hello uh welcome to the select for meeting for Monday June 10th uh 2024 we'll begin with the Pledge of Allegiance I pledge algi to the of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands one nation under God indivisible with liy and justice so we have a short board today and hopefully a short agenda uh we'll start with reading the mail uh then we'll go into Department updates from Park and W uh 7:00 we'll do public input member updates at 7:15 we'll approve a bunch of one-day liquor licenses for the rotary Carnival uh Rotary Club carnival uh is the 11:30 we'll have select board discussions on um the Stu Studio G for the MSB msba Shaker Lane uh discuss articles 31 and 32 from the town meeting review the select board meeting schedule for the rest of the year uh talk talk about the townway truck policies and a government transition uh talk about uh Town appointments The Orchard and uh the signing of the purchase and sale for the Webster property 8:15 we'll do um um a job description for the Animal control officer Follow by minutes and an adjournment so moving on to the mail thank you Mr chairman members of the select board um just wanted to um let everyone know uh as we do um at every meeting the um the VAC the current vacancies on the town boards we have two in the affordable housing trust uh one in the agricultural Commission of uh I'm sorry we have three on the agricultural commission we there are six there are six um openings on the clean Lakes committee I guess I'm a little confused why are there so many here so that's all a lot of these are reappointments anything that's in 2027 is a reappointment so after today's meeting there will be a lot fewer okay thank you I will continue we have three in the council and aging four in the cultural Council one in the disability commission two in the economic development committee three on the his historical commission uh two on the LCT advisory committee three on the master plan committee two on the permanent Municipal Building committee two on the neog hill Orchard ad ad hoc working group one on the personel advisory committee two in the sustainab sustainability committee one on the taxation Aid committee and four on the transportation advisory Council and four on the zoning board of appeals uh and appointed by the town moderator there is one uh term uh for the finance committee okay uh moving on we have the notifications in addition to what is live the uh the town's newsletter that we have on the town website uh please sign up for that we also have you can receive public notifications for Community impacts Transportation issues public health concerns Public Safety activity Town meetings Town town meeting changes uh town events so please stay informed go to register at www. Littleton ma.org subscribe uh we received notification um that uh the mass d uh has notified the release of a notification for on conditions uh because of an oil spill a 50 gallons of gear oil from a cooling unit uh uh at below Crusher number two at hul facility at 149 a road in Littleton Mass uh the the release occur occurred on a portion of hul's facility that is used to for aggregate production hul responded immediately and the release has been cleaned up no further action was required so which is great news great job I have notification here from the Alcohol Beverage Control Commission advisory regarding food and beverage containing hemp uh derived CBD and or the onli premise um that it is unlawful please it's a notification to be advised that it is unlawful to manufacture Andor self food or beverages containing hemp uh derived CBD and or or THC this applies to alcohol and non-alcoholic beverages these and the and the products must be taken off the shelf immediately any license license Z found in violation of of importing manufacturing transporting selling and possessing on its license premise food and a beverage containing hemp derive CBD and or THC faces potential Su suspension or revocation of its license and that would be it okay thank you thank you uh so we're skipping the police department asks to be uh scheduled for the following meeting um so parking right hello all right um so there's uh two different things we had uh an update I don't know if you guys want me to go through that um and then we also have some 20b exemptions so it's kind of to you guys it's your time start with the 20b all right so 20b um this is we've done this uh quite a few times so essentially uh we have staff that work for the public schools but they also work for us in the summer and there's an overlap um for a few months so uh there's a list of people some are either uh vendors um who uh give us invoices or some are actually hired as employees there's a certain set um these two whether they're a vendor or they're an employee um their hours their time is not um affected or um there's no sort of conflict with the other position in any other way um so that's just kind of the exemptions verifying that that's the fact so um we have our list of people I brought all of the documents for you guys to sign if you choose to approve them uh any questions um go ahead oh um I had a question about um the timing so um almost everyone was listed as beginning their conflict or their additional position is May starting May 15th um but there were two that started that listed September 2023 did they start at the beginning of the school year then um which one were those two Kristen hemus and Perry Kenny so I believe we've actually already done them in the past um but we're just doing it again just in case okay yeah thank you um I actually yeah that was one of my questions my other question is actually more is to Jim and Ryan if we can simplify this form because uh it doesn't look like anyone's actually filled it out correctly right really well if you look it says select a lot of these say select something in box one or two and neither one has there's nothing checked so there is on it's state there's a or no it's in box one it says select either statement one or statement two and there's nothing checked and then there's box two and it says select statement one or two and then there's something checked in box two but there's nothing checked in box box one is specifically for an elected Municipal Employee okay which they are not it's the other so then there needs to be something to clarifi it's just a confusing it really is so I don't know what we can do we really can't that's part of the problem is that can we make forms I I don't disagree with you mark That's you know I read this form and I'm trying to figure out yeah yeah this is dictated MH yeah so did the people actually start on May 15th or they're starting when school we had all sta training so that was uh and then we really unless there's other training components we're not really starting until uh school lets out okay yeah okay ready ready move that the select board vote to acknowledge a Disclosure by a Municipal Employee of financial interest in a municipal contract and approve the exemptions for Adam deast Kristen hemus Perry mckenny mie hollerin I apologize Maddie thank you I'm sorry that I mispronounced your name Maddie holler and Emily Bell Julia denoya and pkee as a Municipal Employee in accordance with Mass General Law chapter 268a section 20b second moved by Matthew second by Karen all those in favor I excellent all right I'll give you so I actually have yeah so markk this just needs to be signed by by Mark with the chair okay thank you Ryan I really appreciate that thank you okay so while you're signing those um I'll go through and uh just give an update for Parks and Recreation um so we have uh completed the permanent walkway installation at uh Long Lake Beach um we had some individuals from the public that came to talk to us um that really needed something year round not just a a seasonal um walk path and it's something that we've wanted to do for a really long time um so this kind of gave us that like push to to Really complete it so um with the approval of conservation and the disability committee um and the help of Highway we were able to get in uh I'm an excellent contractor to uh do the work he did it in about a week and so it's there and we'll love it and take care of it for uh as long as we we are able to and um yeah it's it's been uh an amazing addition and uh we've had nothing but compliments from uh the public on having this uh walkway put in so it's been really great uh third Thursday is actually going to be uh this Thursday so uh second Thursday uh we're just doing that just so we're not over top of the rotary Fair that's happening so um just trying to get that out to the public uh it'll be at Fay Park and uh the public is welcome there between 5:00 p.m. and 7:30 so um it's a great time uh we'll have music food truck all that stuff uh and vendors obviously um and then the last piece which is really exciting um we applied for a grant um with the um Doug fluty Junior foundation for autism um and we were awarded this amazing communication sign that we were able to install out on the castle in the trees so uh it's in a really prominent area so uh it's pretty accessible to any of the kids uh that want to use it and um it's an amazing communication tool especially with individuals that um are on the autism spectrum so if maybe they're not uh fully verbal uh they can actually point to the sign and and talk to other people and tell them what they want or what they need um so it's a a really cool sign we're really thankful to be able to have uh won that uh Grant uh and yeah it's a great addition to Castle the tree what's the sign made out of it is I believe it is like aluminum behind it and then has the um like that it's a thicker it's not like just a plastic coating it's a little bit thicker than that uh but it's pretty sturdy I just wondered if it's going to fade or have other problems we have to if there's any maintenance we have to worry about with it yeah uh I mean if it fades that's something I'm sure we could communicate with them and they'll help us out okay it's really great yeah Doug flut is still making our lives better after all these years it's amazing know it's I I was super impressed with that when I saw it in the back at and shared it with my my sons who have uh several neurod Divergent friends and excellent they thought it was uh pretty something they hadn't heard of in a really cool really cool solution so yeah good job that's all I got my yeah the path is gorgeous as well good I'm glad you like it all right any other questions good luck with your summer kickoff thank you it's going to be nuts appreciate it have a great night thank you thank you we're a little early but I'll do um we start with members updates um so my update on the orchard um we have reached out to mapc to talk about scheduling some public input sessions um I think even though the article didn't pass the board and the work working group are interested in I'm hearing from residents on what they um what they want out of the Orchard and also I believe it would help to explain some of the challenges that we'll have um following the the failure of that warrant article the you know the money situation um and um Ryan is looking into prices for tree removal which is something that is very likely that we're going to need to do and also the pricing on those um emergency repairs that we've outlined at our last select board meeting I think that's the only update I have today okay Karen nope um so I attended the sewer working group meeting last week uh which was very short and um thank you for all the work and the light and water department has done to put that together stay tuned for more updates um it's review season so we have to finish our reviews of our uh three employees so uh I sent out reviews for uh the uh police chief and the Town Administrator and I will send out one for the fire chief uh later today I also was at the ored working group meeting um and can pretty much eate the stuff you said we'll talk more about that later and I wanted to thank uh uh the TA and the uh Nancy and everyone for getting out the town newsletter so um and encourage all the boards and departments to get in updates by Friday 15th that's right 15th month by Friday for the next next iteration so that includes the select board yes who does that now the clerk rats so you I'm sorry you updates oh sure no Absolut okay I'm sorry um okay uh well and I'm not sure if everyone knows out there but we had a great meeting this morning with uh with the department heads and um and members on the select board were able to to join us and and it was uh a very I thought it was a very positive meeting across the board um in in in many many ways of identifying areas of uh what they what they're current what they're currently doing but some of the challenges and some of the goals that they all have but they also but what I thought was exceptional was the fact that they independently recognized um the impact that this Bo this select board has had on them the positive impact which I think is is is is excellent that was uh very very well done uh so some of the things that um that we that uh some of the highlights that came out we have uh our veterans office uh there is uh the veterans our local veterans in in Littleton will see an increase in their in in monthly allotment and we are currently have a client list of approximately eight veterans and um uh there is uh continued Outreach efforts to uh encourage anybody that uh uh is in need of anything to uh to to reach out to a vso and uh see how how we can help uh on the county on the accounting end as uh people out there may be aware that for local government the end of the fiscal year is June 30th and state government by the way and uh is June 30th and so we are at the crunch time of of of the end of the year accounting and what we also have a positive thing an additional positive thing out out of accounting we're also interviewing for a financial analyst out of out of there which is which is fantastic we had um you know a great number of of uh of requests but and I think there's going to be uh six people that are going to be interviewed library summer readings are going to start and that is a very very strong program here in the library uh the police department uh thank goodness for thank you for everyone at town meeting that supported that uh the addition to another uh officer that will be on the street and uh there is an individual that is uh scheduled to be in the academy and complete that and will uh is a was previously a dispatcher for for the town a full-time dispatcher and it's uh fantastic as as that individual is transitioning to be a police officer uh anybody out there who would like to purchase some compost bins uh there's approximately uh what we're able to do is get them for they're at DPW uh and we were able to sell them at what it cost the town at $55 uh per and there's a few still left we ordered 20 but we can get more if there seems to be individuals want more and the the great thing about it is because of the Grant and because we're able to do that they're regulating $190 so which is which is fantastic and 55 so please anybody who hasn't you know tried that you should uh you should try it uh we're also doing um Fe what's what's going on is uh exploring it's going to start a feasibility study for space needs for as as the dep department is growing there's a lot of in different many different areas within DPW so that that is going to be a continued project for for quite a while uh the One-Stop application was submitted by minin she did a fantastic job of coordinating that we've got an affordable housing trust component to that we have uh a continued effort on the uh consultant for to support the kman and the businesses and um the residents that that are there uh and how we can how we can continue to promote and we also have the uh a request for the continued effort for 550 King Street for infrastructure improvements over there the town clerk is is looking to fill the position um of of a uh of an assistant town clerk that town clerk has transitioned over into the the assessor's office which everyone is uh very very happy the town clerk is sad to see her go but uh it's a it's a nice opportunity for uh for Kim to uh um to move up which is great uh Board of Health has got a lot of exciting things going on there there is going to be 10 sensor there there is an air sensor grant that the the board of that the Board of Health has uh has received and is going to be strategically placed around town uh 10 air sensors which will which will be picking up uh uh pollutants uh within the within the community and that will be an ongoing uh data uh data situation that will be collected uh there is also uh what we'll also be looking at as an intern program one in the fall one in the spring with the Board of Health to support and to educate and to hopefully get some more of those Board of Health directors out there that would be great and we are uh looking for a uh for clinic and how we can establish one a free clinic in the fall and uh also we uh the Board of Health is doing Francis is doing a registration as a vaccination site lastly we have uh Council on Aging there will be a beam signing on June 27th there'll be plenty of sharpies there'll be everything and it's all excited it's all exciting and uh we are uh looking forward to watching that watching that project over there grow which is fantastic um that's it if the select board has any questions or anything concerns great thank you public input [Music] please put this thing closer to you here uh Mr chairman um I wanted to say uh everyone knows you but can you still do your name and address please oh I'm sorry about that George a Sanders 672 great Ru um I wanted to point out that uh I think this newsletter that the town uh put out uh was well done a lot of time and effort went into it uh across the Spectrum I think it covered just about everything that people had a need to know in the town with regards what's going on in the town which is good uh only question I had was are they printing this in hard copy and leaving it where resident are coming into office in the town like the clerk office like the C COA uh EHS uh are they uh putting this where people can grab it well the see and we thought of that uh Mr Sanders and we struggled as the select board gave me gave me that direction you know six months ago uh upon uh starting and that this is really important to be able to get the current information out there the struggle that we have uh ultimately would love for it to be a print thing that's done weekly but that's way too expensive and we got have to walk before we run but with that said we we have the ability as it is on the website to update things necessary as uh as it changes so we wouldn't want wouldn't want news to get stale or anything like that and by if we're going to print out something of today's news it could be different in three or four days from now there could be an update that we would reflect online but not in the print copy so that's where the confusion is well uh I hear you loud and clear it's just like the newspaper that was published yesterday and the one get published today uh but my concern is about the citizen uh the Sanders here in the town Lon love this town and and we care about this town and we care about the people that's in this town and we are thinking about the people that are not fortunate that knows how to operate you got a lot of senior and some other people that don't know how to operate a computer okay so if we got data I'm saying they they'll make it into the clerk's office or they'll make it to the C I'm not saying you have to publish a lot of them but I said having some in those two location at least uh we know that we're getting information to those that really concerned about this town and I think everybody's concerned but I think seniors have a special caring about Lon they they they love this town and uh and and I do too and uh I just wanted to say I think that's very important that uh we try to reach them if we can and letting them know what's going on other than at the town meeting because that's about the only other time that they get it and watch it on U lctv understood okay I thank you Mr chairman thank youer to after the orchard yeah anybody else okay moving right along uh one day uh liquor licenses these are all for the rotary Carnival yes sir yeah I don't know if it is is the uh jump from the from the over here Chris Chris no Chris is yeah I think we had that on the agenda for 7:15 so maybe we could go to another item okay chair what's next discussions On Studio G introduction to the they'll be here they'll be PR for that okay well maybe we move up and talk about the orchard sure sure um okay so the select board and the orchard working group had a joint meeting a week or so ago um to talk about the next steps for the orchard um there was a lot of discussion back and forth on what to do um I've since reached out to a couple Farmers to see that we interested in the Orchard and um some of the and we Matthew and I met with Town Council last week to talk about some of the next steps and we just um from my discussions with the orchard working group they'd really like a new mission statement to sign up so they know what they're signing up for so um and I come up with like three points that we can debate um and decide if that's what we want to kind of do as a mission statement one is to draft an RFP for the dis disposition of the orchard with Town input um the second is to determine the criteria for evaluating respondents to that RFP so whatever the rubric Matrix is and the third is to hold meetings to socialize the plan whatever um we decide you know however we're going to go forward so so you're saying the disposition would not be would not be determined until we may have the discussions about whether it's a lease a purchase a maintenance agreement the I think the orchard most of the members of The Orchard working group seem to be leaning toward selling it but um I don't think we necessarily want to say that we're going to sell it until we actually hold more public meetings with mapc um I'm not opposed to selling it but I don't know if a month ago the town voted not to sell it so let's get enough information and consensus that selling it is the right thing if that's what we decide is the right thing or we can go forward with a lease or a maintenance agreement or something else um which would get a lot more complicated to do and potentially more expensive but we can also you know as part of this process say you know this is what is going to cost the town if we enter a maintenance agreement this is what it's going to cost the town if we do a lease and then get better justification for whatever of those three options we want to go forward with so the mission would be [Music] to to to engage with the public and and Define the next steps um I I think yeah that's part of it yes what I mean what's your opinion so my I mean this this came up at at our meeting with the orchard working group is we did that and we came up with the next steps yeah right so um I think we need to get more information out there like you know what what what we didn't have was the financial impact on the town right as more firm numbers so so that could be that the mission could be or or the financial impact on you know aie or something else too right um right so again I'm like trying to parse in my head like what the mission is the mission would be gathering enough information to make a decision on you know um or to inform the public on on what needs to happen to go forward yeah okay and we can do that through the mapc Outreach meetings and along with that the decis along with the decision to for the F however we're going assuming it's a sale is also like what what criteria we'd put into um the evaluation in the into the RFP itself right how are we favoring yeah I think without knowing how we would be disposing of it those criteria can can differ pretty significantly but I think we could still come up with some broad Strokes that well well at least you know keep moving us keep moving us forward um but I think what you're looking for from somebody who's leasing might not be the exact same thing that you're looking for from somebody who's buying that's true and so that there's a little bit of car before the horse or um but I still I think we can get enough broad strokes and and overarching themes at least that we can that will have made some progress if not you know finalized it and the end the end end result probably it could very well be that we still decide that selling is the right answer but we need to do a better job of educating the public on why that is potentially financially right um as well as some of the other like when we talked uh to Town Council about a lease you know lesie will be responsible for whatever the equivalent of property taxes are so we know what the floor value of charging someone a lease would be right right so we can start going down some of these Financial aspects and from from the information that um you've been Gathering about potential applicants for lease we know what they're looking for from the town so we can start socializing more of that information that has a financial impact right and other impacts so so and I fully agree that selling is probably probably the most likely outcome but we need to bring everyone there so so speaking as a member of the orchard working group it feels like the charge of doing the research to determine what it's going to cost to lease if we're not going to lease is not it's probably not in there probably more on our on us it is and I think it's it's on us and it's probably on Town employees because I think some of it's going to be things like well what's the budget for an orchard and where are we going to get the money and you know that that sort of question about where the funding sources are is probably going to be relevant to the discussion um I don't know if we need to come up with funding sources we just need to come up with the amount yeah I do think that determining a realistic outcome for each of the possibilities as far as monetary expenses is important yeah and I do agree that socializing it with the residents is important I guess and I also agree that I'm not sure that the orchard working group's current makeup is the right group to do that like the the people who are on there are really focused on you know evaluating the property and finding a use for it which we did and now we're talking about justifying a use of it which is seems different to me I guess so yeah maybe it maybe it's a different group or the on on the select board one thing that Orchard working group I think could still assist in that's directly in their wheelhouses getting the APR um Extended to the barn if we're still if that still definitely something we want to do that could stay that could so I think that's something that also should come out of the public input too cuz um there's there's advantages and disadvantages that like if a farmer if the barn is under an APR can they converted into a Farm Stand For example what are their restrictions so before we actually do things like that we probably need to socialize it a little more with potentially some of the people that would be using it to see what and the public to say you know if are they agreeing with these restrictions I get what you're saying there I feel like it's more it's so far into the weeds yeah I public input is always helpful um but I think ultimately that's going to need to be an executive decision yeah like the subject matter experts need to make the decision on that I think about you know I understand people's feelings about the barn but right but to your point based on you know I mean public input is you know one factor that can weigh I'm I'm saying for the extending an APR to the barn is not necessarily a bad thing but we should evaluate what it means and what it really means and not just the public input but talk to some farmers and say what it means for them right and then explain to the public what it would mean and see I guess I feel like we know all those I mean we like one of the reasons we wanted to put the barn into APR was because of public input it was because there was such a push back against development and so much push back um about a fear of of um the unprotected areas of the orchard getting flipped and sold off again and so the move to put the barn into APR was a result of public opinion to protect it right but but I yeah I agree but there's a difference between putting the barn in the APR and the property that the barn is uh no I think it's it was the I think the point was the barn the structure should be in the APR to avoid it being converted into something that's not used for agriculture but is a farm but a Farm Stand no because there's retail carve outs for agriculture that that kind of stuff is fine my understanding is it's not as trivial to do as one would think through it may it may we should just be clear but it's been done I think anything above and beyond a Farm Stand including a farm stand that sells things that aren't directly from that farm might get dicer quicker um so it I mean it is is it's a restriction right it's APR that's what it stands for yeah um but I mean you know it it feels to some extent like our the mission of the orchard working group is to do the same thing and and do a bet do a better job of of justifying the decision and educating the public on the decision that we made in some ways I mean we talked we talked about at the this La at our last board meeting we talked about well do we want to go out for another lease and you and I talked to Jenny about making that that RFP much much simpler Jenny being Town counsel sorry for Jen Marill that mi's in Harington um I wonder if and I think that might get some traction with someone who wants to lease it but the same the same issues with the lease that were present before the town meeting vote are still present which is responsibility of the town and F fiscal responsibility of the town and no long-term solution we're just postponing the problems and paying money while we do it in a way and granted we are maintaining the property a little bit better but it it doesn't really solve a whole lot of problems that I'm aware of so I'm willing to continue forward on the working group under those new sort of under that new Mission but I don't know whether the rest of the members will be interested as well yeah so any yeah I think I think it's a little bit of like do what you did but do it again um which is fair maybe that's what we need to do right I mean I and I don't think anybody but the folks on the orchard working group or who have been serving on the orchard working group can get us through those public sessions with the right information being you know um so I think to me that's sort of one of the most critical things that we need is is is Assistance or facilitation or whatever support to get those meetings conducted I also think the orchard working group has brought the process a long way in the past year I mean um this time last year we were talking about the Orchards having to be all Orchard effectively and now we're talking about it being all agriculture right right which is a huge step forward that's true y and it opens up the pool of applicants tremendously that's true as well we have a lot more potential we just have to realize that potential and you know I do think the members even if they decide to leave would be happy to take part in those public input sessions I think that the long-term obligations of bi-weekly meetings and hours and hours is what they don't want to do right for the same result so that's what I heard okay yeah so okay so okay so that sounds like our what we're interested in doing so I know there was public comment on the orchard so Rob Browns uh 25 Juniper Road so I'm a little bit surprised um that there's I think as you know I attended that meeting as well and there's a sense of real urgency that I heard from the uh ad hoc working group with with regard to uh farming it uh with regard to aspects of Sarah what was referred to a Sarah's safety list um so is Sarah safety list approved is that happening so that those okay so that's been approved um I know Ryan was probably tasked with regard to uh acreage cost with regard to removing the damaged trees has that been approved you is there what do you mean by approved I'm asking if I don't think there are any funds previously identified and allocated for the removal of the trees for removal of the trees there are no funds currently there are funds for the Emergency repairs if they're within I think about $ right once we we quantify with that you know we have the list now which before we really didn't have so now we've got a list we're going to try to figure that figure that out and then subsequently go to the finance committee for Reserve fund trans okay so it it's on those points that I thought there was a real sense of urgency with regard to I won't list them but numerous members multiple members of the OC working group saying Farm it now Farm it soon Farm it small if need be but Farm it uh evaluate your options from previous respondents with regard to can they work within the lanes of the orchard or not but all those sorts of things but get it on quickly and then I also felt there was a real urgency which you folks probably are doing everything you can with regard to evaluating mapc you know socialize references but when are we going to know when that is cuz I'm of the opinion that Financial dollars with regard to an exactness it's not needed at all it's already more than well known and stepen nudy at that group responded the town doesn't have the money to clear all the damaged trees and yet the disease trees damaged trees are impacting your Butters so we've got numerous issues they're already right in front of the select board and the town residents who voted down and I'm disagreement with the vote um so a sense of urgency how quickly are we going to know some of these things because I'm looking to move as some of you know potentially very quickly to force another vote from a voter petition perspective Ive and I'm not hearing anything that's going to allow me to determine whether I'm you know doing that you know tomorrow morning I was waiting for this meeting but now I'm getting this meeting and I'm not certain I'm farther along so I I'll try to answer some of the questions and so there to to farm it at all we have to put out an RFP that has not been written right so we'd have to put an an RFP for someone to come in we haven't when we did one of the questions was asked before was like church Meadows what the process was there there was an RFP put out um and we had one respondent and then we signed an agreement with that respondent so we can do something like that but by the time you put out an RFP for a farming and evaluate them you're you're going to lose most of your farming ability for whatever you could Farm without removing the trees as far as removing the trees we're getting a quote for removing the trees I'm still not sure what the orchard working group prefers for removing the trees if we want to get a quote for removing just the damag trees if we're trying to clear a field or what but we need to get the quote first so we know have an idea how much it's going to cost to know that if there are funds to even just remove the damage trees or what we have to do we're getting a quote for all of those possibilities right so then we'll decide yeah so so we don't know how much it is to remove the trees yet to know how many trees we could afford to remove so okay so and apologize I'm speaking out of turn but I did hear at some length some aspects of maintenance agreement want to clarify if a maintenance agreement can be signed by you folks for not to exceed a term of three years and if that maintenance agreement establishes that it it satisfies aspects of the APR Covenant or whatever that regulation compliance is then that would seem to be extremely responsive with regard to getting on with it with to some of those members saying Farm it Farm it now that sort of thing so I I'm not certain why not hearing more about that option and getting you folks who seem to have that authority to take that action to The Next Step very very quickly as I think the working group more than stated was their request so there are three possibilities for the orchard we can enter in a maintenance agreement we can enter a lease agreement we can enter or we can sell it all you require us to write and go out for RFP through the RFP process so um we could do the restriction on a maintenance agreement is we can't sign any maintenance agreement for more than three years without town meeting approval um so getting a farmer to come in to to spend any of their money to do something for three years is likely slim to none chances right we would be paying them to maintain the orchard at that point and we're back to the point we don't have funds to pay them to maintain the orchard so we're back to asking for the funds at town meeting or future so um as frustrating it is that this can't move faster it just there's a lot of moving parts that I don't even I mean the RFP process I think even if we had the RFP written right now it's still a month process I believe at least right before we could even evaluate and hire someone Orchard working group this is a farmer's busiest season so do we want to release an RFP in the at the height of Summer I I apologize I didn't understand that an RFP would be required for a less than three-year maintenance agreement it um it it's how much money the RFP would be worth either how much we would be spending or they would be spending that's where it okay comes if the value of the crop is greater than some figure and it was or if we're giving more than certain then it needs to go through the formal bid process and that requires an RFP and she gave us sorry The Count Council gave us examples of how quickly that amount can add up over three years it's very easy for it to be above and so she advised that we should probably go out for RFB on that so I apologize if by questions my tone presence seems to be adversarial it's not I know you folks are putting in a ton tons of really good effort and good time but that is to say that I think in my you're hearing what I heard at that meeting you know and several meetings of the real urgency and the frustration of the the working group in different aspects with this with regard to immediacy and and time and and so I I just leave you and thank you again for allowing me speak longer two minutes in the dialogue back and forth um but I I would like to know be before having to scout an agenda about that mapc meeting that seems to be a critical element and it's in one of those sessions which socializing or whatever it is that we're doing here would really allow for that give and take and a broader understanding from people like me that all of a sudden are quite interested in trying to listen to The Ed hoc working group listen to you folks understand the complexities and get on with it so thank you for so we've reached out to mapc um I think the next step is probably for the working group to get together and discuss next steps and who's going to be on it and what we're going to do but I do agree with you that that those public meetings are probably the next like point where we can um make like get information from the public and disseminate information about you know what our plans are and get some feedback on what we should do okay so the at the working group and I really will leave um at the working group there was discussion of why have this education session now for a November meeting I'm not in that camp I'm in a need those that process ASAP as soon as it can be properly done Etc it's sort of how we feel about leasing or maintenance agreement as soon as it can be properly done that that's helpful here okay thank you very much any other comments on the orchard okay so okay Li yeah we can move over back to the licenses okay um so we have the several one day liquor licenses for um the rotary Carnival do you want to say anything Chris see that again you can do your promotion you can I I came to answer sorry Chris Alan uh 163 King Street president of the rot Club of Littleton I came to uh answer any questions you might have when's the uh when's the carnival it's uh June 20th through the 23rd and where will it be held we have tickets on me it's at the IBM uh property and will it indeed be fun for the whole family it will be you're definitely and the adults too objection leading the witness yes well done K well done those those are my questions okay how much fun will it be okay I didn't know if there was a problem with the with the um the uh hours of the liquor license mhm is that been is that been yeah so Chris Chris makes the point that in our policies that typically um uh we limit the um the one day licenses to 5 hours so just so you're aware this would be a bit of a Divergence from your typical uh policy and that we are extending it beyond that 5 Hour window so what you'll be signing I think will be like a 5 hour plus a 4 Hour something depending on what it is so that's what's um but then the actual times here reflect um the hours of the beer gardens will be open is it what is it beer gardens Chris is that what you're calling it or yeah that's the best name we came up with okay grow and beer but police and fire were aware of those extended hours and still signed off on them that's correct that's was my understanding yeah okay no no objections from anybody right okay than so we're ready for a motion unless you have anything further no I as long as that gets through while we're good you get the votes Jim you get the I got them in the motion than you yeah um so we're doing these as three separate motions I assume okay move that the select board vote to approve the application submitted by pores and bites LLC owner operator Eric Christensen for a special one-day M wine and maltt only pouring license for 4 days June 20 21 22 and 23 2024 under Mass General lot chapter 138 section 14 for the Rotary Club carnival to be held at 550 King Street Littleton Mass for for the following days and times Thursday June 20th 6: to 10: p.m. Friday June 21st 6 to 11:00 p.m. Saturday June 22nd 1 to 11: p.m. Sunday June 23rd 1 to 9:00 p.m. second all the then moved by Matthew second by Karen all those in favor I I move that the select board vote to approve the application submitted by conquered Brewing Inc DBA rap scallion owner operator Peter Daniel for a special one-day wine and malt only pouring license for 4 days June 20 21 22 and 23 2024 under Mass General Law chapter 138 section 14 for the Rotary Club carnival to be held at 550 King Street Littleton Mass for the following days and times Thursday June 20th 6: to 10 p.m. Friday June 21st 6:00 to 11:00 p.m. Saturday June 22nd 1: to 11:00 p.m. Sunday June 23rd 1 to 9 p.m. second mve by Matthew second by Karen all those in favor I I move that select board vote to approve the application submitted by Sterling Street Brewery owner operator Jesse Tarbell for a special one day wine and malt only pouring license for 4 days June 20 21 22 and 23 2024 under Mass General Law chapter 138 section 14 for the Rotary Club carnival to be held at 550 King Street Littleton Mass for the following days and times Thursday June 20th 6:00 to 10: p.m. Friday June 21st 6:00 to 11:00 p.m. Saturday June 22nd 1: to 11:00 p.m. Sunday June 23rd 1 to 900 p.m. second Mo by Matthew second by Karen all those in favor I I there's eight of these each yes yes two one one set for us one set for them good luck at the carnival where can people buy tickets are they just going on at the date online right now at shows great excellent did you okay Studio G okay all right Mr chair uh if I could um Ste G we have uh principal Gail Sullivan and her team here as uh well as from Turner towns in and here our OPM shesh uh here representing uh again RM so uh we have a little presentation um a little bit of this flows from the fact that just a week ago on Monday the team uh visited three uh different elementary schools um uh in the area with Studio G and uh with P Tanson and H um representes from the school as well uh and uh and School staff to get some ideas about what we want to see uh in the new Shaker Lane Elementary School as well as trying to get a better sense about what we could do in terms of um whether be renovation or replacement for the school makes more sense so a very productive um uh visit on that front uh we were in we're all over the east coast of the state we we started out in Westwood and then made our way up North to Danvers and then um and then South to Easton so um long day but a very productive day and and with that um Studio G Then followed up and asked all of the attendees to uh fill out a uh Google survey about things we liked about each school what sort of features we wanted to see in the next school so um large group I think what 15 or so people of us moving a moving Caravan moving through all those places and uh you know no one got lost as far as I can tell so that was uh been and of itself impressive so it was a great uh great session and a great event but with that I think Gail if you want to come up I have the presentation queued up here so if you'd like to um start off and maybe Gail can also introduce the other members of the team uh our our new design team hi everybody I'm Gail Sullivan as Ryan said managing principal of Studio G Architects and with me Steve Mitchner and Merill nissler and they are both on the team oh and it's up so efficient thank you so we're really delighted to be here and we had a great tour I will say from our perspective we appreciated all the people who took time an entire workday uh to go on that tour and I think it'll be really valuable so let's just switch yeah thanks to the next so Ryan had asked us to come and introduce ourselves to you all and we really welcome that opportunity so a little bit about Studio G uh we are a women-owned firm we have been around for 31 years and we have completed 400 plus projects into the next really is going to be short uh we do a variety of different things for where people live and learn and work and play and gather but there's two kind of key threads for us in our work if you go to the next housing is a very key thread since our beginning we have always done housing primarily affordable and Supportive Housing and then the other which I'm going to let Steve talk about a little bit more relevant to you all tonight is education it's a slide right here um my 17 years at Studio G uh we've been doing schools for that amount of time it really was a development from Child Care Centers and we moved into that a natural progression there um and some of the you'll there's just a few here we did plenty of charter schools and we've done msba schools as well you see Mountain View is that middle image there and uh we're just in the final stages of construction for the Florence roach school just down the next town over here in gron um and what we've managed to do and all these schools is provide you know beautiful buildings for the school districts on schedule and on budget and work with the clients to achieve their goals um this is our project team for uh Littleton right now we have you can see the Studio G folks this will be the main folks that you'll you'll be working with here uh three three of us are in the room here and then Mary Lee who you've met as well and key and of course there'll be other people in our office working um you also met Mike and Paul on the tours um David Larson the landscape architect and uh his firm and then ggd the mechanical engineers uh who we worked with on other schools before as well as uh Foley bule the structural engineers um this makes your team for this project and's going to tell us about thank you hi everybody so the next steps the msba process a lot of acronyms right so we're learning msba PDP PSR we'll get there so this is the process that we're taking everybody through and here we are in the feasibility study at this moment we started with visioning and our next step is community engagement so I was thrilled to see this upstairs I'm curious about the carnival so how do we reach everybody as far as giving you the information as a town that you need to disseminate as quickly and accurately as possible what's happening what's happening with the sherlan school so how can we get that information out there but also it's also receiving information so it really goes two ways so we're pulling together a survey at the moment that we're going to have a QR code where folks can either click on it to see um so they can provide input we want to hear far and wide we want to hear things early and often so that's where we're at right now at the moment something else in the feasibility study is we're going to be looking at as Ryan uh mentioned different design so we're looking at an upgrade a code upgrade option for the school addition renovation is also another option or new construction so we're going to be studying that in the coming weeks and months that we're going to share with the school building committee uh some other things that we're working on currently are providing materials so things that can be that we can give to you to put on the project website and essentially it all comes down to the Ed program so we'll help you in the district as far as is getting the Ed program to a good spot as far as the program goes which is how we build a school for the community so the next slide I think is I'll hand it off to SES so good evening and thank you for inviting us I'm s Pia with Turner toson here in Atlantic so this is the schedule we have gone to the process of the selection of the architect as you just met and going to the your the the schematic design process which has three different components that will be going through with the mspa and they have pretty strict deadlines that we need to follow so we kind of manage the project down downhill towards the arc designer and the contractor and then uphill with the building committee to make sure all the deadlines are met and then getting back to the town because certain things have to be signed by the town and the uh the school administration so we try to make that happen and make the schedule happen because you can't afford to miss a deadline with msba because suddenly you get back pushed back by 2 months so everything is since they meet the board meets every two months so that's how we try to work throughout and our goal is to get the project like Studio G mentioned on budget on time and get you through and hit your school that the community is really you know happy about to have it so with that any questions we are here to answer when is this so you're starting to hold public info sessions on this over the summer is that the plan and I can't that's awfully small font for my eyes when's the plan on the on the disposition of the school finalized is whether it's a renovation or an addition or a new school so that's I'd say within the next three months or so so we're presenting uh is part of the pre PDP preliminary design program so this is where we're studying different options new construction code upgrades only an addition so different uh variations and we'll have input from the SBC as far as the directionality to go with that so and SBA is very report oriented so we'll have basically our due diligence of the existing building to see what what's standing there right now um and then we're also going to be studying the different options in the coming weeks so okay so so roughly speaking sometime this fall or by the end of the year we know what the option we're intending to go forward so we yeah so the top mod three has this wrapped up it's really small what was your schedule so we were um you know it's probably by the end of the summer we're going to have a direction okay no questions for me uh the survey that you mentioned roughly when is that com coming out so folks can keep an eye out sure so we're we're drafting it up right now to make sure the questions are broad enough that we get everyone's um input and also specific enough that we can use the information as well so we're working on a draft right now back at our office and um we're happy to share it review before it goes out we were going to send it to some key players that we've already been communicating with to make sure that we're on target with the questions that we're asking because you know your community best we're learning but we want to make sure that we're really honing in on what we need to know from you all or discussions that have been happening over past decades that we may not know about but want to make sure that we're addressing what the concerns are so we should get that survey in the newsletter if it's will be up roughly if it's up in early July we can sure if you can send them the link now so we want to make sure it's it's at a good spot before we start Distributing but for sure we're working on that you have three weeks yeah no problem no problem so yeah we'll um we'll work with you all as maybe Ryan we can work with Ryan on that to get that okayed so this is really just an important kickoff we're going to be spending lots of time with our OPM and Studio G this is really the the the beginning um and we wanted to introduce some of the key players to you who are going to be presenting information back to you back to the school committee and and also uh engaging with the community to hear what they want to see uh as well so um it's going to be um you know we're we're it's starting to get more real now and this is going to be a big project um we anticipate at some point this is going to also be a request for a an override to pay for this new school and whatever form it takes so um there's um it's it's a very serious thing but um we've got I think a great team in place with J towns and hearing and Studio G um so uh we're going to be working with them and hand in hand I think we actually have our kickoff meeting tomorrow with msba so um we're making great progress but um if this is anything I just wanted to kind of give you a sense of the select board just to again know who the players are what our rough schedule is looking like over the next few months and um let you know this is making progress so um so it's been it's been very good so far and I'm looking forward to continuing and work with our our colleagues uh from Studio G and dur towns hearing have you guys done n zero schools no well okay not yet we are ready and willing yeah so we are doing Net Zero housing but we haven't yet done school you know there's been a couple built in the area so yeah they weren't mentioned on your list of Tours so I wasn't sure yeah no n nine of the three were Net Zero M but they were lead I think at least one of them was lead certified uh so any Mass School building authority project at this point has to be minimum lead silver yeah and we'll choose we'll have those discussions with the school building committee but we'd certainly propose to go further than that okay thank you thank you if I could I'd love to add one other comment that none of us mentioned and I just realized is important when you mention the potential of an override so one of the things that we do in this PDP process and through the PSR which is the preferred schematic report is we're working closely with the OPM team and with the superintendent to make sure that the design ideas the education plan everything aligns to get you the maximum contribution from the msba possible so money is always a critical issue uh for every community and I just wanted to mention that because that's something the sesa's team and we will be working very closely to do so thank you thank you thank you it's actually very interesting too going in the tours and the choices that different you know seeing the tours and and talking to the school principles who give us those tours in terms of how they structure the building and what choices they made within that to do just that to maximize uh that reimbursement and things that msba may or may not um reimburse on so that's all part of the Tactical decisions that uh that we're going to be making so it's uh again very enlightning going on that tour and seeing how how they approach that so it's a very good point thank you thank you Mr chairman George S 672 Great Road I just had a small question I wanted to ask I know we have uh three items here add on renovate or build a new school has the town determined a location if they going to build a new school have they determined where that will be m i I think George that'll be one of the things that we'd look at in terms of other possibilities it'll probably be sort of a desktop um exercise and trying to see what our options would be uh but uh yeah that that will be something else we'll be looking at yeah and uh I would assume that uh there would be major renovation if you if you did it and I just wonder how had the school uh looked at that particular aspects of it right so that's part of the feasibility side of it right to take the existing buildings you have how would you integrate those buildings as well as reflect um you know sort of the the needs of what a k through 2 School uh would be and whether or not that would be feasible with the structures that we have now keep in mind the oldest part of that school is built in 1963 so uh you know well I know it's old school and I know that uh major work has been done to it uh but uh you know nowaday they can perform Miracles with them yeah but yeah good points George thank you okay anyone else okay thank you thank you thank you thank you uh discuss uh Tom meeting articles 31 and 32 so I should recuse myself from the 31 which means we don't have a quorum so I didn't realize that there would two people absent tonight so um we can have I would be I think we could definitely discuss 32 but I don't think we should discuss 31 unless it's it's just a discussion without a quorum in which case what's the point right agree um yeah so I'll I'll leave it to Mr Sanders I didn't quite M Mr Sanders I'll need to recuse myself from any discuss session of article 31 um and therefore there wouldn't be a quorum tonight because I didn't realize that Mr doost and Mr U Wilson would be absent oh okay we can discuss article 32 however okay okay and we can put 31 on another agenda okay okay okay so um George sand 672 Great Road um thank you Mr chairman and members of the board here tonight um my concern in this town is always looking for the betterment of this town and I know that uh this Market with marijuana is something that is new and the town sort of kind of went alone after the state let's skip the marijuana one for now cuz we cuz Matthew can't participate let's just do the other one please thank you okay well which one are we going to discuss 32 32 says it's the public hearings the public hearing 32 public sorry about that okay I had just a reverse of that okay with the public hearings um here's my take on this I think that whoever is the chair of any committee irregardless for instant like tonight we had an update here of about the school and uh that was a question to me and I'm just rolling around my head as to what was going on because when you mention the categories that they was looking at and I sort of kind of want to know well I would think if you're going into some major project spending that kind of money uh there's a few things that uh the town or the school should have available to them that knowing what you're going to do and like I said uh if you're going to build a new school do you have a location where you're going to build it I think that's important I think the most important thing is is how you treat people that comes to this meeting first and foremost and they come here for a reason to hear what you all have to say and what is going on in the town and when you get updates about projects in the town you're talking about taxpayers money that's going to be spent and I believe believe that taxpayers have the right to want to know as much information they can about the money that's going to be spent I mean that just common sense they are paying the taxes and I think that anytime a board of commital commission decides that ultimate that they have the authority to shut you down when they give you permission to talk and you're talking on the subject that they gave you permission to do so it is wrong with them to shut you down until you finish what you had to say I mean that just common courtesy that's the way it happens that's the way it works in Parliament procedure and I would like to say that I think anytime someone comes up and ask something about something it's pertin to them with regards to whatever the matter is and I think that uh if we listen to you or we listen to to the presenter I think that you should also give the courtesy of listening to what they have to say because they are the body of this town and you're the body of this town so we need to collaborate in terms of hearing what people have to say about this or that and you know it's not a big issue that U we need to make a bylaw about it I just think that maybe we need to educ ourself about government in the sense that government belongs to the people and if Government belongs to the people then we should be providing information and giving them opportunity because the first amendment gives you the right to petition your government and when I first came to Litton because I came from a city and you had to present a petition for whatever you wanted to talk or discuss and when I came came here uh Mr Tim G uh was the Town Administrator at that time and he said oh George you don't have to do that he said you can just send the information in and he says hey we we'll take it from there you know and put it on the agenda and so forth you don't have to do the petition all that I said well okay if that's the way you do it then that's fine by me I have no problem with that but as a citizen I like to present stuff and I put a lot of time and into stuff and I don't like to get up and argue with somebody about something or make a scene about something I really do the stroke of the pen uh as a person used to tell me all the time it's easy to stroke the pen than is to run the mouth so I always like to take and put stuff in writing and and go that way in which I collected the signatures to put that matter on there because I thought I deemed it necessary number one and there was other people that signed it thought it was a good idea as well that uh nobody should be holding back and not letting you speak and ask question about monies that they are spending that we are paying as taxes and that was my main concern about that and is because you know I'm in charge and and uh I don't have to let you talk well you know you may be in charge that's fine and d and if you deem it's necessary that you don't have to let somebody talk because you are the chair um my concern with regards that I I don't think you being as courtious to the citizens that come here and listen to what is being said here and if someone presents something and they have a question that it's not going to take a long time to do in terms of asking it you know you know extend a little courtesy to people and and and let people feel welcome here that's what we should feel when we come to this place here we should feel welcome to come here and listen to what someone has to say and to present to us and we should show a little bit of courtesy and say you know Ju Just just let the person like Mr R moer did here a few minut ago I throw up in hand he said you know come on up I appreciate that because that tells me you have a leader here among you that is willing to hear another Viewpoint or question to something that has been said here or maybe it hasn't been said here that that person would like to get an answer to so I'm appreciative that and I think that you know as this board in most cases I would say that uh we've had the opportunity as people in this town to come before I would say pretty much most boards and be able to uh express ourselves uh to the point that uh with reason I mean there are a few people that get long windy about stuff uh when you come up and they say two minutes and then two minutes go by and then they say two more minutes and you know and say I'm almost finished and they keep going but uh nevertheless uh it's still information and that person is trying to get everything out that he or she wants to say and I just think that uh I'm not so critical to the fact that we need to do a bylaw I think as I said previously it's more of a education thing to mean that people respect people with dignity and understand that when they come here they need to treat you with respect and dignity and you need to treat them with respect and dignity and people will always have question or they'll be C ious about something that was said and they don't hear at a point come to the surface and then they may raise the hand and want to ask uh that particular question about whatever it is so that's s of kind of where I stand with this with regards to that uh I did speak at uh a little length of time um to the chair of this board with regards to uh this particular particular thing and uh that's why I sent to uh the Town Administrator and asked him that you know put it on the agenda because I think it's it's important that we remember that uh we're all people and we all like to be treated with courtesy and respect and those of us that stand up here are obligated to treat you with courtesy and respect as we speak to you we shouldn't have to holl and do stuff like that but that's where I S kind of stand Mr chairman thank you so um I did meet with Mr Sanders last week and we talked about this um and I agree with a lot of his comments that we should generally allow people to speak um on a wide variety of issues not necessarily every issue in front of us there are some things that we shouldn't um necessarily take public comment on but generally we should do this more um and not to throw Kieran under the bus here but when there is for when we're talking about public comment we do have a specific policy that we will we don't address public comment right um and that was through the Supreme Judicial Court I think Rec recommendation in Town Council so so if you ask us a question during public comment we may not answer your question but generally other than that you know I think we should make sure that we uh give the people here at our meetings the chance every chance to speak on on the issue so I I agree and I I'm obviously in in favor of transparency and communication I would point out that the Supreme Court of Massachusetts has ruled that you do not need to be respectful of us and we are not you are not o at we we cannot limit speech based on tone or the content based on personal attacks we can only kick you out if you're disruptive so you're you're free to use invective or any kind of profanity that you want and there's nothing we can do about it legally nevertheless I agree that it doesn't work well when that happens I think a bylaw is probably not a great idea because it's there's two well first of all we don't have necessarily any authority over other elected boards and I think that a lot of the probably the impetus for this came from some of the other elected boards in town and I don't think that the select board necessarily has the right to you know say what what they can or can't do I I'm also worried that listing projects for example it's hard to Define what you have to Define what a project is but um if there was you're right it's education like we need to find a way to make the um the communic unication polite and meaningful in those board meetings um and when we find a way to do that we'll all be happy well yeah I don't know what I don't know what that way is right now yeah I I I I would just say that uh as you well know uh this body is the head of this government so you may have other appointed boards with stature and so forth and so on uh they may have the criteria to operate with a sech but when it comes to them spending money and so forth and so on they got to come to the head of this board of this government along with the advice that you get from fincom as to how you spend taxpayers money so you you you hold the purse on that so I realize that even with the with the school which is a separate entity that uh you know they get X doll from uh uh the state they get X doll from the feds and then they come to you and say look we need X doll from you too so I understand that believe me when I tell you I understand government and I understand how it operates and I know what you can do when you talk about elected official and politicians I know but it it is in my opinion it is better better to treat people with dignity and respect you give it you shall receive it I thank you thank you thank you sir like your t-shir thank you uh the meeting schedule [Music] I think I'm on vacation all of those days all those days I have a question um I was looking this over there's not one scheduled a meeting scheduled for August 26th is that intentional right sort of being on the summer schedule we try we're trying to so with that um if M for the chair um so we also have on Monday July 29th but we have that as optional which is to say that we're trying to do for the summer schedule to provide little relief and and recognition I think you know Jim and I have vacations scheduled as well uh that um um really looking to have us so that there's one meeting in July and and one meeting in in August so at least that's what what the thinking is so um and uh you know hopefully if if there isn't anything of um of real need then Monday the 29th would be optional so um you know with that everything else kind of lays out there is one uh change that um uh that I I want to note is that on Monday November 4th we have the tax classification informational session uh what we've be proposing is to change that just similar to what we did this year which is just one session which will be the information session SL hearing that work very well I I I talked today with Kathy and she'd like to do that again uh if that's acceptable to the board because it doesn't make it uh as tight for us to have to set set the tax rate so doing that on the 4th would be much appreciated so that is a change than what's here uh and then the other thing would be and we'll talk a little bit more about that with our other item which is uh we're uh We've checked in with the town clerk um and the town moderator to propose our special town meeting uh date of Tuesday October 29th um so it's a few days before um Halloween which times we come into conflict with and uh that date um work for both Town Clerk and um the um um and the in the town moderator so that's our recommendation for you here and then uh we go through and some of these other dates through um through December um and basically the end of this calendar year so so my question is if the warrant opens on the 29th what day does it close MH so if that's the next schedule which we can talk about uh I just wondered if we have we're opening in on one meeting and we're closing in on the next right September 14th it looks like is the closing date that's so we only have one intervening meeting pretty much yeah that's um right because it's the August and then uh so they we would be looking on August 12th is when we're going to be opening uh the special town meeting warrant we then have a meeting on the 9th and then we be uh the closing of the warrant at least until um for um publicly submitted uh articles and from boards and committees would be taking place on Saturday September 14th and it goes to print on yeah we I was I can go in no I'm just trying to figure out if we only if we have enough meetings scheduled around that if if I could Mr chairman let me open the other one and then um uh we can take a look at that schedule as well in terms of what we're looking at um the draft so basically what we're looking for here um uh key days here would that at your uh Monday August uh 12th meeting um would be to open um basically open the warrant at that time and then um the um we'll be uh looking for uh the select board to open uh to insert articles basically and have a you know have a draft um that youd be comfortable with as on September 23rd so basically it puts us into um a little little over one month to put things together um you'd also be making recommendations on articles at your September 23rd meeting um Town warrant would then be um posted on October 22nd the report would be going to the printer on September 26th and mailed out hopefully on uh Thursday October 10th so which is the um the two weeks beforehand so um you know when we do this typically we try to keep it a little bit flexible so if there's a special meeting that we need to have or anything of that nature we can always throw that in but this is between this and our other um select board meetings um you know we are um going to be meeting again on the 21st uh at that point the um the things will already be closed but you um in October well we have we're opening it on the 12th and then we have two follow-up meetings before we have in Ence and we could meet on the Monday between the 9th and the 2030 necessary right and a lot of that depends on what um you know what's on the warrant are there you know are there um there going to be anything controversial we talking a little bit earlier about um planning for with uh with the Orchard and you know if if something is going to come back at that time you know what form will that take that will probably be you know something of of note um but um you know it really depends and but we can insert things I know and and typically they' Bo been very flexible with that and we certainly appreciate that because uh sometimes you need to incorporate the views of the of the finance committee as well with that and um so that's important but this is what we have is a um a draft um select board agenda for the rest of the year and of course for the um and and with a note a caveat to that that the November 4th meeting you will also be voting and planning to vote on a tax rate at that time so um and just for on that the December meetings we're not going to be doing starting the budget until January effectively The Joint meetings w we be we wouldn't kick in until January right you I think that we finished the budget last year each in terms of the submission after after Christmas that we okay after so in that ballpark yeah so think anything earlier than that to do any joint meetings would be um be challenging especially around the holidays when people aren't as available so um so again that's your um your draft select board meeting uh schedule and S and then draft um draft the special town meeting which again we're proposing for Tuesday October 29th at the middle school all those dates work for me yeah I didn't see any major conflicts I won't be here for all of them but mhm I'll uh plan strategically as best I can um one question I had was um for the special time meeting timeline do we make it a practice to send that to all the committee and commission chairs M uh well we would but right now it's to say this is this schedule is before you to decide whether correct but my question is is in terms of protocol is that something we've done in the past yeah yeah I think I I think with um uh with your approval tonight to say yes this looks like a good schedule then with I think it's I think there's certainly se you know I've heard from other committees and and groups that you know oh I didn't realize that the the deadline was this early to get anything you know moving so as soon as this is approved if we can send that out maybe with the um deadline highlighted for boards committees to submit their articles um that might be helpful for them to plan ahead a good suggestion okay so ready for a motion yeah no so uh move that the board vote to schedule regular meetings for the remainder of 2024 as reflected um and updated based on the discussion tonight and the attached schedule second U moved by Matthew second by Karen all those in favor I move that the select board vote to approve the October 29th 2024 special town meeting schedule as reflected and updated in the attached schedule second mve by Matthew second by Karen all those in in favor I I and we'll get that out to all the board chairs so thank you Karen townwide truck policies I don't know if this was this was talking about both the um uh Taylor Street Truck restriction and the Jake breaking um I believe and how we wanted to move forward um and who wants to how we're driving forward on that um I don't know if we want to table this without Gary here or if you want to talk more what you were I I think waiting um for everyone to be here or at least some more of us to be here talk about it at our Retreat to figure out how talk about it at the retreat yeah I'm happy to to work on the certainly I'm happy to work on the jake break part part of it okay so Town governance transition well um Ryan and I had a had a discussion with uh the Center uh in uh uh from Boston that they are another uh public entity being of higher education that they also have um as you know a uh uh an organization from within that uh offers assistance through uh to municipalities on various different things from interim appointments to uh different studies and different um uh initiatives that local municipalities would like to do so with that said um Ryan and I had scheduled a uh a call with them and we uh spoke with Anthony who oversees uh this uh any municipality that wants to make a transition from the town Town Administrator form of government to a town manager form of government and uh it is something that uh we talked in general terms without any specifics but uh a few high points that we took out took away from that meeting it would take about 8 to9 months from beginning to end uh a committee would have to be uh a charter commission actually would have to be formed that would consist of approximately between seven and nine uh individuals and there would be uh a tremendous amount of Outreach uh in looking for public input is is is is key and it's almost to uh a tremendous amount and being available and whether that's having uh uh um meetings through different parts of the community or just frequently just completely doing Outreach and and and as the progress as the charter as a local Charter would be be developing to be able to be sharing that the every step of the way along because the as as you all know identifying a charter is is a herculan effort it is very very difficult and there is a number of different iterations that happens over the course of the of the many months until finally that it would go uh and be uh presented at a town meeting a town meeting and uh leading up to that uh so there would be so many uh there would be some something that ultimately that we just we just went through being familiar with with the NBTA communities between you you would hold uh uh uh you know the different meetings questions and answers we would have the Callins the Callin Center there to help uh to help answer any questions uh we would also have uh uh we would have already you know homework would be done for communities that we that Ryan and I are we that have made the transition and some of the and try and anticipate some of those questions concerns or anything like that as as as we go forward and um then after that uh on thinking optimistically that it is adopted by a town meeting uh we then have to look at the state legislature in which uh have to and and bring it before for the state for them to to uh to adopt it and recognize it and um and then uh what beyond that uh we really don't have any any further details beyond that at this point so let's let's back up and dumb this down for everyone so the difference can you define for everyone the difference between an administrator and a moderator so that uh manager man manager sorry okay um well the right now I'm going to I'm going to speak specifically for Littleton uh there is no Charter commission so there is no real let's let's say road map of who's responsible for what who reports to whom who appoints who hires and fires who reviews there is a number of different areas that uh typically uh the appointments for local boards and commissions uh are made with uh uh and there are in in certain areas within within Town manager former government that the uh select board will make appointments and um but it's predominantly in the town manager's office uh the appointments and that is everything from uh some of the our elected boards right now the Board of Health the planning board those are all those fall then fall under their umbrella of it being appointed zba um uh Conservation Commission um Finance Finance committees is usually a combination between the town water the select board and the town manager so it's it's and also the uh the school committee uh has been my experience and um it really puts uh really puts the responsibility on in one in in one office and that indiv whoever he or she may be is uh responsible for the day-to-day operations and uh and if there are any issues uh or any questions or requests of any staff or or anything uh it falls on on the town manag responsibility to make sure sure that that is done it's not splintered uh such as you could potentially we could we could things could fall between the between the cracks if you have um if someone is it reports directly to a board or commission uh but they also still have it's almost like having wearing you know answering to two you know to to to two bosses um that's that's often difficult um especially uh when you have uh uh environments like that so uh they had it it's more stream L and it's a responsibility of of whoever he or she may be and it's uh it's more effective the efficiency um and um clearly as what's been expressed what has been expressed locally is uh the the employees also prefer it uh of of of okay and uh and it just uh um it helps it helps them also so so just to restate some of that so right now the select board has m m moas with quite a few boards and committees who have um appointing authority right and when we go to a town manager if we go to a town manager style of government um we're changing that reporting structure so that correct um instead of the employee working for the board they report to the manager the um but their goals will still be set by the board effectively more um those'll their direction will be set by the board their management will be done by the manager right and we no longer need these moas correct exactly yeah um and and the charter is a requirement or an option for these I believe it's I I I'm I I it's my it's it's it's been my experience that when you have that form of government it's a requirement you need to have have a town CH okay and Charter lays all that out right so that you know you when there's ever any transition or anything like that you just go back to the Charter which is then you know incorporated as part of your bylaws uh and it's it's it's clear as to you know should be a good Charter will delineate what those roles and responsibilities are and the elected versus appointed boards is a decision that we make to put in the charter it's not a requirement of this that's what I I believe so yes so I'm I'm just trying to lay out so that people understand where we're heading right so um the charter would determine whether there are other commissions or Boards of oversight over departments right so for example if we wanted to move I'm just I'm not going to say we're doing this but if the cemetery Department could become part of DPW or correct that would be part of the charter change for example exct but all of that that is completely independent of whether we pick a town manager and every one of those is theoretically debated and discussed in this by this Charter committee when the charter is being written and and and the public exactly and the public 100% And it's uh so there is some consol there was some streamlining and consolidation because you would you would absolutely that you made a a perfect example you would take the cemetery commission and uh that individual would report directly to um the DPW director and and he or she would be responsible for that for those employees there and part of that transition when you when you when you meld like that you also have to recognize that sometimes there's an indifference in pay so there is sometimes a financial investment that and let's say the the seary um workers may make the laborer may make less or more than the DPW worker and you have to make that investment to bring everyone in parody uh in in many different ways you also have um um areas with with with Public Safety you would also there would also um not be uh with Public Safety it would be a matter of you would have the a chief uh the fire chief and the and the police chief that would report to the town manager uh Town manager uh but he or she in both instances would still have a contract that uh the select board would authorize the town manager to sign based upon you you're okay with it and um and so which uh uh which is so you you really and if there are issues with with anything like that then it's the role and the responsibility of of the Town manager to answer to answer uh to the select board on on many on on the different issues it would be his or hers um and you know in in regards to the uh you made mention that um uh such as uh a board of commission that right now is appointed by an employee that is appointed by a board of commission they then would be appointed U by by a to by the town manager but they would be the the Staffing for that that border commission so that ultimately but they would still be you know taking taking Direction on on specific things and and uh um from that board of commission But ultimately it would would fall on on the town manager if there are issues um uh if May in terms of the charter commission um that's an election that's an elected position ored you all uh if you need seven to nine this would be how you would like to pursue that uh I would I'm I'm I'm guessing here so I'm not suggesting it's each each select board member would get an appointment uh so you have five right there so you would depending on how many you want to have whether it be seven or nine and then uh you would invite if you want to invite the school committee to have uh one appointment or two or the finance committee to have one or two appointments it's uh the way I understand is you can make that determination on who gets to pick someone and then this is not a uh anything that's written in stone or or signed in blood or anything but do you is your sense based on your discussion so far is is it your sense that town hall has the bandwidth to Usher this type of process um without additional reinforcements or do you think that you know we would need to bring in some additional manpower to help get this project seen through no I think I think we can U you talking about Herculean efforts you're already doing Herculean efforts in so well it's um the Herculean effort really is it really falls on on the charter commission okay that is a a tremendous amount of of time and passion that's that's put behind that and it's something that um uh is it's it's a i' I've only seen it once in in in in another community that I wasn't I wasn't part of but it's at the end of the day it was it was well worth it uh for for for everybody across the board and so what that would do is you would also be in a we'd be in a better position to attract um more higher qualified candidates across the board because because there would be uh you would take out that that perception that well I've got to who who do I answer to or anything or anything like that and I need and I would like uh to understand um you know the goals and the visions and and and someone that uh I'm not left out on on on an island by myself in the event that there tends to be some complications or some issues that come up now it's it's you know he or she would have that support of of the administration not that they don't not that they don't now but but it's more it's more prent that way and especially if you're trying to attract a highly qualified candidate an experienced candidate you know there there's um many many individuals um uh through the years of profession is they they're looking at protection of uh which I think is is is great for morale and great overall for um for output so part of what is driving of this is wor getting the a report from do in a few weeks by the end of correct that's um we believe the recommendations indications or the recommendations are to go down this path right we believe that that could be it but uh and this was and they they spent what two or three days here and and also on the phone with with with many employees uh members yourself uh many members on on various boards and commissions that uh um they really and uh they did a very very thorough job to uh um in in in their research so it it appears that way but I without without committing anything it appears that they are very favorable to to moving in that and that direction and quite honestly I mean as you know I'm out as I I try and get out every week to more and more businesses within the town and knock on doors I am I am shocked at how many unsolicited uh Proprietors will or even workers within there that will say we're not we're not a little we're not little anymore we're growing and we need a we need a different we need we need a town the town manager former government and I said whatever whatever the power was being and remember for the board too this isn't our you know our first bite at the Apple I think there was a study back in 2007 that uh we provided to DOI too right but you know at that time and the group looked at it you know didn't see that but I think you know to Jim's point and and the changes that we've seen um the time that we've you know we've been here uh it you know things things have changed and um and frankly it's it's a lot more complex to manage government now than um it's being more and more laws are coming in more mandates and and and requirements in terms of reporting and um we talked a little bit this morning at our elect board meeting on open records and and and and being responsive on that it's um it it's it's just it's just gotten more and more complex and you know this where some of this helps in term of the structure and if I can just you know there there could be um there has the potential of situations when you do have the the way it's structured that uh Town staff uh is appointed and reports to uh any border of commission that if the um the alignment of the administration and uh uh accountability of of staff that sometimes they don't align and it's B there is no there is no Authority that can basically say we you know we we we should do it this way because it's in the best interest because of of uh other information that has been shared by the select board or however whatever and it could it we could we could absolutely be in a position that well too bad we're doing it this way we try to avoid that so I think it's a path we want to pursue I I think saying that we can do with this in 9 months is outrageously optimistic um we don't but um but we should figure out how to move it forward I think and maybe when we are all together at our next meeting we can discuss how big of a committee we want and um okay it's something to be thinking about you know you know seven or nine or yeah make sure we find people who are committed I'm yeah I'm guessing it's a two-year process yeah probably so so we have our first volunteer thank you no Rob BRS 25 Juniper root just one quick question I thought I had heard and so I'm interested in the answer is there a regulation Etc with regard to resident population that in effect forces the community to convert to something other than Town Administrator that's just false I don't believe so okay that's why I want it's not it's not when you must it's when you probably will yeah but it's not not there's a 10,000 resident that's that's what I thought I was hearing in but I thought are we so I'm interested my question is really LED towards is this really a you decide whether you want to do it or with the advancements that are already taking place in the community or is it a fatea complete that we're going to be flipped because of the you know requirement if there's no I think it's the point that that we're getting too big that we're having trouble managing understood but but there's no requirement for getting out of our own way I we just have a neighboring Community I think what is it air that's got a town manager M they they've got a less population than 6,000 yeah 6,000 people but then you have Brookline who is a Town Administrator it's got much higher po population than than than Littleton um I got Town management I mean Town town right exactly so okay I mean I I would say you know the most popular criticism that I've heard or feedback I've gotten from the public is that um they don't know what's happening um and we're that's something that we can work on and you know that we're working on with the newsletter and you know podcast Studio that's coming up and Al you know Library office hours all sorts of things but second to that that what I hear a lot is I don't get the impression that anybody knows what anybody else is doing who isn't you know who and the you know the silo effect and I it sounds to me like Town manager um that a town manager approach has the potential to really cut down on that silo effect that I think is is getting in our way yeah exactly I mean it it it really does um emphasize the uh uh the the uh the Streamline and the the root of information the root of the approval process the root of um the checks and balances is in a specific Direction instead of being fragmented you know across and sometimes one one area is is told and sometimes another the other while the other one isn't and it just to your point you're right okay so yeah okay we'll put it on we'll have it on for the next uh for the next uh agenda uh board appointments so we have a lot of people here that I or a few people here that are being appointed if you want to come up and speak or if you don't want to that's fine any questions I I would note Mr chairman this will be probably you'll probably have some more appointments if your next meeting Tu the first U first so okay shall I read all the names or just you don't need to very good you do not need to I move that the select board vote to approve the slate slate of appointments in the table below second moved by Matthew seconded by Karen all those in favor I I you're the bottom of the second page here you are zoning board of appeals seat seven Mar you're at the middle of the second page woohoo we already have a neog discussion yep yep uh so vote to authorize the select board chair to execute the purchase and sale for the Webster property okay and this would be the vote to authorize the select board chair to sign sign this and we have this is dropped off today by the Websters so um they have done their this was a this was a great effort by everybody uh that uh and I I applaud Amy green for trying to the resiliency of trying to identify um leveraging a grant uh that could uh really uh maybe spare some of the CPC funds and uh but unfortunately the timing of of everything just it just couldn't couldn't connect so we we just said so uh the uh and we'll be in possession of of the property um immediately after July 1st great I did have a question about um it was Clause 13 use of money to clear title mhm that's that's boiler plate is it not or is that was that something that was right you want tailored for this particular de that isn't boilet plate and this is I think was that uh we're intending to take byant domain so as to just to uh clear up any issues well not clear up any issues um if there were issues which we're not presupposing we clear that up but I believe um the this so to enable the seller to make a uh conveyance as hearing provided the seller may at the time of the delivery of the deed use the purchase money or any portion thereof to clear the title of any all incumbrance interest provided all instruments so procured are recorded simultaneously with the deliveries said deed so I think it is boiler play thank you any other comments no no move that the select board vote to authorize the select board chairperson to execute the purchase and sale for the Webster parcel per vote on article 8 of the May 20 May 7 2024 annual town meeting second Mo M Matthew second by Karen all those in favor I uh animal control officer job description m go ahead yeah yeah so um so this is um so uh historically uh the town has had an um memorandum of U agreement with the town of oxboro who was serving as the lead to provide uh animal control services um the uh our point of contact typically has for that has been the chief of police uh here in Littleton um it's been um a good agreement um that I think is has served the town well uh but um the as it turns out the town of Foxboro is uh has informed us that they are no longer going to provide said service so theou is uh going to be going away as of um July 1 so um we uh are in turn uh going to try to um the request here is to establish uh an animal control officer um position uh the chief of police working with our HR department went before the personal advisory committee I think it was last week to um formally establish the position and um what you are being asked to vote on today is to approve of the establishment of the position as grade seven on our uh and to add that position schedule a and uh to approve of the job description which again was worked on by HR um I think I had some templates that I work with shell on for this so the goal is once the position is established then we can post for the position and uh then hire um hire someone to to do this and there's maybe a possibility that we'd be looking at the person who's providing this service currently through boxor but doing so uh independently and with her own uh vehicle so that's one of the possibilities that we're looking at here so it's a change but uh and so we're but to do so we need to be able to establish this because we cannot through our research I think Jim mentioned this morning um can't do it as as a contract Service it needs to be an employee make sense do you have any my only comment is um do we want this it says it works direct under the direction of the chief of police or his design should it be that or the Town Administrator in his design and you designate the chief of police because otherwise I I understand that this person should is most likely to be reporting or in that relationship I just don't know if we want to go back and update the job description later if something's changed that's just a question yeah no typically it's uh uh the ACL will always always report up through the through the police the police department um I assume that the grade was approved by the Personnel committee yeah they had discussed it about where it should fall Matthew um so um I think um we were kind of going for back and forth with a between grade eight and grade seven and ultimately that's that's where they landed move that the select board vote oh I'm sorry I'm sorry Mr chair Mr chairman George sand 672 great Ru on this position I'd like to know with regards to the budget itself how much money could we have in there m with this uh mutual agreement with the person that was the the M officer and how much money defin is needed now to put this in a grade seven position against the town now so if I if I may Mr chair so our FY 25 budget I think is about 35,000 with the presumption that we were going to be in that the 36,000 okay so within that agreement George so um we think that uh by hiring the individual at a grade seven it actually ultimately will be less for us we don't know how many hours we're going to be asking of it uh so because that's part of the negotiation trying to figure that out so the exact number we don't know but we we believe that it will be it will be less than what the budget of figure and then the FY 26 budget will reflect whatever that um you know where the Gren step will be for the person how how much will how many hours and how much will we paying mhm is it the 35 or 36 what would that represent so the the Moa we had with boxboro was just to to provide the service so there basically the provision of the service on you know on Bas basically we right and so we would probably be doing something similar here but then we'd also have to determine you know what's you know what what's the value of that and you know in terms of the hours and and such I don't know if you have not do we have a track record on the calls that uh they I was was put in for that sure sure I I I I think the police department probably has that information and they probably maybe use that as a way to gauge that's actually a good suggestion just to how to gauge that as long as it's going to make it better and we don't have to go in with extra money because we already the budget that that was and George that was a consideration for this in terms of you know but part of it is is a long-term agreement that now you know we kind of have to f through yeah but fortunately we we hope it's going to be less we anticipate that okay move that the select Bo vote to approve and establish the Animal control officer position on grade seven of Compensation Plan schedule a permanent full and part-time employees and move that the select board vote to approve the attached job description for the Animal control officer uh as amended or no no no men mention okay no am mention yeah that's right that's has not amended not amended as written as written yes second move by Matthew second by Karen all those in favor I this is the weer I think we're at the minute correct I have no corrections to them me Nei so move that the select board vote to approve the meeting minutes from the select board meeting on May 28th 2024 May 28th or May 24th um question it's going to be the 28th May 28 May 28th 2024 second move by Matthew second by Karen all those in favor I I anything else gentlemen lady move to adjourn second Mo move to journ made by Matthew second by Karen all those in favor I thank you little right on time look at that