you guys hear us yes I got you yeah I was think of somebody else yeah all right 10:01 and today is April 16th this meeting is a joint meeting with The Advisory board and the select board is called to order at this time um we really have one item on this agenda and that is to speak to the FY 25 operating budget so I and I'll kind of start this off um we had a uh after action review meeting uh a week ago and um you know there was a discussion at this table regarding the urgency to try to do something and you know quite frankly we've been faced with this issue for a a long time and when we got started on this budget which would have been back in August as we worked through it we um decided that we were going to hold the vote for the budget just a budget separate from the annual election and at that time I was looking to have that vote in March and it ended up being in April it's okay great we certainly worked in lock step with the town of gron throughout this entire process and the the the engineering the design behind having the vote in March was to afford US an opportunity to Rebound with um a second Foe and some of the discussions that we had last week and I'm going to talk a little bit about that some of the discussions that we had last week was really focused around listening to um what the voters have said and it just as a reference you know groton's vote failed by almost two to one which is just resounding to say the least and here we are faced with significant Financial doom on the municipal side here in n and so I want to be careful here to not use the terminology revote because it's Our intention to not revote the override from the failed attempt but rather to look at a number that supports the municipal side and and though you know a lot of us here in this room and the ones that are remote understand clearly that we have been in in in a really difficult spot for a long time and I know there was some discussion from the TA at the table last week about well you know we listen to the voter and um let's act on that the the trouble in my mind after thinking this through is that um if we do that if we follow that path we're going to cause we're going to cause ourselves some problems and and the first one is we're not going to have the money to manage the municipal side we're going to have police officers out at night by themselves we're going to have firefighters that are going to be working in the fire station by themselves and in some cases not able to respond to calls and the overall Financial Health of the town is not good and I'm I'm going to go out on the limb here and say Moody's is going to come in sometime in August and they're going to re-evaluate the town's credit and we could potentially lose our credit rating our credit rating could slip there was a management report done a number of years ago that told us very clearly from the state do DLS stop using free cash and do what you can to reinvest in your stabilization account I don't believe that stabilization account is that any money put into it for at least 10 years it's at $300,000 I think this roughly right what's in that slightly sh 350 yeah 348 or something like that and that is just a bad number to have so here we are um revisiting this discussion again and it's it's it's my interest to and I guess I'm I'm I'm using the word my interest because I don't know where everybody else feels about it I don't I want to do the right thing I want to do the thing that's collectively decided by all the boards but it's certainly in in the interest of the town and it's certainly something that I've been thinking about a lot is to vote and override strictly to support the municipal side of the town now why am I saying that some of us that are at these tables we've gone to gron Center gron Town Hall uh school district meetings we've had hearings here and you know the one thing that you hear on a repetitive basis from the voters is that they don't want to put any more money into the school system and that's really what this comes down to um when you heard all of the discussion that happened at the Groton Center maybe about two or three weeks ago at night I everyone that came up to speak spoke about the school district you didn't hear you know you guys got to St buying new trucks you got to find a cheaper place to buy sand and salt we didn't hear any of that we didn't hear any of that at all and so my interest here is to carve out from the override what a municipal override would look like and vote that in the May upcoming May Town election so that we can get the town on some sort of a stable fin cial footing and you know the long you know I spent I don't know countless hours thinking this through a little bit and um my heart and my mind says to me you know even though we got whacked and I hear you and and believe me I sat at the table and saw that ticket when it got emailed to me and um you know I was like what planet am I on where am I because the vter the voter turnout was so significant that I was actually thought that we would see that override pass the the the the entire override in terms of all of the data all of the presentations the level of information the sophistication of information here in dustable we've never had it to this extent and and and we owe that to Jason and and Sue because when we've done this in the past quite frankly we did it on an Excel spreadsheet and did not have any of the statistics or or any of stuff like this report that was put together we didn't have any of that and so with that being said I'm going to open up for discussion at this point um regarding not specifically a dollar amount but regarding going going for an override vote that is that is going to be strictly to support the town of D's Municipal side that's why we're all here at this point that only item on the agenda so open for discussion folks Ron I I appreciate that uh uh that discussion there just at least to at least to open things up to start the start the process and I will say that I'm speaking for myself because based upon the polling you know kind of I did with the uh with The Advisory Board it was split right down the middle three uh thought they would listen to an idea of another override and three we're I would say uh against uh an additional vote in the override and I have to u s sort of go back to uh what you mentioned previously there was that we provided an unprecedented amount of information and documentation that uh would provide uh all of our voters the opportunity to fully understand uh what we were moving forward what we were doing with this with this override and and the needs that existed both within the town and within the school district so we we gave them all the information they could possibly need to be able to digest in every single uh way or form so to try to get the information to everyone we we held more meetings than we probably have in uh in the town's history to try to get the information out to there we even appeal to U uh our state representatives in order to be able to do so and we I guess for twice in a row now we've been told that the uh the town is not interested in this uh uh in this override once we asked for a municipal budget and a municipal override and that was rejected and then we combined it with the school because the need was on both sides there and that was rejected um I understand the perspective uh that we want to support our our community and I agree with that it just it you know 13 or 14 months ago we asked the community to support our firefighters and our police officers in town and they told us no it was close but they told us no um and we did that again here uh just a just a month or so ago here and uh we have the same situation um it's an unfortunate situation that we're dealing with that we have to deal with and uh it's not something that myself personally that I I want to have happen but uh I don't know how many more times we can ask the same question and expect a different result and I don't know if uh you had the opportunity uh or if anyone in the room here has had the opportunity to watch the most recent school board meeting I would recommend that as a uh as almost like a uh a homework or a required watch but I can tell you that uh any sort of Goodwill or effort uh that we would put forward uh that we have put forward to this point uh to try to uh develop or Harbor a good relationship there with uh um uh with grot and with the school district if we were to basically uh tell the school district to uh yep now that you've sliced and diced your budget um now we're going to pay for our side of things um um you know outside of that uh I think would not be met very well and we would end up in in a situation where we would uh uh they would be even less desirable than we are right now um it was a it was a challenging watch uh from that perspective but I think that we do have a partner community in this and they were um you know uh they had a tough time looking in the mirror I will say that that I don't I don't think there were very many people from gron that uh recalled that they denied their override as well uh but uh uh they did look towards our community and uh and you know that uh of of where we stood with uh with our overrides and how we've lost a couple in a row now and uh you know I don't I don't know that it's worth the time energy and effort I feel like our voters have told us what we need to what we need to know and uh I know that's a challenging thing and nobody wants to head down that road but uh they've told us we don't want to pay anymore and uh it's definitely going to provide us a lot of challenges moving forward uh but uh we have to try to figure out how we can live within our means that's just my personal opinion there so so let me just say this about that um you know i' I've i' i' I've done some leg work um and I know there's a town down on the south coast I think it's Plimpton not Plymouth Plimpton um needed an override vote and they voted the override five times before they got the yes um not suggesting that that's what we should do here but knowing what I know about the town's finances that the messaging that we have is going to be um yeah the town said no and Town Hall will figure it out so we're just going to say no and I I don't think I don't I'm going to tell you Jake I I I this this failed override was clearly a result of tagging it with the um with the school district and you know there I I walked through that group a couple times that was sitting at town meeting and then the budget forum and I purposely went and talked to some people that were sitting there who I didn't know who they were and you know that was the that was the chatter that was going on was that hey you know this is great but we can't do that I'm going to say that if we don't put an override vote out in in in the upcoming ballot which is not going to cost us anything the ballots going out and it's going to have a question on it so it isn't as though we're going to run a special election and incur the cost of that um the messaging we're given to the town is just like I said I don't want to repeat it messaging is going to be just say no and they're going to go figure it out because that they always do and you know what then we're going to apply that to next year and the year after that and the years going forward and I just in in my heart and my mind says to me and I've been doing this a while says to me that we got to we got to we got to put some money in the municipal Kitty and it's it's just not it it without regard to the police and fight departments which are going to be Frontline in seeing um how bad this is um we've got issues in town hall with salaries people that um are looking for um salary adjustments based on market rate and the overall operating expenses of the town are stripping away our revenues quickly and I I think we're going to be into a gloom and doom here with Moody's come August to September when the town's credit rating is which I think it's this year get going to get reevaluated and any this year it's next year so you know this all this vote isn't like I said it's not costing us anything I hear I've listened to it Jake I've listened to you um Eric and and Billy farell are here um and and their groups are most impacted by this thing significantly so and you know if nothing else we owe it to them I think in my mind to go after you know some money to put it in the municipal side so that we can have um four legs on the chair and I definitely understand that run wholeheartedly that I don't want to see that uh you know that sort of level of uh you know um a lack of funding to the police and fire into what we have going on in town I definitely don't want to see that happen um but I feel like the we're not being listened to and and I can't find the right way to say that aside from we as the uh advisory and select boards are they're not the the town's people are not listening to us they're not hearing that we're saying that we need this money they're no matter how much we put out there and all the information and all the digestible bites that we have out there they're just not paying attention and until they see the results of voting against these overrides we're not going to I don't know that we're going to gain much much more support and I know that doesn't sound right but they have told us that they don't want us to increase their taxes and I guess that's where I got let them feel it I guess the other thing I want to add is um I want to say I'm I'm the other member of the board that's against doing just a municipal only override the reason for that is because For the First time there's a couple of reasons one is for the very first time that I can remember the school and the town of gron said to us how much can you afford usually if how much can gron afford okay dille you need to figure it out they didn't do that this year they're taking the hit and part of that part of the reason why they haven't had to do that in the past is because gron would fail the override we would pass it and we could actually give them what they needed to fund it only because we actually had the override and the override on us passed we had to give them less than what we passed which was great for us but um it shows that we're in this together because the only way we're going to get out of it is if we work together um and if you if you didn't see the the school committee meeting I would suggest that you um watch it and I would suggest that you have a few drinks while you're watching it because you're GNA need it um because um I I was I can tell you I was completely enraged watching it um because the topic was dunable isn't paying up yeah um now with that in mind I think I think the last two years they have the voters here have told us no and I think the only way we can get out of this is if we work together um we are a Regional School District whether we like it or not we're in It's a Long Hall um I feel like we have some Goodwill between the towns for the first time where we where I actually feel like we actually have a a a spot at the table I think Mark and Dr chessen both spoke at the meeting the other day in favor of in support of us in support of our town and the and the fiscal situation that we're in I personally know that 12 months from now we're going to be asking for another override right I know that um and I think if we take the hit this year we have a much better chance of it passing next year um rather than go and asking for another Municipal override we also have a new superintendent meting to town I would like to see some of the work that can be done with him the TR Town committee will continue to work together I hope um and it will be uh you know kind of an approach um based on based on the three towns working together um I don't disagree with any of the statements that you made Ron but um I think that we need six hit this year and show people that we are in dire it is this is a result of them not passing the override um and I I think like going just for the municipal override we are going to ruin any Goodwill we have right now between the towns yeah but this is Rob uh de mind if I jump in go ahead so so feedback in in line with I can't um Rob and then Lacy okay the little okay Karen go ahead yeah so my only point was I think Jake said you know we're not being listened to I think it's kind of the adverse where the residents are telling us what they want and expect of our of our boards and the work that we volunteer and we do and at the end of the day it's the same bucket of money whether it's you know 60% of the schools or 40% to town whatever it is it's always the same bucket of money and I don't think we can lose sight of that that the residents have shared with us in overwhelming you know succinctly two years in a row here now they do not wish their taxes to go up and if you look three years three years ago they were frustrated when we went back and looked for a second vote to be told you know re redo the capital so I think it's really on us and our role as leaders and volunteers within the community to take our medicine here and actually listen to what residents are telling us so again I'm speaking for myself but I'm not an advocate for asking for another override just to do it again next year like that's not a that's not a plan that's reactionary and like we all worked very hard with the schools with the towns to try to come up with a plan this past year and it didn't work and that was we were overwhelmingly told by the residents that it wasn't what they wanted so we have to like step back and listen to What the residents are telling us like I I I I think it's it's disingenuous to to go back and vote for another override it just isn't a plan so I I'll share U my my feedback to Jake um and I think in line with a lot of what I've heard here uh has been if if we seek an itemized list let me first phrase you know let me first step back a second I've I believe the number is 44% voted yes for the full override is that roughly correct I was looking at the uh The Unofficial numbers right 44% said yes to everything if we go back for a municipal only my my feedback to Jake and and feedback for everyone here is if we itemize it would be fair fairest in my opinion uh to also have an itemized list from the school side so again if 44% of the Town said yes to everything I I don't know enough about whether you know the the majority is saying yes to the municipal side the majority is you know saying uh you know I know the municipal amount was was less than the school amount but are there elements of the school that everyone is or the majority is aligned to um I think it's if we seek to go back I would ask that it's itemized on both the town side and on the school side but I think the plan is that if we go back it's just going to be the town and not the school district they're not part of this override no I I I hear that I'm I'm recommending it' be different yeah okay Lacy okay um thank you um so I'm listening to everything and honestly I mean I hear you Ron I the results of the override were absolutely I mean I was shocked um to say the least and I think it was very very um disheartening and upsetting on a number of different levels I mean obviously for the school side but the municipal side as well um I mean I the emotional side of me says yeah like let's do it because I want our police and fire to be uh well staffed and to be and to feel like they have everything that they need but I also know I mean I've been a part of the conversations this year um and I want to thank you know everybody from the town of dunable for partnering with the school district and with groten I have the one thing that I feel like has come out of this that has been positive um is what Matt was saying I think that we have really built up um some Goodwill all around and I think that we have established maybe like a model for working together going forward that it didn't turn out the way we wanted it to this year but you know maybe this is naive but I am optimistic that going forward I think it if you know we kind of stay the course it will ultimately yield positive results for the town of Dunstable and the school district as well um I think that the the school district is as everybody knows taking a tremendous hit this year um and as difficult as that is we're prepared to do that I think we are all sort of on the same page that 12 months from now we are going to need to do this again and I think that if we were to go back now and do a municipal override only I think that that reinforces in the voter's mind that they don't have to say yes I mean all the work that we all did to kind of establish you know the numbers the budgets that we all put together it it almost seems like the voters are looking at it like a negotiation well okay no we're going to say no the first time and then they're going to come back to us with a smaller number and then maybe we'll say yes that time and in my opinion and it's I'm just speaking for myself I don't think that that is um a good way to go about it and I think that when we do the work and we put together numbers to present to the voters they need to be able to trust that that this is the real number that we are telling you what we need and you can say yes or you can say no but this is when you're voting on it we're not coming back again and again and um you know as Karen pointed out we you know I was guilty two years ago of of asking this board to go back and revote the capital and you know if you guys did that and and I was very appreciative of that but I think that I Wasing looking at it only in a vacuum for that year what we needed and I wasn't looking ahead long term and that was a mistake and I'll own that mistake and if I had if you were to ask me again now should I have done that I I would say no um because I think that the voters have to have a a level of confidence that what we are asking for is what we truly need and they need to take that seriously um but again I'll just I'll close by saying that you know I know that you know many people in the room are probably looking at me as only advocating for the schools and I want everyone to understand that that is not the case I care about our community as a whole and I'm looking at this as this is our whole budget it is one bucket of money as Kieran said um so I just think that logistically I think that this is I would not be in favor of going back for a second Municipal override um only but it is not because I don't care about the municipal side I'm just thinking ahead towards I want to thanks Lacy I want to jump back in and just you know for what it's worth I've had multiple residents approach me before the prior vote and say you know they they're hoping to see more of a middle ground so I've had like I said direct feedback from residents saying it's too much I hope that there is middle ground so I do think that there is you know some appetite and reasonableness from residents now whether that's the uh you know a representative of of everyone in town I I I couldn't tell you just wanted to share that you know I've had that feedback uh so I think that you know it might not be received poorly if we were to seek it yeah so so you know some override but not as much as we asked now right I that middle ground could be found next year um you know you let let this year go through with what the voters have have asked for we let the schools sort of get their budget in check and see and we carry forward with what the situation that we're going to be in which um we voted on that option two a combination of option three that is going to essentially keep us at a level right fund so that give us a year to work with this and find that middle ground next year I I haven't voiced my opinion yet but I have to agree with everybody that has spoken um I I don't think this is the time to go back it is one budget um picking and choosing which ones we fund and which one we don't that micromanagement of a budget over one pool of money is tedious and it just creates Bad Blood between departments um the progress we've made with the school again you know to to your point Matt where you know dunable what can you afford is a question we have not heard not in my eight and a half years of being on this board um so that that to me is significant so other than beating a dent horse the only thing I want to add to is that gron um Gren has tried doing going back and getting a second override before it doesn't work for them and like I said I think if we do that and I think someone else said it too and I I just want to reiterate it was sending we're sending a message that the first offer is just a negotiation and to me it's it's like you know this is what we offered you if you don't like it then you can turn it down but you know to me it's like we need we need to not set the precedent that we're going to keep asking because the first one's not real we're gonna keep asking but I would rather do it a year from and you're GNA you're going to get as the risk with that is the messaging that we've sent out is that we didn't really need the money we just asked anyway and and if I'm going to tell you that based on the from what I and and I know there's a lot of acrimoniousness going on with the school committee over this um the if you come back next spring in the spring election in the spring and you ask for another override and the district is tied into it you're G you g PE you're going to get the same answer you're going to get no because people are going to say we we've always said no let's just keep saying no and they'll figure it out that that is in my opinion the risk and that is the messaging that we're pushing out but it's like I said when I open my marks the group feels cohesively that that it's more advantageous to not do it and I haven't heard any things significantly that would cause me to believe that we're going to have a different approach I I've got fear in me that this isn't going to pass next year and at that point the library is going to get closed and all this gloom and doom stuff and sure if that's what we're going to do and our credit rating is going to drop to a b or Worse all right if that's our approach and if that's what has to happen the wheels need to fall off the wagon before we fix it and the group collectively decides that I will accept that and go along with it but I'm telling you and I've been doing this a while this a caution here that that that I don't believe that's what we should be doing but I hear everybody and that's great but I didn't want to get together this morning and talk about that nikk um I just wanted to make a point of clarification I watched that school committee meeting I think four times now and you know it's two of the members two BR members who are running for office uh who have played an unfortunate role often at many of the forums that um all of you have participated in every other member on that school committee who's voting was for going forward together and I think that's significant that's a much larger amount even if they proposed the D regionalizing which is a joke anyway but just if if those two did that they wouldn't get the votes they needed to supp and clearly Dr CH also played a significantly important role in guiding that away and and uh you know bringing us back to this concept of we're in this together I think and this is my personal opinion I'm just one voter I think a lot of what we're saying is anecdotal some people talk to some people some people talk to somebody else whatever it's not enough to convince me that the people who voted against really understood what they were voting against and sometimes you have to find out what the consequences you know this will be the consequence and after that happens you might have more support in going forward but I personally agree with it's all on the same pot it's all on the same pot and the school is going to suffer as much as the municipal is just differently agreed and and you know this might be uh my limited understanding I think that the in terms of job stability I believe the school is going to suffer far worse um the historic you know in one hit I mean we we have been making cut we're talking on the municipal side too right no I know I know I know I understand I understand that was one of the things that I get it that fate mentioned was that they're taking a big hit but my argument is we've been taking a hit for five years longer than that was you're right there a statement in there where it said we weren't going to s in addition to the fact that we we approved an override of $125,000 to fund the police police officer on the night shift which ultimately we ended up giving to the school system and asking the asking the um the town to approve again and was rejected um so the the comment that she made about us not actually taking a hit I I have a a a a thing that tells you what we've been doing the last 5 years and we have taken who's she fed yeah she's way she needs to Gold find or well the good the good news is there's someone running against the two that that are the biggest um against dun and the focus was dunable and the fact that um Dr chessen pointed out the fact that uh you know rot and Fai be override they didn't pass it D failed it too but rotten didn't either so right it both Town sent a message it wasn't just one um and um and again she also reiterated the fact that they were offering a grant and there was a there's a mention about well you know what's stun GNA offer us um and we're not offering them anything and Dr chess um reiterated the fact that that is normal in a Regional School District that a town would offer a grant to help with with funds um um when they were needed so uh in this district is it is you know odd because there's always this this like well you know gron does this then what's D going to offer us but it's not like that in All Region school districts no and we've never been you know we because of the lopsidedness of the size of the Two Towns you know we're not in that position and although I will tell you you know Groton has got their own problems and they are very significant and how they navigate through that I don't know but um the this acrimoniousness with a couple of these members on this board is really those two folks are way out of focus and and you know what's the gr and dunable Logo together we're better or the profit of the field is no no that's dunable I'm talking about school G dunal school district has a together for something yeah they need to learn that and I hope that they're watching this today to get that to hear that message because it's unfortunate I've listened to some of it from other people and I'm not going to watch the school committee meeting because I don't want to watch it but need to hand of that anybody else Chief um obviously that's to restore person department but I just don't want to see us get into a situation might be last year where we build a position and then I paid for GR police academy and all the other stuff that comes with that and then the following year he's gone so if we're if we're going to do it what is the is there stability that that person that that position is still going to be there several years from now because it cost a lot and it takes a lot to train that officer and I just don't want to train him and finally get him back in the police academy and pay for all that and then get them out on the road and F them and then have them for three months or four months on the road filming with this position and then next year it's your govern it's a lot of work it's I think it will actually be worse for morale for Police Department than not getting that position back because it just shows consistent of the non-stability and that you know when to move forward no you're you're absolutely right I mean having that it's stressful for you it's stressful Department same thing with the fire department I mean we need to be able to let the school take their hits we take our hits we get ourselves we need to be able to build our budget so that these positions are not in jeopardy every year every other year we need to have your staff come full we need your sta to be full and stable and if going through this year where the school makes their reductions to the budget so that they can come back to us with a lower assessment is going to allow us to readjust I think a little bit better and we'll be in a better position to ask for the override that we really desperately need once people see that the school has done what they need to do to get it into a more sustainable number for us as a town and then we can then start building back I me that's what I'm hoping to get I mean that's I mean that's what I I mean that was my main problem with it it's a seems like a temporary kind of one-year plug in a hole that doesn't address the larger structural issues of this budget and next year there's a good chance that position will be cut next year we haven't addressed the larger structural problem of this budget by doing that it just we cre ourselves a bigger problem and and I I want to add that there's no one that this table happen about the fact that we're we're unable to do what you both need um you know if if I I played the lottery if I wanton it I was going to give it to you guys but unfortunately I didn't win um but the the you didn't play enough we're all playing we're all playing but but I I personally want a long-term strategy and if we do an override you know in two weeks we we we it's not a long-term strategy you know and I I feel like we need to develop one so that you're not in the situation where you're you're we're giving you money to do something and then but we might be back next year and taking it back and and and you've been here a lot have to know that's kind of what kind of happens sometimes um but you know with the work that Jason's doing with Mark I really feel like we have some some um areas that that we can actually kind of work together and and fix those holes we that we have had that's that's all I need to be in North Reading in 15 minutes how you that do you have any I I do I not unless I want to hear from you yeah I do want to hear no I I don't want to repeat whatever everyone said I think at the last meeting I made my opinion known um I think the budget needs a longterm fix and I think if we go for a small override for FY 25 we still have a problem in 26 and 27 and it's not a small one it's a sizable one based on the projections from the schools so um if we know we're going to have to go back next year anyway we know we're going to if the school projections hold um I think we can do things this year without an override that will be painful and I wish we didn't have to do but I also think we'll put us in better financial position next year to deal with some of the issues we won't be I again if the school numbers hold we're not going to be able to fund it entirely but we will be using less free cash in 25 than we have done that we need for this year um meaning we we will likely have more to carry over in future years which will likely mean that we are able to invest in our reserves um in the future if we plan properly and accordingly um I think it's very difficult to do an override for just one side of the budget um you know I know a lot of people I heard a lot of people also say you know the school growth was um unsustainable and too much but um I also think a lot of parents came out and voted for the override um and um and so you know I think there's a balance there I think some people feel one way but I also think others feel differently so um I think that's important to um to keep in mind if we if we are just to go to a municipal override and we want to actually do a municipal override it should be multi-year and it's and if you do a multi-year override for a municipal you have to tie it to a growth number for the schools that's just the way that's the only way to do it that I know of and if you were to do it got to hold them to the number um and we don't have the we don't have sufficient control to do that to be honest right so it's really hard to do that and then I'll just say that I I don't want to diminish the importance of having a positive working relationship with the town of BR and the school district I think it's really important for us and I think over the last year we've done a lot of work on that and made a lot of progress it's definitely not where we want it to be um entirely but it's way better I mean I way better than those on I first got here and um and even I have to admit even talking about some of the school committee members I I kind of cringe sometimes because I I don't we need to work with them and they can say whatever they want but we need to be able to work with them and um and so my opinion is let them say what they're going to say and we're going to we need to stay on track and be positive and work with them regardless of what they say about us to be honest um because that's that's what's good for the town and what's good for the school district um and we're fortunate to have you know strong representation on the school committee um that that has been very helpful um especially recently I'd say so um that's kind of where that's where I'm at as as hard as it is to to not fund know needs that we have on the town side um I think we have to kind of take the long game and knowing that we're likely to have to go back next fiscal year um even if we were to get we that's well override for 25 I think it's the long G is not filing for an override for year okay anybody anything else I think uh no one has a question yeah I'll jump in and I I'll jump in with one last remark um you know I think we're we're looking at and and you know just I'll share I was I think I was a proponent along with everyone else that that I could see is uh getting the full override past um I think from a municipal standpoint it's important you know our safety and and having a night uh you know second night shift uh again for safety and response time uh these are important uh I I fully acknowledge the challenge with um you know longevity you know who who will take a role if it's it might be on the Jobing block the next the next uh budget cycle um what I what I recall seeing in one of the meetings on the school side is it about a four to five year recovery time if uh teachers lose their job so I I just want to remind everyone that uh of what I saw um on the school side if there is uh Cuts I don't expect those to come back for another four years right that would be true be true also a new superintendent coming in so who knows there is and you don't know which you're right absolutely and you got to you got to just leave that and let that find seek its own level for lack of a better expression the guy could be immin successful or not I I I I I really don't know well we know for sure it'll be one of those two wrong so that's that's good absolutely work with that's that's hiso who works with all the town committees all the unions all the teachers he's really collaborative I think we really need to have a lot of confidence in that he's also coming in at a very uh pivotal time where he's seeing where the school is at and what it's going to be before he even started so he's experiencing the sentiment immediately there is one more question Jeff rosing has his hand up Jeff hi can you guys hear me we can awesome this is a quick one is there I agree with everyone what you're saying I haven't been doing Municipal stuff nearly as long as anyone else in this room and your points are all well taken my only thought is is there is there any long-term repercussions of not doing an override uh this year uh last time at the last meeting The Advisory Board floated like we may need to sell the library is if if is that's at risk if there's a long-term repercussion of not doing something like losing a municipal building you know is that not in this particular not not in this particular not at this particular time the only risk long-term implications is if the town's credit rating were to slip I mean they I mean do you know that is happening they they're gonna well they the last is I didn't bring it with me but you know the last write up management letter that we had was from the state that said Town's not been able to pass an override and you know a stabilization fund and the use of free cash and that is detrimental to our credit rating are they going to come in do that I I don't really know we just get evaluated that's half the Commonwealth right now so like pretty much like what they're gonna start na nailing people for credit ratings the state has bigger problems than that right now my main the point of my question the main point of my question was I was concerned about losing a municipal building but if that's not the case with node then then I'm then I support I support everything the boards are saying then thank you everyone I think that'd be next year that's the next year reaction in the event that the budgets so we gotat and down the hatches quick comment can you hear me we can oh good um you know we got to get back to you know I know nobody wants to hear it got to get back to our you know 3 4% increases okay this uh these you know huge budget increases you know are just not going to fly okay so uh I think that's uh that's what we have to be thinking about and uh you know I think Jason has has stated that you know Dunstable could afford um you know a three or 4% increase but uh you know we just can't afford these outrageous increases and you know whatever has to be done on the school side to to to get that in line um has to be done you know if uh if we can't afford all the bells and whistles then so be it I guess I don't I don't think anybody would disagree with that it's still a significant amount of work the school District needs to put in place to get their finances lined up and and get their operation cost effective and efficient so but that's that'll be for a discussion at some point time anybody want anything else motion to adjourn do a second second all in favor I I thanks for coming everyone I think we've sufficiently vetted this  all righty then have a good day see you guys we leave leave maybe we already left I don't know