##VIDEO ID:GQBY8wtVFQE## uh good evening everyone I'd like to welcome uh you to the Eastern Essex District uh Department of Veteran Services uh this is our uh and quarterly meeting it's December 4th approximately 610 um I'd like to call the uh meeting to order uh we have a um a full agenda so uh with that I'd like to kick it off uh with uh our citizens query I don't see any citizens here so Bob says hello to everybody Bob Bob Zoll got new role I heard on or two yeah uh so he got appointed by the governor for the veterans rep Senator's office and um I would just like to pass not in the query uh but uh our former chairman I I saw him about a week or two ago and he wants to send uh his his regards and best best wishes to everyone he misses the committee uh he is now uh a volunteer doing some volunteer work on the case and young and uh just loving loving every every bit of so anybody did say Please send his kindest and warmest rewards and he he misses the committee he misses the courin so uh okay um I think uh the next item is review and approval of minutes um Cindy Steve I thought that's something that I think we're going to have to table until the next meeting um but again um uh that is something which uh will push on push off to the next meeting full approv we just check to besides last our last meting oh no we so she has the links already from she our homework yeah busy but it's winter time yeah don't want to go um the next item on our agenda is um financials um let me turn that over to Karen uh and Steve if we could talk a little bit about how um we're shaping up as we move through the year um excuse me the financials are pretty uneventful um you know pretty much what you would expect it to be at this point through the year which is good right right you know there there's not anything that I think is you know glaringly an issue we had talked about um allocating some money to some some different areas with regard to marketing and adding some line items I think yeah last meeting and I forgot what those were I apologized well so I actually have some good news that $700 for Tony to come with me to the conference that you guys are to that ended up being free because the state paid for it because it was the state run it wasn't an mvsa it was an executive office of V Services conference so they picked up the bill completely we didn't even have to spend anything so we just saved a lot of money can can we talk about what's the difference Steve between those two conferences so the it's we pay dues for the Massachusetts um veteran service officer Association so it's all the veteran service officers well 350 in the state um that are in an association we pay dues um they have their own confes where it's just internal but then there's also the state which is the executive officer of veteran services they hold their conferences um so we pay for the ones obviously with our dues that so we we pay for all those expenses but when it is state run or state mandatory trainings they pick up the bill and and what's the mix is there one of the state and five of the others or how one one a year good great yeah great well I thought it was a wonder even even if it did cost money and resources and time I just thought it was a wonderful training opportunity for Tony and again the way you're going to learn is you're going to uh mix with other folks so it was great it was great uh but Karen you financially nothing uneventful um are we on track are we behind how is how is the cash flow I would say you know we're on track um everybody has paid all their assessments so that's step forward this year so speaking for ESS so um I mean does anyone have any any questions on anything so we're halfway through about halfway about yes this is mostly through November there were a couple of things that I'm waiting for Tony to put on a warrant which I believe he's doing right now okay um so I can Recon finish reconciling through November and um what is the of our um ongoing Surplus um the retained earnings right is it I know we were at once at 100 and we were going to whittle a little bit down how is retained earnings looking how is that tracking we adding we subtracting well we added a lot last year because because we didn't spend any money right right and and you know basically we where we were the last meeting at 148 398 you look at the balance sheet see it right here so so we if if things the cash flow sort of stayed at the same Pace we would finish the year with retained earnings of approximately 150,000 right which I think um Spurs a discussion among the board members about what goes back to the to what stays here I think our goal was to be in that 50 to 100 range it was 50 is kind of the policy that was set you know as a r a kind of fun right right okay so and I guess see that's also part of your um you know business plan your agenda what are some any initiatives that you know could you would need some of these electronic initiatives but it seems like the retained earnings are tracking higher and we've added to it because of our Surplus last year and even with the fully staffed uh and fully uh benefited um side of things it seems like we're tracking well y right we will actually we will be using some of that if we spend all of our budget because uh Steve's contract was negotiated after the budget was set okay and I'm not sure if it includes some of Tony's as well because when we set the budget we had we had certain numbers of hours and I believe they were both increased okay um so we we know that at the end of the year we'll be you know in the so that may be a high point we should probably look at it as we get into the next meeting okay but still a very healthy set of be able to hear more about that at our next meeting in February well the budget meeting I mean because that's what we're going to go set the budget correct that's the when you sign the budget is February that's usually well I know we're all having our budget hearings coming up in January so when should I have the next meeting I thought it was February is when you guys sign the budget yeah and then at some point I think you'll be coming upstairs and going to the different towns for your budget I just do yeah do we do we see the fiscal year 2026 do we see you are we going to be able to I I don't I I don't you know level Services versus level funding are we going to be able to move into 2026 with the level funding like what we had for 2025 or do we see that that budget going up so I'll tell you what we're doing we're doing level service well that's what new does true we're doing level services so what my point is is that I don't I I don't want to see us cut anything of what we're doing right now you're G to see it go up and and and I'm not you're going to see it go up okay the budget will go up the budget will go UPG will go up well because we salaries will increase and last year we had a very low ass from Essex Regional retirement if you remember it was a very small number because it was based on there are not really being people here so that's going to be back to its normal level and this is a follow on question so accounting principles would say that we do not use the retained earnings to to pay for the increase in the budget Cor is that correct yes okay but but I think Karen's point is that retainer is at a high point because some of the expenses are fully now uh employed so we may chip away at this 148 uh 398 slightly this year but you know but well because this year was kind of a unique year because last year we didn't really spend any money but going forward you know it's like you use your free cash you know be for kind of one time investment like things right um but you know at at some point there's the point you know do you want to return money to the towns which then goes to the towns free cash right right um You could also make the argument that do you reduce assessments to the towns but I think in that you run the danger if you do it on a onee thing then the next year there's a big jump right right right where's my check next year right right to giving some out of it right right and then you know keeping the budget fully funded as it is right and that's why I I I challenged Steve to say you know let's fully flesh out some of these initiatives the electronic initiatives that you and Tony are working on you know what is a fully fleshed out budget since we do have some room and some uh some play in it with the uh the growth in retained earnings how much of an increase do you think it's going to be Bally in 2026 it's too early to know it's too 5% yeah two two I would say let's just say proposition two and a half you know would it be like under two and a half% you think or it's too early yeah I think it's too early because like I said it that Essex Regional retirement um you know I think that went down about $113,000 for fiscal 25 so you can bet it's going to go up to probably at least where it was right right so can you explain how we get assessed since you mention the ess6 regional retirement is it a percentage of what we pay out in salary it is so so if we're not staff for half a year um you know then then that percentage by definition is low so so so the way it works is in October November kind of time frame they say okay here are all your salaries through the first nine months of the year right and then they base the assessments based on that okay right and you know when we had the year where you know no one worked for a few months right um they used to gross it up to an entire year but this year they switch so they just do it based on on the nine months um and then you know it's basically a percentage sure sure so so even if there was if we we tried to hire a vso we didn't have if we had that percentage is driven off of that number regardless of what the historical exactly salary base has been correct right so it's based on the number that would be 9 months of salaries or is it aggregated for 12 months well what they used to do is they used to go through 9 months and they used to gross it up to 12 months uh but it was you know a lot of work for their staff and it didn't really make a difference as long as you're comparing Apples to Apples if you're comparing everybody's nine months worth um then you know it it makes more sense right and and it all kind of averages out over time not to muddy the waters but how does this relate to you know the unfunded you know pension liability that you know each of our towns are struggling with is this is separate from it correct the OPB that's totally different that's totally different this is Insurance okay that's a different system this is your this is your assessment that you get from Essex Regional retirement for for the retirement for folks uh who have filled their role and a reti and the the healthare is completely different is completely different argument right now okay okay so I guess watch the numbers as they progress Karen uh into February and we should probably have a better idea of right and Steve and I can work to kind of come up with where we think we're going to end up this year um you know before we start the budget stuff um aside from from our electronic initiatives um Steve Ken are there any other line items or areas as your you know your feet are more fully wet that you want to um enlarge you want to shrink uh I know there's some technology you guys needed uh anything else in that area that need we did buy the new computers which are awesome that came out last year um I think you all know my exciting initiative to get a vehicle to actually bring veterans to their appointments because if I'm filing all these claims and an ler veteran can't get to his con pen claim I'm wasting my time filing the claim which is happening a lot um so some ISS like mea does not cover some um towns they cover four not three my towns out of six so that switch is not one of those that because mea is a marac valley nbca system it's like their own MBTA up in Mar MC right um so they actually started this new Mini a program where they actually pick up veterans from their house bring them to the Bedford VA um Jamaican plane VA but some in my town just don't fall under that will the support you will help well so yes or no DAV also but you have to call within I think three weeks in advance which sometimes that's just not possible Right some appointment is more flexible than Kata uh as far as yes yes and no but like I said there's also restrictions on towns that they actually come there's some towns that have it like PE they have two to be a driver but they've got these people been doing it sure they love it you can't you can't get the list to be the volunteer Drive they just you know but I mean but yeah because I we talked about this before because I saw all the other with with their own vehicles I mentioned this like when I first came here and I thought Karen was going to well someone was going to shoot me in that me came like charging after me when we talking about giving the money back to the towns I'm like well wait maybe we should give it to the do something for the veterans and we can do that didn't go over very well so I stopped talking about it and then I mentioned to to Steve I said hey why don't we have a you know my wife will volunteer to drive I'll drive I'll give you a vehicle here you know I I just thought I thought I think it's a great idea because you'd be surprised even our Council of Aging like like I was volunteering to drive but it's like a nonprofit so the only one that's profiting is this nonprofit and they do it and they they drive the people but you're the volunteer driver so I pay for the gas my vehicle and everything and then there's two people that just coord and make sure that I pick the person up and I'm like wait a second you're a nonprofit organization but you're getting paid from the state and federal money and okay I I I I understand so they're really playing for the court the the dispatch Services no they are so they're making they're making money they're a nonprofit they're a 502 company and um and I'm like wait a second now you're making money and I'm doing it for free I don't mind I I I don't I'll drive anybody anywhere cuz I was the only one who would B to drive to the be in Boston to a plane where others would not sure sure they said no I will not go in there so you know that's when I even brought a back I said you know we should really think about doing our transportation because and we can get drivers and there so many other vas that have it that don't have like you know if you do go to your appointments I I can coordinate with a for them to come pick me up and take me to Jamaica plane but it's like it's not as easy as you think it is even Nea Nea does not bring you to certain vas so yeah and that's the other thing too they don't all of the VA so say your appointments in West rockbury they don't come go to West Rocky yeah um so DAV will but you like you said you got to coordinate with them well in advance and then they got like these slotted times because the da the DAV shuttles are all at especially in West Rocky I mean that's a they hop in place but it's you know at three o00 if your appointment isn't done by a certain time you know the fun bus is leaving it's going so but anyways I mean I so that's what my agenda is that even if we can help some do a fundraiser as well you know us not just cover the full cost I know you spoke about auctions State auctions for the state does have a fleet of cheap show or through an auction you know so there are ways that we can try to see the cheapest most effective way that we can do this and um I think that will be a all the principalities have surplus vehicles all the time that are going to auction I seea we use some of our um um what is it AR arund we used arer funds to replace our COA van ah Hadad of schedule and and and we and we took the uh and we and we took the one that we had and it and it went to Surplus but it certainly would be usable I guess my question I you know you have a big area you have you know let's just talk about let's talk about the logistics of this you have one I'm assuming it would be parer and and you've got a huge area to cover so and would it would it be practical for you to do that yeah I'm going to tell you this right now there's no way that there's going to be four appointments from West from Newberry in one day so yeah it definitely is going to be well NE gave us a briefing too we got the veterans briefing I was so one to set that up so yeah which which was which was outstanding and I don't think anybody in the room realized what what we have available through them but it's but it's it's you know like for example if you want to go to Jamaica claims it's a group share ride event and like you when when the last one is done they'll leave yeah you know so anyway but I do have a lot of people willing a stack of people with their numbers like Hey Driver and then I'm like I don't have a vehicle like how many how many calls have we got people saying can I volunteer to drive we're like hey we don't point though he's right I mean you might not have four people in Newbury going to some place in the same day but you might have one di Switch Newbury oh yes but we also that's and that's where you coordinate you know hey one vehicle right right but this is when we tell people hey we're all going to leave it so say you're if you have to wait an extra half hour until this other appointment is finished we're going to see got these three people when's the last person's latest appointment and and then we can be hey we're all going to R de Vu right up front of you know the flag pole at this time and then you know we have a cell phone you can call us let us know you're ready to be picked up or text I mean that's just easy easy communication what about liability and insurance and all of that well that that would be that would be a new a line item on the budget that's cuz I was thinking about the same thing right but I mean like as far as municipalities a municipality what about COA what's there because they're part of the town of Ip switch so the town of ipswitch has X number of people it's like um Town's umbrella and the then the town has insurance for whatever vehicles and I don't know about in your towns but we have employees that drive our vehicles we don't have volunteers um I don't know for our COA I think there's a couple of I think there is it is it the the town of switch or is it like the friends of the COA no it's a switch COA they have their two vehicles right but I mean that that's something that you would need to look into because yeah um I'm pretty sure it's definitely count if which counts on AG right it's not the friends of the so yeah it's very interesting to handle the live I'll throw two things into the mix here not to muddy the waters but we are in essence we are a Charged an MBTA Fe right however we have no MBTA in in Essex so we worked with uh um uh Senator tar uh about saying hey how about you know some of the shuttle services some of the ride Services um spilling over to to our um uh to our uh elderly services and that was uh that was terrific so you know there may be um some options with the ride there's a lot of flexibility what they can and can't do and then I'm in another situation where a company I know is downsizing their Fleet but they're using um like the uh ride Sher apps and reimbursing and it's actually more economical so maybe if you had a volunteer that could push a ride share through you know a credit card or something that may be a you know a third option with no liability costs and no depreciation costs that's true subcontract yeah Uber so you had a volunteer with with I don't know office cell phone that tied into the you know the credit card now it's not cheap but it's also not cheap to have a vehicle you know sitting in depreciating but but again uh that's they have a whole Fleet and they they found they could cut cut it by about two3 that is piece too that I I think about a lot of things but like handicap access I would imagine that whatever whatever we purchased to have on site here would have to be Ada compatible up to code and well I mean yeah for you want wheelchair accessible van right like the COA right right yeah very interesting issues very interesting St but I mean I'm going to Once in February I'm I'm going to present the budget and new line items and we can go over and discuss it there they're not going to be crazy amounts so don't be surprised that all of a sudden there's going to be a 50,000 line item on the the budget in February there's not going to be but yeah there there definitely will be new um things that will be added because now I have a better understanding of the budget after I've been here a year so and I think that's Karen's Point let's let's let you guys get get your clothes get your outfits on try what works what doesn't work for you guys and that will really Drive what the budget looks like I'll present it next meeting for sure the timeline is you go to the I usually get an email and then I tell them hey I don't have an approved yet and they're like okay let us know when you do then Steve anything else on financials good thank you for your diligent work um keeping the dollars and cents together is such an important pie okay uh the next item we have on the agenda is the Chairman's report um typically we just go around the table um you know I I'll start with the anything you want anything you want to talk about about local veterans issues Across America coming up I believe ours is de December 9th onth okay I think it's I think it's on the 9th and we um I volunteer we have a bunch of volunteers the to pick the reefs up we've got a guy that's got a box truck and we do the Byfield um Cemetery which is on the Georgetown bfield we do the um the cemetery on Cottage Road right right off the Parker River and then we do the uh the veterans portion of the cemetery and Newport so newb newb s those three cemeteries that reach Across America we we reached our goal this year of uh I think it was like 770 reath or something and um you know it's it's a it's a great event I love doing it and and what it gives you the opportunity to do also is you know identify broken plaques and and you know the you know the identification part of it so um I I'm I'm I'm really happy about about that um Bill de Mayo would would the entire board would like to add another Memorial in newb and I think we've talked about you know what I'm talking about and so we're working on that and uh Bruce T actually was sitting he had lunch at my table and he said this state money for that so so Bruce says this state money for that we're we're going to tap that that that that Revenue source and then another initiative that I I wanted I wanted to do in addition to this Memorial is maybe in our town library is kind of do a a Hero wall where and Steve you can I didn't even talk to you about this but do you have the ability to pull up everybody's d214 from new not every so we pull up all that's uploaded in mro so if they didn't enlist in Massachusetts then no so yeah there's l l by by and it only goes public record only goes back 70 years so anything how many 70 years 70 70 70 so that's the only public DD214 yeah yeah so anything before that not you can't they're not public record anything before that right and then also on on top of that I understand too that there's veterans out there that that publicly don't want to be on that wall and and we we would honor that sure also you know it's it's going to take a consensus for sure you know veterans want their privacy that's their right oh I got R anything going I was looking at our calendar we're supposed to have a lunch in in a breakfast in December weren't we yeah it it fell off of the C the um the calendar 12 yeah it's it's not shown right now I got to or no the 19th sorry the 19th the 19th 10 a.m. yeah all right well it's off the calendar oh really I'm looking the W I was looking at the Town calendar I know we were talking about that so we have to make sure she's stilling it oh no she's definitely there yeah I don't know why it fell off this calendar we'll we'll double check that but that's all I got from this end here yeah so um I'm trying remember when was the last time we met was the end of September so we had a fantastic Veterans Day assembly we had the breakfast um which was very successful we had over 100 people that um then we had our assembly instead of parade and um that was great too the veterans at the BFW group V groups are um talking about fundraising for Brick walkway um leading up to the war memorial on South Main Street so there'll be a fundraising they're going to um I think it there a a feed per brick and you can have it engraved with right your service person's you know information we're selling them out of the office with they've been flying yeah that's a great idea yeah um then we had our to meeting October 22nd and we um very enthusiastically endorsed um and adopted rather the hero act um so for the um double the tax exemption real estate tax exemption and adding the cola each year after that now that's going to take a a town vote correct we had it oh you had it they had on the 22nd we are the first and uh you know I I asked our assessor about I'm sorry to I asked my assessor about the co portion of the hero act and I I I he told me that they that they even though we've already doubled the exemption the col portion of it is not automatic no it's not you have to adopt you have to adop we got to adopt it the hero act gave the towns and cities the option right my my I'm going to push that we get the Coler portion of it put on I sent out a letter to all the select yeah all your select board so okay and Linda was the vote um how was the vote what was the feeling in the vote was in this financial time was it was it strong it was or wasn't close no czy I had a few minutes pull up the back vote for you okay one did not abstain that was an eror I know sometimes that that language you know Linda maybe um do you have the do we have access to the language on your warrant I know some Town managers would love to uh love to uh you know um be in sync how you put it with uh with similar towns and sometimes uh the easier you can make some of these issues uh we did to do you know but our warrant is was a couple of at least a year ago two years ago and so the the whole hero act thing hadn't even right didn't even exist so the Coler portion of it well it would still be beneficial to adopt the double the other party even though you already doubled it it still would benefit the veteran right by adopting both claes even know you already doubled it it it's still benefit I can send oh I I that's a good idea yeah together as one one article yeah that's a good idea and I will tell you just from our experience there is you know listen um the demographic you know we have a lot of that's lot of seniors that are struggling with the uh increase the growth in uh certain pieces of the the budget this sounds like a small way to offset some of those growths and to acknowledge that um you know we I see it in the veterans community but also in our elderly Community um real estate prices in in S6 have gone through the roof and hence the taxes and the it's it's a real there real folks struggling so right now for anyone with a 10% to 90% it's a $400 tax payment but what the hero act it doubl so now it's going to be $800 with the dou so and it's dependent on your your percentage invisibility right but if you're 100% then it's a thousand so that's going to double to 2,000 now with the dou so I have that those numbers yeah well there's all kinds of I mean if you're missing a limb all kind it's a big list 22 so the yes votes were 572 the no votes were 12 12 I was say 12 to 12 people we also did people speak up against it Linda or no no it was just 12 people just didn't want to go um and to your point about elderly in general we also adopted a real estate tax deferral program where um senior citizens can defer a portion of all of their real estate taxes until your property is sold and they then when the property sold comes the money comes back but that's elig how the eligibility criteria for that um I I think there's a yeah there's an income yeah CU we have we had we increased so yeah so we increased the income limit because it was so low that people are struggling even at you know kind so in other words it allows the town it allows someone that's elderly to stay in their house but sort of almost tap the home equity uh and the town takes it off at when the property sold right right there's a lean uh there's a Le it's kind of like a revers mortgage the ears won't like that what do you mean I I just want to add you mention you mentioned uh the El elderly and I I went to On Veterans Day I went to uh a luncheon that was up at Tuscan Village in Salem and you might go well Dana what the heck were you doing up there it's like I got an invite and I'm like you know I'd like to I'd like to see this and it was it was beautiful it was huge uh there were hundreds and hundreds of people there it was going on all day long and the thing that saddened me was they you could tell the homeless veterans that were arriving for lunch yeah and it was sad to see yeah you know I mean they literally everything they own they brought into the room so there's more work to be done sure uh is the owner of duskin Village a supporter of veterans causes or how did you wind up with the Tuscan Village I don't know yeah I don't know but it was a it was a huge event there was a lot of people there and you know so it was it was nice very nice um anything else from the local Town flavor uh people want to talk about uh next item is uh BSR report all right I'm yeah I'm gonna tie this into the electronic initiative as well can do that yeah so we did approve for $500 advertising on Facebook last time um we've only used $120 of that right now because Facebook did think we were um like a robot or fake so they shut us down and prevented us from advertising but but again I'm not a Facebook guy what happens with our with our money now are we popping up on other people so yeah but for a month and a half this summary page good to look at let me let me look at the report they're actually getting data so we got our our video got over 5,000 views um just with $120 spent wow um so yes and total it tells you who actually watched the whole video which was 2,25 that's who watch the whole um yeah so we we've done it but we've only used $120 out of that $500 was because for a month and a half Facebook blocked us from advertising they thought we're a fake robot page we couldn't talk to anybody for a while and finally after a month and a half someone emailed us and we finally got swear away why did they think you were a robot page just I'm just out the modern mexic Happ so I think what happened was they didn't watch our video they put it through whatever system that they have but due to the uh election cycle I think they were extra critical and thought that we were political ads when we were not political your Al the algorithm was more strict exactly so I think that intelligence they stopped charging us which was good so we didn't use any we've only used $120 out of the 500 you guys have already so they said that you weren't popping up I at Eastern essics veterans issues we wouldn't pop up because they blocked us because we they felt we were political right they so they didn't they stopped charging us which was good so we weren't getting charged during that time okay but finally we got up and running after a month and a half squared away we have a direct link so if it ever happens again we have something we can directly talk to they can I watch it stuff like that so we're good to this just happened two weeks ago we finally started running again so but these are the numun cve yeah well that was out of our controlly um but we yeah that's that's squared away so we only Ed $120 we're continuing it right now um but we are able to Target the areas so we're not send like people aren't in Boston aren't seeing our videos we're targeting just our sounds that we have which is amazing I mean so it's compiling data which we'll get more of as like I said because we got um stopped during the midle so we don't have all the data but we will be able to bring up exactly you know by areas um you know who's targeting but we you know we are getting more calls of people especially because of the hero act with the assessors um you know with the annuity we find a lot of through the state $2,500 annuity that veterans get through 100% um so a lot of people are these these informational videos are Ric people that's that's my and it's targeted and localized in our area only and at two cents of view it's sh I think that's tremendous I just I just want to point out the amount of women that are watching Steve versus men so I I guess what I we we we we may want to get like a secretary sending with you so I'm sorry I think that's that's an interest tremendous well it gives you the yeah so I mean these are the demographics that it does that doeses which is nice um but we can Target specifically L this is still early we've only done $120 worth of the 500 already approved so once we actually have all the data I can't wait to show with goal and be like hey you know this is a target um you know we can even track you know people calling us like hey I saw you know my father I think is eligible which you know it happens all the time yeah um so it's not just reaching the vet it is reaching the families which is in turn getting the veteran in the door and and two cents of view is about the the metric where the cost we should we should anticipate oh yeah yeah so it's showing yeah exactly it's showing like five cents for the through play that's the one I'm really focusing on the ones that look watch it Tony yes um so really what I'm paying attention to are uh the views and the reach so it's not just that we're reaching individual accounts but since there's double the number of views that implies to me that people are rewatching it so they absorb the information better so that's that's what I like to see that's it's that's what we want is we want to get this information out there we're not looking for the I I included that we got one link click and one post share that's not what I'm worried about that's good stuff too but the fact that we're reaching people and they are and and I do love the feedback mechanism as your numbers fall off maybe it's time for Steve and Tony to get something new off there right that's right get get a get a fresh perspective that people might want yeah so I may have asked this when you were talking about doing this um about can you send those videos to our local TV stations too like I can for example so we we actually have reached out to I think Natalie she put them on R's face on their Town page okay so um yeah rally has has done that they've putting um our videos onto their actual websites the to well that too but I'm talking about like the local TV station no yeah and that's something we can partner with but I know we when we were talking with IAM you know yeah so the the plan for that is to just get uh all the videos made and then put them together have a 15 minute video that they can a and they can put it in their rotation with our number flashes up okay this is Steve's email and that's great because you know Bob snow was the first one to say we got to get out on these you know yeah on these channels and that's just another way to to get out um on replay and get get into people's homes just CLI so they'll eventually be packaged sent to the TV station and the best thing is like these are three minutes long each like these aren't boring have to sit here 10 minutes and watch the video you're breaking down you're trying to jamack you know a lot of information but you want people to retain this information on that three minutes you want them to be like like what like oh $2,500 annuity like that's huge like that number is going to quick right um but it it believe me I I feel like in my case Lo that it is already happing better how about a video on um getting to the V getting in the VA and getting into the VA registering system I got a couple questions that I said you got to talk to my friend Steve and Tony um you know my knowledge ends here um how about something like that I've got a couple questions like that so we have a lot of years so 10 10 easy form we're going to actually explain the forms they are because yeah 21 pce 526 easy does not sound but to me that's that's you know that's an application for compend sure so when you're hearing all these numbers yeah forms and you don't know how to fill them up because some things don't apply to you you don't have to fill up because it doesn't apply to you people get confused by that they still think they have to F something WR so that's why you know we're going to flash it up on the screen doing Graphics like hey you know this is what you fill out if you know you're your claim it um if you're the veteran this is what you're so we're actually break down and do graphs and and visuals yeah um so that people can can follow um for an old guy like myself what's the I I I asked my daughters hey I want to send you an email and they looked like like I had three what's the next you know for the younger generation is it the Snapchat is it YouTube what's the ne what's after you know Facebook you know um um so the easiest way to expand this would be YouTube uh with a so the easiest way the easiest way to expand this would be to uh to branch on YouTube and Instagram uh Facebook is owns Instagram so they uh their parent meta program uh the advertising side of things allow a lot of Instagram compatibility I just don't see um so like the the demographic right here is like goes perfectly with the Facebook demographic chart which is exactly who I wanted to Target if you shift this over left a little bit to the younger people that's not necessarily um Facebook's realm it's Instagram and that's where I'm going X and TI Tok even be around um but the yeah so moving into inam moving into I think this serves the most amount of people in the demographic that we are looking for and then we'll branch on to the like secondary tertiary Dem yeah that would be Instagram YouTube uh IAM itself would be uh a good one but yeah the um the big plan is to get all the little ones done put them together for a big one and then start new videos that are moving in the same direction that worked well in the First videos I mean there's just a I mean you can Target spouses cuz there's applications just for spouses so diic survivor's pension so there's there's a whole wide variety it's not just designated to the veteran specifically there's dependent forms a lot of people like if you're 30% rating or higher you now can get extra money a month for having a dependent whether you're married to having a have a child a lot of people don't know that but it's only if you have a 30% rating or higher so if you have 10% rating you're not getting dependent him so there's just a lot of things people don't know let me give you a personal one Steve Steve was very kind to help me with my dad um uh you know plaque and some of his uh some of his burial and I again having been a you know in charge of a lot of government bureaucracy it was it was still grief to me so maybe something on that um post death benefits and filing because I know what was the one that was two years Steve so that's the benefit for the burial benefit burial benefit right so you only have two years from the from the death of the veteran um to actually file for the benefit or over the two years I I've had to tell people sorry you're I was think it was two weeks p and I be a very bad new um but yeah even the plaques you know the plaques and you know there's there's a great you know I was it was very confusing you can get a medallion onto the stone or you can get the plaque you know the cemeteries have to fill out there there certain like they have to the cemetery that the Pres they have to assign there actually has to be a represented from the cemetery to sign the VA for right so yeah there's just a lot of there's a ton of content a lot of evidence you need avoided check d214 marriage certificate death certificate so there's you know we can explain what to bring to this appointment what you're going to need to you know along with the application right right and I've even had folks that say see you know they've gotten the name of a the form you know from Steve and they've had you know that step is crucial because then they work with our local librarian to get them printed out you know the hard copies so sometimes even just finding the name of the form is you know is a a big part of the battle and the VA is constantly updating their VA form so you always have to check the VA website directly see there's a new updated version because if you fill out an updated version they're going to Takei it back so they always have to be on top of that there's just to be updated you know form for this there's a lot there's a lot but everything is going great um yeah Tony's rocking way obviously the electronic initiative is in we're we're really into it we're learning and then Steve the other initiative is you're trying to hunt around with what's the potential for some Transportation some auxiliary Transportation y well like I said whether there is you know fundraising um we're still in the early stages of what we can physically what we allowed to do I still don't know all the B of fundraising um but yeah I mean I think it is a very important step in you know helping our veterans in our communities getting to their appointments especially the olderly sure um and like I said I don't feel like I'm doing my job if I'm filing a claim with someone and then they can't even make their compend claim to and I just wasted my time okay I that's where I stand on that um but I just said ended up actually sending out all of the annual Town reports to all of your town administrators as well so all of our numbers um I don't know if you guys noticed all your town reports it has the tally of how many VA comp and pens um are in your towns they it tells you how many um chapter 115 benefits your your town has paid out and what you were reimbursed so because you get reimbursed 75% of whatever you pay out if which I believe it was actually I remember it was 119 $1,000 paid out and you were reimbursed 84,000 tremendous but obviously um West Newburg actually was the lowest you had yeah because I remember this so you got um reimbursed 2,000 after you paid out think by 4,000 yeah they just raised our taxes again based on sale value of your house oh sure yeah we're all going through yeah sound to um and Steve I get asked this question it is a state law there's no town the town can't say you know it is a tax on the town tax is a WR it is an expense of the town that by state law the town is required to support and because we have such an active and well staffed team we are now at a 75% reimbursement not at a 50% invers but there's no choice in this right I I got a very strong willed question saying well why are we doing this I don't believe I don't believe in War I don't believe in these things I said well that's a state that's a state this is a state law this I mean this has been since the Revolutionary War so that's how I answered the question but I wanted to make sure I'm answering it correctly oh yeah no this this has been around since the Revolutionary War people something that you know veterans and their spouses it's a needs basic uh program it's not supposed to be a forever thing um especially with the younger um veterans the younger veterans are actually they have to do job training have to actively be looking for jobs they have to prove to us that they're actively looking for jobs um I we help them coordinate with our Mass hire counterparts so they have veterans Representatives who help with resume building job training uh we refer them to um to them to help start with all of that um but we have to make sure that they are actively looking for a work um especially if they're able to but if they're a disabled vet um you know a widow elderly Widow they don't have to apply obviously they don't have to be actively working for a job because of their disabilities right so there certain criteria on who has to be actively working for a job um but like I said it's not supposed to be for it's supposed to be you know let's get you on your feet let's you know help you get some training and you know some sustainable for for sure so and it's also coaching mentorship sure it's not just uh monetary sure and and I'll just throw one other thing while we're talking about the Outreach um I've gotten a couple questions from veterans from different areas about well I I I've never joined the VA but I've heard my friend get some help with his prescriptions and the way prescription costs are going and Part D and some of these um that might also be a helpful topic to uh you know to get out there so with chapter 115 we do any out of pocket spens we do reimburse but you have to fall under a certain like Financial right you know that's out of our um out of our hands but that's 200% uh of the poverty Federal poty L right um it does change every year um every June and June 30th it changes every year it grows up um so right now for a single veteran or spouse um it's 25 $10 a month that's the max you can make a month to be eligible for chapter 15 say $28,000 a year or yeah so there an income test and an asset test Y and that but obviously it goes up if you're you know stops so that level gets raised your asset level gets raised um so it's confusing interesting stuff but great great stuff for topics I I just I want to add that I talked about this at our last select board meeting and the points that I brought up was was what you're doing how to find it and uh and I I also recommended to our entire town whoever watches our meetings that if you're a veteran in newb and there's something that you don't know about yeah and you know reach out to you guys to maybe add it as a future topic that's what we for for video because because I says I says you know you if if you have a question about something yourself you can be assured that there's a hundred others like you that that have the same question and I'm sure you guys would love to hear you know of people that want to know about like things like the death benefit encourage every all kinds of stuff encourage if you have any questions please let us know we'll make a video about it and we we'll get the information no there's no stup question I tell people that every day they walk in my office they're like oh it's going to sound stupid I stop right there I was like there's no stupid questions when it comes to VA benefits or you know chapter 115 well and I also find it ex exciting that you know as as this gets more fleshed out you know you can start cross referencing your links well here's a great guy from Virginia who will tell you how you know how they you know how to file this form or here's some you know interesting links that you can tie together it doesn't have to be all your content but once you getting into the library it's you know it's it's great resource we had Seth's actually Seth's Molt's Facebook page shared our we had them share our Facebook page as well so we got a couple more got some likes from from that share which was nice yeah it's all listen a personal enough we had a big Bugaboo with our um getting the word out there and funding sort of the some of our local tourism but this report alone would have answered 90% of the questions this is so helpful for but maybe the answer is you start with Facebook and work out from there I'm saying to this other group that you know wanted some money and you know we just they couldn't produce the metrics but this tells it right here two sense of you is good is a good I'm sorry did I you no no I just had another question when you said that Seth's office shared your Facebook post right how that goes outside of the district right how does that so he's he's our so all of our all of our towns is his district so he's sharing to his constituents who are in car Christen KAS does that also shout out to her we had her we had her she she has been sharing your post and I follow her so it's really interesting that that I see that she's sharing your house because I'm following both of you you know right but it also goes to cities and towns that aren't in this six town District right so that's what I'm wondering like would any of these metrics be attributable to that oh no this is just for this SP the advertising that we're specifically targeted so when we we're specifically only targeting the URL has to be within our footprint for it to pop up and spend the two cents it's it's that Target that's who we're targeting yeah so we're paying for the people that we're targeting our town we not yeah into a different region that's out of our control yeah the idea it's the the information is valuable for anybody in Massachusetts but we're only paying our arear I mean yeah that's awesome but we're not Char you know legislator somebody else only R six to just that's a good question it's funny though I'll be scoll in the office and all a sudden sponsored our ad will pop up but when I'm at home's growing it doesn't pop up so I know for a fact it is sponsor like does and because they know where the URLs are that's how they can and if you search if you're if you're searching veteran posts on your Facebook you're going to be talking to that the algorithm is going to recognize that so if you like any veteran related if you like the bford va's Facebook page our video is now going to be ad in your Fe even though because of you just liking veteran related it is it's well well listen this this Outreach as as we talked about in my heart this Outreach is so important because our demographic that likes the mail maybe looks at a website that's over here but there's this is something we struggled with for the last five years this piece of the demographic in that has been yeah they look at a newsletter but this is the the coming the coming wave of who who's going to be here no vso is doing this out of the 350 something vsos in the state no one is creating informational videos like this they're hosting podcasts they're doing you know having that but it's not designed specifically to you know yeah for federal and state side really sure not just speciically VA but it's also the state benefits and the federal state and we have a lot of um update too like uh uh like the the most recent chapter 115 explanation video uh is from 12 years ago it's it's there's a lot of stuff that's just outdated that we can go back and update that information so where it's actually relevant because with the hero act just passed they extended the definition of a veteran so the federal definition of a veteran is not the same as what Massachusetts considers so now National guarden reservers are now considered veterans in massachusett VA side still not you have to have 24 active duty 24 months active duty to be considered a veteran than V so it's weird yeah very weird that's neither you just W is that true really you need two years of active duty service to be considered a v by the federal government I did not know that that's crazy yeah um and and this was 120 bucks we got this 120 bucks and that was for I think we we said this at the last thing this was for about a month six weeks of of of of cost is that right um so really if you break it down since we had that month and a half um blackout from Facebook this is really at only like uh two weeks of data actually maybe even a little less because the $22 was spent over four days uh and and then the uh $100 was spent over a week so um we got cut off after2 so so this is two weeks worth Tony am I hearing that pretty much this is about two weeks so it's really there's a lot more potential for this but if that rate is true our spend rate is true our and we just stuck stuck to Facebook that's about a $3,200 budget item if we if we kept at this race in this pace for the year I'm doing your 120 time 26 is that is that just you know the magnitude of the the where we're starting with this budget if if this initiative is is catching uh is that about right or if we wanted to keep well there's we get to choose how much we want we set the 500 budget you guys approved us so we can actually set Facebook hey we only want to spend 500 right now yeah right and then they'll shut it off obviously if we think it's valuable after the 500 and we can speak on that more in our next meeting um when we do the line item budgets um you know yeah we continue it for the year 30 30 yeah I'm not criticizing I'm just trying to get an idea of what the Run rate implies for a budget item as you think about it for next year but again um it sounds like in my opinion I'd be interested in what the rest of the four think we are getting at that demographic that we've tried to the the the younger demographic that we have been struggling with how do we reach out you know how do we get in contact how do we touch them and Facebook and and other uh Electronica portals are seems like the and you know the female veteran aspect because they the female veteran you know demographics is very low so trying to Target you know the female demographic as well because there's just a lot of lot out there for you know the Massachusetts is an organization dedicated just to Massachusetts women veterans that guarantee a lot of women veterans Massachusetts don't know about so there's a lot of resources out there that you can Target specifically for specific groups right right are you're saying you could further Target this say say you weren't reaching female veterans you could further Target it with with Facebook to say female pop up only for female veterans or we can sorry with the we can team up with the Massachusetts women veterans because they're still fairly new with the executive office of vet service so their their program right now is still fairly new and starting up so yeah there's always room I'm saying for teaming up with every you know aspect of within the ex offend service because there is a lot of branches through there's the save team which is mainly focuses on military suicides in Massachusetts sure then you got the massach women veterans um you have disabled American so there's there's a whole lot of um people eating team up well again I'm very impressed and and I just I love metrics so um anything else on this you guys want to talk about anything else the board wants to talk about So the plan is to continue to drive forward spend our 500 bucks which it sounds like we have 380 left and that'll take us into our next meeting in February and we'll talk about what the game plan is the budget is uh in that area but again I'll have it presented in you know what we think are the numbers will be and I'll present it into the next um budget right but the reason I asked that about that for the $200 number is we're not talking about a $100,000 ini issue we're talking more you on the other side of that scale is does that feel right based on where're where we are yeah yeah I think the returnal investment for this is just so much better than any sort of physical presence that we well not not necessar I think that it's an extremely cost effective way to re well you fig you're all like top fi fair you have to pay to get a booth there so there so many that's what I was you're saving 500 bucks right there I mean I think it would be something for next the next meeting like cost comparisons versus versus who you're reaching you know if you want to start just start talking about postage stamps on envelopes right now it's like 60 cents an envelope or something you know and this is this is again I this was my question for for Steve in the this was my hiring process question how do you target the the the older demographic how do you keep that plate spinning but how do you get in touch with the the younger folks and again since you are new doing this there's not 27 bsos doing this you know we're we're entering new Waters here we're doing Council on Aging office I always targeting you know that that elderly you know and but we're also doing the electronic ini so you're getting both yeah but yeah all right number seven yeah I there is a bruin all right that too um this number seven is items that could not reasonably anticipated be anticipated I know there were some topics Dan you want to talk about your Letter's letter I got it so a lot you you know and and this is the gentleman who got appointed to two service acem three well yeah but he yeah he went to the na the naal uh yeah and and I just I just I I know you you've completed it and I'm going to what I'm going to do do is I'm going to reach out to his mom in new and I'm going to say listen I can I can either we I'd like us all to sign it I don't know if we can do that at a later date but I want to find out whether from her whether she would like you know me to present it to her in her home or you know with her son or whether they would like to come in and we you know we do a a small ceremony and present it to him you know upstairs you know so I'm I'm in the um I haven't gone to talk to her yet but that's what I'm going to do but Dan I'll tell you this Bob used to Bob snow used to have a used to occasionally every second quarter have a guest speaker for 10 minutes right I remember I remember beic if he came in and I personally love to hear about how his first uh first quarter was at the Academy right and and I I don't know what the Academy schedule is I don't know when he's going to be home again but I can reach out to his mom and I can get all those answers well we got the letter ready ready to be signed so than do oh no um okay Dan anything else Ron anything you want thank you Lind um I would like to say on a personal note um I wish everyone here a very safe and happy holiday season I wish that the joy of the season is with you and the rest of your family that's a personal note too thank you next date yeah let's set the next date um and uh Linda you mentioned that 6:30 works better for the traffic is CH but whatever works best for the group obviously is February 12th or 19th February 19th is two days after presiden February 19th pretty good ski day for me have to be careful February vacation okay that is that week so February 12th well then I'll be here because I won't be skiing during February 12th right that works for me 6:30 February 12th at 6:30 to say it out loud for the next meeting I'm on the wrong year and Dana not so now send it to your iCloud and not your town yeah yes please I get it yeah okay so our next meeting uh by consensus um February 12th uh at 6 30 2025 we get used to saying that all right with that could I look for a motion to jury second second all in favor I I thank you all