if there are violations he will be brought back before us and that will also be a a hearing. So >> So my understanding is that meeting not open to the public? >> It's all open to the public sir. It's just we there's not going to be um it's not a formal application so you won't be
notified in your mailbox but it will be on our agenda. >> Okay. >> Madam chair. Yeah. Just for the folks in the audience, you should be aware we have two meetings a month and they're posted on our website and the agenda is on the website. So, it's usually the
second Tuesday and the and the fourth Tuesday. So, just keep an eye out on our website in September and look at the notices that are posted on our website and you'll have all the information that you need. >> Okay? >> And hopefully everybody will have a wonderful summer.
>> Okay? All right. Next we have um a license for a new annual all alcohol license for M&G Grill at Bayberry Hills 665 West Jarmath 635 West Jarmath Road.
I am going to read the notice into the record. The town of Yarmouth ABCC new restaurant retail license M&G Grill at Bayberry Bayberry Hills Golf Course 635 West Jarmath Road. The town of Yarma Select Board acting as the local licensing
authority has received an application for a new annual alcohol restaurant license from M&G concessions inc DBA M&G Grill at Bayberry. Michael Ganon, manager, 635 West Jarmath Road, West Jarmath, Mass 02673.
If you could take your comments outside, please. Thank you. The premise at Bayberry Golf Course, Restaurant and Golf Course 27 holes on 165 acres except for the maintenance building and all parking areas and entrance roads. The restaurant is located on the first floor of the
clubhouse with seating occupancy of 41. Alcohol beverages to be stored in the basement. Hearing will be held on Tuesday, March 10th, 2026 in the hearing room at Town Hall 11:46 through 28 South Yarmouth. The select board meeting begins at 6 PM. written comments to be
accepted till 4:30 Friday, March 6th, at the select board's office town hall could be submitted electronically to public comments at yarmath.mma. us. With that, our public hearing is open. Sir, if you'd like to introduce yourself um for the record and talk about what you're uh have requested here
tonight. >> Uh yes. Uh good evening. My name is Michael Ganon. Um, I'm looking to take over the restaurant grill part of Bayerry Hills um, golf club. And uh, I will not be applying for entertainment. >> And
good way to start. >> And you don't have many neighbors, which you're very very very fortunate for. >> Absolutely. So, um, no, it just, um, I've I've been in the restaurant business for over 30 years. Um, most
recently I I was an owner of um Ganon's Tavern in Hyannis and I've also been involved in another restaurant in Hyannis. Before that, Kelly's on Maine, but before that, most of my time was in the metro um Boston area. I've been on
Cape Cod now for 13 years. Um, and like I said, uh, I I'm no longer involved, um, with cannons, um, or that license or or anything to, um, do with it. But, um, we were a very
good and we become or I shouldn't say we, but, they've become a staple in the in the, you know, restaurant scene um, around the area. So, um, I said, I've personally been doing this for quite a while. um and always been successful.
Always worked good with um with other people whether it's on like on a main street like Kelly's on Main or uh at Ganon's in that area that it was um not a lot of residential neighbors but certainly um always willing to work with the town and work with the people around
for anything that we need to do. But um as far as Bayberry Hills go, I um was just looking to come in and it's already been mentioned through the whole um Joe Jal thing that things were not going well from what I understand for the last 3 to 5 years. So I'd like to come in and
um change that. And um that that is something actually that I'm that I've done in the past and that I'm good at is taking places and kind of you know revitalizing or you know whatever word you would like to use. >> Poor Buds Country Lounge.
>> Yeah, I know. Yeah. It sat there for quite a while. You know, >> you definitely revitalized that. >> Yeah. Yeah. So, um yeah. So, when it comes to when it comes to Bayberry, that that's all I'm looking to do. Uh currently, so I started this company, MG
Concessions. Um my first concession is uh currently I have the license for um Hyenas Youth Community Center and I run that um concession or grill. We call it the grill at HYCC. So that's why we're staying with that theme. Um every time
>> and uh yeah, so this would be my my second license um and my second um operation to to go through. But uh that's what I'm looking to build somewhat of a smaller company down here on the Cape. I just truly believe that kind of this concession and and quick
serve type of thing is the way to go and kind of unfortunately except for Mr. Jal, but unfortunately full service restaurants are kind of um in trouble these days. I I feel so so uh that's why that's why I'm here. Um, I
actually did work here for a season u back in 2018 when it was owned by Yarmouth, by the town of Yarmouth. So, I was a town of Yarmouth employee. That's the year I was building cannons. Um, and so this was my job for the winter um
while I was there. Um, I don't believe um Scott Gilmore was the director of golf. I believe he was superintendent at the time. Um but uh yeah, even just coming in for that situation and and um I think we really did a lot of things
and turned things around and uh still have many friends from Bay Hills just from that one uh season that I was here. So >> great. Thank you. Um just for people to know that your packets here, your tips certified, you um
have your resume in here, your Corey check, all of those great things. Um, now you mentioned that you are also um manager at HYCC. So, do you have you met with the police department to understand our rules and regulations on alcohol
licensing and having a manager on staff that's also trained uh at all times if you're not there? >> I have not met yet with the Yarmouth police. I've certainly been through that many times in in Barnstable and Hyannis. But um uh we were going to get through
this meeting and then you know once once I knew that everything was a go um we had a few bumps along the road with our insurance and this and that. Not on our end just you know trying to get that all settled. I believe Fetana actually finally just got the final um COI today.
Um, so yeah, not that I really had any doubts, but I was just kind of getting through the process as it goes. But I will certainly um if this is all good to go after this, um, that'll be one of my first calls. But I I do have >> I do know about the management, you
know, um, issue uh, in terms of having someone I don't have alcohol at HYCC, but I do have a gentleman that's my quote unquote assistant manager. Um, >> I'm just saying because there's alcohol here that when you're not on site that somebody else has >> Well, that's what I mean. And and he'll become with me and he's also um
certified, tip certified. He serves um food manager um certified, you know, and things like that. And um my wife will also be involved who is also tip certified. She's a beverage I mean, she's been a bartender for years and so she will also be a manager/owner type of
thing. So, the the the grill will be um sufficiently covered. Um but I am an on-site manager, worker, owner. Um that's just how how I operate things. So, I I will certainly be there um plenty.
>> Okay, great. >> Um I am going to go to the public. Is there anybody in the public would like to speak for against this application? Seeing nobody, I'll take a motion to close the public hearing. So moved. >> Second. >> All those in favor? >> I. Any opposed? Is there um anybody on
the board who has any comments or questions on the application? >> Um I wish him well. It sounds like he and a family member and an additional staff person have a lot of experience in this. I just um before we do it, I just
want to make sure that that is a requirement of the board that you meet with um the police department and go over our rules and regulations because uh Yarmouth has um some requirements in there that other towns don't have in terms of um you know the manager having
to attend um some some uh programs that we have. So um I just want to make sure that you know that that's part of it. And Amy, you have the certificate of insurance for this? >> I do not have the certificate of insurance as of right now. I believe
Satetana did receive it this morning. There were some minor um adjustments that needed to be made to the wording >> wording. Yeah. >> On it and she was waiting for that to come back. We will hold the license until that is um sufficiently
>> um met by Lana and we will also hold it until the um the applicant and his assistant managers have met with Sergeant Renzy of >> Yarmouth Police Department. >> Excellent. Um and there has not been any correspondence from the public on this
application. >> There has not. >> Okay, great. Is there anybody from the board who'd like to make a motion? I would like to mo a motion to approve. >> Second. >> Any discussion on the motion? >> I just want to make sure that Do we have to include the um that that there are
some open items that need to be closed? >> Yes. I think um what Amy spoke about, we should um approve the application with withholding it until we have the proper documentation, insurance certificate, >> um and and that you've uh properly met and understand the rules and regulations
with the police department. >> Yep. >> Okay. Okay, I'll give him a call tomorrow. >> So moved. >> All right. Is there a second to that amended motion? Okay. All those in favor? >> I. >> Any opposed? We wish you the best of luck. >> Thank you. Appreciate it. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Good luck. >> I'll be in touch.
>> Thank you. >> Okay. So, >> now we come to our public hearing on our budget and capital plan. So, first up we have the finance committee report and overview. See, Mr. Simon and
>> Madame Chairman, just a word for our financial leaders um as we embark on the public hearing. Welcome everyone and um just a word of apology. The schedule this evening needed to be as it was because of um the cancellations that we
had from the blizzard. So, um thank you for waiting and thank you for being here. >> Yes, those hearings that we just had was were on our agenda for the 24th and we had to readvertise them because we weren't able to have them. So tonight, we had to handle that. Thank you for
your patience. >> Thank you, Amy. >> Mr. Simon. >> Hi. >> Good evening. >> Good evening. Um, so I suppose I should read this into the record as well. Public notice of public hearing on
operational budget capital improvement plan under Yarmouth Town Charter section 7-5. A public hearing will be held on March 10th, 2026 with the select board finance committee capital budget committee Cape Cod Regional Technical High School and the Dennis Sharmouth Regional School Committee to receive
comments on the FY2027 town and school budgets and capital improvement plan. The hearing will be held in the hearing room of Yarmouth Town Hall and via Zoom beginning at 6 PM. The complete copies of the FY2027 budget and capital improvement plan are
available beginning March 6, 2026 on the town's website at www.yarmathth.mma. us. And with that, our public hearing is open. Thank you. >> Good evening, Madam Chair. Uh like I said, I'm Richard Simon, the uh your finance committee chairperson. Uh, I'll
be kicking off tonight's four-part public hearing on the operating and capital budget plans as required by the town charter section 7.5. And if you go to the next slide, you can do that. So, uh, as I say, this is a four-part
section. So, uh, the first part will be, uh, on the town operating budget, followed by the town capital budget, followed by the Cape Cod Tech budget, and then the DY regional school district budget. Uh, I'll be covering the town budget. Sandy Fe, I'm hoping, is online
to cover the capital budget. And obviously, we have uh, for the public, Dr. Samborn is uh, in the back, as well as Dr. Smith and Dr. Gillson from the DY uh regional school district. Um
just wanted to put this in context. So the the finance committee is here as part of the recommendation process. Uh we do not set policy strategy. That's the job of the select board. nor do we
actually uh make any actual uh we rely on the town administrator and his very capable leadership to actually say how we're going to implement those strategies. So our job is simply to review the budget. We do what the public would want
to do if they had a thousand hours a year to devote to it. Um so what I want to go through is very quickly if I go to the next slide is to remind the public of what we do do. So the town starts this budget process
really as soon as they complete their uh closing out of the books. So between October and December and this uh the select board received uh the town administrator's proposed budget um on at the end of the year and you held your
first public workshop on January 6. So there's been uh again this has been in the public record for a while. Uh simultaneously the town's capital budget was being developed and the review process if you see the third item is the
capital budget was uh concurrently reviewed by the capital budget committee and then the operating budgets were reviewed by our committee uh starting in January and February. The school budgets operate a little bit later. They have to
wait for uh state aid to come in. the so-called cherry street sheet has to arrive which drives uh some of the allocations and then we obviously sit here today trying to finalize the warrant articles where all of this rolls
into the final uh uh report that goes into the annual town meeting which is on April 28th and then our town elections on March uh May 19th. So go next slide for the public. I you
know all of this information is available as you mentioned madam chair online. There's a 121page report that covers the town's uh operating revenue and expense budget. There's another um roughly uh 50page report on the capital
budget and then the DY operating budget and Cape Cod Tech operating budgets were part of our review process and those are all available online. And so I'm including this slide for members of the public who would be interested in doing the same thing that we do which is do a
deep dive. If you go to the next slide. So at this point we have completed our detailed review of all of the town's budgets. Uh we have
one less or one remaining uh budget to uh review and approve. As part of this process, uh our very capable finance director uh has determined that this is a opportune time to actually convert some
of our short-term borrowings into bonds. And so as part of that process, she literally had to go back into the budget and change the specific line items that are related to those. So we are at our upcoming meetings going to be confirming
that all of those transactions uh remained. We anticipate over the next basically two weeks we will complete the warrant article reviews and approve all of them. Our recommendation related to the DY
regional school district is pending at this point was pending the final assessment vote uh which is now been completed. So we have that and also with a real focus on three very specific items. We are not really concerned at this point about the educational
component but we did have some specific concerns related to buses benefits and building utilities. So those are the uh few remaining items that we're uh trying to tackle.
Our conclusion, if I go to the next slide, our themes here are financial stability. So, as we've been going through the budgets, our big concern is is this town going to be able to do everything that
it needs to do with uh with stability. And so one of the things that you'll notice if you recall back at your workshop uh for example on local receipts the town's strategy is always to underestimate local receipts. I wouldn't
say underestimate but not count on 100% of the receipts showing up which is really important for our town because we are a tourism business. So, we cannot necessarily rely 100% on meals tax, rooms tax, and short-term rentals always
coming in if the economy dips. And so, again, very shrewd, very conservative uh um uh accounting for the local receipts in particular. Our base, which is our
property tax base, is very stable, very predictable, and constrained by the Prop 2 and a half. um limits. So the good news in the recent years we've had strong performance in our local receipts
and we've been using that to basically put a little bit of money aside and properly invested uh so that we have that little bit of a cushion for what we know are the rainy days including maybe
not rainy days but snowy days. So yes, we have so there's enough free cash to be able to absorb our normal emergency situations. Um workforce development, that's another
big thing. And I think again it was seen in really experienced very specifically during this last blizzard. We have incredibly capable municipal employees. So, making sure that we have the right
employees, especially as we go into uh our expanded wastewater facilities, that is the one area where additional staff uh were included in the budget so that we're we will be ready when the lights are turned on, so to speak, and the flow
starts. Infrastructure development. Um the biggest infrastructure project we obviously have is the wastewater. So, in addition to uh spending time looking at individual budgets, uh our finance
director uh on I think it was January 24th at our January 24th meeting, we did a deep dive into the wastewater financials and we are very comfortable with the state of our financials and the process that she is using to make sure
that the funds are that as we expend funds that they're properly being charged or claimed for from the Clean Water Trust. Very impressive. Uh I would encourage you if you're interested in seeing that level of detail, uh read the minutes.
So in general, uh I would say if I go to the uh yeah, we'll just sort of summarize at this point. So at this point we are ext the finance committee is extremely comfortable with the quality of the balance budget that was proposed by the town administrator.
The budget items that are included in the uh I think are very reasonable and our committee concurs with that same thing on the capital. But I'm not going to steal Sy's uh uh thunder on that.
Uh the other thing is we are very comfortable with uh the Cape Cod Tech uh budget and I'm not going to steal Dr. Samborn's uh thing. We'll come back to that in a minute. But as was noted at
the beginning of uh the budget cycle at your workshop, we knew right from the get-go that we had a situation related to the Cape Cod Tech. We had a record number of freshmen entering Cape Cod Tech. 57
uh new students, which is the most we've ever had, and is about 20 students more than we will probably have in future years based on this new enrollment policy. That in itself is going to was over by
about 700,000. I'm going to round it off about $700,000 above. And so as we do see that as a potential override again the finance committee would be very enthusiastic in supporting that because I think it is um they are it's the type
of uh situation where the uh town or the the school is doing a great job managing the budget and it's simply a matter of enrollment. We owe it to the students and I want to stress this is going to be a four-year investment.
These kids are not going to be graduating in a year. So, this is a four-year investment. But at the end of four years, you will actually see enrollment going back down to about 145.
So, that's four years from now, though. So, if you go to the next slide, override is a dirty word in municipal finance. Um, but I think it's important to put this back into perspective.
Um, if you think about some of our most recent overrides, they have always been driven by real need. And our most recent one was related to our investment in the EMTs.
This year alone, in one year, demand for services went up 10%. I mean, this is it's amazing. And obviously during the blizzard, they were doing hundreds of calls a day. Without
that capacity to deal with a surge, I just can't imagine where we would be. So, I think this board and the committee and the community support has been amazing in this. The next thing is related to schools. We did talk we did
talk about the Cape Cod Tech. This is a changing enrollment pattern. So Cape Cod Tech went up by 30. Uh DY enrollment went down by roughly 100. We had a few more students opting to move into school choice or charter schools.
So these will always be changing. Uh the overall student population though in Dennis is about the same. It's relatively flat. At the same time, there's been a significant shift in federal and state funding.
Uh, a lot of this has to do with the, for those who love the minutiae of >> student opportunity act. >> Student opportunity act. Exactly. Student Opportunity Act was implemented a few years ago and it was a key driver
in a significant increase in um funding uh chapter 70 funding for our schools in particular. Now that is starting to tail off. Uh so
last year so we had a couple of years where it was a significant increase. This year it was pretty much flat at the same time. And this is the other piece of it for the public to be aware of. So we're seeing the top the the student
aid portion dropping as a percentage. So it's even not even keeping up with the 2 and a half%. In addition, because we have such a robust uh real estate market, we are seeing an increase in the
minimum required distribution again pushing which is has an the effective rate of demanding more of our taxpayers than the 2 and a half% cap. So this creates a little bit of a structural deficit for us,
right? because expenses are drive are are just keeping them within two and a half percent is a trick especially with uh cost indices like labor uh energy um also uh what's the
other one uh content >> remember the old day when you used to buy a textbook >> and you can make it last for 20 years >> right >> now it's all subscription based so a lot of our expenses and transportation that's the other one buses >> I And it's a it's a contractual
obligation that it has to go up like 5% per year. So you can see the structural deficit issue that we face and as uh we noted the last time. So think about also some of the investments that we've had to make in things as
simple as generators, backup generators for our water supply, for our wastewater supply, for our police. So those are the types of investments that have been put into place and allowed us to actually do well
during this emergency. >> So I included for you sort of the last 10 years of um overrides that we have done. Most of them have been related to schools and again that was some of that
relates to pre student opportunity act. Uh so but now we so but that's s so we did about $3.2 million in overrides related to schools and last year we did uh the first one in a long time related
to uh DMTs. So that's the context for overrides. >> Right. >> So I'm going to stop there. I don't know if that has been, you know, helpful for the public again, but I think you're going to see uh when
the public does get to the Warren article, uh we are going to be recommending that they endorse all of the operating budgets and all of the capital budgets.
So, I just wanted to put that out there. >> Questions? >> Jennifer, did you have anything to add? Um, not at this time. I think Richard really did a great job covering everything, but I'm here if you have any questions as well. >> Excellent. What does the board want to
go to the public for the budget, each each individual one or at the end? >> I think we'll go >> uh let's hear from the capital and then and then we'll go to the public. >> Yep. >> Okay, Sandy,
>> Ken and I are also presenting. So, >> okay, great. I just want to make sure she's brought in. Hi Sandy. >> Hi everyone. >> I see some capital budget members here as well. Thank you. Don't go too far. >> I'm I'm going to be here through the duration all the way to the end.
>> Okay. >> Okay. I'll just let Amy get ready and let Amy let me know when you're all set. >> Let's bring up You can bring up another chair, Amy. Please come right up. >> Come on up. >> Hey. Hi, Ken. Hi, >> Lind Madam Chair. How are you? Good
evening, board. >> All right, Sandy. >> Hello. >> Take it away. >> Okay, Sy's going to jump into it and then I'll jump in where necessary. >> Okay, this So, we do have a PowerPoint tonight. Um, I'm sorry I couldn't be
with you tonight, but um >> I'm sure Gerard will be back pretty soon. And so I'm going to go through the first few slides and then I'm going to turn it over to Ken to go through our recommendations. So we we do have some slides that we do um some of them the
board has seen before, but since it's a public hearing, we feel it's important that we we talk about our process a little bit so the public understands where these numbers have come from. So first I'd like to introduce our committee. Uh my name is Sandy Fe and I
am the chair. With us tonight we have Ken Smith. He is the vice chair and he is the representative from the planning board. >> Good evening. >> Um George Perkins is our representative from the finance committee. We have Andrew Leard, Danielle Nukem. Um I'm
pretty sure I saw Lindseay Petro in the audience, but um it was difficult for me to tell who's who's really there, but I think Lindsay is there. >> Sandy, >> and we also have Joseph J. Um, these are very hard, dedicated people that have
been meeting weekly since September. And I want to thank my committee. They've done a great job this year. So, tonight is our presentation. It's our um final recommendations prior to town meeting. Uh, we in
December, we are required to do a preliminary report. Um, so tonight I just want to assure you that all our recommendations are balanced to the draft annual town meeting warrant that you will be talking later tonight. In your packet, you
received our preliminary report with our 10-year plan. Um, there were basically just two major changes from our preliminary report. we will be highlighting um the library um a little further on and then article 17 on the
warrant which is the equalization tank receptage is something new also that we did not present in um December so we'll be talking about those um moving forward so we are a seven member capital budget
committee appointed by the finance committee according to the charter uh our main focus is on developing the capital program and budget for our upcoming fiscal year, fiscal 27, within the context of the 10-year capital plan
prepared by the town administrator. Um, the capital budget reviews all requests for capital items and makes the recommendations to the finance committee first and then the board is selected. So the purpose of tonight's presentation is just to provide you with an overview
of all the capital requests and um also for to the public prior to our annual town meeting. This serves as the capital budgets committee public hearing which is required on on fiscal 2027 capital
plan recommendations. So as you know the capital budget is separate separate from the town's operating budget. The capital budget funds recurring expenses such the operating budget ref funds recurring expenses such as salaries and benefits
and office type expenses where the capital budget basically is comprised of priority capital items that are typically $10,000 or more with a useful life of at least five years.
Um the capital budget is budgeted for and presented to town meeting in various warrant articles. We basically touched nine warrant articles tonight. As you go through the warrant um um you will see the capital requests.
So I'm going to talk a little bit about for the public sake for our rating process. Basically we have two we give each item careful consideration. We also have a twopart scoring.
We score by significance and we score by readiness. Each one is weighted with significance getting the larger rating of 70% and readiness 30%. So we rate by four groups
essential, desirable, acceptable, and deferable. So I'm going to give you one example on this. If we rate an item a four in significance, it means it it will remedy a health or a safety issue or a state or a mandate.
If we rated a four in readiness, it the plans, the permits, the studies are all the cost estimates are all in place. But if we were to give it a three in readiness, it might mean they have most of their plans in place. They may have
their permits and their studies and their cost estimates. Um, if they were to get a three in significance, it would benefit the community. It may be mandated, but it would not be a health and safety issue. So, all our rating criteria is available
on the town website if you want to read the details on how how we rate each item. Also, how we rated each item is also available on the town website. We did present that to the board in December. Um, but we won't be going through that tonight, but it is
available on the website. So, now I'm going to turn it over to Ken >> um, and Amy, and they're going to go through our recommendations. Um, >> all right. Thank you, Sandy. Appreciate that. >> And then we'll be glad to answer any questions at the end.
>> Sure. Good evening, board. So, I'm going to go through the recommendations and they are set up in our presentation by division mostly. Um the first one on the first slides, golf capital expense on the bass parking lot expansion. Uh capital plan infrastructure and building
quarter of a million dollars. Golf course furniture, furniture and fixtures 50,000. The golf course sprayer machine and equipment 75 and the golf course top dresser machine and equipment. So the recommendation on the golf course golf
course capital being 400,000. Next slide. Next is the water division. The distribution. >> Yes. >> Ken, can you explain what a top dresser is? >> The top dresser is used when they airate the courts and they drag on and put new
soil down onto the greens. Okay. Thank you. >> Thank you. water there is in capital uh distribution system improvements the infrastructure 289,000 production system hardware that's a
technology expense 300,000 and then uh machinery and equipment of the K Cabota Mini excavator replacing a 2007 model 120,000 and a new Ford F250 replacing a 2011 rolling stock at
100,000 Madam Chair, do you want us to hold questions on these items until >> I think we can let them go through? >> Yeah, I mean I'll do it either way you want, Trace. >> Okay. I mean, I we I'm sure we'll have plenty of questions. >> Okay, great. Totaling 89,000. Recommendation for police cruiser
financing. This is for six new cruisers. The initial leasing, initial investment on FY27 is $118,750. Recommendations for the I'm sorry, Amy. Recommendations for the fire department. Capital expense, fire station location
feasibility study, a capital plan on infrastructure, 50,000 for the study. Payment to the stabilization fund rolling stock 89,000 to replace a 2017 uh vehicle, a new Chevy Tahoe, rolling stock, 85,000.
Replacement on replacement of an engine engine 47 $1 million and then skia cylinders which are the air tanks of the firemen wear machinery and equipment at 75,000 fire capital being $1,299,000.
Next one is recommendations on various departments. I'm not going to go through every single one of these. The Total on all these is going to be $3,722,440. And I'm sure we'll have might have questions on that one. Next one being a recommendation
um for the new library building final design and construction was voted on yesterday. Um the total cost of the project $35,34,000 and a few more hundred. Um,
>> oops. I'm sorry. Thank you, Amy. $35,76,000 with a state contribution of 13,442, leaving a town obligation of 22,263,000 and change to be voted on a town
meeting. We did recommend that. And then another one that we didn't you didn't see in December was funds needed for additional septic facility equisation tank rehab. Um that is 2,800,000 to comp complete that tank rehab at the
um septic system down at the transfer station. And then uh recommendations for Bay Hill Engineering discharge water wastewater effluent discharge planning infrastructure and building at 1,500,000.
That is down from initially when we proposed $2 million. So the next slide is the funding sources. We'll just run through those. Um this is updated one. Thank you. uh the library borrowings bond debt
exclusion the 35,76,000 that also that is without the state aid the fire capitaliz capital capital capital stabilization and ambulance receipts to cover the 1,299,000
free cash for various departments that ties back to that long list at 2,741,000 the golf enterprise fund at 400,000 raise and appropriate for road improvements 1,100,000
and water enterprise fund 809,000 water stabilization fund for a million and a half and the septic tank borrowing at 2,800,000 that's the equalization tank at the transfer station
what am I forgetting So, no, no, that's a great job. We will take any questions on any individual items. Um um but we do want to acknowledge and thank um the town administrator and all the department
heads for their help and assistance this year. We couldn't um do what we do without them. So, thank you so much. Um I have one question about most of these align >> with the list at the end except for the
free cash is 3.7 and the free cash various department only equates to the 2.741. So um I assume that that funding comes from somewhere else that's in that's in that list. So the um >> 1.1 is um roads. So this article is
broke up by the tax levy in free cash. >> So what the comment was the 1.1 for raise and appropriate plus the free cash equals that amount Tracy. So that money >> article 12 which um you'll see on the warrant for $118,750
is also included in that num that number on the slide. That's why it's not a perfect match. >> Okay. Okay. I just need to understand the $1.1 million. When you say raise and appropriate, that's already been raised inappropriate through our budget and
you're just transferring it because I'm I I know you and I have talked about this before and I get confused because we had talked about it being back in our budget. >> Yes. Now, it is being raised and appropriated at the town meeting, but
the um it is a reserve of funds underneath the town's Prop 2 and a half levy limit because of the previous override vote that created that amount. >> Thank you. Thank you for clarifying that. >> Thank you, Bob. >> Okay. So, um, if the board is okay with
it that you want to ask your questions first or we want to go to the public for, um, finance and capital? >> I'm fine going to the public. >> I think we should go to the public first. Is there anybody who has any comments on the FY 2027 budget uh,
that's been presented for capital and um, our the regular budget? I see um, two hands up on Zoom. Hi. I don't know who you brought in. >> Zoom user.
>> Madam Chair, Joe Glenn, >> Joe, >> can you hear me? >> Yes, sir. >> Um, so, uh, for Mr. Simon, well, so are we just talking about capital or we're talking about >> We're talking about the budget and capital budget right now. >> Okay. So, can I, uh, ask Mr. Simon to
come back in or >> Well, you can ask the question and we'll determine who's going to respond. >> Oh, okay. I'm sorry. Um, so my question has to do with was there an analysis uh in regards to the Cape Cod Tech when
you talked about the decrease in the Cape Cod Tech? I assume it's because of the way they're going to be selecting students, but was there an analysis uh of where those students will go? because it does affect the budget um
overall because those students if they don't go to DY and they go to another district um that we still have to uh account for them as a uh potential uh student not necessarily students in the
seats but that is worked into the formula and the other >> I think what he was talking about Joe is these are these are high school students that will age out and and graduate from the Cape Cod Tech program, >> right? But but they won't be replaced um
because the number of seats that will be availed to uh Dennis or to Yarmouth students um won't be available because of the way that they changed the the law on how they're going to uh accept students. That's what I I got for him,
but maybe he can answer that. >> We we'll get to the Cape Cod Tech part. I I guess I understand how it does relate to the to the budget, but we'll have to you'll have to hold that comment until Mr. Dr. Samborn's >> Okay, that's fair enough. Um and uh but
in regards to the um property analysis, um well, I guess I can wait that too. Uh let me just see if I have uh tax rate. um when he mentioned the tax rate being stable um can he explain to the public
how their tax rate is different um than on their property? My fear is that people are getting house poor and their taxes are going up um because their assessment is going up. But if you were saying that the tax rate is stable, it
might be misunderstood by the public. So, I'm wondering if they could explain that. >> Okay, understood. Thank you. I'm sure Bob Bob uh >> can you take that one? >> Sure. the um the tax rate um has
remained stable and um we also have gathered data that um in terms of the average tax bill um Yarmouth is below average for for the Commonwealth and um largely the the tax rate isn't
the most important measure because um as properties increase in value the tax rate goes down. So you could essentially be spending more money and the tax rate could still go down. So, you know, we really try to look at the and um we we
had when we had our budget workshop, we we showed the, you know, last 10 years of the amount of money that the town raises in property taxes and um it it is a very slow growing stable resource and
but but I I would underscore I think the context of the comments is that you have to be very careful and and I think that that's the most carefully managed part of our our overall budget is the conservative stance that this board and this town has had towards um managing
the level of the property tax. Um it it is something that with the community does that does not have high income. Um you know we try to manage that carefully. And so you know we've had slower growth in our tax um resources
than a lot of our neighboring communities but it but it's still you know that's it's an ongoing concern that will um permanently have as a feature in in the conservative budget making. >> Joe does that answer your question? >> Yes it does. Thank you very much.
>> Okay. Great. Uh Tom, go ahead. Tom appears his audio is not configured. He doesn't have a microphone icon. >> Oh, okay. We can't hear you, Tom. Tom, is there any way that you can get a microphone? And uh um I'm going to go to
the see if there's anybody else in the public here, but we can certainly come back to you. Unfortunately, we can't hear you. All right. Is there anybody else in the public who has any comments on capital or the the operating budget for FY2027?
All right. The board Liz. >> Yeah. I um thank you. >> Thank you. >> Great work. >> Uh I just um had a question regarding um the the
trucks that are being replaced. Can you can you in um inform me if for instance on the Ford F250? >> Um what kind of is it a hybrid or is it
>> the on the F250? Yeah, for the water department I believe that one was for I do not believe that is a hybrid. >> Okay. All right. And then the other one was the um the Chevy Tahoe. That's for the fire station.
>> Yeah. I also do not believe that's a >> sometimes those are need not to be but right but certainly in the case of the water department I'm surprised we're not going hybrid on that one. Um and then there's a a Ford F450 stake body. >> That's a utility body truck. That's
definitely not a hybrid. Most of the trucks that are being purchased for the departments, >> the size of them, they're all being bought with plow equipment. Tough to be a hybrid if you're plowing, too. So, >> um in in
in the case of the water um division, what I'm looking at is well, before I go on to that, Sure. Why did the water wastewater effluent discharge plant the um the um the the effluent
>> um discharge at Bay Hills? Why did that go down? That's wonderful. >> The It's wonderful news. Yeah, the engineering cost went down and the construction cost, >> you know, I can't answer specifically why, but I can tell you that what was initially proposed at 2 million and what
came in at one and a half. >> I think Jeff's coming to the >> Maybe Jeff can answer that question. Here he comes. >> There he is. >> We're continually refining that number to try to final design and we feel comfortable
that we get the final design. >> Fabulous. >> Gotcha. Thank you, Jeff. And then my last question regarding the individual items is the library um that number
>> can you just because the grant where does this number coming from? >> I don't know if the library committee is in the room if they want. >> Thanks. So the um the library building committee will come before um the board um at our next meeting. But they were
able to >> um they were able to um get two independent estimates. >> Okay. >> Um as part of the project and they were able to reconcile those two numbers. >> Oh, closer. Okay.
um they were able to get two independent audits >> estimates >> estimates of the project and then reconcile those estimates. So that this is um the reconciliation of those. >> Okay. So this isn't a final number. It's a >> it's very the beginning of of looking at
what it might cost. >> It's very close to the final number that we put on the warrant um for annual town meeting. >> Okay. And so well they're going to inform us as to where they are. Okay. I'm looking forward to hearing about how that number came up to be. >> We've done it both ways, Liz. It's it's
it's a little bit of a of a gamble. We've we've gotten the bids in hand first and then went to town meeting with a solid number, but that's only, you know, good for a a period of time. You know, they don't hold it for very long. So, in this case, probably. So, best
case estimates, they still have to go to bid and uh fit within this after the money's available. >> Thank you for that, Tracy. That's very nice. >> Can you hear me, Madam Chair? >> Oh, there's Tom. >> Yes. Thank you very much. >> Tom, just hold off. I'm gonna let Liz
finish her questions first. We'll get back to you. I'm glad we can hear you, though. >> So, I'm all in all um I'm I'm um thinking about the local comprehensive plan. Kathy's here. Yay, Kathy. And the
um mitigation plan. Yay, Kathy. And I'm I'm looking at the letter that was the memorandum from Sandy Fe as the capital budget committee chair to Tracy as the arm of select board chair. And I'm I'm I'm hoping that um I the energy efforts
that are outlined in the local comprehensive plan and the mitigation plan and by our new our energy committee and climate mitigation committee. I'd like to I'm hoping that that will in the future be more a part of this planning
process because it's clearly absent. Um now um and this the building assessment for instance there's so much that I'm I'm I would I'm a little perturbed to see that we're looking at a new boiler for one of the schools but we're not
that's not that's kind of like still going backwards. We need to be looking forwards to what we can do to get these facilities into the the the the era that we're in with energy and energy conservation and not just kind of the
fixing things with old technology. So that's that's my pitch that that we bring somehow the energy committee in or I know we don't have an energy manager anymore um but I'm hoping that we can
somehow have that kind of dialogue with the right people so that we are including um the local comprehensive plan outlines in in the future CIP projections. Thank you. That's my tirade. Thanks. No,
we appreciate those comments. Thank you. >> Thank you. Yeah. >> Okay, Tom, let's take Tom first. >> Okay, Tom. >> Yes. Yes. Thank you, Madam Chair, and sorry for the technical difficulties, but as you know, that's what happened. So, uh first of all, I'd like to thank the finance committee and the capital
budget committee. They've done yman's work. Um outpouring uh effort and and timelessness, uh dedication. Uh, with that, my my question is for the the capital improvement. Uh, under the um miscellaneous
uh I was wondering you you have uh $250,000 for the uh storm water. Is that just an allocated amount or is that something that's requested? >> That that is an allocated amount, Tom. >> Oh, it's requested by the DPW.
>> It's requested by DPW as an allocated amount though, Sandy. >> Right. So, is that allocation gone up or down in in a number of years? >> It's >> Go ahead, Senator. >> It's usually 250,000, but I think Jeff
can speak exactly to where that how how that money is allocated. >> It's gone up slightly, Tom, in the last couple years, but it's been 250, I think, now the this will be the third straight year, >> right? No, I I I definitely appreciate
that. I mean, we have uh, you know, a laundry list of storm water issues, and I know the department is doing the best it can, and I'm just trying to see if there's any consideration to kind of move that number up a little bit. So,
some of this work that's been lacking for 20, 15 years, uh, can actually get done. Uh, our town engineer is doing a great job. It's nice to have one. And I remember when we did when we didn't have one and everything just kept on backing up. Uh you know, we have our environment
which we're talking about. We're talking sea level rise and our storm water management uh plan is a good one. It just needs to have a little bit more financial boost. uh we have reoccurring problems over and over again in our neighborhoods and it's
just I you know I appreciate all the hard work that's going into it and and the great work that you've done but I just think it needs a little bit more money. Thank you. >> Thank you Tom. Jeff would you like to >> thank you for the question >> Jeff Colby public works director at 250
is about three years and uh we'd certainly be happy to have more but I know there's just some tough financial decisions that need to be made by the the town. Uh but certainly 250 goes uh uh gets us about five or six full storm water installations. We we certainly have a long list that could you know use
more but we also look at using chapter 90 as a supplement to that. >> Thank you Jeff. >> Thanks Jeff. >> Thank you for the question Tom. Okay. Uh Joyce. Oh thank you. >> Um just following up on Liz's question
about the wastewater effluent discharge planning. Um, I just wanted to get clear in my head that million and a half is not just for engineering and design. That's finishes the project. >> Jeeoff, you want to touch on that?
>> No, I don't believe it does. >> Might as well stay there, Jeff. >> Yeah, >> I just wanted to wait till he was seated. >> Yeah. No, I get it. >> Uh, could you repeat that question again? Oh. Um, my my question was about the wastewater effluent discharge
planning uh for Bbury. Um, the million and a half for this coming year. Does that is that just engineering and design or does that fulfill the project? >> It will be just engineering design. It'll get us to the bid point for that
project. Uh, we do expect that project currently is the estimate is about $30 million to construct it. >> Okay. Thank you. And then my one other question. Um I love to walk around. Um
the 200,000 in sidewalk improvements. Do we know where that will be? >> Yeah. >> Typically that's for ADA upgrades. That's not extensively new sidewalks, but uh we have a lot of issues with
transitions and curb cuts uh that need to be upgraded. So it typically would be applied to those locations. doesn't go far. >> No. And it doesn't go far, right? >> Okay. Thank you. Those are my only questions. >> Yeah. Good questions. Durgus, >> I just want to thank um both the finance
committee and the capital budget committee. I know there's an awful lot of work that went into uh planning this. So, you can see all that work and um I have no questions for you. Thank you, >> Mark. >> Um the uh the library number, we're
going to have a separate discussion on the library >> next week. >> Very good. then I'll hold off on those questions until next week. >> Thank you though. >> Thank you, Mark. >> Great. >> Week after next, actually. >> Great. Um, thank you very much again for all your hard work. Uh, we've seen this
before for the most part. It's uh, you know, my questions are holistic in uh, nature, not specific to this. So, we have to I think the schools um you know and
um where we're at with an override, how we're funding some of these things long term. I mean, it is unfortunate a lot of it gets cut based on what we have and I I really do appreciate that. Um you know, so we're looking at, you know, the
waist the infrastructure is 30 million. So hopefully that that can be funded through uh offsets for wastewater. Um but you know I see the library on here. I see Cape Tech. I see the Dennis Arma
schools. Um I see a ballot that could be potentially disastrous >> unfortunately. Um so I think we need to be careful about timing of of these projects and when they hit the ballot. I know as far as the library goes, we have the the grant
funding, which is a time-sensitive thing. Um, but you know, I've I guess done this long enough that when you put multiple things on there, it's it gets very overwhelming and people, you know, sometimes they all
fail, unfortunately. So, um, that's it. Nothing really specific. I know, uh, we've seen most of this before. I just I'm just concerned with the overall um you know where where we're going to be at at the ballot. >> Absolutely. We agree. >> Yeah, >> there's a lot coming at us from a lot of
different places and there's a lot of money being spent. So, we just got to all be sensitive to that fact. So, thank you. >> No, thank you. Thank you all. Um we're going to uh I don't know if you want to stay if we're going to have a wrap-up discussion at the end. I don't know. But, um we're going to move on to the to
the schools now and see see how we >> I just want to say thank you to the department heads. The this is my fourth year on the committee and every year has gotten better and better and the support from Bob and Amy has been fantastic. This is my last meeting with capital
budget. So, I know. So, I did want to pass on a thank you to Sandy because she has done an amazing job with capital budget >> and Sandy has watched the the um I guess the evolution of um of what we've been through in our in our community coming
up with a a plan, an implementation, a rating system, all of the all of the infrastructure that you need to be able to do your job, which is uh certainly evolved over the years and we're very appreci 10 Yeah. >> Wow. >> Yeah. Well, we thank you very much for
your service, Ken, and I I appreciate I appreciate all that everybody does. >> Yeah. >> With that, we will have Dr. Sambour next. >> Nice job. >> Good evening. >> Good evening.
>> Good evening. >> So, >> Bob, you said this was going to happen. >> Did I? >> I think so. Did I say that? >> I think a couple years ago. >> Yeah, I've I've provided savings for several years in a row, I believe. But I know >> I'm not here doing that this evening and I apologize for that. >> No, that's Hey, listen. It's uh this is
one of those situations where um you know there are students we need to fund them and uh it's just the way that the cookie crumbles. I think you know in your situation having a new school compiles our number because the debt what people don't understand is the debt
is also split by the student population >> by enrollment percentage. >> So um you know that's a brand new building. We're at the probably the peak of paying for it and we have a higher percentage of students by 30 uh next year. So that percentage of debt also
falls to us. So >> we do have a declining debt schedule but that doesn't help in this particular fiscal year. >> But anyway, >> take it away, sir. Thank you for being here. >> I will touch on that question. >> Great. >> As I as I go. >> Yeah, I I actually was thinking about that when Richard was talking about it
because we have to have an override for a four-year scenario, >> right? So unfortunate and then that money is on the tax rate forever. >> So um yeah, it's interesting how you can think if there's any other options for
that, but I guess it's uh it's the way it is. >> Thank you, sir. >> Thank you. >> So I'm here to uh present the FY27 I point. There we go. Uh budget for Cape Cod Regional Technical High School along with a few other things. Um the work
started back before April uh with my business manager uh Erin Orcut who meets with all the department heads and staff uh throughout the school to decide to to set an initial uh budget and uh that initial budget went to this uh finance
subcommittee um which Norm Misho, Dr. Misho serves uh from the town of Yarmouth on that on that subcommittee and our work uh completed uh in in February. Um, and that's the budget we're presenting, uh, that I'm presenting this evening.
So, uh, enrollment is a big part of this discussion. Um, and as you see, uh, Cape Cod Tech is up 22 students, uh, in total. However, uh, the town of Yarmouth is up, uh, 31 students. Um, so, uh, to
talk to the point that was the question was asked, uh, but by the public. Um, so there's 57, I believe, students in uh the the freshman class this year that are going on to become sophomores. Um, and that is a very very much a high
water mark for the amount of students we took. Um, so I think you're all aware that the state mandated a lottery for us for admissions. Um, the uh I'm a big believer in merit uh but they felt merit had no merit. So, uh, we are now going
to have a lad lottery. Um, and that lottery is pretty darn confusing. Um, so we have a weighted lottery this year, uh, for freshmen. We will be conducting the lottery next week, uh, Tuesday, uh, St. St. Patrick's Day, as a matter of
fact. Um, and we will be doing that, uh, at 9:00, um, in my office, um, where a third party will press a button and our student information system will generate 471 numbers. um uh from weighted lottery and it's weighted because every
applicant there's no more grading but you get a weight if you fill out an application. You don't have more than 27 absences in 270 days and you um have uh you don't have severe discipline on your record.
Um and you and and you have uh sat for an interview. severe like very severe >> fatality of a faculty member or something. >> Yeah, but it's got to be on our property. That's not even a joke. Um, so this was
devised by people uh up at Beacon Hill. So I would refer all questions to them why this system is in place. Um, however, >> tell us how you really feel, Bob. I like >> uh, you know, there's been a lot of golf talk today. I'm on the back nine, so I can say some things. Let it roll. That's
how I feel. >> So, um, where was I? Oh, and the last is an interview. The interview's not scored, but if you sit for the interview, there's your four weights and and then back to the pressing of the button on Tuesday. Um and uh so we also our school committee voted on a
portionment as a part of this because there was a worry that a lottery would disenfranchise small towns uh like Truro, Wellfleet, Province Town so that they would at least have one, two or three students in our school, you know, with the vagaries of a of of picking
numbers. So um that has led to basically a quota for each town based upon this year's in this case this year's application percentage. >> Pick this year. >> Pardon me. >> Had to pick this year. >> Yeah.
Um so keep in mind that the lottery isn't impacting this number. That was that's a that's a last year issue. Um, actually the lottery I think will help. And I think that's to the point that Richard uh was making a bit that you're going to be capped at 37 students next
year. So we already know that your freshman class next year is 37. Uh I think we have a similar number in our senior class that will walk out the door. So in in quickly looking at it, I don't see an appreciable increase next year for that for that reason. Um because because of the cap, because of
the aortionment. So in the case of Yarmouth that's helping uh next year's issues. >> Does that answer the question from the public? Do does everybody feel? >> I think so. >> Okay. So it kind of stabilizes it in moving forward and once that 57 goes away which I think was another point
that was made and that's going to take a couple of years. Um although if you have a huge spike in applications from Yarmouth, remember it's on applications percentage. So that the quota changes every year. So, but we know next year's is 37. >> But technically, how does that work with
an override because the override is for the tax specifically? Um, are we allowed to reduce that budget and not expend it if if the budget doesn't come into that to that number? How does I mean I know >> so the override is for this year's
budget? Correct. >> But I'm talking about in the future should should our aortionment go down, >> right? >> How how does that work? that money is >> from an override standpoint. I have no idea. >> Just just general >> I'm just wondering I can explain that
the um in in a case where um the budget is far in excess of the override amount um it would not cause a change in our operations. We would simply need to reserve minimum of that amount for the override
for that purpose. So >> I'm talking the other way around, Bob. I'm talking I'm talking about we pass an override this year to fund the school. And I know you haven't done your presentation yet, but this is >> that's okay. >> Um we pass an override this year to fund the school at a certain level. Four
years from now, right, our student population, our percentage of the budget reduces, that tax levy is still on >> the taxes forever. Well, first of all, in in future years,
you don't need to spend it on on one certain item, but um >> so you're saying if we get an override for the Cape Cod Tech now, we're for we forever have that that funding. you you what you have is the the levy capacity if if needed to raise that amount of
dollars on on the taxes and unless you actually withdraw from the tech school you'll always be spending >> I'm not trying to I'm not trying I'm not going in that direction I'm just I'm just wondering how that funding that mechanism to to raise the taxes to pay
for our students at Cape Cod Tech four years from now when those students aren't there anymore or just I'm I'm hypothetic. >> We use the money for something else. >> Well, or or you don't you don't need to raise it. It it it's not creating money. All it does is it raises the the town's
legal levy capacity, right? A lot of town. You don't have to use it. A lot of towns don't. We're just we don't know much else because we're perennially right up at >> Would we be able to do an underride then for that particular budget
>> to a lot of what a lot of communities do is um you don't do an underride because then that just forces you back the next year for an override if you have levy capacity that you don't need because costs are going down. You don't raise up
to your absolute 100% levy limit. We just don't have any experience with that because I don't think >> it never goes down. >> I've never been at a situation where they didn't need that. >> I just think I just think for transparency from from a perspective of somebody who's voting for that is going
on your taxes. I would think that, you know, it would have to be for the Cape Cod Tech budget and how that just works in over time if it just goes into the regular budget and then if we don't have to expend it like you said. But um that's
>> just because Richard said their budget's going down. I'm not 100% sure that's >> No, I I I understand. But hypothetically, it could happen. I mean, it could four years from now, we could have only, you know, a fraction of the
students there in our budgets. Uh but we're still paying the taxes on the higher number is what my point is. Okay. Sorry, Bob. >> We'll spend it on something important. >> That's okay. >> I want to spend it on what the taxpayers are believing that they're voting for. That's my problem. is that if we're good
if we're if we're bringing it to them and we're saying that this is to fund the tech school, then that's what I want that funding to go to. So when in in the situation down the road when we're not, then I feel like they shouldn't have to spend that money anymore. That's my personal opinion. Makes >> sense. >> Although the tech school will be very
different with the new admissions. So it's like there's going to be >> we don't know what would happen. I'm just I'm just talking out loud. Sorry. >> One one thing I would add to this and Bob can correct me. um is that I do know this is from our end. If twothirds of of the towns approve our budget and the
assessments associated with that budget, the t the the additional towns, luckily we've always had uh unonymity. Um but that's just something that the public should know that that you'd still be on the hook unbelie unfortunately. Okay, >> that's interesting too.
>> So um that's the enrollment picture. Um and uh this just uh shows the percentages of all the 12 towns as they stand today with Yarmouth increasing I I want to say about two percentage points and another slide shows that this is a look at our enrollment since
FY19. Um and you can see we've had uh pretty good growth uh over a 100 uh plus students 130 plus students o over the last several years. Um and I I I the Newton school is part of that. Uh Renaissance and vocational technical
education and uh the cost of college education I think are all coming together to uh make vocational technical education pretty popular these days. Um so uh that's our enrollment and uh growth over the last several years keeping in mind that the new school was
uh six years old now and that it was built for 650 students. >> Oh boy. Uh this is just a a history of the enrollment. Um obviously uh at a high water mark for Yarmouth because of that 31 uh growth, but it was 137 back in 21.
Um it did get up to about 149 in 24. Uh but obviously in so you you're quite stable there for a while um until this fiscal year. So, I'm presenting a 4 and a half% increase uh over FY26.
Uh I think I hope you'll think that we've been good stewards of the taxpayers money over the many years. If you look at the history of our budget increases, um we are starting to revert back to the norm. Hopefully, we can get back to the twos and three days. I'm hoping to get back there. Um but those
have been very difficult to get to in the last several budget cycles. So the money where the money is coming from it's primarily from the 12 towns um because uh state aid um we did benefit from the student opportunity act in its
first two years. Um but since then we've been at getting the minimum currently the minimum is $75 a student for this for FY27. Um so uh that state is comprised of chapter 70 as well as chapter 71 uh transportation reimbursement and we are devoting a
small portion of our of um facility rental and interest income. that's what the local revenue is comprised of. But assessments are overwhelmingly from the 12 towns that the the revenue source uh for our budget and that has been historically um the chapter 70 and
chapter 71 don't really get over the old bridge and I don't think they're going to get over the new bridge. So um >> nobody's going to get over that bridge >> usually. So uh this is just a history of those those revenue sources. Um you see that we did devote um in the early years of
the debt schedule we tried to be cognizant of assessments um and we devoted more of our excess and deficiency in that local revenue column but we did have to taper that back in the in the last couple years um hoping that we can revert back a little bit
more as we build END back up. >> What is your END balance? >> It's about 419,000. It's not certified yet. 25. >> Um, >> and are you using any END to offset other than the no the 120s from other funds, but nothing from END?
>> Yeah, we're not touching END this year. >> Uh, this is just a graph of the same of the same um showing the operating budget increase. Um, state aid remain remaining pretty stable. Uh, local revenue dipping a bit and assessments uh going up pretty
much commensurate with the operating budget or higher. So looking at um some of the areas of the budget, salaries are um this is now as a percentage of the overall budget from 26 to 27. Uh salaries as an overall percentage of the budget did go down
slightly. Um benefits uh did not uh we did get good uh news on the uh health insurance front, but still an 8% increase. So uh those continue to uh rise as an overall percentage of the budget. materials and services, um,
inflation, um, and the materials for our 15 different programs. Uh, if you've tried to buy, uh, lumber, if you've tried to buy copper, if you tried to buy steel, um, those are some of the things that are invol involved with our our programming. Um, so materials and
services continue to to rise uh, at a uh, good clip and become a higher percentage of our overall budget. Um, transportation is down and that is because we have a fixed contract. Um and we you absorbed we did the the district
absorbed a 19% increase in transportation last year which was year one of the new fixed contract for five years. So transportation will be stable now for the next uh several years. Um, one thing, um, you may have read about
in the paper about a year or two ago, Cape Destinations is our bus company and they got a grant for 10 electric buses and, um, we are they they are starting to infuse those into the routes in uh, in the in the here in the second year of
the contract. Um, but they've been held back because we're also putting a a PV solar canopy over the bus compound in the back leftand side of our property. So, um once that's done, they will be able to >> Well, I hope you're being kept in the loop on the mass DOT project, uh the
situation that we have at the Bass River Bridge with weight restrictions because um electric buses will uh be uh banned from the from the Route Six bridge. >> The Route Six bridge. Okay, very good. But we don't go over the bridge unless it's a
>> Gas ones are fine, but apparently the the the electric buses are too heavy. >> Too heavy. Okay. >> But just fill them with skinny kids and it might work out. >> Yes. Yeah. Well, we have a wellness program, so they're very light now. So, >> um Bob, I have one question. You said
that you got good news uh for the health insurance. Is that reflected in what we see here? >> That's correct. >> Okay. >> Y >> Okay. Um I talked about um utilities is is pretty stable and next year uh if that canopy is up and running um we hope
to see that uh go down uh a good amount because it when it's at full tilt we're supposed to get about 40% of our electricity. That's doesn't mean we're not paying for that 40%. We're in a power purchase agreement at about uh around 11 and 11.9 cents per kilowatt
hour for that 40% of our electricity starting starting hopefully in July. um insurance, that's the general insuranceances. Uh they're going up uh at quite a clip. They're a small part of our overall budget, but going up as a percentage of the budget a bit. And
that's primarily due to property and liability and wind in particular. >> We got introduced to a new concept this year, deduction buy down insurance. So the deductible buy down insurance. Our deductible was so high we had to get insurance for our deductible.
>> Oh jeez. So um and we have excellent experience with uh with that. Um so uh we are beginning to increase our capital uh uh as you can see from 471 to 525. Those are the last four line items in
the line item budget you have um for new equipment, replacement equipment, technology and uh building improvement. >> Bless you. Excuse me. >> So that's that. This is just the uh percentages of um for example the highest percentage uh of the budget as
we go into a wider uh smaller categories. Teacher salaries being the highest. They're the second most important people in our building after our students. Um and that is reflective of a 3.25% cola in our collective bargain agreement for the teachers. >> What was the percentage?
>> 3.25. >> How many years? >> It's a three-year contract. We were at two and a half 3.25 25 3.25 that's 25 26 and 27. So this budget is reflecting the last year of a three-year contract. So
we'll be going back into negotiations in in the next fiscal year. Uh we have four unions um for uh par profofessionals, teachers, uh maintenance, custodial and food service. Um, one thing I think which you know
this from DY and as a regional school, but $1.7 million of our budget is devoted to people who don't work at our school anymore. that's retiree benefits, um health insurance primarily, um but also the Barnstable County assessment
and also our our um contribution to OPED, other postemployment benefits, which I'll get into, but it's just uh something that bears repeating because it begins continues to erode the overall budget. However, I have a firm commitment to our retirees.
Um uh this is that uh this is the budget. Um a little a little wider uh smaller uh p um sorry areas of the budget but um those are the same areas I just showed in the last slide. Um so uh I'm going to
go on and this is uh you see salaries up two and a 2.4% overall. That's because of comingings and goings uh that that 2. There's also a uh budget cut of one science teacher in this budget uh which
uh helped with um getting down to 2.4. But as we talked about benefits and materials and services um utilities and heating to a lesser extent and uh general insurance uh driving uh the overall increase uh higher uh to the
4.51 I'm presenting tonight. Um this is just uh salary and benefits. You know this is a people business 78.4 Ford's actually down a little bit of a percentage uh point uh or sorry it's up by about.3% salaries and benefits that's
being driven mostly by benefits. Um and same with materials and services um uh percentages of the overall budget. So I'm moving on to the capital debt. Um but I would stop there to take any questions from on the operating um
>> anybody have any questions? Wow. >> Um, so this is the uh debt schedule. We're actually in year eight, I believe, um, of a declining debt schedule, um, at 3.32%. Um, so that's the overall debt for this
year payment, bond payment. Uh, but for Yarmouth, it's uh, the bottom number there, 1.309 for capital uh, 701. and then the uh number for the operating at 3.4
37185 and then put those two together for an overall assessment for the town of Armouth at 4746886. Final uh thing was OPE I said that 1.7 million uh is is devoted to retirees in
one way or another. Um but we uh our finance subcommittee came up with a plan to deal with other post-employment benefits several years ago. We joined the Plymouth County OPED Trust and we have been contributing to it ever since and we had a a ramping up of st starting
at about 50,000 75 got up to 300,000 before the uh we had a contribution every year of 300 and it was supposed to stay that way. We did have to scale it back the last couple fiscal years because of uh budget constraints, but you can see that we have brought it back
up to 225 and hope to get it back to 300 next year if we're able to do that. Our SK and the reason we can do that is that three three and a half million is well ahead of the schedule the the 28-year plan of the finance subcommittee to uh to fully fund uh health insurance or
OPED sorry other post-employment benefits. So, uh, we felt we could scale it back, but we do need to start ramping it up again. Um, and part of that plan is taking the Barnstable County assessment when it sunsets and and and having that join that money join this
money to really accelerate getting to a fully funded OPED account. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. Thank you. >> Bob, can you or um maybe Miss Mullen can talk specifically about the 4.746
assessment this year, what we've budgeted um and the uh delta, >> you want to jump in, Jen, >> I can give you an approximate number of like 700,000. That would be the difference. I don't have the exact number in front of me. I haven't
incorporated Cape Tech into the budget just yet. I mean, I've been following the numbers, but it's it's about 700. >> So, we've we've been noticed that the 4.4 4.746886 is our number.
>> Yes. Um, and I incorporated 2 and a half% into the budget. So, the difference is about like the override amount would be I think it's 700 or a little less. I don't have the specific number with me right now. >> Just under 700.
>> Okay. Okay. Thank you, Jennifer. All right. Let us go to the public. I see Joe has his hand up. >> Hi, Joe. >> Good evening. Good evening, Mr. Samborn. Uh, I just wanted to clarify because you
guys don't want to be stuck in my head answering questions for me, but um where I was going with the enrollment um is was more of an overall budget question. Um, so I'm going to save that.
But, um, it it it uh with Mr. Sambborn. Um I I was going with the fact that that there's a there's a value in the Cape Cod Tech and my concern was that those
students because of that nonmeritbased situation students from Yarmouth that could have the value of a Cape Cod Tech education because of that renaissance because they wanted uh they're they're putting out a
great product. um under the toutelage of Dr. Sambourne um that that we're losing out. Yarmouth is losing out because some good merit-based student isn't able to go to Cape Cod Tech. And where I'm going
for it and the overall budget is those 30 students say um now come back under that enrollment formula and if they go somewhere else, they're they're a cost to our budget. Um whereas now because they're in the uh and correct me if I'm
wrong Mr. Samborn but if a Yarmouth student goes then they're not under the Dennis Yarmouth uh like they would be at a at a choice at charter situation if they're going to Cape Cod Tech um they're counted by this assessment and
and not on the potential enrollment uh to DU. Correct. >> Correct. >> Correct. >> Okay. And uh and the uh other question I have is more rhetorical. I think I know the answer to it, but um on
transportation cost um is there some kind of sliding scale? In other words, a student from Haritch, obviously you're not spending gas money to get the student from Haritch to Haritch. Um but you are from Ptown to to Haritch. um and
less from Yarmouth uh as opposed to Ptown. But there's no pro uh pr-rated discount. It's just all thrown into the transportation budget and and split evenly to the to the total amount of students. Correct. >> Yeah. It's it's enrollment based just
like you said. >> Yeah. Okay. Thank you very much. you do a great job and uh um I I think it's a a loss uh that the the merit-based system because we didn't have representation fighting for you um and knowing what you
do um you know the students uh Yarmouth is actually losing by not having kids in in there their parents um because that there's a need in our community uh for the vocational education um and that's
reflective in that uh uh renaissance that you talked about, but thank you very much for all you do. >> Thank you, Joe. >> Thank you, Joe. Um I will say that we did fight it as hard as we possibly could um through our MAVA, which is our professional organization, Mass
Association of Vocational Administrators along with our legislators. Um but it was an uphill battle with DEESSE and uh quite frankly the administration. Okay, Chris. Chris, can you unmute yourself, please? There you go.
>> This is Christine Greley, who's I'm actually one of the members of the uh school committee um representing the town of Yarmouth. And I want to just say that the presentation that you've just seen by Dr. Sanborn really is the kind
of presentation that takes place with the school committee on a monthly basis with the work that Aaron Art does and that he does. And just uh the administration is amazing in terms of penny pinching to tell you the truth to
really make sure that these dollars are spent appropriately for the types of education these kids want. And I think it should be mentioned the fact that our students, our MCCAST results for technical school in particular, outweighed academic schools um in Cape
Cod and that our students are award-winning in their in their trades and national contests and things like that. So that basically every penny spent um at tech is very very strongly
accounted for and secondly that it is providing an absolutely incredible education to our students who are going on to work here in the community quite often. Um, I recently had a problem with
my heating system in my home and I had two students who were graduates of Upper Cape Tech and Cape Tech come and literally fix it immediately, which something which I'm afraid a PhD philosopher wouldn't have done for me
that day. So, uh, I just want to commend um, um, Dr. Sanborn and the staff for the work that does been has been going on continuously at the school district to make sure that Yarmouth is getting the best value for its dollars for its
students and I thank you. >> Thank you Chris. Is there anybody here in the public that would like to speak about the Cape Cod Tech budget? >> Okay. Anybody on the board have any questions? >> No, I would just say thank you so much
Dr. Sanborn. So very inspiring to to that that that that so much of our kids children population are going in that direction and I I totally get why >> I'm still getting my mind around the difference that it's going to make in
your school culture with the different admissions policy and this is only indirectly a financial question but do you think your projections of students staying there for four years will continue on the same plane with the new
admission system. >> That's an interesting question. >> I am hopeful that um students who may not have been able to get into our school but get the opportunity sees that opportunity and that we don't see what
you're potentially inferring that um we will see dips in enrollment or um or performance. Um I I I have a lot of faith in our staff and Joe Joe said under my toutelage. No, it's under our teachers toutelage my and all the great
people at our school uh that I take credit for that. But um it's it's their work that's making some quite frankly miracles happen in some cases um with with students. So um I think we can continue to do that.
>> Okay. Thank you. >> Said I was hopeful. I'd just like to thank you and your staff for the great work done. Uh it's just a a credit to you showing that we had such an significant increase in students wanting to go to your school
this year. So, thank you. >> Thank you, >> Mark. >> Hi, uh Bob. Thanks for being here tonight. Uh once again, a great job as always. Much appreciated. Um I'm I I would like to ask you a little bit about this whole enrollment uh in in the
formula and how it works. Um how many students are likely to be left out of of getting into >> sizable amount. Um we had 471 applications for 190 spots. >> So that's about 100 200 plus.
>> Now I'm assuming >> some of the some of those kids may never come ne they weren't going to come. they may have had multiple applications out there and made other decisions. So, it's it's not simply doing the doing the subtraction, but um I would say 150
student conser is a conservative estimate of students >> 150 students >> not being able to >> not being able to get in. Now, wouldn't that speak to a push for expanded help >> and assistance to our voca? I mean, to me, that's the direction you would think
we would be going in. and they um we did have an application in to uh start two new programs in environmental technology and veterinary technology. Um uh I am uh just recently been informed we did not get that grant. So
>> I'm I'm just blown away by this. I mean here it is. We've we've put a ballot question put more money in education. This is an area where the interest is >> Yeah. There's a lot of compet lot of competing uh interest across the state. you know, we're competing across the state for >> I remember there was a time when we
didn't have waiting lists. That's correct. At at at these schools, >> I've been there since 1994. So I remember when it was 400 kids. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. And so I'm I'm just sort of shocked that >> you can't be a day over 30, Bob. How can you how can that happen?
>> There you go. No, I think I I I just feel bad. It must be incredibly frustrating knowing that you have programs and services >> um that are in need and not being able to sort of fill that need due to due to some but budget and fiscal pile policies
that just don't make sense. >> Y >> so I but again I I I agree with the other members of the board here. You do a wonderful job at the school. Uh we're glad to see that Yarmouth is taking full advantage of Cape Tech and um and again the budget presentations are always
terrific. you do you're you're one of the best in terms of doing budget presentations both in terms of just the thoroughess of the work that you do but also in the presentation itself. These are the most well produced well-prepared welldone uh presentations that we we
generally see. So thank you for all the good work that goes into that. Thank you Mark. You're welcome. I have I have two questions um that wasn't in here and um I think everybody knows the cost of uh educating a at at a technical school is more but do you know what your cost per
pupil is for next >> heard about 26 >> 26 >> the microphone please Richard people can't hear you >> Richard Simon uh finance committee chair. The other interesting part is if
you look at the u cost per student because of the way the formulas work uh Yarmouth actually has a lower uh mandatory contribution than the other Cape Towns and so we're actually one of the lowest cost of all of the towns.
>> Interesting. Thank you, Richard. So, about 26,000 >> when that's all in. That's all in like gut budget, grant grants and all that. >> Okay. My other question is um you said that the school was built for 650 and now we're up to 703. What how do you I
mean I know you're trying to get as many people in there, but what I mean it went up, you know, we've been increasing. We went 662, 681, 703. How is that based on the number of people that met the met merit criteria that you wanted to take
or at what level do you stop? >> It's um there's there's several limitations. Uh square footage for shops is one. You know that you can only put so many kids in a in a certain amount of square footage. Um for example, HVAC is a super popular program. Much more kids
want it than can get into it, but the space is just small. Um, and it was just the dees square footage regulations when we were building the building for 650. You have to once you're agreeing on enrollment, you design the school for the for the 650. Um, keep in mind that was a time when everybody was talking
about there's no kids on Cape Cod. >> Uh, so you know, I was even believing it to but it's obviously changed uh for us. Um but um the square footage of shops is student teacher ratios uh in the shops certainly you know we'd have to hire
additional staff a couple shops we could do that because the space is a little bigger. Our schedule would have to be fully redesigned at some point. So when I say it's built for 650 they think of that's like 85% utilization of the property of the of the school. That's
the way the MSBA does it. So there is some room as so at 703 we're not running into each other. Okay. >> Um but there will be I would think say at about seven really in about 25 to 30 more kids we're going to have to make some major changes
to our schedule which we'd rather not make. Um and uh have to do some more hiring uh as well in the in the shops that can absorb more kids if there was additional staffing. So, is that your ability is the diversification of the shops that they're put into or I mean
because I know that you used to take them based on the shop, but now it's different, right? You have they all they they shadow all the shops and then they pick. So, how do you know when you take them in how that works? They only get placed into the shops where there's room. >> Yeah, we you don't know what they want.
They will say what they want, but then they go through exploratory and many of them change their minds completely by looking at all the programs and that's been along around for a long time. So we we don't we don't accept on like the amount of electrical students because there's a whole exploratory process kids
go through in freshman year to determine what they're going to study for the next three and a half years. >> Okay. It's just interesting to see it >> Yeah. >> in keep increasing. >> Yeah. >> Okay. I don't have any other questions.
Thank you very much, Bob, for for everything and for >> your presentation and the work that you do. Yeah. >> I hope your back nine's slow. >> Was the uh was that Harsh Partel from Little League 27y old Harsh Patel? >> That's fantastic, >> isn't it? He was he was on my little
league team. >> I know. >> He was a good left-handed pitcher. >> You were in the maroon. You were um >> Hold on. How come I can't think of it? >> Angels and then the uh Astros. >> Astros. You were the Astros. Tom DS. >> Exactly. >> Joe J was uh the A's.
>> Don't get me started on that. Thank I know people don't know he was really into baseball. >> Really? Oh yeah. He he >> worked those kids and I had a winning team every year. >> Those are the good old days. >> Can we do a stretch for two minutes?
>> Do you want to do some calisthenics or what kind of I mean just independently or as a group or what do we want to do? >> As a group. Let's go for it. Well, um, >> do you mind if we take a quick >> stretch >> second for people to move around?
>> It's your meeting. >> All right. We're going to be in a very brief recess. We're going to take just three minutes, please. I'd like to I'd like to talk I definitely want to get into the background. Thank you. Perfect to pull it up, too. Same page.
>> All right. Thank you. We are ready to roll. Thank you for entertaining us during that uh brief admission folks. We're back in session here and we have the uh school Dennis Chararmath Regional School, Dr. Smith, Dr. Gillson here to make a presentation
of their budget. So, take it away. >> Thank you. Thank you. >> Uh thanks for having us and um I will try to go quickly here uh because it is getting late in the hour for you all and I know I think you have other agenda items after us. So I do want to uh uh be
respectful of your time. Um so we're going to uh go through the budget process um hit some of the background information and then try to walk you through um where we've been um going through the school committee. school committee did vote on the budget just
last night. Um I just passed while you were in um sort of a little recess there. I just provided you with a motion that this the committee uh passed just last night. It's not in the slide deck because um when I submitted the slide deck to the to the board to get ready
for the packet. Obviously the the committee had not met. Um so I just wanted to make sure you had the most updated information. Um, and you'll see sort of how it ties to the to the uh presentation and and and but you won't see an actual version of it in the
presentation because they they made some some iterations to some of the options that we provided as the as staff. So, um the for us in the the budget uh there should be a copy over there somewhere
for you. Um anyways, so uh we have uh you know two main things that are driving the budget process from the very beginning. Uh we've been over the last couple years we've been working off our strategic plan. There are three main objectives that drive our strategic plan
and that is uh that we're working to eliminate disparities and achievement for every student. Um and this is really around trying to improve academic achievement for all students. Second is trying to establish some district district-wide systems that support organizational effectiveness. And then
the last bit is around addressing the district's short and long-term uh facilities and capital needs. And then the last year the district adopted four or excuse me five uh core values. And we've been talking a lot about this in the last several meetings that when you
find yourself having to make difficult decisions, you want to be able to ground um yourself in in in something when you're trying to make those difficult decisions. So being able to understand, okay, we want to try to move our strategic plan forward and then when we have to make difficult decisions, which the committee's had to make some difficult decisions in the last couple
meetings, well, how are we going to make those decisions? Want to ground those in the district's core values. Uh so this, you know, we're working our way through our budget timeline. As Mr. Simon mentioned the school district's budget process is a little bit sort of off schedule from the towns because we
are waiting for that key information from the state and but they did just hold their final budget adoption and a lot of that is dri driven as you all know by the regional agreement. Um and then there have been a couple of big factors that have been driving our budget process. A lot actually Dr.
Samborn mentioned a lot of the same things. some things that we knew and we had uh that were very predictable for us uh like certain settled v vendor contracts he mentioned uh transportation contract we have uh transportation contract we have some settled collective bargaining agreements and then we have
two um one big one our teachers were currently in negotiations for next year so that's an an unsettled thing as he mentioned uh health insurance was something that we were predicting at a much higher number initially at 15% and then um it did come in at 8% So you'll
see that actually reflected as that changed um through our budgeting process. And then you'll see some slides that are going to show some things uh some other parts of transportation that are unpredictable. So we have a regular day transportation which is where we are similar to a place like Capeet. But then
we're also responsible as the public school district. We're responsible for every single child, right? So we're responsible for Mckin Vento transportation which is for unhoused children and we're responsible for every child in that lives within the borders. So that's a lot of specialized transportation for students or special
education both in district and students who have to go out of district. So that means students who might have to go to a specialized school you know off Cape U and that those transportation costs also become very expensive and uh become very unpredictable in the last couple of years.
Um, all right. So, some of the things, some of the data that supports all this, um, you know, just showing what our staffing's been like over the last couple years. We did have a staffing cut coming out of the 23 24 year, uh, that was sort of coming off the COVID cliff.
Plus, we had a contract that came together at that time. Plus, there was some, um, uh, other rising costs that all sort of came together at that year. So we did have some cuts in that year but largely you know if you look at it holistically relatively stable staffing
that's how it's broke breaks down across our major groups over the last uh 20 years or so excuse me 10 years I extended that a little longer than it actually is. Um and then this just shows >> question about that sorry uh that's this current year. What is your projection
for uh next year? >> Uh so you'll see >> it's coming up. >> Yeah. Well, I don't have it by by that, but we're we are losing staffing positions as we head into next year. You'll see the reductions on a later slide. >> Okay. >> Um, so then
>> this is just shows sort of how we compare by group um on a ratio FTE uh per 100 students uh to districts that are similar de demographics. This is a report you can run through the department of ed um that shows again how we compare. So this largely just to show
that by whether you're looking at our teacher groups, PAR educators, leadership, um student support or clerical in some places we're we might have a little bit more by student staff per FT per 100 FTE. Um some we have uh
less but we're not grossly out of whack any one way or the or another. Um DY is the one with a green star just to help you quickly orient yourself to the chart. Uh student enrollment. So then uh just to separate because we're going to see
student enrollment two ways. So there's enrollment this enrollment is the kids who are whose rear ends are actually in the seats in DY right? So this is the kids who come through the door this October 1 numbers um each year. So these are that's this number and this number
you know coming into COVID um was steadily declining. Postcoid was was on an upswing for several years and then this year we saw a dip. Um the state saw a dip. There's about 15,000 less kids in the state of Massachusetts um this year
and DY also saw a a dip in enrollment this year. Um which is different than foundation enrollment which affects the assessment. And the major difference between those two is it's every student minus the ones that go to the tech that are that the two towns are responsible
for. So if even if they go school choice to another district, even if they go to a charter school, um the town is still responsible for those children. So they are part of the foundation enrollment. Um so just a a subtle but important
difference. >> Um so uh our student population uh our yeah our student uh population has the characteristic and the makeup of our student population has changed over time. Um the department of ed has a a a
category called high needs and that high needs population has grown over time. Um and then further to break that down that high needs population is made up of um uh uh four different categories. Student
income uh students who are uh uh student who are economically disadvantaged. That's the top line. Students who are um special education is the yellow line. Students who are are first language not English, that's the dark green line. And students who are uh English language
learners, that's the light blue line. And you can see while special education has largely stayed the same except for a spike in this last year, um English language learners, um socioeconomically disadvantaged and first language non-English have all steadily increased, which is largely what's pushed up that
total percentage of high needs. Um and then out of district transportation costs have or yeah out of district both tuition. There's three data points here. So the green line is like I don't know it's kind of looks green on my screen but it's really
more like a yellowy green up there. Uh is the number of students. Um and that's gone up slightly. Um remained fairly stable with a slight word uptick over the last uh what is that eight years or so. Um but what you see is the costs have really escalated. Um I was actually
just reading an advocacy piece from the um superintendent association where um this is a big point for the superintendent association on really trying to get some control over this because we don't set the rates here. This is set by the places. You know
there's a difference between a collaborative which we have here in town versus the private um uh uh settings. that students, a lot of our students also end up going to in the private there's it's a very sort of
cloak and dagger um uh process that public schools don't have a lot of insight into where they set the rates and you can see like going from FY22 to FY23 there was a statewide like a 17% spike in the tuition costs and you can
see that reflected in what we paid and every district saw that. Um, but you also see, so the blue is the tuition cost and the orange is the is the transportation costs. Um, but this is a huge factor in our in our budget. It's creeping up to be about 10% of our
operating budget as a school district. Um, it's a it's a rapidly escalating cost. That being said, um, and another question was asked about per pupil. DY still um across the Cape is a very affordable per pupil. When you look
stack us up against all the other Cape districts, we still provide very affordable per pupil um uh program. Uh again, as Dr. Samborn said, it's, you know, a mix of all the different ways we spend our money, right? So, it's looking at our grants, looking at our general
fund expenditures, looking at our evolving. Um when you take all that money and divide it by the number of kids, that's our per pupil expenditure. Um and we stack up very well. Um you know the the decision made way back in I think it was
well whenever whoever made the decision a long long time ago to regionalize um made the right decision because it's still um uh a wise investment is still bringing back um it's still affordable decision for both communities. Um the
you're still benefiting from the scale scaling that you get from being a region. This is how we stack up against the state. Um, and then all I think I'm missing I think this is the older slide deck that I sent, but
that's okay. I will adjust. All right. Um, all right. So, we use a prioritize system to um get recommendations from our departments. So, these are I've shown this to the select board before. So, we use a 4:1 system. Four is the
highest level and it's actually models I actually modeled it a little bit off of um the uh processes used by the capital planning committee. It's not the exact same one, but it's sort of where I got the inspiration from. >> Um so, we use this system when we, you
know, we start our process internally. We start presenting the school committee in January. We started our process internally in October um with all of our departments having them present to us and then we rank all the system all the all the requests. So four is the highest, one is the lowest obviously. Um
and then so with that we ended up with four items. the original version of this that we didn't have the red and didn't have the crossouts when we first presented to the school committee because there was four items and the finance subcommittee
had had in originally put them into the budget um when we first started this process. Um, since then there's been some changes. Um, and but there were four items that were uh priority four items and but there was been now to get
the budget to where it currently sits, there's been some adjustments made. And then of the priority three items that were requested, everything on this page is either deferred or well actually they're all technically deferred. We will apply for some federal grants as a
federal cops grant that we'll attempt to apply for to get some of the security upgrades that we'd like to have happen. Um but there's no guarantees with that. And then um Whoops. And then uh we're going to replace we're we're we have an
annual replacement for technology that happens at fourth grade and at 8th grade. Uh last year we switched from iPads to Chromebooks. one because it's instructionally better and two because they're cheaper. Um and but next year our eighth graders will
move up to the ninth grade. And while the eighth graders are largely self-contained in the high school, ninth graders mix. So you have like ninth graders in classes with 10th and 11th graders. And now so you have multiple devices in the same class and it interferes with >> instruction delivery, curriculum
delivery, a whole bunch of problems. So, the request from the technology department was to was to outfit the um the high the high school only and oneshot the rest of the high school with Chromebooks. So, it's a one-time purchase and then we'll be back at our
normal replacement cycle. Um so, since it's a one-time purchase, the recommendation was to use END funds to fund this one-time purchase. Um so, and it was a priority three item. And then there were remaining priority three items there. We're in a multi-year phase
in of uh ELA curriculum. We did six through eight this year and next year's K to 5. Again, it's a one-year purchase of all the materials. Um again, that was recommended to be an END purchase plus we had some money in a revolving account that can supplement that. Um plus
potentially we could get a DESIE grant for it. Again, no guarantees on a grant, but so um but with we had the recommendation was initially for the um to use END plus the revolving account to pay for the large chunk of the um ELA
curriculum to again keep it out of the operating budget. And then there were some these purple items were the only um priority three items that went into the operating budget. And that's a lot of information. So and oh then sorry and then there were priority two items.
These are all priority two items. None of these were included in the budget. So I'm just going to zip through these just for the sake of time. And then there's a summary. Um and the and so in summary, originally that top line was in the operating budget. And the idea for that
top reason for that top line to be in the operating budget is we have a cap uh uh strategic plan that says we should be addressing the long and short-term uh capital needs of the district. So, we want to have capital in our operating.
Um, but it we needed to drive the number down. So, we took that out of the operating and moved it to END. Um, and so really the only part that made it into the operating budget was $74,000.
And so what we ended up was uh and you'll see it later in a motion. The school comm the school committee made a motion to a total of 100 $1.3 million just over $1.3 million in END to fund a series of actions and you'll see what those are. Um and then they deferred uh
over $2.2 million uh in priority items uh that had been that had come up through uh the leadership team. And then you can see this in case somebody's curious this our END has been certified um at 2.7 million or just almost just
short of 2.8 million. Um so then so that meant at um uh on February 2nd we were sitting at a roughly and again I had a different slide deck which I thought I had sent but I guess I didn't that so I'll just
look at it. We were at a 7.4% 4% budget increase on February 2nd. Um and that was largely driven by um what Mr. Simon had mentioned, low state aid. We at that time we didn't know what the health insurance costs were going to be. So we
had a we were holding a 15% health insurance. Um and we'd had increase in school choice and charter out assessments because we could assess those costs as a school district. Uh so that's all built into was built into the budget.
So at the February 9th meeting is where we started with reductions. Um and these are the list of reductions that were recommended through the finance subcommittee well from us through the finance subcommittee to the larger the whole school committee. Uh reductions to
the to drive the operating budget down. Uh so a reduction of a central office administrator. You saw that way back on the one of the earlier slides. we wanted to add a fourth grade teacher due to enrollment that was moving up to the fourth grade. So instead we decided to
cut or not add that position. Um it was going to be done um through an FTE transfer. So instead we decided just to eliminate that position. Uh we moved the uh facilities items out of the operating
budget. We made a recommendation to reduce 10 pair educators. Uh and then we had a couple retirements. We decided not to replace reduce a grade three teacher at the Baker School and reduce an assistant principal which totaled just under $1.4 million in reductions.
>> Bless you. Bless you. >> Bless you. >> Bless you. >> Bless you. >> Then um we at that time we had recommended we had started to get some indications and this is really a lot of uh help from Mr. Written. We got some recommend or some
sense that the wasn't we weren't going to be at 15%. So we started to make some conservative moves towards 10%. Um so we saw some initial savings there. Then ultimately we ended up at 8% so we saw some additional savings. Um plus we made an adjustment to our FICA which found
some additional savings. So we ended up reducing 2.4 million um from the budget uh which was on top of the 2.2 that had already been deferred. And this the school committee wanted to
sort of see it over time because quite frankly they had lost it over time. Um and so this helps sort of see operating in 26 we were at 80 million 80.3 million and FY27 uh the initial presentation to the or not the initial but once we got
the state information where we were sitting at a 7.4% 4% budget and you can see then how it flows down into the assessments right where we were at a Yarmouth assessment at 10% um uh on February 2nd and the difference
between the state I mean the operating budget and the assessment difference is driven by two things one you all may remember we're coming down a multi-year END step down so this is coming from the Esser cliff
We were coming off we the school district that put $500,000 towards END or END towards the operating budget then $250,000 and now we're at zero towards the operating budget. So part of that is driven there. And then part of it is we
uh we've been we've benefited from mo in somewhere in the ballpark of a million dollars in increase in state aid for the last five years. So every year the assessment's been driven down by the fact that we've
got an extra million from the state and that did not happen this year. The net is actually a net reduction. we are about $100,000 less when you take the amount of state aid that we got and then add the assessment increase is a net
negative. Um so those two things drive the assessment number up. So anyways, so cognizant of that, the school committee has been working very hard to get the number down and you see that over time by March 2nd, we were down to from 86
million to 838 uh in an assessment number for the town of Yarmouth of 46 million to 40 468 to 451 and a which is a 10% um to a 6.1.
what the the school committee then we uh these are assessed the the debt service numbers the debt service doesn't change all that's less for debt service at this point is the intermediate middle school it's driven by the regional agreement 6535 that was decided uh a long time ago
um it isn't driven by the enrollment that was a very specific agreement for that very specific building and then the school committee had to make some decisions uh going between the March 2nd and March 9th meeting, we
found some additional savings in uh of about just over $200,000 by further looking at the FICA calculations. And then if anybody watched the meetings, the thing that the school committee had the most consternation
over was the 10pair educator cuts. Um they were the most concerned about that. So they wanted to see some options other than the 10 pair educator cuts which we presented four different options to the school committee. The school committee did not pick one of those options. We
ultimately ended up with a fifth option which was a hybrid of one of these options >> um which all which most paralleled option number two um but they didn't want to reduce the um counseling position. So ultimately what you have in
front of you is the motion that was passed uh which uh it ends up again most close to option number two which was uh a total operating budget again operating budget of $83,748,973.
The debt number doesn't change. Um so that for um so that is a operating budget increase from FY26 of 4.233% 233% um from 26 to 27 for the district and then what the assessment uh for Yarmouth
for so the operating assessment is 45 million 20,623 debt service 2337,555 for a total assessment of 4 47 7 million
uh 358,178. Um and so the assessment increase uh is 5.987. So the lowest number that the committees had it um up till this point >> and then they voted and approved uh an
END motion. END. The school committee voted to approve $1.3 million in END transfer to fund those three items. Then I have a little bit on capital, but I don't know if you want to pause here before I move into capital.
>> Sure, we can ask if anybody has any questions. >> I'm happy to wait. >> Anybody want to wait? >> Got like three things on capital. >> I don't have anything urgent. >> Okay. All right. So then for capital, I just, you know, we've been talking about a capital plan for a long time, right? Um, so I actually have one uh a little
bit of one to present. The school committee is still working. I think we had some feedback from actually from this board. Yes. Right. Sometimes I lose track of who I presented to about what. Um, but it was in front of this board. We got some feedback around uh
considering like some of the language. So actually the school committee is working on some policy around uh capital. What qualifies for capital? What's the capital? uh uh uh what's yeah adopting a co capital policy what's the role of the capital planning committee
etc. Um but we do have a five-year um plan and and and then again then it'll be coming about how do we start to fund some of these things and that's a again getting into some of the policy pieces. But um so these uh items on the left
that are in green yellowish color there are the ones that um we have in the funding uh and that are part of that END motion. And then as you look out to year two, these are items that are on our needs list for the coming years. So
those those security upgrades were ones we were hoping to get to this year. Um and we've pushed out the high school roof. Um there's three RTU units that are shot on the high school. Um and you'll notice several things coming up
for the high school as we move forward. Um there is the stadium at the high school which I know we've talked a little bit about um at different meetings and has been a point of uh discussion before I arrived as superintendent um and there the the roof
at the station a which I think will also come out as part of the feasibility study for Emmy small because I know we're looking at multiple properties as part of that. Um and then we get into um uh ventilation and rooftop units. Um
steam table. Um and again we're looking at our I think it the capital planning team here calls it rolling stock. Our really our only rolling stock is we own a small fleet of buses. The the big buses are our um transportation vendor. They take care of their own. But we do
have a small fleet of specialized transportation buses that that are DY property. So thinking about those out into the, you know, we have a a couple that are new and and a couple that are getting long in the tooth. So thinking about those in the long run. So again, starting to think about those and
wanting to think about a long-term planning, but wanted to let you know that we do have those all on the on the horizon. >> Did good. >> Thanks. >> Summarizing, but we didn't get to the actual number. What we what I need to know. >> Yeah, we did.
>> Yes. Yeah, >> we did. >> Well, I thought we had it. >> Um, well, we have the budget number, but I'd need to know what we budgeted and what our number is and what the delta is. >> I'll give you a a rundown. The um the
delta for the override amount is 1,481, 348. And you'd asked earlier that that number for the Cape Tech is 680,194. Okay, great questions from the board. Liz,
>> um, no, thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Um, I'm glad to see that as you're going out into the future, there is some consider consideration of the roof and the units on the roof and so on. Um, but no, I
don't think I have any questions. I move it right along. >> Well, I know that the loss of uh any of the teaching assistants um was considered a big loss and I appreciate you're going into so much detail to give
four projected ways around that so that you were able to reduce the number of teaching assistants lost. Um, it seems to me as somebody who's kind of been watching this, you know, over a couple months that that you've really done some
very thoughtful trimming that probably won't have a big impact on students other than maybe slightly larger class sizes in history in the high school, fewer options for election electives.
But I congratulate you on on an enormous amount of work to get it to this. Thank you. >> Amazing. >> Marcus, >> no questions. Thank you, Mark. >> Um, I used to get stressed out over this budget area, but then when town
administrator came in, uh, I learned that, um, he's he's got such a good handle on school budgeting and the DY budget that I figured out I'd only get stressed out if he got stressed out. So, um I'm I'm interested in the town administrator's assessment because
that'll have a lot of an impact on me in terms of my views. >> Well, I I want to say, you know, in um summarizing our process, um first and foremost, um I need to acknowledge Dr. Smith for um his efforts, I think the
second year in a row and pulling our teams all together very early on in the budget process. And one of the things if we ultimately do some you know reform in terms of um you know the overall agreements and things it it would be great to line up a little bit better the
different budget processes but it's only been through that individual effort which I appreciated tremendously that lined up our processes so that you know they had had actually agreed to start much much earlier than um normally under the agreement that they have to. So the
information that we've had throughout this process um you know I I want to say has been very strong and when we received the original budget um proposal we were you know somewhat alarmed that seemed to be a a high level of increase
almost 7% or somewhere in that range and then um because of the um you know shifts in enrollment and the um minimum required spending um you we were up well over 10% and and I think the delta was like 3.2
million. It was a it was a tremendous amount and through those meetings we had communication um you know we expressed a lot of concern and I I think that the regional school district made um some tremendous efforts to try to um bridge
the gap and um through those efforts we've been able to get down from 3.1 3.2 to 1,481,000. um our team um I I would say we had hoped and our our goal was to get it closer to a million. Um we fell a little
bit short of that. Um and you know we're just going to have to work it out in terms of our contingency plan. But um I I want to acknowledge I mean very strenuously the efforts of the um school system in in trying to reduce that
number and the additional communication the meetings that we've had. Um I I I think it's much more, you know, than than I've ever seen. So I I know, you know, we're the problem is we're faced with a structural deficit and and the
the the issue is that the town's revenue growth has slowed down. um we were picking up extra money on those local estimated receipts, you know, the nonpropy tax, local receipts with the motor vehicle X sizes and the um rooms
tax and things of that nature, um at at a few% higher than we saw in the other revenue sources, but in for fiscal year 27, that growth has stopped. And um you know we're we bumped right up against like less than 10% of a cushion in terms
of those revenue estimates. The overall growth of those revenues is about 2 and a half% plus the property taxes is 2 and a half%. So you know I feel a little bit um you know sorry that we don't have the previous levels of growth that we've had
to help with the schools. At the same time the state is in the exact same situation. their revenues have slowed down. So, they weren't as generous with the state aid which left the school um you know the the increase you know came
down from that 7% you know down to foreign change. It's less than 5%. I don't consider it to be an extravagant budget. I I see the needs in the school system. I've been educated toward them. So, um you know I can't I can't sit here and say I'm dissatisfied with the
process or the amounts. I, you know, I I I feel bad that everything didn't come together so that we wouldn't need an override at all, but um based on everything that happened, I you know, I am am thankful for the efforts to try to get this as close as we can. We're not
there completely. We're going to need a little help, but that's kind of where I see the whole process. >> I I appreciate that. And um I think the observation that I'm picking up is that if we were getting the kind of increases in state aid that we've been getting over the past few years, we wouldn't be
having this kind of heartache right now. The state's been good to us, as they should be, because uh we're entitled to that extra money. Uh things have been pretty difficult for for for many many years. So seeing that extra money come
in, I felt was we we were due that that funding. Um >> yeah and you know I mean if you look at if you just look at the two presentations that you had tonight right and so you have Dr. Sambborn's right around 4 and a.5% of operational budget
increase and I'm at 4 >> two right and I can tell you based upon my colleagues with my other sup or my conversations with my other Cape superintendents we're all in the same ballpark because and and I again I don't know where the operational increase is going to be for the town of Yarmouth but
we're all dealing with basically the same challenges. We all have the same increase for health insurance. We're all part of the same municipal health group. We all have the same inflationary pressures. We all have the same salary pressures. Like we're all facing the
same challenges >> aging infrastructure. >> And I can tell you almost none of them are increasing at 2 and a half%. >> Got it. >> Well, as we continue to work through this, I I I have tremendous confidence in our in our town administrator. And if
and if if you're keeping if if we're making progress along the lines that we're looking for, I'm I'm I'm going to be very I'm I mean, none of us are thrilled, but the reality is is uh I think it's safe to say that we've done a lot and accomplished a lot and we're
moving in the right direction. So, thank you. >> Great, Joe. >> Madam Chair, >> you hear me? >> Yes, sir. >> Okay. I'm sorry. Um, yeah. Well, you know, those same
budget issues that you know th the I know the people who aren't getting the two and a half%. The all of those budget pressures fall on the same households. They all have to do the same thing and
they have to live within those budgets. And we're talking about a 6% and a $1.5 million uh well when we went from 1.5 to 1.48 um and we found uh we found money um in
that health insurance and that was my question. So on the 22 date the February 2nd or you might want to call it BS before the storm um the um health insurance we we found money we lucked
out that that increase wasn't as bad um but it was you know you you found uh $2 million. So we went from 86 to 84 and we found we found money but those weren't really reductions. um it it wasn't
sharpening your pencils and that's what the public has to do is they have to sharpen their pencil at home and they have the same exact inflationary pressures that the state does that the town does that the district does. So you
know I don't see where we um sharpened our pencil and and reduced that much where you know Mr. assignment showed that 2.5 uh actually was 3.2 million over time of
assessments and they were about 800,000 500,000. This is 1.481 million um and and and those the people still have the the same problems. And you know when we talk about the core
values and when things get tough we got excellence we got equity you know this isn't this isn't equitable that something has to be done with the regional agreement because it just isn't fair and it goes to community it goes to Yarm's community it you know those are
their core values and Yarmouth's dignity loses out because we don't get that um same fairness in the regional agreement and and It's it it it becomes a real problem. Um and that that formula and
that value is disproportionate. Um you know, you talked about regional transport or the regional uh district. Well, we don't get the we have unfunded mandates. The regional transportation isn't fully funded. That's a problem from the state, but it's it doesn't help
with our value uh to our taxpayers. Um, and you know when when when Dr. Sambborn and in Cape Tech, those 30 kids, that's where the delta is. The delta is in that increased assessment to choice and charter. Well, if those kids go out of
the district, um, it's going to get worse. Um, and and you're already saying, well, we're going to have another six% increase uh, next year. Well, that's the taxpayers can't handle it. It's unsustainable to the taxpayers
and they're the one who are doing the eating and sleeping and living and dying and paying the taxes in this town. So, you know, we I I just don't feel I think that you found money. It was almost like you marked it up to mark it down. Uh it
was 15 you you projected it to be 15%. And you know that that that could have been a reasonable assessment. Um and you know and we locked out. That's great. But what would have it been if if if it's 1.481 millions now, what if it was
15%. As you projected and and uh and so that's those are my questions is how are we going to find money next year in the year after we we just going to keep on going to the taxpayers when they got the same budgetary constraint. So, I I I
would like to know how we got to the on the health insurance, how much we saved um and how it went to um you know, the reduction in the budget. >> Okay. Thank you, Joe. There's there was
a lot there. Um you know, I think all of us agree with what you're saying. Um in terms of the taxes, I think, you know, um since Dr. Smith's been here. He's been trying to accomplish a strategic plan for uh academics
and um I've been, you know, I I I think I think it's a balance. It's an unfortunate balance um because the choice in charter is so high and you know if we could actually achieve that strategic plan with um improving our
academic outcomes I think that you know those choice and chartered numbers that are going out would come back in and it would be a net savings. So it's very difficult when you have to make these choices because you make these choices, people get nervous, then they choose to
go to a different district. So it's it's kind of like a >> well said. >> It's just a um it's just a secular problem that we have. And um I think if just from watching the budget from the beginning uh we all we all even the town budget
budgeted at 15% for health insurance because at the beginning of the process that's what we were told the projections were going to be >> and then as information comes in we we we do the best we can to align with that. So, but having said that, I think
he went through it quite well with um talking about that. He he also did make some cuts. Um so there was a sharpening of >> I'm happy to answer the question. Right. So there was 300 three roughly. Yeah. So
it's so there was 100,000 in cuts or in redu in savings. Let's just call it savings to be clear, right? There's 105,000 in savings in healthcare. um >> just from March 2nd. >> That's just from that's just March that's from 10 to 8. That's from 10 to 8, >> right?
>> Um and then so then that's then on February 9th, that's another there's 350,000 from active and 122,000 from retirees. So you add that all together, you got 105 plus 350 is 455
roughly. Um plus another 122 is uh now I'm trying to do the math in my head. five 670 >> five 680,000. We did not you will notice there is no um retirees in that last 2% and that is
was a very deliberate because we have a lot of people retiring this year and so we have a lot of people who are going to be going on Dr. Samborn talked about this. We are responsible for our retirees just like they are. So, we're going to have a lot of additional people
going on the retiree roles for um for um retiree health insurance. So, that additional last little bit from the 10 to the 8% we did not uh put those savings in because we're going to get a a large increase in the number of people
who are now going to be on our retirees roles. Um, so that's why you don't see that second line there um from March 2nd. So that was a very de we spoke with that to the school committee. But anyways, so so I had lost that number 770,000. Um, but if you go back a couple of
slides, the cuts that's $1.4 million in staff cuts or either, you know, position cuts, right? So most of this is going to happen through attrition. We were deliberate. I can't remember if it was Miss Flynn or Miss Argo asked or sort of
stated, but we have been um we talked through this process with the school committee when we thought about cuts, we really were trying to have we looked we looked at high impact from two different um perspectives. We thought about high impact um or high
impact low impact I think was the way I described it to the school committee. high impact in that it was going to have the highest impact on the reducing the budget and the lowest impact on student and student programming. Um so like replacing a retired not replacing a
retiree has the highest impact on the budget as opposed to cutting a position because if we cut a position then we get into bumping and bumping ultimately ends up reducing the lowest paid person in the district. But if we cannot fill somebody
who's going out at the top, >> then that we save that entire salary. Um, so we looked for places where we could have the highest impact on reducing the budget, but the lowest impact and and not every retired SP, you know, we had to we have a retiring math
teacher, you know, and that's not a base that I felt was a low impact on student programming. >> So this 1.4 plus what you did last night, right? So >> yeah, this is all prior to last night >> and last night was an additional >> So last night was a discussion around that 10 par educator line that that that
that 310 11,360 that was like two meetings of discussions amongst the school committee. >> They really cut that. Do you know what that >> we did? So it they but it ended up looking a little bit different. >> Not that number. >> So yeah, it ended up being So if you
look under option two, right? Oh, nope. Sorry, I'm on the wrong slide. Um if you look under option two, >> they I I I tried to give them four options by I we we tried to give them because um I did
not do this alone. We tried to give them um four options that were around the same amount of savings. >> So the 1.3 wasn't the total cuts. There's it's a different number from that that we that you finally landed on last night. >> Yes. Do you know what that number is of
real reductions? >> So, it was it was um the all everything that's on that previous slide. Then it ended up being instead of 10 pair educators, it ended up being six pair educators and one administrative
assistant. They did not decide to cut the >> less than the 1.3 >> ultimately because the 1.3 included the all of them. >> Yes. Um but then we also found an additional 204,000 in savings between March 2nd and March
9th. >> Okay. So basically last last night we cut the 2004 uh 200,0004 two 204544 uh um and again another 200 uh 235,344.
So that amount >> of real those are real reductions. >> Yeah. >> Yes. >> Other than just the what we all deal with with the budget. Okay. And I'm not trying to minimize that. I'm just >> Yeah. >> And I think you know right from the beginning I think that it can't be stated enough. I mean it's it's hard to
support an override. I mean we've we've we've had to do it. But right from the very beginning your cherry sheet you you projected a two and a half% increase from the state right. And ultimately it was a reduction. So, I mean, right off the bat,
>> I mean, if we had that 2 and a half% from the state right now, we wouldn't because that that would be probably about the 1.4 million. >> So, um, you know, I think that people have to recognize we're doing we're trying to do more or do even the same
with less money from the state. So, >> yeah, you're further hampered by the way the minimum required contribution shook out this year. You know, I know I spoke a lot about this last year, >> but it's the first well, the second step in the assessment formula. First is
taking off all the state aid and and other revenue sources, right? We have revenue sources from um our solar farm, other pieces that are that are come off the come off the top before we get to the assessment. And then it's minimum required contribution is the first step.
and uh Yarmas minimum required contribution went up uh it's not on this slide it is on uh go back here. So if you look one two three lines down you see Yarmas minimum required
contribution again this is provided to us by the state we don't make this determination >> that is 30 million and that's up 3.4% a little bit more than 3.4% 4% from last year. Dennis's minimum required contribution is 14 a.5 million. It's
only up 1.6. Your minimum required contribution went up to >> and last year it was the other way. >> Last year it was the other way around. >> We benefited from >> Yes. Last year you benefited from it. This year you did not benefit from it. >> That's the bottom line is the state is not helpful, but >> it's never the same. It never is like you both go up by the same percentage.
>> It would be nice. >> Um but just and you know, so we're looking at 1.4, we're looking at 680. We're looking at a a debt exemption for the library. That's what the ballot's going to look like. >> So, um I mean that's the reality.
>> Yeah. >> That's going to be a tough cell. >> Yeah. And and we get that and and what I will say is um our next you know we had this conversation yesterday after school committee. Our next phase is to start to plan for um if the over and Dennis is
looking at at an override as well. Um and the reality is if And this is not fear-mongering. This is just the reality. This this already I had a different slide um and I've presented it to school committee. This we're already starting to move
backwards in with this budget. We're not able to move forward strategic initiatives. We're not able to move forward um our um capital plan. We're not we're increasing class sizes at the high school. And this will continue to compound itself over time. And to your
point, >> this these are the people watch, they pay attention, and this is going to drive these things will over time start to drive people away from the district, which is going to then compound the problem because it'll increase school choice out, which is another assessment,
etc. >> But an override that doesn't pass, we're going to start to talk about what that is. But 1.5 million out of the budget and then figuring out what that because then we have to do the calculus on what that means on because then we have to make it match on the dentist side would
be >> yeah it's going to be closer to 2 million out of the operational budget which is going to be >> devastating >> devastating. Yeah. >> Yeah. And again, that's that's just a >> well, it would be nice if we >> but we're going to be clear on what that will mean. Um where and because the school committee needs to know too and
we need to start planning because if that's the reality then that's the reality then that's what we'll have to plan for. >> Well, it would be nice to not have to plan for that and get a number that you know I know you've done a lot of work. I'm not sure either way critical. I think you know >> you know to Mr. Glenn's point like if
we're going to if we're going to cut it and it doesn't pass an override, we either have it's either going to not pass an override and that's what the conversation with the school committee is like either it doesn't pass an override and we got to cut it or we're going to cut it now. Either way, it's going to hurt the school district. So >> the school committee feels this is the
budget that is what the school district needs to operate. Okay. >> And and I guess period >> roll the dice. >> Yeah. >> Can I put a two cents in? I'm I'm thinking about the presentation that for
instance we had at the last um town meeting and I I think we want to make sure that some of what our conversation is here. I it's a lot to get to get and I so I think we and Bob is so good at Mr. Written is so good at this. I trust
he's it'll be in good hands. But I do think we have to find a way to to inform the public about all of these aspects without overwhelming them with these numbers. So I hope we can get some real swift PowerPoint >> work,
>> right? And all the iterations will be gone by then talking about just the final number and trying to >> Yeah, but it's >> convey I think you're right. I mean, I think people need to understand what what the reality of what what this is, what the reduction of the state funds >> and how hard you worked at it. Yeah. The
state funds and how things have changed, but also that I I mean, just to to shoot to see where you started and how many meetings you had and then and where you ended up that I mean that speaks volumes to me and and you're losing teachers. That's that's just so painful. But
>> we're also losing students. Our population's declined. So, I mean to some extent you can absorb some of that, right? I I mean I don't think you would make that recommendation if you didn't feel like it was >> um something that you could do, but I mean it's always tough, but at the same time it's tougher to cut 2 million. You
got I mean it's it's you got it's an unfortunate thing that we're that we're in and and we've seen it so many times, but it's it's a calculated risk is what it is. And um I agree. I don't I don't think we should go backwards, but I'm I'm I can't say that I'm I have a lot of
comfort, unfortunately. So, um but anyway, anybody have anything else? I just want to say thank you very much. I know it's it's late and and we're exhausted. I'm I can speak for myself and it just deserves so much time and attention and there's people waiting still and I feel awful about it, but
it's a very important topic. So, I'm glad we had the opportunity to discuss it. Oh, sorry, Joyce. >> Thank you. I thought you were gonna go from Liz to me and I was going I thought we were done. I wasn't going to anybody. >> I was moving on. I was saying goodbye.
>> Thank you for the presentation. I think if we really explain it clearly, we can convince the voters to pass the override. Um I I do see somebody who disagrees in the audience and he's he's somebody who knows Yarmouth really well,
so that gives me pause. Um, but I think I think the voters understand as they look at their own budgets that everything is going up and I would say, you know, for people who are on fixed incomes and their budgets are going up.
Um, it's a it's a different universe with your personal budgeting from your for your institutional budgeting. I mean there are not um mandates coming down on you as as a household um for what you have to do and and how you have to bust
people to wearham and that that that whole universe doesn't exist. But I think if we successfully explain some of those complicated factors um I think I think people will understand it. The one thing I would say is I would like to
totally divide um all the stuff about the regional agreement and the 70% and the 30% and all that from the actual budget and what we're actually doing this year because I noticed um in our public comment before
the school administrators arrived that um a speaker about the um regional agreement claimed and and this is scare tactics claimed that uh um Yarmouth um Yarmouth residents would be on the hook
because of the way the regional agreement was framed for an emergency boiler replacement in Ezra Baker school. And of course that's not true. I mean the elementary school is is the property of Dennis. They would be doing the boiler.
We would help them install it. Maybe we would wish them well. I don't think that's scare tactics, >> but I don't think you're accurate in what I am. Heather, >> administrators are here, our finance directors here. I I'm accurate. >> No, what I'm saying is is we they have a
capital budget fund within the district that they're paying for repairs out of for any school right now. So, yes, Yarmouth would be paying for 70% of that school's >> He was saying purchase a new boiler. I'm I'm and I'm saying that in in their
capital plan they are using budgeted funds through the district that we are paying 70% of even if it's for a dentist school. That's why he talked about he talked about um um them coming up with some policies
around their capital because we've been you know what what's capital, what isn't capital, what comes out of it, what's responsibility, what level does the town come in and but that's not what's happening now. Just so you know, in the budget, there has been items purchased through the budget that we have paid 70%
of. >> Well, I'm sure there are. It goes both ways. It goes both ways. It's on our schools as well as on their schools. >> And I would point out, of course, we have more elementary schools than they do. >> Yeah. To be clear, like any major purchase to what Miss Flynn's talking
about, those have either gone through the capital planning in both the respective towns or like when Baker had the major roof failure that was paid for by the district and then reimbured by the by the town of Dennis. So >> are things in the budget? >> Yeah, sure. But that that's like paying
for you. We we don't break out by the regional agreement. You don't break out like elementary school supplies for one elementary school for >> But what's the max? I mean, there's been there's been significant I've seen it in the budget. I'm not crazy. You've paid
we've paid for parts of capital for other other town buildings >> for Azure Baker. I'm not criticizing it. I'm saying that's the way it is. But to say that it's that it's false is not >> 30% of the like well not even 30. It all
depends like I mean 12 million minimally 14 million of the budget is Dennis's money. I I understand >> plus the 21 million of that. >> It's not false to say that what what Mr. Glenn was saying is there are there are
capital items that are being paid through the budget regardless of where it goes. There are capital items at Ezure Baker that has been paid through through the through the district budget >> $25,000 item >> whatever it is. spoiler is 10 and something. >> Not since I've been superintendent.
>> But it's I just know >> well >> it's just a factually inaccurate statement since I've been superintendent. >> But I'm go back to the >> Isn't the Ezra Baker boiler? >> It's a plan. That's not a that's not things that have been paid for. >> But it >> right and it's not it's not a funding
it's not a funding plan. It's a plan for things that it's it's a is a as a >> Did you use END this year to do an Azure Baker project? Did I not say see that? No. There was there was two high school there was two high school bleacher things and then there was a >> station a elementary school >> station a right I'm >> pretty sure is in Yarmouth
>> it is but it's still the same thing on the other side. Why isn't Yarmouth paying for that? >> I mean it's no different the way that they feel than the way that we feel. >> That's that's all I'm saying is it needs to be clear. But to say that it's not coming some things aren't coming out of the district budget is just it's not
it's not a falsehood. But you see that it can come out of the district budget and be reimbursed by the relevant >> I understand. I understand that. But it should be on our capital. If it's a capital item, it should be the town's capital. That's all. >> Oh, we have finance committee people
here. He said yes. >> So anyway, we don't I don't want to belabor this anymore, >> but I don't think it's a falsehood altogether is what I'm saying is that's that's a bad characterization. >> Agree to disagree. >> Okay, we can do that. All right. Thank you. Thank you so much.
>> Yeah, I guess I just have a hard time with like the Yarmouth taxpayers are getting hosed. >> I didn't say that. >> Well, no, but that's what the public comment was. And then >> it's the END is being used to move forward to ensure that a Yarmouth building is
properly heated to make sure the burners are working in a Yarmouth building. >> Can you can you um What is E N D? >> Excess and deficiency. It's it's at the end of the year. It's free cash. It's free cash for the towns, but it's but it's um >> there was a question from the audience and I thought, you know, I don't know
either >> because we're because we operate essentially as a fiscal town. >> We we manage our own finances. We have our own version of END. So at the end of the year, if we don't spend all of our money, it it stays with the district.
And so that's END excess and fit. But but we have limitations like the town doesn't have a cap on the amount that they can have. We can only have 5% of our operating budget. So there are like limits and then if we're going to use it, the school committee has to vote and then the towns has the ability to say um
no, we can't use it that way. >> So that's why we present it. We'll present it to Dennis and then the towns have the ability to say no. >> Um so that's why >> um there are rules around it um as opposed
at um town meeting. So there everybody has their own rules that they have to play with. Mhm. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. And and you're on duty. What? It at 7:45 or 8 tomorrow. >> About six. >> Very much. >> Always on duty.
>> I think you know it's worth mentioning also the incredible job that these folks did during the blizzard. >> During the blizzard. Oh yeah. We gave you props last week, but you weren't here. Sorry. >> Thank you. >> Okay. I very much apologize to the
members of the planning board uh to have our discussion on the zoning articles who are two hours behind. >> Sorry. Thank you, Kathy. >> I brought a cot in the sleeping bag. >> Did you close your hearing? >> No, we have not closed the hearing.
>> But go ahead. I don't want to keep you guys. We can close the hearing at the end after you guys can go home and go to bed. >> We can't sleep sitting here. >> Yeah. >> Sorry. Thank you for your patience. >> Uh, good evening, Madam Chair and members of the board. I'm Jorian
Crowley, chair of the planning board. I'm joined here this evening by several members of the planning board, Tom Pendleton, Susan Brida, and Ken Smith. Uh, >> and and Deardra is joining us >> and Will Rubenstein.
>> And Will is here. So almost everybody's here. um uh because we think it's that important. Zoning amendments are always important. We're pleased to present for your consideration zoning article number one amendments to various sections of
the V village centers overlay districts. The planning board held a public hearing on March 4th, 2026, and received no public comments at that meeting, unanimously voted to recommend the article for the adoption at the annual
town meeting in April. In your packets this evening is a memo from Kathy Williams, our town planner, as well as a brief presentation, which Kathy will run through now. >> So much. Good evening. Hopefully I can be as quick as with the hazard mitigation plan.
So, we're we're doing a very quick uh zoning amendment. What we're really doing, the purpose is to allow relief from the maximum front yard setback along Route 28 in our village center overlay districts. Uh right now, um it's a required to be a variance and we'd like to move it to a special permit. Our
current regulations, the VCOD really trying to promote buildings being close to the road to create that village feel. So, the VCs 1, three, and four have are subject to a maximum front yard setback. So the building can be set back only so far from uh from the roadway along Route
28 and that's in addition to the standard minimum front uh minimum setbacks. Thank you Joanne. Um so what's the issue? Um the Mass DOT Route 28 streetscape improvement project is proposing to have a lot of improvements for safety and bicycle ped uh accommodations, but that's going to
require some strip land takings for some properties along Route 28. Uh and so that people who are currently working on some of their designs for some great plans that they have, if they design to the current lot lines, they might be creating some nonconformities uh in the future and making the buildings too close to the prop the new property line
once the takings have been completed. And as I mentioned before, um to go beyond the maximum setback now requires a variance from the zoning board of appeals, which has stricter criteria than than special permit. So this is just showing you a map of the village center overlay district. are
very familiar with it, but a lot of people might not be. It shows the different colors are showing the different uh village centers. We start on the left at will at Winslow Grey Road and we move all the way to the right there almost to to town hall. Mass DOT. Uh right now the Parkers River
Bridge uh design work westward from the Parkers River Bridge into Barnstable is almost at the 75% design phase, but I want people to also know that they're also going to be starting design of the section from the Parker River Bridge Eastwood to match up to the Bass River uh project. And the but the section that
they're looking at is I think we're all familiar with the narrowness in some sections of of Route 28 and some gaps that we might be finding in sidewalks. So, what they're proposing is two 11oot travel lanes, 5-ft bike lanes. On the south side, or I'm sorry, on the north
side there would be um sidewalk, 5 foot sidewalk, and then on the south side there would be a 5-ft green strip and then a 10-ft shared use pathway uh for people to use and the grass strip. >> So, this is just giving you an illustration of what the situation that we're talking about. Here's just a
simple diagram of a property along Route 28 and showing the minimum setback. And here we're showing 15 ft and a maximum of 25 ft. So you can put the building in that setback minimum maximum quite nicely with different modulations in the building and it and it looks great. When
you come through with the mass DOT strip takings, you can see that ultimately if you had constructed the building meeting the current regulations, you would now have a non-conformity. You wouldn't even meet the minimum front yard setback of 15 feet. You'd be in in the end your building would be kind of too close to
where that shared use pathway is. So, what this is happening is showing um allowing people through a special permit versus a variance to be able to go to the zoning board of appeals and say, "Hey, I'd like to put my building a little bit further back. This is the reason why." Uh and and so ultimately when the takings are done, they have a
much better placement for their building on their property. Um and as Joanne mentioned, we had our public hearing. we only had one person remote um with no questions asked. It was kind of not anticipated to have a lot of questions because it's a very simple procedural change from variance to special permit. It just gets a little
complicated with some of the questions related to the mass DOT corridor project. So I think uh this isn't a town project. So if people have some specific questions with regard to that, they should be talking to the project manager which is Tom Courier uh at Mass DOT and his email address is right there.
>> Great. Any questions? Yes. Um, first of all, thank you for doing this. Um, it's it's it's always commendable when we're looking ahead. Now, let me ask you, did Mass DOT proposed this to us or are we doing
this? >> We're doing this. It's actually because we are getting developers coming and every time they come to site plan review or design review, one of the first things I say to them is, "Oh, by the way, >> um, >> great opportunity." Um, but Mass DOT hasn't hasn't come
forward to these different property owners yet because they want to wait until the 75% design plans are done and they really have that rightway plans uh solidified. Um, so when that happens, there's going to be fair compensation. They have to do appraisals, review appraisals, and there's a whole very very distinct process that needs to
happen. >> And as we know, this project that the the the Route 28 work keeps getting put off, you know. >> Yeah, I'm not exactly sure where it is now. I know they're applied for a build a build grant. Yes. Um through the paper commission >> and the various county boards and groups
have weighed in in support of the application. So I know there's a lot of work going on to get some additional funding to sort of get this off the ground, but every time we turn around the cost estimates keep going up. I guess my only question in this and I I think it's worthwhile and I think it's
smart to do and I and I commend you Kathy and the planning board for getting on top of this and getting in front of it. Um my only question is is is there a risk at all in us maybe getting too far ahead of the mass DOT project or um you
know I mean if they're not even if they're at 75% design there's a part of me that wonders if it makes sense for them to get to a get the project out to bid and then we do it because at least we'll have a much greater degree of certainty on what they're doing and at least make it clear to people that we've got this on the drawing board. I think
for mass DOT 75% design phase is pretty close to solid. Um this just my experience >> I've just I've just worked with I think I'm a little bit um this is just a simple procedural thing. I think there might be some other um amendments that need to be made specifically to the VCOD
because we have a minimum of 15 foot setback right now and they look like there's some strip takings on the south side for that shared use pathway that might be taking 8 to 10 feet. So maybe we need to re-evaluate the 15, but we really wanted to get something on the books uh as soon as possible to help the
developers who are actually spending money and working on their design right now. >> No, I I I get that. I understand that. I guess my only question is is dealing with mass DOT. They're not always um let's put it this way. Anything that they say that's certain is
always doubtful in my mind. So, um, given given the the vagaries of the state and mass DOT, there's a there's only a question is is is there a risk in us getting too far ahead of them since periodically at the they're prone to make changes at the last minute and we
might find ourselves, >> you know, having to make even more changes. >> I think this is the first step of multiple steps that we need to really look at the zoning with regard. >> So, this won't be the only time we re have to get used to revisiting this on a fairly regular. I think so because as you're coming along that you may be
creating other nonconformities with these strip takings that we need to take a look at and see if there's any understanding or relief we can give to people in the zoning bylaw. There's people who have um buffers now that won't have them. >> Yeah. >> And I think what we need to be able to do is explain to people that we've got this project and we may be back at this
with other modifications that might be necessary in the future so that people don't think that once we do this we're done with any of the changes that might be needed as a result of mass DOT. They will need to make it clear that we might be back on on other occasions as well. >> Good point. >> Thank you,
>> Burus. >> No questions. Thanks for the work. >> Thank you. And I love the idea of the trees. I think it'll be beautiful. >> Liz, >> sorry. Um,
>> I I understand that it's a it's a um makes things more flexible and easier. So, I fully support it. Good thinking. Once again, I I just have a couple questions because we're allowing um a reduction
in the maximum number, but there's no there's no um minimum. So, we're leaving it up to the to the board of appeals. We're not putting any um we're allowing them to go to the board
of appeals for a special permit to reduce the maximum. Right. So, but there's no >> increase increase >> increase the maximum, but we're not requiring any minimum from a new I guess my thing is is I'm just if it if it
really is for the mass DOT project, that's one thing. But that doesn't necessarily mean that that's what's going to trigger this. anybody could go now or with this in place >> and ask for that relief. >> One of the things we did add was actually special permit granting criteria that there's a bunch of lists
of items in the VCOD and we added specifically referencing that that for mass DOT projects. >> Okay. All right. Good. Because I was just wondering if we wanted to put something to look at >> a sunset on it because you know I mean at some point in time once the road's
built then what? then people can still come and >> apply for it. >> You know, our experience our experience with sunsets are that they uh they they they seem good um at the start because we
don't know the future. So that's why we usually use them but at some point they become a constraint I think. Um, we do know from at least several developers who are being affected by this right now that we can take action right now and
provide a very flexible opportunity for them to move forward with their projects. >> I mean, they can't move forward on design unless we get this passed at um, annual town meeting. They're being held up. >> I understand. And I don't want to hold
them up. I'm just wondering like 10 years from now if somebody's looking to get a special permit relief, is that really what our vision is for the VCOD? >> Take it out. >> We I'm just I'm just >> I agree. >> And the the other thing, and I don't want to belabor this, but in our local
comprehensive plan, we had the consultants come in and give us advice on all of the changes that we might consider for the V VCOD districts. Um so we have a complete list of all of the changes that they suggest um either um
adding or or compressing uh various elements of it for setbacks and the like. Uh and that is part of the local comprehensive plan that we have to deliver. Um and we have a really good consultant report evaluating all of the conditions that sit around the VCODS
because they're all different. >> So we'll be looking at that. We'll be looking at that. Great. Anybody else? Okay, great. Thank you very much. We are going to move on to uh Well, do we >> do we need a motion on that? >> No, not yet. We will take a position on
the articles at some point in time, but we do need to close the uh public hearing for the budget. >> I move that we close the public hearing on the budget and capital plan. >> Second. >> Any discussion on that motion? All those in favor? >> Any opposed? No. Okay.
Do the planning board is going to do the seasonal or >> they're all wandering away. >> I'm just wondering if we have to do this tonight. Do we have to do this tonight? We It's on the art. It's on the warrant as a placeholder, so we kind of have to, but I don't I don't I personally can't.
>> Um, >> wrap your head around it. >> I'm gonna have a hard time. It's a lot of information and it deserves time and we just It's 1040. >> Sure. >> You know, and that's food for thought. So that whatever the board wants to do,
I'm just I I'm done. >> My my recommendation, m Madam Chair, is you're right, there's a lot to this. I I don't think we're going to get to a point where we can say yes to this because I think there's just a lot of questions that have been raised about it. Other towns are not moving forward
on it. Uh my recommendation is based I I watched the planning board hearing. I've read through all the regulations. I've read through all the materials and stuff. Um, we're not the only town that has reservations about taking action on this right now. Um, rather than take it
to town meeting and then debate it out there, I would just recommend unless there's some reason why we have to is we can certainly withdraw it from the warrant and and deal with it later because I'm I'm not sure with everything else that we're doing and getting ready for town meeting we're going to ever get
to a point we're satisfied that we've got enough enough of a briefing. the planning board even get the zoning that needs to >> zoning doesn't need to be done until 24 months after >> okay >> you have accepted the designation we just got offered the designation in
December 2025 they just finished the regulations rel related to seasonal communities the very beginning of February so maybe taking a little bit of time to delve into a little bit more I'm as you can see in the memo that I have included in the packet from the planning board is we are concerned about the
movable tiny homes how it's defined. It's basically an RV or a camper trailer. >> And they changed the language from the draft version to the final one where they removed the word we're allowed to prohibit. Now we only we can either allow them or regulate them. Whereas before we could allow, regulate, and
prohibit in the draft regulations. And that's where my concern and the planning board's concern came about. Um because I don't think that meets any of our visions of what we were looking for for housing. We certainly don't think housing should be defined through chapter 90 motor vehicles and aircraft regulations.
>> It does. >> I I feel like um this is one of those things like when the state promulgated regulations around the marijuana use like I'm not I'm not interested in being the first in like I think that we need to learn our lessons from what some of
the other communities uh are. Having said that yes we need housing. Having said that, also there is a very limited amount of grant funding that we would even be potential. I mean, we're not missing out on anything to wait at all. >> There's a limit to how long though.
>> Affordable housing act has kind of skimpy budgeting. >> Yeah, there's there's not a lot. I don't I don't foresee getting it. >> Is there a possibility you might entertain a working committee to so that we're not just kind of pushing it off? And >> I think the planning board has already addressed. >> We have a working committee. We've we've
been inshed in this. The entire staff team is is really >> right >> on this and um I mean we were going to give like a little overview of every minute facet of this designation and what it means and what we're looking at and and I think our considered
>> opinion all around including the work that the planning board has done is that um what we'd like to do is take this off for April, plan on putting it on again in November. Okay. >> And during that time there are benefits
and and we'd like to, you know, work toward the benefits. However, um until we resolve the stick part. Every, you know, state law has a carrot and a stick. The carrots are good. The sticks right now are not falling in our favor.
uh we feel we may be able to work with um I mean we know a lot of people that are on that team that has been um you know making >> HC or whatever it is >> right um comments on the regulations. So if if we can get a clarification on what exactly we need to do on the zoning then
we'll be back in um in the fall before some massive housing bill gets put that we miss out on >> because I mean it does say allows municipalities to further regulate movable tiny houses. I mean everywhere it says >> regulate typically means you can condition it or maybe you can require a
special permit but you can't prohibit it and do you want as someone's primary dwelling to be a RV or a camper trailer since we started this since we were invited to become a seasonal community
the specific requirements with respect to this zoning have changed >> and and you know that's happened very recently and and we're not we're not happy with the changes. >> Changed not to the better. >> Yeah. >> Right. Not to the better. Right. >> So, it's not a no. It's just not right
now. I think it's just too much to get through between now and meeting. >> Reach out to >> I think I would recommend that we do all the outreach after town meeting. Let's get through the town meeting. We got plenty on our plate right now. >> Let's pull this from the warrant and revisit it. I think you've done a great
job and at least Thank you for all your work on that. >> Enough things that we've got to get our wrap our heads around. So to me, I I have enough information to know that now is not the best time to take this up. >> So is this a motion? >> That's my motion is that we withdraw the seasonal communities designation from the warrant. >> We'll second it.
>> Third. >> Okay. Any discussion on that motion? >> We have time. >> All those in favor? >> Opposed. Okay. Great. Thank you for your work on this. I again I feel bad trying to >> minimize it. I just it's it's so much. >> It's not minimal. >> Quite the quite the meeting.
>> I'm sorry. Thank you. >> When at the end of a big season, isn't that the great time to call ourselves a seasonal community in people's minds? >> We'll be seasonal in the fall. >> Okay. >> After you draft town meeting warrant,
what do we have? What is What is the the the >> need or the ask on this tonight? Just to review it one more time. to review it and if um you wanted to make some recommendations um it's on the agenda. >> I I know I had put that just in case but
um I don't think that tonight's night. We've already made the motion to um remove the the one article just now. Is there anybody has any questions or anything that they want further clarification? >> I'm happy to take this up at a future meeting. Madam >> as long as we're not skipping any timelines, I think
>> we have three of them three reviews. >> Um this will this is our second now. The third and final reading will be on March 24. So, as long as we're good to go on March 24, we have one change. We're going to remove >> um >> seasonal was Yeah, but I'm just saying
what article 23 24 >> 24. >> So, that goes >> um and then we'll be back. But, um on the 24th, we'll seek to make the recommendations and execute the warrant. >> Well, we'll look at the agenda. We may have to start earlier.
We may indeed. >> All right. >> Board and committee actions. Joyce. >> Okay. Um I'd like to place before you Al Meyers um to uh serve as citizen at large for the community preservation committee a three-year term to run
through July 2029. >> So moved. >> Second. >> All in favor? >> I. I'd like to place before you um Michelle Collins Clemens as a member of the Community and Economic Development Committee a three-year term to run
through July 2029. >> Moved. Second. >> All in favor? >> I. >> Finally, I'd like to place before you Sarah Porter um as a member of the developing public arts committee. Um
hers will be for a three-year appointment, but it will um start from the date that the committee starts. >> So moved. >> Second. >> All in favor? >> I >> uh reappointments. Um I I propose um
nominating Deb Clark from the Recreation Commission as um their representative to the community preservation committee. That's a one-year appointment. and it would end 12:31 2026. >> So moved. >> Second. >> All in favor?
>> I. >> Thank you all. >> All right. Upcoming agenda review. We have uh March 24th um coming up next. There really is >> the only warn that Mary Musli's office
has approved and sent the letter to the select board about the ballot for the fairness. >> I think it's on here. >> It's on there. vote sign election warrant >> is that >> and but there there's going to be that um item on on your agenda to make that
decision on. So So we did receive the petition and it's certified. So you'll see that. >> Okay. >> All right. And um maybe a more formal uh I know it was asked for a topic about uh the mass DOT update so we can we can really discuss
it but >> hopefully it'll still be off at that point in time but I think we should put the mass DOT Bass River Bridge on here for discussion on the 24th. >> On the 24th >> I agree. I I think it's going to have to stay on there until we're satisfied. We
get a small win, a a reprieve, so to speak. >> Yeah. >> But I don't know how long it's going to last. >> I'm I'm not sure how much of a win that is. >> Is there a chance that this group wants to write a letter um to the the the legislation
on the that we need better support for our technical school using the numbers that were presented to us tonight and the fact that they've been denied grants for environmental and veterary programs. Is that something that we would >> want to draft something? I'd be happy to look at it. >> We can't be
>> It needs to be on a agenda item for we can discuss it on the 24th if you'd like, >> but we can't we can't talk about it, make any decisions on that. >> 24th. >> Is that okay, Bob? Put a letter to the legislators. I think the ship sailed, but
>> I mean, the funding's not there. The funding's not there. >> It's it's um >> I don't think they're taking that up again, Liz. All right. I mean, we can do a letter, but as Tracy said, that ship is sailed. >> The ship sailed on that. It's unfortunate because he could have written the letter was months ago, >> right? All right. Let let it go then.
>> There you go, Bob. I just saved you a lot. >> It's discouraging though. >> It is discouraging. And I thought he had a great plan to expand his campus and he talked about it when he was here the last time and he was a huge advocate for uh not >> Yeah. >> Uh changing it, changing the enrollment,
and he that fell on death ears, too. And I think we did send a letter on that. >> Well, the environmental programs that he's been trying to get, >> the way that the enrollment goes, >> those are terrific. >> I know >> those are terrific. >> The dog um bylaw, Mary, the bylaw with
the dog licensing, the letter, was that straightened out, resolved? >> We we can't really >> can't talk. Well, I I guess I we put it back on the agenda then. >> We can put it on the agenda if it needs to be put on the agenda. Does it need to be put on the agenda? I don't know what the problem.
>> Refresh my recollection, please. >> It's a letter that came from a family. They were trying to >> with respect to right with respect to uh changing a a definition. I've not looked to change that definition for this for this um warrant. We can certainly look at it and see if it's something that we
want to look at for uh >> Are you talking about a letter of the change of the bylaw? Are you talking about the the family that has been in violation of the >> So, there's no violation. And it was simply um the only reason we have a
service dog in our dog bylaw is strictly service dogs don't have to pay a fee and that was they were looking at the definition of the service dog in our bylaw and that that that was the only issue that >> the chair is talking >> we can certainly look at that definition. We're still waiting for the
AG's to approve the original. >> Yeah. The chair was talking about something and we were talking we got talking about two different things. >> Right. Well that's what I'm trying to >> do anything for that. trying she's trying to clarify which which of the two different things we're talking about >> talking about the dog >> no there's nothing there's nothing that
we have to do >> if we choose to look if we choose to look at a definition >> and there was some discussion about possibly a dog hearing that's what I thought >> that's what I'm talking about okay >> we have a dog hearing and it's coming up on April 7th >> okay great we're going to move on from
upcoming agenda reviews to individual items does anybody have any individual items >> I would just I would remind you though that we do need to put on the long list the the hearing that we have now committed ourselves to. >> They'll they'll do that based on >> a license. That'll be Amy. Amy will take
care of that with the licensing. >> Okay. So, individual items, not me. >> Me neither. Anybody? Okay. >> The the only point that I would like to make I'm sorry, Dorcas, I didn't mean to cut you off. Go ahead. >> No, it's okay. >> Okay. No, I I I was appreciative of the
briefing materials that we got today on the licensing stuff. Um, I thought the additional information that Amy pulled together, sort of summarizing some of the comments and and and providing more um more information and more background
I thought was very very helpful. Um, I should have given her kudos when she was here, but um, I just want Bob to know I I like her being here. I like the briefings. I like the material. I think it's her work has been incredibly helpful. So, I just wanted to pass that along.
>> Great. Um, consent agenda. Is there a motion to approve the consent agenda? >> Second. >> Any discussion? All those in favor? >> Any opposed? Bob. >> Okay, I can go pretty quickly. Um we talked about
>> the mass DOT um again has proposed posting the route six through Yarmouth over the Bass River Bridge as is a no trucks over 40 tons and you know that would be a big impact on the community. They put that on hold for now and
that'll be on your next agenda for discussion so we don't need to talk about it anymore. And we talked earlier about the brush program that's going to start um tomorrow at the waste management facility for residents only. We talked the parade really was a
wonderful event and I just need to thank the select board for your leadership and making that parade happen and plus bringing such joy to it. It was amazing. >> Are you talking about Sophie? >> Absolutely. >> It was it was a great dress. a great
event all around and I'm I'm glad it wasn't snowing. It wasn't freezing and um >> it wasn't raining. >> I'm glad Amy had her first parade. That is that's you know >> trusted me and I almost rear ended you. I was going to talk about that in the Capitol with the golf carts because we
almost had a collision but she um she's okay and I I used the brakes. >> It was a close one. And um on the um storm damage front, you know, we've been um putting our costs together and um
>> outside of the tree pickup, which is a massive expenditure that that we're working through. Um we had storm damage and costs totaling $621,000. Um and and that's from all of our town departments, mostly the snow removal um
efforts, but also police and fire in there. And I just want to let you know that, you know, um I've put together a whole analysis of these costs and we forwarded it to the state's MIMA, the Emergency Management Agency, and they in turn have made an application to the
federal government. What we're trying to get is to get the entire region together. Well, you know, um at least we we made the major effort That's great. Yeah. The odds of getting anything from the feds. >> Well, we get it, but it's like four years later. That's the problem. >> No. No. This administration doesn't
wants wants this kind of stuff to be local state taken care of. >> They don't they don't think the feds should be helping out the states and the towns. >> So, does that mean we're out with MIMA? Nothing with MIMA. >> No. MIMA is is going to be working on on >> They're going to make an application. All I'm saying >> to FEMA, but if they don't get funded
from FEMA, are we going to get anything from MIMA? >> I think we are. Oh, good. I think we are, but um it, you know, we don't know what the amounts are and it's probably just going to be a portion of it. But it's it's too bad in a situation like this normally, you know, just going back in in time, the federal government
always had um you know, when communities were really at a loss in these emergency situations, a stake in it. Now, um so we just don't know, but I just want you to let you know that we're working with the Commonwealth. We've done our part. They're doing their part. I'll keep you
updated on how that's going. And um I I want to say also that um for anyone out there listening um the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency is also sending out a call to any businesses and local residences that have um had any
storm damage in the blizzard of 2026. And please look on the town's website. We've got the some detailed information on how to get that information um if you've had any damages over to MIMA and that may help businesses and residents
um potentially get additional aid for any damages they may have. >> Didn't it also if you had to close and you lost >> Yes. >> Yes. Because I know our theater group is getting some money from that. So, um, we want to and we we're sending that information, um, out to social media,
out to the website, and, you know, we're getting thousands and thousands of hits on it, but we hope people follow through on that. And finally, I just wanted to say that um, we had an excellent um, wastewater business forum today. It was um held
>> over at Thurwood and it was organized by the Chamber of Commerce, but um we must have had six or so town officials, the you know whole leadership team and and Jeff um was our presenter. He did a fabulous job. But the um focus
>> people showed up, >> you know, I would say there was 50 >> close to 50. That's good. And um you know it focused on the costs of wastewater um you know in terms of whether it's the connection fees whether it's the
betterments what the schedule is how do you organize and you know get the connection designed all of the nuts and bolts of the process. Um and banks were on hand. we had three different banks
presenting programs um that would fund the um connection system and you know with some of these businesses it it's a little bit more complicated and remember the Aqua Fund is really a residential program so um this was information I I felt very very helpful to the business
community the questions were lively every question was answered and so much information was given out it was a real partnership between the town and the business community and there were a lot of like just local residents that attended as well. But I I just want to say from all of the forums we had, this
was a really good one. And so I I just want to make sure you guys are apprised of it. >> More the marrier, Bob. >> The more the marrier. >> So we'll keep that effort. >> Thank you. >> And one last thing before we adjourn. I have Liz's evaluation form for Bob, but I need everybody else's as soon as you can, please, to turn it in. And I'll
take a motion to adjurnn. >> So moved. >> Second. >> Thank you all. >> All those in favor? >> I. >> Thank you, Tracy. It's like a jury. If you get a quick