e e e okay I want to welcome everybody to the uh July 22nd 2024 uh select board meeting um and notify everybody that this uh meeting is being uh broadcast live by Chella media and also recorded for later rebroadcast um and if you would join me in the plge of Allegiance United States of America okay okay thank you uh so tonight's meeting has one purpose for our regular Open session of the meeting and that is to establish um select board and town manager goals for fiscal year 2025 which began uh just uh 3 weeks ago um so the as we as we um as we um establish these goals the first thing we'll do is go through the goals from last year and see which ones if any we want to maintain on our list for the upcoming fiscal year um so do we have somebody who wants to volunteer to be the Scribe at the um at the poster board how about the clerk sure just tell me I it's my first year so um just write down what we tell you to write down okay thank you he's good he's quick well we'll see I'm sure he is okay so as I said the first thing we'll do is go through um the the goals from uh fiscal 2024 and decide which ones we want to keep on our list so we'll start with arpa funds um this fiscal year at the middle of this fiscal year we will have had to uh program all the funds that we have received um from the federal government for um covid relief um so do we want to keep this on our goal goal for the coming year I I had it on my list as a goal to manage for management and allocation of the remaining arpa funds because I think it's it's still imperative that we comply with the allocation deadline and all the standards okay so if you want to note that so I notic one don't worry about that right now okay it would be management and allocation of the remaining arpa fund funds say again I just to simplify it I said management and allocation of the remaining arpa funds I mean Pat if you want to split them out after you can but right I mean that's fine just do that yeah and then you want to you know watch the progress of the stuff we'll continue to get the the updates that we've been getting that's part yeah that's part of the management right okay um next is the Strategic plan um this one we probably also should should keep since that should be wrapping up during this fiscal year is that correct is that the plan it's supposed to be done by may may all right so just say strategic plan and we can put fill in the details later and I will note that Aaron drew our select board member Aon Drew has joined us by Zoom so Aaron if you have anything you want to add at any point um just please let us know we know you're there thank you thank you okay uh next up is the sewer storm water and drainage um this is one that we've had on the on our goals for several years now um do we want to keep it there oh absolutely I think it's as important as anything anything okay it's on my own opinion so I when I was kind of getting my notes together I just categorized like infrastructure ones together so I don't know if we want to flag it as an infrastructure because there's other infrastructure ones that's what I had that I think we'll also wind up keeping group three or four of them all together here yeah well we can put them down down as we get them and then they can be combined later we don't sewer storm water yeah drainage okay and then utilities um double poles power charging stations underground utilities and communication or under utilities um double poles I I think we've kind of got that under control at this point so I don't know that we need to continue to have that on our goals I think it's just a I think the double poles is just a practice we keep executing um I had the underground utilities on my list I think that if that's going to require legislative and other support we just need to amp up our focus on it right there something we going have to keep upgraded all the time I think demand is going to get stronger and stronger you know so right we so we should is it Utilities in general or is it the underground utility well under utilities we had had underground utilities and power charging stations and communication concerns those were all sub subtasks under utilities um right but what do we want to carry forward cuz that's that's the question yeah we just said we're not going to carry double poles forward um even power charging stations doing okay so maybe just underground utilities at this point I'd be okay with simplifying it to that okay you can say underground utilities instead of utilities there and our lighting policy I think we've um done everything we can on that to this point than okay so unless anybody has any concerns we'll eliminate that one um same with recognition process I think we have our policy in place for that everybody okay that yeah letting that go uh same with performance reviews I think we have established that so with two process improvements um any thoughts on on these on this I I have it on my list and I actually I had a category about fiscal management and visibility because I think it lies we can leave it as its own thing if we if we agree to to keep it on but I think especially with the challenging fiscal environment that we're in and that we're heading into even deeper the process improvements and the system improvements help um fiscally too in terms of you know keeping money at the bottom line so I would vote to include a bu process improvements objective as part of a fiscal I don't care how you package it I had it under fiscal but I just think that we shouldn't keep our let our finger off the ball with that because every year there's something we can do right and I think Paul and his staff have been finding some pretty significant opportunities okay um Parks and Recreation um the first one on that the inventory that is complete right Paul and the open space plan is being worked on right now um should be complete it's not the end of this calendar year early next year um so we can so I guess for me Pat like do we want to keep some of these things separate I guess we can decide that later but things like the open space and the the clean energy with the MVP and all these updates to plans I counted 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 N9 10 so do we want just something that says we continue to track and support as appropriate the board and committee and commission initiatives in the current year and we list them or do we want to keep calling them all out onesie twoes yeah I think that's a good idea I actually had as on my list one of the things about surveys it seems it seems we have so many surveys going on at any one time now um you know almost if there were a way to to publicize those better to track those better and that's usually part of a plan usually there's a survey associated with each plan that we have um support I mean as a as an example do you want me to just like read what I had under that just so when I said continue to track and support appropriate board committee and commission initiatives in the current fiscal year the things I listed were MBTA zoning support center Village master plan they're doing some updates the North Village initiatives the open space and Recreation Plan update the fire station committee well I had I had the Strategic plan steering committee listed but maybe that should be its own thing since it's a board initiative the clean energy and sustainability initiatives with the MVP the Warren pole CR closure the coolest farm transition and then I had the school committee and the Parker msba so I don't like I don't know if we want to say that we're going to continue to support this stuff or take it out all together but I it kind of feel like if it's if they're all at the same level we should I mean some of those I think would we're done with right I mean the Warren pole Farm we we executed the conservation restriction Wai for to come back from the right but it's not closed not closed okay do you want a general heading of committee support with the um I think probably more like plan isn't that what what what title did you give it update I just I said well I said continue to track and support appropriate board committee and commissions initiatives in the current fiscal year okay but I don't I don't really care how you word it I think it's a philosophical question of how do we want to handle all these little buckets right and plenty of them yeah that's I mean that's what I've seen I'm you know seeing more so yeah so p i get something like that support boards board and committee initiatives and then we can see what we need to put under those as we and so like I definitely think the open space plan would be one because that's ongoing MH P Fest I mean we stay on top of that I mean is there any projections for that I mean is it getting worse or coming up yeah we haven't yeah did I go well I mean that's on the Ron road so well it that's why I brought it up over there so what I did what I the way I handled that on my list was I had a spe similar to number six on the flip chart with board and committee initiatives I had a category that just said continue to track and take action as appropriate on town government Focus areas and I had things like major traffic and truck 54 Richardson Road the Center Square parcel and the CCA health and sustainability cuz I don't know they're all in these objectives this year but I don't know that we're totally done but I don't think we want to distract ourselves making a major Focus areas either so have those stick you can peel it off and like like stick it stick it on the monitor that's uh behind you it's probably the easiest thing to do that way you don't lose sight of it you just stick it right on that screen there you okay so there'll probably be more that we need to put under number six yeah okay as we get to them we can you know I'll either note them or we can put them on there so you said we want to include open space lender number six yeah I would think right so I'll check that off here okay go ahead um okay yeah um and the clean energy and sustainability committee which is has ownership I guess of the MVP initiative so that would that under number six right that would be under number six also all right and then after the next one after that is Recreation spaces pickle ball and cricket and then the McCarthy and South Ro fields in courts um I mean is this kind of fall into open space and Recreation so yeah so that one can kind of it's covered you think right yeah under the open how do you feel about that Paul do you think we need an explicit goal for it to continue or no it'll continue regardless so uh it's not under the okay all right um person Al would I think we took care of that we got an update from them and I don't think there's any further action we need to take on that at this point yeah that one's done um outward communication I mean that's one of those things that's always going to be have something for so I don't know I don't know if we want to keep it on our goals I I kind of feel like unless there's something new that we're trying to implement it's part of the daily operations y I would agree and I don't know what new we would try to implement at this point unless it's to expand the social media platforms right cuz the newer Generations aren't on Facebook right they're on Instagram and it'll always be something else after that right I don't need this unless you're talking about developing a needs so maybe that's something you keep in mind Paul about the social media stuffi exactly gos we need to do we need to do and the town website about um eliminating that title chanel. us domain that's well it's not done but it's something we can't do at this point right Christina is able to do it shows up yeah it shows up I haven't Ted recently we were talking about this afternoon it's okay really well it says the does not have the resources last but then she told me today it's done oh wow okay Jane's been working really hard at cleaning up the website all right yeah okay now we get to infrastructure Road and sidewalk infrastructure um I guess we're just going to just have what was the the title that you had suggested I just said infrastructure roads sidewalks so this is okay and then the 54 ridges and Road um we want to keep an eye on that um is is that it's own is that a separate one thought that that's where I was struggling again with I think there's things we don't want to take our eye off the ball on but are they are they separate individual goals still so much like we had the boards and commissions we have a monitoring process process in effect right here today right right and and that'll continue people have things to do as certain Milestones get hit and things you know it kind of sounds like that was fulfilled and it's just a monitoring process well we'll keep it going I mean we'll have Paul McKinley in keep it on your radar so much much like we had the board and committees category do you take something like that that is still really important to make sure it stays on track and eliminate it or do you create a similar category for town government Focus areas and put things like that in truck issues and the you know some of these other things under that rather than making a goal just PA you point to us once a year where we're at not once a year quarterly yeah whatever no way yeah I mean now we get a report on that usually what quarterly is needed I'm okay either way but okay well let's let's see what else we have to put under the town focus and we'll we'll put this we pin that there right now okay um fire station study is that one we put under there or is that I put that under the board and committee one number six okay does that make sense yep that's fine so did we drop 54 Richardson Road no we're going to put that under town government Focus so we should have an eight up there then what's the of eight call it town government Focus areas and if we decide to delete it and blow it away later I don't care but it's just a one way to categorize it y all right so one of the things we just put under their Pat was 54 Richardson Road all right the Warren pole Farm the conservation restriction did you that was under I've had that under six but we can put it under eight if you want yeah let's yeah I think that's a a Town Warren pole yeah okay so the Warren pole CR conservation restriction under eight yes and traffic issues would also go there right under eight yeah traffic issues CCA strategy and sustainability I don't know that we need to have that a focus anymore I mean we've we're getting updates we you know unless if we wanted to keep it I put it under eight but Paul I don't know do you feel there's anything more to seems to be going well I mean obviously there's a yeah it does it seems to be going well okay I mean just take it off yeah we can take it off and then but obviously we'll keeping an eye on still Lu to hear from her once in a while yeah no we come and give updates MBTA zoning support for the planning board now now why do you think that needs to stay on Virginia like well I I left it on number under number six because we are going to have to modify the development agreement and that falls with us okay you're looking puzzled Paul no no that's right the development grd travel Crow for uh for 255 Princeton Street okay that's why I left it on there okay that makes sense then so that's number six although I'm taking notes Here Pat so if you don't if you can't fit everything on there um Sheltering homeless and refugees I don't know what we can do about that I mean it's going as well as it can be unless the state modifies the program I I don't think that this right I think we're sort of all pleasantly surprised it's less of an issue than we yeah considered it could be so everybody okay with removing that for now I'm seeing nods so all right Central Square parcel well I left that under number eight in case it comes alive again okay so we'll put that under put that under number eight all right so now I'll give everybody a chance toe last the final page tree oh you're right tree plantings what's that go wonder probably G to happen because we got an aark are we getting an ear Mark in the state okay is that a number eight I think so okay that's a good idea okay all right so how about if we start with Aon I haven't heard from her yet do you have anything you want to add to our list sarin can you hear me um yeah I can hear you sorry I just have my muted um I I don't have anything no I just was looking for the no I don't have anything at the moment okay um George no I was conc concerned about bridges of Road and Fest and you know everything else and no in electricity really I I'm I'm concerned about the grid oh okay and and sure you know I mean right all the yeah the infrastructure things yeah that's it okay all right Pat you have list um I um there a couple of things that warrant discussion and in light of the fact that we're all aware of some impending Financial issues coming um one of the first things I'd like to do is um look at fee structures for permitting um Etc all across the board um I uh I happen to do a lot of work in various towns throughout the Commonwealth and um our fee structures are a little bit lighter than a lot of folks and I don't think it's a a a problem to increase our fee structures to bring us in line with various people so I'd like to um um put forth an effort to see and inquire about what our all of our neighbors are doing and um and possibly uh readjust our fee structures for that um because I think you know and I think it's been a long time since that disc that's been mentioned before yeah y so um so I'd like to look at that excuse me I'm sorry you including buil building permits and building permits dog licenses um any any permits whatsoever we need to look at all of it and just see in align ourselves with our with our um neighbors um the other thing I think that we should look at because I'm driving down Route three I drive through l i see it everywhere is marijuana dispensaries and I think we can Zone it correctly and I think we're missing the boat on that so I'd like to look at that as another possible source of Revenue um so that would be another thing I'd like to look at and have discussions about going forward and then the final thing is I just would like to um maybe just get a um a sense I don't know if Paul would help us with this but um knowing that we have some retirements coming you know down the line is i' like to just have um some kind of schedule that that kind of um you know and we're still a ways away from it but I don't want to lose sight that at some point we have to think about you know when Paul leaves we'll have to form a committee um a stering committee for his replacement and then from there we'll have other I understand that it's a ways off but it'll creep up on you quicker than so all I'm looking for as a schedule so we can be thinking down the road uh maybe we just tighten up a succession plan that's been done in the past or something like that but I don't want to get caught shot by if we get busy on many other things and we should be starting to think about you know putting a steering committee together at the end of say 25 and if we get busy on something else because we have financial crisis or something like that I just don't want to lose lose um lose track of that so those are my three things okay so Virginia um I had a category called fiscal management invisibility and under that I had what Pat said about um evaluating the current fee structures and modifying them to bring them in line with current day expenses um that Wasing on that my heading was fiscal management and visibility so that was the second item I had and that the first one I had was what Paul we've talked about before is um maybe pumping up a little bit the early and the analysis of like what are our most vulnerable areas and how do we handle the risk mitigation so I said early in full analysis of the most vulnerable areas along with risk mitiga cuz I think we have some challenging times ahead of us and then um the what one more time on that so so we follow the charter process where in December we do a tri board review of the up the proposed budget and then and by that time it's pretty much in place and then depending on whatever the commentary is and whatever else Paul needs to do he'll do his tweaks between December and the end of January and then we review he reports on what the proposed budget is there's no Vote or anything but he that's that's the charter requirement what we did a year or two ago um because we were also knew there were like some f fiscally challenging things coming up was Paul brought earlier visibility to the board on those things so that when we got to the meeting and December we had already like talked about it and understood where he wanted to go and had an opportunity to weigh in so um that was all I was suggesting that given early notification of potential Financial issues yeah and risk mitigation and you know it's a it's a working discussion but just trying to build that in more intentionally was my thought and then the other thing I had under fiscal management invisibility I don't even know if this makes sense but I said legislative and Grant economic F focus is there anything more we could do that way um and again I don't know what the answer is but we do a lot with we do earmarks and things like that but is there more that we could do more intentionally with either legislatively or grants and would look for feedback from you on whether that even makes sense to put on but any thoughts on that Paul as far as well I mean I know we we do apply for Lo we get a lot of money in in Grants right I mean the challeng is of the schedules I mean the legislative ear Mark schedule is now meaning we won't we don't know until they release the state budget till July and and we really can't put them in until April so the problem is it's a little out of syn with the budget the town's budget because we're at town meeting in April um but we you know we can I think as we develop the budget we can try to identify ear marks which are really extraordinary requests in the budget um and then the grant Cycles it depends it depends what the um what grants you're seeking and what their Grant schedule is as well um so no I think we can keep those as focus and we'll do that you know definitely do that so okay stay out try to get of those do you want me so I sure okay so my my next thought for a goal I'm out of fiscal management now was do we want I know that we have to look at for coolest farm transferring that under the Conservation Commission custody but do we want to look um evaluate the transfer of other open space and agricultural land not currently under the custody of the concom to the concom and we would have to do that with with them and see what they want but um I mean they they had they had a discussion of this last month yeah and you know they they the request is to bring forth Warren Pole to formally do it this fall now that the Restriction is near the end and obviously they're interested in kolis at this point they don't have interest in Sheen Farm or Sunny Meadow Farm which are the two other main Parcels that the town has that aren't that aren't under the jurisdiction ition of the commission um but that's really that's pretty much all that's out there right now that's so you wouldn't put this on as a goal right now yeah they just they declined interest they I vetted it with with Carl Bishoff and the commission had it as an agenda item and a discussion y um and they just don't want to go there at this point in time in terms of I I was a little surprised on Sheen Farm quite frankly um because I mean it's pretty much an only an agricultural use only um and anyway but uh a Sunny Meadow I get is a little more challenging because it's multi-use uh and it's not so much conservation oriented U but they're focused they they again they're yeah so that's where things stand on that so I mean I'm not opposed to revisiting the discussion and having board members you know but I just want to give you the initial feedback that's fine I'm I'm I'm okay with taking it off if if you recently Ved it um I wasn't sure if there was anything we specifically wanted to put on with infrastructure and Facilities I think we're we've got the potential fire station one covered the other big one is the school committee but I mean they'll come to us when they need approval for things or need our support so I had that under number six um and then a lot of the town government buildings we've been actually addressing under the arpa funds right so I what's Your Gut with that Paul like is that a goal or is it just is it already covered other places I mean it's going to be covered under the capital budgeting process so I'm going to take that one off um and then I had some goals related to process um our policies and process one is um I wanted to throw out there to formalize what I would call guidelines possibly in our select board policies for the Town Council process okay and where I'm coming from is we appoint Jun to June but more than once in the you know in June somebody said well gee should we think about changing course and by then it's too late to really do a professional job at it with respect to council and to give it the proper attention that it would need um so I thought maybe we should just write it up as guidelines I mean certainly things happen and you might not be able to follow it but we had talked about if we want to do that you know start a couple months early it's incumbent upon the board member to raise it a couple months early so Town Council process is is would be my number 10 up there Pat um in the charter section 32c says that the select board shall appoint a public celebrations committee and I think we should either clean up the charter language or clean up our board and committee names I think we've said well the parade committee is like a public celebration so but they're not going to take on every public celebration so well actually it is a different yeah the public celebrations committee which we do have right is that no it's not it's not in the list no there is no celebration committee so the ones that does a Prelude what are they they call holiday holiday Prelude committee and then Regina does the other celebrations which are Veterans Day and Memorial Day so so do we need a separate committee or do we need to just say we've got public celebrations veterans public celebrations parade public celebr you know what I mean because then one of my other ones one of my other potential goals was do we need to do something about celebrating the 250th acknowledgement of the Revolutionary War next year and I was like well that would be public celebrations committee and then I discovered we don't have one so we've got to we've got to disconnect with the charter and how we've implemented the at least the names so I don't know yeah I mean aside from the parade committee the other the other efforts are are pretty much on life support or individual in other words the veterans agent handles Veterans Day and Memorial day but that's by law right by by yeah and and the prood committee is down to a precious handful and and more and more of it's being taken on by facilities in DPW in terms of uh I mean is it people just that next Generation does not step forward to take that on and and right now they're basically down to like three people and and honestly I don't know anybody that's going to like say I want to be on a general public celebrations committee because you don't know what it is so my I guess my go goal would be number 11 would be to resolve Charter section 3-2 C regarding public celebrations committee appointment decide if we want to propose we take it out or you know just we don't have to decide what we do with it now but yeah there's a disconnect okay that I thought we should clean up and then my my only other um going back to the select board policies we have a code of conduct on page 12 that starts on page 12 12 and um I'm you know I think it would be an easy update I'd like to update that a little bit there's a statement that talks about select board members and town managers so be respectful of each other and individual opinions and I'd like to expand it to include um to guests and members of the public and also to look at um just conducting ourselves in accordance with the town values that we adopted and I think I brought this up last year and it was sort of dismissed because there was already a code of conduct but I feel like sometimes we fall short and I just like to codify it a little bit so if the board wants to modify that I'd be happy to to just draft something I it's a really easy simple change do we need to make it a go then or you just want to do that I mean I don't have any problem with you just if you want me to just do it I can I can come I can send you a suggestion okay sure all right then take it off off their P oh that one that one stay on that's he was ahead of you and that's all I have okay all right um oh except for the Revolutionary War if we want to do something with that yeah I mean I guess I guess that's do we want to do next year for the Revolutionary award we want to do the year after that for when we sign a declaration of independence yeah and and next year is when this the war started not when it ended I don't know I don't even think it ended but by 26 but when we signed the Declaration of Independence soldiers that's when our birthday is considered I thinkon and Conquer is next year I think that's do next that's I think yeah because that was the Battle of Lex and Conquer was 1775 right just like Boston started with the tea party uh a year ago um so I think their big thing is is is 2025 right but you're right I think the legislature is making funds available for the the 250th anniversary of the nation being expansive and there money available so I think I think basically you have the choice I don't know what chord would do for Lexington and conquered or battle other than we what we do now which is I think it's the last March right is next year that's what they've announced it as that's what they've said unless unless people step we do anything above I don't think yeah I don't know we do anything above that beyond that but I think like the parade committee is thinking 2026 correct for the 250 of the nation yeah okay yeah and I and I think that kind of makes sense because then because otherwise we're going to be competing with Lexington and Conquer to get all the people to come to I mean this is huge I mean they've got they've got Homeland Security they've got like okay all the planning cuz that's a huge turnout I withdraw okay yeah move to that one up on the you up on the door next to there yeah yeah from the battles yeah Marshall yeah there we go I think George Washington's available H think George Washington's available if he's not busy if he's not busy do it you know all right okay so I have a few things and then we'll go to Paul to see what he has left to to add um kind of on the lines of of plans that we' talked about is the housing production Plan update do yeah they they're working on it George is on that you folks yeah they're doing you're working on a housing production plan right and who owns that with the with nard right is now doesn't does planning board own that or do we own with the housing Advisory board on that I think it gets presented to the select board when they're done yeah yeah right yeah this is Nim Cog right Nim Cog is surprising them the staff support I think when the committee's done they present the report to the select started at the last meeting right but but I think when you're done you present it to the select board yeah because I know there's a survey associated with that too yes yes that's where we so that one probably goes under number six right is it number six that we're doing all the committee support which one is it um the housing production plan what is this um the housing production plan I guess you could put you know I'll know what you're talking about with you and that's when does it do like next spring or when is it when do you expect to be done um all I know is the next meetings in August I I I would I wouldn't suspect that it would take at least until the spring okay probably yeah definitely definitely going to be completed within the next by the end of the fiscal year by June okay all right um somebody suggested to me that we do some kind of focus of chumford culture and I'm not sure what that would be and I'm not even sure how we would do it whether it's culture historical culture artistic culture dep what section of town you talking about so so I'm not even sure that we you know like I said I'm not sure what our goal would be on that um I I think maybe it has to do with historical things as we're coming up to these um big anniversaries that are coming up because we do have a lot of historical people in town that we don't know much about but I don't know I mean I don't know any thoughts on that do we want to pursue anything is is the comment about the historic aspect or is it about culture in general um I think just culture in general because you know like I said it could be historical culture but it could be artistic culture too and other types of culture just you know educational literary so maybe it's something we can hold off and well my my I I I like the idea I think it's a hard question um I I'll throw this out Paul one of the things the Strategic plan um consultant is helping the committee put together is a really robust way to try to collect Community input and I think there's elements of cultural questions and things like that in there so I don't I don't know if it would be like if after they get through that process in the coming year if that would be a time to V visit what is the community want in terms of the town's Direction artistically historically I don't know what do you think yeah like you said I think it's sort a question of what is it a historical aspect of it because it was one that was over the weekend is that why don't we put out tractors on on conservation lands to recognize the farming cultural history of the community um or is it like you said or is it cultural events um the I was on the comment on Saturday night with the concerts and that the parade committee sponsored and there's one more this coming Saturday but I guess the feedback from the cultural Council was oh this is a great thing how can we partner with you to because they like the idea of having events on the common and having the cultural music as aspect of it so I think it may go on sort of a broaden area so I think I think that like the thing you mentioned Pat about capturing the wisdom in the history of like some of the people we have in town that's not anything that we would want the the Strategic plan committee would be doing maybe we just captured as a placeholder or I don't know I think you give the committee finish their work and then have this discuss strategic plan yeah and and I can reach out to the cultural Council too and see if they have any thoughts on it and maybe go yeah that's a good idea okay all right so you don't need to put that down as you didn't yet so you must be getting on mind there um okay um I think we should have some kind of volunteer appreciation program um I don't know what that means if we have like some an event once a year where maybe we invite and I was speaking especially for people who are on boards and committees that don't get paid anything but they they come to a meeting probably at least once or twice a month um and they really don't get recognized for all the effort they put into uh what it is they do um I know a lot of communities do have things like this where like in Westwood I think they have something at kimbles once a year for um folks that that do stuff like this I mean we don't have a kimbles in town but we have a Robert's field that maybe we could have some kind of event there and reach out you know a couple times when we've had people come in for a CVL or something they ask how they can help the community maybe we could impose on them to provide some of the refreshments or whatever and maybe even the creary up at Roberts field we could you know get tickets or whatever for an ice cream cone and pass them out to everybody who who shows up because we probably have what 150 200 people that are on all the Committees we have right yeah oh yeah easily um and we I think that's a great idea okay say Going H everybody if you're going to limit it to a few people very I think I think I think her suggestion is to put a goal on there to say let's figure out how we do better with volunteer appreciation right well that's good I mean it's just that if you're start narrowing it down it gets very very difficult you right yeah I mean I don't think I would yeah I think we would try to do something at a at a time when we could anticipate a good amount of people could come what do you think Paul yeah know I mean different communities do different things I mean one is just almost like having a party quite quite frankly just having a cookout and they it's volunteer appreciation day and everybody comes out and it's yeah just sort of a way for people to get together and then to town to show their appreciation for those who volunteer and again it's just a community Gathering and you could have you know you could do it on the common or or at robertsfield or some place like that someplace where it's visible and Comm probably isn't big enough you're going to you know go with but not everybody's going to come either I mean that's like but then then they all bring their families and whatever right and I think the intent would should be to have families be welcome I don't you know not limit it just to the person who's on the who's on a committee because that would you're not going to have the crowd that you get at the country fair but I mean but in the country fair is confined to the common so I mean it's you know and the roads around it I mean so you could have that kind of a gathering of that kind of a turnout and maybe you do have entertainment or something with it to make it almost almost like a like I said a appreciation day is really it is yeah and maybe have and then if there is something if there is something that you want to call out I mean I mean what they kind of did that what you mentioned Dave mcin as parade Marshall he'd stepped down after 35 years you know you can't make everybody be can't make everybody right you can't make everybody parid Marshal but you can recognize him just like a town meeting they recognize people who've served at town meeting for 20 years 10 years you can just you can do some kind of a day and just recognize people who have served and maybe those who have passed yeah no I agree it's something I think you sort of put a group together you can come up with some kind of an event that you know that people would attend and would be a nice you know a nice Gathering yeah okay all right yeah so we'll on that yeah okay um a a few years ago there was a or I thought there was anyway um um a push to relaunch the senior center as more of an intergenerational uh venue um whatever happened to that and is that something that we want to do it's interesting because this came up at the um age friendly meeting about two months ago there was legislation sponsored to change to change the word Council on Aging to to a different name because it doesn't have a you know in senior centers it doesn't have a connotation the push back you get is comes from inside the senior center is they see that as a or at least some of the leaders inside there including the director to Frank because it's sort of their Turf that they don't want they're afraid it's going to become a community center instead of a senior center and so and so you know so that's been the push back and that's why it never came to fruition was they didn't want to change the name of it from Senior Center to and there's a word and it doesn't come to me that that that's more commonly used now to make it more friendly you know it's like it's something with aging or something but something like that so doesn't doesn't have the word senior or or or that that kind of a connotation but so that's sort of been talked about it probably won't get through the legislature given everything else that's backed up but there but those discussions still go on and um to make it to take the feeling of well that's only for the old people that go there you know in other words that people there's this idea that people feel oh I'm not going to go to the senior center that's for older folks well I mean that is how it's set up right right no but it's but it's but but there that's the negative connotation from from from any and so it's the feeling is can you peel it back a little bit I mean I guess one thing we could do to make it so it's less focused you know so people so it's it's not shameful to go to the scenei no but the idea of what putting somebody in a nursing home that's the connotation have it's like oh that's for old people right and and many of us had oh I don't want to go to a nursing home for a care facility and so that's it sort of had that idea that can you Rebrand it so that it's seen more as a you know right a community Gathering and Resource as opposed to oh well that's where you know that's where you it would be more than rebranding because like their policies and their staff and everything are set up for age 60 and older the classes and everything they offer I'm I'm also I'm wondering Pat with what you're saying though is there is there anything more that could be done through the the age friendly committee which is looking at all ages MH um but it doesn't answer your question about a facility yeah I mean is is that something should we put that like under number 62 to you know we have all the other committees that we we're supporting to to see if there's I I don't know would they be receptive no yeah I think the AG friendly folks would be re you know they they're pretty open-minded I mean and maybe something comes later from that I mean maybe even like it's renaming the the building and it doesn't have to say Senior Center or anything like that we name it after somebody that's been instrumental in moving that process forward I mean you know we can probably think of a few people right off hand that you know like in westw they have a c the Cameron Center it doesn't have senior anywhere on the in the name right so you going to say but is this all about forming or or putting forth an intergenerational Center is that what it's about um I think it's more about as you said rebranding that facility and the programs that they have there so that they're more inclusive to different ages than just over 60 um and maybe it's not anything that's practical right now but I don't know is it something we want to work on or I think it's something that you'd put towards the management of the senior to say can you come back to us with some ideas of what you might want to see and how you might want to put forth different programs if you want to get you know youth involved with the seniors I personally don't recall seeing many public intergenerational centers I I'm very familiar with private ones through corporations and things like that where it was set up initially as that so that you know um Elders work with youngsters and such and I I think that's a great idea but I think it's a whole different realm from it's so I think it's two different things you talking intergenerational Center and really trying to meld the the age gaps I think that's one thing if you're talking about Rebrand the senior center I think that's another whole thing so I think we're talking about two different things here but that's why I asked the question is it about and ageef friendly is a third different thing because what they're looking at is um cross Generations but not confined to a building like all the initiatives that they're looking at are considering all different kinds of age groups how do you make the community age friendly but something like this I could see you'd have to probably work with schools because you want to maybe you offer incentives for students to go you know spend some time up there or you do things like that you know and I think so it's not a it's not a a bad thing to talk about I think it's a good thing to talk about overall but I think it's a multifaceted thing and I think you got to bring in everybody something that maybe maybe it would be if we wanted to put a placeholder what would you call it well I that's I'm still back what do we what what's what's what's the goal what's the end right yeah I mean I mean would it make it would it would it kind of overlap with what the community center does in North chord I mean I I'm not that familiar with all the programs they have there um or lot a push back from management I think up there anywhere but particularly I think they had even with housing when they tried to do housing way back they had a real problem and we could have had 35 more units up there but it somebody's didn't feel right cuz they didn't have enough say in it and it it was 35 senors that lost an opportunity to have a place to live so it's just one little thing so I mean we could we could just think about it and you know maybe I can get some more thoughts on it and bring it back next year or or whatever um I think the discussion I I say the first place to start would be with the age friendly I think they're probably the most capable group at this point to have that discussion and probably the place that would get you the some traction as opposed to the Council on Aging yeah I would I would I think that's the place to start that okay all right and so we'll just so yeah I mean I I can do that or um Virginia I know you're Lea on to that committee correct age front I mean if if if you wanted to just you know run it by do you want it as a goal or do you want it just as a yeah let's look into it yeah let's just do that yeah do it off hand offline and and uh see what we come up with rather than set a goal that we may find is Impractical at this point and just one other thing that I I don't even know what we would do about this is there anything we want to have as far as a policy or anything like that having to do with how artificial intelligence is used um in the town and and I don't you know I don't even know it just seems like it's becoming so prevalent um and I don't know what kind of restrictions we might put on it but it just seems like there might be something I I don't know any thoughts on that Paul I mean we're we're encouraging our staff to become familiar with AI and to utilize it um particularly as in their areas of operation um I don't think it's going to supplant staff or people the way we we're you know we're iners service organization um not sure that I'm not sure that it's ripe yet for Pat for for that it's a it's a it's a process that we've got to jump on right now okay good way to put it um but it is something that we're keeping an eye on okay all right well that's good to know okay that's all I have Paul do you have anything we haven't touched on yet geez you you've touched on a lot of things I mean when you um in a lot of that you got the boards and Committee in so I think that kind of touches because one of the things that's been big is this whole green climate change environmental initiative but I think that probably falls under that in terms of of the Cs and their efforts and you know sustainability and and uh I guess Paul where where it would be yeah where it might be its own goals if you thought there's something more we should be doing and focusing on other than supporting CS yeah I know I know I'm speaking to it's probably under the the the boards and committees because I know badre wants to come back and revisit the uh aggregation because believe it or not we'll be bidding that before the end of this current fiscal year uh about the the mix you know the aggregation mix um you know I think we're also hitting it with the um tree and invasive and the you know all the you know the green canopy like we're we're looking at Grants with the tree committee about you know tree planting grants and heat islands and so forth so I think so I think again a lot of that is sort of under the green and environmental and climate change but you know I don't know that there's anything specific for a goal as you said that you know it's like oh this is this is before us and we can attain this in the next year um I think the other thing we talked been a lot of talking about was about housing and adus that's going to happen we we know within a a week from Wednesday that the legislature will end or maybe Thursday morning depending on when they finish but adus by right's going to come out of that but it's probably going to land in the lap of the planning board uh in terms of what changes in zoning would because the way we read it right now is it's by right in single family zones uh subject to reasonable local permitting terms of setbacks and so forth and then also if they want to do multiple accessory dwelling units U they need planning board special permit approval so we're actually wondering if it's going to be done in time manner with interpretation for fall town meeting but certainly by Spring Town Meeting I think that H housing thing is a big uh and the 40b housing thing is the other thing that's taken a lot of time and you know um as we know we'll we'll have a hearing two weeks on the riverneck 243 riverneck Road and as we also know that we're expecting a revised process for um North Road and Crosby Lane Crosby Lane um so I think that's going to be an issue but I think clearly you know the town will attain 40b you know 10% Safe Haven in the next year um whether you know one way or the other um so that so what would our goal be as a select board I think it goes back on the supporting board and committee initiatives in terms of planning planning board and the housing I think but you're asking me like what are the what are the issues of consequence that we're going to see in the next 12 months that's a big one you know the whole issue of housing by right uh green you know this this whole thing that's out there and it's really not I don't know that it's our goal but this Wildlife Clinic thing just keeps bouncing around and I will tell you that there isn't a proposal or suggestion that comes by that I don't say well would that be the right place for a wildlife Clinic uh because clearly there's support for that initiative but I don't again know how that's our goal and what the town does with that because that's not a governmental function that's a private function but yet they keep looking to to the government to support it um so so I'm just you know I'm sort of raising issues that I see that are going to unfold in the next 12 months you know the Adu units this Wildlife Clinic thing the fiscal thing uh is huge in Paramount um we're as you know we're also going to have to enter into collective bargaining in the next 12 months um and that's that's you know and the first one is going to be that is with is when we sit with the school committee because they don't go to town meeting with their agreements uh under collective bargaining they we have to they'll have to provide some sense uh in their operating budget um but those are the big things that are out there and in terms of my my mind that I see so what would you put for the goal I just think it goes onto the it goes under that goal for um fiscal management and visibility I think that's you know because because you can't bar bargain publicly but I think before we get into that process we need to have an understanding not only at the board level but in the community level what the town's you know challenges are fiscally and I tried to do that a few months ago with the threeyear Outlook so you're saying there's a bullet under number nine for fiscal management called like bargaining preparation or something or what is it called would I just think I think it's just in in the whole idea of the is it or is it part of the early I think it's part of the early the Early looks yeah wouldn't that be part of the um the analysis of the vulnerable areas I mean you had mentioned I mean that kind of fall yeah but I mean those when like I said we're sitting here a year from now we look back or and now trying to look ahead obviously some things we're not going to foresee but I think those are the big things that are going to consume time and Boards um is going to be housing in terms of this Adu issue and the MBTA zoning that we talked about the the fiscal challenges and and goes into it um and then I think these land use things that we we spoke about um and infrastructure I mean um I I'll be coming for you less than a month or about a month with you know first warrant for fall town meeting and I think again you're going to see some of these things which really go to infrastructure continue to particularly roads we talked about at the big biggest concern we get is road conditions um and that's again that's not limited to Chumps the mass Municipal Association is doing another survey on chapter 90 and Road needs and so forth because it's omnipresent um um so I think those are the those are the big things that are here again other things that are going to happen we don't know I mean right I mean would it be a Land Act we don't know things like coolest farm and Warren pole those those those S are on on our schedule they're on the availability schedule and yes the open space committee is is you know developing a plan that will highlight you know the projects they're mon Parcels that they're monitoring and so forth um you know and then there things I just think that are just hard to deal with um that I don't think we we you know I think you'd love to touch but you can't touch I mean past being one of them you know um which is again beyond our scope um but this I mean honestly I I've never felt so disconnected as I do right now with the water districts I mean let's be honest we we we don't even have visits from them anymore I mean let's you know George and Pat we were here for years we'd have an annual visit from the chood Water District there were actually used to be coordinated meetings among the water district that we would show to all that's falling apart y um I I would tell you I if I wouldn't recognize the superintendent of the three water districts if they walk if they walk through that door right and I think that's that's unfortunate and I'm not I'm not blaming any I think it's unfortunate for the town because because I wonder if they you know quite frankly if the period has passed you want to talk you know I mean you know the you're seeing the the the boards are aging out now you know they turn over but they're aging and I think the question is is you know should shelwood have three and and it's not I don't want the town to take I'm not putting a goal for the town to take over Municipal Water but at what point does the town still have three water districts it just doesn't make and I know it's outside of our scope and I don't know who tackles that but because right now they're making huge investments in infrastructure for past and everything else um that that affects the community whether it's for fire supress or for water quality and so forth uh and it's not coordinated that I can see uh and and I just I just don't know that that you know and I don't and it just seems ridiculous to you talk about that every night there's three water superintendant on duty there's three three of these three of that three of those um and and I don't know I don't know who does that and maybe it's not us and maybe it's not now but I think some point somebody's going to look at this and say what what are we doing I think that has to come from them and I yeah I I agree I don't think it that's for us to right yeah but but but but I can tell you it's but I can tell you it's all I'm saying is the relationship with the town is fraying they're not they're not providing they're not providing snow and ice removal services anymore that whole initiative a couple years ago about the hydrants that's gone nowhere you know in terms of the maintenance of High I mean let's just say what it is and I just I just I just hope I just think that it's it's not ours but on the other hand it's the communities they think everybody in town thinks it is everyone thinks it is right and and I just think that that's sort of you know sort of a level that's you know that next Generation above um I also you know so I think that whole issue of water distri is going to be an issue I think longterm this I you know we're communi are going to be compelled to consolidate in terms of services and I know we've tried that and you know we tried that with the public safety dispatch that didn't go anywhere um but you're still seeing that push out there right the latest we saw is that NAC and Framingham are joining for Public Safety dispatch you know at some point the state's going to say we're just not you know we're just not going to provide it and meaning the support for individual communities um so I think I think that's just sort of bringing you to a different level in terms of macro issues that are probably a little ways on the horizon and so just trying to offer you that I think those are the type of things that um I think the other one you're going to see with the state you're seeing it is vocational education there's a problem there not the problem with the school is that there isn't enough Supply to meet the demand and again anything not not be on this board but you're asking me like what are the community's issues I think somehow the state's going to have to Grapple with this in terms of how does how do we educate people in the 20 you know as we're heading into the second quar of the 21st century is the vocational shortage right now is is is I think it's affecting a lot of kids and I think that's what the globe story tried to shock about yesterday was gez where you've got kids who are being denied access to to a viable Employment Source uh and these kids feel like they wasted four years of high school and then they're they're trying to support themselves while doing education here at the same time the state's doing free Community College you know which is in the budget and that's what's going to happen anybody gets free community College as well as you know and they're trying to do the child care thing but I think again for the community perspective you know we're again I'm trying to bring you to different level in terms of what are the big issues that are that are going to influence the community as we look into the five 10 years out those are the probably the challenges that I think are going to come uh in terms of you know how how do we do things so um you know I I don't I don't think you're going to see anything giv beyond the 351 individual cities and towns you know that's not going to change so you're going to have your local police department your local fire departments your town services but I think I think again some of these major things are are going to be in the areas of like you said vocational education um some shared you know pooled you know Regional Services um and then again I think some of the um you know the housing thing is is Paramount I mean you know clearly that's a priority from uh from the state government and I think and I think we're not seeing the end of that do you um what's the word amongst your peers as far as the adus is there going to be any effort to um go after the state or no no it's very clear the state has zoning Authority uh and and that's been known that's been shown by 40b you know um so I think the efforts that that are going out from a couple the communities are you know aren't likely to succeed um this you know that's very clear but I I think the Adu thing is going to happen I think the challenge that we're going to have is going to be the sewer capacity issue um and and and the and how that really manifests itself um going forward so but no I don't I think a lot of these things are really in terms of for the next 12 months I think you've touched upon and you know don't have anything beyond that okay all right does anybody else have anything they want last minute things they want to add okay well I'll take a stab at consolidating everything and putting it into some uh type of document for our next meeting and we can I'm sure I'll put things in the wrong buckets but then we can look at that and rearrange it and try to finalize it over the next couple of couple of meetings anyway if not the next one great all right okay so do you want me to make the motion sure so we yeah we have to go to Executive session so go ahead yep uh it's 711 and I will make an Mo I will make a motion to adjourn to Executive session not to return to open session to consider the acquisition of real property second okay we have tooll call vote Aaron hi George hi hi hi and I'm an i okay uh 5 z um can we do it here we going to have to go over there um well I don't know where tedia we can either ask T media to shut down or we go we'll go to two we'll go to 200 Aon we'll send you the link for the zoom in room 200 when we get there okay okay thank you when we're in executive session can you e e e e