so good evening everybody this is the Tuesday May 28th meeting of the Conway select board the agenda did by the way say Monday May 28th um but seeing as that was a state and federal holiday and all offices were closed and all business was closed I only we could be as perfect as you oh boy yeah um so to to me that was a minor clerical error not worthy of uh of of postponing the meeting so um I hope everybody else agrees um and uh yeah so this meeting is being recorded on Zoom um and if for reason any reason well if the zoom doesn't work then we're not then the meeting's not yeah so uh yeah so um I'll call the meeting to order first item on the agenda um since I'm not I can either use the computer for a zoom call or look at the agenda uh um so uh vote to approve minutes of May 20th thank you I did see those um move to approve the minutes of May 20th I saw those I thought they were fine um agreed I will second all in favor I I it's unanimous um you you state your names just because it's on the zoom unanimous pH caner and Chris Waldo thanks um so uh since since um uh our esteemed colleague the chair of the forest and trails committee Suzanne emth is here um we're gonna uh just move the item on the agenda for discussion and possible vote which I don't think it will be on the Conway State Forest Road uh situation and um this is really just Suzanne's chance to let the select board know what the issue is um unless I don't know barique whether you have anything to add about whether Ron or not Ron whether Don Bates the poli police chief and Bob Baker the fire chief got back because when I saw Bob yesterday he said he didn't he was pretty doubtful whether they'd have a chance to get up there today um but he was going to try so um Suzanne can you you know this is just let let Chris know let ranique know sort of what the issue is and what the concern is you're muted though thank you um yeah so there are several CTS two in particular that are relatively close to the mayard cemetery on that kind of Main Road um which is a Town Road and um they're in really bad shape um they're failing and so they're being made worse by vehicles um going in there Vehicles like that don't belong to either Kohl's or the town um so the forest and trails committee um is in the process of looking into two different sources of Grants to try and get funds for replacing those culverts with Bridges um which obviously is a long-term project and so we were hoping um to assuming we apply for and get the grants to close the road to outside vehicles um using those expensive Gates that you know have locks and that we would provide keys to the fire chief the police chief Kohl's and DCR um and we would in our Grant application request funds to purchase the gates so that at least we're we're mitigating additional damage right until we can get the long-term solution in place um yeah um I just had a quick question is this before or after the Cemetary that we're looking at it's well assuming that you are coming in from cricet Hill Road it's it's before one is no actually one is right after and one is further down okay good just because I know legally and I've spoken with Ron about this legally we have to keep access open to the cemetery so but that works if it's if it's afterwards if it's past it well that that's where the Culvert is but the gate would be back on I'm assuming the gate would be at the entrance to the Logging Road because there's actually there is another Culvert closer to the Logging Road that is failing it it would be helpful to have a map so we could see but I know that from speaking with Ron that we legally have to keep access open to the cemetery so that might be a concern and and why is that because it's a public Cemetery but but it's not it's not like anybody's being buried there no but I you know we can double check with Town Council but that's our understanding is that legally we have to keep the road open to the cemetery and then would would a gate with a key that's accessible at Town Hall satis that requirement is the other question yeah so um because that's right I mean yeah so I mean that the and you know I I I also think that I I did see something in Cemetery regs that you're supposed to like be able to get um like a hearse into a cemetery or something like that um none of our cemeteries none of the eight town cemeteries can you get a vehicle in or a hearse all of them require I know this from recent personal experience um all of them require actually lifting um the casket or whatnot um over a stone wall or through a narrow pedestrian gate so I'm sorry I'm looking at the map now where are we where are we talking about um so putting up the gate so I'm thinking well there might there may need to be multiple Gates but I was thinking do you know on Cricut Hill Road where it takes a sharp left a sharp leftand turn and and right there there's like a little off-road parking space sort of and that's where um okay and then there's what only like three homes up that way beyond that um maybe maybe a little bit more because there's the shetes there's the Lee property there's one two three four four yeah I see four yeah I think that's correct and then the one at the very end is abandoned of course yeah got it so four total okay wait you you're you're thinking about putting a gate on cricet Hill Road no no no no no yeah to the Logging Road that's off of cricet Hill Road right yeah I I okay I see where that road is and it's a Town Road I mean I it does have a name I don't remember what it is but it's not everybody everybody calls it the Logging Road but it is it does have a name um we'll have to consult the Historical Society yeah okay and and my understanding of where I I know the one really wrecked culbert is sort of between the Beaver Dam and the cemetery sort of that again Phil what what's between the Beaver Dam and the cemetery one really wrecked Culvert like that that was just sort of you had to like like leap it it was like a like a the ditch was so bad that you sort of had to LEAP it right right near where um where all the the diseased Ash the stand of diseased Ash was like right near there um I think I'm not I'm not sure which one you're talking about I know that right near the Beaver Pond the the beaver had done some damage and it was flooded the road was flooded out and um Ned uh helped repair that with a beaver baffle and anyway yeah I mean so I you know we're well I I did I did ask the police chief and the fire chief to go you know the because it is an issue of Public Safety and um you know that the it you know if it right now there's nothing that says you know four-wheel drive vehicles only whatever it's and people do have like a history a family history of like going up there for you know hunting or whatever and um um you know you don't you don't want people to have to like wreck their cars and the the the one thing that I did see in there was the one time was like a lifted four-wheel drive jeep that was just like tearing the road up and yeah there's somebody from Williamsburg that goes in there quite often is known to some people that is just doing incredible damage so so you know we'll we'll we'll uh consult with once they've had to take a look at it um but you know I just wanted to just want you know thought thought right I mean this the purpose of this is just so you can introduce the topic to the select Force and that right just know that it's something put it on the radar and let's deal with it when we have all of our ducks in a yep sounds like a safety concern so as long as Town Council says it's okay given the cemetery I don't see an issue with wait what's Town Council uh about about whether there's a legal requirement for Access oh oh that Council I keep missing Council lawyer sorry yeah yeah um and so uh you know and whether a gate that with a key that can be handed to someone can satisfy that right if if there is a requirement can the gate with the key satisfy that yeah so yeah because you you guys are going to be talking right with like DCR and their attorney and your County Council DCR was rather uh uh non-committal um and seemingly didn't care too much say that's an accurate characterization for Anique well well it's a Town Road so exactly yeah exactly that they need access right um yes but I don't think they would have a problem if it gave them a key yeah I don't think that would be an issue for DCR okay and hopefully PS although I don't think Kohl's has any I know but we we could give Kohl's a key too and and I think the gate sorry no I think the gate the the the SE the gates that seem to be built for this sort of thing are um you know there examples of them are on Roaring Brook Road that the Deerfield Water Authority put up um to keep four-wheel drive vehicles but pedestrians and bicyclists and single pile horses can get by um Etc so um right so that's sort of but they're concrete footings and thick pipes with that appear to be filled with concrete um and but they swing open easily I did have a key once um and they do swing open easily they're kind of balanced when they built them so well isn't there one um right near the at the driveway to the ball field at the at the upper parking FR yes yes yeah good point I forgot about that one so all right well thank you thanks for listening all righty all right have a nice meeting thank you all right um what's next fori oh um discussion on the uh Community onetop Grant since I found out that the grant match is not required it was recommended by the furog but it's not required so um the amount that we would be asking for is still 866 th000 which is different than what we' said but given that um given that this is a primary route in town and that we already tried to get help from the emergency Watershed Protection Program and that was that didn't happen hopefully and that we have the support of rep L and Senator Mark um actually that was a really nice letter that you wrote to them requesting that support um that was very well worded and proved to be effective in a prompt manner it did but depending on if um we change it I'm going to have to ask them to revise it unfortunately um so you you know and I guess um you know for the the the grant the we we haven't really explain this on this in in this meeting and I I suppose maybe we should it's for the uh covers on shelburn Falls Road um where between Emerson Hollow sort of right at the base of Emerson Hollow Road um and and heading north towards shelburn Falls so there's a couple of them three of them if you want to two or three um depending on how whether you see the one thing is one or two um but uh the the um and the river has you know wrecked the banks there like multiple times um and um the the it's anybody that's driven over there um if you haven't slowed to like below 20 miles an hour you instantly regretted it um and that's just the requirement of you know trying to you know keep traffic going while the culbert underneath the road is needs to get repaired um so the and the the grant for um that we're talking about it $866,000 the discussion is whether or not there should be a match that isn't legally required a 25% match from the town but the what we have been told and what is in the explanation in the grant instructions is that um I get it's not they don't even come out and say it but the implication is that if you do provide a grant it what is it an indication of your sincerity of your uh well the the language actually says that given the competitive nature of the mass work grants basically I think they're upping the ante and the towns that are willing to provide a match are showing more um what would the word be um money investment in in the process um but it does say that and if you don't then you might consider a pre velopment Grant which really wouldn't make any sense in this case so you know given that it's an awful lot of money it would be $216,500 to make a 25% match for an application that doesn't require it and for taking away money from the highway department that is still kind of hoping to basically make use of all of the state disaster funds um you know it just seemed it would be a good idea to revisit what the board wanted to do yeah and I completely agree So Okay so we've successfully framed the issue um and um and and so to to me the question is what's the least expensive way to get this done for the town is the amount if we don't get the Grant and we do it out of the state supplemental budget funding 1.24 five million which we're now down to 600 and something th right yeah 700 and something thousand I don't know what What's the total that we have left um I I don't know because I haven't seen the numbers from Ron so the last I'd say we use 700,000 out of that so far probably more um so if we rely entirely on that to do the project is that going to cost us more than the match well that's so the the problem is unfortunately that this grant is due very the applications due very soon understood one of the things that we don't know yet is whether or not it needs to be done to the stream Crossing standards Ron has told me that the um water that comes down from Emerson Hollow the Culvert that comes out into the river unless the river is flooded it doesn't there's no way that um Wildlife could travel through the CT because the Culvert comes through Emerson Hollow and there's a drop off before it hits the river you see what I mean so no fish are going to be able to go through there the way it's currently designed I've never seen I've never seen I've seen frogs I've never seen a fish in Emerson Hollow in the Stream right there yes so and this is the thing that until a wetland specialist comes in and looks at it we won't know whether or not it is deemed to be having to adhere to the um stream Crossing standards or whether we could replace it with the same Culvert Ron did just Upstream on the emergency basis so still the question which is the least expensive path that will it will it cost and if we don't if we don't know then um that's not the ideal level of knowledge with which to make the decision um no but Grant is to put in a box Culvert or a block Culvert so big concrete yeah two of them so that's why it's so expensive um I know when I spoke to Ron we have to give him full credit he's the one who told us that there was no match needed um but he was indicating he thinks he could do the work with the same Culvert style the circular Culvert he used to replace the first one and it would cost considerably less um I'm of the mind that this is absolutely a necessity and I would hope that we wouldn't be denied just because we're not flashing money at it our own money at it that's my take so I think the cheapest way would be to get the grant without a match and then if that doesn't work then we could explore other avenues you know okay all right um yeah yeah that sounds like a plan then apply for the grant without the match and uh ask Natalie and uh Paul to delete that last sentence of the third paragraph from their letter um yeah I redid the letter and sent it out to you guys again later because I included that we did try the USDA Grant and didn't work so um so I'll I'll need to run around if you if you do vote this I'll need to run around get your signatures because I have to put it in on Friday all right yep and um I'm also curious about the timeline if they it for the box covers it seems like that would be a very long wait I don't know I don't know how because you have to cast those right it's it's they don't have them just made you cast no they do have them made in all kinds of sizes they do okay well that's that's good to know I mean that makes it a little bit better but i' still feel like it would take a long time but anyway yeah so my vote is to ask for the grant in 100% full without a match all right so that would be a motion from Chris yes I make a motion to I I will second it and all those in favor I Chris Waldo I Philip Canter excellent thank you oh um you ready for the next agenda item yes yes please okay so it's um vote to re Point Sarah Newman to the board of registers for a term ending March 31st 2027 so moved here's where you said all all all in favor hi Chris Waldo hi Philip ker next um discussion on select word members to address individual warrant articles at annual town meeting yeah so I'll do obviously all the cap Capital all right um I'll also do the street lights all right um see what else we got here let's give Erica all the bad ones she's only gonna be there for the first hour I think just oh that's right so she'd have to take the earlier articles yeah um I will also do the um School articles I mean they basically are Capital Improvements anyway the school Capital stuff sure yep so that's about half yeah and and yeah actually um so the with the school Capital stuff you know that Darius um and and Shelly are usually right on top of that and just you'll get a sense from the room whether or not you think anything more is even necessary um usually usually with them um so um you know that definitely they're we're really lucky to have them and very often when you you can just tell from the reaction in the room that like the any more explanation from anyone else it can't help it's already going to pass like unanimously so it can only hurt so so yeah um but you know too I believe there's going to be a request to move the uh Community preservation committee article up to right after the school ones because um great sorry um because it involves the school officials and they wanted to allow them to leave and not have to wait through all of town meetings okay you know yeah that'll be request to the moderator yeah that that's a motion to the moderator yeah so we don't have to change the article number though right we just move it up it it would be a request to the moderator and then then it would just be moved forward okay good because that'll confuse people if you change the numbers right yeah yeah yeah no all right I mean a lot of these are just really shouldn't even really need an explanation it's just moving money from one bucket to another um I think you know obviously Jan will probably talk about the pickle ball court right oh yeah yep um you know I'm I obviously was not really for the bylaw change so I don't think I should talk about that one yeah the zoning board has has Jeff Jeff Lacy reached out to you to talk to you about yeah we've gone back and forth about four times all right all right he he's he's very persistent he's very well written very smart nice guy yeah he's yet to convince me um are there any other articles you you all have any concerns with that I mean I I I think we can assign them um if you wanted to go go through them and just assign them very quickly if you wanted that way we can let Erica know if we assign her some of the earlier ones honestly pick whichever ones you want to talk about and I I I'll just do what whatever's left over um I don't really uh you know my take on all this stuff is that it's always unpredictable the one the one that gets that gets in people's CW you just you just at the end of the day you just shake your head and you're like I cannot believe that was the one but um well doesn't Jimmy say when he reads off you read off the motion and then he asks if people have an explanation or want an explanation right so is that what you're talking about that you guys yes which ones you'll explain because sometimes it's people from the audience who you know whoever is involved with the article might be will yeah oftentimes oftentimes and and we hope you know we hope I mean I thought um the same like like the the the streetlight you know the um uh the chair of the sustainability committee did a really good job at pre-own meeting on that uh and I think um I was really surprised just to hear like her her argument been be greeted with Applause like that's that was pretty cool um so I you know um yeah Beth I think will be there she's not the chair but she I think she's gonna be at town okay all right who's the chair John Meer all right sorry John said today she was gonna write yeah she's writing up something for the um an explanation for town meeting I don't think John can be a town meeting I basically have articles I can basically take articles 4 through 11 well well actually four through 11 and then 13 15 is the street lights right 15's the street lights yep all right yes so pretty much the first half okay sounds like a plan so um what's next no unanticipated uh no Town Administrator update select board member comments and concerns um what was the what was the other mail piece historical commission commission yeah okay um so thank you I'm glad you reminded me of that so uh in speaking with bonique this morning I think a a proposed plan to deal with this situation has arisen um and that is to have Town counsel town clerk Town Administrator historical commission and select board have a sit down and talk this stuff out um and just you know um and there may not be complete agreement on all I aspects of the conversation but um there will be finality so um hopefully so um so that's that's uh that that's the proposed plan what do you think Chris I so I think that works I think it's a very good plan my concern is that last time the town council's involved an hourly you know pretty large hourly payment and the last um the last meeting we had where it was a 15 what I thought could have been a 15-minute conversation lasted an hour and a half so that's my only concern is that there there might need to be a moderator or at least a time limit yeah exactly a time limit for each person well um you know whoever the next chair is and um I think reelection or not I don't believe it's going to be me the intent is to nominate the person who is in the approaching the third year of the select board term  as I've been saying like for over a year I think um that that's the way it's always been done in Conway for 250 years and I wanted to get back to that tradition um and that if that it and I did look this up recently that the the way that it was done that if the person that was approaching their third year didn't want to do it they would nominate who they would nominate somebody else and that nomination would be treated as if it's that person's third like so it would be heavily weighted in favor the other two saying yes so um got it so like that would be that would be my plan if reelected or obviously if I'm not reelected then uh it wouldn't then it would be you anyway probably so um I'm okay to moderate it I you know all right all right all right all right just so just yeah I just wanted to put that out there that that I do think that's needed and I'm okay taking the mantle for that so um none of the emails were Direct ired to me so I don't know since they went out to you all if you want to inform the historical commission that that's the suggestion it probably wouldn't be for a month or so we need to find out Donna's schedule and historical commission's schedule and all of that um see when everybody's available but and Lori yeah exactly everybody yeah I mean she's be quite busy for the next month yeah I did S I did send her an email asking whether she was okay with the plan um and did not receive any response I figured if she was not okay I would have received a negative response um but uh she and I she and I spoke about it and she's F that okay good um so that's so I I'll send out an email tomorrow or whatever and uh okay we'll go from there yeah if you could ask them just to include me in correspondence because they haven't included me in any of it so I most definitely will put that in my email thank you yes um so that was yeah that's it I guess um what else well s word member concerns then mail announcements next meeting and adjourn so that's so the next meeting is T it has to be Tuesday or or is Monday okay Monday June 3 right and um you know my my thinking about the next meeting is that um we're really better off doing the after town meeting report as soon after town meeting as possible and that um I was I was toying with the idea not toying but contemplating the idea of inviting both of the other candidates for select Board office to that meeting um just so that um for the benefit of their hearing it and because I I think that we get more out of it when memories are really fresh I really do um so think that's a great idea even even just like as far as I'm concerned like a week you know like two weeks or whatever like the richness and the depth of what your Recollections are really begins to fade so um so I don't know so so that's my plan that's my that's my contemplation silence Vernie there's silence that that's fine we'll have to go by Thursday so we can all right because we have to post it all right okay and um and obviously we'd have to run that by Jimmy yes make sure he's available make sure he's available but um yep yeah so that would be uh that would be uh so that's it then so J Monday June 3 and um uh yeah what else oh the announcement is uh the senior senior prom the mon the evening of 5 to8 um um at the uh at the library so yep I know I know I'm going I'm told veroni you're going I will try I'm packing that night for vacation yeah you're it'll it'll be over by 8 but um yeah uh so and what else any other announcements town meeting 10 o'clock Saturday the 1 um and yeah so that's about it okay so Mo motion to adjourn until town meeting at 10: a.m. that is a select board meeting as well right well you're all there so yeah yeah it has to it has to be noticed as one it always is I think I don't remember I will second that motion okay all in favor I hi Chris wdo I Philip thank you everybody