start the town of air select board meeting for Tuesday May 21st 2024 this meeting hearing of the air select board will be held in person at the location provided on this notice members of the public are welcome to attend this inperson meeting please note that while an option for remote attendance and our participation via Zoom is being provided as a courtesy to the public the meeting hearing will not be suspended or terminated if technological problems interrupt the virtual broadcast unless otherwise require ired by law members of the public with particular interest in a specific item on this agenda should make plans for in-person versus virtual attendance accordingly this meeting will be live on zoom and channel 8 the public May access the proceed proceedings by joining Zoom meeting ID number 8979 8793 or by calling 92925 6099 for additional information about remote participation please contact Carly an the assistant Town manager at ATM a.m. us or 978-772-4864 [Music] um any changes to the agenda um no okay I'll make a motion that the board approve the agenda as presented seconded okay all those in favor hi hi all right agenda is approved um any announcements this evening no um i' say the only announcement is that I'd like to welcome our newest member christar um welcome thank you very much um anybody on for public input this evening or here for public input okay you're not seeing or hearing any um move on to the um ratification of the appointment of the parks director Mr chairman good evening and to members of the board um through you I'd ask Sarah erns to come up up to the table um members of the select board gives me great uh pleasure to introduce to the board um Miss Sarah Ernst uh as candidate um for Parks director uh you have all of uh Sarah's uh materials in in the packet i' like to highlight that Sarah's been currently working for the parks department which is great she knows the town she knows the department she also has been working with the air Shirley Regional School District um athletic director and Facilities up there so she brings a wealth of knowledge to the position uh I believe she's going to hit the hit the ground um running already has um the I want to just point out that the air Parks Commission did uh vote uh unanimously to recommend um her appointment uh we did publicly adverti um for the position on the town's website social media the mass Municipal Association and the mass recreation parks Association uh job board um she was interviewed as I mentioned by the commission that unanimously recommended her and we also met I interviewed her as well so she is before you tonight I'm respectfully requesting after any questions that the board may have for Sarah that the board um vote to ratify the appointment of Miss Sarah Ernst as Parks director and it would be effective um May 22nd of 2024 and uh she will start at grade 11 uh Step 1 uh per the town's non-union compensation and classification grid which is in your packet so with that Mr chair I'll turn it over to you if the board has any questions for SAR Hi how are you good how are you good um I don't have any questions for you um do you want to say just a few words about what why you want this position sure yeah um so growing up I was a part of the recck programs I started in the third grade and once I started doing that softball workout like that first week up and running at the Page Hill Top um I knew that I wanted to be a Jeff Thomas one day he really um has been my role model my whole life and so even like I did sports management for a career in college and my masters because of him every project I could possibly do was about that man um so I just want to do it justice and um and live in his legacy awesome Chris any questions so you know I was on the Parks Commission um part of the vote to recommend Sarah um I have the utmost faith in her I think she'll do a wonderful job um so I'm I'm I'm ready great um all right I'll make a motion that the board approve um Miss Sarah Ernst um Employment contract as um the new parks director seconded um all those in favor I I congratulations thank you so much thank you thank you congratulations congratulations thank you so much all right danam come on down good evening Mr chair how are you congratulations Mr tarz thank you um so DPW report this week I don't have any actionable items just some updates and the first is related to the storm water utility advisory work group just want to give an update on where that group is at so uh just in summary overall we've been meeting since September on a monthly basis uh evaluating a storm Water Utility Fund and um the work group and also our consultant are involved um you know Utility Fund it's not a new thing as we know there's many communities that have it and the town of air is invested into looking into it um and the work group at this point has came to a point where we've drafted a a rate structure for storm R utility and a policy or regulation uh for the um for the U stormw utility and so the next step is the work group's going to go out and obtain some public input so we're going to you know make all of this you know all this ISS up and available on the website now but go out to a meeting set one up it's going to be likely on June 20th I just got to confirm the date and a location but that's what we're aiming to do and and obtain public input on where the work group's at with its policies with its rate structure and get feedback um yeah just a reminder like I mentioned the work group it does we do have a dedicated website on the town web page with all the materials up there from every meeting that's that's um been ongoing and I know unfortunately Janice can't be here but she was supportive of this approach of us heading out at this time as the work group to go get um public input and information so so that's kind of in a nutshell where it's at no detail tonight but a lot of details on hopefully it'll be June 20th but don't mark that I got to make sure the power is the big that we get the room and everything so so that's the first update and the second is our monthly our water supply update um so just I don't know if you're up to speed Chris but obviously over the last few years we've had um outdoor water restrictions which have been more than the normal so um the main reason is the Grove pond water treatment plant we're not able to produce as much through the new P fast system so we're currently working on a a solution to that it's called a clearw storage tank that's just Downstream of the plant so that's in design right now when that gets put into place it'll give us the engineering it'll be an engineering solution to solve our our production at grow Pond and be back to where we used to be pre pfest treatment so that's in a very short nutshell of of what's going so long term that's the solution but in the in the short term monthly I've been giving updates myself or Kimberly Abraham the water sewer superintendent to the board who are the water and sewer Commissioners um as to where we're at with our water production and our water supply and so um in the winter months we're pretty good and in the summer months we get a lot higher Demand with the outdoor watering and it's just at summertime people are consuming more water and you know we have a Pepsi Plant in town so um since the last update we've kind of continued to to face similar challenges you'll notice in the memo in the in the um my memo in the um packet essentially the only difference between last time last month and this month is we're not topping off the tanks every day usually our storage tanks we can top off in the mornings and then they come down but we're having to run the wells pretty much constantly the weekends they've been topping off um so we're entering that summer demand pattern where there's a lot higher demand um so at this time though that's essentially what's been going on we don't recommend any changes to the current outdoor water restrictions and and the current restrictions are ones that are we're requireed to do as a community by our water management act permit they're the odd even uh 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. restrictions um so those are required by our permit and those are what's in place right now so so um no recommendation to change that and um just we'll give you another water update at uh either the next meeting or next month um depending on how we're doing so so that's all I have for tonight I don't know if you have any questions it's just some updates really but did you have any questions yeah just on running the wells that extra amount of time is that you foresee any fatigue issues or putting off you know PM or on those yeah so yeah it is kind of it cause of a maintenance headache we were luckily we were able to do um our green sand filter media uh vessels at spec Pond treatment plant we were able to replace that green sand uh in the winter time luckily and still be able to run that plant but you're right with the wells constantly running especially spec Pond running High you know it's going to burn uh Motors and pumps quicker um so and also being able to get to a well cleaning so we did have an issue I want to say was it a year or two ago where we did lose a motor on well one at spec Pond um and so we were in kind of a bind then um we were able to get through we do have emergency interconnections with devans and Littleton so if we get into a bind we use those and we also um speak to the big users like the Pepsis to Hal production until we can get our heads around it so um that that is a good point that is something that will be caused by running those so hard yeah all right um nothing else yeah all right thanks sounds good have a good night have a good night thanks you're welcome uh next up is reserve fund transfer requests yes uh Mr chairman members of the board uh good evening uh there are um three Reserve fund uh transfers uh for your consideration um this evening um and I'll just go through um each of them and I know that uh the department heads are here um if needed so just an overview just to remind the board that the current balance in the FY 24 Reserve fund is 175,000 so we haven't accessed anything to date um and as the board is aware Reserve fund transfers require approval by both the select board and the finance committ committee um after tonight uh we'll be scheduling a meeting you know with the finance committee uh for uh for their review and approval and the last Point uh because we don't do these often and and usually not till this time of year towards the end of the fiscal year a reserve fund transfer specifically is for any unforeseen or un uh unforeseen or extraordinary um impact to a budget that has occurred because obviously there's a whole year from the time we set the budget things things can happen so the the first one for your consideration in the packet is for um the Town Council Legal Services account 01151 I I'm requesting uh $30,000 um in a reserve fund transfer for this budget I also want to add that um if if the entire amount is not needed it res it reverts back to the fund obviously so 30,000 the present balance in the budget is 13, 821 73 and that's up through March so we still have the April invoice the May invoice and the June invoice for Town Council um and as I mentioned this is extraordinary and unforeseen as beginning in February of 2024 the town um became involved in an ongoing property enforcement matter which was unforeseen at the time and the FY 24 legal service budget at the time it was developed we did not know this was going to occur and you can see as I attached um in the packet we were running pretty much in Target from the original budget at amount of 75,000 till we hit about um starting with in March you can see see the spike um Town Council attorney Mark Rich um in KP law also reviewed the accounting and and we feel that the 30,00 000 would be adequate for the balance of the year so it be looking for your uh recommending that you uh vote to approve um any questions Chris no we went over this a couple days ago so okay um yeah it's pretty straightforward and now the information is in the packet um so I'll make a motion that the board um approved the reserve fund transfer request in the amount of 30,00 for Legal Services as presented seconded all those in favor I I okay it's approved thank you uh the second one is a reserve fund transfer request uh for the unemployment um budget line for unemployment compensation account 01913 um requesting 2,178 um there's actually currently a negative balance in this account of $1,725 and what this is what has driven this what was unforeseen is there was um an employee um that was let go and has collected the maximum of unemployment for the maximum 26 you know pay periods and um that has resulted in this slight um deficit in this account from the benefits and payroll manager so it' be um this has occurred on occasion in the past with the unemployment um account budget uh she does a pretty good job in trying to project the impact but sometimes is a slight variance so be looking for your support on that no questions I'll make a motion that the board approved the reserve fund transfer request for the unemployment compensation account in the amount of $2,178 as presented second all those in favor I okay all right thank you and then last but not least Mr chair the information technology rft and Miss Cindy Knox was uh kind enough to come uh this evening if there are any uh questions um we're looking requesting a rft of uh $40,000 for the it uh account uh 52,000 uh uh I mean sorry account 0166 uh the present uh balance in the budget uh we're actually at- 15,500 um and you can see uh attached uh an accounting provided but specifically the it budget uh was what has impacted the budget in FY 24 is due to the following unknown new costs and if you recall we talked about these at the first public budget form so we sort of knew this was coming the first is new cost for Town email so at the time we set the budget all Town email there wasn't a cost for it with new security provisions um we have to pay per email account and I I think this is for a larger discussion by the board at another time air is unique in that we provide Town email accounts to all of our boards committees and and commissions and so the new costs now it's about $40,000 dollar um towards the security for that so that's one of the big drivers there were also some other server security requirements that went into effect that we knew were coming into effect in March but we didn't know at the time um of the budget and Cindy has attached sort of the a breakdown um with the shortage and the amount that we're requesting the good news is we have prepared for this accordingly for the FY 25 budget so July 1 first we're we're covered on this front and we are moving forward with our our plan for it so if there are any specific questions for either myself or for Cindy um we'd be looking for your uh support on that rft okay now I don't have any specific questions right now but just as we said in the future that's something to definitely revisit but yes that's not that's not a discussion now yeah we we agree I'd like to come back uh we would like to come back to the board to talk about the email and some of the other things and there's going to be some other positive changes with it as we move forward okay um all I'll make a motion that the board approve the reserve fund transfer request in the amount of $40,000 for IT services account as presented uh seconded all those in favor I all right okay thank thank you Mr chair SAR thank you all right and next up is your okay all right report thank you Mr chair so just briefly on the administrative update you have in your packet the warrants that were reviewed and approved since the board last met on May 7th um in terms of the administrative update I also would like to formally welcome selectman uh Chris Tavaris uh and welcome to your first meeting I look forward to to working with you um we have been mostly focused this time of year um on preparing for the year end uh closing out FY 24 preparing for fy2 both financially as well as in terms of new projects and so forth uh moving forward um as the board is aware there were a lot of exciting projects approved by town meeting in April so those will be getting underway this is a very busy time for DPW it's an extremely busy time for parks and I'm pleased uh with the transition plan that we have put in place and a lot of thanks to again uh Chris for his work on the park side with that so it's been a busy time there so um I think we're in good shape looking to the summer um other couple updates um just on the acquisition of the 71 Sandy Pond Road land um at town meeting I did get an update from Town Council that the title search and the closing um material is on schedule if you recall we have 60 days from April 22nd to close so I anticipate coming to the board either the first meeting in June or definitely the second meeting in June probably the second meeting in June for the closing the board will have to you know approve those documents and then uh we will the town will officially own that property um in the meantime the DPW is looking at um obviously there will be once the town closes on the property as the board knows and the we will discuss in in detail there needs to be a whole public process on the ultimate use of that land but one of the thoughts from the beginning at least in the interim for the rest of the say the beach season potentially could some of it be used for interim parking and I want to stress just interim parking that there is a blank canvas there so dpw's just looking at to what would be involved you know to do that for this season we will keep you know the board up updated on that so that closing uh is is moving um forward I what I would propose um to the board um for the June 4th meeting is we perhaps start the discussion it could be under my report begin the discussion we usually do this over a couple of meetings about goals for the upcoming year goals that the board would like to see from myself and miss antonelis and we'll have some some goals as well but also with the board in addition to all of the other important stuff we do during the year so maybe just um homework assignment for all of us and we can start that discussion um on the fourth also planned for the fourth at the end of the meeting will be the reorganization of the board when the full board is here that will also include the assignments to the Committees um and that's the perview of the board and we'll be looking at the summer schedule so unless there's any specific questions from the board on any uh administrative matters that's sort of my report for tonight and a nutshell shortly good all right and I have one action item in three Mr chair I'd ask the police chief um to come to the table and hello chief hello good evening Chief and we this is for approval of the intermunicipal agreement for regional um dispatch services so um just to frame the issue as the board is aware uh the town is in a regional dispatch uh with Shirley in which the Dispatch Center is housed by the town of air and provides emergency dispatch services for both air and Shirley uh this came about at a time where um Shirley was in need of dispatch and on the state level State 911 that overseas um Dispatch they really want there to be Regional dispatches and so the decision was made 4 years ago now right 2018 believe not 2018 time flies 2018 we entered into this intermunicipal agreement with Shirley with the support and the blessing of State 911 um to serve both towns um if we hadn't done that at the time we would have had to look towards joining say whether it was devans or a larger Regional dispatch so just to give the historic background to it we've had this agreement in place it's worked well the police chief initially Chief Murray and now of course Chief Gil uh is the director of the center all of the dispatchers are air employees um and uh it is a 21st century uh Center that has worked well so the agreement that you have is pretty much the same agreement that was in place with two um areas that I wanted to highlight for uh tonight the first one um as is under Section six uh which is the Personnel of the regional dispatch um historically number four and this is an agreement uh with Shirley and state 911 when this agreement was first put together um Shirley was going to have a seat at the bargaining table during contract negotiations um not only have they not exercised that they don't want to exercise that this is surely but where they're all Air employees governed under a air collective bargaining agreement it would really be um not appropriate um so there is no issue on Shirley's end or our end or state 911 but I just want to flag that as as number four would be deleted and then to the meat of the agreement which is section 11 or XI I see we still have Roman numerals here is the assessment piece so what has been the challenge has been Shirley's ability in in capacity to pay and since the beginning or they've been paying $145,000 a year we've been paying our part and then State 911 has been funding the balance from Shirley and through these negotiations all entities including uh Shirley have agreed that we need to get shley to a point where air and Shirley are at the 50/50 we're each equal okay so you will see in the agreement for FY 25 Shirley's assessment which is at 145,000 will go up to 175,000 and state 911 through the state Grant will pay the remaining balance of okay when we go to FY 26 the shirely assessment will go up to 200,000 and state 911 will pay the remaining balance up to 130 545 we will actually be less but that's the maximum cap and then when we get to FY 27 and and the chief can affirm this too by FY 27 now we're in the ballpark of being more at the 50/50 so they would pay Shirley would pay 225,000 and state 911 whatever balance there is up to 130 would would fund that and then for the successor agreement uh through the efforts of the chief in state 911 we will finally be at the Equitable um point that we want to be at so and I understand and the chief understands and from this board and people have expressed this concern you know about Shirley paying its fair share and so forth Shirley doesn't deny that either it's a capacity to pay and yes State 911 has been in the words of many subsidizing surely I think the positive piece about this agreement is at the end of it we're at a point where we need to be so that is it in a nutshell of course any questions from the board I'm our chief if I missed anything um the Shirley select board is scheduled to vote and approve this at their next meeting on June 3D um and we would be asking for your um vote to approve um this evening after any questions you may have um I don't have any questions now this is I I do like the um the omittance here of you know under six four because that can get tricky when you're you know kind of you have Town employees that almost report to a different town yes um so I I think that's a that's a good add or or delete if you want to say that other than that I think it it looks great so I'll make a motion that the board approve the intermunicipal agreement between the town of air and the town of Shirley regarding the air Shirley Regional Emergency Communication Center as presented seconded all those in favor I I and it's approved thank you Chief thank you Chief and and Mr chair unless there's any questions from members of the board that concludes my report for tonight all right thank you thank you um there was nothing listed under new business or member questions but did you have anything tonight or no okay nope um and then we're going I'll make a motion to table the approval of the meeting minutes um to the next meeting I'll second that all those in favor all right and that brings us to the end I'll make a motion to adjourn second follow those in favor I and we are adjourned