##VIDEO ID:BqO3Ldo0-Wo## okay good evening everyone uh my name is Laura schiffren and I will call the meeting to order of the board of Selectmen on January 21st 2025 here at 6: PM would you all join me oh it's just us but we'll do a roll call and all the votes will be um as the same way as roll call Veronica K presentent and Laura shiff from presentant would you stand for the uh Pledge of Allegiance with me I pledge of allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which stands one nation under God indivisible with liberty and justice for all I'd like to thank all of our veterans and all of our First Responders and all of the military that are currently serving and God bless our government um I'd like to thank all of our First Responders again um I understand there's been a lot of activity back there and we certainly appreciate um their service to our community this me meeting is being recorded and will be uploaded to YouTube uh is anyone else recording the meeting is anyone else online okay hearing seeing none I do not have any other additions under 1.4 one uh an addition to assign a select board representative to the conservation restriction committee I was going ask about that I thought we had done that last week but according to the minutes we haven't okay which one was that because we have several motions don't we um for con conservation restriction is on the agenda which one do you were you referring to Veronica the conservation um restriction committee yeah which which appointee um me a select board representative Oh I thought that was on the agenda it is no so can we add it under Section 3.8 let's say uh yes all right thank you I don't know why I thought I saw that there's probably another one for you oh it may be the AUD okay okay um so we'll add that under 3.8 correct yes okay thank you um so next is 1.5 on the agenda to review and approve the meeting minutes for January 7th 2025 and January 14th 2025 which was our joint meeting uh Veronica um make a motion that we approve the minutes of 17 2025 okay I'll second for discussion um do you have anything to say about that Veronica January 7th yeah give me a minute here I think January 7th was the one that was okay yeah I was okay with that I didn't see anything anyway on that um I I know where it is it's under 4.7 so it's a one two three the fourth page um first uh last sentence second to last sentence there are many permits started this I don't know of any permits started but I would say needed um is the word that I would put there instead of started they had to have permission from the board of Selectmen to go forward prior to being able to get um so I would change that word to needed um I think that was the I'm fine I'm fine with that edit anything else hearing none I'll take a roll call vote Veronica K yes and Laura shiffon yes now on to January 14 2025 which was the joint meeting with the board of of Health um I make a motion to approve the meeting for 114 2025 second Laura shiff discussion yes I do have a a couple um things here um let me find them because they Veronica if you don't mind can I know that we made a second uh you know a motion in a second can we go back to this in work session for those minutes we're already at 6:05 and is Kathy Spofford in or virtual okay would you mind Veronica if we just go on with the agenda and come back in work session oh we can do that if you'd like to do that yeah I don't want to take up the time or hold up anyone okay for you yeah that's fun go ahead okay thank you for some reason my my phone is frozen you guys are all Frozen to me so um I hope this works all righty um Kathy would you like to um come to the table now or speak from wherever you are um thank you for having me I'm just doing my my yearly um announcements so today the census went out in the mail so everyone will be receiving the 2025 annual census Street listing um and we urge everyone to answer it in a timely manner so that we do not have to um fill out extra forms at elections that's always helpful because it takes a lot of time to um fill out the affirmation of continuous residency so that's that would be really helpful if everyone did that um bless you uh let's see and dog licenses they're available now if you get your dog license before February 1 you're entered into the number one dog contest and you have the opportunity to win this dog blanket so everybody seems to like a little extra so so and you should get your dve license before March 1st and the $10 late fee will begin on March 1st so um available and the next thing is the annual election it's on the website it'll be held April 800 am to 800 PM the open positions are on the website as well dates to remember the nom papers are available they became available last Wednesday January 15th you need 40 valid signatures so it's recommended you get 45 to 50 and they the last day to take out record um nomination papers is Friday March 7th and day to return them is Monday March 10th uh absentee voting will be available and vote by mail will be available and the applications are on the website um on the the button for the town election can I just ask vote by mail will be available vote by not vote in person I vote not voting but vote by mail is required to be um for all Town elections unless the S say that we don't need to do so that has to be voted for each Town election yes and last year we did it because of the overlap for the when the ballots went out because it would right mix up so this year it's just this one election as we know okay so and it won't be a big I am good with vote by now so for vote voting early in person you have to opt into that you opt out of vote by mail in to early vote in person okay so no if we have vote by mail I'm good with no yeah in the applications are on the website under that tab okay for both so all they have to do is and you can also go on the State website and just put vote by mail application and you can do it that way all right thank you okay and I think that's all I have unless you have questions for me I I have one question okay for next week's um special town meeting under the uh on the website calendar can under there's a way to do view agenda can we put the meeting warrant there oh yeah yeah we can that because people are looking for it and then it's like where is the warrant they're looking for it on the calendar and it's not there where you get the agenda for like this meeting yeah no that's not a problem at all so yeah if you could do that that would be great I'll make a note to myself thank you thank you for that suggestion Veronica and thank you Kathy for your announcements today thank you I appreciate it okay you too okay we it is now at 611m we did have a 605 uh Nelson can you report if anyone is in the room for the 605 with uh Board of Health and Shaw I don't believe Shaw is one of the participants but I think Carla from the Board of Health might be here I don't know if she's just um listening in or if she has something to add can you hear us Carla if you're on did you want to say something I'm not hearing anything she's unmuted but yeah I don't hear anything either okay all right well then I'm gonna think that nothing is going to be said and this whatever this is will be postponed um I did see William Hackler come in well before we move on can I just say something um I think it's critical that we have the trash figured out for our budget process and I think that if in fact we aren't going to get the numbers um I I would hope that those to us without having a joint meeting that he could just provide Board of Health and the board of Selectmen his quotes and if we can't get those in a timely manner I would respectfully request the Board of Health to go out with an RFP so that we I just don't want the debacle that we had last summer to be right year and I have a concern especially since we weren't notified that we wouldn't have a joint meeting well I just found out um today that it was um that um it was a mishap that the um their agenda for the joint meeting was not posted so therefore we couldn't have a joint meeting I'm I'm not sure why Shaw hasn't gotten back to us but I am also concerned about that so hopefully we'll work on it um getting the information this week we and um have something to discuss next week okay understand to sh Nelson see if they can provide us with the numbers yep I did um email and give them a call they said they would get back to me to to see if they were able to get us a proposal I haven't heard back yet so um I'm sure they're working on but I have not her back um Carla might have her Carla can you uh hear us I see your hand raised but we still can't she's not muted no she's not is she speaking she has her hand up I I don't hear anything coming sound coming from her so it might be technical difficulties on her end yeah well I can tell you that my screen on my phone keeps freezing up and sometimes there's a little in andout on that and I'm not moving around I'm just sitting here yeah uh I did get a text message from Carla um they want she wanted to know if you would come to the Board of Health meeting on the 29th not unless we meeting in here with recording and live so sure I I do think you know we meeting 29 is wednes think a joint meeting makes sense but at the same time we're not voting on anything so you know we're really just And discussing the proposal then we don't need a joint meeting we just need the proposal I I feel like that would be just as beneficial and if if we need to have a joint meeting down the road we can do so but I think we all have to first get the proposal and digest once what's been given to us and then we probably need to discuss amongst probably just the board themselves what your feelings are about that proposal so maybe we hold off on the joint meeting for now um we were supposed to have a proposal this week and so I would like a proposal this week this is way more difficult than I mean if we were supposed to have a joint meeting whether we have a joint meeting or not sha was to provide a proposal by this week and what we need is the proposal and then if we need to have the Board of Health and US meet we can do that but I think at this point we need the proposal I think everybody's in agreement with that so we'll hold off for now and hope that uh we get that uh sooner rather than later that's two more weeks from now no it's next week isn't it no next week this is the 21st okay may I move on yes um we are now at 616 I did in if and this is not a public hearing type of thing it is just an appointment with William Hackler the school committee uh the town Zone representative and I saw that he was on virtually and if he would like to speak to us now and we can move on with the rest of our agenda after that I don't want to hold him up anymore okay I'm here you hear me hi yes okay I can hear you long time no see long time y um yeah so just to give everybody an update on what's going on the school committee side of it uh we've been working through our budget very rough at this point we're expecting the governor's numbers later this week um likely though to unlikely to be anything exciting um as far as that's concerned um can you hear us will I'm hearing other people talk yeah well we're hoping to have will start at the posted time of 6:30 some people were going to tune in okay so will could we uh put you on pause for 12 and uh come right back to you sure okay Veronica would you like to go back to the January 14 2025 uh minutes then with your corrections I think I'd prefer to go on with appointments and then stop at 6:30 and come back to that okay and and keep this for work 3.1 please I move to appoint da Hayes to the audit committee effective 1 121 2025 with the term to expire 1231 2025 Laura shiff second any discussion hearing none roll call vote please Veronica Cal yes Laura shiffon yes 3.2 um I move to appoint Veronica Kel as select board representative to the affordable housing trust effective one of [Music] 2026 um I will second that motion any discussion seeing none the onlye have is that I will turn in my resignation um as an at large representative which would allow um another to be posted for that affordable housing trust yes um I knew that and that's a good idea um vote please did I hear the vote are you hearing me I hear talking in the background but I it's not coming through God Lori I think there might be some lag in the connection um okay did Veronica vote on 3.2 yes twice okay twice okay then I'll do it twice Laura shiffrin yes 3.3 and hopefully we work with this internet 3.3 EMS Department effective 121 2025 I'll second that Laura shiffrin and you just discussion roll call vote I am not hearing this Lori I think maybe uh if you turn off your video on your side that might um make the um want to see you I'm just okay I don't know can you hear us Lori should still be all the other participants are muted if you're looking for information from them I think that's some te cam downstairs yeah that was tcam Jim Lori Lori was iPhone 6 okay but she's muted okay yeah just you can just turn off your video I think that should help your connection okay um and we are at 3.3 and during this time um Lisa I see your hand but I'm going to recognize you after we take this section after we're done with the section please um so we vot on 3.3 I think we're 3.3 Lori okay so um I know we made the motion and I seconded any discussion roll call vote and I I think I heard you Veronica say your name and yes um Laura shiffrin yes 3.41 okay that I don't think that that is working for whatever reason um we need a second okay 3.4 Laura shiff second any discussion seeing none roll call vote please Laura shiffrin yes 3.5 Laura shiffrin second any discussion hearing none Ro okay I did okay um verica Laura shiffon yes 3.5 no we did that we just did that 3.6 move app Point Michael poted as conser commission representative to the conservation restriction committee effective January 21st 2025 until completion of placing the conservation restriction on Onan second Laura shiffrin any discussion no okay roll call Vote Yes Laura shiffrin yes 3.7 I move to appoint Emily F the endangered species permit holder to the conservation restriction committee effective January 2025 until completion of placing a conservation restriction on S cook n Laura shiffrin second any discussion no okay roll call vote Veronica C yes Laura shiffrin yes now we have a 3.8 I move to app Point yes I move to app Point Veronica Cal board um member to the Restriction committee effective January 1st 2025 until comple of placing the conservation restriction on sanook Laura shiffer and second is there a discussion hearing none roll call vote Kell yes Laura shiffrin yes okay thank you we are done with three and we are at 6:27 uh is Lisa's hand still up I'll I will recognize her before we go to our next appointment thank you I just wanted to let you know from towns in on Zoom we can hear the selectman's chamber but the video is frozen Lori we I can hear you fine um that's I'm getting the same thing I I did mention that that they freeze up every once in a while and sometimes I don't hear them but um hopefully hopefully we can get through this thank you for your comment um let's see what might we be able to do quickly Nelson any ideas of what we can get done in the next three minutes or two and a half or two next two minutes 4.9 maybe 4.9 oh yes you can report that's part of your reporting anyway 4.9 would you like to do that Nelson Nelson yeah I don't know Madam chair we've lost audio on them too on Zoom oh God thank you I thought it was just me and where I was huh well that should be interesting um we we can hear you um okay so but I can't hear you that's what I'm think what what does I heard you just now okay well I made a motion to assign Veronica Cal to be the select board liaison during the upcoming police Union contract negotiations oh and I'll second that all right La seconds that yeah so if Nelson Has any discussion on this um you know during most um Union contract negotiations it's always been um typically the Town Administrator and someone um on the select board as you know one side of the negotiating table so um Veronica has done it yes and I would be thrilled um to have her do it again can you hear me because I think you got lost again um Lisa are you hearing them I am not I can hear you okay thank you I don't know what's going on there but it's not either one of us yeah Laur Lori it's we keep losing um Town Hall I guess okay well I hope we get it back I can hear you now and uh as far as I know we have gotten through 4.9 I was just explain you were explaining it and I heard your explanation okay okay and I am in favor of it I second it and are we ready for a vote Yes then roll call vote Veronica Kell yes and Laura shiffon yes thank you and now we are at 6:31 William will you join us yes I will okay now I can hear you I couldn't hear them I don't know what's going on there I can hear Lisa I can hear you okay so if it's all right I'll give an update of where we're at uh we've met you know multiple times with the town administrators and you know we have some rough numbers on the budget we're inviting you to which if you have the invite now February 6th is our joint board meeting we'll roll out detailed numbers uh right now it's very rough we're going to get Governor numbers later this week unlikely though to be anything you know substantial oh um William I just got a text message because I can't hear anybody in the boardroom um they're asking that you wait for your presentation because they have to reboot okay so for those of you that can hear me you will know that now but in the room they don't or those sitting in the room no I I make a motion that we um take a short break to re boot the computer and the AL so okay okay so okay I'll just wait and we'll vote oh yes ma'am I'll second it all right okay okay L lur I all right so let's take a break okay thank you should we log back in sh should we go out and come back in um more than likely yes okay uh Sabrina text me please as soon as you're up thank you try this cam guy G to come up or should we just like power down and power oh no he's coming up I didn't I want to make sure I was doing this correctly I didn't want like exit I just kind of bar come back was doing some update so it wasn't done doing them so I'm wondering if that has to do with very find my there were two things in here do you want me to leave the zoom meeting all together yeah you're gonna have to okay e e e e e e e e e e e e e Andy Nelson can you turn on the video and audio up there e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e can you guys uh hear and see us out there I can hear you and I can see you Lori can you hear and see us she's not on oh she I see lry and the participants U I think she had signed out I just texted her to let her know you were back up thank you iPhone 6 that might be her okay can you hear me we can hear you can you hear and see us I can I I think we're up and running again okay hopefully we will last um we are at 6:51 p.m. I will recall this meeting of January 21st 2025 and we are at 2.3 on the agenda Mike um William hello there hi please continue okay um let's see so we've done a number of meetings with the town administrators um heard their numbers you know what they have to say uh we have a rough roughly our budget this year um or going into this year roughly around $66 million we're going to need about $3.5 million of an increase just to do level service um that $3.5 million comes from uh we have $ 800,000 less than we used in End last year 150 thou uh excuse me $500,000 expected Insurance increases uh $1 million the special ed is running at additionally uh we also have the we' been down a principal at the high school this year and other contractual increases um if we're at $3.5 million that's roughly a 5% increase which translates roughly to a 10% you know plus or minus for the towns in the difference there I'm sure many of you have heard uh lacking in override at that number is probably going to uh cause us to close some school buildings uh cut it lot of out of our technology budget and still about $1.5 million in staff even if we do uh multiple buildings with that um so that's uh where we're at at this point well no cause to break out the champagne that's correct um so when I believe there's going to be Nelson do you want to um talk about the special meeting and what we can anticipate at the at the special meeting for an override for this one quick just a quick uh dates update for you which I've said a couple times now but maybe no one heard it so uh we are we have a joint uh budget meeting on February 6th yeah where we've invited all the town administrators select board fincom to that meeting to have that discussion um we are doing a finance meeting next week ahead of that so we hope to have you know or coming out of that February 6th meeting so we will have some more detailed numbers to send back to all the towns what time is that meeting and where what what time is the meeting and where uh it is I don't know where we're holding it um I have it six o'clock on February 6th yep and I actually I got an invite uh earlier this afternoon and that was actually part of my um Town Administrator updates to uh um let everyone know about it yeah it is on um February 6th it is a joint um um meeting uh with the school committee and it is via Zoom okay there might be a in-person option but I just got a zoom invite uh so I was going to share that with you know the finance committee and and the select board to uh to see uh who wants to join in and I I think it's going to have to be like a joint meeting I think right between um select board and possibly the finance committee if you guys have enough for a quorum so yeah so you beat me to the announcement okay well I I can tell you that I can I can do it via Zoom at 6 to join but then I have mrpc at 7 so it it may go longer than that and depending on what Veronica wants to do we can work the if it if it's joint then we post that's all right if there's more than if there's a quorum then we'd have to post to join that whether they're we're there for part of it or all of it is that correct or not okay correct yep all right okay um William if we're going to be participating in the meeting right that's a board oh I I see okay okay all right is it possible it'll be in prison I I only have the zoom information so I'm not sure if there's an in-person option would we have the option to zoom from from here that's a good idea facilities and we could be in person here yeah that's a goodidea yeah I think we can do that yep okay y um that seems good did we want to so one of um the um items I was going to discuss was a you know the the over the potential override vote did we want of with Will here just talk about it now it's a little bit out of order but since uh he mentioned it and he's here maybe we should just discuss it now I think that's appropriate because I can move things around just like anything else we SP tonight so um so that would be item 4.6 okay so um there there is a really good chance a special town meeting would be called um with Ashby and peppol in Townsen and we're all aiming to do the special town meeting uh on the same tonight and the vote would be for a school budget override for a school budget override or for a an override of the Town budget which includes the schools um I mean I think for towns in if we could probably do a town override vote but um but as a as a joint as as a three town um District um the goal is at the very least to have the the school budget um override Pro I'm just thinking trash I mean I'm all in for the school override vote um but I we may need more than than that we may and that's certainly something we can we can talk about that and have a separate article for a separate thing if we feel so the need correct um so the sort of the dates that have been thrown around will I think were Monday March 10th is is that is that um correct that is correct yes um so depending on what Ashby and peppol end up agreeing that that they may slip um later in the week um but that's sort of what everyone is aiming for um is either the 10 or one week dat on on that week um so we think by that week um there will be a pretty solid um school budget um total so that we can then um figure out how much each Town's uh override amount would be um they're you know as we mentioned on February 6 going to have a a forum um to present the budget and I think they're going to as a result of that meeting go back and probably make some changes and vote on a um a more um um final budget number if you will um so that by the time we have a special town meeting We'll have each all the voters will have a pre solid number in mind for the school assessment increase and we will already have had our budget meeting as a group on the 1 of March corre so we should have a pretty good idea of what we need for an override if in fact it could happen right well the only sad part about this is it's just a snowball that doesn't seem to have an end because each override is hardly ever used again for the same purpose which means you have to do this every single year and I don't know yeah I well you know it's it seems like every governmental agency is in a rough spot I saw something today on um I don't know where I saw it it was a news feed and Massachusetts owes the federal government $2.1 billion for covid payments made during covid that were not used in the right manner so if you have a state that's in that situation which we have where is the money going to come from if the state is in that dire stress where is the money come is going to come from and that we're a small town that's going to absorb millions of dollars we are not a rich community at all I we're rich in a lot of things but how figure we're absorbing absorbing millions of dollars I'm not sure where you're going with this la the school is millions of dollars right yeah so so every increase that they have 10% a year do we make 10% a year do we get that increase all of our expenses go up for the I'm just you know okay I'll get off my Soap Box because this is it's a it's a dire situation um and the Band-Aids only will cost us a great deal more money and I have I certainly don't want to do any harm to the schools I don't want to not have the trash I don't want all those things but I I I just don't know that raising taxes on the same amount of people is going to um Bode very well in the future but anyway that's that's a discussion for the town's people but that's what we will be discussing on those dates so William thank you very much for that and um Nelson for your updates and now we don't have to do that 4.6 and we are now at and Veronica if you would like to take this um 4.1 review and discuss the draft of the CPA bylaw um sure so we have Bill here and Karen are you here for this as well so do we want them come to the table yeah of course table you too if you'd like that way you have to like sh across and you'll be right here by the ow in case our sound Goes Bananas again so thanks for having us um we would just like to put a um a proposed bylaw on the whatever appropriate town meeting you're talking about there so seem to be so many that I can't keep track of them but so yeah the community B Community preservation Act was passed last November and uh but in order to get things rolling and make the whole process work you still need to pass a bylaw in your town the state puts a lot of restrictions on what that bylaw could be um the proposed bylaw that I sent out to you was basically a um a copy that very similar to what peppol has to what gron has and what Shirley has which are the three towns that we've had a lot of um input with um there are some there's some variables that you can choose um the five members of the committee appointed by Boards is set in the state statutes um and the the draft that you have seen before you was approved by steuart sagor who is the lawyer who works with the community preservation Coalition which is a Statewide advocacy group so he he read it over and um and uh said it was fine you are allowed to have either two to four members in addition to those five board members on the board we looked at Rotten Shirley and uh peppol and they all had just two extra so they're a total of seven in the board um but legally allowed have up to nine depending what the town wants so I just went with the standard and put down seven um one of the issues in our and that Stuart talked to me about was we have a historical district commission we do not have a sorry historic district commission we do not have a historical commission at least to the best of my knowledge um we did not want to have to change the bylaw if if it turns out we do have a historical Comm or if we create one so what he suggested for verbiage was the following one member of the towns and historical commission as designated by that commission meaning one member of the board should no historical commission yet exist in towns and the historic district commission s designate a member that way if it ever you know if things change we don't need to go and change the bylaw again yep I thought we already had a meeting on this and we said that it was a joint commission do you have information that that's not correct um John wasn't certain he was going to talk to people about whether that was true or not um if you look at the towns and bylaw the stor District commission that's my knowled has not been updated the statutory powers of hisor commissions if the town meeting so so votes a commission established here under shall have the powers and duties of historical commission as provided by mass blah blah blah blah and in this event the commission may be entitled to a historic maybe entitled and historic commission but to my knowledge that that town read vot has never happened plus I missed something I think to tell me there's there's the legal argument right there between J interpretation and state so I think we have to get that resolved before we can do this but I mean if if that has been passed then you are historical commission and then you guys can appoint it and if it has not been passed then you guys can appoint it if you win you're in either way no I understand that because no matter what you do anyway a historic district but what I I really think that we should be clear on that before you put it into a bylaw I don't think it matters think the I cover both cases whether it does or whether it doesn't that's what Stuart said too didn't you just say to create one no both it says if it if we have one then that appoints but if we should know historic commission exist right which means if for some reason it turns out you're not the historic commission then the historic district commission appoints it right if are it's good that I talk steart about said let's try to come up with something that covers both cases so that we don't have to be involved the the the CPA bylaw doesn't does doesn't put its hand on the scale cover both cases okay so so if you if the commission exists they appoint it okay and if you are it you appoint it so when in the timeline does this get resolved it doesn't matter it's up to you that's up to the lawyers or or up to you guys I mean you're the you're you point someone no matter what so no I I understand that but I just want to make sure because it it's a very it's two very different very very different authorities and duties right but for the purposes of this bylaw it makes no difference right it does need to be resolved but it's not not for this bylaw if we don't have a historic commission then the historic district commission appoints and if we do have a historic commission then they appoint yeah so that's said he doesn't know and if you're one and the same iol you guys figure it out but this this is why they wrote it to be cover both cases okay Veronica you have said that correctly so um can we go on so I I have a couple wording things sure uh section two number one yep I would add Community preservation between the and Committee just to be consistent with number two and three okay well I mean you guys are I'm asking you to put it on the W so yeah that's you can put whatever you want but yes so I add those two words and then the other question is under severability that word be it's probably legal e but it it reads funny to me in case any section paragraph or part of this chapter B for any reason I would put is for any reason declared invalid or part of this bylaw B for any reason or part of this chapter be for any reason is what I have in front of me what word do you have copies of it um we're part of this bylaw for any reason I'm better with that um than chat why why don't you take that just to make sure I I'll send it to you I send it to Sabrina I'll send it to Saina you have to Saina make sure it's the one and make sure it's that one other than that I have no problem with this and my vote would be for annual come meeting because that's typically when we do this stuff that's that's what I was shooting for I didn't I mean I just okay know if all these meetings were occur then keep it yep even but um do we need a vote on this now or are we um no well um they they they'll just submit the language and we and we'll warrant yeah it'll be part of which actually we're going to be voting on that later in the meeting so you'll have a date of when we're voting on the dates for opening the warrant for the annual town meeting okay so you'll know when that needs to come into us okay well I'll probably do it tonight because otherwise I forget okay thank thank you has um Nelson has has Adam reviewed on the floor here that you probably can't see Laur he no uh that will be part of the thank you who who wants to speak Don Don has a question funds associated with this is there a requirement that an audit be done annually on it and it's included in there is I've not heard about an audit being done and included in the IW but there is a percentage where you can the um the just state law that the town is allowed to start that the committee is allowed to spend up to 5% of its money on accounting and and having the professional so they're allowed to up to 5% of their income to be spent on support was the 5% the admin support because also use money to support the collection if that's covered by the mate it's in the is to so if it needs to be to add it to I on that probably coming from the treasur to make sure we comply okay okay thank you okay thank you thank you for your attendance on 4.2 pay as you throw Grant this is not to discuss the dispersement of the grant this is to discuss uh signing of Our Town Administrator so Nelson would you take this please uh sure um does Veronica want to make the motion first and then we can discuss I can do that um I make a motion to implement and operate the pce you throw trashbag program um for a period of at least two full years and to appoint Nelson mu the Town Administrator the authority to sign the necessary paperwor work to apply for the pay you throw Grant totaling $62,000 I Laura shff seconds that emotion that emotion yeah motion any discussion yeah I'm I'm a no on this um because I guess I thought that we would be hearing about the cost of trash and I don't think we can commit to a second year of pay as you throw until we know what our numbers are okay so Nelson doing trash okay so this Nelson can you explain how if we are not unable to do this um we can get out of the program at the end of June just by giving them back the money correct so um yeah Mass DP has been um um asking me for a while now to you know sign the paperwork and make sure we sort of commit to this program for at least two full years in order to uh get the $62,000 grant um we can certainly um agree to you know do that sign all the paperwork and then a couple months from now if um the budget does not support um you know any sort of py throw program um we can always sort of um go back to the state and said you know do the budgetary reasons we're we can longer afford to um commit to the payow program for you know um for a two full years so sorry we can't do it you know the money that you have given us we would just you know return it back to the state and you know my and to be extra cautious I wouldn't spend any of that money unless we knew for sure that we were going to continue with the pay you throw program because I don't want to spend theone money have to give it all back and then figure out a way how to pay for those expenses um so I guess there's really no downside to us um committing to it um but if we don't commit now there's a chance the state would um you know take the grant away altogether and we wouldn't have anything um to show for it so so I I know Veronica's concerns about you know we have no idea what the the trash proposals are going to be um but I do think if we wait you know there's a there's a chance that we would lose this grant all together because the state has been um asking me to you know make this commitment um for you know a while now but here's the thing I'm looking at this ttim line checklist for pay you throw Grant award so I had questions on the stuff I wrote uh it said that there should be a checklist signed by an authorized Municipal official and returned to M no later than December 31st 2024 blah blah blah this scope Grant scope of work was supposed to be returned by January 15th which was last week um I I just I think it's more appropriate I'm not opposed to a pay as you throw Grant I mean that's it's wonderful but it seems to me me that it's more appropriate for next year because then we could commit to two years if in fact we get numbers that are favorable and our budget allows because I'm not opposed to the payy throw program right I just don't understand how it is that they give us an award and then we can give it back and say oh sorry no um well that's I don't think that it's going to be there that's the thing the award may not be given next year that's why this is kind of like a a place card that you put on the warrant I want to reserve that space just in case we need this and then when the town meeting comes a lot of warrants do not make the cut or are not addressed at the meeting so but this a grant with definite dates in it and we as far as I know haven't met these definite dates uh we've already been as you saw on the list we're already behind that's why you know they've been sort of on me to make sure that we we commit to it um these funds unfortunately wouldn't be available the second year because it it really are like startup cost to get the program up and running um a lot of towns use it for educational materials Outreach um and you know to you know start you know buying like a small amount of bags to get things rolling so unfortunately it's really only available the the first year of implementing so um you know the the state does really want you to commit to it for for two years and that sort of the reward is the is the $62,000 all all funds must be spent and invoices received by mass DP no later than June 30th correct right I mean last year we didn't know until August what our trash program was and right now we're not on a timeline to know by May what our trash program is um we're just sort of against uh you know some hard deadlines from the state to uh for them to be able to provide us with this grant funding Veronica I don't see the downside in that even if we don't make all the Deb lines now which we would need to know by June but maybe we'll have a better idea in two months from now what's going on we'll be able to address it but if we don't sign saying that we're going to do this if we're not because of the town and the town meeting and everything else if we're not in a position to do this we'll just give them back the money but if we don't if we don't sign it we're not going to get it in case we are in a position to do it it's not going to be a downside how is it going to hurt us to do this they're actually doing us a favor by saying we know you missed the deadline but are you sure you want to miss the deadline you sure you want to not do this so so basically that's up to us to say yeah Nelson sign it and if we're in a position we're going to use it and if we're not we're not that's my take I hope that's the case I I I do too I mean I think that that is if we're not in a position we're not going to be able to do it so I I would like to give him the permission to uh do this and and vote Yes and um I don't see a downside you know we're going to be in the same position if it doesn't work out we're going to be in the same position as we are now it's not going to hurt us but it may if we are in position in the paper I don't see those words in the paperwork um I I have spoken to um you know Irene and um you know while it's not ideal if we somehow if we signed all this and then we you know months from now we said we couldn't do it uh it's not a good look but um it's allowed and if we don't do now we're not even going to have any chance whatsoever of getting it so um do we have the grand SC of work um [Music] um I can I can I can uh find it somewhere I don't rarely have it at the moment it's it's in all my page you throw um folder on my computer so make sure to include your approved implementation plan return the signed Grant scope of work um I I just read this and I don't see where anything has happened that needs to happen to accept the money if we can accept the money and then say yeah we're not doing it here you go thanks very much no um I I don't that think that puts us in a good position for Grants down the road but who am I a lot of this stuff um we had already submitted to them back in the September time frame when I was working with Irene with M EP a lot of this stuff including is Irene on she is not um um we had submitted a implementation plan we had all some of the dates you know the Outreach programs that we've done with um at the senior center um here at Memorial Hall um the mailers that we sent out that was all part of the implementation plan that um the state that uh they did uh okay so a lot of this stuff has been submitted this is really just the final piece which is really just the signatures um you know that checklist that you were referring to um because in theory they they have um you know awarded a of Grant but without the signatures they can't make it official all right will you vote Yes I'll vote Yes okay Laura yes thank you Nelson we'll work on it thank you um 4.3 I think Chief sartel is here in the audience there floor is yours sure so a couple things I have two things on the agenda both of them were set in motion quite some time ago uh first I'll add I think the first one up is the record CL clerk our reclassification request again something that was in process with a previous board previous Town administrators that type of thing um memo memo does a um a more comprehensive kind of job of breaking it down but suffice to say the increased responsibilities in that role and increased demands on skills uh require um a a a different pay grade certainly to attract the skill set necessary uh to conduct the duties of that position I've submitted a um an amended job description that you should have received as part of the request um suffice to say that it just um increases responsibilities in areas mostly of a technical nature some pretty complicated um video redaction software some digitization of Records um our general shift to a cloud-based environment in general as far as part of our records process at the police station are require a much higher and more complex skill set than what was originally envisioned as a quote unquote records Clerk back when that position was originally designed Al so I have requested a grade change I I submitted that that was a b to a c on the What's called the Collins pce Matrix that we have um funding is in place both this year and um my budget submission for fiscal 26 also contains that pave bump in there and then she would basically be uh back in a position where there would be annual step raises based on her anniversary date questions I just have one comment I just want noted that this is a non-union position correct yeah okay and so we're not going to um okay we're not going to run into some of the stuff we've run into with uh excuse me Nelson the water department yeah and that's we're still working on that okay all right thank youing position okay um do we need do yeah do we need a motion yep Veronica's going to read it okay thank you I move I move to approve the police department's request to reclassify the records Clerk position to the newly created position of Records administrator moving the position from a Grade B to a grade C and to approve the new job description Laura shiin second any discussion or further hearing and seeing none roll call vote Veronica Kell yes Laura shiffrin yes uh thank you your next issue is the cruiser I think yes another thing set in motion about two years ago um we have um an entire half of our Fleet now at the police station we financed or the request is to finance $282,100 we have submitted the application the packet is back has been provided as part of um this request uh we have an initial down payment which is funded in this year's budget both um and both subsequent annual payments will be included in my operational budgets for fiscal 26 and fiscal 27 pretty significant U timing issue here um had we waited um even a few months the vehicle last check would have been 17 or $18,000 in additional cost just for the price of the vehicle there are some uh changes in that field to switch over to uh electric vehicles is causing some tumult for sure um luckily now we'll have our costs leveled for a couple years where we can turtle up and figure out where we're going with our next Fleet I do think that there may be some changes as far as whether or not we'll even have a gasoline powered Fleet um or options to have that um in another three years we I guess we'll wait and see I think I'll have to start that research next year about this time is there a motion I make a motion um to Grant Nelson we the Town Administrator the authority to sign the necessary paperwork to procure four police cruisers through a lease agreement L shiff second discussion no okay roll call vote Veronica C yes Laura shiffon yes thank you very much EXC all right thank you very much I appreciate I'll be back to C thank you sir okay 4.5 uh Highway Department new position request Veronica is there a motion um yes I move to approve the highway Department's request to create a new job position for a lead heavy equipment operator to create a job description for the lead heavy equipment operator position and to revise the current Fleet Maintenance mechanic position after um disc discussion with the union and for beginning in fiscal year 26 okay so this does have a union stipulation in it and uh Laura shiffrin second discussion yeah I added things to the motion that was um that Nelson had recommended okay um because uh these are union positions and um uh given that I think we need to look at that I think we need to look at what the um organization of the highway department is um and that any um change in grade or position count uh for any department needs that is Union needs to to be discussed with the Union prior and that it would go into effect with the next fiscal year so like not tomorrow okay um so that it's budgeted in appropriately okay if I may add to that um the the changes that highway is looking to make um if we if they were to take effect the you know um sometime this fiscal year it it wouldn't actually add to the um to their budget because um they would hire um a mechanic uh at a lower um pay um scale than what the current mechanic is making um because the current mechanic would slot into the newly created lead um operator position um that will be kind of a pretty much a lateral move for him in terms of pay you know he would have a different job description obviously um but then we that would um he would have room for growth in that he would have room for growth with the new description collect um he he probably would be at the very top end of um the pay scale already again because he's already he's already so far off the Matrix that um you know he would just be at the top end once again but that's something um we could probably bargain at the next um contract negotiations you know maybe take off a couple of the um beginning steps and add some steps to the end just to give um folks um in that position um some extra steps to grow into um but the if he goes to that position um now there's a vacant position in the in the fleet mechanic spot and um whoever they would end up hiring would be um at a much lower rate right but yes however I don't understand how it's not adding a person to the highway department because if you're taking someone who's existing and you're putting them into this lead position and then you're filling the position even though it's at a lower grade um you're adding someone that isn't there now so the way that would work is currently there's three uh operators um in his um in the highway budget um if this change were to happen there would only then be two uh heavy uh uh two operators and that newly created position the lead operator would you know essentially be the the third operator so um you're just trading one for okay so you're not um increasing the uh the head count in the highway department okay um yeah uh and and it also would give those um uh current um operators uh some room for growth um because the lead okay I knew that that was there somewhere yeah it's a higher position there's a little bit more responsibility so the more Junior guys they have something sort of to to to work work towards uh you know in the coming years okay um can we move this along now Veronica Veronica I I'm thinking here Lor I know you can't see me but no I can see you uh as long as it's um uh I want to adjust my motion to say contingent on successful discussion with the Union I'll accept the amendment to that I will accept that Amendment 26 not 25 26 we're in 25 now correct correct yes and for fiscal year 26 I just want to know how the funding I know he says oh it would be less uh I don't I don't follow that um but anyway so uh you would want to wait until um the new fiscal year to make this change and after discussion with the Union um and back and forth I'm not saying yes this is it let's go with it I'm not voting for that I'm voting for um you know contingent on successful discussion with the the union and beginning in fiscal year 26 I I do know why the highway department wanted to implement this um sometime this fiscal year um not that much far yeah but if if um if he doesn't hire somebody else and he can successfully negotiate with the UN Union before the end of this year do you have a problem with that without hiring anybody else until next fiscal year I I want to see numbers I want to see just for clarification yes I have a problem with it so um in the the the packet um there is a proposed Matrix what the Yeah of what the rates would be um a lot of it doesn't change but um as you can see in the the fleet mechanic as I mentioned um currently the the person is completely off the Matrix um his replacement would now be back on the grid which means you're paying them less um no you have to I thought you had to put them on the new Matrix at an equivalent step to what they were making now that you couldn't put it at a lower this puts it at a lower and I don't think that that is um possible I thought if you Chang steps or grades you had to go into the grade at what you were currently making this would give a pay decrease if I'm if I'm reading this right I don't know maybe I'm not but um something's not quite right here the fleet mechanic is going to lead heavy equipment operator is that correct correct the current Fleet mechanic grade d off Matrix 3116 would be going to what you have here as lead heavy equipment operator grade e step 14 308 I don't think that's allowable I think you have to be at if you in other words I think this has to be at least 3116 so I'm not I think it only goes up to 15 so um we would have to look into the The Matrix um but there's only one more step left um to to put them at there is no um Step 16 in in in The Matrix okay um if you want we can maybe table the issue we can do a little bit more why don't we do that why don't we do that we're going to table 4.5 4.6 has been taken up already we already talked about the date we have to vote to table does there need to be oh because we did make we made a motion and seconded okay so I'll withdraw the motion I'll withdraw my second all right and make a motion to table 4.5 until we get more information and I'll second roll call vote Baron Kel yes Laura shiffon yes 4.6 has been taken care of 4.7 uh Sabrina were you able to get a hold of the chief now s me I will now okay um why don't we discuss the annual town meeting warrant dates um my my time is getting very short here um so I'm gonna do the best I can to get through the agenda uh let's go to well we did 4.9 can we do 4.10 Veronica which would be quick this is for mrpc mrpc I make a motion to assign Laura shiffer as a towns and representative at the up upcoming um is it mppo caucus or mrpc caucus it's an mrpc caucus for the mo okay Loris shff second any further discussion no hearing none seeing none roll call Ron Kel yes Laura shiffrin yes uh I think Nelson you was there any other updates that you wanted to give Nelson that were and and as far as 5.2 liaison reports um we uh are gonna Veronica we're both going to look at those and see what ones make sense to move to the bottom like we did at the last meeting um and also the historic commission I had an issue with because I am appointed to it and it's my liaison so I'm not sure if that is still kosher that's fine that's fine no you're the no you're the the issue was you're the liaison and that makes a historic commission and I'm appointed to it yeah it's in the top part but anyway um uh Sabrina sent it to us again today so why don't we I thought it should be we talked about it but it it's not at the bottom it's in your uh realm oh well we can just make that you yeah so but let's look at those again and see if there's anything else that should be moved anything else that we're involved with is the ones that we should ourselves do and then we're not duplicating from select board um okay where are we okay the the dates for the what are the dates for opening the warrant and closing the warrant uh 4.8 okay so let's go to 4.7 oh uh the chief's on yes okay go ahead I don't see him maybe I don't get to see it I'm here Lori okay go ahead you've got the floor what would you like to know um do you want me just go over the background of where we're at uh yeah or just say what you need you have uh We've Got You 4.7 fir TR price increase Amendment okay thank you um so when we ordered these trucks who and three years ago there was an escalation escalation Clause has [Music] been um Gary can you get closer to your speaker you're going in and out how's this any better yeah yes okay um so we ordered these trucks two and three years ago and when we ordered them there was an escalation clause on both of them the first one they're going to execute the escalation Clause of $80,000 the second one they are not going to uh utilize the escalation clause in the negotiation that I've had with the manufacturer SE Graves they've agreed to give us $40,000 in additional warranty time on the um on the engines both of them that's uh on the limited warranty piece so there's a little bit of a benefit we understand that the uh the cost that they're encountering is higher the cost of the first engine was 7344 51 they'll increase that by 8,799 to $814,000 the second engine is not going to change that price was $839,000 if we put the two prices together uh it's a whopping 1.6 million however the new price on those a 1.1 a piece with a 11% raise of escalation and 1300 days awaiting that puts it at uh 2.4 million 2, 442,000 if we subtract the um the current price that we'll be paying we uh will witness a savings of $786,500 towns and would ever be able to swing it now and I know we've got to work through how and how that additional funding will be paid but that's my pitch and I uh can dig as deep into it as you'd like um Veronica do we have a motion uh I can make a motion sure um I mean it sounds very similar to what the police chief just told us about the Cruisers and the lease so um so I think the only Wrinkle in this is um the extra money that we would need to pay for the the price increase on the fire truck um the sources of funding would have to be um put to a much bigger vote you know you would either have to use free cash or it would have to be um you know a capital budget item um and so I think we can certainly talk about it but I'm not sure if this is sort of the official place to uh to vote on it so to speak because there's really not that we don't have the authority in this room to to sort of make those um well if we have but she has the authority to make a motion and we can be in support of this motion and it would go to finance and then the town meeting is that what you're saying no Capital planning these were both yeah these were both approved by Capital planning they were both voted at T meeting the first Tru 78 M54 was voted at the price um that it was originally at the one that not escalated and it was uh tabed as borrowing was the borrowing already initiated for this did you check with the treasurer yes and we've already borrowed that money we've already borrowed the money for the first truck for the original price at the original price the second one we also um approved a town meeting it was uh also approved by Capital planning it says um borrow slash something else and the funding uh the wording of the motion allows for an increase in funding um okay so it and so and I did she already initiate the borrowing for the second one yes yes so we're already bored it's a matter of uh with the vote at town meeting in 2023 believe that we can absorb through borrowing this increase but I would want to make sure I would want this run by Town Council to make sure that that is actually the case can you keep that in your motion and can we have a motion to move it forward to that to make sure I my motion would be I um I move that we uh fund this the uh increase given that there was an escalation clause in the contracts and given that the wording of town meeting allows for additional borrowing contingent on approval of this of this by uh Town Council and um through the treasurer's office and that we give the Town Administrator the authority to sign if those both come back positively I honest okay seconded okay it's seconded I honestly don't know how we would go about um doing this any other way I really don't I mean it's not a capital expense that's already happened and been approved and there was recognition that there could be an escalation in the cost it it impacts the planning and the dollars that Capital might be able to do it needs to go back to Capital planning to add in to make sure that the future of the capital budget is is insured we're not spending I would agree with that I also don't know that we have a fiveyear capital plan do we we do we do I couldn't find it anywhere so okay so that's my motion in other words and we have had discussion yeah I mean I don't see where it needs approval by Capital unless they're going to take it out it needs to be acknowledged so they know what what we have going forward correct so it may impact what it's an addal okay I don't know what that is I don't either um Gary you might want to mute uh so are we ready to vote your motion yes I did I did and we had discussion roll call Veronica Kell yes Laura shiffrin yes thank you uh thank you Chief Shepard uh here we are um under announcements and volum 5.3 wait I think we didn't do 4.8 yet the um town meeting oh yeah right um I move that we open the annual town meeting warrant on January 29th 2025 and close the warrant on March 1st 2025 Laura shiffrin second anything to discuss hearing none roll call Veronica Kell yes Laura shiffrin yes I would like to say um under announcements we received resignation regarding Greg Richardson who was a firefighter from the fire department and just want to thank him for his service to our town he's moved out of town I I don't know if I did or not before I may have neglected uh James normington who also moved out we did say that right okay I want to thank him too he's also moved out of town um uh let's see do we get any uh volunteer response for and if not I'm hoping all of those who are watching the meeting and would like to volunteer for any of the numerous uh positions available in town hall uh please do so we welcome your expertise to help our community um next special meeting is January 28th at 6: pm and so yeah that I thought it was 7M oh oh sorry I have it at 6 pm on my agenda so yes the special town meeting is at 7 but in the past the the select boards always had like a short meeting beforehand so so that would be at 6 PM okay that's our meeting so the next um um s meeting would be uh on the 28 at 6: p.m. okay thank you for the clarification and uh can I have a motion regarding 5.5 I move that we sign payroll and bills payable warrants out of session make a uh second Laura shiffrin any discussion okay roll call vote Veronica Kell yes Laura shiff yes I think go to um I make a motion that we adjourn at 7:57 War are you still there you're muted there a motion on the floor you got me now okay I did second I'm sorry um yes yes Laura shiffrin yes and thank you all very much for your participation this evening