um all right so let's call the finance committee to order at 50:3 p.m. for March 25th 2024 call the select board meeting to order there's no microphone it does none of them work let's call the select board meeting to order 54 I will call Capital to order at 5034 by we all agree time just so this sounds causal there's a causal relationship with all these I'll do 504 got it okay um so minutes for the previous meeting were sent out by Jim um do we have a motion for approving the minutes we'll make a motion to approve the minutes I see a correction small typo okay well you guys are going to really be testing me tonight we need a second let's have a second first Sor okay thanks what's your take it's only 20 what's wrong um fourth paragraph regarding account 292 5400 he type 22286 we approved 22266 say again the number please 22266 that's the correct fa thank you John welcome any other I'll second the motion to uh did you move to okay all those in favor of the am oh any discussion all those in favor of the amendment okay that's unanimous um all those in favor of the minutes as amended all right that's unanimous um we are going to do one quick thing before we start in on the capital request um so this should be what you have in front sh this thing down so you can see the whole thing okay so if the budgets as they stand right now including the ones we haven't voted yet um if you look here so our total revenues excluding free cash should cover our Omnibus budget all of our um what you operating expenses and then we have free cash in addition to that which is this 1 million um and that should be used to cover the warrant articles and then the total of that is the total amount of money that we have so we are at the moment positive for the total amount of money we have which is good um but we are essentially 185,000 um in the whole for our recurring expenses in my opinion the police Cruis should not recurring EXP expense it's really a capital expense so I would be happy enough to pull that out and put it here but that you know that's only 55 or whatever we voted so it's not you know anywhere near the full m um my understanding and Brenda will correct me when I'm wrong that is that I me this is essentially ver voting right we are supposed to spend revenues for we're not supposed to spend onetime funds for recurring expenses and it it it's enough it it's um frowned upon to the point that it can affect your um what do you call the debt thing your credit rating um it's something that is looked at and not um looked at favorably when you're not doing this so this is really bad um I don't know if you remember a couple years ago we were working on putting some Financial policies together which I kind of dropped the ball on and didn't push through the end line but in those financial policies we had a section that was talking about this exactly and we said when you get to this situation then we would be going to the Town Administrator and the town accountant and the select board and have making them come up with a plan to get out of this situation within two years um so it's it's not where we want to be um we knew we were getting to this point last year when we looked at the the um budget that we had last year so I don't expect to do anything about that right this second but just keep that in mind as we get to the end of all of these budgets and then talk about this so anybody want to talk about this now before we anything else the reason why um I gave everybody this chart on the other funding was to show that this is not adjusted for inflation this is actual dollar from the state and and the reason why we are okay is because we are so conservative in our adjustments for revenues and yes we do cover operating expenses we do cover operating expenses out of free cash but it's because our um formulas are so conservative and I just hesitate um doing that adjusting our formulas so that we can cover our operation Bud budget because the state is and has shown to be an unreliable partner when we have serious when they have serious crisis they they do n9c cuts they do I mean I remember Mitt Romney just decided not to pay the elementary school a half I mean you would have thought the elementary school payment going through the school loans you know program um and match funds they would pay their share but he did that year and so we had to cover and so as a result part of the reason we do so much from free cash is because I feel so strongly about conservative estimates of our Revenue we always generate free cash and if we need then we we should have a separate meeting beyond the budget timed with Brenda if we're going to talk about adjusting those form that don't generate free cash and make less conservative um I personally don't think that we should adjust that and have less conservative estimates for free cash because that free cash is there to spend for Capital and we're not spending much on Capital um so what was estimated for like a year like last year um revenue and what was the revenue I mean we we hear it's conservative but so what what's the difference between our estimation our actual Revenue I I don't have that figure in front of me um but we had um revenues oh yeah I do I have that figure in front of me because we we uh Julie and I talked about that this afternoon um we did 2.6 million in local receipts last year I'm I'm just talking local receipts um we got no sound from I couldn't figure it out that was fiscal 23 and we had budgeted a million 663 so that was pretty good um part of the reason we were up was because we had received um um over 200,000 for a project by one of the nonprofits just right before the end of the fiscal year um overall revenues were were not up that much because you budget for um real estate taxes you budget for personal property taxes and and that comes directly off what you build them but you're never going to get everything that you 100% of what you build you're never going to get that in the year that that you're collecting on so probably overall I want to say overall our total revenues were about 600,000 more than what we have bud that's a great question and thank you so much for that answer because I was going to ask how was fre cash derived this year and it's so good to hear you know that your your Revenue projections were still conservative but they weren't um as conservative as what you might think in the in the free hash because you got a $200,000 um you got I don't want to call it a wind call but you got a $200,000 onetime um Revenue Source uh from a grant I I went on to the gateways preash certification sheet and found a few other smaller um one time Revenue sources that went into this I'm getting nothing for I couldn't see the actual the large that was in there because that was probably part of the unres plug plug some other you know other small one time things um Nima empg Grant the jail diversion CIT grant spance grant totaling about $155,000 so I guess my my um my question and I also went on to the towns um and DLS DLS does the you know the dashboard um and they have a really great preash use Trend um page that that you can follow and what it shows is um this I I went on to the free cash use Trend and it shows the use of free cash historically back to FY 2017 it shows and I wish I could I wish I could show it um you can all go on it um it shows that um it shows the budget amounts it shows the amount of free cash and it shows the amount of free cash as a percent of the budget generally speaking the amount of free cash as a percent of the budget has declined since fy1 17 it's gone from 99.8% there was a there was a year in 2018 it went it went up significantly to 11.6% from then on it's essentially been declining and now it's down to only 5.8% so it's showing uh to me that shows that there are more asks whether they're onetime warrant articles or whether it's been used to feed operating expens go okay oh and point information is recorded it is okay that's good I'm going to need it for minutes later um and then there's another um there are another couple of rows that shows overall free cash use and um the percent of free cash use and while the free cash percent of the budget has generally declined since fy17 the free cash use has increased from 62.7% in 2017 now up to 84.9% so there actually is you know um despite conservative Revenue estimates which is which I completely support there is deterioration that and um we're still conservative on Revenue estimates but we've gotten a little more aggressive with them in the last five years okay okay that's good J most definitely um due to a concern that our free cash was always coming out at way too high and so there was an effort to make it conservative but yet a little more realistic than what it used to be so I I I want to say that yes it's declined but I'm not so sure that that's a bad decline okay somewhat Pur is that what you're saying what's that it was somewhat purposeful yes it was but if we were to use if we were to use full cash a free all of free cash in its entirety we're dinging ourselves a pretty big hole true for the compan absolutely but I also want to say that um the nonprofits on a regular basis do give us onetime money with their building uh permits because they do improve their their campuses on a regular basis there's um even if you even since 2008 when um there was that crash that you can see consistency in pulling building permits and while we shouldn't rely on that it is a regular free cash source and and and we get on I think I think of the last five years three of them had additional monies from the nonprofits for doing building permits right they improve their campuses on a regular basis so uh it's not to say that we should count on it no no definitely but it is a a source of regular revenue for free cash and I also don't disagree uh with the state's uh lack of commitment uh to uh to local Aid so you know we've got a double whammy here I think we at this point we can only control what we can control at the moment um but you make a good [Music] point where we go oh go ahead I was going to say while we're on the topic of structural issues I I guess I'll I'll say it again you know I I don't like how we're funding schems at the moment you know I think we should do something have a plan at some point to bring that on the levy um and not pay for it out of free cash just annual reminder I guess I do agree but I also think I heard him say that his goal is to make that what's the word Revenue neutral so that he's not coming to the towns and and charging us that that his goal is to get it and he thinks that he can within a few years is did I not hear that or yes uh yeah five fiveish year plan yeah is to do that I mean you're not going to have see it overnight but um yeah we definitely made we're in going in the right direction it wasn't it was going in a unsustainable Direction and now I feel like it's reversed it's just going to take more than a few weeks of Josh being on the job yeah yeah absolutely but but that's the only thing that makes it because I I totally agree it's a recurring expense it should be part of our recurring expenses but if he can make it neutral then I'm less worried about it we're at least closer to neutral we're at least closer yeah exactly yeah you going to revisit any of the like about our plans yeah so I think we're going to get through the goal is to get through the rest of the budgets tonight if we can knam wood and um we'll see from there if we can get to that tonight if not we'll talk about that next week good anything else anybody I I just want to mention on the letter I had asked you all to um support a letter for the bill um for uh rural aid but uh for schools because the the only thing I mean schools are just a large proportion of our budget and um the idea was to support this legislation that was really had wide support Statewide unfortunately it went to Ways and Means and then went to the education committee and the formula has been gutted so when we met on Friday this past week um we decided um or we were advised by both Joe and Natalie that and then I talked to them later um Friday evening um that it was better to focus on the budget right now so this is just a draft letter that um the Mohawk um school district is sending out so I um the letter that I anticipated asking you to support I'll ask you to support a letter like this for next week when I get the figures um together and we adjust it but I just didn't want you to forget that we were going to try to send a letter yep we got anything that to do to increase Revenue will be good all right let's go to Capital you sure run this piece yep uh give me a second here just to pull up the uh where I put my Capital so um before we get started with all the capital report review I just want to direct everyone's attention to page four um the Capital Improvements planning committee met uh several times this year um to uh review 23 uh requests that came in and then just as a reminder to everyone the Capital Improvements planning committee does not uh initiate requests it simply reviews requests that come in we try and put requests with um however much foresight the Departments give us onto uh Capital plan um that we're actually going to be working on making two Capital plans um but uh yeah that's that's typically what we do and then um while we're not necessarily tasked with finding um funding sources for all these um I I did want to go through just being a member of the finance committee and try and find potential sources and also use it as a mean to uh means to consider the financial soundness of the Town um and then on page four here we have the the priority list the way that you know Capital kind of thinks about these things so we typically give um in our recommendations uh which is all these really are um priority first to pre-approved or pre-funded projects these are projects that are in Flight that are usually over multiple fiscal years then after that we consider things that are of safety or health priority than uh operational importance or um preventing damage to our Capital further damage to our Capital assets uh then we look at things that are uh more proactive and then finally uh others so going through this plan here we'll um go to the first page we have uh two requests from Deerfield Elementary School one is for the uh classroom and uh uh classroom uh flooring um this is a multi-year um project and then we have another one for uh air conditioning so this is the phase two of the air conditioning uh both of these things here would most likely have to come out of free cash uh or another another source um they don't have their own funding source attached to them uh and and we've given both of these kind of a priority One um what I want to do is jump to the other two that are like this and then you know I can I can go through the others as well but uh um the the next one that we have that doesn't really have a funding source that um comes along with it is the the $177,000 server replacement for the municipal offices we've been pushing this um Can kicking this can down the road a bunch we're we're now in a in a spot where the server is no longer under warranty uh so so getting this repaired is is is going to be an issue uh if if we have any issues with it so uh for that reason we we gave that uh priority too which is kind of our our highest highest priority you know for things that are not pre-funded or already already in flate and then lastly um I'm going to go down to the uh Senior Center um so the last thing that we had here that did not have uh this is on page two by the way the last thing that um did not have a uh an obvious funding source was the senior center van so that was uh to the tune of 12,500 this would be deerfield's portion of that altogether the funding sources that I or sorry the um requests that I just mentioned all total 127,00 so um there there will be a shortfall if we were to use Capital stabilization for these we don't have enough money in capital stabilization to uh fund all of these um the the rest of the capital requests that we came through that that came through we either um recommended that we do in a later year 2026 or later or um they would they would come through uh either um or or get funded by grants or would be paid out of Enterprise funds things like that so I'm I'm happy to walk through those those items but um you know given the State financial state that the town's in you know I wanted to walk through those first and see if anyone had any any questions on on those items can you recap a little bit of the discussion around the senior center van yeah so um the senior Center has a lot more uh people who are taking advantage of those Services now um so um the um going back down to the senior center van here the capital Improvement planning committee thought that this was of um operational importance which was um why we gave it um priority level three um this really is kind of key to their operation it's really hard to get seniors around uh in this case the van that they're asking for is a 14 seat van which is the maximum number of uh people you can have without having to get a CDL so this would really help or have someone uh driving with a CDL so this would really help out with the uh operational portion of their uh um programming and then also uh the other towns are all uh voting this as well so you know if Deerfield doesn't um kick in for this um the senior center could uh end up losing the opportunity to purchase the van the there's a sizable Grant from I think it's do I believe right yes sizable grant for the van we've been using the the one we got from Hatfield for a gift which was really great and um uh we've been Staffing enough for Chris has been doing some driving um we're finding a lot more seniors want to come but can't come so uh trying to expand the um seniors that are kind of stuck at home and want to come come to some services and also they do they do some trips every every year and it would would allow them to to expand that um and it's um while it's a lot of money it's compared to what a new van would cost it's a really good deal if we all split it the three ways and and take advantage of the grant so go ahead um depending so I don't know where deerfields town meeting Falls um in relation to the other member towns but is that something that we would want to vote contingent on approval by the other towns if we do head to town meeting first we don't want to commit the money without the other towns you are first yeah I think we're first right I think we're second this year Sunderland is first Sunderland is first so so it's just something to think of um when it does come time we haven't typically done that but we certainly could if we um yeah that's a good point if so if we if we don't do it we're holding up funds um if another one of the towns does reject it so if we can vote contingent then it would it would free up the funds immediately if the other towns any either of the other towns rejects it okay it's a good point um is it like Mobility assistant I mean like have you yes yeah it'll have it'll have the you know everything needed for ADA Compliant you know and ow for 12,500 I'm suddenly much more in favor of it I was picturing like a 15 passenger van it's a very sizable Grant I think it's a large portion coming from Dot and then the other towns are splitting it um but yeah it's a very nice yeah brand new and set up what is the um Trevor if you know the agreement um three towns if if two of them vote does that obligate the third town to kick in or I don't think for Capital not not for this I don't believe for this it is but um yeah I don't I don't think so I think for the budget the annual B like budget it is budg thank you yes so um the grant is actually going to cover 80% of the vehicle costs of 9,800 and this vehicle has uh space for two wheelchairs I believe so each of the member towns are going to be uh kicking in the last 20% and deerfield's portion is 12,500 so this is a pretty substantial Grant funded uh Capital expense yeah okay thanks hello oh is there any would there be an alternative like renting something I'm just thinking of all the school buses are sitting up up the street during the day not doing anything maybe think outside the box could we rent something instead of buying something just a thought I'm not sure if they would take a wheelchair they're not wheelchair I'm not sure but they may or may not it might limit the time that that it could be used and then also uh you know since this is a this is a you know just a a capital committee plan where you know we look at the I I can't I can't really speak to that um directly that would have to be uh something for uh Jennifer but um yeah I I don't G given that this is like an 80% Grant cover I I don't know that we're going to get money like this again um anytime soon so my concern with rental or leasing well leasing first of all does contribute to the town's overall indebtness so we have to be careful with leases and then the other thing with rental is with with the town only paying $122,500 toward this I think it's a very quick very quick payoff if we were to buy it as opposed to rental then again I don't know what a daily rental cost is for a a handicapped access van I'm not sure they would rent to us due to the liability but I don't know just okay just a thought yeah so we will incur insurance and and maintenance and gas costs recurring costs in upcoming years if we buy this thing right and I think I think she has um presented her budget accordingly y okay so that th those cover the uh Capital requests without funding sources uh and then um ask a question the elementary school one um so the air conditioning last year was 45,000 and this year is 72 and next year is 72 so they're doing a few classrooms at a time right yep um is there do you know why it went up so much from last year to this year is it just that this year it's more expensive or are they doing more rooms or they're doing more rooms they're doing more rooms yes in in this phase or the first phase they started with three classrooms and now um I think they're doing six yeah so if we needed to get this down below the amount we have in our Capital whatever stabilization could we ask them to do like mhm four rooms instead of six or something and stretch it out another year they were able to take the rebates and extend the rooms too uh last time so they might you know we might maybe this year we much as a great value that is maybe we just say we can't quite swing it this year I had been talking to Darius a little bit about that just telling him we don't have any money for Capital this year and I think he has some projects like the flooring going on we'd love to keep up with it but if he understands if we need to wait a year and he goes he understands there's other departments that need Capital so we can't always be the one so if we had to pass a year he I think he understands that we'd love to keep going but especially with AC because it just I was just going to say that brutal uh air conditioning to me is a higher priority than the flooring because the air you know it's just so bloody hot now on the shoulder Seasons I mean you just get into June J May and June and September and October now are so hot the kids are just so uncomfortable you can't you can't study and and focus when the rooms are over 90 degrees it's just not healthy and then another thing I think to just as darious about is I I know that um that derivative cost includes a 40% uh eversource Grant so this strategy here may be maxing out whatever the allotment is so we could be leaving money on the table by not doing it you were talking about um rebates um whatever they did in August uh they just got a rebate back on that for about 48,000 that went back against their budget so um they were planning on using that to help with something in regards to that yeah oh to help offset okay yeah so it would be offsetting a portion of the cost that doesn't show on the capital project plan don't know that answer I would assume that they were expecting that plus this 72,000 to do more that's that's what I think but okay yeah the the original capital request was for 140,000 something 144,000 okay that makes sense so the 72 is um you know with the rebate any other questions before we move on to some of the grant matched projects nope no okay great so the next thing that we have here is the bloody um Brook covert replacement um that is uh 25,000 there's going to be an MVP um grant for that um I don't know if there's any color you want to add to that one carollyn I know that we have we had the 25,000 placeholder here but we have under um MVP 2.0 we have the cash for the 25 potential it was just an estimate for engineering and then the um MVP Grant would cover that we're applying for the governor just put money towards this we found out about this last Thursday and um the governor is putting money towards covit replacement so this has been identified as a choke point out here on the bloody Brooks so the intention is to put an open bottom covert there so that mitigate flooding in the village here all right so the anticipated MVP Grant would cover the full reconstruction MVP 2.0 would cover which part that's cash that we already have now that we as an MVP committee could vote to cover for engineering if that's yep we the $25,000 piece yeah uh Christopher Dunn just we know it's hundreds of thousands of dollars but we don't know if it's three or 400 or six or 700 so just depends so it's good to know because even if the MVP Grant that's anticipated if the town for some reason is not awarded that Grant the engineering will be in place for a future Grant it has to be done anyway right okay that is correct okay we're we're having um through a small Grant through Conservation District we're having uh field geology both Nick Miller and John Field walk the bloody Brook to help us figure out how we can mitigate flooding and I'm hoping to take him over to Eastern Avenue and grav Street to look at that area too and um at the north end of town as well because there's a couple more grants there is no match this year for 604b 319 through D and we an intention is to apply for the planning Grant on that and hopefully we can do something over on Eastern Na and Grave Street as well so we'll have more information after this next this Thursday but there's nothing for Eastern AB Grave Street on this okay because we don't I know it's more than a million dollars I don't know how we're going to fund that yet the IDE it's not on a future year either I know it it we need more information Margaret okay and that's what we're going to do with um when we do the walk down here on also it's not going to show up on this if there isn't a formal request so just to remind everyone we don't put the the the Capital Improvements committee um is not where these requests originate so the only requests that that that are going to be on here are things that are submitted by department heads or or committee folks but we are trying to get them to put more requests in from you know more than just a year out so um we will probably start to see more of those going forward as soon as as soon as we have more information Margaret I'll put it together oh no that's fine I was just I was looking for clarification I was wondering what actually I was wondering what the $550,000 was in in FY 26 but Mark explained it we're fine yeah yeah all right and then uh the the next two Capital requests that came through for FY 2025 were for the Ford F350 and for the John Deere loader um the the capital Improvement planning committee just simply did not think that this was going to be financially feasible this year um we've already done this before um but we decided to push this off to FY 2026 um for the the reason of the you know financial status of the town and then also um you know just in case we're in a situation where um the uh the new director may want to you know change the strategy so um we decided to push this off um I will will state though that we're on borrowed time for both of these and we really shouldn't be pushing this off much longer so uh then that brings us down to a few other projects here so we have uh two grants that came through um one was um for storm water and then uh storm water asset management and then another for um the uh sewer waste water treatment facility Asset Management both of these um have grants and then the the match would come out of uh Enterprise funds most likely for these um storm water will come out of oh sorry out of uh the emergency funding that we got for 2021 and that's been reserved set aside yeah thank you for the clarification there yeah not not out of the sewer Enterprise fund for that one for anyone listening at home yeah um then the next one is the uh sewer uh truck replacement for snow removal some of you may remember that we just uh purchased a truck for that um it turns out that truck that was being used to transport people between the two facilities um could also be used um well a truck that is um uh used for fairing people could also be used for plowing unfortunately it's not this truck so uh that we just purchased so this one will be traded in and then we will be able to have someone um who uh uh works as an operator also take care of snow removal with the uh the new truck that would be purchased this would come out of the uh sewer Enterprise funds um and would uh keep us from having to use contracted services or something else for for plowing um those those those areas the next thing that we have is the water supply piping for um old Deerfield this is another one that uh we think would probably come out of the uh Enterprise funds um then moving on to scams we've got a few things going on there so one of them is a replacement stretcher um this is going to be um something that we'll probably be able to uh do out of a schem um reallocation um so there was a um um exhaust system that uh we had already voted on uh for schems and um it turns out we were able to get one from Greenfield so we can reallocate the money on that for the replacement stretcher and I think we were all here when when that was presented wasn't that coming out of the rent fund though because it was going to be part of the building I think the rent may have been the intercept vehicle charging stations no I mean last year when we talked about it I thought that um oh last exhaust thing so the the 30,000 had been set aside for the exhaust system that um Josh felt was not needed okay so the reallocation of that to the station alert system I think was was the goal right Mark okay um oh I'm sorry yeah that is correct I actually misspoke there um so I'm not sure what the reallocation was for the stretcher then so um um there was a life pack that we got uh oh that's right yes and so that money that was going to I think it was 44,000 that the life pack was going to cost um was then not uh set aside we had set aside for it and then we got the grant so that was freed up talking about the cardiac monitors yes yeah yeah so we had one cardiac monitor that's been covered with a FEMA Grant and so that's what you're talking about using that for instead okay yep good um and then in addition to that we actually had two FY 2024 requests um so one of those was the station alert uh system that was just mentioned and then we also have the intercept vehicle so the interet vehicle is actually uh coming in two pieces there's one for 60,000 um that'll be a reallocation um and then 15,000 uh so 60,000 is for the uh vehicle and then 15,000 for the uh the the charger and that would come out of rent stabilization uh for a total of 75,000 okay so I thought we were just talking about the stretcher coming from the cardiac monitor appropriation um so the stretcher is going to come from retained earnings and I and that's what you have on the on the line is yeah so retained earnings so that's going to come from retained earnings yeah and 60,000 is coming from retained earnings for The Intercept vehicle which makes more sense to me um at least that's what I had heard previously yes that's what I believe Brenda okay great yeah I I think I think for the interet vehicle It's a combination of the three I don't I don't know if like yeah um the reallocation of the cardiac monitors was partially used for one or the other I'm not sure oh I um there might be um too many funds here okay uh being used yeah um because because okay they they have 133,000 404 in retained earnings and 80,000 of that is going against their current or their FY 25 budget so that only leaves 53,000 um 400 basically for them to use so however that gets allocated I don't care but they just have 53,486 Brenda you know what we'll go we'll go over it on um what tomorrow and I mean no Wednesday and there's 40 there's 44,000 available from the cardiac monitor being um uh funded by FEMA so however that gets worked out fine with me we just can't overspend retained earnings y y okay so actually for the I think the spreadsheets actually wrong for The Intercept vehicle so what I what I actually have is we've got a combination of Grant retained earnings a possible credit and then the uh the the rent for the 15,000 portion that's going to be the 15,000 is coming from the rent stabilization the charging part is coming from the rental account for sure I know that yeah which we'll verify the math on Wednesday I'm actually just going to pull this out right now so okay okay so we'll have more information then on the station alert and the re station alert system and The Intercept vehicle for the next meeting yeah can we'll just we'll just verify them we'll verify it we we did the math that night when they were here and it did work out but we're maybe misremembering exactly the numbers well there's so many things being slit around here that you know I'll I'll make sure that the math drives but I don't know that there's going to be much else to report assuming that the math is okay so if if the math isn't then we'll we'll come back and revisit we have a schms meeting on Wednesday so we'll just go over the math um Margaret if there's any changes I'll let you know okay yeah I'll let Mark Mark I'll let you know too I'm sorry yeah thanks just for the minutes for me yeah yeah uh we already talked about the senior center van uh the next request that we had was um a uh floating dock structure um this would be uh deerfield's portion um the uh weightly Capital Improvement planning committee um is going to review this for uh FY 2026 so we just simply push this off a year but uh yeah we're looking at uh even though it's called TR town beach there's only two towns left so it'll be uh half of uh the total cost so uh 16k so that that's going to go to the 2026 Capital plan very quick question on that one um um do is that related to um accessibility by any chance and could the town's partner up and and uh look at Ada grant funding for it I don't think it's related to it's not related to accessibility okay I just wondering it it is handicap accessible though Ken told us it was you could get wheelchair up there oh but um I don't know if we could get a Ada grant for okay I was just I was just curious about available funding sources yeah another big portion of this was for being able to have guards uh have a vantage point out there at lifeguards so yeah for kids yeah yeah because there's less guards so having the guards elevated and closer to the kids yeah was a safety thing from Ken's point of view I yeah I I don't I don't think there's fewer guards um I I know they're making changes to the guards but the guards have to Chang and they're running the the parking lot right yeah Park lot yeah so there's less dedicated you you know you don't have a parking lot person there so you're going to have the guards go and do take care of when a car pulls up potentially so you have potentially less coverage so the idea is to have more safety by having the elevation I think they used to do that but the guard that was on break just did that like CU you have to rotate off of so they still have the same guards guarding the water portion and one person just I feel like that I think yeah yeah I don't know we should Che I don't think it matters financially so it doesn't matter I just don't want I don't want us to say in a recorded meeting that there's less guards because I don't think that that's true I think they're providing the same guarding security that they ever have they're just reworking the way they're employed in there correct when they're not up there or something no I agree I I don't want to misinterpret what pen was saying to us but he felt it was a safety Improvement to yeah I think it is a safety Improvement but elevated I don't think they have few hours so okay then uh moving on to the library this is more or less just a a placeholder we like to you know the committee likes to track all these so you know we just have a placeholder for for that um the next thing that we have is the L lot design and construction so um this is still in Flight here um but it'll have its own sources of funding most likely um the next is the uh 1888 building um so we still oh question yeah so lery lot that's that doesn't require approval from us right that's already in place there's other funding or is this like we're going to be committing different down funds that need to um do something the capital request piece would uh I guess selectboard correct me from wrong but I I think that would be potentially arpa for the part that we would have to match so that would actually go through the S as far as I know arpa was approved as a funding source for our match so that we're all set yeah so that would not need to go through town approval yeah what is the match funds no what is the dollar amount of the match um we actually don't know yet because we haven't signed the contract for the 2.4 million uh grant that we got that will cover a lot of the expenses that were originally we were going to match yeah it's it's close to 500,000 but it's somewhere in that range yeah we don't have a final number we don't have the contract documents yet Margaret okay and we also have uh for green infrastructure we have MVP funding for some of the green infrastructure so that's a little bit more complicated because there's three funding sources actually yes what is the um I'm sorry may I ask a question uh on the L lot uh design and construction um what are the anticipated ongoing maintenance costs uh for the L lot once it is complete um you're going to have annual um cleaning we don't since we have never had previous surface before um we don't know exactly you know it depends on the storms because you get grit coming in with incoming um you know water storm water so we don't know what exactly that is going to be but it would be at least an annual cleaning Margaret okay that we would hire someone to do at this point landscaping for greencape anything like that well we're we're um planting native plants in the rain Garden so that there be minimal maintenance and we're hoping that um the neighboring businesses would be willing to just keep the surrounding area attractive we we're putting picnic tables out there and of course that will attract some you know rubbish pickup and stuff like that so I I don't know exactly but we're hoping that the businesses will um they're donating money for um benches and stuff like that so we're hoping that they will participate that would be a good way to keep the cost off the highway budget yep do the EV Chargers probably need some sort of Maintenance over time is that I don't know Tim would probably know more than me I don't really know that stuff I don't have um I don't know that there's a maintenance scheduled maintenance thing but obviously electrical stuff breaks down um and I'm not sure what the agreement is with charge point which I think is going to be the the overall collector of Revenue and so forth so um we should ask Chris Nolan to give us a you know his best knowledge about that have to do some research what longterm would be Tim you own an electric car let's ask you all the questions all right are L lot question go ahead uh and then next we have the 1888 building um so this is kind of TVD still but again wanted to have this on the plan moving on from there we have some Road repairs this is kind of a new addition um to the uh Capital plan we're we're just trying to in our early stages of adding things um to a five and 15E plan we're we're trying to get as much as we possibly can down for this starting with uh weightly Road um this is something that uh the committee is recommending but we're probably going to be holding off until at least the fall of 2024 and then moving on from there um excuse me Mark I just want to speak for the record I have some I have some pretty significant concerns about um about some of these roads and the current use of the roads and the um the town's investment in them um I think I said this actually at the information session and I I think in some cases we're going to really need to partner with our nonprofit educational institutions um for for example for Rice's Ferry Road um that road is owned by Eagle Brook on one side Deerfield water district on another side Deerfield water district does not go up there to use it Eaglebrook actively uses that road to dispose of all kinds of construction materials and so they have created lots of wear and tear on that road so I think there absolutely needs to be a broader Community discussion uh to partner with them on funding in in the future certainly don't disagree there thank you um and then the last thing that we have here is capital stabilization um after all that we went through the committee did not make a recommendation to fund the capital stabilization fund because we're probably going to have to draw from it so that's it for the capital plan okay thank you so these will come up for vote as part of going through the warrant is that true yeah so uh yeah so that's that's the plan now now now I guess we we turn that over to the finance committees uh the the the finance and select board uh finance committee inel board to uh you know go from there but that's that's the capital Improvement planning committee's overall plan for everything of it all right Casey you have your hand up I just wanted to let everybody know that there has to be a hearing select board has to host a hearing to go over the capital requests so there will be an opportunity um we do have to post for that hearing um Mark and I discussed that today but we Mark wanted to be able to present to finance and the select board at a joint meeting before I took that further with the select board you think I would remember do so do we want to vote Financial finance committee support for each of these items would that be helpful is that what we did last year I think so did we do it item by item or the whole thing is well I think it was the whole thing Julie because it you're the and the select board would recommend the whole thing as well I guess one way or the other okay um because most funding has been dedicated already except for the few items in the beginning that Mark address should we wait till the next meeting to get clarification on the funding sources for scems and the School a bit abouto Yeah Yeah and are we going to ask them to so just I did quickly go through the numbers and they do it's covered um like you said um but it's just how it gets split up we were we were sliding it's confusing because the numbers were getting slid around um and poor Brenda was getting changed every week so I'm looking at the FY 2025 recommended column if it work I'm just I'm not sure I'm with you so if I work up from the bottom so weightly Road 25,000 it says hold off to fall 2024 MVP so we would that would not we expect it not to show up on this warrant correct there it might be MVP funding and it might show up in the fall town meeting okay um next one up 1888 building we're going to skip that um next one up L lock that's like Arta funds and stuff that also will not show up on the expected not to show up on the town meeting all right um library has already been voted floating dock is going to be next year it has a little check but it probably shouldn't right like you pushed it off to next year yep yeah um Senior Center van we need to identify funds to support the um all the schem stuff Brenda I think you just said that that's that's identified within the schems world and is already in what we've discussed correct um within their budget um except the 15,000 that needs to come from rent stabilization that will be voted that will have to be voted at town meeting yeah because that's a Deerfield fund not not a Enterprise fund well and of course the retained earnings portion all all of that will have to be voted but it all it will all be in an article but it's not looking it's already in the budget that we discussed for schems it's not additional funds that we're going to have to add from anything else right it it is there's there's a portion of it that's going to come out of retained earnings and then the 15,000 that comes from rent stabilization um the amount that's already allocated to the cardiac man monitor that just needs to be uh reallocated to that but most likely not from like free cash or cap stabilization right that's the real question I see that's what you're that's what you're that's my real question no you're right nothing out of there correct okay so far we only have the 12,000 12, the only one that we've talked about so far in the recap gotot ways to go all right and then all this um the storm waterer Asset Management Grant match that comes from emergency funding that's already in hand and then the others all the rest of those come from SE funding correct yep okay um and then the 25,000 is an MVP Grant so no match so that will not need voting at town meeting right that's that's in the 90,000 right Caroline the 990,000 for that Grant that's that's from our 2.0 got it it's it's we just have to vote how we want to spend it um oh the 25 here yeah right there and that's just a ballpark it might be a lot less I mean I'm assuming it will be less and then the 177,000 for the server the 72,000 for the AC and the 24 26,400 for the flooring those are all seeking funding which is probably going to be Capital stabilization yep plus maybe Cas maybe some free cash right so how much is in capital what is yeah that's a good question how yeah that's it's about right it's a it's a touch over 100,000 so we we do have a shortfall the the the totals that we just went through uh come up to 127,00 and um I'm not sure exactly how much we have but I think 107 is correct 107 yes that is correct 20,000 so we're 20 about 20,000 21,000 yeah um Brenda can I just ask U that the storm waterer Asset Management Grant match the $34,200 the existing emergency funds is that what is the account what is the account that's it's a it was a grant from the state for our July 2021 stor it is that one okay is it normal for us to spend the entire Capital stabilization no that's very much not well that's a good question yeah we probably uh are going to want to stop doing that yeah we have left well as as it sits right now which will change we have about I think from your spreadsheet about 67,000 left yeah in you mean in the that's that's that a free cash that's still available even if we leave 200,000 on the table at the end of the fiscal year yep right okay so that's 60 7,000 is available for um and the 107 so if we could leave in the and spend that instead exactly draining I don't want to say draining using stabilization funds and not replenishing them can also hit the town's credit rating so we should be really careful about and and just what a couple of years ago the capital stabilization has been as high as what what is oh it was at 8 800 900,000 something so higher than that actually I think we were in the Millions for a little while weren't we no we had regular oh the regular stabilization oh I've got that stabilization yes so Capital stabilization fund is fairly recent it was established and then the goal was to build it up to a million and then let it fluctuate around that with a projection of of capital that we wanted um but I would say two years ago we gave up on that and started spending it um so we've been um spending down our reserves for a couple of years which is not good um what is the available amount of free cash um if if uh no Capital stabilization would we be able to fund all 127,000 uh $900 from free cash we would so this leaves2 200,000 in free cash these numbers here we don't have to leave that much we didn't last year or the year before or the year before I think we we left less than 200,000 was just a benchmark but with the budget growing I'm still concerned I'm concerned we need to we need to reset how we fund this town we either need a prop two and a half override or we need a we need to cut yeah we need a prop I think we need to I think we need to do we need to do both you know the town needs to do is due diligence this year and maybe plan next year for an override that takes an awful lot of work and an awful lot of uh Community input so there would be time to do it for next year right there certainly isn't this year no no not at all we I've been saying this for a couple of years and it you know we've been making it out and each year we're like freaking out and then we get to it but each year we keep cutting and not cutting into but we keep tightening the strings or not tightening the strings and adding more services really is what what this has come to and because we're realizing what it t What It Takes when you have a dedicated finance committee dedicated staff and we're focusing on these larger projects it takes more money than if you do nothing and like don't change rates don't do anything let things kind of fall apart um we're we're having to kind of dig ourselves out of that and I think it's really important to say we need to to have a 2 and 1 half override so that we can start putting money in for Capital stabilization so that we can fund this Project's planned projects year after year after year and um and that we pay for the staff that we have and then yes also look at are we efficient now is there other things that we should cut should we cut services in some area but I think you're right it's going to take a year to educate the public so they don't come for our heads and and and as it pertains to Capital we have some departments that are really good like you know Public Works is you know or Highway you know they're really good at having a 20-year plan for anticipated equipment um purchases and as we get other departments doing this we're going to have some years where we have Peaks and valleys and in my opinion the capitalization Capital stabilization fund should be used not not to raid when we've got a budget shortfall but to to kind of take that level that out yeah yeah and just have it be a flatline yep okay on that note I'm going to throw something out there I make a I recommend that the finance committee support using $127,900 of free cash to fund the items that you've specified in here that don't have a specified funding source yet um again totaling $127,900 do we have a second I'll second that so that is um both the elementary school items the server replacement and the van yep the van for the senior center was there anything else nope okay any discussion and that would leave how much in for cash um 127 out of 267 so 140 is and that leaves the cap stabilization alone that be good oh and that 12,500 of that be contingent on approval by the other member Town yeah for this for the van right makes sense and second that Amendment wouldn't that maybe I'm not understanding but you're asking to fund all of the capital out of the free cash that's 200,000 and that would leave um no it would have to reduce use of free cash and operating what do you mean by that what what's that Julie I if I'm understanding that correctly um this we when this was put together we left 200,000 in free cash so it's so so if I if we make this zero we have 267 like 78 78,000 cash no I'm not recommending reducing the free cash base for next year I think that that we're going to find that we need that uh for next year I'm actually um my recommendation is actually reducing the use of free cash in operating in order to fund the capital items so we would have to cut something in operating in order to and we already yes it would increase the it would increase the deficit yes um it would increase the deficit yes yeah does make sense so we have to find 679 to cut out of theond this kind of hate to do that when we have money in a stabilization fund cap capital stabilization and general stabilization when are we going to be bonding for the library because this is going to this is going to matter our use of funds is going to matter probably by next fall not bonding but borrowing okay so okay so I'm not with you yet so so if we do if we do that that means we have to cut 60,000 from the budget somewhere is that that what you're s saying we'd have to we'd have to cut the amount of free cash being uh being used to fund operating expenses now okay keep in mind we do have um or the finance committee I think has um currently uses $120,000 of free cash to fund the reserve fund right so I'm not you know I I'm not discounting the fact that we could reduce the amount in the reserve Fund in order to plug the Gap um I think that's a possibility of course I haven't seen your email yet but um yeah yeah it we have been using more and more of it over the last few years but sometimes it's just easier to use the reserve fund than it is to do appropriation transfers so with the um ability the flexibility that the municipal um the new mun law gave us back in 2017 you have more of a chance to um reappropriate so I I see I I uh I get where you're coming from and I can see that as a possibility I me Carolyn mentioned possibly mentioned possibly taking the the the the elementary school flooring out and pushing it off to next year I don't know if that's something that is is feasible I mean maybe this amount could be reduced um um what I said was the air conditioning in my mind had a higher priority yeah because it was a safety issue I felt like it was a health and safety it's not saying that flooring is not as well I mean because it is sticky we could hold we could hold on flooring for the year and just have to do it you know next year I mean we've been doing it for five or six years yeah trying to get through that building and pull a nasty carpet out um so that would bring the amount down to 10,500 I don't know so I think your motion needs to include um everything you said plus leaving 200,000 available in free cash for next year I'm happy to amend the motion what does the finance committee think about pushing off the El Elementary School flooring for a year and reducing the total to $11,500 it's hard I I don't really I don't know that that doesn't seem like a significant amount of savings for me I'd rather stay on track I think with the flooring replacement that's my opinion for now I'm going to amend my motion that we recommend funding the total of 17,9 $900 from free cash and reducing the amount of funding free cash funding to operating by you say six by 60 60,000 by 60,000 in order 61,000 or whatever yeah yeah in order to leave the remaining free cash balance of two balance the free cash base of $200,000 do we have a second another way to say it is you're going to fund some of the operating budget with capital money right so it's another way to say it my mind why don't we find out what we're cutting to do we have a do we have a second on that amended motion so that we can discuss it yeah okay I'll second okay um you you're saying that because we're choosing not to spend the capital stabilization but there isn't that much in Capital stabilization I don't no I'm saying that we're going to cut the the operating budget by that amount of money and fund it with the free cash that we were going to use for capital for operating but now we're going to use it for Capital right so we just swapping allll bills because free cash isn't supposed to be used to fund the operating budget right yeah ahead was that the point oh absolutely 100% um and I also I would I'd like to I'd like to um ask Brenda her expert opinion as the town accountant and budget manager about draining Capital stabilization for the capital projects and what impact that might have on the town's interest rates and credit rating and and and how you feel it as a practice it um how does it affect our credit rating I would I would never venture to guess um right now they they they look pretty favorably on what we've done so far I don't think it's right to use Capital stabilization when we've reduced it so low already I think we need to be building it back up thank you so I do like your idea of using free cash um I I think um there might be savings outside of the Omnibus budget like you said reducing the reserve fund amount um I I it's possible that the scems budg budget might be reduced a little bit again um but I have not gotten that number from from Josh yet so there's some other savings that we could see so I'm not sure that we need to um worry so much about knowing where we're going to take the money from at this point I think we can vote this with the idea that we're going to do something and over the next few weeks figure out how that's going to work that's that's my thought thank you Brenda yeah I was throw my opinion out there I don't disagree I don't know that I'm ready to vote that right now personally um because I would rather get through all the budget and then say where are we going to take this and what are we going to cut and that discussion may be we're going to cut capital or we're going to cut operating or we're going to cut something else all right so um but that's just me we don't have to vote this right now either we can wait until we get through the other budgets now this conversation has come full circle yeah yeah I mean as much as I hate to draw down from Capital stabilization I you know I could foresee us having to do a little column A a little column B after we get through the rest of these I think Julie's right we don't need to decide tonight okay so I'll move to table that I'll second again any discussion on tabling it all those in favor of tabling all right that's unanimous 5 I hope you took good notes because I'm not going to be able to figure mine out one what happened but um but I feel like we had a solid discussion do um and I don't think we're ready right now to ask the elementary school to push the floors off yet we can wait a week to have that discussion they are meeting tomorrow night who capital Elementary School oh Elementary School yeah do we want Trevor are you're going to that I am yeah um can you just mention in pass I know it's not on their agenda but in passing that this topic came up and we're talking about it but we about possibly pushing the flooring off but we don't want to ask them yet but that might be something that we I did talk to Darius about that you know before but yes we definitely bring it up to the committee for sure um so just to recap we had we want 200 in free cash we have about 67 right now in the budget that's possible uh to have instead of negative um and we have about 127 in capital that needs to get well 107 in capital oh 107 in capital capital stab Capital stabilization oh right right we have that in capital stab but we have 127 of um capital projects that we 279 nine of projects that we wanted to do do okay all right that's good thank you okay and that's still 120 in the in the reserve fund right that's kind of what's in the budget right now right okay y yeah these numbers are what's in our book in front of us right now and and you have the new which might change and you have the new um Dees number in this figure okay good great okay you so what time are the assessors I saw them walk by 6:30 6:30 we have minutes getting organized get out okay so can we do a couple miscellaneous ones well well um do you want to revote the treasure collector salary sure so a treasure collector salaries it's 145 5110 I handed that out to you tonight and that's 151 850 um yeah so well it's actually 151 900 okay y we voted that already but you want to revote it because it's $50 yeah it's 50 bucks off okay what's the number again 145 5110 except it's already in okay um do we have a motion make a motion for three vote I don't know how a word it s new suggestion for the amount for treasur collector salaries account 145 5110 from previously voted 1633 to a new amount of 15900 how's that that's a lot of words that's beautiful very have a second you get a c start all right Mark seconded that so what happened y um there has been a request um to reduce hours to 35 hours a week um knowing that um there'll be more babies to take care of and I think it's very doable and um the select board has already voted uh in in in approval it I think we have to revote just the 50 bucks the 50 bucks okay when they're done yes so that's the 1827 down from 2088 is that hours right went from 2088 to 1827 correct y to 35 hours a week and she feels like she can still get the job done Y and this is the lady that did three jobs at once for a while and two jobs for over a year so I think she knows she knows what she can do she does all right any discussion just to clarify it's um if this is amending the com's prior vote of $163,300 yes right okay that's it any discussion all those in favor that's unanimous 500 I I make a motion the select board vote um one $151,900 for um 14551 110 we um voted the incorrect number second all those in favor I uh carollyn n Tim Hil I let's do assessors I'm gonna get out of the way move over here if you you keep going back righte Trevor you can sit over here I got I got um so all all of you know Chuck and Frank right hi um so we'll just we'll go right to their budgets and we'll start with uh 141 D5100 for accessor salaries yeah no change right I think she put those in your box just in case you needed them but normally they were right up front but I didn't see them but yeah so if they were in our box but thank you yep oh I'm sorry I moved to recommend the sum of $111,000 for account number 141 15100 assessor salaries for fy2 second y that was the time meeting keep going it was after that any discussion all those in favor oppos oh good all right Library I was surprised I thought we had an opposition that passes unanimous 500 then uh the next page 141 did we already vote this did you you know what I don't know if you did I don't think we did so I make a motion that we approve $11,000 for the assessor salaries account 141 5100 that's the grant the grant so be on that Grant it's a grant any discussion hearing none all those in favor Daniel I for the project it's okay do you want to mute gr of that amount so we've got that amount the next is is it just I think I think you're right I think I I know I'm right Casey you're unmuted I know I right okay so we'll move right on to the next sorry right you're not right we we'll move on to the next one 14151 10 which is for the Assessor's administrative assistance salary make a mo make a motion for the finance committee to suggest the budget for assessed administrative assistance salary account 141 5110 for $ 77,6 199 second discussion so this is just uh the step increase uh with the 2% Cola and there was one District that um gave a raise to um to Karen uh for the coming year nice Mr J second right yeah any discussion all those in favor that's unanimous 500 so far so good so I I know that we did this one either probably not yeah so I make a motion to approve 77,6 199 for assessors administ administrative assistant salary account 141 5110 second any discussion all those in favor Tim hilchie I tror McDaniel I okay so let's move on to assessor expense 141 5400 excuse me question yeah effectively flat I think there were a few justments here and there but nothing it's significant unless people have questions uh we need a motion make a motion to recommend the Assessor's expense uh in the amount of 19,100 count number 141 5400 second I think uh all the increases here are contractual okay with year it just seems like when I look at each individual one they all seem very small but the total is a 3% increase so I'm just like reading through it again I guess the software licenses went up a bunch I no not really $170 most of them are relatively small adjustments yeah all right any discussion questions anybody the title searches um yeah I I I was anything going to ask about that title searches I don't know that we've ever spent that money have we um not that I recall um I'm trying to think of the last time we actually had had a title search um but I have to go back and confirm but yeah is it why is it say budget code 157 I does that mean that it was a new uh budget code that Karen had me add a couple years ago and that just hasn't come out okay it was in Red so you know yeah I'll take that out for the next one so that's a good question probably overheard that we have a bit of a budget Gap so trying to find any hense so if we've never spent it then why did it go up $125 this year yeah that's a that's a good question I'd have to go back and just confirm I that that's one where I thought we were flat I didn't I didn't think we were increasing it so I'm trying and it could be that there's some specific title searches that that need to be done that we just haven't tackled uh I I don't I don't know the answer I'm just throwing something out there yeah I that's a good question I don't know the $125 is worth them I don't think we should hold up the vote for it huh I don't think we should hold up the vote to find out why it went up okay we can revisit later if needed yeah yeah I kind of feel like just moving on but it's fine any other questions or discussion NOP all those in favor that passes 500 do you guys want to vote it um yeah select board will I'll make a motion to approve Assessor's expense account 141 5400 in the amount of $19,100 second any discussion hearing none all those in favor Tim hilchie I CH McDaniel I up dollar really not happy about that one what we budged whoever prob put yes know and for some I think we I mean I'm looking for more money but but like a lot of the flat things I worry about like when it's like a lot of postage and things it does cost more to buy those things yeah it does yeah you're right this a little more honest looking you're right all right so then we have the last Assessor's budget uh the assessor quinquennial certification wow I'll make a motion to recommend the Assessor's conqual recertification in the amount of 22,000 uh count number 142 5400 second discussion you usually build up this account and then spend it right it's contractual so yeah so it's not always even but yes that's correct y okay so that was actually my question because it was the the last actual expense we have in 2023 was 24 4,700 but then you went down last year to 22 so it can be a little lumpy in terms of how the services are are provided okay that's correct I I think the encumbered amount or the carry forward amount was carried forward because there were things that Patriot property was going to do some additional things that didn't get done during covid that's correct right that's correct and and is some of that happening this year do you know because we've spent the 19 ,000 this year but just curious because I hate to keep carrying forward those amounts when they're not being spent that's that's the only thing and and so then it begs the question is is do you need the 22,000 or could we be using some of the carry forward that's my that's my my thought on it but um so it's in the the reports that we get we dig into that right how much was carried forward do you have it open so the carry forward amount was 16, 387 and we budgeted 22,000 for this year I don't know what more is is supposed to come through so maybe you're maybe you're going to spend all of it this year or a good portion of it so does that the carry forward amount 16 you said so does that go on top of the 22 so we're really saying we have 38 to spend that's correct Y and if it's not carried forward it's going to revert to free cash so that's right so we really so so so I I do know that there's backlog that they were working their way through to what extent they're through that and what incremental there is coming through to this year I'd have to confirm exactly but I do know that they were were working through the backlog I I don't know if we could take that down but that's something that we could certainly follow up on okay how much time do they have to follow up on it if it's going to help us this year well I I think what it affects probably the way to approach it is go ahead and vote the 22 but then before you carry anything forward next year just check and then let that go to free cash if we don't need it right and that way next year when we vote it it doesn't go from like 2,000 to 22,000 and we all freak out right yeah that true yeah I I I'm inclined to think that all of it will be used just a matter of timing it when it comes through but I would just want to confirm that before I would make that definitive statement what what is do you know what this is like what do they do do they go and like verify like properties are value at the right amount or something inspections carry up yeah exactly Y what it was yep okay didn't think it was your re your certification right no no no no no no that's values home values that's right that's correct yep all right okay so another line that could be Revisited if needed what what gets recertified I I don't property Val property yeah valuation so what are they like checking on themselves they go around they they assess my house that's right right okay but is when they assess my house is that the recertification probably I'm just wondering what the process is well they're they're constantly looking at at home values I mean the sales of homes and right so they don't look at every single house every single year so they go through a cycle where they would select right so they would go through that and recertification is with the state to verify within within a period of time yeah what's been valued sorry but over a period of time you need to get to the 100% so the state's blessing what they did that's correct that's exactly right yep any further discussion no all those in favor that's unanimous 500 make a motion to approve the Assessor's quinal recertification account number 142 5400 in the amount of 22,000 second any discussion hearing none all those in favor Tim Hil I Trevor McDaniel I all right thank you very much okay very good so I have two items to follow up on title search amount and the uh the carry forward yep great we'll follow thank you thanks seem pretty painless huh thanks all right what's next um do you want to do schools the school budget let's do schools okay um so let's start with um let's not start with Deerfield Elementary let's start with Frontier Regional 310 5400 so we started to look at this is there a sheet out yes oh okay have that I was looking for a regular budget um those those were handed out last week last week or the week out 31- 5400 310 5400 check John do you need a copy next week yeah put it in your to-do list what's that put it on your to-do list that really long [Music] long yeah all right so last week we started to talk about this and then the question came up why does it say 1.65% increase when the thing that the school handed out says 81% increase so I I printed out for everybody the the information from the school that 0 81 is overall so if you include um the school and the transportation and the capital add those all up together there's a 81% increase the individual um if you look on this sheet that I handed out where it says general fund that is the the this this account 315400 plus the transportation is included in that right yes does that add up 40% the 315 5800 so how did their transportation drop 1.47 went up 80% I think they're absorbing it by aren't they using e and to play uh pay for some of that you mean Frontier they had oh they they said this at the meeting they had uh R rural aid funds yeah right we're going to use R for our they had something else so they so they weren't covering it from E and D it was like there was a different I can't remember what it was though why it was and the rural aid program is in big trouble so something to think about for next year yes it is oh and the transportation came out late so it's not going to be in this handout but they did talk about that and they said that it's it's the way they funding it and they're doing it differently at Frontier than at the elementary schools so all the elementary schools were going to go up oh it might I wonder if it's just because it's um partially reimbursed from like we get the state reimbursement does that affect it or they get money back from the state but it's it's pretty small numbers though mhm it's about 80% no it it is accurate oh mhm don't question my numbers we just got the transportation bid came in after 24 right but they didn't change that they this is this is the one that they sent us just the other day it's it's it's they didn't change this number now did they change the split I don't know because I don't have that information okay but the total is the same so I stand correctly I just have um a question on the 214 it says total appropriated um 4, 37777 and then on this document it's got a different number it does and then it's got a different number up here and and I'm just which number is real so so the 4,472 664 is their their General budget of 4,377 770 and your transportation of 94894 that's 94 not the capital not the capital right okay right it does not include Capital so the uh expense detail sheet is correct right correct yes so do we have a I've added this like8 million times but I'm going to do it one more time okay go for it yeah um I move to recommend Frontier Regional School 310 5400 for 4,377 770 do we have a second any I'll second it I'll second it please um so their overall budget increased 3.14% % the reason we're only at 1.65 is because we have fewer students going nine fewer nine fewer students going here and 10 more going to TCH absb thatch y we pay no matter what that's true yeah it is any discussion question spot now all those in favor all those opposed all those abstaining I abstain uh that passes 401 um let's do Transportation I'll try to get it right I'm sorry needs to go go ahead so this is the um Frontier Regional School I make a motion to approve um is it 4,3 $ 77,78 for account 310 5400 second any discussion hearing none all those in favor Tim El I Trevor McDaniel I okay so excuse me I I don't know I'm I I'm I'm being dense I think where is where is Capital reflected on our detailed expenditure there is no Capital there's a debt payment and that that is in the Omnibus budget that's it's another page it's 310 5800 okay but what is funding the uh fire alarm panel they're not they're absorbing it that hasn't been passed yet got it okay I was confused I like where is this reflected so what are they doing with it CU they took it out completely they're going to fund it themselves I believe right okay that's what they're doing almost posi right that's what I recall hearing okay okay cuz we were discussing that today wondering what they were doing with it I believe they're funding it with school funds I I'm almost positive I know there's a small Capital uh so that that this is just interest I believe this is just interest right Tak care of all their Capital themselves this year and paying off the debt okay I'm happy to make a motion then on that one if you'd like go for it okay um I move to recommend the sum of $1,360 for Frontier Regional Debt Service account number three 10 5800 for FY 25 second so this is debt excluded correct it was voted a few years ago yes and this yeah and they're paying the whole thing off and it'll be done is what they said so any discussion all those in favor opposed abstaining all right that passes 401 okay so U make a motion to approve Frontier Regional capital account 310 5800 in the amount of $1 19,360 second any discussion hearing none all those in favor Tim hch I Trevor McDaniel I good all right so Transportation which is 315 5800 that's the other part of the general fund budget I make a motion to recommend Frontier Regional Transportation 3155 5800 for 94,00 894 second any discussion all those in favor opposed abstaining that passes 401 make a motion to approve Frontier Regional Transportation account 315 5800 in the amount of $948 second any further discussion hearing none all those in favor Tim Hil ey Chev McDaniel I all right um let's go back to Deerfield Elementary School 35400 um they have not the elementary school has not voted this yet the committee meets tomorrow night and they will vote it tomorrow night so we can either vote it now pending their you know contingent on them voting this number um or we can leave it and revisit it next week my my personal preference is to wait okay and I do have a question I I do have a question that I'm hoping they can answer Trevor I have a question for the Deerfield Elementary School Administration um the transportation contract that was just bid yep includes for Deerfield a flex vehicle for over $75,000 each year yep Deerfield is the only one of the four Union 38 schools that has this vehicle yep why it goes uh because apparently they can't turn the large bus around at the top of the hill and get under the underpass so I think they use a small vehicle to get this only goes to um Pine Nook road so so the reason and and I and I think I think the administration's looking hard at that I'm really glad because that's a quite a sum of money over the course of three years it um you know we have other roads in town that I do know parents have driven the kids to the end of them Hawks road is a perfect example exactly where the parents have driven the kids to Upper Road just to catch the bus um h'sac Road the triang another example and I there's no doubt in my mind that Conway and you know weighty and Sunderland have similar types of road so yeah I'm I'm I appreciate them looking at that we really looking at that Hard y having those discussions for sure that's great thank you yep yep yep do you all know what caused it to go from 5.4 million to 5.3 there was a u i don't have all the info but I do know that and I know Aras is looking at the routes and a lot of other things about this but I think that um yeah I think that one of the things um so that it was a it was a whole new contract it's I think a five-year contract um they restructured it we used to pay fuel surge fuel SE charges and I think that we don't now it's all kind of factored in they had to pay um more for um drivers because they were had some drivers retiring having trouble hiring new drivers um it was only one bid you know for the package um but I know that talking with Darius he was going to work hard to try and figure out could could routes change you know could we adjust something so this reduction is sort of oh Transportation yeah let me let me get this so was really high and we are going to use rural um rural Aid to to absorb the cost this year but we still have the next four years to cover um we were planning to kind of use that to redo the entryway um you know for the buses for the drop off area for Paving because we've got to do that when we do the other project but um we found it was important to do that and then the other reduction is um why it would came down from 3.0 to one something was uh I don't know if you got the email it was about staff and hiring in they um they were able to luck out and hire people at a lower you know spot than because they had some retiring and the new hires they were able to just they were in a sweet spot of being able to get good good teachers at a good rate okay educational credentials were lower so that they could pay them you know commin lower and I think and I think that just came to light as they were interviewing people and because they're going through that process right now yeah yeah all right um so let's move on what else do we have um contracted services oh we're not going to vote this then no we're not going to vote it tonight wait wait till that y contracted Services number is uh 159 D 5410 that's one I handed out to you tonight right so we did talk about this in February but we voted to table it pending you guys looking at it again there was I know that there was um a change to um consultants and that was to fund um we added money in here to fund the takings and the surveying and um layout work for Stillwater Road properties when we to take those when um the state does the bridge so we wanted to make sure we had enough money in there to cover you know the survey work the lawyers and stuff to to do the takings on those Corners I think people who own the properties either the state I think owns some or fish and wildlife might own some and then there is a private entity that owns the other Corner um so it was just I think it was we were concerned that we would get to that point and not have the funds to do that work and I know that has to be done soon um at least this year yeah early this year I was hoping that we could get it into this fiscal year um but contracts haven't been signed yet and um Casey wasn't sure that that could happen so it needed to be put in fiscal 25 just in case yeah um so we don't have a motion yet let's I'll make I'll make the motion I move to recommend the sum of $27830 for account number 159 5410 contracted services for fy2 second I was on the wrong page I had a different amount I was you did say say 278 334 right yeah 278 33 the new copies of it so okay great um I would ask that instead of General planning in here um wait a minute where is it where is it I'm sorry where is it shown there there was an amount in fiscal 23 for planning yeah uh because at that time we didn't have um a planner on board yep I see it okay cons remov that so I would ask because this is technically a one time expense it's going to be uh for the Still Water Project I would ask that um it be identified in the itemization under this account so next year we don't vote that 10,000 again okay I can make that change aren't we going to have potentially uh one more year of this for the for the takings yeah isn't it isn't it possible that we might not not get all of our surveying and title searches and stuff done I think we he I think we need to I'm almost positive it's just going to be the one year okay almost Poss I'm just saying like you know yeah we I I I could see with all the different entities along that like take some time if we make it another line then we'd still have it there for two years yeah yeah I'm just saying that you know for anyone who expect it to only be there for one year it could potentially spill over to a second yeah the other thing I'll say too is I I was personally expecting to come in much higher at like 25,000 so to see that it's 10,000 you know um I like fingers crossed yeah what's the basis for that we've gotten Casey kind of figured a number that would just based on certain um uh surveys we've done recently I think I think she kind of gathered a number that would work she felt would work hopefully um if she can hear me and has anything different to say say but um but I think that was that's what she thought would be enough to do that okay so that's all this question I don't want to interrupt go ahead okay um the the budget sheet that was handed out a month ago over a month ago had nothing for permitting software correct that was and now we have 15,720 was that yeah that was why we tabled it because she realized that had been left out oh just a a goof or whatever okay it was it was left out yeah it's a new it's a new product that isn't even totally in place yet and um and so the amount that you see in there is actually for the inspections department and for um the Board of Health to be on our permitting software yeah one piece of its capital and then because there's reoccurring fees with it that needs to go into the Omnibus budget one thing that made us a bit nervous too is that we remove 8,000 for the training so we have no we have no money for training right now at all um so we did vote this the other night uh because we felt that land taking was more important than the training but you know until something goes wrong and you wish you had the training but but I think we other other budget lines do have training in them and if there was a dire necessity could to absolutely that's what we thought was the best Best Way Forward is to help offset that increase and I have is I think I know what the answer is going to be my question was is there any chargeable to the Sewer Enterprise fund and to schms and I'm sure you're going to say it's in the indirect cost it is can I good job can can we take a look to see how the indirect cost is calculated no no I'm not I'm not revealing my secrets it's going to cost you some sticky buns John she'll argue with you like she does with me it's going to cost sticky buns I have copies in here so um I can I can certainly make you copies I'd like to see it I just I'm curious yeah it's it's uh it's it's pry it's it's adjustable every year we adjust it for one reason or another so yeah that's thank you yep while we're on this line we also had a note from our from the last meeting um on the um there Tele telecommunications is it yes telecommunications upgrades and changing the phone system to a subscription how detrimental would it be to wait one year to do that given our situation um what happens if we lose our phones Margaret that's how detrimental it is we are already losing our phones on intermittent on an intermittent basis where they blank out and you can't dial out it comes back usually but sometimes sometimes we don't have them for half a day yeah it's happened we're the phone system yeah I'm sitting behind those desks I know how you feel when that happens yeah it's frustrated no I mean we lost our phones for me it except when we really talk to anybody no I mean we put it off we didn't realize how bad they were and I knew I was taking a chance putting in into the budget on the other hand I think this is the most cost effective way to do it because the way we have it now which is a box in one of our um electrical closets it's pretty oldfashioned this is a new system this is a reasonable bid um I think if we had to put it off we could we just run the the risk of it being more expensive down the line if we have to fix it and right now we are already experiencing issues with it I don't I couldn't tell you exactly how often I just know I notice it when it happens to me how much what's the cost that's been incurred this year to fix the phone system repeatedly we haven't had I want to say less than $1,000 yeah it's less than a thousand at this point I don't remember it's just basically very unreliable and I know Mark you had some thoughts on this at the last meeting too so Mark has mentioned that to me after the meeting well and you'll see here that by doing this we should be reducing our cost with Comcast yeah I saw that and I also think that the plan that's in place for uh the system that normando would be putting in is a really really great approach so I think it's pretty cost effective based on the research I had Pat and Chris do this is the best choice in terms of options yep is there any other way to fund that $10,000 for the it's not really a capital expense is it it's a one-time thing but it's Consultants that were hiring to do it so it's it's legal Consulting and um appraisals and stuff that we would need for this the land that we would be asking town meeting to allow us to acquire property rights over because the bridge is getting replaced now the $10,000 is a guesstimate um we could reduce it but at some point we're going to need to be able to go through um the research to acquire the properties and we don't have plans to give us the exact um land that we need to be looking at so so so I'm not arguing against doing it right or the amount I'm just wondering if there's a way to since it's sort of a one-time thing to charge it to free cash instead of to our operating budget and it well in a sense it'll be charged to free cash I mean yeah I know but like it's semantics but is are there is there $110,000 available in remaining arpa funds I know that that those funds are committed there there's zero remaining to to commit any funds to that okay they we mind yeah we have them committed to other projects yeah yeah so I don't I don't have a list of those then I'm showing 700,000 still available but I know I know you have an idea I mean I'm more interested in keeping it off the operating budget if possible because then we could always revisit it next year if another sum needs to be put in but this year with the are there I mean it every year are there not going to be projects that you need funded by Consultants yeah that every year we need Consulting for something and how much do we had 7,000 in right we had seven it's a general amount that we keep in there um I just you know this is kind of gets to the thing of like every year we kind of like we just bring it to like the bottom line instead of going okay we should have enough money that we if we have projects that come up land transfers or somebody buying a property or looking into this or surveying for that which happens all the time um we should have a fund that has that and we shouldn't be so tight all the time not that I want to waste people's money but it would go back to free cash each year I'm just thinking this is kind of the thing I'm saying that we're so tight all the time that we're talking 7,000 bucks or 10,000 bucks and we're you know we're looking for for that every year instead of going okay we have we have 177,000 in you know Consulting budget each year that we can use if we need to unless it's better to come to the finance committee each year to ask for hey we've got a project going on we need this funded I don't know I think there's a balance here between what we're willing to ask not just the finance committee but take back to town meeting for small amounts because you know know at beginning of the meeting everybody was talking about decreasing what's in the reserve fund so the reserve fund is for unanticipated expenses that fall within what you could expect to pay in a budget so there's a balance and there was an increase in the reserve fund done well we could do that last year I think we could you could do it but you almost have to plan for it which means if something un if something really big comes up true it's it's so there's to your point Trevor you it's a budget you can only budget so much but I was more concerned about taking training out than I am about because that is an ongoing thing that we really should be planning better a l more training um so many things but I also know that this is a $23 million bridge that we don't want to have to pay for no I I understand too and and um you know I I think I Echo Julie's question um about other funding um and I also understand what you're saying too Trevor because there's always going to need be a need for Consulting and you have several different itemized well items in this account for various Consulting purposes and those can be shifted around yep um the other but but the bottom line is the town is constrained by prop two and a half yep that's the reality and this budget growth this particular one is is up by 6.9% now yep so we we need to take hard looks at at at various lines this is going to to um it adds to it adds to the deficit and I'm not saying it's wrong to put it in here I'm just saying yeah it adds to the deficit every year yep I mean since this is for an acquisition of land and it's 10,000 or more can we can we pull it out of this and put it on the on the capital schedule we had 50 Grand in there that we started with Mark yeah and this was after those discussions I was asked to put 10 in that we were not going to fund 50 Grand in capital for the acquisition which was a get admittedly a guesstimate but that we needed to pay attention to the fact that we had to do all this background research so I was asked to put it in here are you saying this is I I assume this money was for just uh was for the surveying and lawyer work or whatever we need to do for the takings are we also going to need to pay the people so where is that coming from we pushed that off we did a capital request for it I did one on behalf of the board and that's for 26 we pushed it to fall town meeting we don't we won't know what the acquisition costs actual costs to the land until we do all that and you have a map from do find how much you have to take and so this all makes sense it's just I did this right we're up against a wall oh there it is yep y okay 50,000 okay so I mean we're kind of rearranging the chairs in the Titanic right now but you know um if we're looking to keep this from escalating you know I'm just wondering if we just pop it on the capital schedule instead and call it can you spend Capital can you call it capital when it's funding you can for the acquisition of land right well it's that's the reason it was on capital is because because it's acquisition of land yep um so this is like the first phase this is the first phase of it now if you were to do what you heard me talking about sorry um I didn't realize my mic was on um I didn't hear what you were saying we it was like a fuzzy noise reading the article from um the library vote and so when you see something that's a that's a big Capital expense often you will see the attendant Things That Go with it research all of that stuff so I would call this part of the entire project but if we had to get ourselves across the finish line for the acquisition itself you got to do the background research so that was why in the capital discussions Caroline said to me why don't we put 10,000 in the budget so that we can get research started right and then we go to town meeting for the money if you want to look at it differently we can I worry that I mean I feel like we have to get started on that soon I don't know what time the bridge starts the frame it takes a takes a minute to get a survey I feel like it's R I beg the surveyor I know I promise I just have to have a plan using arpa funds would allow it to start imminently except except it's not available imminently available three months from now yes you know but you take out the 80,000 from FCAT funding both years it's gone up 10% if you remove FCAT funding well you can't remove FCAT funding removing no I'm just saying that everything else oh if you discount it got it just up 10% yeah I see um you could put it on Capital and if it ends up starting before the fiscal year is over with we can spend some of that money out of contracted Services if we have it which I think we do we would have to have Capital revisit this Mark yeah we have to vote it again all the time another meeting so before this $10,000 was added the um the contracted Services line item was up 3.06% and now it's up 6.9% I think is that when you pulled out the 8,000 that's that's 10,000 that's the 10 though oh that's I put but I also removed the training Market that's right yes and it was still up yeah added in the permitting software oh right I did and so you training down and uh the MVP consultant went way down I think that is how you got the training amount oh is that a problem what's up with the MVP consultant is it CU we have a planner now and we don't need as much from no it's not just that it's there's a grant there's Grant Source there too the 2.0 the MVP 2.0 program covers the consultant salary okay for the two years so after next year it it might come back or it might just be Christopher Dunn okay for the [Applause] planner something though to think about um when looking long range at uh Community Education for an override you know the needs if we can't swing this this year we need to explain why it's you know we'd explain why it's so important and why it's included in an override amount right right I agree we really need to I'd love to get a community together to study like really what we need to do long term I was the last time was in the 90s or something so it's been a long time other than you know projects obviously we've done Capital stuff like that but sewer but it would be interesting to look at the budget long termal override was 96 nice if you get SC scams to not come to us for free cash request well if it was in the ly limit that's why Mark Mark's made that com several times I agree if it's in the levy limit then it falls within that yeah parameter so free cash is then freed up but that's definitely an override can I call the question you bet move the question whatever it is so we have to vote on calling the question we can't say anything else until we um all those in favor of calling the question all those opposed all right so we have that pass I'm sorry I didn't say Margaret Beth call that pass 320 um so I think we just have to vote on this now so there is a um motion on the table for 278 334 for contracted Services all those in favor all those opposed all right that does not pass 23 Z okay I was plugging in my computer it's all right I'll watch the table it's fine it was 230 okay that's all matter 230 against um let's move on and talk about other things and then come back to this I guess um go ahead you tell me what you want to do we've got the Board of Health payroll we've got OPB um Board of Health payroll can we talk about that now do we need Caroline we tabled it uh because Caroline wanted to come with some uh Revenue numbers projections okay and um I don't I don't know that that's changes but I don't have she made some changes she said she did but I don't have oh okay okay sounds like we're not ready for Board of he we're ready for that op which should be in section 12 in your book well yeah yep exactly let's do OPB OPB yep yep for 41071 what tabs are under 12 thank you I make a motion to recommend opep funding for I don't have the sheet 41,0 71 second any discussion so this is some percentage of last year's this is four 4% of the entire Insurance costs for fiscal 23 the year ended so does this include the amount for like it do scems and whatever and then some of it just gets funded from their correct budget correct so this this covers everything and then scems in their indirect costs gives us back some the senior center gives us back some and the waste water water treatment plan gives us back okay Elementary that is that is then added to the trust fund this 41,000 yes it's it's okay inclusive that does the Does it include the elementary school it does okay yep can I ask who seconded that motion thank marked any discussion all right all those in favor get your copy opposed extensions 410 that passes okay um the one right before it or in that same section is the reserve fund oh you you need to do that move um to approve oped funding at uh $141,700 discussion hearing none all those in favor Tim LG Trevor McDaniel I okay can we go back the second we never had a chance to discuss it he asked for motion and then we talked about the money went in but I don't think you ever asked she did I did yeah we had discussion okay sorry you had a question go ahead and make your statement No I'm just I'm totally against doip yeah I know um yeah that's news to us pardon I know you're probably sick of hearing me say that goad say it though there's money that's money we're putting aside that we could use to reduce our use of free cash for example sure we don't and we're saying we do it because it affects our bond rating but we don't know how much it affects the bond rating so we just kind of I believe we don't know right it it affects the bond rating because if you look at our audited financial statements and see in $1 million liability um it gets reduced by every amount every dollar that we put in the rating does the the amount of our liability so therefore our rating will be better when they see that we don't have such a big liability yeah pay for it the bill comes due at some point pardon the bill for retirement comes due at some point that's the purpose of op well and it's and it's it you can see that the retirement insurance has been going up yeah particularly for the school to me I gotta speak my piece to me we owe millions of dollars on bonds that we're going to have to pay someday and that's on our balance sheet it's pardon paying those now yeah but but you but you have a coresponding asset to go with that so your assets are also up it's true all right enough said um we I think we reserve the right to revisit this and and the other lines as well correct I mean if we need to plug the Gap later on WE scrubbing the budget right I'm Reserve fund is it yeah Reserve fund 132 5400 that should also be in your in your tab 12 thank you for letting me cry you all right I it's actually it's in that tab 12 in my book I I just don't have it it maybe I how many more do we have I almost want to do this last geez I do have that one I agre I completely agree with you mark oh I do it just got Miss Miss okay I was going to make a motion for Reserve fund for 10000000 000 you know I'll second that okay for how much 100 100 okay have we spent the 120 that we used last did we voted last year we voted 120,000 uh for this fiscal year we haven't spent anything yet but we will will stuff that's coming are there any big so historically we don't carry any over you can't of any significance it goes back it goes right it rolls into free cash yeah well actually there's no nothing to roll into free cash because it's just a budget number you reallocate it yeah but in the past we've done most years 100,000 we got last year we increased it last year because we thought that we were trimming budgets enough that we would be seeing more people coming forward needing Reserve fund support um is there anything big out there you know of that's headed our way that not that I know of this year that you can see at least a couple but I don't have numbers I won't have numbers for a little L but there's not like a giant legal thing or whatever on wood that's why the statute says extraordinary or unforeseen yeah she said yeah I haven't seen it yet um and I think last year we might have used it to cover uh the snow and ice I was just going to ask if this last storm was going to be that's a great question yep right now we're at a $10,000 deficit but I know I just I cried when I realized we were going to be spending more this weekend and I'm sure it's she wasn't the only one yeah I was literally outside going how much is this going to cost yeah when my tires went crunch crunch crunch I was thinking the same thing and it went on all weekend it did yes or or whatever a few days not all weekend just like two solid days two solid days yep y yeah so was Virginia it was sunny and nice yeah sounds I get rain on no so um so we have discuss yeah we're in 100,000 sub 120 any thoughts are we being too risky I don't think so and I think this might have to be something we revisit but I think it makes sense can you revisit it and change it in the fall if you really have to you have to put more money back into it right but you you could if you as long as free cash is yeah but I don't think you I I personally don't think you'll you'll need it you'll find other means to to cover shortages with other with appropriation transfers the craz we have this year yeah I was going to say we still have some time left exactly all right any further discussion all right so it's been moved and seconded for 100,000 for Reserve fund all those in favor uh it's Unique unanimous 500 make a motion to approve um 100,000 for Reserve fund count 132 5400 second any discussion hearing none Tim Hil I Trevor McDaniel I all right accountant salaries I don't want to do this one because I don't want you to leave us but so should we do some of the other ones then like uh Dickinson Library trust that would be so great that would be a fun one it would be even that's just on the budget sheet right is that there's page it's on the fourth page of your budget sheet under warrant articles all righty for $3,832 we have a motion make moot a motion to recommend the Dickson Library trust for $3,832 second right any discussion um do we need to put into the motion that it is funded by the L the Dickinson Library what is it interest or trust interest it's yes by the by the interest of the trust last year's interest is that it's in is it because they had fundraising and money in there this is nope it's just it's just interest rates have gone up gone M to see yeah well the trust trust has about 116,000 in it do you want Beth to amend or just a friendly amendment that it's included let's call it friendly yeah all those in favor as friendly amended not hostile Amendment okay that passes 5 okay um do you guys want to need to do that or uh yeah go ahead yeah make a motion to um approve the Dickinson Library trust payment of uh or um 3,832 second any discussion hearing none Tim Hil I CH McDaniel I all right prior your bills do we need to do that one you want to yep um this you'll see this in the warrant but prior your bill for $377 it was it's bills or what's that there's two one's a one's a Wastewater Bill and one's a correct so the Wastewater doesn't show up here I'm not I'm not showing it here just because it doesn't affect our budget y I mean it doesn't affect uh free cash do we need to vote it here or do we just vote it when we see the warrant I think I think when you see the warant warrant should be sufficient right okay how about the remaining Oxford debt do we need to do that now or when we see the warrant there's nothing on the remaining Oxford debt but the uh opioid op money I'm sorry I read the long line and and that's a that's a a half to um you need it we we let it roll into free cash while we were waiting for do to make a decision about what they what we could do with it and now that we know that we can put it in a special Revenue fund we have one set up we've actually been collecting a lot of opioid money in the last two weeks yes just keeps coming in just rolling in um so this 32,000 is in free cash and needs to be moved into the special Revenue fund okay do we need to vote that now or do we vote it in the one I think you can vote it in the warrant if you want okay what else do we need to do now then really I I think the only other thing is um the Board of Health payroll and the accountants uh payroll an expense it anyway 135 5110 what was that again 135 135 yep 511 excuse me Brenda what was the um what's the article number on the unpaid bill of a prior FIS schal year uh Casey you'll find it I know I saw it in here I just yep it's in here um there's two of them it's like a yeah they're in one article article five six oh article seven okay thank you got it all right um count salary 135 5110 do we have a motion make a motion to approve accountant salary account 135 5110 for $122,900 a not the number I have I have a different number 126 532 I have a new that print out from uh February 26th I have that one I would draw my motion I don't have the sheet I make a motion to recomment count you doing with your sheets John 135 5110 in the amount of one week I wasn't yeah so um I'm on the final year of my contract uh in this upcoming fiscal year and so that is in there um my um hourly I work I work 32 hours a week that for Margaret's benefit um and so in in fiscal 24 um we had an assistant for me for 5 to 10 hours a week and um here's Here's my thought on this as as I was putting this together was that assistant would probably continue into the fall late fall and then the town would um put out for um a new town accountant that somebody that could work with me for the last six months full-time not full-time I could reduce my hours they could I whatever I but I threw something in right so that we'd have uh the ability with uh to to transition into into into succession plan essentially so we want to be able to and she and I talked about this we want to be able to hire somebody so that we can effectively transition to a new accountant when you do decide to leave us and we're all going to be in morning um just like her acts like her sounds like her actually is her yes what we know that's and is named Brenda Hill yes but we know that's probably not going to be the case so we need to get somebody account accountants are the hardest some of the hardest Financial positions to hire for right now so when she and I talked about it a while ago we discussed doing this exact plan so that we could successfully hire somebody to transition into the role over a period of time to have enough time to train um and and I'm not saying that I want to be done done by June 30th because I feel that um if if you need me to continue with that person to close the books to certify free cash you know to work on the tax recap I'm happy to do that on a very part-time basis I just don't want to be committed to um being here every week uh because I want to spend time with my grandbabies yeah yeah so and my husband is tired of being retired without me retirement is very underrated I found that out um so I I have some contacts that I have been intending to call to at least broach the subject uh with um some some contacts that Joyce Muka gave me and um I just haven't had time I I I literally can't get things done so um with this transition I'm hoping that you will budget for this person to be a full-time person for fiscal 26 maybe she'll still need an assistant but at least somebody who's full-time because the 32 hours a week with a part-time helper is just not not cutting it for me and I think I'm pretty efficient and you have a lot of experience and knowledge yeah a new person isn't going to have that I think we I will tell you that I experienced watching Brenda start as the accountant and seeing that type of succession plan happen where you had somebody that was the experienced accountant training on a part-time basis but training and it really provides a support element that I think a new person would want that was huge for me because I came from I came from The Real World not private sector and and was thrown into Mass Jett government so um so it was it was uh really necessary and and even with that help I still felt that I didn't know what I was doing for the first four years takes a lot oh my goodness and thank goodness for Tom scandin that he's always Avail well when he's when he can be caught that he's able to talk to me and help me through things yeah there's an emergency there yeah there are not a lot of town accounts I have to say and I there are there are a few and I'll tell you what they are the good ones are invaluable and they cost a lot of money invaluable so we also need to be prepared to think about that too yeah I this is a budget we do the best we can but I said so you said your contract ends this year so the thought is that this new person would come in for some agreed upon salary and then there would probably be a contract negotiate or there would be a contract negotiated when the person was hired potentially for potentially or um this position used to be on a grade G I don't know and and it could be put back in there so that's what I did was I stuck it in there in a Grade G step two to start with right just for you to have a starting point and then I'm sure you can you can do whatever you need to yeah okay what we to question Brenda with the increase in the accountant's hours what is the need for the administrative assistant or is it a position that could be shared with another department well the the administ I I figured the administrative assistant would get me through to the point of getting somebody hired to take me take my position and then that assistant would be would be done so this is very a very temporary position um now it could be that whoever we hire for an assistant might be interested in the position it might be somebody who has a lot of accounting experience and is thinking about transitioning from another Community I'm hoping but you don't know until you go out for the vacas right so so that 200 hours was just to C us get us through to the point of hiring hiring somebody that will be me and then disappear okay any other questions or discussion no all those in favor that's unanimous 500 that was too easy John say John I I moved to the accountant salary account 13 I don't get what did I do did you guys vote yeah they did we're done sorry they're still talking that's all right he trying to get us out of here um I make a motion to approve $126,500 for account accountant salary uh count number 135 5110 second that motion any discussion hearing none all those in favor Tim Hil I Trevor McDaniel I all right 135 5400 count expense yes do we have a motion I bet I have the wrong one I'll make a motion to recommend uh 18,250 for the accountant expense account number 13550 d5400 John you have that one don't you okay do we have a second oh second thank you so 5% increase um AIT went and audit the the audit um I did budget just a teeny bit more for classes I'm assuming that oh especially with a new person y right yeah right um probably not enough but but there is some in here for consultation also that never gets used that she could use towards classes he or she um but the audit keeps going up uh there's just more and more and more requirements gby just keeps throwing more at us all the time stuff as well what's that including the USDA loans and all that well that yeah but I mean now you have to you have to you have to keep track of leases and now now we've got the um the it contracts that are going to have to be considered um for longterm and it just just like I said it never ends so um question I love I love Tom scanlin so my question doesn't relate to Tom scandin in any way shape or form but DLS suggests that towns do change up Auditors occasionally how long has the town been with scandin and is there going to be any consideration to go and out forbid for a new auditor at any time um Tom was was with the town long before I came on board um was too his dad was his dad was too back when I started in 99 I love them both and when I first started I thought oh well we shouldn't be using the same accountant over and over and over again um but quite frankly he's he's my Confidant he's my resource and and he charges me nothing for all the phone calls that I give him and all the emails that I send him and um I like his approach to things he's levelheaded uh you know um um what's the word I'm looking for when he has to be like honest to like no you need you're doing this wrong you need to you need to fix this or I I always ask him at the end of the year okay what did you find that I should do differently and you know what what do we need to talk about or if there was something that the Auditors brought up bring it up to him and I'll say what what am I supposed to do with this you know so he's he's always got ideas we had to make some changes on on how we were handling task force money for in uh for for instance um so that's I say keep him but the town can do whatever whatever it needs to do that's fine it's just it's a recommendation that DLS always makes yes they always make it and she and I talk about it every once in a while not very I think we can do that when he retires I don't out of all all 3 151 towns would probably kill to have him and I know he he travels all he travels all over the common this does run across the stam L serve quite a bit as Margaret probably remembers as this question comes up quite a bit and there's not many Auditors that are is thorough um well yeah I've worked with several different and I and I love Tom scanland I was just curious about the the procedure yeah any other questions on accountant expense or discussion that was nicely squashing wasn't it anybody else want to say anything all right no we're good all those in favor that passes 500 make a motion to approve the amount of $8,250 for accountant expense count number 135 5400 second any discussion hearing none all those in favor Tim Hil I CH McDaniel I all right so that puts us through every budget except Board of Health and Deerfield Elementary is there anything else out there that we contracted services oh contracted Services didn't pass yeah that's right well there's always another meeting yeah there's always another meeting which is the next subject so I'm I'm feeling done for tonight um so well I was ready to go you know for another hour oh my gosh you got endless energy all right so so here's the deal though next week April 1st we're at 5:00 p.m we can only go for like an hour and 15 because planning board has this has the room starting at 6:30 how if we get here first can we go to another room we can take we can move all the chairs around so it doesn't look like can we can we use a different room can we go to the kitchen can we start at like 4:30 I can it's okay with me sure I can't attend no matter when you start so okay um and David W here won't be here but Jim will be back so I think that work I don't know exactly I'm going to be having nightmares tonight I don't know there I am not a suitable replacement sure we thank you for doing it so next week 4:30 so I'll change the amendment that that works for everybody for you that gives us a little more time so April 8th I'm gone I'm available the rest of the week if we want to meet another day April 15th is a Caroline is the only we can't meet on the 15th oh shoot yep Patriots Day so we need to can you go back I was still putting in the stuff on the first all right so April 1st is at 4:30 April 8 um I'm out of town so you guys can meet without me um or we can pick a different de different day all right that's my vote um do you want a motion no I don't I'm I'm cool with that um can anybody do Tuesday the 2 no that's tomorrow um the 9th the 9th the 9th I can yep that works I will be on a cruise good for you how are you going to do the minutes oh you can zoom in right I will not be available that same that sounds rough um well what there theirs is from 5 to 6 I did it because Julie was out on the eth I was like oh that's the week I can so we going do the nth so it's a Tuesday if we do the ninth the four of us can come everybody here can come can I have to find I think I can and we might gain gem so that should give us a um want to do five o'clock again Personnel Board has a meeting that night at six o'clock oh um and they scheduled it last the end of we do 4:30 again it's 4:30 what why don't we use another room meet on Zoom they meet on Zoom but David Shark's on Personnel Board and Personnel Board can't meet unless David is there what about the 10th I can't he'll I'm out the rest of that week oh shoot oh we'll be deep into warrant articles at that point um Can can we do 4:30 on the I can do 4:30 on the 9th yeah yeah I can yeah I think so is it think you have a real job that you have to show up for yeah not retired yet did you want to e the following week too or just yeah yeah so okay so we'll do 4:30 on the 9th on the 9th okay and then the following week what does that look for people so 4:30 um well the 15th would be good for I think we already had it scheduled for that's the holiday 15th is a holiday we can't do it that's a holiday it's like Patriot Day uh Patriots Day is it already filed 15th so the 16 no we always get an extra day cuz Patriots Day that's true I can do the 16th 16th does that work for people yeah don't forget we is there some other meeting on the 16th no but on the 18th we have an info session I we should meet on the 16th if we can right 16th can we do five for that one at five 16th at 5 for Theon be there 16 at 5 you won't be here 16th at 5:00 p.m. and then what when is the the 18th is when you were in an elementary school meeting I what time is that info session on the 18th do you know I don't have a time but I'm guessing it's going to be about 5:30 or 6 o'clock would be my thought sixish on the warrant so it's on the entire town meeting so the warrant okay but the budget back to the 16th what was the time 5 500 p.m. we we don't know all the time on this the 18th I'm guessing it's going to be 6 o' but don't quote me and current location last okay we did it hybrid last time did jul are we doing the 18th 17th 16 select board is meeting the 17th so we're not we're meeting the 16th right but we're not meeting the 17th no right okay okay I've lost my agenda fine with me I just want to be on the cruise of Margaret you know talk about maret okay anything I I think we're done and make a motion to adjourn all those in favor all right we've adjourned at 7:47 p.m motion to adjourn the select board meeting yes a second [Music] I'm going to make a motion to close the capital Improvement planning second there's nobody here to Second just do it