good evening everybody Welcome to the Monday May 6th meeting of the Conway select board this meeting is being recorded live by FCAT and by Zoom the town website if for any reason those recordings fail the meeting will still proceed live and in person here at five Academy Hill roadtown home um call the meeting order and uh yeah since we have since we have people here if it's okay with everybody we'll just skip the minutes warrants Etc and go to uh the reason for the season for everybody except for Jim sorry um uh the uh the the discussion on the town records and um uh right that's why you're here too yes yes um so um um yeah the the town clerk has asked for a that a policy be created it went to the town lawyer the word product in front of you is the result and um you know we're here to listen and to um adopt the policy if it's hope yeah that the one thing that is clear to me is that we're at where we're at through a series of misunderstandings and everybody everybody involved like a really good people and didn't do anything wrong and um but there's Mis there there has been miscommunications and um not really not really the fault of anybody here or anybody in particular nobody meant for there to be miscommunications me because I don't know I'm not just I don't not you either Julia um but uh you know but um so so the thinking is that a policy that delineates the keeping of the records and the storage of the records would be a good thing to prevent future misunderstandings and miscommunications so um I don't other than that who wants to start um I don't know what else to say okay so I mean since this is basically the town's proposal for but the town the town clerk the town clerk's proposal um you what what does the historical commission well the only thing you know I'm new and um I was reading in the general laws in Massachusetts general laws the the commission is for the preservation protection and development of historical spider um you know we're here to keep these records and that's why we were a commission and why we had to have our backgrounds checked and went through the whole ethics test and all that so I'm not understanding what actually is the problem here because the law dictates that the custodian of the records which is the town clerk's office have possession and protect the right the documents of the town but does that does that mean you don't let the historic commission I've never not let the historic Commission in the vault to research never have I stopped access I'm just asking yeah I have never so basically it means that if you're not here we can't access it though is that I'm here four out of five days a week usually more but minimum four days okay isn't the primary issue the removal of the records from the building they were removed from the Vault and put upstairs okay so they were removed from a fireproof without letting you know exactly okay exactly but you know Lee does not have the authority to tell people to remove records that are under the town clerk her Recs I don't care and I just want to be careful with this like this because what we have subsequently learned though is that wee was the the administrative assessor was in the room when they removed records and they removed records with the permission of the administrative assessor although the administrative assessor wasn't super aware of what they were removing exactly and then the administrative assessor you know so so so what was the last thing you said that the the administrator assessor was not super aware of exactly what was being removed like by like on a document by document Case by case basis is that um something she saidh she didn't say anything of that kind to us what just one is that something she wrote uh reported on or said I haven't heard that from her that she wasn't aware what they were removing on like a dou by document basis or a book by book basis that was my understanding from what I have heard she said I see so I don't know I she didn't speak to me directly about this but no she said she was working on her computer people were going in and out of the Vault behind her and she really wasn't paying attention to what was being taken out okay well I we are happy to to say um what we witnessed and what we heard too yeah it was a box that had it was all wet and you know the cardboard was compromised and I actually don't know what the records were but they were historic records yeah there's more than that box though the leatherbound the leatherbound books that are that oh no I didn't we didn't take any they went from the shelves in there to the closet upstairs that day I don't know who did but the cemetery Cemetery box the box of annual reports and the leatherbound books that are in there those were all those all fall under the town clerk's office uhhuh and those were all removed that day were you there you oh yeah I was was that after I left or no um let I'll I'm happy to tell you exactly what what we did um but first let me make sure I'm not I'm not uh talking about the wrong thing we're discussing the policy right the um I'm looking at the so was invited to comment on the new policy that was posted on Thursday there's a and there was revisions this morning right yes and if you like an hour before I left the house I found there's another policy oh yes and they two don't look alike at all is that different thing that's the one you have in your left hand was reviewed by Town Council that was sent out to me sent to Town Council and the her edited versions in your left yes so the one you should focus on is the one in your left hand oh got it okay they look very very different um so over I see so over the weekend uh there was feedback from Town Council that this is a wrong policy or it's not not wrong it was just not good the issue with developing a policy at all part of the problem is that this is all law this is all statute Massachusetts statute there were about 300 Pages worth of statutes so to be frank Town Council first said you don't need a policy because it's all in the law M but we wanted to be very clear that was the direction from um Phil to be very clear about what the policy was going to be therefore she took the draft and said okay well if you're going to have a policy this is what it should State okay so we we'll check if I'm all right we'll check this one and we'll talk about this one then um okay since it was revised so drastically over the weekend wouldn't it be prudent to maybe give it a couple more days to mature so it before voting on it it's but it's law it's just paraphrasing small portions of a 300 page document that is law so it's there's really not we can't go against what the law tells us to do of course not and that's all that is it's just little bits and pieces of I think it might be best to to hear the concerns um around this discussion I mean from the town clerk's perspective um if you're in charge of something of course you want to know the ins and out of everything you're in charge of so I can understand that perspective of saying you know files were removed that she didn't have um the information on um and were approved to be moved by somebody who wasn't approved to right allow the move and they they are all public records so now they're in a place where if I have someone looking for information have it any and then we've spoken about how there's no restrictions to the documents that you know the clerk is typically here 4 days out of the week um I would hope that it' be a rare case that you wouldn't be able to schedule you know at least 24 hours in advance to see the documents they don't even have to schedule if it's St mying I mean like how many how many times is it going to happen where somebody's going to need to see documents like that without you know giving you notice so I I guess after those two basic things and this basic document which is all based on Massachusetts General law what are the concerns right go all right well let me um State for the record um so my name is Julia Stone I'm a member of um Conway historical commission but I'm here in my um personal capacity because um since um since um the agenda was posted on Thursday the commission didn't have time to gather Quorum and uh deliberate on the Town M on the town matter and we're not allowed to do that without the cor without the posting which would have to be on Thursday to for us to have anything in deliberation by today so I'm just uh me personally but um so if if but I here to listen to ask questions uh to to explain the uh to dissuade everybody's concerns and um to take what I hear to our commission meeting which is which has been scheduled for a little later this week so um I'll make sure that all the members will will have the information from from this meeting too so um as a member of historical commission I Am Naturally very familiar with record renion Law and um commission has been longtime advocate for strict adherence to it and uh I really welcome any effort by this board to make sure other Town departments and boards and offices follow the pretention law and raise awareness about um the law and the related procedures it seems to me that from the records itemized here in this draft and it looks like there's been more added but um from what I see it seems to me that the itemized letter letters the the let me just try not to trip over my own time the items listed in the new policy are the ones that are supposed to be maintained by town clerk that's some of that's why it says these are some but not it it there are many but not limited to there's more than this this is just a small portion right the town clerk maintains a lot more these are the listed here but all of these that are listed are under your um custody mhm yes okay so those as as far as I know to the B my knowledge are already in the fireproof Vault and uh the commiss by the way except for maybe the meeting minutes the retention schedule um I'll check I don't remember it do not necessarily the historical commission meeting minutes but there are old select board meeting minutes and old school report meeting minutes and they're all leatherbound handwritten old journals and those are the historically significant records and um it's an aside it's just um this something I read in the law that I not quite sure which category of historical significance records this one goes to there are five categories here in the policy the files and subject files the project files the Public Relation files the Publications which are printed material and the audio or video mhm and those are just a few of a whole lot um and they're listed here in detail with examples so as in a slide but the those historic meeting minutes which category do they fall under they fall under open meeting law meeting minutes 0.074 which isn't included on that list because the list is just pieces of it's not inclusive but they're under 0.074 which is open meeting law meeting minutes 07 3 meeting agendas 075 meeting notices I see okay so undercurrent uh Records not historically significant records then no this is permanent includes a final yeah permanent so that means all meeting minutes okay all right so meeting minutes fall under the meeting minutes category but not the historically significant about it um that's fine sorry that was a distraction um we didn't remove those we didn't touch those um was specifically um asked what we could remove well no we we informed Lee that um should I tell the whole story like from the beginning how we noticed well I know that there are some minutes up there in the leather bound books I know that there all the annual reports got moved up and those are also part of the retention schedule under the town clerk's office and and the AR box also yes all right oh let's let's get to Let's so ask a question everything that was moved is still upstairs you still don't have it yes because I wasn't going to just go off I didn't feel right doing that okay um I'll address this the SE the cemetery and the the town reports is it the the book the publication the booklets those the for 7s all right I know that okay and that you'll see the annual reports are right on the front page of the policy as an example of one of the all right okay annual reports I see those um just to understand those are not his with the are historical significant with thre from their 1970s ' 80s '90s and 2000s right so um we were're having I all all I have to have a minimum of one copy of all the annual reports going all the way back to when annual reports started all right I'll I'll I'll make sure to see if they're there then uh they're there all right so I think the summary is like Phil stated before is everybody was just trying to do the right thing right and that's was not a summary this sum is um when when we were having a meeting and and came to ask Le a question there was musty smell right um You you probably mentioned that too so there was immediate concern about mold and water and I believe Lee on we encourage Lee to let people know that that's what's happening and I believe uh she sent you all of your message yeah we're all aware of the whole history of this yes so you aware that the water is seeping for the wall that well there's an update to that but yes we're aware that there's phosphorescence inside there and it looked like people were concerned about mole and I know records were taken out to help preserve them cuz people were worried that they would be damaged of course so it was all on good intention I think the only thing we're trying to get to is just to say that records should not be removed without the clerk's approval okay right that's it that's really what it comes down to we absolutely agree if we accidentally uh remove the town reports uh those public will we will have to return them because we can't take them even though um what concerns me is the condition have have the tests been done um I was expecting an update I I I believe there was something in the schedule yes we had um can I go print that document while you talk you know which one I'm talking about the the one that that mgl about places not items sure sure um so yes I reached out to the Department of Public Health the indoor air quality and we had a gentleman named Mike feny who came out here on Friday afternoon um he met with Ron swe with Lori with myself and with Phil and sat he sat down and I mean this is a gentleman who goes all across the state dealing with this issue in buildings everywhere public buildings the first thing he said is we don't have water seeping in and the issue that comes up is dupoint and this was interesting to me because I hadn't realized with the building like this with the concrete you can have the temperature gradients it depends on how much humidity you have inside and if you have the dupoint happening because of the temperature and the humidity you going to get moisture on your so that was definitely happening there were only three boxes that I'm aware of that were affected they were up against the outside wall everything else is fine there was no bold everything else is fine so such a relief yeah do you have a report from he hasn't given us the report yet he said it will take a couple weeks for to to gener and and and we'll share that with you all when wonderful I was called when he had arrived already so I hurried up get down and I was not able to alert anybody else to come to that meeting um but you know he he he did have his measuring devices and I know was work because he he did the school uh the frontier School Administration building on Christen Lane before we sold that and that was that was a huge problem similar and basically the the problem is is the outside of the building the masonry right at the bottom of the building needs to be freshened up a little I'll just say yeah there you go and um and that that led to not seepage of water but a more more moisture coming in then would would have otherwise you know plus just the general fact that our New England weather has turned warmer and wetter and more humid um that than it used to be then the building was formerly accustomed to but um he his his his initial assessment would be that was that the a a a nice sized dehumidifier with the drainage going through the wall to the room on the other side of that um um you know would would just it might be that's that's just would do the trick so um you know so on on his we have oral confirmation that there is no mold except on a few of the papers themselves that's what and he said there was some efflorescence so I think everybody was very upset because we and I smelled it myself we you could go in there and it hit you you could tell that there were is an issue again the problem was that Lori's in charge of those records and they were taken without her knowledge and removed and they're legally they're all supposed to be in a fireproof Vault so they're actually more vulnerable right now than they were before in the in the fireproof Vault so this is the issue a question mold grows on organic material like paper so it needs to be missed yeah and mold grows very fast and those documents there that are still W that are in the ctive town clerk they what happens when if they get molded to because did I understand you correctly they're still concerned about humidity in the air well Lori had gotten what $10,000 I'd gotten 14,000 I'd used 10 so far to purchase the archival binders and the polyester sleeves to protect the records okay and you were at I believe you were at the town meeting I was um do those boxes protect the papers from M yes even when the humidity is U um up higher than the archival boxes are made the the boxes and the binders are made to protect the documents inside from the moisture in the air the dirt in the air the anything in the air has the boxes been purchased yet yes wonderful um okay when um when we were in the vault last time the the records were still you know on the shell stack in the shelf and I don't know if there still are I hadn't pulled the records that had gotten damaged off of the shelves and moved them to the other side of the Vault there are still some on the top shelf I had pulled all the bottom ones out the bottom yes I saw those were already out and that was the only shelf that had any damage wonderful um if the molder was on some papers um I'm concerned that there's a risk that it will be spreading to other papers that are stacked there and not in boxes no you don't think so no no I did not get that impression from Mike did you yeah he he you know he he did say that you know you you want to address this sooner rather than later and um but that it's Sol it's a solvable problem you know and that it's nothing it's it's not going to you know ruin everything that's in there Etc but you know we do we we do he has and those were his initial assessments after a brief walkthr he then spent I don't know how long a couple hours at least doing all of the measurements at every little thing is do point this and that and he had all these little he had actually a couple of really cool handheld devices with like star Star Trek Tri quars and stuff um but uh he he he uh you know and and he will be generating a report that I I you know so I think I I I think that when you go in there and you smell what it smells like it's like yeah this isn't good scary um and that these are important documents and that they ought not to be ruined yeah my concern is that um you know this is this is all great conversation because all of us just want to preserve the records and make sure that the records stay um aren't damaged but my concern is that for mold to to um spread uh it has to be done by air right the SPs have to be done by air so any movement that is done if you're picking up documents or you're walking in that is more that does more damage than just leaving them as is because you're spreading it through the the spores through the air and that's how mold spreads plus they're not the fireproof V anym right and the vault's being used uh for access to public records so it will be opened and that people will be in there retrieving records I will be in there retrieving record that person will be there retrieving records yes yeah we have to keep it to a minimum for sure have to keep it to a minimum because the more people in there and the more people moving the records the worse it's going to get yes that does not sound very reassuring you know we we all had the like our basement if there is a stack of notebooks or papers and then in a couple of weeks they could be all fuzzy and covered and mold in in the wet corner if it's a moist area which we we just heard that it is right so we had them come in and do the D point and then what in all honesty that was true throughout this whole building they're no safer up there than they are in the vault not and that that is um accept the vault's fireproof right except the vault as fireproof and legally they're supposed to be in a fireproof Vault so right now we are not being legal true the the commission has been lobbying for the space in the VA forever and we don't it there is it is humid up there in some it will it will get um also not ideal not perfect storage documents that's not an appropriate storage upstairs and would like to um put them somewhere safe and secure as uh that's we're supposed to do with the records um the moisture though the humidity level especially with the water damage it is not safe to secure right now we um you some of you who have been here maybe remember about 10 years ago 12 years ago we tried to lobby for for a b space for for a bigger bigger space and we're still working so we'll probably bring it up again the only problem is we've got four depart four or five departments on top of town departments that use that Vault you've got the assessors the town clerk the elections the board of registers the Board of Health exactly exactly there's not enough space there's not so I I hope as I recall that request that was for a multi 100,000 request that included a museum space and an exhibit space um and that was just um yeah um but you know look the thing about this is that the historical commission is filled with wonderful people doing wonderful things you are a wonderful person doing wonderful things Denise who's about to leave is a wonderful person doing wonderful things um but like the the it is the town clerk who is the town's records access officer that is a legal title that that that has a legal responsibility to have the records um that the town clerk is required to maintain in a fireproof Vault um and the statute actually doesn't say anything about mold but um but the mold is the mold is very serious and we don't want we don't want our stuff getting ruined by mold um so like that's yeah um so that's why we thought a policy just that that you know isn't it's not like the policy should cover whatever documents we want you want to discuss rather than needing to discuss each document or each set of documents um like like at in developing the policy the policy should be broad enough that it encompasses all the different categories of all right uh fair enough so um back to that to April 12 when we removed the papers um we informed Lee that we're removing the ones from the shells at the clear labeled historical commission we took those our shelves are the best labeled and organized there so we removed those we asked Lee if we could remove the old valuations so which technically in the custody of assessors um just um to remind you that uh with Section uh six of General law um chapter 66 and then section 7even they are listing who is uh who can be a custodian and which is an agency and I believe the board the board's committees commissions they all fall under agency or and they came the custodians we know that um for example Schoolboard documents are not involved we know that uh Cemetery um commission papers documents are not involved they were there was a box of them they're upstairs now right those ones uh to the best of my knowledge are the cemetery Association which is a private organization which is not part of town records the ones that uh I'm not aware well I only have um story from what people told me because it was before my time that the records relating to the cemetery commission have been removed from their about 10 years or so and but that that box was um to my knowledge is the cemetery Association which is a private organization and uh Peter fryum who is the cemetery commission member is working with us on uh so making sure that that's what it is one thing I just wanted to point out is that these are all Town records everybody in town who wishes to should have access to them correct the only way that can happen is if they're in one central location with our records access officer who can then give access to them so if there are records that are up there which the public might be interested in the public therefore has no access to them so I just wanted to so and I'm I'm just trying to understand is is the historical commission willing to return any of the documents that were taken or is your position well it sounds like you're saying that like the vault's not safe um we I it seems we all agree that the qu is not safe it's not safe there up there either they need prop prop safe Nu cure space absolutely but and uh if you tell me to return the documents and put them there where it's not safe for the higher humidity I will have to do that however I just want to make a note um um I had the a list here of the um Town records um officer duties responsibilities who contacts other custodians to to retrieve the documents and to give um access to the public which to me clearly law says that they are not all records in the custody of sole one person other departments are proper custodians of the of the records it's not exclusively town clerk no the tax collector has tax collector records the Town Administrator has Town Administrator records but it can't be the historical commission has a little bit of this and a little bit of that and a little bit of this because it's not under the custodian of its department or me or my office agre agree we do not claim um the commission doesn't claim ownership or even custody of those records we have a retention schedule here and and uh under historical commission has District Maps historic Maps preservation plans map historic resource survey Maps um those are the ones that are in our custody formally my point is that we were very careful to remove only the records that do not uh are not listed as being solely in the custody of a town clerk we were very sure of it um I did ask Lee about something that they tell meeting records because those are 18th century books their brittle paper I asked Lee could we take it Lee said absolutely not those under the maiden Town Clark you cannot touch them and we didn't and they're still there we haven't touched anything that is listed so as being under um the purview of the town now a lot of the Departments just just for a little bit of History a lot of the Departments prefer not to be the custodian of their minutes and their agendas that's why they were in the vault fine but that that's why they were in here under the town clerk because the a good majority of them give all their minutes can we have a compromise do you think if we took the excellent point if we took the documents and put them in a plastic a sealed plastic bin and threw some silica packs in there um that's that's creative and it might work I have plastic totes under my desk yeah like I mean that I've had a mold problem at my own house and that was something that Specialists told us that we could do that that is probably a good idea I'd like to hear more about it my point was was an excellent point maybe the policy um maybe other departments should also be able to review the policy and given a chance to contribute to that policy in terms of town records but um just to clarify the situation so the commission has not removed anything that was under the priew of town clerk which means offici Town record removed uh Records that um technically May belong to other departments and uh we explicitly asked permission from the assessor to remove those and we're given that permission as uh I believe you uh found out we um we store them there temporarily we wish there was better space I don't want them to be there come summer and come in humidity they shouldn't be there so I I do hope that the Vault gets fixed by that time and uh so all the records can return in all honesty I we were not told that anything had to be removed from the Vault that it was actually in danger so and the humidity as I said I don't think his readings were much different throughout the entire building on top of which those records are now vulnerable to fire so in my mind anyway it's much safer to put them right all back into the Vault where they were because that's much safer than leaving them possibly and um I'm happy to um to to read the report from the expert and absolutely that so we won't have that for two weeks and during those two weeks you basically don't have access to the records that you're legally obligated to have access to and and and just to make a point if a Department turns over custody of their minutes to the town clerk's office then that does make me the legal custodian of those minutes and the majority of the Departments and commissions outside of the treasurer the accountant and the Town Administrator have and the historical commission keeps their own minutes no actually I do have I do have minutes for the historical commission they get sent to me yes for keeping absolutely we make sure to send copies I so I I mean it's even if they did at one point they were turned over to the town clerk's office oh let let me ask about Erica's question do you have access to that space right now I you know I do if I need to lock up my own office and make people wait while I go looking around and digging through a closet where I don't know where anything is trying to find what I'm looking for I mean in here I knew where things were and if someone's sitting at the table I can go in the vault and get yes now I'm sorry could you wait out in the hallway while I go searching all over your tables and all through your closet trying to find what I have no idea where it is okay well considering that all those are pro 19th century records and early 20th century has um anybody asked for them in the past two weeks no and not in the past two weeks but yes people do oh yeah okay and it it and it doesn't matter it's they are you know it that's not the point the law is what the law is no matter what we think yes yes the lawyer um does specify that they need to be safe um safe secure and accessible and fire and fireproof yes and a fireproof yes I agree about accessibility so I'm glad to see you do have access to that um the those that were remov that the historical 19th century records they stored in the vault they were not exactly accessible um it was um we'll know that the vault is overcrowded as um you also said so the accessibility issued to th those specific records that were removed it has not become any worse that when they were um labeled and in the back shelf around the corner and theol behind a file cabinet sure because I don't have to ask the person to wait in the hallway while I lock up and spend who knows how long trying to find them in a pile on a table in a closet um I know uh the clerk has a reasonable time frame for retrieving records especially if they're not in the immediate custody and uh by all means we're very happy to go and fetch them no I mean that you know what what the policy that is before us is is about the town is about the records access officer who is the town clerk the current town clerk is Lori lucier um that that is who makes the decisions about the documents um you know the the records access officer determines what the what the town clerk's required records are the law lists what the town clerk's uh prayer is right yes it's it's it's not a discretion it's in in any type of interpretation of any statute there is some amount of interpretation and discretion because no statute is a million pages long that can cover every possible eventuality that is why we list a records access officer to make those determinations and there is always an appeal process through the select board and we have a Town Council that can weigh in on what's record is what's record but if if the records access Officer says this record needs to be in this location then that's where that's where it needs to be okay um I'll probably be quoting from memory I um don't know if I have a copy but uh the clerk or no the records officer collaborates with other departments with other custodians when the records are needed which tells me the clerk contacts another codian and gets them those brought if they're not on location but what the law requires and is that it be in a fireproof Vault we only have one of those in this building and that is in that room I understand so everywhere else that the that the clerk's records are at is out of compliance even though the vault is crowded okay moldy um and not the most ideal of all uh you know of of all vaults but we're working on that and we you know recently got it the problem diagnosed we're getting a written report we getting at the humidifier or getting it worked on um but in the meantime the it is a the The Vault record stored in the vault might get a little bit funky but records stored in a closet might get burned to crisp we've had that happen it's not like this place has ever burn burned down before never burned down before since 1950 yeah yeah so I mean that's like that's what that's why we're being asked to do this in a somewhat not emergent basis like you know the town clerk wanted us to do this last week I wanted to hold this pole off to give the historical commission a chance to weigh in um because you know I I value the work that you got that you all do and um and and I also know that we're at this place because the series of misunderstandings not because anybody's a bad person or did a bad thing it was just the way that the communication has functioned has not been ideal for um so so trying to sort of reset the relationship and trying to um you know hopefully it it it can work going forward I mean could the of all the town employees the town clerk is the one the posted hours the town clerk in my experience has always been here during the posted hours that the town clerk is supposed to be here I've never tried to come and visit the town clerk when it was supposed to be open that and she hasn't been here except they had Co well yeah yeah did you say bill um you're putting a dehumidifier in the vault yes yes dehumidifier dehumidifier fire in the vault with the with the outlets drilled through a hole in the wall to the room next door one of those two rooms or the other room there's one of the rooms it's accessible through here the Boiler Room the boiler room for the dra filled with Fire Stop obviously yeah Chris how would that affect on we were talking about the C no air circulation should be there or minimal right would the dehumidifier isn't doesn't that circulate the air so what a dehumidifier does is it you're correct it does take out the moisture and then pump out dry warmer air so actually Troy brought this up to me the other week so I do have to check with the mitigation mold mitigation person I'm working with on my personal property to get some advice on how we should work on a closed ventless yes well the gentleman from dph is he's worked on many vaults before I think we should wait for his report before we even worry about whether it's a dehumidifier or whatever he's going to recommend okay yeah but but as I said he didn't raise any alarms when we were there that anything was in imminent danger in that vault at all that that's very assuring and I was like one of the first people to run over here after I heard and take photos and wonderful his specific recommendation was that he he recommended that you avoid keeping anything on the ground floor or the lowest shelf right in that back North you know West the South ande southeasterly corner and there's nothing on the floor and the only thing that's on the bottom shelf are records that have a retention period from the elections of 22 months so they're going to get shred anyway all right that's um that's very reassuring good good to know so just want to make myself clear clear that on the day when it smelled like mold smelled musty the risk from mold seemed to be uh more immediate than the risk from potential fire and uh we didn't want those documents running that's one my second point to State clear we did not touch or remove any of the records that are under purview of the town clerk specifically listed in the law if uh those Town reports booklets are um the only copies we will return them immediately um third point the um custodian and um I have here found my print out with the agency agency who can be a custodian any agency executive office Department board commission Bureau divisional or authority of the Commonwealth that he identified in chapter 66 paragraph 6A and uh chapter 4 paragraph 7 and so on so on any person corporate so we as a commission are specific i al listed here as an agency that can be a custodian so we did not um we did not uh defy the law we did not by taking those in custody but they are not in a fire proof fault so that's defying the law in itself yes and as I explain my first uh my first point at the time the immediate situation to us seemed it was more risky um for for the records to stay there and risk dam being damaged from water completely understood that's now that it's clar I keep trying to say that you know that we don't think any of you did anything wrong we didn't think and none of you are bad you didn't make this is just trying to like okay for the future just do something so that like we're not in this place again and it's I'm glad I'm glad to hear that reassurance because uh the last paragraph of the policy that was sent to make here um this is pretty much um repeats the um record retention scheduled language and the general law and public records language except for the last paragraph about removing documents um it seems to uh use a language from the other section of the law that talks about unlawful unlawful possession so um that is why I'm here that any records that belong to the town right with the back to the town clerk with the exception that the word unlawful is not actually typed here but the rest of the language is from that section of the law and I just want to clarify that The Possession we took is not unlawful I want to be very clear about that and uh I'm prepared we didn't do I we did not do the legal research that is why we have a town attorney that does this sort of thing and um but you know nobody I certainly never ever meant to imply he did or the commission did anything unlawful I'm glad to hear that and or or bad or wrong or in any way okay um deserving appropri or uh you know uh punishment um and you know I just want this is this is just going forward a way just to like to set sort of rules of the road or how you know just how we're going to do things in this building um and to make it just clear that that we do have a records access officer it is the town clerk and the town clerk is decides what the town clerk's records are all right um let me read to you the record access officers that is from massachusett a guide to the Massachusetts Public Records law that outlines the duties um what I mentioned before so so before before you do that so um what what I really like to do is just sort of focus on on the proposed policy right it's very pertinent because if we could change the way you phrase a proposed law and I mean and and I guess part part of this is that in In fairness the revision came out this morning um from the lawyer so I mean but this is it is from Town Council and you know and so um you know I don't I don't want the commission to feel like un listen to or un un unloved um you know that that you know that um and and with with only a few hours since you all have received this it is fair to say that they haven't gotten a chance to communicate with each other and to put forward any recommendations for changes in the policy language um but this is sort of what like you know the feeling is that this is sort of uh something like this needs to be in place to so that we're not in this place having these types of discussions again and there there are so many different statutes that are relevant yet you know but basically the one that trumps all is that the records have to be in a fireplace wall and they're not right now um so we're coming up on an hour I'm so sorry we have other Town things to get to but if we could just you know we appreciate your time we appreciate the everything the commission has done and we appreciate your work and getting the files back if you have questions um based on the law the interpretation of the law we can send them to vque vque can verify with um Town Council and then if the policy needs to be updated based on what you found we can have Town Council do that um great I have no questions about the law the law is pretty clear and uh it out it instructs the cour to contact other custodians when there a request for public record except the majority of the custodians have turned their records over to me for the purpose of it that that's their prerogative that's fine and we'll be happy to to do this the same well I mean if you want to keep custody of historical commission records that's the historical commission's prerogative then they still need be in a fireproof fa correct if they're the only records if they're the only records but if there's copies the old leatherbound books those are one and only's and those weren't th those belong to other commissions that had been turned over to the town clerk's office for safekeeping and for ease of access um and those that box of annual reports that's all that those are the only annual reports I have in there so I need to have those back and again if there's any duplicates I'm happy to give them back to you but that's all of them okay um well it it it isn't side about annual reports but that box has a few it's clearly not a complete set it's just there's several booket of them in there it's I know but I need to have at least one copy of everything that's in there absolutely just that one did not look like the original said but I'm happy to bring it back right away just I think there could be some confusion here I'm I'm have no objection to the language the language is pretty much taken from the law that we follow except for the last paragraph where it seems to apply that um well it says those records cannot be taken but I'm trying to to let you know that we did not take or we did not take cust possession unlawfully of any records that do belong to belong I mean in the custody of town clerk we did remove other records that are not specifically listed there plus the L bound books with this got explicit perion to remove temporarily that's the very last sentence right so how how would you what would you suggest that that last sentence be changed so that um it doesn't imply that you did anything unlawful I suggest the other departments also get a chance to review it and to contribute that's not directly there's not enough space in the vault as it is so if all Town records would would be moved to the custody there won't be there's no way the W can fail that's not what the last sentence says all it says is any records currently in possession of any person she's looking at the old one not the new one oh that's the problem okay yes rank we saying so okay the very last protection and preservation of all Town records all Town records which should be maintained by the office of the town clerk are historically significance significant or of vital importance shall remain in the town's fireproof Vault Under the care of the Town Clerk and the town clerk shall follow all state regulations pertaining to said records any records currently into possession of any persons or committees not in accord with this policy must be returned forth with to the town clerk or appropriate custodian of the records within town offices so it's just saying that if if there's some that you know somebody has that doesn't match with the policy we need to make sure that their that the town clerk has access to all perent records and the the mere fact the mere fact that Town Council plagiarized this particular sentence from a particular statute doesn't imply that that particular statute governs the sentence that we're intending to use it in in that way okay it's just like nobody's saying you're unlawful or didn't unlawful yes um it's just right that's fine it just repeats the law and uh I'm all for it we don't want those records in there so we do want them in the vault and safe and secure at the time it it seemed very dangerous we could not touch the other I still I'm still worried and I hope I I'll see the report that says they're very safe now right now I'm worried about those books old books there St stacked on the shells there because of the humidity I I know how fast mold can grow I do not want to to see them ruined or damaged by water and humidity I think the main thing here is that everybody is interested in protecting the town records and doing the best to do that I think that's like absolutely clear that that's what everybody's focused on so I'm sure the commission will not hold the records hostage we'll bring back if if um if it's safe absolutely we don't need them there nobody needs there it's not ours uh well I'm I'm just a little concerned that the commissioner will bring them back if it's safe because that sounds like you you kind of like setting up some criteria saying like the vault's not safe so we're going to keep them upstairs which is even less secure because it's not fireproof so I think that's what makes me a little uncomfortable that okay um that's a good point it's also accessible to anybody who ever had a key at the gymnasium it's the same lock and so we're talking 70 years of um I was Ro say that have that at least we know that everybody has access to them who wants them but not everybody can just go digging and that's a good thing so what I just wanted to clarify that a we didn't remove the town CLK B town clerk has currently access there three as per regulations for duties of the clerk explained um the clerk works with other agents and custodians to fetch them so we are happy to do that and we we'll bring them back we need the bins or or the zip locks and the um those little packets and moisture absorbers yeah fireof until until this is all about this is all about getting them in a fireproof location that's what we're doing that's in your opinion the risk of fire is worse than the risk of water damage or mold damage yes as currently as as the risk has currently being explained by the state mold Department of Health by a qualified expert and also by the law that's wonderful that's good enough for me you know um I did not hear from the expert but uh you know if you're saying that's their estimation that's fine and you know he will be generating a report and we you know that that will be sent to All Town committees and the historical commission Etc so I mean so the language of this policy then that that you're okay with we're going to adopt and then the language of the policy repeats the look already there already there and uh and and so and nobody nobody has the key the historical commission does not have the key to the Vault there's no way we are able to walk in and take anything without unsupervised that is the whole concept behind the Vault and that's that's been like this for years um and that's why you know so that she has regularly scheduled hours and um and there's been numerous times that Sarah has come in and the vault's been opened and she spent many hours researching at that table in there in and out of the Vault with permission yes if I am there I am happy I have always been happy to let you guys get in there to look at things I'm not against you researching I'm just against the records being not in a fire and all in the same place and then you know when when the commission meets on Friday if you have any additions or amendments to the policy we'll be happy we'll be happy to consider them we might I don't know if we do because we can't it's pretty straight it's pretty straightforward understand understand and great and I'm grateful that you took it upon yourself to come here and go to B for the commission it's great um okay that's so I would also you know I don't know if other departments would have a feedback on that policy they might they have a chance to even even though the policy many other okay the policy seem to only involve the records that are in the custody of town clerk which is fine because yeah we are not even that's that's the ones that upstairs are not those but if again if other departments turn the records over to the town town clerk's office then they have become they are now in the custody of the town clerk they were given to the town clerk's office to keep in this Vault Under My under the my office's custody they don't want them the old select board minutes they were they they don't want them they were given to the town clerk's office to keep them as the custodian of the records the only Department that hasn't done that for the most part is the tax collector and that's because she has her own Vault right um so maybe that's why there it's a good idea to let departments cons consider the language a little bit more well right right now um right now none of the other none of the other commissions outside of minutes which are supp that fall under me anyway to keep forever none of the other departments really have records and you know and and all department heads get the agenda they know that this is being discussed there's there hasn't been any request for anything this is no secret um so you know we'd like to just sort of um you know motion to move this vote forward and I hope they will if they will aware I I won't guess how it will affect for example the cemetery Commission because I know they keep their records elsewhere not in the town we're not we're not creating law we're just exactly the only thing in it's very clearly under the town clerk on the retention schedule is Deeds to the cemetery plots because we got we have learned how important that is recently yes we learned who has currently yeah that's um what yeah um second let's make go ahead all right so um where is this okay I make a motion to um to authorize town of Conway select board policy on the maintenance and custody of town records effective today May 6 2024 second in faor before you guys do is would it make any difference um would it make any difference that the time of the meeting is not posted on the voting board before for this vote the time of what meeting I meeting one just remember it's posted the the date is posted but not the time that's that's should say actually it's not it's on the website though but it's not on this particular piece of paper but I don't think yeah I don't this again oh was it this one the printed one the printed one doesn't show the time it shows the date yeah but it could be different no I believe she took a picture of picture I was I took it on on the way here because I hav seen it before we usually print out the one from the website right yeah no oh Adam sent me the attachment so that's what I printed instead of the one from the website when he sends an attachment that's the one that goes up it's your fault Adam again we're not creating policy we're only saying to stick by the Massachusetts General law policy so my vote is I I I it's unanimous and um you know invite invite the comments of the commission and the okay any any amendments and we'll consider them as an amendment yeah okay sure in the meantime the policy is enacted and yeah we ask that the records be returned that to the sure um will the I mean the the assessor records that Lee let you take that are under her custody that's they are supposed to be in a fire Pro fault but that's between the historical commission and the assessors the board of assessors MH if not the assessor records which ones then are you most concerned about um the annual reports and the leatherbound I mean the assor records she had every right to let you take okay but the the box of annual reports see I don't know everything that's up there I just when I went in there the shelves were you know I knew your two shelves were empty but then I knew that the shelf that was Mark for the select board that more than half of that was gone oh no we didn't touch those that's the leather books that are up there in the closet that's those were so let let me write down the annual reports what else well maybe maybe you two could work on that the commission that but you know the um all those books and I just wanted that the the you know to thank you thank you for caring enough to to to Really no no seriously seriously people that care what makes the world go around and people that care especially what makes our little corner of the world go around um and so I'm grateful that people care about these things enough to really you know want things to be just right and then if you I'll even go get the box and the silicone pack Sil silica packets if you just let me know the size yeah like can get the plastic sealed container okay that's why I said I've got some empty totes under my desk okay okay um I hope you'll fit the ones we have the commission purchased the archival boxes for our records and they're stored so they won't fit any but they they're protected pretty well are already protected if you can just get with Lori and let her know the sizes then yeah well the archival boxes are already protected boxes they're already so let's um would you be able to write me a list or I can or category like cat I'd have to go in the closet just talk about it later or yeah I'd have to go up in the closet and separate what needs to come back down and we've got to move on okay and thank you um so the next is sorry Jimmy the discussion on our annual town meeting notes from last year see you later yeah affectionately called the town meeting autopsy meeting um and uh now as it as it nears thoughts of about the process of our town meeting and how to make it a more enjoyable experience for everybody I thought the last one went well where uh where we um only read the description once and didn't repeat it like that one year I think it went very it went a lot smoother last year because of that no okay oh yeah yeah of course thanks thank you you're very welcome I'll this next I'll announce that at the end of the meeting it's going to be a great talk yes please come everybody this is going to be a good talk oh I know I just don't know it's a Tuesday night so I have basball complications for little kids it will be that's so the one thing that we did um manage to do this year was send the warrant and the warrant like at the same time which I think is going to make a big difference because people will have that to look at before yes before and a lot of people have already looked agreed because it's awful tough this was brought up to me today it's awful tough to walk in and there's four or five pieces of literature on your on your seat cuz in real time at town meeting nobody's reading that literature they can't they have no time to process it so the better the more time they have pre to process it that's the real time to get it to them and we'll know I'm glad it came out but we'll really know at pre-own meeting yeah how many people read the warrant which look let's be realistic nobody you know everybody glances at the warrant nobody really looks at the warrant but the warrant light is in you know jargon people understand and they look get oh this is about uh funding for a fire truck or you know and that that helps so much but you know we we played around a little with it at the special town meeting things that would help I think are like I say I I hear the you know less stuff on people's seats all the time I understand that but um I think in the I can be a little more poignant in the beginning of the meeting and I will um I'll need a list but I I will introduce you know after we open the meeting I'll introduce the select board Town Council probably Darius Modesto you know principes in the room and I don't have to do them by name but I can go the finance committee you know Town Administrator the funny Vice Town Administrator but you you see you know I'll do a little bit of that and then my second note there was housekeeping handout explanation if there is handouts yeah I wonder about um not having anything on the seats and just if people do want to have handouts put them like right on the tables when people come in so they can gra them take them if they want them take them if they want that change was made at special Town yeah I've heard a lot of a lot of comments from seriously not older people that but younger going the only thing you really need there is your warrant you know when you walk in it's the least confus you know and I I can't believe I'm hearing it from like 40 year old I kind of didn't expect that it's a good sign but it's you know that's good but anyway under housekeeping I handout explanation instruction for voting electronically explanation of how we will proceed with each article reading of explanation discussion at that point the moderator will explain how to be recognized then how to proceed you know only your name not where you live I think we we all talked about that people don't really need to know in this climate you know where your house is it's just you know there are people who you know they have that look like I don't want to tell people where I live which I I find incredible in my lifetime here but I understand so anyway and then they you know I will talk to them about how to proceed when called upon you know and and stress the either have to go to a microphone or if we have Runners the microphone comes to you cuz you know I can do that and be as pointed as I want but you know uh every other person's going to get up and start talking without a microphone or without identifying you know I that's the thing I I noted that I remind people the most who are you you know and they hear the instruction plenty of times but just just those little things at the start and then when I talk about you know discussion of Articles I'll be very Po in about hey you know article comes up like I say article be a [Music] red and then there'll be an explanation because most of them need some little explanation just say what is this about right and it you know it helps so much now one thing I thought of there's 32 articles right A lot of times when somebody has a question about an article you all three start looking at each other like well who's going to an who's going to answer this maybe some thought should be put in breaking it up to like 10 you know two people get 11 and one gets 10 and they study a little more on the articles that they may be able to speak with and you know that that's all the the next you know just the little things that that I jot down while you explain things very well you you have the you have well I understand but you have the softest voice on microphone of any of you guys so if you're if the voice if the microphone's not right at you nobody in the room here is hearing I may be hearing what you say but nobody is and I hear that complaint all the time he speaks well I can't hear him okay I'll speak up so yeah I'll speak up yeah a little projection that's what I was going to say project I'm not a theater coach but for jet but you know those little things make all the difference cuz if people hear your explanation the first time and they're not humming then things move along a little better but you know by and large you do a good job explaining things but like I say there's usually this little time where you're all looking at each other like well which one of us are going to talk about it and you could probably figure that out yeah well we know like Capital Improvements is going to take the and there's also there's also the past few years has been a need to share a microphone so some of that is like looking and saying hey you know grabbing the whoever the microphone is in front of like grabbing that person's attention just to say you know pass but you know part of that was just knowing ahead oh on this question I'm going to be onee I'll just bring the microphone over to me have we checked to see if the so I was just going to say that yes first um and I will be I will be asking her about that tomorrow that's that's going to be huge yeah yes cuz that you know that that's the best thing we've done in a long time it's wonderful and I mean I do know too that there's a couple things that have already been brought to my attention the the the the very last article is the yes the kids y um with this so and um did that make I miss that it's in the I don't know but it's in the warrant um and and they it it passed overwhelmingly in Sunderland it missed by three votes in in Deerfield but there was a couple of situations between residents of Deerfield and the kids that were regrettable um as reported to um through the school committee um so that that was just a maybe an extra warning or or an just you know um I don't know you know the there's also going to be the the there's three so I guess of the three kids one's from Conway there's three three seventh graders that are going to be asking seventh grad I believe that's what they are 15y olds no eighth graders I the age of 16 they better they're close to prman yeah I think they're they're 12 when they're in seventh grade I think they're 15y olds um and one's from Conway one's from Deerfield and one's from Sunderland I believe and they they each they have a two-minute thing that they wanted I don't know I understand what you're saying but it's all that all drives off whether people want to allow people from out of town to speak and that's you know that's also always something that the moderator every town does that differently as well and Conway it's always been the moderator that puts that out there for emotion I usually ask early before the meeting starts we going to allow people from out of town to speak yeah so I think that might be the way we go to certain that you know to to make it not an issue when the time comes up cuz we're we're pretty good about people from out of town we don't have a lot of Badness and you know what they want to speak they want to speak yeah that's that was the that was the only thing that I just wanted to bring an extra level of attention to just because um the we we want people to participate in our democracy as they get older not not run in Terror from it you know I'm going to be fair if nothing I'll be in tie eyye and be fair now may I ask for um because I know I've gotten a lot of feedback like to just don't even think about the Motions that'll just be for the select word right don't give people the Motions that's a given right yeah so we'll have the warrant the warrant light there'll be a finance committee report there'll probably be a Capital Improvements report and maybe some notes from me on the budget and that probably would be it for the handouts okay now let me ask you well it doesn't are you going to have on a table out you know I think the table idea outside is good not on it well that's what we did at special town meeting yes we we haven't put anything on the chair since we got that feedback now now I I just I was thinking even a step ahead of that if those things are ready by pre-own meeting is there any way they they can come to pre-own meeting just so people will have a couple weeks to regy the 20th it's your next the 20th and and Kristen did say it's f for the select word to meet in the library at 600 and then go to pre-own at 7 yeah I I actually wanted to have that on a different day but but just so you wouldn't have to rush your select board meeting but it just worked out that that was the day I could get so um so tradition yeah Traditions are good yeah um so we'll do best is all I can say I don't I can't speak for okay for financing Capital I'll do my best to get we certainly have the warrant the warrant light and I can definitely get those are the mum well and people will be getting those around the 15th 16th that's going be mail yeah yes so that's 14 15 16 is when they so hopefully they'll have it by they may not hey the fact that the warrant's out yeah and the lights out are you kidding you know we're ahead of the game and it's a good budget this is this is this is a really good budget we're on the same schedule we were last time but people still can I say a couple other things I thought went really well last year um mainly because of you know um uh I thought it was great that you only allowed one response from one person per article that's what's going to happen that was great yes what I will say is I I I'm pretty sure we have a high probability of somebody speaking out and talking about a subject that doesn't pertain to the article I've heard that and that we should stop that I'm I'm tuned into that yeah I did look at what you sent me oh the the the webinar and just for yeah polite discourse yeah yep yes but I thought I thought you did great last year it went really well um I think that we should plan for a recess too like and just tell people UPF front that if we're not done by right we start at 10 yeah we have every right to do that if we're not down by 12 or 12:30 that we're going to recess for an hour and I was told that to you be be sensitive the fact that there's a number of people that are diabetic that have health concerns that just need to including your moderator there you go we'll bring snacks for you oh no no I bring my bring my no but but that's a thing that's a thing and just don't you know um and the the other I I was also get PE people missed the the the declarative statement by the moderator saying when in doubt I am the I make the decisions I am the boss you know I will I will never phrase it the way the former moderator did yeah but yes but but that like that's something that maybe yes might add a little but I just I would never phrase it as that and did to clarify you're saying you're going to give an explanation of each article without an ask for the next explanation cuz typically you ask if if you need an explanation no I'm going to ask for you know I I when I talk about it I'm going to explain to them how not each article I'm going to explain to them but I'm going to explain how we do Article 1 through 32 got it meaning Tod we you know we hear it then we then I ask for an explanation then there's discussion then then there's you know then there's a vote okay and so they get that you know because you know I some of the suggestions from before are great some are a little over the top in the fact that I saw one of the suggestions that said at the end of any discussion before we vote I should lay out for each what a Yes means and what a no means and I think if you're there and you're able to understand what article we are on and hear the discussion by the end of it you should really have a pretty good idea and we did that the beginning of it the motion tells you corre what the yes and the no be correct so I really don't think I have to reiterate that again at the end because I have complete and total faith that any citizen of Conway can figure it out and we explained it I mean diding we broke it out in the light where it said guess oh my God means this it is dead you know that it is right on in that and I did hear during town meeting last year people in the audience saying to each other read the war at light it tells you right there well the wording you know you know I've got a town meetings my whole life the wording of the actual warrant article I understand people who you know if it's their first to meeting or second time I'm sure they look at that and go what does that mean yeah and I you know I understand that so the the light helps that out but I I think uh I think all the suggestions here were very good suggestions right now and we you know we're going to get a bunch of new people you know I'm shocked to see the number of uh how big our kindergarten class was this year and uh and how many of them have moved here from elsewhere yes um and how many of them seem to be interested in Civic stuff so I think it's a really good sign and uh I think well I'm I'm looking forward to it I'm not going to lie this this article 2 budget is is just really something that I think we up here can be proud of and I I agree like even the way even the way it's broken up very nice and and yes we were able to take care of the employees in a way that we haven't been able to do in a long time and still come in under 3% I mean and it's it's a good one so anything else any you got anything for me um no you know I I I think you the you the to me actually what this the pre-own meeting is maybe more nerve-wracking than the town meeting because the pre-own meeting requires you to know all 30 you you it's like a pop quiz where you get you have a huge book and you get asked two questions out of the whole book but but three but and you have but you have to like memorize the whole book um you know at least the other one you get to talk about the whole book so um so yeah it's you know I'm you know you know how paral I am to pre time and but it does in a way it Clues Us in totally to what's going to be the hot button things and there's nothing wrong with us going into town meeting going okay this got the most check yeah people want to talk about this the most because that that helps us be aware of our surroundings and we need to be aware of our surroundings and this climate yeah and you know the the only other is um I did get a couple requests that um uh two different people said you should we should have we've never had a not for a long time have we had a select Board election with multiple with three candidates they'll they they all get a couple minutes well yeah but that um that there should that an organized candidate Forum we don't have a League of Women Voters chapter in this town or whatever they call themselves these days and um the other towns that have multiple contested elections all have these kinds of events and who puts them on um it's just different I think Deerfield it was the the the group that was against the Dollar General store put in a c put on a I forget what they call themselves but uh or maybe they were for the Dollar General so I don't remember but um they put on a candidate for them and it's nice nice to have contest although I'm not a big fan of placards deerfields kind of cured me of that yeah okay they vote today they did it's over at 8:00 I believe and um yeah I'm interested to see how that goes cuz we've worked a lot with Carolyn and I think we all respect her but yeah okay did good you're doing good now doing good you Jimmy I got to be I got to be gry after school tomorrow good deal and they need some rest thank you Jim you so much Jimmy all right um vot to approve the minutes of April 29th motion to approve the minutes of April 29th second all in favor I I it's unanimous the the warrants we um accounts payable warrant the amount of 162,163 $58 the payroll warrant in the amount of [Music] $23,550 126 um I've reviewed them on there's like them there's nothing at all discussion where they are in any of them counil payable was very boring yeah I'm disappointed um um I mve to approve the warrant says R second all in favor I I meetings attended by select board members anybody no I was gone I was in the was in the mold mediation meeting on Friday with the State Department of Health uh guy it's actually a cool Department because they only work for municipalities and they don't charge money and it's a beautiful thing so um uh and and the Damage with the the thing it was much the truth was less scary than reality and I like it when it happens um public comments there's no more uh remaining new business um discussion and possible vote on increasing fiscal year Highway 24 wages to fiscal year 25 Highway wages for current employees and for current job advertisements very that has to be tabled okay on on advice of Town Council um it can be brought up right after town meeting but okay y that is um so we'll table that um discussion and vote to appoint Jameson Laval current vot Tech employee to be a full-time temporary employee from June through the middle of August I am aware of this and think that it is a good thing at a rate of it is it is it is for the highway department he's just continuing on um in his job through the middle of August I move that we um appoint Jameson lavau to a full-time temporary employee from June through August middle of August second all in favor I I it's unanimous the Germain scholarships discussion and vote on the Germain scholarships ver what uh what is the amount it's uh it's right in front okay there's there's eight of them so that's the interest from you and if you split it up if you did 1600 you'd still wonderful I wonder what that was a note for what if we did ,800 then we spend slightly I mean slightly more than then you and we're actually this is actually more than what we have been giving in recent years yeah I was very surprised by that so I think a lot of interest last year we had fewer applicant and I think we gave 1500 and that was dipping into the principle so this is actually I think we're doing pretty good I think last year we had initially five and then one was added so we had six total yeah it was about it was six I think so um so we have eight applicants whose uh applications have been forwarded to us and although they our public record we by history and custom we do not name those applicants in this public meeting so if people really want to find out they can go to the town hall and find out the names of those applicants and their applications because those are all public record but um we have received them and uh there are eight applicants the custom has normally been to especially when there is sufficient interest income that to spend the interest that generated over the past year on the Germaine fund and um every once in a while we have di slightly into the principle but the best way to keep the F going is to not spend from the principal and um this year we're lucky that it the Investments and the investment advice that our town Treasurer um does with this stuff she she really does good sometimes some years we get really good years so this is one the Germaine fund this year this past year in interest made $3,955 so up we can um the eight applicants um when that is divided when that total interest income is divided by eight applicants the number is $1,744 87 cents per per successful application so I would make a motion that we award each of the eight applicants um in our capacity as Germain scholarship fund trustees the amount of 13,000 I'm sorry the amount of $1,744 187 representing this year's annual interest of $3,955 each each of the eight applicants gets $1,744 87 yeah I mean I would just make it an even number just because that seems easier to me but I mean we just say [Music] 1745 yeah why not we're going to be a few dollars over okay 1744 then there we go there you go all right 1744 okay so motion motion to amend the previous motion to 1744 rather okay all in favor I I there working on 1744 is the amount um oh wait um items not anticipated 48 Hours Town ministrator update uh well we've covered almost everything it's a great postcard but I did want to mention for anybody who's watching and drives on shelper Falls Road which is a lot of us that we are working to try to replace the where the metal plate is the town is going to be um Highway Department is going to be trying to work work on uh replacing it's a stone cul that is cing and we have to jump through a bunch of hood hoodles Hoops or hurdles with um uh because it's in a primary habitat being so close to the South River so it might take us a little while when it does happen which may be May 18th and 19th if we can get our ducks in a row um the road will be closed for the weekend being on a weekend so as not too interrupt the school bus traffic because there would not be a good detour during the work the school week um so as soon as we know something we'll definitely be putting out information everybody to try to give everybody the heads up that that weekend might be difficult or whatever weekend ends up being we'll be a difficult travel weend on Shel f Road okay um select board comments uh maybe next meeting we can take advice and go over the Articles and who wants to take which one that's a good idea it's a good idea now we did it um announcements so our next meeting is the an hour before the pre-own meeting at the grammar school at 6: p.m. in the library and um before then there is a wonderful talk on the 14th at the Historical Society Museum on the Conway French flintlock musket that was used in the Revolutionary War by a really cool uh former historian at the Springfield Armory National Historic Site that's cool and um Saturday the 18th uh is at the Conway Town Hall at 11:00 a.m. followed by a free lunch at the Ballfield behind town hall to explain our MVP project and all the wonderful things that it's going to do right so just so every everybody understands because there won't be a meeting between now and then to so at 11:00 in the general purpose room right here in town hall there will be a discussion put on that will explain the projects that will be put before Town residents to see which ones Town residents think make the most sense for trying to alleviate flooding in the downtown up to five projects as they'll be presenting then we go have lunch in the lower under tents in the lower uh parking lot and then come back over to the the town hall to vote on which are the top two favorite of those um proposals and then the team will start working more on that after that but so we're going to discussion lunch vote the other thing too is that Thursday the 16th from 12:00 to 2: at the runda of the library is a countywide meeting here in Conway on uh all of the all of the people involved in all of the towns plus County government plus represent from the state on Elder Affairs and that is 12 minutes that is a free lunch and then June 1st of course 10:00 a.m. is the town meeting and five 4 5:00 p.m. is the senior prom oh je said that to you ER and uh that is also catered free food and beer we got we we issued the beard and wine license you have to be like 65 to go to that though 60 but uh 60 plus the select word oh you actually mean senior prom yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah the seor Senor prom so cute isn't it and there's live music um which would have been Isaiah but now it's somebody else but um it's live music and uh I think Barb still oh cool yeah yeah yeah and uh and it's it's catered catered food and um yeah yeah so that's that's and with that um all of those announcements a busy coming up um get your couple days off while you can yeah um yeah so to Jour second all in favor I I rich