right good call the meeting to order this is a meeting the H Board of select in the Board of Health being held in the Town Hall's Auditorium on April 16th 2024 uh this meeting will be conducted in person and remotely using video conferencing technology please stand for the pledge Alle to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic stands one nation under God indivisible with liy and justice for all is anyone recording the meeting other than ourselves than so uh this meeting we're going to meet here for a period of time we're going to adjourn to Executive session and we'll return back up here to the advisory committee meeting but that portion won't be on zoom and we'll adjourn from the advisory committee well the advisory committee will use our Zoom meeting yes yeah are they going to zoom well I figure we'll leave our Zoom running and that way people will see the advisor here what because we're all about transparency what huh what did you say transparency you know Waldorf and St I I just think that they their posting that it'll be in person only okay anyhow we'll be back here around 7:00 okay first item of the agenda we have some minutes March 18th of 2024 the regular session boy how are those pools doing Don well I have a big report on that okay is it saw off at the [Laughter] knees okay committee here reviewed the warrant uh th the board got a quote from the tiin bond to do a condition assessment th B but we didn't do anything with that do we no we close the warrant food permit one day food permit sweet bab sweet Baboo motion to approve second any further discussion all in favor I executive session minutes of March 18th 2024 this is uh negotiations with the [Music] police superseded by more recent ones anyhow so motion to approve without release in the second paragraph did we agree to that or did it come later that we it came later okay came later we took out yeah there was so many back and forth I yeah okay second all in favor right all right next item on the agenda is a dis is the water district funding the treasurers here to give us some words of wisdom and thoughts on that well I was asked to come here so I'm not exactly sure what your question is but sure we can figure it out yeah I had asked that we bring dick in at the especially since we had talked about splitting the funding for the water district into two halves one that would require an override and sorry one that would require a debt exclusion and one that would not and with the first part of funding in the and although the arpa seems to be a constant moving number unfortunately in the wrong direction um and I know John had talked about possibly reaching out to tyan bond to see if there was anything new on the phase a phase B numbers if we're looking at Phase a to be phase a to be a number of 1.2 in the worst case Craig you think Pump House improvements yes there's two two stages uh 1.2 is that was that sufficient we think for first point2 for the foration for first phase yeah not including adding services to the seven homes we need a tighter number for that yeah okay I requested it to SP but the 1.2 did include a 20% contingency yes so yeah so that's solid so and so we have right now we're dropping to correct me if I'm wrong Brian we're down into the 360s 370s on arpa I think that's where it's going to land so if you were saying that worst case you were looking at 900 okay you know and we're thinking it hopefully be less and what's the second phase going to cost the second article well I think if uh John correct me if I'm wrong what was the total project in 3.4 3.5 3.45 that's the numbers they're supposed to give us 40 hour a week so say you were financing 2.3 then for phase phase B okay so all right so you need 800 for Phase 1 and 2.3 for phase two roughly yeah yeah 8 to 900 for phase one depending on how much is left in ARA yeah do you need both of those sums of money before the fall town meeting no you need the first one yes to go to the pump house expansion yes you really don't need the this what would the second number be Standalone I'm sorry I'm not writing this down so 22 23 is I thought that was everything no no no 35 would be like 35 everything 22 is okay so 22 is the final 22 is the expansion of the district yeah so the 800 is easy I'm sorry um easy to fund easy to finance easy to do with State House notes if we can't do it all in one year we also have 1.8 in stabilization something like that and stabilization is designed exactly for these type of things that would make perfect sense to me um I would probably just do a just do the first one this time with a authorization to borrow period MH I I know this is a political question and that's not what my expertise is but I would leave the second one off until the fall um even at raising another $2 million um it I would never bond for that if that was the only thing we would Bond it for it cost 40 Grand to go out and bond and state house not notes are so easy to get uh we can roll them over just like we used to do with a fire truck back in the days when we only put like 100,000 a year toward it we would have notes for five years and just renew them every year our credit is fine so that's not a big deal um and one of the advantages longterm borrowing is when you know what the rates are you can sometimes get a better rate MH I don't see that market changing for a couple of years to that people aren't going to commit to a long-term low rate uh nobody knows what the interest rates are doing so I'm not sure you need a debt exclusion for this um you know if you if you're going to do $2 million over 5 years 00,000 a year that's well within our capacity without doing a Deb exclusion you wouldn't have to go to a ballot question well we're under kind of a John jump in a you you were at the meeting also we're on kind of I want to say a notice but a strong adviser if you will from the D during our meeting that this needed to be addressed with positive work by the town W so but without any money coming from the state of course um I would like to think sorry dick I would like to think that doing the pump house expansion the start is positive movement because we're going to be we're going to be progressing so I think that's that's how we presented it well that's how we presented it the Dan right you know he said you need to be proactive and the point I think John remembers us connecting the current houses that were easy to connect to the line existing you know they were already on scantic so speak with the ly running through oh okay yes if there just hookups then yeah right I mean which we are experience that's not terribly expensive but as the water commissioner has said they're running into some severe issues that are going to manifest with their equipment and any expansion is going to tax what they have right now we got to do the problem so we have to do the I'm taking your word for the fact that that's that's just absolutely a given no choice based on the testing requirements the expansion of district is kind of a given also exactly and you know I'm sure that they're not going to get any more lacks in their in their requirements right you know so but you know as Craig said you know we make we make that U the the the the commitment to do the pump house deal we can do that without taxing us taxing ourselves terribly without putting ourselves in Jeopardy at least whether the only disadvantage with a fall debt exclusion is you'd have to special you'd have to schedule special election that's going to cost 1,500 bucks right yeah the turnout looks special if you will it it does look special if you will I don't it said I don't see needing a debt exclusion for that if you're going to pay for that over 3 to five years well my other question would be like you said you can fit it inside there but does that constrain your ability to do something else because are we getting up into narrowing what we have available in the levy limit we're over a little over a million last year right so now we're talking like the money for the for phase a and then potentially keeping phase B inside the levy limit would we be talking about 700 out of that million not a year don't well you no I don't see that you know say you wanted to do the first thing to 900 in three years yeah knock it out and then potentially 400 a year for phase B yeah yeah you're not take you're not taking into account the stabilization money which would reduce that quite a bit it could um it could me that's a sens kind of thing to spend it on mhm I'm going to ask a dumb question and you talk about extending that debt over 3 years but what if you know does that include the projects going to wrap up in this year so say we do the The Pump House The Pump Station upgrade but it's done within the calendar year how can we spread that out over three years I just have to borrow for July 1st you know we whatever I don't borrow has to go on the tax rate so let's say we spend a million dollars and we do it before the end of the year um as long as we have a borrowing authorization then it's a policy decision in this room on how much to borrow and for how long a period um the the timing authorization doesn't constrain us to the specifics of the borrowing um it allows us to make those terms how do we pay a contractor if we're not borrowing oh we got cash that's easy okay cash to pay ourselves back huh we would borrow to pay ourselves back um don't confuse appropriation with cash okay we got plenty of cash that's not a problem and if we needed to borrow on a state house note I can get it done in 30 days that's not a big deal um you know right now I got you know General funds got over $2 million in it and taxes aren't due for another two weeks so don't confuse cash with with um uh Appropriations in tax rate what has to go on the tax tax rate um you know if if it's if the senior center proposal were to fly and we end the bonding for that it might be worthwhile looking at putting both projects together into a bond but this project alone doesn't justify a bond right okay I thing how things have changed you I know why wouldn't we do it all together I think we'd have well we could after if we got two positive votes I think then we could look at authorizing the treasurer to investigate one general purpose Bond no what I mean if phase one and phase two why would oh I think we talked about that before to get a last meeting to possibly get a better price on the work right that's what I suggested right instead of breaking it up oh the reason I like putting it putting the second vote off to the fall is we're always Smarter on what our cash position is in the fall M you know we know what we got for free cash you know we have an idea what the tax rate's going to be so we can make better decisions on what we have to do then well let me ask you this though I mean the authorization doesn't is up to a certain number right now I know Brian is working on a couple of water grants maybe even the one stop that could potentially be used towards pfast mitigation sure so by the time we actually go out to spend it or even while we're spending it we could get a grant in that would knock off some of the money we need to you reimburse so say we are go the The Don point they were to put everything in the one lump sum for the water district expansion 3.5 million would that need a Deb exclusion need I guess it depends it kind of depends on the rate you're spending it at it's not just the appropriation um I guess it's a pretty big number not to do it that not to have that exclusion again let's if it's 3.5 let's say we take a say we take a million on the stabilization you know it's still $25 million that's $500,000 a year for for 5 years MH um that's half half our excess Ling capacity so it's a little high risk it's a little high risk and I think my other point before was that if we bring that if that's a question on the ballot all our eggs in one basket and then we can't even do the pump house expansion if it fails at the ballot I I definitely agree with you if you're going to go for the debt exclusion I would only do I would do it there two articles and to not put the dead exclusion on the first one you can always come back again we're smarter in the fall we have new information even if it fails um I think you can make a moral case for being outb back to the people because we know more in the fall than we can we do in the spring and uh I think the big thing that we have to think about too is you know we know the pump station upgrades are going to happen relatively fast sure but the the expansion in the district could be out in you know 25 so it's a whole another year out well we working on the 25 bu sorry 26 26 you you're thinking you might not get it done by July 1st of 20 five there's a possibility yeah it doesn't really matter right you know an article like this there's no fiscal year requirement to it and if if it happens to be you don't start the job until July then that's one one more year I don't have to borrow and which is kind of nice because we can make a dent in the pump house monies and be closer to zero before we start spaying for the expansion monies right I mean I think the part about phase a is that the potential is there to mitigate some of the increased testing costs as well you know if we connect the other 7 eight homes on scanic where we relieve the gosh I think $2,500 a year per house testing charge so dick if we have if we have an exclusion that says $3.5 million right and we do phase one first okay do do you have to borrow 3 and a half million then or can you borrow it in in increments as you go I can still borrow an increments and the only thing that goes on the debt exclusion form is what I've actually borrowed not what is authorized right right so the town authorized you buy 3 and half million buy some weird chance a bid comes in at 3 million you can only borrow 3 million right but I'm not sure politically I suggest making it all one article that's a aough to look at similar to the 5year road thing even though it was authorized for 2 million you only borrowed 400 a year pay as a go yeah yeah but what happens if if fall comes and you the other 2 and a half million doesn't pass right what happens if you you don't get your debt exclusion yeah well then you can come back at least for the phase a you don't need that exclusion for phase a and you and it sounds like phase a is is Mission critical so why are you putting in a check everything hinges on phase a yeah you can't do with phase B without phase a right and you can't satisfy D without doing something and phase a is something if the voters turn down phase a you're not going to be in a good negotiating position with the government here's the other thing I think the Water Commission has made the point even if we didn't have the p and the expansion they would have been coming to the town inhale saying look we need an upgrade to the facility yeah right yep so this is just this is the cost of doing Town business we upgrade and we keep our stuff running good so my my my next question is do we leave phase B on the warrant or bring it back in the fall as a freshl you got two choices you can either do it you got three choices you can do it now without a Deb exclusion you can do it do it with a Deb exclusion now or you can wait till the fall I guess if we wait till the fall we might have to do a special meeting yeah um yeah it's possible 1,500 bucks I can said I'm I'm afraid if you ask for the big number as one it's going to be rough yeah and and people don't understand that it's not a upfront borrow you know it's as needed to complete the project right over the course yeah they're going to wonder what effect it has and the tax rate we have to figure that out and all that but um I just think it'd probably be easier to get approval if you ask for phase a and warn them about phase B at a later time in in the fall again that's just my take on it but that's a tough decision it's a political decision yeah uh may help that we have a a grant uh excuse me requested for uh the small disadvantage Community Grant that's one that's already out there and I just got a copy of the one that's going to go up for it's it's called the community on stop for growth Grant I I have to re review the copy and the engineering firm sent that to me today send them back just they'll put that in for us so what how long it takes to get TI it'ss Beyond My Doll okay okay so Brian so right now the warrant says what what is the warrant uh so the first article is for phase what what you're calling phase a The Pump House upgrade in connecting the the seven seven homes 10 homes within the existing District the next article is the the borrowing for the expansion of the district that's the one that's currently dead excluded and then the third article related to the water district is the physical expansion of the the boundary adopting the map of this water district the first article has borrowing but no debt exclusion right correct but you have a warrant you have a election question right yep for the second article for the second article so we would have to take that off take off the second article you don't have to you don't even have to decide you could leave it on the warrant just take no action and take no action and just explain and just explain talk about the elect the ballot now you can leave it on there it just doesn't get counted right it's just like if any of the other ones that are on the ballot if the senior doesn't pass it's still on the ballot they just don't count it mhm I mean it's cleaner if it's not there Don but yeah yeah all right so basically dick was here to explain our different funding options and you know [Music] think I think we're not going to do phase B under this fiscal year so putting it off could be a benefit to us with grant information and you know setting us up for down the road for maybe a lower price yeah it's going to make it easier to sell if you can come in and say we got a half a million of grand money I do agree with leaving it on so we can explain hey this is what it looks like preliminary we won't know until the time comes a little closer there may be a need in the fall to do some adjustment to the testing number right as we know what's left in the district Etc and if any new requirements come in well well when they take effect yeah the government just issued the percentage of posos dropped by like I have to save it 20 parts per trillion to four parts per trillion right yeah it's not going to go any it's not going to go not going away no all right anything else I can help you boys with nope coming back at at 7 yeah I'm going to go down and make sure the advisories got what they need excellent all right thank you thank you deck thank you thank you so we're going to go with phase one phase one's definitely got to happen phase one explain phase to leave the things on the ballot do we want to adopt the map if phase two was just an explanation you should adopt the map why not adopt the map might as well right I'm asking yeah we should adop the map we should adopt the map just in preparation just so but if the map is formally adopted does that give D something to say well now you formally adopted this new District I think all we're doing is testing we're still testing inside that District which is fine yeah I think we really got to look at our testing number going forward I'm afraid we may not have enough in there if we take those seven homes out of we get phase a through that may help you the rest of would offset a little bit more did you have a sense of if this passes that Tom meeting is this a project the pump house work that could be done the summer I would think so what do you think John could that pump house be done this summer you think if we get a funding for it July 1 to go that's right I mean it's we leave it up to the the engineer to do all that stuff I mean have they said that they were hopeful that we could get this done as soon as funding is ready we don't know but we're check out is this something could be done in calendar 24 you know you have six months I'll be talking with tomorrow okay like I say if there was a chance Craig the testing is is it August November I know it's every quarter potentially it might be able to start knocking off a couple quarters in next year for some reason like april-ish i r Mee May June July a July all right Highway superintendent contract the highway superintendent here am oh here hey Mark good evening Mark appreciate you coming in on your week off this is different what's the issue now we turn the bright light on actually no issue uh um basically we have here a cookie you can leave you weren't kidding about the cookies so good uh there's some language in in my current contract and and also the Union's current contract about uh the potential of revisiting um or opening up discussions on uh year two and year three of our contracts if the CPI is over 3% as of February um so we did it last year um and we're just here I'm here again this year to see if the board would would open up discussions on on um adjusting the uh salary my salary um I understand that the advisory had come up with a 3.5 uh Cola for nonb bargained employees I think what sets myself and my department side apart from and this and again I do not want to take away anything at all from any of the bargained or unbar employees um in town um but what sets us apart and me apart is um scheduling uh I mean on call 247 uh Winters BAS basically you know I live here um I put in a a good day's work and uh I think you know that shows and our recognition of of our roads during the winter um and even you know otherwise uh get a lot of compliments uh no matter what time of year it is um so um I think while everybody's talking about 3.5% from last say March uh I don't I think what people aren't talking about is since 2020 we are at 19.5% and I think my opinion is that we may have some some catching up to do I don't believe that we'll ever you know um match that I don't expect to match it but I'm here tonight to respectfully ask the board if they would consider consider 5% on my contract for for the third year and I don't know how this would work I don't know that I would expect a an answer even tonight I would this is kind of a first for me I think last time we did it in executive session or last year so I'm here to just throw that out there uh I know typically um preo you know and really what it all boils down to is the is the pandemic I mean preo you know the Ann the average annual was 2 and A2 um employees were getting 2 and a half three three and A2 and uh um I think if we average out since the pandemic um I think um you know we're we should be a little bit higher than that and I don't think that there's anybody in this room that could argue that that they're not feeling the effects of the pandemic and and and how that affected our U you know economy and uh everything else so that's just my one point I will bring to the board is that uh if you look at section six the amended contract uh it looks like there was a we adjusted the number for the base salary for the second year but didn't carry the max through for year three so as Mark said the board voted to adjust the base salary for year two which should have necessitated year three to go up with the same negotiated amount that was in the prayer contract 2.5% if you look at these numbers here you'll see that if you treated the way it's written there it's a 1% bump from 2 to three going by the contract Don you see what I mean is that uh if two adjusted three should have floated up basically about the same amount instead of this number here yeah the 102 is actually not 10 what it should have been right and actually what we we get into it the same uh error if you will was in the uning contract the year three was not properly adjusted what are you suggesting I'm saying that needed to be fixed at least if if we were funding Market strictly what was in the contract he would have a 1% salary adjustment this year so we we adjusted last year to 2 and a half% correct I would say it was I'm looking at that looks like it was last year we did 4% we did 4% last year I'm trying to see looking at through the amended contract right now it doesn't show that no it doesn't it just shows the the dollar amount it was a 4% bump 4% right right 4% so now without adjusting year three year three went up 1% from year 2 this [Music] is you're saying we should have adjusted year three by 4% as well or just no no by two and a half by two and a half yeah now Mark threw in looks like right then last year was 101 through 79 that contract still had the 102 415 in it that was originally negotiated when it was 2 and A2 2 and2 2 and A2 so Mar looks like Mark when he submitted his budget thre in two and a half even though the contract still has fortunately uncorrected number right what I sub what I submitted was 2 and half off a year 2's number right and I yeah what John said still in contract this is this should be that's 4% there though right so that to this was 4% right right right and then what was originally negotiated was at 2 and A2 2 and2 2 and A2 so this should have that number should have been which I'm assuming is what that is right there oh you moved we got T yeah but but if this this number here the one it should have been 2 and a half off of that which it was originally and then we this is the amend went four right so since this originally was two and A2 this year three was two and a half off of year two basically we had we had negotiated 2 and a half 2 and2 2 and a/2 yeah and then we adjusted to a 2 and2 for 2 and a/2 but didn't fix the number in the contract cuz this year three should have been two and a half off the amended number which I think is what marked through in there basically he took his current so I did I did submit uh several scenarios yes so but if you you take the current number unadjusted and you had 5% brings it to what the current number that should have been adjusted at the 3 and half% is right so his number in the contract that he submitted right there is 2 and a half for the the 103 914 is a two and a half bump which is what's in the current contract no yeah current contract is 102 right sorry that's where the math was right that's where it's wrong that so it right that's what I'm saying right so it should be the 103 right cuz both number should have been one this was fixed that should have been so if you do the 103 914 plus 3 that's what it's in his current contract he's asking for a change from the 2 and a half in year three right yes sir yeah so that part settled I think the number in the green sorry in the budget sheet as presented to advisory conforms with the contract as it currently is now we have a request for the clause in the contract for the board to consider an adjustment from 22% right now we have the town employees at 3 and a half% what is the one two uh from the original when that was 90 if we go back to the non-amended this was 97 probably probably 99 yeah all right so we're budgeted for that 103 number that's what it that's what it should be because correct in the budget you know it's listed for 103 correct that's what doug sent out yeah out you send that out this afternoon kind of got it so what are you suggesting well we have a given the everyone three and a half based on the advisory committee's Thing Mark suggesting five consumer price right now is 331 you make some valid points about his you know he has 247 you know different than you're not salary or you're not hourly per say so it would be an additional for that so basically that might go up whatever we say one 1% or whatever I think if I can start the bottom thing I think Mark brings up a good point that two and a half in the light of us at least going to three and half and everybody is probably not a there I could see it make a point for at least the two and A2 being adjusted upward the question is how far upward all give me give me a number Mark gave us a number you gave us a five right so B did 2 and2 off of 103 is 104 975 uh I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm wrong I'm wrong I'm wrong I did the wrong number 101 yeah plus 2.5% that's not it 1034 so two and a half crap we'll do that one first so 5% we're at that off of what number the 103 that's that's not what he's asking he's asking for no he's asking for 5% off of the 101 101 right now yeah it's 2 and a half off of 101 he says should be at least 5% see what that looks like going to be twice the increase what do you got there 101 3796 Bally double the increase if you will what but if we if we go with what we say is budgeted what it should have been 10394 that's two that's a two and a half right so if you take that increase and you add you add our three and a half% that we're giving everybody else comes out to this number roughly but he's not asking for that that be sick he's saying take the 2.5% throw that away make it 3 we're saying make it 3.5 cuz everybody got 3.5 he's saying okay throw two and a half away make it five not five on top of take five off of that no add yeah add 5% to that which I think you said was the 106 that's what that is yeah the 10679 plus 5% that's that 106 right but my my point is he should be at 103 914 right now for the contract yes 103 914 plus which represents 2.5 the math was wrong right cuz it should have been there now if we say everyone in the town hall got 3.5 that number would be done I don't know 104 something 1 that's 5% yeah no that's that's 2.5 off of what it should be yeah but that's not actually 2.5 that's like a total of 5.1 because you're 2.5 year compound right right we're saying he's asking for year three to be a 5% bump so which is after that that's what yes was your original 106 right something right that I'm okay with I just I feel we you can't do five off of that right no because that's 7.5 right well my point is he should be here because do our eror two and a half right right at two and a half right right for next year that's what it would be you saying that's not enough increase Jesus a motion we agreeing with this contention that okay big year year three of your contract will represented 5% increase yes off the 101 37 off the 101 I mean your argument was pretty persuasive I haven't heard you open your mouth yet but you really don't there uh yes off the 101 did you so I guess we're are we moving an amendment to the contract the current contract with the highway superintendent that year three will represent a 5% increase from year two right yes I'll second on that no you made the you made the motion I I fine any further discussion we did it to death now we got to tell advisory all in favor thank you very much all right thank you know about the paper towels paper towels what yes I told you before when it snows and my St is wet you come back with the paper towels dry do you got that down right okay North Road gets I don't think it's too much to ask no special treatment on North Road right yeah okay can I while we got Mark here I know you talked about all the extra money coming through can we schedule mark for a update on the construction schedule for next year absolutely okay yeah uh not take your time but let's put you in for a week or something from now and I'm hoping by then to to have a first draft of uh you know this year's road projects to include all that you know that money we just found out there's another and if you looked at the U apportionments it's well it's a rural roadway kind of funding and it's it's interesting how they you know how the formula they used because you know we we got a lot more money than uh biger communities so it's a good thing I was 115 come back to so maybe I don't know Brian you want them in for next Monday or the Monday after plus five what you look at your schedule and see what we got on there already okay sure is that next Monday give enough time or you want another week maybe the following Monday following Monday's okay um and and like I said it would be just a first draft of of of the roads we can talk about yeah but I mean you definitely want to get it out there so we don't want to drag it out too long no no not at all and I will say that the the State offices have come full they're working really good together as far as as far as the state aid goes and and all of this they're uh they're really allowing us to uh get things started earlier and holy crap uh so yeah absolutely thank you how's the big dig going as far as I know it's going well uh you know they're I don't think it's going to be the full two weeks that they they expected I mean I I think they're going to be done in a couple days uh they' had good weather they weather so they got the structure in on sum I thought they were going to come from the other way but um they're moving right along and from what I saw today traffic was moving I wasn't through there at the real busy times but well I mean and they the the the trucks they have at the other end I mean they got every vehicle they own down by the gas station you yeah that didn't help with National Grid uh thing and I like those pictures by the way too they're they're Shoring thank you slideshow on our website what it' be a slideshow on our website name the poll it be a contest you win cookie we paint the hydrants right all right what do we got next we got the highway Union people are they here good even see it's warm for you f solo today yes y so I'd like to thank you guys for meeting with me and I know you may be looking at this as a pay increase for a position a skilled labor truck driver but I believe this group of guys is much more than that um we're skilled equipment operators pretty good mechanics and I feel like the work that the four of us do for this town is is a lot and if you look at the surrounding areas um P 17 what an equipment operator or a mechanic would make is is a lot higher than what we're making right now um and I would like to piggy back on some of the things that Mark said um I feel like you guys have been you know fair with the raises that we've been given in the past um but I feel like we are still behind where we should be um so I would like to respectfully ask for a 7% increase all right so quickly I'll just step in if we look at the contract we see that the same math thing didn't happen you can see that the the one now it shows like a 1% as Craig shows it should be there if it had been 2 and A2 off of 3040 it would be up to 3115 31 which think is the number that Mark probably used in his figures since it was in the contract already um so the last contract had a 5% increase a 4% increase and then two and a half and you're making the point that the two and a half is a little low and you're looking for some adjustment to that yeah I think our hourly wage right now if you compare it to other towns other municipalities did you bring any of that in with you no I think your honor that's heay what I think that's here say your honor it's it's hard it's hard to qu it's hard to quations bigger Department smaller Department right so this this number this number should be what uh 31 that number that number is correct yeah next next one down should be this two and a half off of that would be 316 316 and that's a two two and a half% increase two yeah two and a half% increase and is that what Mark put in for I believe he said he did yes okay know what are you looking for seven seven so seven off of the 316 No 7 3040 3040 so like it's almost did work math is 20 maybe 3252 yeah we are going to have a position opening on some more retires and I feel that that increase would help get a great candidate to fill that position that's at 5% well I think we should do the same that we did for Mark and the police which is five five five what we can do that for the Poli and for Mark okay okay have motion second well I'll make a motion to adjust the uh amended Highway Union contract 23305 for year three to represent a 5% increase which would bring that number to Craig you said oh jeez I just had it 3192 3192 okay 3192 second all in favor thank you thank you sa oh he's back all right just if I may through the chair uh would you like me to readjust all these yes and have them in I can't have them in before tonight but uh before you got you got 40 minutes you got 40 minutes I can I can try you're not putting on overtime though okay I can uh when would you like him by 40 40 minutes Lu over you can probably I mean you know your you know your new number why don't you you could go downstairs and tell Doug that right now your number right yeah right that gives him that one at least oh yeah because you get different different I just I would I would say actually not to do the math but you had last year's Highway payroll and it went up 2 and a half% off of to this year would that increase just roughly double then basically that would give them a a pretty good ballpark of what it is cuz I mean two and a half and two and a half right right take take two and a half what you gave did you you put two and A2 in you put two and A2 in when you gave it to initially but that was the contract increase oh right yes that increase just dou just do another two and a half for them yeah just double the inre close enough for absolutely sure CL for government work and Don would know thank you 's office right exactly is that what you always said yes okay so we have a final uh want to do the Reserve officer first where do the reserve offic that's what he had in there yeah just 7,000 now it's 14 roughly yeah schedule good evening this is Kyle kuchi hi Kyle being brought forward to the to select them for a appointment to Reserve officer um comes to us as a uh Western New England uh campus police officer um and uh he has the Western nass Reserve Academy thank you and um he has some certifications to be be a Reserve officer he has done the Bridge Academy with the exception of the um 2400 hours but he's working over at the college and he's probably shy about 300 hours right now so he's looking for some more work and he wants to get into a small town the college working at the college those hours count yes uh for the campus police yes uh we don't have to pay for the bridge for him uh they do they do uh they're paying for it they they are we don't no we don't no I'm we don't we do not no we we're uh we're we're done hopefully I have no other officers to bridge uh I will give gladly give Kyle U hours towards his bridging so we'll pay him that way but we won't be actually paying for his Bridge uh and so he would like to get into a smaller Community that's similar to Western New England uh and start placing and and start a career doing that too and kind of be able know you also always worked at the sheriff's department has got some certifications through the Sheriff's Department too uh Kyle will is scheduled for a medical um tomorrow as long as the appointment does go through uh and then he'll have a field training program uh they'll be oper out for us for whatever he's going to need any other certification such as taser I think he still needs uh and then uh he'll uh be able to hit the road with a full-time officer and then be able to go onto his own and help us out with filling shifts how will his primary role be filling vacant shifts how would you work that into getting him his 300 hours so it's going to be just like our reserves top Reserve gets a shift when it opens up then you go to the bottom and uh and the reserves will rotate right reserves rotate just like our other reserves just like fulltime officer is correct and he'll also actually have a chance to work uh Road details which he does not have doesn't count for his hours though right excuse me road details does not count as Patrol hours now uh he's been getting he he he'll probably make the hours at Western New England uh being on full-time anyway um but he would like to get into a different atmosphere of policing and and since it is very similar to the campus he wants to get into a community how was it dealing with those unruly college students not as bad as I thought it was going to be uh I don't party as much as they did when I was their age so they've all tamed up since then yeah it's amazing they don't nothing really on campus or you just keeping them in check yeah that's it and they see me and they know what's going to happen no it's fun it's a good time you still live in Westfield uh no sorry I live in agan okay because said graduate from Westfield that's all okay I went to Central High School and I also went to W Oak High School in Westfield you're in Hills or a Hills the same thing oh that's the first time I've heard that separ yeah usually there's a separation aldenville come on I'm not part of the counil they're part ofam okay you're not wrong remember the days when I used to live there oh then if you liveed in feeding H Feeding Hills is different than a one he's already sucking all right I have no questions for this witness thank you I defer the very senior man H we have a motion uh yeah move to uh Point Kyle a capucho kuchi kuchi to The Reserve officer position under the direction of Chief try and pending all medical and certifications required for ad second any further discussion all in favor I welcome congratulations sorry to put you through the ringer like that all right thank Youk you got uh all right final budget warrant review beat that to death the only thing I have to share with the board is that we haven't really discussed the Enterprise uh conversation with Jane today uh the third year of the MC contract had a pretty good bump in their hauling charge probably 10% so I think we are going to need some infusion from the tax levy if you will especially with the bag purchase this year my bags under me just saying yeah anyhow so the whole management thing yeah that number is probably going to that's why we're getting rid of her um that number is probably going to be in the 15 range put it on it is what it is no I mean that's part of the motion and uh that may go down depending on what retained earnings show us M we're still waiting for the final number from Cliff there may possibly be an adjustment in terms of bag cost permit fees we can all do that type of thing if I recall wasn't the mamir on a one-year contract right because wasn't last year a one-year extension and we voted it and this year showed a uh so do we need 175 to 195 do we need another extension or we do like a longer term thing with them I think we voted that extension we voted a three year did we vote a three year we one year minutes now a three years okay okay you need a motion for what no I'm just this is just an FYI that that in the motion when we get to do motions for the different things the Enterprise which is the salary operation and potentially uh it's funded from salary operation cost or salary operation and miscellaneous to be funded by a combination of receipts retained earning and the tax levy we've had tax before we did 10 usually on a bag here 10 yeah yeah you've done um you mentioned before about increasing the price of the small bags you think we need increase increase the price of the large bags that's what we're looking at we'll run some numbers I mean you remember the big income type time is usually May to June when people renew their tags right and is that still sufficient that may be an option too it's a onetime charge people don't really mind okay it went up $5 yeah the other thing I might want bring to the board is we do have an option to potentially direct other Revenue to that account and I would suggest that we might look into the income we get from amesco goes directly to the general fund except for the 5,000 for conservation would it be appropriate to think about the fact that the operation of that does impact the surface the paving area whatever would it be appropriate to say okay we Direct another 5 10,000 from the I think that number was when they finally turn on we're in the 130 140 range yeah well it is like 144 actually some of that money might be directed towards the Enterprise fund I'm not sure if it can be done but I think it'd be worth asking Brian to look into is that something that can be done the how about the Tower Rental stuff M that goes into the general fund I think that number is in the 15 range or something like that can some of that go up there because at the dump right I mean station well when we get into the tower thing I really would like to I going to say leverage that against the fact we're paying such a huge number for the tower to the same company on Commercial Drive you know we're getting 15 from them at the landfill we're paying 60 yeah over there right something doesn't offset there that's what I'm saying I think that's something the other question I just thinking crazy now you're talking about trying to fund uh the transfer station through the prise through the solar but should we could we divert some of that for water testing say it's coming from the landfill that's a possibility too just I mean they're all going to say you're taking out of the same pot because goes to general fund which pays the but but right there's a bit of a lag to it if you could take it right then but maybe you can't until it's certified I don't know yeah that's true yeah and in terms of the warrant that was the only update I needed think to provide Mr chairman can I ask you to take a quick picture with KY so I to Kyle leave I've been trying with all of our part time and fulltime officers we can just take a picture over here thank you try to get everybody in there on a Facebook I can I can color one in for you smile on one two thank you very much appreciate that congratulations right oh I was watching Don's cookie make [Laughter] sure one left I had to put my cookie down and everything oh there's another back okay master plan committee appointments where is everybody I'm here Connie's here oh she showed up needs to be here okay so this I think required because I don't think the loop was completed last time and they're already meeting and I think we just need a formalization from the board do we have a formal list yes you do yeah it's in your folder right in my folder so Mr chairman I'd like to make a motion to formally appoint the master plan committee to consist of Pat coin Connie Whit Don Davenport huh who's that guy yeah no kidding I have to recuse myself Dan Blanchard and Joe sevila for a term not to exceed 10 years is that okay Conor yes it's okay 10 years we'll see the plan's good for 10 years it's got to be 11 so they do two but it is moving along the company I think sees uh they're very Savvy they know there's that's okay but again same thing this will require posting and stuff like that do you think that who's taking notes now is Pat does all Pat Pat's been taking notes and Dan has been putting them in Dropbox and things like that so okay but now they need Brian is there going to be a uh a separate section on the we you know in the uh government committee list then should have to put that up there and then good luck um I would suggest I would suggest that the board if they need some clerical work they could come to attempt I wasn't there when the when the committee was appointed by the selectman I wanted to make sure I don't think my point is I don't think we actually close the loop so we're doing that now so and if they need some clerical thing temp help would be help we could okay second with amendment to three years well isn't that not to exceed same thing now we have to vote on the amendment do we real second the amendment all in favor the amendment passes not to exceed three years thanks Connie well now we have to vote on the motion on the appointment how you voting on the appointment as amended as amended as amended all in favor we'll never get this committee off the ground ambulance contract we good with that they just sent an email did they yeah what they say they said they're good with that okay we do with the amendments number seven in the packet yeah they're okay with that revision to the the dollar amount yeah y yeah I just wanted some some more details on there as be what they added they're good with that they said so what it does it puts in the projected um rebate and then and then the 15-month look back which the other one okay motion to approve the contract extension for Action ambulance for the fiscal year 25 second all in favor how many do we need to sign just one I think so I have one clean one they red marked yeah he's got the clean one there all right and late here what's next oh double polls some big updates oh we have we have big here's another cookie Don we have we have big update uh the uh Town Administrator myself had a very nice conversation with uh individuals from National Grid and they provide us very interesting information and the information is that um we currently have 44 open what they call Open tickets for double polls which means that they have done that the the U National Grid has done their job they've transferred the lines over and uh they're waiting the next person in line has to do their job 32 of those are Verizon and 12 of those are Charter uh and once that happen then it goes we have we've had access to now what they call the nungon so we can see the ticket we can see where it goes and once that happens when ver isn't charged with that they can remove the polls okay the current jobs the then we have 100 then we have 270 draft double polls which means that we they're double polls or they're going to be double polls but the ticket hasn't been opened to change to have the next person up that's do up to 270 that haven't even ent7 haven't even into the queue yet okay okay it's a p that's right 105 of those are awaiting construction that's I mean we don't actually have 207 that not yet but by the end of but their plan structure by April 30th we'll have 207 the work should be completed by April 30th and will'll be 207 that's incredible work on their part if you call to complain about your bill nobody can the phone it is incredible work on their part right right so that'll be 27 now I then thought to myself well do we assess those polls and we do assess those polls yeah and then I asked the assessor well if there's two polls do we assess both of them and they said well actually if the poll is there on January 1st mhm we assess it well well we should assess it right I don't know if they have or not they have a vendor who does it so they're going to look at those 44 poles and see if they should be assess be88 access our biggest bump on pole increase was the high wire poles they might am of metal so that's where we are on the on the double polls okay so what what takes Verizon in in comc Charter so long to take care of portions of the I think the charter is the last one to do it yeah so they can't do it until Verizon does it well I ran into a guy today that told me Verizon's been having huge layoffs in their work exactly right so Personnel may be impacting that the National Grid person didn't want to say that but I think her indication was that Verizon's an issue moving their paral of the poll because we're very happy to get the polls out of there right now Craig also there is some Fiber on the line who's responsible for moving the F Well we have fiber we have we MBI and I'll show you we have if I can just get into this for a minute God I knew I shouldn't have asked that bear will bear with me here a second I got to get into motion to go into executive session come on big we got to hear about Don's regularity this is this is my big thing okay there she is where is she here you go this is what your tickets look like oh there you go M see yeah so over here you have a little thing that says the job right so you have job clothes those are all they need to be taken down those are still being worked on and then over here at the bottom one you have those are all waiting scheduling T of hand and fiber those poles have hot T of ham and fiber but I don't know that must what that comes here that MBI is it the MBI is the one that installed it so they're in that middle mile initiative it's a good point like is it there just in the open I mean we do have fiber coming to the building there's fiber going to the police station the dark fiber and I think also the schools have a fiber run going between the schools too and I think the fiber has its own mind I don't know if it's fiber or not and here it says that that status 40 means the town of hampon fiber indicates the tickets that are associated with pole replacements for the town of H the fiber applications currently with national grid for engineering approval what does that mean well I'm wondering if this isn't the new polls that that the U whip City fiber might have said we need oh yeah cuz it's pending order to put on hey Brian can you get that poll inspection report from whip city so we can kind of see if that's part of that now I must also point out that this does not show all the polls that aren't done cuz I have three on my street that have been there for years and I don't know how many are on other streets there's no Oak Drive on there there's no there's some on on another Rond drive on sessions down there they're not showing on there are those considered private poles if there's so many feet off the no no no those are right on the street on the stream and matter of fact two three all three of them are marked for removal they got I got the mark the X on them but there's looks like probably Verizon line still on there interesting good work good work anything else entertain a motion to go in executive session discuss the police unit s report Brian you have anything to uh not pressing no I hear that s report I know want a time crunch well no thank you I I gave my report and P yeah well done motion to go into executive session for the purpose of uh discuss strategy with respect to collective bargaining or litigation if an open meeting may have a detrimental effect on the bargaining or litigating position of the public body with the return to open session second okay second oh John Pai so thought was that so we downstairs we're going to come back up at 7 for the advis committee when the advis we got 15 minutes let's go let's go last time we went on a tour advisory John advisory hearing or no just put everybody in the waiting R enough up here are you staying for the advisory yes [Music] okay we're going to go down to session all right leave it on ready remind me to put it back on which sign do we all right everybody if we could get started please good evening everybody Welcome to the public hearing for the advisory committee we're going to review the Articles uh that are to be brought before town meeting on May 13th uh the purpose of tonight's meeting is to review the Articles and to receive uh input uh from members of the community uh that input can be in the in the form of questions uh for either advisory committee or the proponents of the article uh or it can be in the form of information to fill out some aspect of the article um would ask you that to keep your comments um as focused as possible so that we stay on track and get through this in a reasonable period of time um if everybody if everybody uh that's the wrong the wrong phrasing anybody who needs um the articles I believe there's some others over here on the table unless they're gone they are gone they're gone um we're going to be reviewing the the warrant as well as the the budget which is article two um anybody have any questions before we begin no all right um the uh article one is the town reports the standard um standard article to hear the town reports from the officers of the Town um anybody have any questions on that standard no article two is the annual operating budget uh advisory uh has been working with the department heads over the past uh couple of months uh developing the budget we requested that um they prepare a level service budget uh with a 35% Cola uh for those employees who are eligible for a cola the uh the budget requests as presented reflect those colas were applicable uh there are a couple um of lines uh where adjustments are yet to be made and we'll explain those as we get to them uh so what we'll do is we'll take uh article two the uh budget uh in order 1.0 is the accountant uh the total amount requested there 7 uh excuse me $ 72,982 uh 2.0 advisory committee total advisory requested $5,999 board of appeals total requests $9,250 uh 4.0 the board of assessors uh total request of $1,468 uh that by the way uh reflects a an increase of four hours in the principal assessors no oh excuse me the the um clerical um a 4-Hour increase uh which is why it's more than a 3 and a half% jump on that um 5.0 Building Department total request $14,888 6.0 County Retirement uh total amount Bill to the town 775,385 7.0 Insurance total insurance $8 52,5 70 8.0 law and claims total requested amount $75,000 9.0 moderator total request $100 yeah what you PA for something to be said for consistency there that's it um 10.0 planning board total request $4,375 11.0 Board of registers total request $2,932 uh 12.0 Selectmen uh total request $ 17,141 uh that uh request also includes um a requested increase of 5 hours in the administrative assistant line um 13.0 tax collector total requested amount 9,886 14.0 town clerk total request $ 9,197 15.0 Town report total request $3,600 16.0 Treasurer total request 9,594 17.0 veterans benefits total request $20,000 Town Administrator 19.0 total request $130,000 uh total General government requests 2,7 75965 uh 20 0 Academy Hall maintenance requested $5,500 21.0 Cemetery commission total of requests $ 38,7 186 uh 22.0 Conservation Commission total request $42,715 yes not making any allowance for a hire um I don't know that there was a request for an allowance Ted I think baronnie I think Bonnie had come before no I'm not talking I'm talking about a conservation oh we had well no there was no request for that we had discussion about the likelihood of the need for a conservation agent um but because it there is not a specific CID candidate or position at this point uh we didn't put it in as as you know to a certain extent a speculative amount but thank you for bringing that up because we do know us retiring we to do well exactly I mean we do know that changes are coming and that the there will be a need for presumably for either a salaried position or a contracted expense uh for those inspections and I I I think what we'll have to do is see what happens um after July 1st um terms of expenses and how you set it up as a contract or or what and we'll take it up in the fall um but no we're aware that there are going to be those changes and increased expenses just a question of of the nature of those expenses and the amount thanks Ted um 23.0 transfer station total amount requested $120,000 24 4.0 School building repairs total request $115,000 uh 26.0 Library total request $24,105 uh 27.0 town events total request $3,500 29.0 office equipment total request $17,500 30 zero par and back total request um there's a correction here line 30.2 operating expenses incorrect that line should be $115,000 that makes the total Parks and Rec request 144,000 $176 uh 32.0 townhouse maintenance uh total request $95,000 uh$ 34.0 ambulance toal total request $329,800 B the extension of the contract was for 3 years uh 3% so it be 374,000 but they projected a rebate of $60,000 to us so we asked them if they could fold in the rebate as part of our monthly charges and they agreed to fold in 75% of it leaving a a base just in case we needed some more could come up or down either way so they're lowering our monthly yearly uh payment to $329,800 less than it was the first year but over the 5year period every year has been less than the first year so this so we just got to fold it in rather than wait for the 15 months to get it back right so it looks like the expenses going down when in fact it's rebate being used being reallocated um any questions on that um 35.0 gasoline total request $60,500 36.0 Street lighting total request $30,000 $ 37.0 Council on Aging total request $ 28,650 38.0 Senior Center total request 42,1 $90 39.0 historical commission total request $400 uh making the correction for the parks and wreck error uh that makes the total General Town service request 1,457 76 um moving on to Highway Department 40.0 superintendent Sal um we've been we were just given a new number that was negotiated this evening on this um that number 40.0 will be $16,400 uh 40.1 departmental payroll we also have a new number there uh that number will be 37,2 3 5 uh 41.0 tree Warden total request $ 6,549 42.0 public grounds total requests $ 4,385 uh 43.0 Highway Maintenance total Highway Maintenance request $315,700 44.0 General Highway expense total request $18,300 45.0 snow and ice removal um total request SL recommendation of advisory is $125,000 uh 46.0 Contract Services total request 67 excuse me $63,750 47.0 other Highway accounts total request $21,000 48.0 building expenses total requests $16,250 49.0 this is a new line um radio lease agreement uh that's $10,000 uh that makes the total Highway Department requests 1,4 8,539 um 50.0 animal inspection uh we're going to insert the number uh in 50.2 for expenses insert the number of $1,200 uh that makes the total request for uh animal inspection $ 6,575 uh 51.0 Emergency Management total request $5,800 51.5 traffic control total requests $155,000 52.0 dog officer I have to insert in 52.2 dog damage fund that'll be $500 in that line that makes the total request $5,000 $124 53.0 fire department total requested fire department is 427,000 $536 uh 54. last line didn't get the caption put in oh yes um underneath EMS supplies you'll you'll see there's a blank um training reimb training reimbursement we're going to it's actually a training reimbursement line that we're going to reformat the amount is correct it's just that the the descriptor isn't there um see Force Fire Control 54.0 is $1,800 56.0 Board of Health total request 119,00 $32 uh 56.5 water district total request $14,000 uh 57.0 excuse me um you'll note that the general salaries line uh 57.2 is even from last year to the the request for this year uh that number has been held flat because the police and bard of elment are in negotiations and that number will have to be Revisited in the fall um for whatever the amount is that's negotiated but for purposes of our budget we're carrying the the current General salary number which makes the total police request 1,647 you want to add something or you want want me to move on which one you want police police we're currently in negotiation with the police we uh have a tentative salary number but we have a couple of items that we seem to be deadlocked on please have getting 16 different uh increases and benefits in the contract or stuck on two so I don't know when that number will be done so we may have it for town meeting we may not okay but we don't have it tonight we don't have it all right and we're going to carry that number with the understanding it's going to be it's going to be revised we also have a discussion whether now I think the board supports a new Cruiser we've had that on our um when some discussion about different ways to pay for new equipment I would like to present as well when TimeWise when do you expect that right here yeah he's over here I think we decided we would like to take the cruiser out Chief could I say something um so I don't want to go against the board's decision I just want to add that I've been made aware that uh the Cruisers will be going up between 8 to 10,000 uh and also the chance of getting a cruiser at the Town fall meeting and looking at a 2025 or 2026 we've already keep this in now pretty much have the Cruis becoming fall so so that's a delay in delivery it just be just because of they're getting rid of the 24s the model year changes model coming in changing and to get that model it's going to be more expensive I have to go into that model so I was hoping to get a 24 with this um that's the only Dynamics there for me CH you probably be up year high okay I think part of our consideration was that the last mileage report showed that we had one vehicle in the 30,000 four vehicles in the 40,000 and one in 60,000 and with our projected usage and I go back to that where we're trying to keep these vehicles running at least 100 it just didn't seem imperative that we get the vehicle in this fiscal year and that we couldn't revisit in the fall perhaps with free cash but right now and I know the delivery issues the chief has brought up but we're not talking replacing car with 90 or 880,000 miles on it just with everything going on obviously bringing the dispatch number in this year to have to be a balance so for purposes of this evening do we have a request for a cruiser or not I think the board would prer you take the cruiser out of the requested budget okay right okay discuss on the equip okay um well I'm not I'm not going to do the math as I sit here but obviously that reduces the total request below the amount that's listed here uh um the sheets which are printed and distributed will have all these revisions in them and hopefully it captures them accurately they might be right they might be right um 58.0 other police accounts total request 4,995 um not I'm going to skip over the total police uh because that's incorrect 59.0 U police and fire communic ation total request $28,600 59.1 this is a another new line This is regional dispatch uh this is the dispatch that we share with Wilbraham and that's Don just just by way of explanation this is the fourth year of our grant it we required to pay 50% however werham is adding is hoping to add beler town to the regional dispatch system and the Town Administrator and I will we'll be meeting next week our board to see if we can change the IMA and to see if we can continue with our 100% Grant so we didn't leave the number in but there may be a chance that we'll get reimbursements for that in the in the current year what in in the current or or the coming year yeah that would be good news I mean even the 62 what's the number here 625 is a reasonable yeah exactly um all right Don do you do you anticipate knowing that by town meeting or is that too uncertain too uncertain okay um I'm going to I'm not going to read the Total Protection number because that's changed um 69.0 Regional Schools uh the amount voted by the school committee uh total 8, 340,000 the local government debt which consists of the high school bond and the police department Bond total debt uh $686,000 um now that brings the grand total to somewhere in the neighborhood of 16, 600,000 going to have to do the math to find out exactly where it is but round figures what we're looking at for a budget substantial increase um several several new expenses um but we invite people to make suggestions any place where we we might be able to reduce expenses or save money uh other other than saying my taxes are too high which isn't terribly productive um if you can point to something specific we will we will look at it as carefully as we can and if there's money to be saved and we we'll try to do that but as it stands right now we think the budget that's been requested is you know is is a reasonable budget um we will be voting the those numbers later this evening and and then uh submitting them to the printer for publishing and distribution to the town uh the week before town meeting yes [Music] Dad well it's a combination It's a combination of a there's actually a couple of um retirement buyouts that are included in that category there's two people retiring so they have time which will be bought out um there's also an increase the health insurance which has been the one of the big drivers in recent years actually is level this year zero increase on the health insurance to the town on the premium but because the the town has shifted the percentage contribution the town pays a larger percentage of the uh of the premium than it used to more people are participating in the health insurance plan as a result so it's a combination of Shifting the percentage more people participating in U buyouts retirement buyouts that's why it's up that much anything else before we before we leave the budget itself no okay um very good moving on article three prior year bills if I understand it we have none four um the spending the fy2 spending limits for revolving funds uh this is a an article which was brought forward every year as a statutory authorization for those specified accounts uh any questions on that no uh Article Five the Enterprise fund transfer station um what uh what number should we be looking at this year right now looking over projected revenues the fact that uh you know we see an increase in the shipping cost from our vendor have to buy bags for the coming year I think if you carried a number of 15 we'll be able to refine that before town meeting I'll work with the town account to see if there's any retained earnings that we can use towards that as well okay that you say the bags they're bought in bulk obviously and and and when when the town buys the bags is that good for what like a couple of years usually but you stagger them one year you're going to buy the small bags that'll carry you through two three years then the large bags the next year two three years kind of even no bags okay um and and no groundwater pollution and uh article six community preservation um the this is a request from the land trust uh to acquire some property up on North Road um the number that's that's carried in here of 1244 is different than the number that the community preservation committee had been working with um Community preservation met with the land trust I don't know a few weeks ago and they told us that they could work with a number of 110,000 so 110,000 is the number that the community preservation committee authorized um as an amount not to exceed excuse me social media the um so that that's a request that um I don't know how much detail people want to get into tonight on on that specific Ju Just the wording D to to purchase that parcel from the V of land trust what does that well that's getting to some of the complexity Rita the the way the land trust is structuring this this project is different than what they've done in the past there's a there's a 4 point something uh acre parcel for sale they're proposing the land trust is purchas going to purchase the entire piece and then sell subdivide it sell half of it as a building lot for you know residential U house and the other would be sold to the town and used as a trail head and parking area for access to mount Vision which the town already has that conservation land up there it also involves doing a and the land trust would be doing you know all all this work but it involves a land swap with the adjoining property owner to to allow for a connection across the rear of that other property owners piece so there would be a essentially instead of being a right away it would actually be you know deeded right um to that mount Vision Property but but for the you know for our purposes you know it's an amount not to exceed 110 um for the acquisition of that and the reason it's it's phrased that way is because the land trust has to have the the partial after it's subdivided they have to have it appraised and that appraisal is is what essentially sets the amount that can be paid for that piece of property yeah anything further on that Tad reasonable amount of money well you know that's one of those that's one of those things that I I think part of the reason that the appraisal is done is to is to sift through that I think the other is is going to be what is the0 total um what is the value of the other lot after that's subdivided and marketed these are all questions for the land trust I mean I you know I'm not involved in it other than knowing what their proposal is um you know then that's why the amount not to exceed 110 was that's the language because it might end up being less than that how much less I I don't know just seems as tight as the budget going up significantly in some areas for ,000 for something really not sure about it's a little bit what if we don't it is there any negative impact if we don't do it well two things one is this money comes out of the community preservation account which is money that is already there there I I have it somewhere it's like 450,000 in that account right now so it it doesn't impact the tax rate tax bill that money's already been been raised through the annual assessments and and the state matches um in terms of whether whether or not the town you know it there an advantage or disadvantage to the town you know that's a loaded question I'm not even going to try to answer because everybody has an opinion on these on these issues I don't understand why the town would have to buy the whole parcel if they're just interested in half why is the town on the hook to to develop homes we're not we're not no no that's not no no no that's that's not the proposal forget that that's not what the proposal is the land TR buys the entire Pressel subdivides it the town buys the piece that Services the existing conservation land okay we're not developing anything the land trust would the land trust so which is not the town okay so they feel they in order to get the property that they want they need to purchase the whole property I don't I I don't want to speak for the land trust but my understanding in is from from what they told us is that the current owner wants to sell it as one parcel is not interested in subdividing it and selling just the piece that we need for the access to the whole piece of property right anything else on that um oh there had me will make mention of there had also been a request um for CPA funds for couple of windows in the library right near the circulation desk um but the select board took up that request it was for $ 66200 so that's going to get paid for out of the existing um townhouse maintenance I think um so that request as a CPA item went away um article 7 conservation fund I assume we'll do the standard thousand uh article 8 State Highway it's the standard whatever the Commonwealth is going to distribute we'll accept uh same with article 9 Library additional state aid uh article 10 assessors funding for State mandated programs do we have anybody here from assessors tonight about 26 or 28 something like that it was 16 16 I have based on our meeting with the board of Selectmen um a couple of weeks ago when we first got a copy of the warant Articles um you had said and I wrote it down let me just find where it [Music] was yeah it's well the articles are are labeled differently now so yeah 16 16 is the number I wrote down as well yeah it was Article 10 it's not yeah it still is okay so I have, for that so as far as we know that's still a good number everybody yes okay 16,000 for article 10 uh article 11 Senior Center expansion um who who wants to take this one Don you're on um I've given this talk in terms of uh the history going back but anyway be brief selectman appointed Committee in town uh to look into the needs of the hamton C senior center for the next 50 years which was quite an assignment but at any rate uh we uh the S appointed uh committee uh made of towns people we met for the last 18 months twice a month uh gone over the needs of the uh uh Senior Center the current obvious needs and also looking forward to the expanded programs uh going down the road as you uh look for future needs so uh we have uh a preliminary plan uh which uh we'll be presenting at the uh town meeting uh the budget the estimates professional estimates of the cost of the program would be $6.6 million um and uh would you look at the amount of money that is spent for the seniors in town if you look at the Council on Aging in the in the building it's like $250,000 out of our $16 million budget uh which is basically like 1 and a half% of the Town budget is currently spent for the operation of the senior center so uh we would uh we need a 2/3 vote at the town and then it would most likely go to a pro two and a half I appreciate your support thank you Don the uh maybe this is a question maybe this is a question for the select board but that the referendum the override vote that'd be a majority vote majority be a majority vote two3 is not meaning majority of the referendum okay um I'm sure there'll be plenty of discussion at town meeting but for purposes of tonight does anybody need anything further on this was the dollar amount 6.66 car uh just as we're having our second Forum um presentation at the senior center on April 30th um we've already had one Forum which was very well attended but those who are interested to see what a year and a half's worth of work with the consultant has brought forward um we'll have a presentation showing the um proposed Renovations and expansion starts at 6 o' um the so you can get a good idea of what we're going to propose have time is that April 30th April April 30th okay I have a question um does that dollar amount include fixtures Furniture things of that nature yes okay now we're not doing it the way will Braham did it brought it up no we' discussed that in depth okay any thank you any anything further they don't have any furniture are we going to get um a financial analysis of how much is cost the average taxpayer yes yes yes there there's been some preliminary discussion but uh there's a lot of assumptions involved in that like you know how much you know of a down payment we make what per you know what term is it borrowed over what's the interest rate you know pretty significant variables that have to be assumed but there'll be there'll be a number a range if you come April 30th we hope to have that number um in a handout people there you go anything else question when when everything is paid off that's the project so what happens to that money it just gets rolled into your budget and you spend it on something else because it never really goes back to the tax when when it's a debt exclusion marelen just when it stops getting raised yeah when when a when a bond gets paid off it doesn't get taxed it doesn't get raised and appropriated in the following year so it's not it doesn't it doesn't carry forward the obligation to to pay it goes away so the obligation to raise it goes away but so the taxpayer who was paying $150 doesn't get a reduction in that tax because he no longer has to pay for the the latest example the latest example is the Green Meadows Bond right so that was a 20-year Bond but it was $200,000 a year by the last year we barely noticed it was there so when it went away that lowered our Levy limit how much we could tax but it was only $200,000 which seemed like a lot of money 20 years ago but by the end of the bond it doesn't but no it does actually go away when the debts PID off you just spend it on something else over the over the over the period of the bond it it gets swallowed up by all the other increases and in expenses is what happens it's like you know when you're in the 30th year of your mortgage it's nothing not to mention people find a way to borrow more at that time because they don't have that that change that's true anything else give us a preview of what what's coming to town m um all right thank you uh article 12 payment in lie of taxes agreement um this is a one of the Solar projects this is this is the authorization request from the Assessors for a different way authorization from the state I think the change was CLA five right basically is different way to negotiate a pilot so this is this is an authorization vote not a money vote could I just ask a question which mil Road um solar is this one this is 220 mil 220 they originally they want to change their I think big big tax personal property tax and the legislation changed and all they want to do okay got you thank you uh Article 13 scantic Valley water district improvements um who wants to take this one so the next three articles are for SC Valley water district they're broke up into phases this all stems from contamination until 25 years ago um but now the D and EPA are regulated chemicals um in and around Public Water Supplies and they're really targeting municipalities that have transfer stations or closed transfer stations um because of that they were requiring additional test State on homes within the district um if a positive hit for any of these forever chemicals was detected and triggered quarterly testing for every home in the district instead of annual testing um those have increased our testing costs maybe to $150,000 a year now across the district um in recent news within the last week EPA has come out lowering the threshold over the next three years I believe it is from 20 parts per trillion down to four parts per trilon people um because of that they're looking for some type of obligation from the town to Remy these homes from their contamination the best way to do that is to add them to the scan Valley water district clean known water source will eliminate the future testing re for chemicals but in order to do that first the um plump station needs to be upgraded to maintain the capacity um it's also old so it is time for some repairs um the second part of the phase would be cing up 20 homes I believe it is that are currently being tested for p and that would be an ongoing forever test if we didn't add them to the district so we're we're looking for the long-term solution to R those costs the residents the third part of the article is um expanding the geogra location do you have a dollar figure for article 14 um 13 or 14 13 13 I thought you said was 150 for testing costs no no no no so Article 13 would be just um Pump Station improvements and hook up immediate hes that are right on the district and that cost would be roughly 1.2 million we looking to use fund to offset some of that so we might be looking for 8 or 900,000 for that first phase to make the upgrades to sustain any Improvement Craig do do you anticipate applying the balance of the oper funds to this project so Article 13 yes and that'll and that'll zero out the account yeah and there was also talk tonight that we might put off article 14 because we may not crost that project in this fiscal year that we're coming up to if we were to what would that dollar amount be [Music] numbers2 million maybe 2.3 that's for the expansion for the second phase for the expansion to include the new 20ish homes that but you're anticipating not not taking action on article 14 at the meeting anticipating not taking AC not taking action okay and what about the extension article Article 15 15 um we'll probably take action on that that's just to increase the footprint so that's also possibility is that we're have grant funding we applied for a couple onstop grants um disant Community grants so we may have additional funding that if we do get it we could start some of the other projects without spending any money but Article 15 is is not a money article it's not a money just a redrafting location we did the same thing when we expanded the district down Main Street to complete the four homes here okay so so Article 13 you're you're looking at a $1.2 million total cost minus whatever AR of dollars are applied more set figure okay and the scantic valley article 14 expansion probably doesn't do much good to talk about a number because it sounds like it's very much a ballpark at this point there's hard numbers but that might change because of the fact you may get additional Grant the okay then i' I'd prefer to keep that out of the discussion because all it does is Muddy the waters um okay good anybody have any questions about those three articles what's the geography of this a the current geography of it will it be like on the map wise geography like you want to know where it is yeah um well it currently it's goes up gantic and it contains houses all around the lill the new homes will go off a little bit off Cross Road and then down to was it um South mson South mson by a couple houses so just a little bit further down the road from where it is now it's going in this direction at no no it'll be more for that end by the transfer station not down Main Street anymore is there any projection you know of where this contamination goes to I mean what what what what are the scientists saying about this pollution that we have and where it's going the pollution is everywhere it's mainly from there's a couple lawsuits right now with Dupont and um forgive me I can't other company for 3M for producing the Teflon Coatings Teflon materials um that produced the beaching into landfills particularly or people be it in their backyard but primarily the reason we're responsible is because they're claiming it's coming from the transportation and you know the Le but but is there a plume that's been identified I mean is it moving in any particular direction or what no I don't believe so I it's possible that they may have I don't have any knowledge of that it's not hard cut dry we've had homes that absolutely no hits a home up the street has hits and since HPA dropped up standard including more unfortunately with speak um it's used in everything besides cookware anything paperware coatings on it everywhere all right well unfortunately there's going to be more to come on water is I just have one question if I could um the pump station is down gradient from the you tested through there test the P never had any will the U if you will the stream will not mitigate or go down in okay yeah okay thank you and just for an FYI um there's uh much documentation about um uh damage to Water Supplies in other towns due to Industrial solar and which um which has become the big issue in this town as we are embarking on our 10 um project and maybe the 11 coming up and there's a lot of information that um was presented to the conation folder of I there's almost five towns that have um sued the solar companies for poor um installation or um sight I'm I'm gon I'm gonna hold you right there because it's kind of getting off track from where just just another um area of water poisoning water thank you understood um article 16 temporary moratorium on battery energy storage systems so this is this is going to be a no action uh because the planning board hasn't been able wasn't able to hold a hearing in enough time they in addition to that the Attorney General's office has ruled on several moreor not not alliums for battery storage things but they did have allowed bylaw strong bylaws for for the placement of it and uh the since the Tracer Lane decision uh there's been a lot of the Attorney General took a strong position against against towns Bic solar we current our PWS currently don't have a battery energy storage system bylaw which the bylaws s in there you can't have it but the Attorney General says You Can't Ban these things from your town so a lot of towns have been putting B so the Hope here just to bring this to the attention of people set up a bylaw committee and hopefully to have something that the planning board can look at come forward before the the fall town meeting we're just implemented a very strong one which protects their aquafer and also concerns about the lithium battery storage and the fires from that so there'll be no action just an information so this this will be brought back at a future meeting okay um article 17 landfill Tower lease extension the ex the current Tower is extending the lease that's up there okay article 18 fire station design what do we have on that I'm on the fire station building committe much like theor did they put RFQ out for qualifications um fire station Comm did that look into high art architect and do with the next step in Blueprinting uh the number for that going to be around 50,000 round or 50 the quote was 50,000 okay all right any questions on [Music] that Article 19 funding for hamden's 150th anniversary events we did the 10,000 last year here there's been conversation on the board that we would perhaps take no action with just an explanation that we would like to keep doing this on a periodic phasis to we're going to downsize we going to downsize the party are we you can bring it back right are good no action that's what we're discussing at this point right article 20 fiber optic report aniversary this is just informational Frome from still let the Comm Community know that this initiative hasn't died and still looking into Solutions okay um that's to the committee more to come more um 2 Rita when when you say come to the fall meeting with that was that that huge amount of money though the last meeting well I I don't know what's going to happen the committee is going to have to vote and decide on which which what they want to do my my point is that in the past the the policy was to go to fall Town meetings for very cleanup things you know set the tax rate transfer to state ation that sort of thing and now we're taking to town meeting money articles that are huge and I'm wondering if if we want to do that if I think the annual town meeting has a better representation is what I'm saying it's interesting that you make that point Rita because we've actually had some discussion about and we still refer to it as the special town meeting and it really is it really has become a town meeting I mean it's part of the the way the town does business now um but I mean what you describe is historically is correct I mean you know it was a cleanup meeting and now it's definitely not it's more than that so are we are you saying then we are headed in the direction of taking Artic one of the problems is and I remember the good old days when you and I were on the stage and that's the way things were and John's dad would say no we we shouldn't be doing that kind of stuff at a special the problem is the budget climate now we don't know anything in may we have no idea what our free cash is we have no idea what our state aid is so we're continually having to say let's do this in September when we're smarter when we have more information to be to be better prepared so I think it's inevitable that the fall town meeting becomes a more regular time meeting but I mean that's that's for the board to to decide and they control the warrant Mary Allen yes but if you need if the F more meaningful when do we even need the spring line anual T yes but couldn't the fall be the annual timeing well the problem is we' have a we wouldn't have a budget for July 1st and so we'd be restricted to a 12 12th budget which would make departments like Park and wreck very unhappy see they spend most of their money in the summer so yeah it's logistically but even Logistics the state law that is still very clear that your annual town meeting has to happen prior to the start of the fiscal year so and it is labeled such as the annual we've had this debate over the years back when I served with John's father um about whether you called now you're oppos is it town meeting part two um so I get all the arguments read and I'm the old school thought of this as well and it's a little more difficult to swallow as moderator all those years later but again the housekeeping articles the nature of the Beast I mean if you look at the the uh you know the GRE General Court can't even Sol set up a budget by the first of the fiscal year on their own so you're kind of stuck with the devil you got but it's it's how it's referred to I think would make this going forward the argument more palatable because it is not a special Town meting well the the other concern that I have is that it's difficult get getting people to come to town meeting and when you have two Town meetings it's twice as difficult to get people coming to town meeting so then you have smaller group of people making decisions in the fall perhaps or maybe you know may vary and I think that that's a concern you want more people participating in democracy we we do but we can't make people care they told me that in the old days that there were two ways to get people to town meeting leash laws and liquor licenses we fill the room or pull the fire Jim I add to what R said I agree with her we we've tried to we've tried to keep the in the past tried to keep the fall down me specific um I think that uh what Rita was talking about was the introduction of new things not not necessarily things that have to be done because budget delays and state aid um questions but it's it's what I would call new initiatives yeah and I would like us to remain in that posture where new initiatives go into the annual t the one thing that they're doing to mitigate that a little bit is putting it on the article and taking no the annual taking no action saying we may be talking about this in the fall in the case of the second half of the water district possibly or the fiber optic so at least they're trying to give some fair warning at the annual I give them credit for that at least and I'll give them credit easy I mean it's it's it's a legitimate concern absolutely um but by the same token speed Everything Has Changed I mean we have to we can't wait sometimes we can't wait for 12 months for things to happen so um yeah anything else on that issue on to the pickup truck article 21 pickup truck for the highway department what number are we carrying on this 60,000 60 60 this is replacing Mark I forgot you told us which this is replacing uh 2012 truck 3 with 999,000 it's just under 100,000 miles so by the time you get it Mark how much I mean the delivery on these is not great right I think they're getting better but uh we're looking at four to six [Music] months it's qu ear yeah okay the one you the one that you're replacing is operational you don't expect go out a service just pretty much out yeah it's useful yeah 999,000 hard miles so yeah 100,000 M CL TR are hard mil okay any questions on the pickup truck no article 22 minog High School Capital Improvements um this is a request from the school district for I get I'm confused are these the switches or the uh the wireless access wireless points I think the number we had from here was in the 43,2 79 the the last number that we had 4 43279 um with wilam picking up the proportionate you know there's just over 100,000 there're well over like I want to say maybe 180 yep or thereabouts it would be wil bram's contribution four times as much the um um article 23 government study committee report um we're going to have an actual report from the government study committee or what what do we anticipate there that's one of the questions do we get to give an overview prior to war articles or you got to talk down to the guy down the way I mean this is going to break into two parts um for example we did have a we had an overview report an interim report back in November um so you've got the following questions after so if the article warrant is structured by the selectman is designed to authorize a report then that would be the vote for example if the vote came back negative not to hear your report we would still be taking action on the questions that follow so it it really kind of you know so it's each one is individual so I would think that the voters would want to hear the report but obviously the vote has to happen first you to give the report I have a question um articles 25 and 26 I'm grouping article 24 through article 27 sort of together but articles 24 and 25 are going to be voted on by the residents of the town on uh May 20th so are we taking no action on article 24 and I'm sorry 25 and 26 not 24 and 25 25 and 26 are also questions um has to pass both has to passes okay that's my question it has to pass a town meeting and then a ballot and then the ballot okay I do have a comment on that because I think procedurally we're getting ahead of the game the charge of the committee was to give their report at the town meeting not to act on on it at this time so I just think that having that was a charge to give the report at the May meeting and I think that putting the questions on already before we' even heard the report I know we're going to hear it then I understand that but I think procedurally we're getting ahead of the G here I don't disagree with you Eva I was just wondering I wasn't aware that you had to vote um both the warrant articles at the annual and then again you know give the citizens right to vote on May 20th for it have a war article we have to hold on one hold on one second let me let me just let me just back up for a minute here bring people along who may not have this in the document in front of them the article 23 is the government study committee report the next five articles are are articles which the government study committee is proposing and which the select board has included on the warrant um that's the Eva's point about whether or not that's appropriate um bring it his town meeting not to the C prior to that that was so to me it's just a procedural thing and hold on one second from from the perspective of advisory I mean we we make recommendations on the warrant which is coming before town meeting um the the the composition of the of the warrant is Select you know it's the select board that makes that up but it's the moderator that rules on whether or not an article is appropriately before town meeting I don't want to make it more complicated than it needs to be but I I mean it seems to me that what's happened is it's all been compressed into this one event um which it's a bit problematic but Donna what say you our charge was to provid recommendation issue Report with recommendations our recommendations are in war articles and anyone interested in the methodology look in report which some copies right there between Pages 10 and 19 there's an explanation ed through the town attorney you see propos more article and then to go to the ballot the ballot questions are included also but you don't need a ballot question for article 24 which is to increase the board of selectman no no no just the just 25 and 26 all right so I'm not sure that it's going to serve us much no I'm just asking for get into get into the details of each of the Articles other than to kind of highlight what the concerns are um on on both sides of the issue um I'm assuming there'll be plenty of discussion at town meeting on this article 27 um that you know is is not going to be voted on by the town on May 20th it's just a matter of do we want to allow for electronic voting at town meeting um you know I my only concerned with that is how you know what's the it situation at twb right now you know is that something that we could possibly do without having to make some improvements but you know maybe my question is answered I don't I don't I don't want to go down that road because it's much more detailed than we need for sorry okay the it's a question of you know this is the article which is being brought to town meeting comments will be made questions can be can be asked um for our purposes tonight to everybody understand what it is that's coming before town meeting that's the question and anyone that doesn't have the report there's a couple copies up there and hope funding well it's on the town website right Donna I mean it's available it's on the internet go on the internet you can read it there also available for those who don't want to invest the time in the report so we're trying to make it easy to get the information out yeah Jim can I ask for clarification Kathy did you say that 24 25 and 26 will be ultimately subject to a no 25 and 26 I my question was why isn't 24 25 and 26 to turn the Town Clerk and the consolidate the treasurer and the tax collector into one position um I can't I would assume so yes yes the change from an elected to appointed you have to have okay I'm just trying to understand the procedure all right any further questions comments no okay um Article 28 school resource officer uh um this is a $1,922 a reimbursement um we actually make a reimbursement to wilb Bram um for the current years's actually the past Year's expenditure this is this is a lagging expense that we we uh take care of uh 11,922 is our portion of that expense um article 29 advisory committee Reserve fund I didn't even talk about that but I'm assuming we we'll use the the the general 25,000 that we typically do uh article 30 General stabilization fund it's too early to know what if anything will go into stabilization article 31 reducing the tax rate likewise it's too early to know on that that brings us to the end of the Articles um that concludes the hearing public hearing on the warrant what advisory will do is we will now continue our meeting downstairs we we will review and re-review these issues and make we'll vote each article for recommendations um as I indicated at the outset this will go to the go to the printer once we've got everything revised and refined for distribution in in the times uh week before town meeting um so unless anybody has any questions that will conclude the hearing very good thank you very much [Music] [Music] everybody okay phase two [Music] [Laughter] there