##VIDEO ID:4VIAP6tH3nk## all right I see it's s o'clock um so I'm G to get started while the meeting to order come in hi here PA here um Steve here Grace here Brandon here [Music] here can I see Paul here earlier he was on he dropped off for some reason all I thought it was just me okay I'll come back Zach here um Bonnie and I am here um so hopefully Paul comes back in all right Mike what do we have first we have like um an update on Town finances all right let me share my screen can you see that not yet all right now I got it thanks all right so I just wanted to go over some of the changes uh with the final cherry sheet numbers um so under the receipts um TR chatter tuition reimbursement went down $858 um unrestricted General government aid went up 49,682 um veteran Benefit services and elderly went up 55 55,68253 $27 and then the two passrs uh the first one school choice receiving tuition that goes directly to the school department um increased 3 $3,521 uh the library Aid increased $651 and then under the charges there were some small um reductions uh mosquito control went down $34 special education went down $92 and school choice sending tuition went down $185 or a total reduction of 311 in charges so the net to the town um was $5,673 more than we planned on at town meeting anyone have questions on that all right and like we also had left over we hadn't allocated all of the funds as well right so we had a little bit more than that right so can you see the next uh still seeing the same screen same thing all right let me do this so if you look down the bottom right um we have um a surplus right now of $226,400 [Music] mam chair yeah go ahead Zach that 226 includes the previous d That's it does yep any other questions on that yeah mam chair goe see my what what what is VBS in elderly um veteran Benefit services and elderly that so that's money you know coverage that we get back from the state for veterans benefits and also um there's some um exemptions that seniors can get on their taxes that are uh reimbursed by the state and what what's our Outreach for one veterans in the elderly so they know these services are available to them um I know that the uh veterans agent uh is constantly outreaching to um all the veterans and the same with the assessor's office so is that increase just the state is increasing what they're providing or do we have more more claims if you will or more reimbursements yep it's reimbursing for claims okay thank you no problem any other questions all right Mike what else do you have for updates anything else nothing else um I know um the town accountant said today that uh he could tell that the state was looking at the information that he had sent to them uh for the free cash certification so hopefully uh we have that [Music] soon you think in the next few days well get that it's usually around now right yeah um I'm hoping by the end of the week other questions on General finances go ahead Madam chair um what is the free cash balance Drome um I'm not sure the exact amount till it's certified but in the ballpark of 6 million why why you so high I was gonna say yeah well two million of that is interest um because interest rates went up so much and the money that we borrowed uh for the projects was sitting in the bank so 2 million uh that of that is interest I guess I'm a little confused we just went through a process where we we had an over right election we were in Dire Straits the wheels had fallen off the cart and all of a sudden you're telling me we have $6 million I guess I guess I need a little bit more clarification because yeah when we uh have the certification um we'll uh give a breakdown of where where the money came from was a lot of that like onetime funds that kind of windfalls like we had like I said 2 million was interest um another 800,000 was the auction which is a one time is that money Mike that we can spend yet or is that still um the treasurer uh almost completed uh to see how much we really should put put of that stabilization just in case someone comes back and uh how much is uh going to be dedicated as free cash I don't know if anyone knows about the new law that came or guidance that came down from the AG's office and the new law passed at the legislature almost to the effect that if we sell a property even if someone abandoned it walked away I mean I can see if we auction off a house that someone is living in which we've never done um that they'd be entitled to the the uh difference after we take our tax money but the way the courts have ruled now if you can't find somebody to give that money back to it goes to find my findmassmoney.com so there's really no incentive um other than getting our tax money back but it's really uh there's no people don't have any fear that if they don't pay their taxes they auction my house off just like having a rail to sell it I'll get back uh the profit so it's just it'll be interesting how that all plays out of that of that 800,000 from the auction how many properties are we talking about um I forget somewhere you know in the 20s and what fiscal years are we talking oh I don't I don't know I I'd have to look at that okay Madam chair um Mike do we [Music] um before year end try to project what we think free cash would be um yeah I would say that James probably has some general idea um but as he always says until they certify it it's not free cash and and how how late into any fiscal year would he kind of know have start getting a feeling for it's going to be a million it's gonna be negative yeah it's gonna be six million um I I would say we'd have to be pretty far into the year and as far as turn backs he's not going to know that until the end of June so but sorry go ahead thank you um did we have a guesstimate of this before we did the whole thing at the at May June yeah I don't know yeah I don't know if he would have had any idea back then more when you get into June that he' start looking at it okay thank you you're welcome Mike did he know about the two million um I'm assuming he knew some of that but maybe he know High I don't think he would have known because he didn't know what what payments the contractors were going to be looking for so a lot of the money would come out of the bank Madam chair so for debate sakes let's throw out $2 million in interest call it a million doll in property sales round numbers we have $3 million that we didn't know about it's obviously come from somewhere I guess my question to you Mike is what is your thoughts going forward I mean are we going to restore the police department restore the fire department restore something to the schools I mean we just I just to be honest with you I'm just in shock that we went through this divisive override situation clearly looking at it now unnecessarily I mean it's really embarrassing to be honest with you where do we go from here I guess so um for for the use of the money um I would look at putting a million dollars into the stabilization again like we did last year and a million into Capital um if we go up another 5,000 this year again in our OPB to keep we've been going up 5,000 every year uh so that'd be 12 125,000 into OPB um then we have uh this could be maybe we're doe for a snowy winter this year so hold 380,000 for snow and ice and then uh we do have a couple articles one is uh for um an engineering drainage study on the Barrow Court area that's been flooding quite a bit and some any storm that's more than an inch and a half um and we rather than borrow as we have been in the past for our water bodies put some money uh around 300,000 into that for the pond cleanups um and so after you take all that out with would still have like 3 million $3 million left so you know on average we we've been averaging close to 4 million a year in free cash so if we hold um 50% of that say for budgets um I would look at you know the schools I know are looking at uh somewhere around 100 150,000 I believe it was in uh supplement and and we could add back um some of the other police and fire overtime and we have to add salary for the town clerk because the town clerk decided now uh that she is actually completely retiring and not going to work part-time so we had to hire a town clerk um and then the other departments I told them look at their expenses don't look at adding people but look at your expenses and see what was cut that is absolutely necessary going forward and unfortunately everyone's packed up most of their stuff uh that's being moved over um starting on the 18th over to the New Town Hall so I would imagine we'll come back on the 30th with uh what departments are looking for the budget supplements so closing police stations and fire station is that out now I if we can restore I would say it's out if we restore that overtime um I told both the Chiefs to uh look at not 100% of what was cut the um came back with 75% of what was cut and I would look at putting your reserve fund back up to where it was in the past and if something catastrophic happens that they go over that would' have some money in the reserve fund to help out with that and what about the schools there was you know at least a couple positions yeah I think um that were you know people were outraged about yeah I know I know they have as I said um 150 160 some and there they had a request for a budget supplement um Mike just a quick question I don't know if you got the um the email that I sent I sent one last week and then kind of followed up today yeah I think you answered a lot of the the questions but I you know to to I think to continue with what Zach was saying um you know if we can have kind of all that in writing of like up front of what the overall kind of the big picture for the free cash will be um that would be great I know I had a think there's like nine different articles that seem like they would use the free cash um the only one I think you didn't mention was the separation expenses or what are we looking at for that is that a high number with all the retirements it it is yep I don't I don't know the number off the top of my head but I know there were quite a few and then I know you mentioned the town clerk so is that that numberers that budget number number is going to have to go up because the new town clerk has a higher than what we budgeted yeah and what about the other two new positions a tax collector and Library director also gonna have to go up well um I don't know about the library director because I don't handle um the staff over there um so I imagine it's within the budget and uh treasur collector will be within the budget are they are they less like are we going to have any extra money in there um um I don't I wouldn't anticipate we would because the current Treasurer and the new treasur are working together for a couple weeks so and uh I don't I don't see that we'll have extra but we'll we'll look at that and do you know you were talking about placing fire do you know if um I know they police had two retirements I think I heard and fire had one um it sounded like police was was back filling one position but not the second and I don't know about the um fire whether they're back bline do they are they going to have less Personnel or are they gonna are they going to um put new people in or try to find new people for positions that well let's put let's put Chief Simmons on the spot oh okay good evening um yeah we're trying to back we just have that one open position right now uh that literally just just became open and uh we're trying to back fill that and um actually we called for a civil service list um last week and we got zero applicants for it so um so we're going to have to go add that again with a basic EMT list instead of a paramedic list we still in Civil Service yeah will that uh Chief will that um I mean where you lost somebody at a higher rate will you be able to save a little bit um hiring somebody at a lower rate or is is that not how it's going to work out yeah no we save we'll save a little bit there um we just promoted a lieutenant so that Lieutenant that retired was at TOP Step uh so we'll save a little bit there not not a ton probably few thousand um and then with starting the new person we'll save a little bit there too it's it's not a ton but it's it's not nothing either so anyone else while we we have the chief on the spot I'd like to ask him about Civil Service while we have't yet so that you voted the union voted to get out of it to meeting voted to get out of it I believe and and the ballot vote failed twice so where does that leave us uh we're still we're still in civil service and uh that's what we're working with um like I said it is a struggle um I just called I just called for that list try to get paramedics and uh we didn't get anybody ironically I just had um somebody's submitt an application online there was a certified firefighter from Rhode Island and um in what they call a cardiac program which is kind of like almost a paramedic there's a transition program they can go to for a few months um but we couldn't consider we couldn't even consider that person um because they're not on the Civil Service list so just we'll have to start start hiring basic EMTs again and then uh get them through the fire academy uh which takes anywhere from 6 months if we're lucky to get a date to up to a year um after they get through the academy then we try to get them into the first available Paramedic program and that generally takes a year and a half to two years uh to get them through that so we're literally looking at probably two and a half to three years uh to get somebody to be a firefighter and a paramedic and what is the static salary somebody coming right out of the academy oh goodness I don't have it right in front of me I want to say it's in the high 50s I can I can get that for you I don't have it right in front of me though and is that the problem I mean I mean in you know that's not a lot of money in today's uh yeah Massachusetts anyway right right the that that's a little bit of the problem um there's a lot of fire departments hiring that's that's the other part of the problem uh somebody who's a paramedic and pretty much almost get a job any place that they want to so um it's really really competitive to try to find uh you know paramedics I find that um you know in the past we do interviews and we'd have like 15 candidates and now I I sometimes almost feel like we're being interviewed you know um so it's it's kind of tough but we we know that aside we have we have an excellent apartment we have great people we have excellent equipment uh you know that to supports us well so we do have a lot of positive stuff going for us you know anyone else for the chief yeah since we're talking about it um if we put on all that do all that training do we one do we pay for that and two is that person like in some sort of contract with us for any period after becoming paramedic yeah that's that's a great question actually um so the fire academy we don't we don't have to pay for uh we do have to pay their salary um from the time we hire them up until they get to the fire academy obviously while they're going through the fire academy after that um the fire academ is actually funded through um through insurance so part of your your insurance payments go to um the state to actually fund the fire academy so that works out well that way uh regarding the paramedic school we do have to pay for that um and that's about U depend on the program it's about $166,000 uh per person to go to the fire I mean excuse me Primary School yeah and are they in a contract with us after that yeah I'm sorry I missed that pot yeah um but yeah so like I was saying we do have to we do have to pay for the paramedic school uh we have to pay for their books um part of uh the other thing to consider for when we send on people to school is um sometimes they're on duty during the days or the nights of their class so we have to give them time off and we may have to come with them with overtime uh during that time period um but the other part of your question yes um anybody that anybody that we hire now um for the past probably years I've had them sign Ana uh agreeing to stay with us for at least three years if we have to send them to paramedic school that's extended out to uh five years and if they leave sooner than that they actually have to pay back for all the in uh the training that we've invest the money that we' invested for their training and it's kind of like uh like amzed right so like it's like you know 100% the first year 80% the second year and kind of and kind of so on it escalates de escalates from there got it thanks yeah there anyone else all right te I appreciate it kind on the spot there sorry think you're off the hook now thank you any other questions for Mike on um just budget in general okay go ahead Mike what do we have next um we just have um four articles that we could uh take up tonight Article Five is the water operating budget amendments and they don't have any amendments [Music] so no action on that can I have a motion for um no action on the water operating budget which mam chair make that motion second roll call Gavin yes Paul yes Steve yes Grace yes Brandon I didn't catch that okay uh Bill yes Paul yes Z yes Bonnie yes and I am also a yes and the next article is article six the saw operating budget amendment and they have no uh amendments to make so make a motion there no action second K yes PA yes Steve yes Grace yes Brandon yes Phill yes Paul yes Zach yes honnie yes and I am also I guess what is your number on those Sandy um we have 10 because Kevin's not here all right thanks yep um next is article one um I'll share my screen so this is um prior year bills um want me to explain for a couple new members um so um if there's a bill that was in the prior fiscal year um it might have come in late um and it wasn't paid uh by the end of the fiscal year close out it needs to go to town meeting and town meeting needs to approve that um and if the department has enough money in their current budget to pay pay for it it would come out of that if not they need a supplement um so we have uh request um three prior year bills um from from uh the town clerk's office um a bill for 8 two bills for $867 74 cents from the school department um one is for custodial fees for the town meeting and one is custodial fees for the town election in April and uh we would need a supplement to the budget out of free cash for that and the third uh bill is uh $579 uh submitted by the water and SE department for analytical balance um and this is for laboratory bills and this would be paid out of their current water budget questions on the prior bills thanks for explaining that because you the question I was going to ask what was that was I was just saying thank you for explaining that for okay answer exactly what I was gonna ask and if you have any questions uh after meetings just contact me anytime thanks any other questions on that Madam chair I make a motion we accept them as presented second have a motion in a second Gavin uh yes Paula yes Steve yes TR yes Brandon yes bill just a a point of clarification as sometimes these things change over time should we have been a little more specific read out the amounts historically that's what we do I if we don't need to do it that's great but Mike what do you think about um is that a good yeah I I would do that I would say uh because one of them's coming out of free cash and one is being paid out of their own budget so their fy2 funds I'll make the motion that we pay the 17354 for prior bills for the towns side out of free cash and 579 of the water department to be paid from their current fiscal funds second you want me to start again then the this new motion they amended motion um Gavin yes Paula yes Steve yes yes Grace yes Brandon yes Bill yes Paul yes Zach yes Bonnie yes all right the next article is article nine and article nine down um I don't know if all of you are aware of the issues we've had down on Barrow Court um frequently the street has actually been closed and we've had to uh shuttle residents to their cars that are parked in another another neighborhood um so I'm looking for $50,000 to hire um an engineering company to do an engineering study of the Watershed that goes down into uh Barrow's Court so that we can uh figure out a solution to the problem M chair go ahead Paul Mike is that a new issue is a town street correct and is that something that's happened new because of a change in the area or or or what um it's it's gotten worse I don't know whether it's because of the intensity of the storms recently um but I know we did well when Keith Silva was on we did deal with it a couple times but recently it it's gotten worse and uh so I don't know what's driving that and that's why we really need the study to uh determine that and uh a small amount of this money probably around a thousand uh we have another drainage ISS isue on South Worcester Street um almost directly across from uh the chartle station there's a home there um and the yard frequently floods what the catch basins overflow on the street um and we're working with that homeowner and they're Cooperative with us about putting a drainage easement uh on the side of their property so uh we would have to hire an engineer to uh develop a plan uh showing the drainage easement so that would be a small portion of this m what sorry what did you say the total was 50,000 and that's free cash yes questions on that Madam chair go ahead Bill Mike do we know how long this study will take um I would imagine it's you know whether the town meeting is in October whether they get out in the field right away or not or get hit with winter um but I would imagine it's G to take like seven or eight months before they're finished with it so any like likely solution is really fiscal year 26 yeah thank you I hate I hate to tell people that but it it's gonna if we're gonna get it right it's GNA take time thank you any other questions on that article Madam sherff I may yes go ah Mike um what do the shuttles cost do you know uh um is the chief still on I don't know what whether he what he paid in overtime because of it but we had Norton Emer okay we had Norton Emergency Management agency Manning the shuttles so um great group of volunteers and they would also man The Detour blocking off the road Chief you have anything else to add to that oh no absolutely that's that's correct um it was all volunteered by our our Emergency Management people oh wow yeah okay be great excellent thank you you're welcome questions or comments Madam chair I make a motion that we spend 50,000 for free cash for the purpose of engineering planning designning permitting and construction of drainage improvements to the pwn infrastructure info related legal administrative and all other pertinent expenses associated with the project or take any other action relative second Mo a second make more work I'm sorry did um Paul say from free cash I just heard free got it all right uh Gavin yes Paula yes Steve yes Trace yes Brandon yes Bill yes Paul yes Zach yes Bonnie yes and I yes so the next meeting Madame chair I'll have um the retirement expenses and I'll give you a breakdown of potential uses of the free cash and hopefully we'll have free cash certification by then anybody have any other requests for the next meeting Madam chair go ahead bill um I know it was mentioned maybe the last meeting um and maybe it's for the the budget in the in the spring but given the amount of free cash we have do we want to make sure that the select board is on on board with where it's going I mean didn't we say they were going to drive the direction yeah I actually Bill reached out to um Steve to say ask if we can kind of coordinate um because I also think any of the Articles you know that they put on I want to make sure we don't um you know they don't end up taking them off right well after we've spent time discussing them um so I you know I know he was he was um in favor of that as well you know there's a couple articles that I'm just that I was a bunch of articles that that are by the select board so I just want to make sure there there's no issues with any of those before we vote as well um but I think you know having the big picture at the next meeting for the free cash if we're given that if select board's given that um M can can they when's their next meeting um a week from Thursday so we will'll meet first Phil are you um we can hold off on voting until they vote and just discuss y okay does that work bill um I guess I'm not advocating to delay the pro process but if you know if we set the tone that you know hey it's it's their job to provide Direction then don't we need direction before we start voting that's just me but if if we want to vote and we can always reconsider we can do it that way too Paul sorry um is there any way we could Shuffle our schedule and maybe next Monday do more planning board articles or are those not ready yet we start discussing the ones about um using free cash yeah let me talk I'll talk to Paul and see if he'd be ready I'll let you know tomorrow Sandy on that one okay yeah perfect yeah I think I would think they're all set with that um the overlay the new right they they voted on that I imagine I know they spent the last year discussing it so right and I feel like that's going to be a a long one for them for us to just not maybe not long for us discuss but just long to present and give us all the information that we have okay yeah I'll tell Paul to come on for that and if anyone knows anyone wants to be on the zoning board let me know we just had a resignation so there's an opening who is like H you would ask me that I can tell you in a second Madam chair is there still something regarding the Elm Street Water and Sewer project or is that all been there is yeah there is and um so that's the 25th they have a public hearing correct Mike yes um and so the the the subgroup that was kind of working and getting together um I know we had talked different options and and and given different options of maybe how to make it a little bit more palatable for the people in that area to to you know so that it would pass a town meeting um I don't think ultimately that's necessarily up to us Vincom it's kind of a you know more of a select board and and water store commission um um decision I don't think has select board talked any more about that Mike no I haven't caught it okay um so I feel like we were supposed to we might have a follow-up meeting this is the email I just got to discuss it more um and hopefully you know come to something that makes it so that it's more likely to pass and easier for the the residents Paul it was Brian Spangler resigned from the zba he's moving out of town about planning Bo zva yeah all right any other um suggestions or or um questions for about an hour for the next meeting all right and think we have any minutes correct I didn't I didn't get anything forwarded so okay all right anything else anybody else has thanks Mike good night night crickets crickets that was a quick meeting so wait till we get to the more bigger money stuff right they might so quick then CH Chief Simmons just sent out a uh a chat thing oh perfect yeah 58,000 to the top um 58 and TOP Step 77 yeah so that'll show you the what the the answer Zach question and also Ys as well to see the difference between the bottom and the top steps okay perfect hopefully that helps yeah thanks appreciate that okay all right you all have a good night Chief hi everyone I I made it I just got back for volleball at Doc 3ale doesn't if nobody has anything else I'll take a motion I'll make a moot make a motion CH second yes Paula yes Steve yes Grace yes Brandon yes yes Paul yes z z was that yes yes for whatever reason the unmute button would work yes F mine too most important moment I to on the yes and I will see you all next week so next week we're back on zoom and then two weeks I think possibly back at the at the Town Hall right good night everyone good night see you bye by bye take care Paul bye