good afternoon it's um Thursday May 2nd and this is the towns and finance committee I'd like to call the meeting to order it for L PM as we have remote members I would uh like a a roll call attendance please General mikas yes here Andrea wood here Dam Grant here he's present um with that there's or we have a quorum so we can continue um item 1.3 on the agenda um this meeting is being recorded um it will be played back on Channel 9 and available on YouTube in the future um okay um item four additions or deletions at this point I have no um no additions or deletions we will we'll go through everything on the agenda as as shown and I'm going to scroll down a little bit I should be sharing and we should see the agenda just to make sure those on the phone and uh can see it yes yeah okay um the first item which I have continued to leave is um The Reserve fund transfer request um we're just touching based on that we have three on hold at this point two for facilities and one for B Selectmen the one that was the other day for the um deductible for the insurance um so those continue to be on hold we continue to to watch them at this point um the board of selectman or Town Administrator have indicated that it's not it it's on the priority list to pay but it's not urgent because our next meeting that U we need to process it for the payment I was concerned that if if we held it for any length of time that it it might go into um a different category um and go past du so um if it if it is getting near past to we'll we'll bring it up again's go come in okay thank you um we um the next is and it says review schedule for annual special town meeting where it's just actually reviewing the annual and special town meeting warrant articles and voting our recommendations apologize for this I'm going to jump I don't have them open right now get to the website and get to the and I'm jumping to the special town meeting L because the the typical um activity is we open annual town meeting and then we make a motion to jump to the special town meeting articles with that um and we generally vote on the articles with with financial impact so article one is just to see if any any reports from any boards committees or commissions will be heard so there's no action required there um um the next article two to see if the town will vote to appropriate appropriate from free cash or other available funds in the treasury the sum of $1,457 for the purpose of paying unbudgeted increase in the general liability insurance line so with that um it comes down to we do the best we can to get an actual quote in before Town beating when it didn't happen um this this is the amount of the increase that was not estimated at at the time the budget was passed last year and rather rather than overstated amount we understated the amount um in there because if we did overstate the the amount and go um that money would have to wait until free cash certification very late in this year before we would be able to use those funds this seems to be the right action to take and and underfund it a little bit and come in with the article to to continue and pay the rest of the line so would you need a motion um yeah we would need a moot motion that we would recommend article two I'll make a motion that we recommend article two I'll second it and with that is is there any additional discussion or questions for this article I I have one that it just a reminder that using free cash to fund any part of an ongoing expense is a real problem and that's what we're doing here it it is um and Chaz had come in with numbers in the last meeting um and those numbers were and this is free cash available so it was FY 23 free cash which was available in 24 um and the free cash was at um $379,490 um and after the articles I believe it was 139,000 of free cash remaining um we can try to keep tabs on that number curreny um who we can come out and and vote it so yes it's kind of um because the other one of the other pieces always with free cash is um using it to pay the deficit line for snow and ice so we do need to be very cautious with it because once we use that up we not we um we don't we have to wait wait until December before that certification again and if we needed to would have articles in a in a special time meeting in Fall for yes but again if we end up funding ongoing expenses with um onetime occurring funds we're going to end up bankrupt yeah [Music] um just just yeah I'm just frightened at the whole we yeah position we've got ourselves into right yeah no it is um it it's it's a concern of how we continue with the ongoing we did have at at the last meeting we brought to um chz um the the plan for looking at at five years out which is going to take a look at the say free cash year over-ear but um the um tax the tax levy and and expected revenues um to make sure that we're not we're not trying to balance a budget and come up and and balance a budget year to year that's that's something we've done for the last four years is we prepared budget do the Articles and and try to went through to the next we're trying to force um a bigger look a bigger picture look so that we can see that what the future looks like if as we do these these things so I think um and yeah it it does say or other available funds um so you know free free cash versus is taking a look um at maybe a municipal transfer um could do it if that's available funds um there is some available I don't have the most recent BBA but I know there's a few lines that that I would anticipate um such as the health insurance line um the line that we had for the mark bus those those funds will be available to help us with hey D it's Mark I just want to let you know I've uh I'm on okay guys for coming in so late not of we we had a late start so you wait do we have a quorum now or did we we had a quorum um we we're going over the warrant articles and we're on article two um covering it the the discussion is about using using free can versus other funds to um to support this so um we need to we need to take a look at it and see if they can identify where where the funds are because this is an either it it does say from free cash or other available funds so we would like to see what which of the two options they're planning to do you want me to take that back to um it no I think um I I I think we can keep tabs on it and then go back and try to get U okay get get answers on exactly where is it where is it going to come from uh because of the concern I mean I I would love to take some of that free cash and put it into stabilization but we don't have a a one hour for that so we do that's that's something that we need to we need to watch in and our budget is going up and we haven't added anything into stabilization for for some sometimes so we need to watch our percentages and make sure stabilization is there and uh flush when we need it if we need it um okay so Andrea noted um and so we'll we'll keep tabs on each of the lines and go back and see if we can identify exactly where the funds are going to come from because the statements either either or and yeah and keeping a track of it will help us prepare and understand the auditor's report as well when it comes right okay so that's um keeping keeping notes on a separate piece of paper here so that I'm not jumping back and forth on the screen um okay then um are you good with um the the recording and then going back um so we we have the motion to recommend um that and again it's a bill and and we owe it so we have to pay it our preference is from other funds in accounts that would have balances so that we don't have to use free cash so um and maybe that's what we can put into the recommendation the recommendation says that um we use other other available funds not free cash that sounds good for me I like that yeah okay so I recommend um and it and again it may come down that that um we we do that so okay so article two is going to be do we need to amend the um um we so I think the um the motion is I will leave as is with motion to recommend but our our little um description under it will include that it is our prefer preference and we recommend um that we find out funds not free cash um for this so the so the art article would be to recommend with with our description of of where where it comes from great okay so we we had the motion by Jerry and a second by Andrea um the motion but I'm aware of it and can I still vote um you can the mo the motion is that we recomend commend Artic that that we recommend the amount to be paid um to The General insurance bill um for um for this so um if if you're good with that motion we we we are voting on approve uh recommending article two at this point so it and I'll throw it one more time any additional questions or the answered with none being heard roll call vote J is yes no Mar yes Dam Grant yes I'm only against it as it stands I I think it's a bad precedent I think we have no choice M but I still think it's it's it's not something I can support being done this way that's fair enough um and I will I will vote I agree with Andrea but at the same time we do have to pay it bill it's it's a bill yeah we do this many times yeah and but at least we can stipulate we don't necessarily want fre cash to be used right yeah yeah yep and so um and to get my vote recorded in in her Don Hayes yes it's kind of like okay article three to see if the town will vote to appropriate from three cash or other avilable funds the amount of $5,000 for the purpose of funding a housing protocol for the Board of Health in case of residential cond condemnation um or take any other action there too so this one we didn't just discuss it but this one sounds like what what they're doing if if somebody if boorder of health comes in andem a house they're setting up a fund that they can pay for house for short term for people that may be displaced is is this a new mandate by the state is this um past experience what is this is this something this is something new right this this this would be um something new um it is it was not in their it's not in their budget so this this is setting and again the reason it's not in the budget if they put this line in the budget um it would need to be budgeted and re-budget every year and if they didn't use it the $55,000 wouldn't carry over right the idea is that they put $5,000 into an account and then at the end of the year they would review it and see if they used it if they didn't use it there still 5,000 it carries over without needing to be waiting for the free cash process to occur I I realized that this would be a lovely thing to do but I don't know that it's really the town responsibility to do that taking on that kind of thing is over and Beyond what a a small town could afford what what if we had a an earthquake or something M we couldn't afford to maybe uh House of people are damaged I I I'm I I I'm not sure if this is our responsibility I don't I uh I I like I said I think it's a very nice thing but I don't know again I wonder what brought this on is it past experience that we uh what's this all about right yeah yeah and uh still because of the fire they had a few years ago who who knows that one's that one to me is a little different that's that's not that was a building that was no longer habitable it's kind of like in your in your head I think this is if if the board of health comes in and does an inspection condemns a property that some emergency short-term housing needs is still looking to provide it and we have had that scenario and in the past yeah so what did we do in the past we we left them there because they wouldn't leave okay yeah okay or they pitch a trailer in in the parking lot here it cost five grand for that come on no it's g no I I know I know I make quite of it but um we there I mean this this is again a nice it it's a nicity to have um they're probably looking at um free cash we we are um and it it's not a recurving it this this money it is probably more about the free cash that and using it as free cash rather than operating budget we're not adding to the operating budget at this point it's a warrant article um that would take free cash onetime expense to a one-time account however that it is going to be an on an an ongoing look year overy year to look at this account and see if there's there's been use of it and then there'd be a warrant article to re um replenish the funds in there so the 5,000 is a is a starting point and then it looks like to me it looks like an annual annual review to see if more more money will be needed in that [Music] account I I just again um $5,000 isn't a lot of money especially for an account but at the same time if we have a couple accounts like this they come up to 25 Grand we we we've got a a deficit yeah but again uh right we yeah and and again I think that's why they're trying to draw it from more from the uh free cash yeah I I say we put it in the next they can put it in the next budget or whatever that's just my opinion and and let the town vote on it on a line right well again they're voting on it they the town's voting on it here right I mean that's my Rec I wouldn't okay that's just my opinion well and that's take moment y we um and do we want to make a motion to either recommend or not recommend article three and I hear in silence so do we um is is there a motion to not recommend article three coming forward I think we're just so sure money to sh that yeah so I guess I'll make the motion that we recommend that we uh make no recommendation take no action on the on the article I'll make that recommendation okay so um I'll second it okay so the motion is to um recommend no action Tak on this article okay and we had a second just capturing okay any further discussion or questions I'm here no okay then being heard a roll call vote and so we're voting a a yay vote will say that we make no recommendation on for this article I'll make no vote for no recommendation on article y okay I just wanted to make make it clear what we were which which way it was going yeah okay okay um so you you're you're yes for no action right okay uh but can I ask are we taking no recommending taking no action are recommending we're not recommending um we're recommending that no action be taken um yeah let the let the town make up their mind on this one we um and in the description we will say that we are hesitant to add take additional funds from free cash at this time okay satisfactory thank you yeah okay so continuing on the vote um then Sam uh I vote for take no action yes okay thank you Andrea W yes Mark Hy yes and Don Hayes yes just making my note that we are not TI yeah not TI okay article four to see if the town will vote to appropriate from free cash or other available funds in the treasury the sum of $22,000 for the purpose of supplementing the town clerk's election budget given the potential for increase elections in the in the current and upcoming Bal years hey joh could you just scroll the screen up so we at home could see it yeah thank you yeah I I know what it says but I just want to try to keep track thank you yeah no no that's that's fine I I I forgot I and we gave the Articles out last meeting but um yeah so Artic article four is um so the the town budget the FY 25 budget and I'm just going to flip to for in elections number is that uh it's line 137 [Music] elections so when we look at and I apologize that I didn't bring the title 50 FY 25 is the last problem with the highlight and so when we when we look we already know that there's going to be an extra there's going to be several elections coming up and so um and this this may be an old one they may have dropped this number down they it's showing $155,000 for the wages the rest of it and and the cost of it um does remain the same so is it 22 um I'd say it's 22 yeah yeah and that gets us through this year and any other election after that time would be on next year's right well okay so um if I'm right yeah okay so let me let me bring up a file that I was messing around with a little bit you notice I mess around with a lot of files and a lot of information here and there let's see I don't think we have much choice on we well see that's the thing it's a warrant article to if if it's not in the warrant article and approved there it has to be in the operating budget right because took it out of her budget they took it out of the put it on a line and they put it on a line on on a separate account that leaves the money there allocates $22,000 this year right and as it's used each each year you have to look at the elections line and this and this line in the budget and see if more needs to be done and this this is why I mentioned maybe it makes sense to do um a revolving account because when we use mailin voting and when we have early very expensive it's it's expensive but it's reimbursed by the state of Massachusetts so if we're doing them every other year which is what it is between State elections and federal elections um if you get reimbursed by the state and make it a revolving account we we put some money in there to start and that money will come in and go into that account into the revolving account and be there um so is that recomend to create a revolving account can we do that I don't I don't know if we can do that I it's kind of like revolving accounts are on the annual election this this this one we might recommend here and next year n FY 26 go to a revolving account um and then take the money from here to fund the re to to fund um revolving so what's this money going to come out of this this money is scheduled to come out of free cash or other available funds at this point and so this one can't can't fail it's kind of like if this gets voted down then we have and we can't go up in in the budget on on town meeting no you got go down then we we can only go down there so the the idea is you'll have to bring it back on a special another special warrant this this has to pass in order to be able to fund and and do the elections for next year well the other thing too is as the state goes on it seems like every year they add something new that has to be done regarding elections and schools yeah it would seem to me that that would be a this would be a a nice cushion it it's it is a nice cushion for her but it we we have to make sure that as part of it um we we are defin ly reviewing it year over year yeah to make sure that there's money in there so it's kind of I start earli today ah calculating Els budgeting so um let me blow it up just a little bit for here so what I what I did is I took FY 24 because the the presidential primary was was in in FY 24 in fy2 we're going to have a state state primary so I put the types of Elections that I see us having over here on the left and then I put just the number for now in there and so I said the state primary um we have we're going to have and I'll explain numbering after then we're going to have a presidential election in November we're going to have the annual Town vote next April and then we're going to have an annual town meeting and at least one special town meeting going forward um and so and then in FY 26 we don't have state primaries we don't have presidential or um Federal elections and so the only thing we have it's a smaller number we have our annual Town vote and ual town meeting and special town meeting so that's that's the down year then we get to FY 27 we're going to have state primaries and state elections but you don't have um um and I'm just going to put a zero in here because we do have state elections this year um and in so every two years you either have just state or you have state and federal elections um sorry I didn't put them I I tried to do them by by dates it's kind of like so in the fiscal year so State primary is is in no in September and the state election would be November special Town meetings could be in the fall um presidential primaries are in March and then in annual Town votes April so it's near the near the end of the year so I try to go go there but when we start looking at this every every two years we either have a state or it's state and federal [Music] um and I hope I got it right but that that's what I was trying to look at you know how it's going to be a cycle of low low number of Elections High number of Elections year over year and then in a year when it's presidential it it really goes across two fiscal years because the primary is is in the uh is in March so it's in the prior fiscal year um and so with it it's kind of like what what had been happening is budgeting was happening um and and burying and so like we see in FY 26 looking at it it would be a very low number and then the next year it gets high because the state primaries and an election so with with that they're trying to level it out and and trying to trying to go this way that we we set a base level in the election accounts in the operating budget and then the fluctuation is handled in in this warrant article so if this didn't get it voted there would still be uh an elections budget it would be an election budget but we oh I I agree with this article I I'm just trying to get it no no no that's that's sure I have't straight yeah yeah so so what's happening is if we look at fy2 we're going to have the state Primary in no in September that's the first one that will occur then we'll have the presidential which ties in with the state election at that point um then next April we have the annual Town vote um the town vote in April and then we have the annual town meeting in May and more than likely there's a special town meeting somewhere along along the line now when we apply for reimbursement would it go to this account or the election budget um that I I haven't had the opportunity to check to see with Katie where it goes um it has has not been going to this line in Prior years there's another line that's that's not in the budget that is in the line of accounts that it may have been going to so if if we're set if we're setting this up we want it we want the reimbursement to go into this account yeah I yes I would think that would be best as well yeah so that's that's that's a behind the scenes kind of work with the accountant and make sure that when we when this money the reimbursement money comes it's going to go into this into this special time special to meeting article you know during just this is just an aside but during the summer for the most part we don't have very much to do um maybe we should take some time this summer to familiarize ourselves with all the accounts not just the ones we commonly use yeah or commonly know about yeah what was the problem with leaving it the way it was was there a problem with that um have the money to f um well that's the thing we're we seem to be Reinventing the wheel right now with this um the idea was to get to a more stable moving forward this is always going to be this is this is always going to be going yeah it's always going to be up going up and down so you you you don't have a predictive level of where it is so are we recommending that we go to a revolving account is that how you want the recommendation readed or how do you want it read no I I I think in this case whether we whether we recommend the 22,000 the 22,000 I I don't I don't want to recommend a revolving account at this okay point if if we find that it it's more conducive to a um revolving account to me that that's what it sounds like it sounds like a revolving account there's some money that comes in and gets deposited into account and then we so we've taken this out of her budget right this so we flattened the budget this year so this year's number on elections okay will will look like last year's all right and so the additional for the fall will get covered by this number um and just for for clarity and I want to make sure uh before I should have done this at the beginning of this discussion um because Jerry and I both work the elections and the polls um we filed just to be clear a conflict of interest because we we are voting on a budget that will end up putting stien in our in our pockets there is no direct there is no direct line that says these people are being paid this much it's kind of like it's a single amount for the election line and the town accountant based on ours worked will distribute the money it's always best to be on the safe side that that's right and that's what we did we we tried we did it we file we filed the paperwork it was a sign signed by John Barrett and um Kathy both and so it it has been declared that um we we will see a little bit of um sipon money from from voting for these elections I I don't think it should prevent us from voting for um voting on the budget lines no because you publicly declared it so it's not like you're trying to pull off a smoothie behind the sun SC well know and and as I said it's not a direct line that says you know these These are employees and they're getting this much money so are we recommending that it be taken from free cash or we recommending it it be taken from other I think it at at this point I think you qualify from free cash because in in this sense it's a one time yeah so our recommendation would be in this case the recommendation could be that we are recommending this article pass with the money coming from free cash okay so what or you'll make the motion as stated okay I'll make the motion as stated here okay it I'll second thank you okay um so we've had a lot of discussion about about that but I I think it it for clarity it sort of helped and maybe maybe that'll help people at town meeting um and again I think there was there was a informational video reported Tuesday night to cover these article things um so the motion has been made and seconded are there any additional questions or discussions not here okay then we'll take the vote and vote a yes vote will be to recommend this article pass and that it be funded with free cash General bikas yes Andre wood yes D Grant yes Mark H yes and Don Hayes yes okay thank you Article Five to see if the town will vote to appropriate from free cash or other available funds from the treasury the sum of $5,000 for the purpose of Conservation Commission education Outreach and training or take any other action too well this sounds like they just took a line out of the budget and going to fund it here rather than the budget so they can lower the amount of the the um line item in the budget um I'm I'm just looking through the budget we have to get to Conservation Commission my understanding was they originally had a number that was significantly higher than this um minimum double what number um that's what I'm looking for one of the things that would be crucial it it would seem to me in understanding this would be how much they paid how much they used for education and and Outreach and training in the past hey they have had none this current board wants to start Outreach for conservation because they they feel reaching out and doing training and seminars would help the town's people understand conservation um and and maybe do it so they were on line 162 that's very nice but under the law I believe the only real conservation thing that there um in charge of is wetland as is every other town so why would you Outreach to them they're already responsible they're responsible for but they want to they want to hold seminars for and and invite Town's people to it so that they understand the wetlands rules and and they can disseminate and and do training to the town's people oh okay well and we always have such a good response to that sort of thing don't we we do and and I think that's no we don't that is is it in the next year's budget is that g to be part of but but and again this this gets to do we want to put a line item like that in the budget that we can't get the free cash until next year um it it's and and I agree it's better out of the budget but I don't know it's necessary at all right and and I think that th those are some of the the things that um and maybe we we hav't we haven't done this kind of thing before but maybe it's time to do it and and have Outreach to them that we think it's a good idea um but um coordinate with them and be involved with it and get feedback about how many people have attended these it's kind of like much much like the mark bus we did this year there was there was some money in there luckily we didn't have to pay it to find out nobody was taking the bus to to Pittsburgh to take the train now I understand for educational materials you might need something but why wouldn't this article in a general thing setting up and contacting other towns Etc ET are contacting citizens and stuff why wouldn't that fall under the human resources personis or the community outreach people you mean right [Music] yes and maybe the community outreach person would would have more something to do yeah well yeah something um additional additional work you know they I mean the community outreaches responsible and and works with the the north inm cares they work with senior center um and this would be an additional and they would and and Conservation Commission would would have a resource to help try to reach out and um and work within the community um and it gets more visibility to the community outreach Compass um um yeah I I think it's all good but it um if we we're looking we're not just looking to necessarily allocate money but follow up with them work with the Conservation Commission say which seminars seminars are you going to put on one quarter um and how many how many people attended you know get an attendance record um of that and and see the value you know are people coming in is it increasing over time if if they have two of them um is it time of year that that more people would attend you know those sorts of things um but they're trying to get they're trying to get their word their their word [Music] out and again maybe it's producing a video and posting it on on a on um YouTube on on a YouTube channel for Conservation Commission there are m in putting together a library that people can look at you know okay um but but that's the thing it it is not in their it yeah it's not in their um budget now they had taken that line totally totally out and moved moved it here they they budget year over year is only increased by dues and me memberships um um I'm sorry the Conservation Commission training is is the only one Fe so they're putting putting money in the budget for for the for conservation training that's that's for the members of the committee not for that's right that's the members of the committee so this this line had been they had included it in their budget and it's been brought out of their budget and brought as a as a separate warrant article um to to set that up so um other any other questions for a motion um are we ready or or are there more more things to be brought out and discussed none being heard um we have a motion to either recommend or not recommend this article I make a motion to recommend this article okay second and we have a second from jury do we have any additional questions we going to try to take this from other available [Music] funds um this Ono expense it it will be an ongoing expense so lot of free cash Center well it yeah it would be ongoing in and carrying it forward but um next year if there's no money in there to add it would only be whatever was left and unspent um um and I don't know that we're going to have enough other other places free cash get it so not terribly in favor of it personally free cash um I'd say this one is free [Music] cash got my battery notice a power yeah I guess kind I may not make it sitting in a separate table we see what we can do just get it back in let me see if I can find an EXT I'm glad you discovered that because I was just busy looking through my stuff I thought I was the one that had a battery running for well I'm looking for mine too that's weird y it is it's kind of but let me okay I think I have the answer this will go over Channel don't teach me to fullly char of batter okay so um and and I yeah so we have the motion to recommend um and it's been seconded by Jerry um vote your conscience and so a yes vote on this article says we are going to recommend and at this point I'd say free cash our our recommendation would be free cash over others that um the uh voting please General is yes Andrea W no Mark hussy no and Sam sorry I said it but I was muted no okay and I would be yes so um based on that um we don't recommend this the article is not recommended by finance committee right okay next article six to see if the town will vote to appropriate from free cash or available funds in the treasury the sum of $1,000 for historic district commission training materials and supplies including signage or take any other action there too I don't think I can make the motion because I'm on that commission okay y but would you would you like to speak to the article well basically in the article it tells exactly what we need and over the last L only been in town for 13 years but they've never asked they've never had a budget so this is the first time they're asking for one um apparently they've been taking it out of their own pockets and paying for themselves so um this year we've decided they ask for a th you know for $1,000 and um it's for Education postage stationary you know materials for um articles to go out to Realtors explaining what the historic district is and what it does but that's about it okay well then this article should well maybe he will say it in the motion I don't you know we the article tells about the thing but it's the motion that really counts on the vote and um this should say to establish a budget then instead of it sounds like it's just an addition to oh no to establish a budget right I I still can't make the Motions of oh no you know what I um I'd like to make the motion that we do uh recommend article six um however we're going to reward it differently and if if we're establishing a budget it certainly is an ongoing expense right yeah so I I guess the question is the expectation that this will continue into that $1,000 will be used or or will there be a line established in in the selectman's budget next year to fund it okay um Everybody kind of knows how I feel about history I guess you might understand that I'm more interested in the kinds of histor they have already been teaching over there uh in the harbor area um it's uh and where they're headed from there is only in an upward Direction but the other side of the coin is it sounds to me like we are as a town have been adding little um shall we say small baby elephants here and there over the past several decades and now all of a sudden everybody squeezed uh the school district is very squeezed and going to go back and squeeze us you know right by the throat um so seems to me like the elephant's trunk is sticking under the door here and I am very much in favor of of any kind of uh reconstruction or addition for historical purposes um of going there but you know the other side of the coin is you how much can we afford I I do want to make it very clear that the towns and Historic Society and the towns and historic District are two different are two different things the society and the district are two different two different things yeah the society is not a town entity government correct yeah where the district is part of the part of the town and what the district what happened um years and years and years ago we had a uh May be an over Enthusiast historic districts commission and there was all kinds of problems and they all resigned and nothing happened with the committee after that for a long time then they decided to reestablish it and somehow I guess according to Jerry they neglected to to have a budget because they had a budget before that they did I didn't know that yeah and um what they primarily do they they their signage the the historic districts main goal is to establish the history of of certain areas of town or buildings within the town and you have to write up all these reports and everything submit them to the government get them established if you want to form a new District if you just want to take a house or say like Town Hall just for a building uh you do the history on it then you submit it to um the state and you can have it put into another District I they're not establishing any new District so oh no but eventually they might they might and um one of the big things is a signage the the the law on the book is very specific about what can be and can't be done with historic district and by historic district um committee I to encourage them to to get on with things so to speak I I think this is a good idea although like I said before this is to establish a budget and I have that ongoing expense thing well I think part of this is to I think once we get you know some of our materials we probably wouldn't have to come back for a while um uh what we didn't what we did this year I'll mix the two together for a second the society and the district the society used the Chate Tech to do some of our Printing and it was much more costeffective and it and it did get the town the school involved in the society and what's going on so that's how we we um saved some money there but it's still um you know it's still costly what not but oh everything costs something there is no free lunch yeah no and now you know like we've been they've been pitching in for all the postage and all the stamps and anything they wanted done so I we're just trying to to establish a a budget oh right in it course so I guess it would either establish a line under Board of Selectmen that would be managed there probably um because somebody has to if there's expenses to be done right purchase orders have to be put in absolutely and with somebody with purchase order I'm going to say it probably would come out of the board of Select them much I was going to say very similar last year the town properties correct um added a line last year because every everybody there was always something to do but nobody's budget nobody budgeted to support it so we came on board of last year so yes this this would increase the board of Select from line in F FY um I I think it would be a separate account and then to be included in the FY 26 selectman budget if if it continued or it may be a lesser amount if if the full th000 isn't used it would just come back yeah it would doesn't come back because the way this if this is if this is being established the ,000 stays there and Carries forward so it may be warrant warrant article to replenish any any Ed funds to keep it at a th000 if it's but if it if we find that it's only 250 us year a year you might get it to 500 and then just replenish it up to 500 right at a time as the maximum so not not tying up a lot of a lot of money um or just you know and and again from what I saw is there going to be a building developed for the historic district area reset the commission okay that's okay then leave that alone I had seen a lot of there were some some things out um posted on the that I that I saw on the internet about what the future may look like um but they are working on those buildings now so sorry I'm gonna stop stop myself there because I can go on there's a lot of work being done down there um so do we have a motion to recommend um this article or not recommend this article I think I did do that I'm sorry thank you Mark so you recommend article six or okay second okay any additional discussion none being heard a roll call vote a yes vote is to have vcom recommend this to pass at Town can I Vote or not no um we have a quorum without so I'll sayain um just to keep that clear but announc that you're abstaining wouldn't all right okay all right um so have we called for the vote yet um we are calling for the vote now yesing please okay Mark hassy yes Andrea wood yes Dam Grant yes ha yes that passes 4 to zero with one abstain okay um next article to see if the town will vote to appropriate from free cash or other available funds in the treasury sum of $5,000 for paying for workers's comp paying workers's compensation and or the FIS injured on duty claims um okay so a little bit of background on this yeah article um last year we had a municipal I think it was a municipal transfer request um in 2012 I believe it was there was an article just like this to establish $55,000 for to to pay potential claims for injured on in on duty um I suspect it's it's fire police um that because they were injured as part of their on duty they it was felt that the town should cover their copays and things like that on their insurance they do have insurance and they are cover for that but there's co-pays and other other expenses that may be needed outside what insurance covers so that's that's what this article was meant to do it's going to reestablish and probably not the same um the same way when you when you look at the account usually what happens is the year uh that it passes on the warrant is one of the items that's in the description and so it gets very confusing as to exactly what it is and you have to go back through Oldtown meeting minutes to figure out how it was created um so we can we can work and request to the accountant um see if there's a an account the the short account description and maybe a long account description so we can see what it is when we look at again back to what was recommended at the beginning look at all accounts so when we look at all accounts we can look at it and understand what it is and why it was created and when it was created now where is this money coming from um right now it says free cash or available funds um if and again I don't have the history on the old account um but it seemed like in FY 23 was the last time we used it and there was still money there from the original um 2012 article so um so this this is just establishing back to that 2012 amount and starting again um but again it puts it back in front of us and year over year we can we can monitor it and see if money is being used in time make a motion that we um draw the $5,000 from um can we take it out of I'm not sure what out of funds available I guess versus free cash free cash but I don't know Andrea what do you think I think it's going to have to be paid so I would do you know as a worded one or the other uh preferably not free cash okay again we this is probably the first time we're making recommendations one versus the other so we recommend if available other funds so that will so we can simply leave this to recommend and not recommend and leave it in in our discussion underneath that we're that that um our recommendation is to go to other funds rather rather than free cash okay you know so the preference preference of where the where the funds come from is going to be other and then free cash if we got to second [Music] okay that was J you made that Mark okay um any additional discussion about or questions about what this article is establish it or reestablish it none being heard um a yes vote will recommend this with our recommendation details including um that we we recommend other funds first US be the first choice for J yes rewood yes Mark H yes D Grant yes and Don Hayes yes it's unanimous we recommend and our discussion will include that it comes from others first article eight to see if the town will vote to appropriate from free cash or other available funds in the treasury the sum of $6,000 for the purpose of paying CBL training for Highway Department staff have we done this in the past no um this this goes I think in relation to the capital plan that has passed with the two trucks that are not CDL required drivers right so so so what we want is CDL trained operators but not not have not have to pay for the license not have to so we want the training in oh I get it so they're not going to get a CDL license no right just a training just just the training and how long is that good for uh that I don't know from just curious It's a lot of money but you know if it's uh training that they got to do every two years you [Music] know the only thing is I agree it is kind of expensive with that kind of expense why don't they get their license well then they have to it's very expensive I used to have one it's um it's expensive for the individual even once you've been certified to keep that license up and I get that I really do because they don't make a lot of money but I'm just curious as to for this money do they have to go back in another year two years five years orever you know um we establish that that might be an HR policy kind of thing but right the other part of it is how long are these employees going to stay here or they going to work their way up to be CDL Drivers and drive big rig somewhere else we do we do that for other departments police police fire is that over backwards for them but what is is it just a certification many more hours needed to get a license I I don't know what is the program involves I can't answer for what it inv B for a newbie fresh fish to get one okay um I cost me uh about $100 every two years to I don't know exactly what the fee is to go out to somewhere in winchington wherever to get a medical exam I have that medical certificate that's good for two years um and it's uh as far as any kind of you know training as far as I know you just have to pass the test you that's yeah you get down to RMV and you pick up the proper pamphlet you kiss the lady on the behind because she'll insist on it oh I'm so angry at those people for this um and um once you pass the test uh the only places that I believe are difficult are hazmats and um bus drivers over X number of passengers right again I'm just curious what this program offers is it now you you have the requirements for a license is that what this is darn well better get a license if we're I had to pay for my license everybody I know has to pay for theirs now I know um in the past we we the person got their license came to us re with a license and then we picked up the cost of the license there after we did pay for the training now more and more we seem to be training paying for the training of people who then come and work for us for two days and go off and find a better job somewhere else because now they're fully trained but you know what I I suspect this training that they're offering is not to get a license it will not qualify if you're a license but you've got a good idea of what driving a real C L vehicle is and we're using that to get an to make them more aware and be safer in these non CDL Vehicles that's my opinion I insurance issue too it right it it could could be both I'm hearing Insurance in the room here Poss because you know 26,1 pound yeah DBW is the requirement for CDL right and and these two vehicles that were approved by cap planning I and they don't require a CDL they don't require a CDL but I think that we want them to have the training as if they were driving you know the the general rules regulations safety protocol whatever they already have that I mean I don't know is that what this courses they want to send them to I I don't know in other words this is just a truck driver's c c kind of I guess right right yeah that's that's what it is and what are all the safety safety elements with CDL they probably go over hydraulics and Aires and and all of that um and that will probably help us with insurance are your sure I I I agree but my again my my biggest question is how long do they have to do this again is this something they have to um do cus for yeah know how long last they require don't require a CDL we that we should be only responsible once right we should but but if these drivers leave are we responsible again it kind of I'm just looking at the to see they they have cour Professional Services um I'm looking to see if they had training they I don't see a training line in their normal budget but that might be something that they want to put in there for um because they're they are still going to have equipment that requires CDL it's going to and that that's not what this is that's not what this is this is this is on line with the expectation that two V two new vehicles are coming in and they need two drivers they don't need to be have CDL licenses coming in but we want them to be CD trained well we want them to know the and again the insurance rates will probably go down because they've been trained taking this course right yeah go down $6,000 wellow I I don't know that's where it comes in okay do we have to do this every year is it good for life then yeah maybe it would be a pay off well maybe this is something we should ask when when he's here on when we're there at the meeting we could just ask this from the floor make a decision from there asking I wonder if the town people are going to ask that same question I know very little about trucks but it seems from what you said that the CDL license is based primarily on the weight of the truck how is how is say just the dump truck just a r well that's how we're getting away with these new vehicles they don't weigh enough to require a CDL which makes it attractive to us to have drivers because they don't require that license right so go ahead no go ahead I'm sorry I I don't what it does probably do is make them a better driver in the insurance company's eyes more safety training blah blah blah whatever and we went on the insurance thing but as um Sam said it's $6,000 is that what it's going to you know will we get that out of it right is this a one-time expense and it is it a one time expense exactly or are we going to start um oh never mind no no no it it gets to that question or we gonna put it as a line we have training in many lines in many organ many of the organizations in town um some years it could be zero other years they may put it in much like um the police budget year is including training for new officers being hired um and they need to go through the training it's kind of like you don't want an untrained officer out in the field you kind of so um this sort of sort of puts us in that point I'm hoping that people come and want to stay with stay with towns and and continue to work so I would expect it to be a one time expense until we have a new operator on these vehicles but what I don't understand is how this is going to accomplish that if if the difference between the license and not the license the weight of the vehicle then these truck drivers should already be fully trained yep and so if it's not going to give them a license it's not going to affect the insurance or anything else because as far as the insurance is is concerned they're already fully trained yeah but you know what it's an extra Andrea you know um yeah if I take it back to my driver's license test many years ago um if I went to the driving school and took the class I got a lower insurance rate than people that just took took the driving exam at the at the registry and got their license and didn't take the training when my husband got went into the army and we got insured with USAA he made me get my driver's license because women under 25 had better driving records than men EXA exactly so we did it that way right yeah it which is another way of of going about it and you became the primary driver on the vehicle and I never drove was really very interesting think for the inry all around uh safety training is is um really really pushed in all companies all you know Alles like I said and insurance companies take that into consideration but then should that safety training go for everyone even the ones with the licenses if it was offered I guess yeah I'm just talking about you know commercially um you know industrially what whatever uh workers compensation rates are lowered by if you depending on your safety program if you have a high if you have a really um visible safety program you're G to get a better rate because you're gonna have less accidents um and I think maybe that's what this may be all about it's maybe we're going to get a better rate our insurance I don't think it's going to give them their license I think it's going to be like a stock to it um and just my my that's just my thoughts on it I could be totally wrong um well the highway department in general ask for very little as compared to other department yeah yeah and you know if this makes these guys better drivers and safer and it does give us a discount on their insurance I'm all for it I don't think like you said they're going to jump because this is not going to give them a license unless I'm totally wrong and um no this none of us yeah right so we have an open open question on it um um about what the training is and um is is this the price of the Court how many people it's kind of like is it just the two drivers is it is it more because all that it talks about in here is the the highway department staff you know is is it two three four five people so we do need a little bit more information on it um to be total totally knowledgeable about what they're asking for on the motion well we should we should take a vote because we're getting right right down to the wire so that if if you can if you get good information we can talk about it but you can already have had a recommendation if it goes that way let's see where we stand on it right y yeah so I I um and and we can sort of maybe right up we would motion I'm thinking if it's if it's training for the two drivers for the trucks and it doesn't give them CD license but it helps with with the operation and reducing it insurance we would recommend that it that this path um is there any re it's kind of like and into the the price per course you know so it's kind of like um we recommend it depend it with with details it's kind of like so the mo an explanation of the motion is going to have to come with about how many people what it specifically for because I don't know a recommendation sheet from Town Administrator or Board of selectman hasit card or um we simply pass on it for lack of information um yes I'm pass on it we can we you know it's kind of like I mean because I'm really if I understand it the way I'm thinking I think it's a good idea but um with the lack of information to make a uh you know recommendation is kind of tough right yeah no um just pass we we can we can do that we can um we can make a motion that says we make no recommendation because it's not enough details available to us at this time I'll make that recommendation I'll yeah I'll make that whatever right now as as that goes um that's that's today's do we want to try to do a meeting Tuesday and we visit if we can get more information tomorrow we're gonna make ourselves crazy I know I know we are M or Tuesday well we have to be Tuesday I would Tuesday afternoon Tuesday it would have to be early in the day so that we can then print as we go through every year guys it's my birthday week I was going to say it's my Baltimore oreo week it's it's Bruins night tonight too so we got to move on yeah well I was going to say just so you're aware I called the NHL commissioner and he postponed it until 8:00 for until 8 o00 I saw that I saw that da and now you know why yes I do I gotta leave like 20 after to six okay so we're we got to get a get a move on here um sorry kind is that what we're gonna do what are we going to do with this article we're going to um we need more information how we yeah so um we said we're making no recommendation due to La lack of information that was motion you said so it's kind of like Mark and we had several seconded people so it's kind of like I'm gonna choose Andrea because I heard her and as well as Jerry um and so a a yes vote is to make no recommendation on this because it it lacks some detail of um and if if we if we get to that point during and we get more information can have a discussion and we have a quorum at town meeting we can we can take we can't have a meeting and vote on it sorry it's kind of we no time to post no but it's something we we can verbal it's kind of like um we verbalize it on to we can verbalize it on Tomy um why why we we're making this recommendation okay so we that's our motion we're making no recommendation due to a lack of detailed information to to be able to support this um and so yes vote supports that we make no recommendation J bazik is yes Andre would yes Mark hussy yes Dam Grant yes and D Hayes yes okay article 9 scroll up just a little bit to see if the town will vote to appropriate from free cash or other refillable funds from the treasury the sum of 14,500 for the purpose of Contracting with a consultant to assist with byar Review Committee would take any other action there too no [Laughter] way so there has been a bu committee active I think for maybe about 15 months or so um haven't haven't heard any anything haven't seen anything and I haven't looked on a bylaw Committee website on the on the page so I don't know um where it is but um I understand the need to work with a consultant because a committee may not have enough time or legal background to be able to prepare byw um are we just modifying or checking them um well um it yeah it's they're going they're going through the current bylaws and then updating and um making making changes and so this consultant would would go through and make sure that that the word Smith is as it needs to be in bywise and why can't we use legal council for that um well it does say that it's a consultant and so the team we use to be Town Council could certainly this could be go out for bid at 14,5 it's probably an amount available to go out for bid and they would be available to do it well I hate to say this but I have never seen a board of Selectmen so crazy to hire consultants for every damn thing that comes along rather than using people available for the same purpose right but but if if there's an amount specific to a task like this I think once you get a particular threshold you have to go out to bid I think it's over think over 10,000 isn't it it may have increased recently but 10,000 used to be that um the number I I remember but this is in the capital purchase so it really wouldn't matter people consultant doesn't come under that right it it doesn't come under the capital but it but I think it does come under um needing needing to post um request rfqs the request for quotes and and bids to be placed yes yes well we don't know that that hasn't been done and that they they're just short this amount of money for getting the person that they want I the the flow of information from the selectman's office to us has been abysmally poor agreed Y no comment chck reported so what do we want to do um pass on it and let them explain why they can't use Town Council or let the town um decide or I say let them decide but I not recommend I can't recommend it either it it it seems well it it's a huge amount of money you know like we were just discussing earlier we know and have a whole bunch of money to give away right so a lot of these articles seem look like we've got extra money to give away some people think that I think right they do it's kind of like and giving away back to the old added free cash is not is is neither free nor is it cash it's kind of like an item with free cash means you had you had been taxed on it and do you want to use it for this um [Music] again this this one probably has a little bit limited information with it um we can um and it it sounds like there's a motion hanging that people would make that we don't recommend article 9 at this particular time um so that's being the case we need a motion um a motion in a second on article 9 Don could I speak on that this is Veronica K I'm on the bylaw Review Committee yes please if you look at our ecode in other words if you go to the bylaws and regulations on the website and you see our e code you will see that there are um all these amendments that had come in over the past approximately 20 years the last time the town did this review of the ecode was up early 2000s I believe um so the thought is to incorporate incorporate those into the bylaws themselves and also in that process look at new general laws that have come in and wording that is required um yeah so go there um yeah I just wanted to um I you can see it if you go to um let me see there's there's one it's kind of like um let's I I don't know if to properties has any right um up here you you have the history on on when it was adopted and if you look at some of them and actually here amended it in its entirety now was that put in there um I suppose Kathy spafford as our town clerk could do all this um but we don't necess we the town I I don't know that updating our ecode other than putting in this was amended in this town meeting this was amended in this town meeting um that that's not really her job or anybody else's in town and so the the thing here is to um look at what is needs to be incorporated wording wise and what bylaws um what Mass are we consistent with Mass General law sure we could pay Our Town Council extra to do this as well if they want to did on doing that right so so the $14,000 or whatever it was um is just a guess on what you'll need or no it's not a guess we did there is a company the ecode company we talk to them and that's their their amount now anything over 10,000 you need to get three quotes and so we would go out there are other companies that do this and maybe we would want to um we the town or the bylaw committee or whomever would want to go with a different company doing it but we did talk to ecode and this includes incorporating everything a legal review and recommendations for what needs to be added or changed in our bylaws and it will probably take about a year for them to do all this the hope is the next annual T meeting but it's Poss possible that it won't be until the following special town meeting depending on how you know whomever we hire how much time they have available so sure we could you know there are other companies we could pay Town Council we should ask Town Council but they if they wanted to do it they would bid on it that's not necessarily what they do and there isn't staff in town hall that does this um unless we tell the town CL works because she's The Keeper of the records these are our records so um that that's why it's there so it's not a frivolous expenditure and it is free cash money that's available to the town that is outside of the budget you know funds that weren't spent um yeah as we talk about that it's not a recurring expenses onetime expense money correct and our Charter does say that every five years we're to review the bylaws and make recommendations the town is to have a bylaw Review Committee that um does you know looks at the bylaws and makes recommendations so I don't know in the special town meeting who they have listed as the person that requested this article um it might be the board of Selectmen it is the board of Selectmen y yeah we went to the board of Selectmen and one of their meetings it was an open meeting um uh might have been January February March time frame and said hey what what's the extent that you want us to do and should we review all this so anyway that's where it came from and you guys I'm I'm gonna mute myself that's all I have to say thank you very much thank you appreciate you being here and asking to speak because with sharing my screen I don't see Hands raised and I don't see the other part so does that help anybody with um the purpose of this article well it certainly helps me I have a much better understanding now okay and maybe that's what we should have done is invited people from each of these articles to it okay it's an open meeting they could have come if they wanted to yeah exactly yeah kind of so with that and the explanation um are we ready to make a motion on article nine okay I I um we're still on the other page and I don't remember the number of the article sorry y thank you thank you it's kind of nine nine yeah yeah I got I okay get back to that page okay so article 9 up near the top here I I um recommend that we uh I I'd like to recommend article nine so the motion is for finance committee to recommend article n made by Andrea do we have a second just second it so we can go on you don't have to vote for it yeah so we had a second by Jerry in the room um any additional discussion questions no okay then being heard um we're voting a yes vote will be to recommend this artic will pass at at Tom meeting special um roll call V please Andrea wood yes Dam Grant yes Geral m is yes bar yes okay and Don Hayes yes can still got to work on okay ready for article 10 um to see if the bound town will vote to appropriate from ambulance receipts or other available funds in the treasury the sum of $335,000 for the purpose of paying for Fire Department emergency Bill equipment or take any other action there too this is just a simple transfer it is a simple transfer um I I had questions the other day related to this article um that maybe have nothing to do with this article I I my my concern is accounting and timing is this approving to go out and purchase it or is it paying for items that were purchased not against the budget line already so we're just we're just using it to to cover a purchase that was [Music] made um I did not get answer yet it's kind of like the accountant has been in training the last few days right and um should that come under Capital then I know 35 right but even even still things that are paid for from ambulance receipts go through Capital so the questions are is this a single piece of equipment is it multiple pieces of equipment does any other qualify for Capital planning so we don't know we we we don't know that but it's kind of is his money right yeah so so with with that it it's a simple transfer but there's other pieces that depending on how it operates are we going to fail an audit that said we didn't do this have we gone outside the process of capital planning you know are there processes that were broken to to get to this point it's kind of like well does it also allow other dep to do the same thing it would it would appear that way if we don't do an evaluation of process and procedure and follow up and um and tighten up any any holes that may may be in a process that would allow this to to happen you know yeahor a transfer and it's from other funds it would not affect the capital budget it wouldn't lower the capital budget it's you know it by separating it out because it didn't cost anything within the capital budget either they're funding it from a transfer so I understand what you say I don't now I don't know what it's for either right so so so yeah I I mean those those are my questions I um if if it was a bill and and it went outside the procedure we have to pay it it's kind of like and they're doing it with fun with with funds from with within their their own organization but I think that there's got to be um a forensic look at this to see how and why um this is this is happening yeah I I know that there have been Capital the capital planning committee has been working very hard and the the equipment for that ambulance is is one of the articles that they have and it's been on there and it's been discussed a couple of times it it seems to me almost like this article is a mistake like it shouldn't be here at all you know because it's already been taken care of Elsewhere but but it really wasn't when the capital plan had approved it but when the capital plan made it to board of selectman a selectman um shot down the um you you making it part of the capital plan so so so it's it it it was brought forward to the capital plan it was approved by the capital plan committee but when the capital plan committee submitted submitted and and had it reviewed by border of selectman that was an item taken off the capital plan um that that was passed and will be pass um we don't know if that's ambulance or what it is um did the Fire Department emergency vehicle so doesn't doesn't necessarily say specifically ambulance or or fire truck but it's just or rescue I I would suspect public rescue because it's talking about emergency vehicle rather than fire truck ambulance specific it's just nice to say within the parameters of what everybody else right um because not everybody else has a has an ambulance fund to pull from so should we take a um do we have a motion related to article 10 do we recommend or not recommend um is is there any um again maybe this would be cleared up if we could read the motion article okay um I I made a note that we would like the motion details is this another one that we want to get information on and again we can't have a meeting in both but we can we can pass additional information we learn on well we can ask many more what's it for yeah that's not unusual for department head whoever it is is money yeah right exactly yeah if we if we use and so we would recommend we recommend ambulance Rees other than or other available funds okay sorry I'm just making making notes and being quiet here um so do we have a motion to take no action and um provide details I'll make a motion to make take no action uh and upon receiving more details and I'll second that okay any further questions no none being heard a roll call vote please a yes is um recommending no action um no no recommendation from finance committee but if it does pass we recommend that ambulance receipts are used to pay this yes amount okay sorry Mar yes I'm sorry I'm stomping on everybody no you're not you used to have an order but okay yeah thank okay so I I got everybody as a yes for that with recommending um detail detailed information recommending ambulance receipts and committee is not recommending at this at this particular time at this particular meeting article 11 everybody's favorite deficit spending to see if the town will vote to transfer from free cash or other available funds in the treasury the sum of 1,59 and one I'm sorry get my I can't think that high either 155 $159512 24 snow and ice deficits under the provision of Mass General Law chapter 44 section 31b or take any other action Rel there to well I don't think we really have a choice on we don't have a choice um we left out on the last storm it wasn't St ice yeah and so yep um if there's no discussion on it um the do we have a motion to recommend I'll make a motion to recommend I'll second it okay um any other questions or it's all straightforward we ready to vote B is yes Andre would yes Mark yes Sam yes no there is zero no so it's unanimous um article article 12 to see if the town will authorize the board of Selectmen to enter into a 5year contract with GW sh and Sons for trash and recycling services to include totes or take any other action in relation there too I think that we should let the town decide on this one mmhm well in a way regarding the toad yeah that would have already been are we we wait a minute we're doing a special of the annual special this is this is okay I just got you know lost yeah okay never mind yeah so article 12 and 13 are mirrors of each other um we received the two quotes one with totor one with the one with to is less correct correct but that's a fiveyear contract with three years unknown am I correct two years unknown years Unown two years unknown okay well what we're really voting there I think besides the the trash thing is that unless it goes to town meeting vote the Selectmen are not allowed to enter into a fiveyear contract right enter into a about allowing them to do that but giving them yeah I think this article is after two things it's after the fiveyear time period and the totes or nonto now would they not give us I I meant to ask this question the other night would they not give us a three-year quote they did not consider a three-year quote they they did not submit a three-year quote okay I don't I only I only attend Board of Health meetings now and again but um I attended that one and what was presented was uh the chairman said that he supported the fivey year there was no I mean they may have well had a previous discussion of it but at their last meeting there was no he supported the fiveyear went forward to a vote and that's what went because the three it was probably more expensive knowing they're not going to PO possibly get the other two or whatever which makes sense I understand it yeah it's just kind of stinks entering into a contract with two years you really have an unknown cost so you're gonna have to pay it no matter what it is and what's even worse is you have the unknown cost like you said but we have um the unknown rise and or fall of the inflation correct right so um do you want me to pull up one of contracts look at it um let me see if I can 25 oh Finance better better go to [Music] right contract so um I'm just going to pull up one looking at the to just so that we can have in front of us a look at what we're talking about so this this is the 5year contract um when we when we look at the initial year the first year they are quoting what the curbside pickup is on the first line then they have the tip fee per ton um then they project how many tons we're going to have in the year and then the recycling fee uh per ton and then an estimated on the recycling fee and so at the end of that top service that's the curbside pickup is the $892,000 um and then is's all of these other fees that are in here um that that are listed based on when they're picking up at the recycling center um the rest of them are are containers around town and how much how much and and they're picking up at B Health um twice a year twice a month um so all of those will figure into it but when we get down to year four for instance um down we should be at year when we get to year four there are service for the for the collection fees here they're still estimating the same tonnage for recycling and curbside trash but what they're not doing is they don't know what the market price for the tonnage is and they have given us um and then the rest of it is the um recycling Hall fee is there but everything else is marketpl so in the details of a five-year contract that's these are the quotes that have been presented what the special town meeting article is looking for [Music] is the to authorize the board of Select me to enter into a five-year contract um with but so we're looking at it the idea is these articles have to pass in order to get to for Selectmen to negotiate a 5year contract and that's that's what the purpose of the articles are for the other pieces are details about the pricing probably concern us from finance committee um but without without the permission to enter in and negotiate on a 5-year contract or try to get additional quotes from other companies um maybe maybe it wasn't presented as as an opportunity for five years to other companies they might be able to go off and rebid I don't know it's kind of like but this is just their permission to get into the contract but because we see it we probably I would it it's Financial impact on the background because if we look at the 5year contract is years that we don't know how much it's going to be in years five four five four or five we can't predict that um based on whatever market price is of debt but the first three years are are pretty much quoted in there um but there are car carats about um additional expenses that can be charged so it get in that a you know this this is all about the negotiating a fiveyear contract does the town approve it so if we don't approve if we don't recommend to approve and that town does not approve where does that put us without a trash uh without trash pickup for that budget am I correct yep starting July 1 yep correct yep so I know there's a backup plan for that um no it just it will be I assume from talking to Carla if if we don't do anything and it ends July or June 30th um July 1st it's every man for himself right yeah right there was some talk about um an imposed fee to each citizen to um that'll be part of your tax bill or it could be part of your tax bill or whatever yeah and that number when I read it I didn't think it sounded that bad to be honest but I could it's probably yeah yeah yeah it's like buying you know buying electricity in the in the um conglomerate you you better you if you went out and tried to individually contract with somebody to come buy your house and do crib site pickup you'd be paying a high price unless you had half the town on board with you right and you know and so those are the pieces you know yeah and then again how about the non-t is so how does that make equate to the actual cost and what we you know our rate would go up the less people that would use it so it's um it's I call it an SS um it's I just wish it wasn't worded for the five-year contract but I guess that's all we can accept that's all they will accept well that's that's just saying that that they can enter into fiveyear contract right well saying with specifically with sure because we have the quotes So yeah so that's that's definitely based on the two quotes that we have in hand going out and asking people to quote now we probably there's definitely not enough time before our meeting so we're looking at at these amounts and and the different amounts between the two the two contracts and you're right with the totes toter as they call them um it's it's less expensive per um so if you're working to save a few bucks which is about in a rord to 40,000 a year less expensive by doing article 12 versus Article 13 and that that price will escalate as as you get further out just just because they're basic in on needing additional labor and raises and all that on the on the guys on the truck two two people versus one um the prices go up accordingly can I ask a question here yeah I didn't I don't didn't see sufficiently long enough on that contract uh but when they're saying Market rates that's ver that's something that's verifiable so they they are telling us that on year four and year five whatever the market rate is is what we're going to be uh working on the rest of the numbers seem to stay the same um they're pretty close when when we I'm going to if if I jump down to the municipal building items they're going up about $5 a year on on those right so we've got an idea what everything else is but what we can't do they can't do nobody can do um is is is um say what the Tipping rate's going to be four years out the other side point is they are saying market price just like buying a lobster um you know you you know you're you know you're going to get a reasonable thing and you're able to verify that you're getting a reasonable price on that um that uh that Lobster or whatever um you're you know they if you know that the market price of for a restaurant is um should be $15 a pound and you're paying $45 a pound um then you know you're being ripped off and we can definitely have you know I'm certain that somebody's going to verify that they are giving us the market rate as contracted three years earlier Y which which this is a contract and and so I would expect as presented to Board of Health um and they recommend it coming in so I would expect Board of Health is looking at this and trying to update it as as we get because year four is fiscal year 2028 when we would be getting to that point we'd be looking at trying to see those numbers so that so that we can get the correct charges onto them either into the operating budget or or onto onto the bills that are that are passed to real estate owners but they are guaranteeing according to this contract that I'm looking at Market rates which is very verifi it at that time but you don't when we get there when we get there so it's kind like yeah you're going to know what it is when we get there you don't know what what it is three years in advance four years in advance yeah yep so and there are a few others of Market rates in in some of the earlier years too but um you know buy plastic tip fee per ton market price and that's if I scroll up that's year two um see if there's anything in year in year one the bulky plastic fee is also market pric so there's a couple of things even even in year one that a market price not not guaranteed not not a solid price in your CH contract but yeah so it's it's there there's a lot of lot of contract detail um again um how do how do we want to attack in article 12 um and I think that it it goes for both I um I don't know if it's an either or if they pass article 12 they they don't bring up no action on 13 um so if we vote down article 12 and and go to Article 13 and individually so um do we want to recommend that um the board of selectman um can enter into the fiveyear agreement with with sh I'm for it that motion yeah so you want to make that motion Sam to um vote that or honest with you I can't make that motion for the simple reason that ah I don't like the new totes coming to my place cuz I have enough trouble trying to store the stuff so I have to now store empty totes and then fill them on Wednesday morning when they before they show up um so that's two I there's no way I can take one of those totes um full of recycling uh out um to the drive I can to get to my side door here where we go out all the time yeah from there the tote's fine all the way to the curb but in the barn there's a lot of wiggling around to get in and out of there so but the other side of the coin is for the benefit of the town and the taxes that we pay I have to go with the tote thingy so I reason I can't make the thing is because I don't know exactly how which way I would vote it's every minute it's a way again yeah you you can make a motion that we recomend you as finance committee you can make the motion that we we recommend that um finance committee recommends this article but you don't you don't either have to vote for a hearing and you don't have to vote for it at town meeting you I'll vote I have to make a recommendation for both of them 12 and 13 right and and maybe that makes sense that um and maybe Article 13 if article 12 passes there's no need for Article 13 because it's a higher higher price and and right um You want me to make the motion we can you can make a motion okay I'll make a motion that we go with 5year contract we recommend a 5year contct with toter and that was Mark on the second okay and any further discussion no I'll go with it okay um vote for both a um yeah roll call vote on article 12 to Rec a yes vote is to recommend article 12 and entering the 5year contract J bikas yes Andrea wood yes Dam Grant yes Mark Cy yes a yes um and then we will go right in to Article 13 since it's no cerss um if the town vots down 12 and then consider 13 I think 13 is no action we have to wait on that we we have to wait on it or we can we can recommend that um we can also recommend this if um we can recommend both we can recommend both kind recomend because we we're saying trash pickup is important to the town recommendation on 13 also to recommend then um okay okay okay so we have M yes yeah Andrea wood no Dam Grant yes mark C yes and Don Hayes no I'm a cheapy I want the other one you don't live on a farm I don't live on a f there there are things that yeah I am very and it's I was going to say there forcing people to use toast is is tough in two PS if one is the handling of them the other is what if you only have a small amount of trash on a week it's kind of like you still got to handle the toat and bring it out to the end when you used to have we've been good enough a trash here that a lot of times the trash goes trash bag goes out every other week mainly because there's no food uh organic items that go in the trash cuz that's called garbage and it goes to a spinner out in the backyard um and the only thing that we really have is a lot of recycling and it doesn't all fit in the tote one of the things we should remember is that not only is with the totes is it the cheaper contract it's also savings for Shaw because he only needs one man then per truck so ultimately down the road the the contract should be cheaper if we all have the tote than if we don't because he has to hire more men to do it in that with the inflation Etc everything going on it's going to cost more and that's going to be reflected in our contract I'm 100% in agreement but you there's a lot of cardboard and a lot of of pin and and cans and plastic bottles that get into that um you know that one tote oh I agree with you I mean in a sense I am voting to throw more Trash Away that is recyclable because I've got an empty trash bucket and I've got an over full recyclable bucket Carla told me that um it costs more presently to do the recycling than it does the trash problem I've had that problem with recycling since thing of it is is the state requires it's a mandate oh in that case I don't I won't do it mandating it they doing enough trouble they already have mandated the status but they've done nothing to try to offset any cost yeah okay wna sort of pull pull it back to uh try to get through at least special um I think we're aren't we I think what were the special the rest of them are zoning bylaw adoption um adoptions I don't know if we want to take if we look at article 14 they're changing the zoning on a property um and taking it out of commercial and putting it into residential or industrial and putting it into residential which one of the things everybody ask for is more business but here here's a place where we're taking property out of industrial and moving into residential so it's no longer going to be available but but there's no it it's not still not considered a financial article I don't think um okay then then we will agree yeah no it's not yeah and then the others are leases for two properties the um old Harbor Fire Station and the fire station for 50 year leases I don't know um if that I think we'd have to wait until we F when when they came up with a figure for the which isn't there so it's not Financial yeah so and then the last one is trying to sell a property at 182 Warren Road which the town properties committee did did recommend that we sell that property but it didn't go in the last the three that we did last November um they wanted to hold on to it because they wanted to know if it was going to be split between um fishing games and split into two blots but looks like they're they're worthy to go with it now because all that that would do is split off the back half and and allow fishing gains in the state to pay us just a little bit of money every every month um on that property but if we keep as it as it is it looks like that didn't go through so they're listing the whole partly to anybody that might might be interested to action the other three okay that was that was the special we got through it a little bit um we are losing a member here in the room and it's not me do do we want to go into the annual town meeting um skipping the the main part which is the budget and revisit the budget say on Tuesday at 1 o'clock and try to get through budget then or just keep plugging away I think we should plug away as long as we can as long as we can okay yeah so we we'll keep we'll keep going um let me know if if you yeah okay okay now we we have been at this for two and a half hours want to take a five minute uh pause oh lovely yes okay then uh we'll we'll pause here for five minutes and uh come back at 6:30 6 minutes on computer okay um I don't not sure what partly you do with that but we're going to pause for the five or six minutes here okay I uh I heard you I'll um I'll pause the recording and just let me know when you're ready to come back yeah it sounds like you're going to run it and cut it afterwards maybe okay so I'll keep keep recording yeah let Dave get get his input sorry sorry Dave we do exactly that leave it recording and we'll just cut out the break and the edit okay that's fine thank you okay meeting over no what happened I don't know and I don't get I mean Sam they're taking a five minute break go to the bathroom or whatever and then they're going to come back and start in on the uh the next group of Articles thank you I was looking at the bloody annual paperwork and got that's enough to bury your eyes yeah so go ahead you got till 6:30 I may be back okay for we [Music] e e e e [Music] what in for [Music] okay I'm sorry it's uh we back at 6:30 AEK we ready to come back into session not yeah they did on break oh okay um just make sure we have our quum Sam are you ready to go I'm here ready thank you okay thank you Andrea yeah and Mark yeah I'm here for half an hour okay so so that says that's that's our time limit okay I somebody had to say it yep that's that's okay it's kind of like I'm here I'll keep the lights on all night if it if you keep me going okay so all right we we are now into the annual so let me clear up my screen a little bit and so we have the annual town meeting in front of us articles one and two again are calling it to article one is the v um standard article one for every year talking about the vote to authorize the board of selectman to appoint all top Town officers um unless other Provisions are made by Mass General Water Town Charter so that would include us um with being appointed by Town moderator um Article 2 is to see if we're going to hear anything so there's no actions for um finance committee article three is the spending limits in the revolving funds um generally we vote on this last year we after town meeting we increased two and then they looks like they have increased um another one this year so the these are amounts um you want me to highlight what the changes are from what we approved to town meeting last year to this year or to I think that' be helpful okay so recycling last year was 20,000 and this year it's if for f FY 24 was 20 20,000 and they're uping it to 33,000 um and again that can be the the rates are higher that they have to pay they're charging more there's more money coming in so that's that's just a number that's increased to cover the increased activity and volume with with the recycling center um the recreation programs last year um was was passed I believe it was it it said 52,000 in the um in the annual town meeting but that's one of the two that we voted out um about a month after town meeting we voted to be at 100,000 and it's remaining at 100 ,000 facilities remains constant at 4,000 um the cemetery um is last year was 28,000 it's going to be 30,000 this year so it increases by 2,000 again you know small small increment to in increase the revolving account just probably to cover increase of revenues um that they were getting the fire alarms stays at 4,000 it was 4,000 last year Animal Care stays the same the Fire EMS at 5,000 stays the same the police 80,000 is the same conservation 20,000 is the same Fire EMS at 10,000 is the same the Firearms licensing was a new one created last year um for the police department um public records request again by the police department last year was 1,000 when it was created and approved and the detail Cruiser fees um at $2,000 is the same as last year so um we recycling increased Recreation increased but to the same amount that we had voted um in one of our sessions cemetery is the 2000 increase so those those are the increases for the year um and we have not had the ability to Output the detailed information into a file that we can manage and look at so we're going to continue to work on that with um the software provider and see if we can get information to a file so that we can we can easily manage and review those accounts and make sure um that again a short time after town meeting we're not going back and increasing these that we take care of it at town meeting we don't have to do any adjustments to it um okay so question are some of these funds quote self- sustaining such as Recreation they they are the recreation program the revenues come in and then they they make payments out to the counselors and and the rec coordinators that they hire provide as well as any any materials that are needed so yeah the money comes in you know this the whole piece about revolving when when a program is paid for um the money goes into the account and when there's a bill associated with with the recreation program it it exits from that that same account paid out we go down to number 12 the firearms licensing uh I paid I think of $200 100 each to get the firearm license um that goes into replace into that 6000 correct yeah yeah it goes into that six that that fund and if they have anything associated with investigation and in um associated with it um any anything associated with the fire licensing that's an expense for it they will charge it into that into that account and pay it out of that account okay thank you okay are we ready for a motion for that would be I'll make a motion that we recommend um article three as written I'll second it okay and so with that uh they vote um Lo call vote if there's no questions mark Casas Andre wood yes samam Grant yes John Hayes yes and Jerome bikas has left so we are we are still with Quorum and we're at that one passes unanimous with the Quorum we have um the next item on The Bu the operating budget is um to see if the town will Rose ra and appropriate transfer from available funds in the treasury such some that may be necessary to defay the charges and expenses on the town year fiscal year 2025 pursuance detailed budget totaling 28,3 28,33 687 um and with that they have these five accounts that they're transferring money in into um into the general fund to support so the title five um debt repayment um the West towns and reading room operating expenses and things have taken from from renting U the ambulance receipts is 700,000 the water Enterprise that is being transferred is for our overhead is [Music] 381,000 for is moving $10,000 um to uset the assistant director position so what that is is the assistant director also provides some of the programming and and provides the um hours to support the program and so those those are calculated at at the $10,000 and paid out a moved from the recreation revolving account into the general fund so that we can we um the act the actual budget budgeted amount is $10,000 it it's the the assistant director position is fully funded but they are setting much like um the ambulance receip due to operate the em they're they're contributing to the general fund so that so that we can we can use it and appropriate it to a position in their departments any any questions on the transfers that are helping to support the general operating budget if we hand this article this way before um I don't remember it before we have um okay it um but I'm looking at it it's kind of like the 28 the 28 million seems to be associated with the whole budget not just yeah well and it seems to me if if you have your revolving fund set up it can only be used for certain things so why we're voting it here and they're just not doing it I don't understand because every time we we do um uh say um where the recycling center at the at at the landfill we don't we never pass on the money at our meeting for that is it we do it we take the revolving fund and then they use that revolving fund as they need to I don't understand the listing or why it's here um because in in those cases those revolving amounts are paying for the items they were set up for and Ed they're not they're they're not part of the op the operating budget here there's money that needs to come in to try to offset some of the the pieces that are part of the operating budget that that are funded by some of these locations but if we look at the water Enterprise P they're using the wait they're using the revolving fund fund to fund operation operational budget items is that what you're saying yeah yeah that's that's what I'm saying when we look at right well but well I mean if we look at the water Enterprise fund that's that the water department does not submit their own payroll it it's paid they they use Town Services they use the accountant um right insur insurances for the employees and health insur you know so the insurances are done under Town insurances so there's this transfer that's needed from water department to offset the cost that we have in the operating budget so it's really they're they're paying for the pieces of the operating budget from these revolving accounts that they have in the past few years if you look at the articles on Old warrant we vote the water department one of the three items in there is to pay Town cost right I I just I I I happen to grab um the annual Town report while I stepped out and that's showing the these exact same five last that we voted these same five last year as as part of Article Five which was the main budget okay I guess I just don't remember it I'm sorry thank you that's that's okay it's kind of like um and and that's why I refer back to what we've done in the past and what's we reported in in the annual Town report so um that that's all those are all individually the the same funds as we did last year the amounts are are a little little different the um the ambulance Reserve fund is up 200,000 the water Enterprise is down roughly 4,000 and the recreation revolving account is the same so we have two two that are different in value this year than they were last year yeah I what is this this what what is this article to accomplish well the the art as I read it it it's kind of like it doesn't stop at the transfer of the of the funds um the transfer of the funds of the first half and the second is the full the full budget do we do we want to skip over the full the full budget and consider it at a different time or do we want to just keep going budget let SK by budget and hit other other articles well like you know like I said I by 7 o'clock I have about half it and I apologize it's it's been a long day even know I'm retired and you I got to get something to eat and stuff and been on here what almost three hours now yep going on going on three yep yeah so um you know I hate to be the bad guy and spoil it but um and as far as Tuesday afternoon it would have to be after 3: for me to get together you know so that even makes it harder I don't know if any one else is available anyways uh let's move on for a while again at least okay so guys want so yeah this again this this this is the the transfer of the funds are just the start of the main budget so let's get back get by the main budget see if we can see some of the other warrant articles sorry for the scrolling but it's a big budget [Music] um and Article Five is associated with the budget I don't know that we don't have a number to vote for and so we don't know where where we stand with balanced budget at this point so I would say we there's nothing to vote on on Article Five until we have and see the motion yeah on it um water department um to see if the article six is to see if the town will vote to fix the salaries and compensation of all elected officers of the Town provided by Master law and amended as appropriated by this one take any action to that fix um Kathy Sal yeah and yeah right in the description the Articles legally required to set the town Town Court's budgeted salary [Music] um which yeah so that that would set it in it's kind of it is it's kind of like and I don't want to page up and and see all that there a lot of not to scroll to so that would what that would fix the um salary at what's in the what's in the budget it's kind of I look at the copy of the budget that I had the town clerk salary um was the 4% increase year-over-year um to match all the other employees so it would be this year look like 25 that would be $79,000 28 which is the like I say the 4% over last year which was 76,2 um do want to make a motion on that to set that I recommend that we uh recommend article whatever it is article six okay I'll second that okay okay so with no for the it unless there's further discussion we'll take a roll call vote a yes vote is going to say that we fix the comp fix the town clerk budgeted salary to what's in the budget Andrea wood yes Mark hassy yes Sam Grant yes okay and Don Hayes yes article seven um see if the town will vote to appropriate the sum of 26274 um the sum for the water Enterprise fund revenues to operate the water department for 2025 in order to fund a price of the intermunicipal trans expenses of the 300 [Music] 8,651 um so this is this is approving the amount from from a bug that that transfer excuse [Music] me okay sorry um okay so this this um this is setting the water Enterprise fund at the at the 2,62 174 and transferring the some to to offset their um expenses that are included in the general the general budget or the operating budget I Mo that would recommend this article I'll second it okay and call vote Andre wood yes yes Mark yes okay Don Hayes yes um article eight Capital so these are the capital articles that have been approved um so we had the ones that are approved in in the warrant or the police records management for 35,000 the energy the building energy retro fit at 77,78 is all that money to come from free cash no that's all on a borrow it it's listed as borrow um so not the wage management I don't think oh it is huh it is according to this wow I didn't think we did that thought Rec record management was going to come from um Capital fund Capital yes that was my understanding I could be wrong but I don't remember if we were going to borrow for the uh for the uh plow Sanders and I guess maybe for the energy retro but yeah H all right well um okay uh yeah the the record management does it's kind of I mean it's a capital expense but really why would you want to pay for that over time and that was not what I thought we voted yeah um and the energy retro I forget what account that was going to come out of I that was kind of botched towards the end because it we had to not do a building wanted to add a building and it got kind of messed up but I certainly don't remember uh the police wreckage management I wish Jerry was here because she knows too but she'll better recollect to me maybe but that's that was not slated to be borrowed okay okay so the first two you think weren't weren't to be borrowed and again I know the first one wasn't the second M suspect you know I can't remember right and I thought it was just simply to get the trucks right the the bwing was going to be the big items in in the other two um because going to be covered by certain different accounts I can't we'd have to go back and look at uh was on TV but okay yeah okay so um we want to pass on making a motion on this until we investigate I think we need to investigate a little bit Yeah I do too um and again it's kind of like um just I think we had done it but I'm just going to um we had a joint meeting with with capital planning but I want to at least get it up there this building energy retrofit um it cost us money this year but the Energy savings from converting all of the lighting fixtures over to LEDs is going to be a longer term and the longer we use the fixtures the long the more money we save um without doing it so this it's a short-term expense with with long-term benefits for the time is is that the only repit we're doing um on that particular one there is a whole other building evaluation going on um and once once those evaluations are done the company is going to come back with recommendations across all buildings across all the whole town but do you know what buildings we're actually doing on this building energy retrofit yeah I I don't I'd have to go back and look and see what because I remember I thought part one was the town hall we were looking into doing the H one of the fire stations but that got shot down because it wouldn't um the payback wasn't there okay I have to look back in notes yeah yeah you're right there was one build the the general you probably approved the buildings that were three and a half or fouryear payback correct yes yes and then the ones that were longer than that it was determined that you didn't want to um it the cost savings wasn't enough and wasn't there right and they weren't going to pay back early enough so yeah so from the initial list that was reported it's kind of like there were a couple of drops so I don't know exactly which one from this but if there there's there could be questions about this at at town meeting yeah and I I just want I I really got a question the records management right I mean that that doesn't we had the money the money we had the money in the account from what understand right yeah there was there's a a cap a capital budget right right and I thought some of them some of these were two of these were coming from the capital absolutely number one on our list was police uh the wreckage management and it was definitely going to be covered yeah yeah it it doesn't doesn't make sense I mean hope that's a mistake or typ up right so that that could be we have to see the motion and see if if you know the there was just something that U missed in the warrant kind of yeah we're listening we're we're looking at a at a precursor um okay article article nine to see if the town will vote to to accept the provisions of Mass General Law chapter 44 section 54b to allow Town trust funds to be invested in accordance with general2 3 see the so-called provent investor R well I think that that's a good idea because it it broadens our Horizon it gives us more opportunities that we can take or not take um the thing is that we have to be very dependent on the Judgment of the treasurer right yeah so in that case and I know the auditor year came in and said we we had an there was opportunities at this point for different Investments um and and the description talks about the Articles um allows the investment in which allows for the broader range of Investments that would other otherwise be allowed from Investments and Savings Banks so um in in a simp you know everybody knows what in in Savings Banks we're not getting very much on on savings accounts and interest but that would allow us to to go to some instruments that are paying a higher higher interest rate and try to at least grow CL funds rather than sitting sitting this stagnant just getting savings account interest on them um where do we consider that a financial I'd say so okay then do we have a recommendation um or I'm sorry a motion to recommend this it I move that we recommend the article I second it okay thank you Sam any further questions or discussion no and take a vote of a yes vote will say we support this and recommend this article Andrea would yes samam Grant yes Mark Hy yes D haes yes it's for S4 okay um and I know now it says 702 on my computer screen so um how many we got left uh this um let's see and two three um it looks like three more and then it goes to General bylaws if we get if we can get get out get away we're doing just three I'll stay oh good thank you yeah I appreciate it it's gonna um it just adds more for later so yeah it's kind of and the game hasn't started yet um article 10 to see if the town will vote to appropriate from the paid excess receipts account and they're going to turn us off on the on the zoom if we don't do this um and I'm kidding um the pay access receipts reserved account for the sum of 87,7 21 funds equal to 5% of Comcast gross annual revenues in Townson for the first and second quarters of fiscal year 24 subject to the receipt and availability and authorized support selectman in Town Administrator to expend and distribute set funds to towns and Community Access meeting in on a quoty basis for the purpose of annual funding of the production of broadcast of public educational government access tevision on terms contained in the in certain Grant agreement between the town of Townsen mass and Townsen Community Access media effective September 15 2020 or take any other action so this is taking the the Comcast money and allocating it um to support tcam to continue to provide their services to P I move that we recommend this [Music] article okay and okay and any additional questions this this is standard one we see it twice a year on that annual and and a special in the fall so um roll call vote please Andre wood yes D Grant yes Mark yes yes um okay scroll to article 11 to see if the town will vote to raise appropriate borrow transfer from free cash or other available funds in the treasury the sum of $5,000 or any of the sum to defay the charges and expenses with planning an ex execution of the town 300th anniversary celebration to be held in the year 2032 or take any other action I will make a motion that we recommend article 11 I'll second it I'll vote for [Music] it jumping ahead um and okay so I would you so Sam you said you're going to vote for in favor of this I hey hey um so the remainder of the looll call vote Andre wood no Mark CS you voted no last year too didn't you Andrea budget I just can't see I I get it I get it well with all the other ways the money going out here we need to do something to to do put it aside for the party that's coming up the yeah yes kind of so um understood I mean this this money is there it it's just building and untouched at this point it's so far it's still eight years out till we get there so we'll see um article 12 to see if the town will vote to raise an appropriate borrow transfer from available funds in the treasury the sum of $88,000 or any other sum for the purpose of funding the assesses fy2 periodic um inspections and Property Data validation program mandated by the Mass Department of Revenue bu local assessments we really don't have a choice here and know yeah this is this is a requirement and and much like the article with um the elections this this this is an amount that is there every year but we vote we vote it and it has to be done so it has to come from somewhere it's not in the budget and so this is this is the one time expense kind of thing and they pay it out of a free cash look like transfer yeah from available funds recommend article is it oh 12 12 second okay and roll call vote Andre wood yes D Grant yes Mark yes Don Hayes yes okay so um okay so I'm just GNA go the the rest of them say General bylaw is Article 13 General bylaw [Music] article 14 the scenic Road byw Article 15 is the noise control didn't I see up near the top of that an $8,000 figure I think that's on the um let's see if I can find it w 41 Pages huh holy Moes yeah yeah well the budget takes up quite a bit oh that's true yeah yeah okay so you so there's a filing fee associated with the c Road byw um Road oh okay when you when you start getting into the noise control you you're you're putting fines first and each subsequent um event I'm not seeing anything about [Music] 8,000 I never thought I'd see this yeah oh my good gosh taking me back to my working days when we used to make and test sound level meters yeah yeah in in a booth for a booth yeah in a brother knows best but yeah I don't the only thing I saw was was fees associated with um with those article 16 the outo liting bylaw that's 100 200 and three yeah yeah uh first and second oh first offense is a warning second is 100 Third is 200 and fourth is subsequent 300 I don't know I don't because it's in and part of that law but it's really the law you're voting I don't I don't think that's a financial thing you could make a recommendation I suppose that the fees are too high or too low but they can be y it's kind of like I'm I'm looking at this and I see all sorts of things that I see when I buy light bulbs these days and new fixtures withs yeah these things that make you cringe and want to crawl under the table cat sheets we got cat sheets all right yep kind of article 17 the affordable housing by article 18 Tony you know I find this kind of interesting that we're doing all the droning things which are Town bylaws yeah and yet we're going to hire a company to integrate these into the full yeah to integrate or to see if they're right or I I I don't know it seems like we're we're kind of putting the maybe he should review them before they go in place right that's an idea right then have to just amend it after yeah but this is the way they have it so I guess we have to yeah these These are these are like all the zoning pwas that have taking place since the since the last P was updated in pretty much in and out of 20 deletion so Outdoor liting provisions in the current zoning are a replace the this is deleting the existing ones and replacing it with what we have seen above um and here Article 19 the fees for L scale ground mounted solar installation so again setting setting fees for those I know this is going to sound like a really ignorant question and I hate to ask it because it may may make me look so stupid but zoning bylaws are aren't Town bylaws right I mean they come under Town bylaws but I thought Town bylaws were were things like um how close you could put things to the road and you know things like that well those um I think those are all zoning considered zoning bylaws too I think they're in that okay um Mr chair yes if I can interject I can answer Andrea's question we've got two sets of bylaws General bylaws and then the zoning bylaws thank you and what they're doing with this uh change they want to make now is way back when they created a lighting bylaw that was half of it was for personal like residential and the other half was for Industrial and Commercial and they made one of them a General bylaw and the other one is zoning bylaw right so now they're they're putting them together and moving everything into a general bylaw thank thanks for theut like because I didn't have that I just see lot lot of the detail like I say that in and and again lighting has changed so so much in the last few years um moving moving from the indescent and and mercury lightings and and all those to the LEDs it's it's been quite a change in in the technology so it's good to good to update it okay so that that was the end the only thing we we really didn't hit is the big the big budget lines um which again are so I guess a little bit in fux until we until we know how the town is going to um vote on on some of the line um I don't I don't know that we have um a balanced budget to present until we get to town meeting I I thought that the other day he said we were still a million dollars out right correct um but I think that if if it's a it I think it depends on what we vote on the on the school budget line and maybe how the the um they dis solid least or or curite pick out goes and how that's gonna okay if they vote the school budget in that has to come out of a some what we were going to have for a balanced budget correct that's why I think the trash thing's going to be looked at but I don't know well that's a sore situ sore H subject for the voters you know both of them are so it' be interesting you have a large retired Community I use trash pickup I know do but I know longer use the school so guess where my sympathies are going to go well mine too you know unfortunately and I do mean that unfortunately but we have to draw a line somewhere all of us do for our own reasons um anyways yeah can I make a motion that we close if everybody's done um I'm certainly willing to hear anything else or whatever but um I'm a little later than I was hoping to be yeah yeah same same here it's kind of late but um we we did get through so if if you're ready I will entertain that motion you are certainly willing I got 7:16 p.m. oh second that we got to get a motion first I'll make a motion we close at 76 we okay so the motion to 716 second and second by Sam and I guess at this point roll call vote Andrea wood yes Dam Grant yes Mark hussy yes Don Hayes yes standard Jan I thank you for the long session today