##VIDEO ID:kqo5i35uYCI## [Music] being 7:00 do we have a motion to open our V move all in favor good evening everyone this the meeting of the finance committee is Wednesday September 11th 2024 please rise for the Pledge of Allegiance we have a flag here on FL United States of America indivisible liy and justice for all thank you sir okay and uh before we start um in honor of 911 um I think you know be nice to just have a moment of silence and remembrance of you know all the folks that lost their lives uh during that day um and the people that have still have physical and emotional injuries because of it and the family members that are alive today that have been affected by it uh can we have moment silence please thank you okay um so tonight we are going to uh review and take notes on the articles that will be presented at our fall town meeting on September 30th we'll uh we'll go in order so we're going to start everybody has their packets out correct start number one and Mr Kelly will give us uh an overview of each article as we go through and then we'll uh we'll take a vote Mr car have ready uh ad uh the article one is payment prior year bills we have uh threee bills and the Retro payment for uh the fiscal year 2324 for what we know the police chief who was working without a contract as far as his buy and uh we are looking to raise an appropriate uh because it's 14,170 total two police department WB Mason office supplies one Conservation Commission engineering fees and then that pay on descri and we we have enough room and we when we the Revis grow are coming in at around 100,000 so we have enough gr that we canover raise appropriate and Mr Kelly like we had talked about last week this is the end for unpaid bills so we're not expecting any changes on it I'm not expecting I'll make a motion to accept article motion second all in favor mtion are Post article 2 is an inter departmental transfer from the assesses Department of town buildings of the FY 25 budget it was uh uh we have uh hired a new clerical person in the assessor's office at substantial savings and I you've seen the buildings you know that there's a laundry list of work to be done and I'd like to transfer this amount of money into that account and uh take care of some of our building needs we also restructured the staff of the Town buildings we appointed maintenance for them last night and we test motion second motion second um sorry any discussion all in favor I okay motion pass is opposed three uh this is to fund the annual ms4 engineering costs uh to see if the town will V to transfer from storm water management stabilization fund this fund was set up specifically for this purpose we funded out of free cash and it keeps us current with our ms4 permit uh it's the ideal way of taking care of the engineering cost without getting the operational budget this is going to be an annual engineering cost oh uh every town has this it's for example uh the engineering firm is mapping all the storm water uh infrastructure of the T it's uh going in checking for leaps it's also uh making sure we're updated as far as our maintenance PL so it's going to be thinking it's going to be roughly around the same every year 50 we'll be lucky but yeah for the next couple years because we're current a lot of communities ignored it or coming and then had to catch up them ended up having $150 $200,000 a year cost I'm just wondering on a stabilization um would it make sense to this the of an operation rather than we're going to draw from St how much this is a special stabilization fund that was set up specifically to pay these engineers and then we're going to put money back into the stabilization at various times maybe not every year you'll take free cash and replenish it and you'll probably build it up a little bit because uh you've got to make sure down the road that you keep caring right see that this is theas account set up begin discussion all in favor three passes oppos article four is to accept and expend the fair share Amendment which is a millious tax uh we get $177,000 for road infrastructure culverts Etc this year the uh in the consenter in the annual meeting you have an article that does the same as this article is proposing to do for chapter 95s this is identical to that we are putting it Forward because we have the money and we want to put it into the roads and uh the caral has not given the municipalities any uh direction as to how we're supposed to accept and expend it so we're just using the chapter 9 model here and going forward with it because we have projects that need to get done and you have to spend it by June 30 my question there's a restriction on how long you can keep those yeah Mr Kelly do you have a rough idea what the the amount would be 177,000 and then how do you determine those projects is it through the through the DPW DPW well the with the DPW for example it's only $177,000 if you had matri culber work it would cost more than that so very likely it's going to be paid Mr if you didn't spend the funds Town didn't is that go back to the state in June so what any idea what happens to those funds is it available for other municipalities to put in for we don't know an awful lot of the regulations or directions from the Comm haven't come out yet I'm just thinking if we can be proactive like we were with the other funds by having we have plenty of projects ready go we've did a number of ping projects I certainly don't want to see the funds go to uh other areas if they back to the state M which state would huh which state would likely I'll make a motion second we have a motion a second any discussion no discussion all in favor okay motion pass is opposed the next article is an article to amend section 3-1-2 the special of the Town Charter with the special act being filed to and sent to the legislature uh this section as it's currently written restricts elected officers from accepting an appointed paid town physan for 2 years from when return expires uh the restrictions placed are really limit us if we have a talented person and we want to fill a vacant position 2 years is an awful long time to wait between them going out of office and being able to apply for Town standard 45 days5 days and the state ethics law uh substantially restricts any former elected official from being involved in anything they was were involved in as the elected official and so and so it it uh with that working together with other uh uh like the ig's regulations it uh doesn't make sense to have this coming aspect of the charter anymore with it not being a funding do we have to V on this this is a non but I I think I think we should make a recommendation on it because it it will if it's going to be a pay position than it is indirectly funding is there something there now is there a position that we're looking at this is just I I am struggling to fill so many positions and for example if I had um selectman who was a uh really good accountant and decided that he they wanted to apply for the town and Count's job I couldn't hire for two years so Mr Kelly if I remember our discussion from last week right now the majority of municipalities are 45 days and we're at 2 years which makes us way out out of the ballpark for any competition for reasonable so [Music] please motion second any discussion no discussion all in favor I okay motion Passos what was that the that's our fire chief oh that's our fire chief Tom F Mr Kelly do you want to go out of water so and take Tom's article to your meeting it's up to you it's up to you Mr I think I can fly for the next two and then I'll stand up and be consider out so the next gr the next one is to fund the DPW collective bargaining agreement uh we sent a proposed M MOA to the uh the labor union they're going to presented to the membership if it it's not ratified by the membership will uh in time we will not be putting forward this article but the M MOA is a real simple it's got three aspects to it one is to change the dates of the present contract to go 3 years s the second is to have a payback provision where if the town pays for like a CDL license or a hoisting license or a water Li uh distribution license the individual has to stay employed with the town for 3 years or they have to pay the cost back to the town and it's not on a pro-rated basis if they leave within the first year they pay us all back if they leave between the in the second year they pay us 2/3 down if they leave in the third year they pay us one foot after they receive the license and the third is to take care of salary and the we red do the salary grid and and it's equalent of 1% 2% 2% I make a motion to accept second we have a motion for second any discussion no discussion all in favor any opposed this motion passes opposed article 7 is to amend Soil Conservation bylaw and we take out one phrase that has uh a limit of 80,000 on it and we default them to the state D rates and that makes sense because we shouldn't have since we're less than the state to rats and actually a truck that's delivering gasoline to a gas station is more than so we might as well just default to the d r make a motion second motion a second any discussion discussion all in favor anyone opposed arle 7 passes oppos article 8 is funding the school roof ban retainment from the special capital expenditure fund for solar tax revenue in 2013 by special act this town created this fund and this tax from the solar arrays both real estate and uh uh personal tax which is really the tax on the Machinery goes into this fund and uh it makes sense to in effect we're paying down half of the uh School roof band in this time frame and we expect in the next two years we'll pay more and then we'll not have to go up to bond and we'll repay the whole a motion second we have a motion of second any further discussion discussion all in favor anyone opposed okay motion passes opposed we're on to article n which is our fire chief's article Tom Farland Chief all your thanks Dr um article 9 is uh the first article and it's to see if the town will fund a study of the fire department um it's an all-inclusive study so it will take a look at the condition and uh feasibility of our three stations our Fleet of apparatus and our staffing how we operate the department um it's a total of $5,500 that we will that it will cost us um and the main reason why I'm looking for this study is it will help me to better create a capital plan and a department Improvement plan um for a 10 or 20 year plan um so that we can better have an idea of the needs that we're going to be looking at and we can come up with a best practice plan on how to develop those improvements that we need to make um and do it in a cost effective Manner and have a plan so we not fly out the SE P um this will come directly out of the EMS Reserve account um so no money from taxation or free cash or point that it's all from ambulance distance that's what I like to he no money from taxation make a motion that okay that's fine I just had one quick question sure by do by doing this study uh does it open up the possibility to like any future grants because you're doing this study it could it it won't hurt us when we look forward to towards grants um it'll give us a lot more data um and one thing some of those Grant um opportunities like is just influx of data so the more we have the better opportunity we have and we'll be in a better situation to explain our needs more proactive instead of reactive correct I just got one quick question this study is this a common practice like other departments um this is fairly common um most most towns do studies throughout the CL of time um we have one from 2001 was the last one the last one that we had um here in town stud and what you're hoping to get out of this is the help you for a longer me create a 10 to 20 year plan so we know as we moveing as far staing equipment replacement apparatus replacement um are our are our facilities in a good enough condition and large enough to accommodate what's coming down the road as far as the upgrades and apparatus everything's getting bigger nothing's getting smaller um so just kind of sets us up so we know what's coming and so that we know where we stand versus what expectations are who's theud so a lot of the data Gathering will be done by myself which is why the study is so cheap um and that is it's a it's a company out of central Massachusetts that will then take all of the data kind of put it through their computer system and spit up the FL I have nothing to do with the outcome it'll be um will this be released public information absolutely I have no problem with with going for to me providing results how long does stud take uh it should probably take from the time of funding anywhere from 6 to 9 I'll second is there anything you're looking to see that is going to bring to our attention is there anything that you can see that um I don't really see anything surprising that should come out of it um I I've been very open with everybody about um the condition of our apparatus and and I don't think it's a surprise looking at our stations that that were willfully UND sized for some of the equipment I mean everybody can drive by and see trailers outside we have um different equipment outside so it's it's it's more so to kind of this is where we need to focus first and second and third um if if anything might not be on on the general Public's Horizon but it might be in my brain for the last couple of years um it would be Staffing um right now we currently have two full-timers Around the Clock second seat of the ambulance bu by parttime staffer um those are becoming increasingly harder and harder the staff just based on everybody who works two three jobs in the in the business so getting them to to come to work here or apply here it's becoming difficult causes overtime or us you know myself to come in cover shifts at certain times so hopefully that can give us a better plan of of how we can solve that that for the call volume that we have you mention um a building being looked at because the app changing bigger is that going to be a potential problem down the road as far as that station stuff there are several ideas that I've kicked around for many years prior to become come chief of how we can operate more efficiently um and Facilities is one of those areas um we currently operate out of three facilities two of them is Staff one of them is not um and as you know EMA is a separate all together um so I'd be curious to see what their suggestion is as far as that is it we we take the two staff stations remodel one of those two into something that houses everybody and all the equipment um I I'm just curious to see what that leads to but it might at some point down the road lead to us having to do something about the buildings um the way that they are right now um that makes interchanging some of the apparatus difficult there a stud all right so we have Motion in a second on article 9 no further discussion all in favor noos so motion passes article 10 given that anything we do facility wise is going to be many many years down the road in public pass Night by um fire station number three which is the EMS um facility at 60 Middle Road um the generator that is currently there does not operate as it's supposed to um so similar to replacement of the generator here at station one last year um I'm looking to replace the generator at that facility um and also the exterior envelope of that building uh requires some attention paint's peeling some with the window trim wood is rotted out um so I've gathered some some quotes um to have the generator plac and then secondarily to have the window trim repair and scraping SL sand blasting of the exterior of the the shingles and another restate that fa um so we're looking for or I'm looking for um an amount not to exceed 49,999 to stay compliance with State procurement laws for those two projects and once again that will be 100% they um potentially the repairs I don't know if they do any painting or anything like that I know they do a lot of Harry I'll make a motion to accept a motion to Second any further discussion all in favor anyone opposed any motion passes post and lastly article 11 um is going to be the identical twin of an article that we passed in May of 2023 um and that is to see if the town votes will uh raise and appropriate or transfer from available funds borrow file accept or expend Grant or matching funds um a sum not to exceed $600,000 for the purchase and equipment equipping of a new ambulance um this will be the second ambulance that we replace um it's the same language um as we did just so that we can get on the queue as you remember um last time it's 2 to 3 years um when we did sign the contract in June of 2023 they gave us a 30-month estimated delivery time which takes us to December of 25 January of 26 time frame um I'm still waiting for an update um as of last week on where we stand if that's maybe improved a little based on on how things have been going in the business um don't have an answer on that yet we still looking at the 30 mons um so because of that time frame and the way the PES were purchased several years ago they will purchase one right after the other one year and another year so this will keep us within that one to twoe range of the ambulances um being purchased and replaced um this one won't have the same price tag as the first first one that we we have on order already but the simple fact of that first one was going to be an additional unit to our Fleet so that way when one of the two goes down we have a third that we can pull up we don't lose any service to the town we don't lose any Revenue potential Revenue if we need that second if we need that additional inance this one would have a trade in attached to so we in its Essence fully replacing a unit so there will be a trade in value that we get as a credit so it won't be any so the one that's being used now that's that's going to Tred in for this for this is this uh the same like it's all the same yeah the the ambulance compan is all on the same state big list um how it usually works is you meet with each with each of the different companies you talk them what you're looking for in an ambulance what chassis you wanted on how you want the box set up for your equipment and how you want everything laid out and they come up and they design it and based on that specification they provide you with update and we've met with five companies so far and we have one more that we're seeing tomorrow um that's really expensive y I just I mean I I was on Four River for years on on Rescue we only had two and I think I got five now so when these last two ambulance that we have now were purchased the price tag was in about 250 to 300 that was in 2016 and 2017 since then it's just like everything else so to to compare Squad 2 which was the last engine we bought in 2007 we paid $272,000 now at fire engine is a million so then just I wish I could explain it so this this is a place I could he you my opinion on that but I think I've done that quite a bit over the last few weeks so so to answer you a question yes this is a placeholder to get us in que so that we can sign a contract um and as I explained with water selecton uh last night it's not so much that the companies require us to have this in place it's more so for need to have peace of mind and for Mr Kelly and the W and for you guys to know that I didn't just go off and sign something I can't cash my chat um plan for this sorry the plan for this in talking with the board um is something very similar it's we're going to be doing our best to use strictly EMS funding whether that be a ban that we pay down principal yearly we'll pay half of it up front and then ban the other half of the cost of the ambulance and then in the next year we take from EMS Reserve half of that the full amount depending on how business is how much do you have in EMS Reserve uh as of as of this morning we're somewhere north of $950,000 current so Chief looking at your numbers the mean current ambulance you want to phe out is 7 years old you got two and A2 years years old that and you get 2 and A2 years waiting so realistically by the time we can replace it if we go through with everything right now we're already at 125% of useful life Plus usually yes so typical useful life is 8 to 10 years depending on how often you use it um and if anybody's been anyway at this center of town in the last probably 6 months I would you know we don't stop I would think when the new one that we ordered last year comes in repl this this this one will end up being a reserve and only come out to play when something either breaks or when one for rou TI a good return on investment I make a motion what's the current stat um I'm waiting for an answer from the salesman um still 15 months uh 15 months away but halfway through 30 month a second Mo all so we motion a second any further disc discuss all right all in favor oppos than CH thanks for coming in on September [Music] 11th all right so we're on to 12 which is the authorization for extended school transportation contract when the the school district entered into the current bus contract the uh uh school council wrote it in such a way that they could if town meeting authorizes them to go to an extended five here which is a option under the I believe the municipal forland but it's an option of there they wrote it in such a way and now they're coming to us to look at uh to see if town meeting will accept the uh contract going to the fifth year the third and fourth year will not cost anymore I'm sorry the fourth and fifth year will not cost any more than the third year and there's an escalated de escalated appause for fuel in the contract and when it was according to what P said last night when it was set it was higher so they probably be getting some money back from there so we're looking at extending a contract out 2 years with no increase in the cost of service in the base but it also gives the option to opt out of the contract correct and to go back into the marketplace and have we ever had AE contract with them no there's never been a 5year contract no it's under under the law so the legality question this has been vetted by legal it's an option that is fairly recent for chance to be able to do the five reviewing everything you just said there's no downside for the town and accepting this article because it makes the best financial sense period yeah I make a motion to accept article 12 motion second any further discussion I just have one question I'm not sure Mr Kelly what were the increases for years 1 2 and three I don't I jumped into the legality of it with uh Andy but uh as far as the money part Patrick was before the select last he said uh the fourth and fth year will correct but then how much was the increase in year one two and three well four to five to be zero I'm sure you know that it's a very closed shot correct that did on school contracts I've been I can I'm not part of the school world so I can throw bricks that uh I of the I that the companies feet decide who's going to bid on what contract do it seems to come out that way when you look at it regionally the uh the transportation contract that's not tied in with the driving contract right is that the drive the drivers are they contracted to the busing company or they busing through the town yes so in the town aush get the entire school bus services contracted out to a vendor okay and then that vendor hires drivers pay maintenance pays the fuel buys the buses they own the bu we got motion second yes all favor any article 12 pass is opposed Article 13 is the transfer of funds from the special education Reserve fund it's a it's basically to cover a deficit of $186,000 correct Mr Kelly correct now this article this was supposed to be on the annual town meeting correct last year and it didn't get put on there for some reason so that's why it's on a special town meeting my understanding originally was they didn't need it and then uh they told us that they didn't need it on the warrant and then after we they worked on the budget as you know we have a structural deficit of over a million dollar and uh the uh money that I assume annually went into this fund from the circuit breaker was used to uh def Fray the deficit on the school right so I mean I was at the meeting the before s meeting last night and Patrick had given a good explanation I um this is not going to be a we were never asked to clud it after they said they didn't need it but uh I will say that when we were working on the deficit we gave the school a charge number to come in at if you remember and I I never saw the school budget I just was told that their target number was right and that's all I he about in trying to balance the budget you know I think the point was that this is not going to be a usual and customary thing for this to happen um going forward well uh if it's a onetime fix then they uh we can't have the 186,000 added to the base of the school so we're not so we're not going to start off with a structural deficit next year of 186 well you pry sure of that correct dep what they do so so well basically in their own in his words they're going to find the cuts to make up the difference that that's what was said correct that's why I understood right cuz I'm assuming that those the tuitions know the costs that make up that what we're trying to cover is still going to be there for the budget so it's not an a onetime unexpected expense you know without further information but that's what I would assume they they use money for however they use the money to balance to come in at the Target trigger last year it cannot be added to the base this year so right so from what I understand and from our meeting last year is that what you said where um Cuts had to be made they were made with the thought that we can make it up by drawing on the special ed stabilization fund so that being said you know like I said those students are still in in their placements and a lot can happen I mean students can move out they can move in placements can change a lot can happen in a school budget so during the course of the year you might have be able to to make that up or you might or you might not so that actually leads me to my question on this is is this something that could be voted on that could be postponed until the springtime meeting CU in thinking through that way perhaps in in September you don't always have a good knowledge of where you're going to land in gym students move in they move out positions are unfilled sometimes you have salary savings you could have um staff come in at lower rates so you could have you know there's a lot of movement in the school budget so my point is is that is this something that could be postponed until the spring because they're not going to run out of money between now and say April um could that be postponed and then maybe the number isn't what is it 186 maybe the number is lower rather than taking it out of stabilization I mean I don't know the particulars of of the school budget in this regard so that's my question would be could you wait until the spring to have better information and not take over 50% of your of your stabilization fund but I don't know if that's an option you know timing wise I don't know if it's an option with the school this was protected by the school community so accepted [Music] and um so I would say it's up to either this this committee and the uh select whether they move it or support but is it would it be able to be moved is it something that could be taken up in the spring in order to fund a budget deficit in 205 I have no problem that was the way that t wanted to go but I would say that's a question for the school department so it's let's say it's let's say we hold this right now right and we're going to have a meeting right before the town meeting and we get more information between now and then we can take it up then that's what I kind to ask are you planning to meet with the school no no between now and the meeing no we can communicate uh we can find out about this possibility between now and when we're going to meet on the 30th if we're going to hold this we're not going to take it up not going to take a v on it I would think that that would pass option to put it on the and I would make I'll make a motion that we we hold this look I'm sure I'm sure somebody the school Pro is watching this meeting right now as we speak and then they'll probably be able to answer it probably pretty quickly I would imagine I'll probably get an email tomorrow um so we'll uh it's no harm with us holding this anyway to the Mee for meeting no it's not issue right we can hold it right up until um until uh September 30th we'll have more [Music] information any [Music] I mean if we're going to meet right before to take care of any unfinished business that's the whole point of that meeting right Mr St jeene I mean you absolutely we've done that before maybe yes make a motion okay all in favor Article 13 the next four articles concerning the school hbac proposition two articles are written uh drafted by the schools tweet by Bar Council this two articles are written by the school tweet by V counil and then further tweet by Bon Council to make it contingent upon passage of a prop 2 and A2 death explosion Bo of is still looking to gain information on this so they didn't so they didn't take any of these out on a uh we have purposely left the agenda open on the 17th and the 24 and before to have meeting for further discussion by the board don't have enough information so I mean we could we hold these as well um since we are going to meet um on the 30th and you got to realize that if you pass these it's there are two different sets of Articles whichever one you pass you've got to pass one set another it's one set that is contingent on the debt explosion one set that you're going to end up having to figure out where you get the money ex exclusive of the debus and and we're looking at a 20y year $300,000 annual payment for this which is uh was described as face one one out of five five as I understanding I'm not saying each phase will be equally cost if the select board is not made any move on this and we still want to discuss it make another motion that 14 15 1 17 it's we're going to get to that we'll take the final here but this was a lot of information that was given to us um in a short period of time it's it's a ton of stuff to review and you know something that this magnitude is going to have a potentially big impact financially On This Town yeah be what was that I mean r say 20 years yeah no I mean it's we got to know yeah how we to pay for this number one Future Finance commit going be swear and so I was you know I got to hear the presentation that was made by this company training um yesterday and you know obviously there's there's an issue with the the elementary school um a structural issue right I mean so if there's any water that's leaking in seeping somewhere um that should be fixed but when you're talking about okay now we're going to add air conditioning throughout the entire scoore and it's this is like a high-tech kind of thing I mean they talk about heat pumps you're going to be able to control it on an app you know whenever I hear that and I see I hear all the technology I'm just thinking dollar signs cuz to maintain uh something a system like this it it's going to cost a lot of money and we don't even have that information yeah you're talking about oh is there a yearly contract is there licenses that we're going to have to pay for um just utilities are being expensive things upgrades upgrad of the infrastructure it's like once you go down this road I don't think there's any turning back that's that's the problem so we really need to know what we're delving into I think before we make potentially $4.2 million decision for our taxpayers um the other big issue is heat pumps are not very efficient it temp below freezing majority of the time they going to be using it the problem I have with this is what do we the problem we're trying to solve here is that moisture and humidity problem correct um so I'm just look I'm no engineer um but to solve humidity it's a deid dehumidifier right I have one of my basement that I run I have it set so it kicks on and off um some people get a whole house de humidification system why couldn't some Industrial company come in and put a big dehumidification system in there versus all these heat pumps with the air conditioning I just don't know if that's all if that's necessary I mean when it's hot the school is close right there's no kid in school from June to through August yeah September can be a little warm but but if you're controlling the humidity and I'm just thinking outside the box here I'm trying to I'm trying to think of a lower Tech way to solve this problem and I and I think other people would probably think the same thing um you can't you can't take care of the humidity problem without stopping a water com you have to stop the right so that's number one you got to you got to fix that um so the structural the envelope of the building I think any issues with that needs to be corrected but that should be done before any conversation about deification before I just think all this technological stuff it's I I think I think they're trying to sell us a lot of stuff that's that's the impression I got from from being at this meeting last night um and and like somebody said I think you said this is only phase one it's phase one for one school so if there's four or five phases how much in the other phas is going to cost so we need we definitely need more information um and I know I know these articles are basically to just give us the ability to authorized to go into these agreements correct it's not we're not committing so if we vote on these articles and recommend them we are not committing in any way to funding any of this the FL select would still have to authorize the bar you know the the other thing that a particular fan of is you know this company is going to be you know in charge of All Phases of this this this construction and the study the design the procurement the construction the commission everything it's it's all them right so they're they're total control um that's that should raise some my problems I would think I mean what's it what is everybody else's thoughts on this I I work at an engineering firm myself we we we deal a lot with train actually um and they're all inclusive kind of service make the equipment the servic equipment um the systems the building management systems I'm not sure and and I think i' asked you this side about whether or not is somebody at train actually monitoring building system or is it the maintenance guy at the school or does he have to get certified and learn the software or whatever to maintain the system who's maintaining you know the air handlers who's maintaining you know all the other equipment that's in there isain all exclusive we have we have no question when it comes to technology I just I I'll I think of the school budget the technology that money being spent on technology and school budget has like increased a lot over the last several years I mean I mean I remember I mean I know it's a lot different when I was in school 40 years ago you know I don't I don't even know if the kids use books anymore right textbooks probably not everything's everything's on computers and you know that's the day this is the day and age we live in um and it's good and bad I mean I don't know about everybody else but uh you know I've had my identity hacked um a couple times already um unfortunately my wife's just got hacked you know all our stuff all our stuff is out there right and it's just you know technology is uh it's what for my own clarification phase one aspect of this the $300,000 for 20 years that's just funding phase one well that's not that's not a hard fast number is it that's not a hard the the 4.2 million is uh worst case scenario of phase one if they get no grants if they got if they got the grants and then there was another source of funds that would come in the best case scenario is 2.8 so it's 300,000 a year is the worst case over 20 years 200 and change th000 and is you know the same thing too now if we get into this and all of a sudden we we get to phase three we want to pull out of this then what we paid for for phase one and two are no good I mean once you start this you can't you got to go all the way through it I halfway through and say we've done it up I'm thinking I mean if you're going to St phase one you get to phase three and say all right un I can't say that either way they have we have not been Supply sufficient information too much information that we I think I do think I remember Patrick saying that we would have the ability to pick and choose certain things that we want to do like we wouldn't have to like do everything I guess I think I remember him saying so I mean is it too much to ask that if they're already looking at one of phase one through five why don't we have the information on Phase 1 through five what today's actual costs are we can use that as a what measuring form know what PH one I me we know what phase one is what are the others does it make sense for it is it all inclusive is it all in one I haven't I haven't had a chance to go through all the information yet yeah what we had solid idea as to the other phes yeah the phase one is the fix to take care of the problem in the building the structural to the discussion last night centered around phase one I was watching it I don't remember I but I may not have I may have stepped away um but I don't remember specifics on face yeah they didn't really highlight I saw Patrick he was like we can like like chairman said that they can go through and just pick and choose what they want like you was saying Plumbing or you know other but it's almost like buying a car and saying okay you get to pick up the frame frame of the tires and pay for it now once we build it well then you can tell us what else you want well you kind of need to know what the car is going to look like and what it's going to do before you make your purchase decision I mean there's going to be a way to just have a system that dehumidifies the air right and not you know cooling everything so it's which addresses the air quality which is something that they want to fix the moisture and any mold issue um and if you're if we're at least doing that it's probably going to cost less to use less energy down the road I would imagine this also is a focus of uh because of all the brants of doing it with decarbonization and green emissions have a wind yeah well it comes down and I'm not going to go on Big T here but but it comes down to the green New Deal again right billions of dollars are spent on that and we're forced with these I call them unrealistic mandates um that are thrown at us as residents and you have schools businesses that have to abide by these you know these rules mandates and I I don't know it's just it it's a lot of money and it ends up costing the taxpayers uh a lot of money to fund all this stuff now I had I try to make my home more efficient you I I've had Mass Save come into my house do some of this exact same stuff blown in instulation check all the SE make sure everything's sealed going into my attic check everything um and they did a great job and I actually did realize uh a little bit of savings and in the winter time with heat cost and and with AC up until recently when until the state of Massachusetts urce has decided to go up on our rates by 40 to 45% and that's gone any savings that I saw those have long gone and now you I spending a ton of money now on on utility rates it's just and that's my my fear when you start talking about all these heat pumps and everything now you're slave another point so I had to have my house is was built in 1983 I still have the original uh furnace it's an old cast iron burnum furnace so periodically I had to have meance done on it so at one point late in this winter something happen so I I called my guy and he comes over he fixes it and I said to him I was asking him cuz I'm just wondering I'm like you know with this getting older should I look into one of these new Hightech high and he he immediately sh me down he's like no he's like a lot of these things are garbage he said they're so super expensive to fix they're difficult to get pots for he said you're better off keeping this one as long as you can and then when you need a new one replace it with another cast iron furnace that's what he told me this is a guy that works in the industry um so he seing all these different products that are out there and I had had to have my uh my central AC compressor worked on a few weeks ago so a guy comes out he's like oh he so he's like they don't make them like this anymore and I'm like I'm like you talking about a good way or a bad way and he said in a good way um he said the new ones are garbage compared to this and he said they don't last and because of the tech technology it's it's more expensive to fix so and I'm not you know I'm not going to shut down we need to typ we need technology right we live in a technology of the world but if there's a lower Tech way to fix something and it's not going to put any burden on our taxpayers I think we need to like evaluate everything fully and you got to look at the long-term cost of everything that if you had some type of re large realiz savings from the investment of putting in $4.2 million okay well over time you get those savings it kind of covers itself but if you're putting in all the that money and now it's going to cost you more money in utilities to actually get the same Services you had before how much are we actually pay it's not 4.2 we're adding another million dollar worth of onto it in our El one they they're going to have to implement phase two Implement phase three phase four phe five that's in a short period of time $300,000 a year that's multiplied by five mhm like what is one of those phases is they don't they haven't defined any of that yeah look we want to have yeah we need to have healthy schools healthy environment for these schools for these kids and these teachers um so you know fix the immediate problem now and if that can be done by you know a different contractor who just deals with you know water issues then maybe go that way you know fix fix it that way instead of going down the road with this this train company that's going to require all the technological things that are going to go go with it I don't know that's it's just my opinion at the end at the end of the day it's all conjecture because we don't have even 20% of the information to make make an inform decision on the article I mean I got some information last last night at the meeting but and it wasn't enough for me you got some information on phase one of five if you had all the information on phase one you'd have 20% right you don't even have that because we only have the first tip of the iceberg of what the rest of it is meant to do with what itail I they identify the problem inial problem I think it was uh to my knowledge Mr Kelly I don't know if you're aware of it I believe wasn't it water seeping up from the under from the foundation I I think there was multiple areas that moisture was get you not just from the let's say lower walls but from the upper walls before the roof was fixed so inste of concrete getting porous over time you're going to get moisture that's going to come in you keep the wall so concrete right so there's going to be companies out there that specialize in that that kind of stuff and that's and that's a lower Tech solution to to fixing the problem right that's number one is you going to get keep the moisture out and then number two figure out a way to to dehumidify the air right I mean I know they're running they got de friers they're emptying them a lot right now so they're doing their thing to mitigate this as best they can you know they have some AC units running in different areas that's that's individual units for a comprehensive unit to air handling I understand that I understand that there is at least one ceiling he fire in the building it's been there for a few years in one section that was um frequently uh had a lot of humidity so there is one one up the ceiling there could be more didn't they have during they have like a filtration system put in also uh I don't know if a filtration system you know all the little um airra system soon you put those filters in you need to draw larger volume handling that power so we had a motion regarding um 14 14 through 17 second motion second to hold 14 through 17 all favor passes to hold 14 so again you know we can take these out if need be right before I we'll have to right before the special town meeting um I mean unless select got to put it all on hold and not even included could they do that select was say we don't have enough information it's not going in the no it's the two options are in the War so they can be moved but they can be tabled they can uh be voted down pushed off the select are the exclusive Authority however to go out and borrow the money and that would have to be done at a future day yeah just to to reiterate but it's you know it's just this is a lot of information and I just we have to have more knowledge of this before we can make an educated environment decision on something of this mag and I think we also need a legal opinion on it the authorization goes through and the school committee starts to progress are we uh nailed into a contract well the other I mean the other thing is I don't like when companies you know put the these pressure tactics on you either I just are you going to do this you know by a certain I get it there own probably a time frame but still I just you got to make a decision by this dat I mean we need more information is it train doing that or is it the grant deadlines to I think it's the ability to work on the on an empty building versus uh when the kids are there and for an extended period of empty building that's why they have to do it in the summer time so probably get all of yes did say that L he did say that so summer is short in schools when you try to get any sort of War bound very yeah so it is very short to try to get all your major stuff done within those again these articles these articles are just to get authorization then get authorization to contract and get authorization to borrow so if they're approved then they have they have the authorization to contract it out again tomorrow well they the authorization but the Selectmen are the ones who have to then authorize the borrowing as far as going out to bond and from my understanding when we ran the figures we ran it with the 800 p and then going up to all right so between now and September 30th I'm sure we'll be made aware of uh some more information and then we can perhaps you know make a an educated recommendation at that time so so that covers that covers all the Articles um anybody have any old business to discuss new business uh we have a set of minutes meeting minutes from April 24th I don't have them in front of me so I don't know who was in attendance I know in attendance was Sue Pete Eric Bob Christen and Bob Robert Robert sto Eric and myself was was yeah vacation oh yeah I was right V I don't get many so I got take advantage of all right um next next meeting oh that's right Mo I'm sorry so motion there second all in favor okay minutes are approved uh next meeting date is going to be September 30th 6:00 um that would be Ford Middle School yeah like we've done before we do it right in the Ford Middle School library uh I've uh had uh the Select Staff already notified the school for and okay so we' be all right so it doesn't matter we're in the library or different we we can coordinate post okay all right motion toour a second all favor [Music]