welcome everyone this is the finance committee meeting today is Tuesday July 9th 2024 it is 6:32 pm and I'd like to call the meeting to order with a pledge of allegiance I pledge of allegiance The United and to the rep Liberty Mass General Law chapter 30A section 20f this meeting is being recorded this meeting is being held remotely in accordance with the governor Massachusetts March 12 2020 order suspending certain provisions of the open meeting law GLC 30A section 20 and on March 29th 2023 Governor haly signed the supplemental 2023 budget Bill allowing remote and hybrid meeting options for public parties through March 31st 2025 well welcome everyone um let's see I'm just going to do a list of who we have with us we have finance committee members Ali Zack Leu Duncan law Cindy Brown Christopher Thrasher Karen Rouse me we are missing Gary Michelle and Hugh but we do have six of us so we have a quorum so uh welcome everyone um hopefully this will not be too long of a meeting so our first action item that we do the first first meeting of the new fiscal year is we do the annual reorganization so our terms um start in July and so we had three members that just renewed so thank you to uh Al Cindy Brown and Zach lru for re renewing your your term for another three years so thank you did everybody get SW did everyone get sworn in yes terrific all right good so we can be all voters here tonight okay so thank you for renewing the finance committee appreciates you being here um okay so the first item that we do is the annual reorganization where each year we um nominate a chair and a vice chair so I have served as chair for the last couple of years I would be so inclined to do again if if uh if someone felt that or if somebody else wants to be here I I will make a motion to have Karen Russ um continue another term as chair of the Westport finance committee second yep thank you any uh discussions or nope okay so I will do a roll call uh thank you everyone Al I I Zach he's on mute you on mute Zach sorry ter you do a great job Zach La Brew I thank you Duncan Duncan lot I Cindy we would be lost without your Karen without your your leadership uh Cindy Brown I thank you Christopher Christopher Thrasher enthusiastically I thank you so much uh can I vote on myself or sure course hi even Donald even Donald Trump gets to vote for himself so why not great thank you all right so now we need a vice chair and so Cindy uh has has done a terrific job at my side and um I would be inclined to um ask her to do it again if she's willing to uh I am willing but certainly uh if there are other members that would like to uh be joined with you at the hip come April and May and have texts with you at Saturday night at 11 o'clock that's that's true [Laughter] to make sure that we've get all the bases uh covered but I'm I'm more than happy to um relieve those um those fun evenings uh to uh to someone else I I I would make a motion to have Cindy as as the vice chair and I would just remind the rest of the board or the finance committee that if you would like Cindy's uh job or or Karen's which is obviously off the table you've got to sit in front of the town meeting for God think twice before you right before you put your hand up very true all right so we have a motion for Cindy is there a second thank you any any other discussion on that all right we'll do a roll call Al is enthusiastic for both of you yes great thank you Zack thank you Cindy Zack Leu hi Duncan Duncan law I Cindy you can vote for yourself hi all right thank you Christopher great Christopher Christopher Thrasher I thank you again Cindy and Karen for continuing on great thank you and Karen Rouse I so thank you very much okay so um great so I think our agenda tonight is should be more administrative so what we try to do in this meeting if we can we certainly want to send to the select board committee appointments um we also try to uh do leason assignments but that's less critical because that really kicks more in at budget time but uh we do want to go over the appointments um I sent everyone should have a copy of the list of of what's on here and maybe we can just talk through um I just want to go through the list in the order that I have the names in so Zach you're first on the list not by see the Z sometimes needs to come first [Laughter] right did um did I hear that the open space preservation committee is that defunct to that end yeah that's being dissolved correct okay that's being dissolved okay all right so that's going to come off your list and so you have as far as what my list shows and what I and what was confirmed with the select board was you're on the energy commission and the tax incentive program committee correct and are are either of those active committees or meet regularly or no no okay okay okay I just want to keep going down the list okay so Cindy you're on the Ada transition plan committee I don't which I think which I think is um dick Brewer mentioned that committee uh in a select board meeting a couple meetings ago and he wants to see you know how that can be dissolved because been I've been on that committee for since I've been on the finance committee and we've never had a meeting ever so um this was an old committee that was formed years ago and now it's it it's kind of lost its purpose okay transitioning to you know Ada um functionality um and how it works in buildings which yeah we we as the town try to do but not so great but try to do the best we can but the committee never meets okay so they're G to try to dissolve that okay then I know you're active on the Personnel Board the audit committee the capital Improvement planning committee and there's a tax incentive program committee is that that's the same one that Zach is on I'm happy to I think that that was a just kind of a a layover from before okay I've never I've never had a meeting of that I don't know Zach is that committee ever met no no yes since I've been on it I mean there was some talk about merging that into the economic development committee okay goes hand in hand so what we can do so we don't need two fincom WS correct so we'll we'll we can take off Cindy so we won't renew your right we won't renew your your thing okay so we'll knock that one off you and okay and then and then you are on the long-term building committee but not as a fincom rep right or I'm at large I think so interestingly enough Jim has one that says you are the fincom rep and that I'm that large uh town clerk has something completely different and haven't really been able to figure out which one's which so so I don't know if the town town clerk record is the one that kind of we should go by uh as I indicated to Karen you know I what I received a u a renewal letter or an appointment letter I was rather disappointed because the letter that was sent to me just said you have been appointed to a committee slash board go see the Town Clerk and get sworn in so when I went to the town clerk I was like okay which one which which one was due this year and they're the ones that told me which which board I had to uh reup for so I don't even get a letter anymore that says what committee it is and for what function it is when I when I uh renewed the fincom one the letter that I got back from them saying that I was sworn in does not say um I'm sorry when I um it does not say on on my other board one the cipc um does not say that I fill the finance committee role it just says I'm a member of the um the capital Improvement planning committee so it doesn't even say that so Cindy so on your on your long-term building committee which we're not certain if you're at large or fincom do you do you know what your term expiration would have been no I talked with Paula about that and she's she's trying to work on getting a better handle on all the expiration dates because she said that when she took it over many of them didn't have correct dates and she's had to go back and do research when people were first appointed Etc so so she's trying to straighten it out but um I don't I don't have the answer to that okay we'll put you for a question mark for the moment okay um so those are not annual those are not annual appointments they're not annual appointments no not the not the long-term building committee it was a three-year appointment so I I just yeah so mine is as again Jim says mine's at large for through for through 2026 right same thing with Personnel Board and audit committee those are not annual appointment K remember when you were on the audit committee it was all set up with the staggered dates yeah so that people so it's it's a threeyear um threee rolling um thing some committees are annual and some are not cipc is an annual appointment but Personnel Board audit committee and long-term building committee are not annual appointments okay so that might in part lead to the confusion because when the fincom sends the letter sends the appointments to the to the select board secretary we don't put the term date end so so they would need to determine what the term is and then tell us what what that is so okay right right so it's still a little bit of a bowl of spaghetti as far as trying to really get a good handle on every board and committee who's on it who the chair is and what the expiration dates are it's a big task for follow to get her arms around right okay all right I'm GNA just keep going down the list so Gary was next he's not here but we had him on the Ada transition which we're saying is is going to be no longer and Gary is also on the Personnel Board um so we have both of you as reps I'm not sure so so initially when I got on the Personnel Board I was at large but then there was a brief period of time when Gary said he was not going to right stay on the Personnel Board so then I was appointed as the fin comp then he decided to stay right so I don't know which one of us is at large and which one of us is um the fincom rep right so many questions we have okay okay all right so we're not sure on that one uh let's see what we can do here so Hugh is not here but uh I know he was on the public safety Public Safety Staffing committee and that was really that's been defunct so I think that's expired we should take that off his list and then he is on the community and on the CPC and from my understanding that that's an indefinite appointment so that didn't even have a term it just renews every year as how it was explained to me from the CPC chair uh and Hugh okay so I am on the school building committee I am not sure when my term ended so I had the list I got from Paula had me on the committee but she didn't have an expiration date right right it's good to know that some of us don't have expiration dates life without parole right right right when you when you cross over to sixth floor you're really happy you don't have an expiration date when you hit the sixth floor meaning you're 60 plus you like those non- expiration well remember I'm a former grosser and so everything expiration date it's wow all right so we'll keep on going so Duncan you're on the internet advisory committee and it looks like that's your only committee I don't think you have any controversy Duncan no no other than the committee but right can't help you there all right so now Christopher so Christopher we have you um on the infrastructure oversight committee the long-term building committee we have you as listed as fincom reps and then previous to your joining the fincom you on two other committees Economic Development and audit committee and those are at large so we have just those listed do you have any discrepancies do you did you get any more information Christopher what so the for the infrastructure oversight committee and the uh or excuse me for the economic development committee rather I was originally in that large appointment um I believe because of the structure of that committee um there was I believe I was moved to a fincom rep for the economic development committee because there was an there was an additional at large member that was appointed uh that was reappointed to that committee um so it's actually the gentleman who does the uh the markets um but I uh and the and the other thing was on the long-term building committee as I said I've got so the term is two more years and it's listed at least Jim has it as as me being uh uh an at large member for the uh for the building committee so um I'm not sure how you w to so you say Jim has you at large and and and but we have you as f rep is that yes so the the roster that I saw uh at our meeting on uh or last Monday had me as as at large and Cindy as the as the fin comp RB but again the discrepancies there are some discrepancies on that so right um I would if if if Cindy's agreeable to it I I would very much like to be an at large on the long-term building committee and and Cindy if you I hope you're willing to continue on that committee too because sure okay good deal especially after uh after last night there's there's now more work coming right so more conversations on that front today yeah um and as what you what's confusing on this for me is your term is already 2026 so I don't know that we can if we had if the term had expired and we were redoing it it's easy to do but there is an existing term on your doesn't expire until 2026 right right see Cindy's looks like right because most of most of the terms are expiring so that's it's easy to reset ourselves right now but except that one shows a 2026 term so I don't know how to so I'm looking at your at the uh the spreadsheet right now so are it says items in green are confirmed Paula so Paula has me as being the fincom rep y interesting I don't know why Jim would have something that's that's what I'm curious what Jim has okay okay yeah and the confusing part to me even on the economic development is that this this is the list that that we all have is what I sent to the select board uh for appointment so I I never we never made you the fincom rep for economic development so that's why I'm confused how you could be that but yeah looks like the term ends anyway so we don't have to worry about that one I I recall that there was a there was a situation where one gentleman was on the economic development committee his term expired and um then I I I want to say it was more Mari uh may just appointed him I I'm not exactly sure if if he ever sent the request to you but the idea was to move me to the fincom rep because there because there was no fincom rep at the time so I don't know right so they keep he he doesn't have the authorization to do that so the fincom needs to vote and then and then send it through so that might be where there's some confusion that would make sense from the from that last term so right and I'll tell you I mean the economic development committee met one time for the to set up the the the farmers markets and that's it so right okay okay so and then mcel Orlando is on the uh Campground development committee but that's appointed through the school committee not through the select board so um that's what we have for Michelle okay so there's a lot of confusion all here okay so Chris Christopher I want to ask you first because we had you had um kind of talked through that you were had intended to resign from the fincom you had made that note to us at the just before the town meeting and so so can you give us an update on where you are before we do all our appointments of course so originally um I I had thought that I that I would uh resign from the fcom however I sought out multiple opinions on to see if there was any any issue with uh being on fincom as well as school committee um I talked to three lawyers of the day for the uh the ethics board massachus ethics board all said the same thing that there would be no no conflict um I I am very interested in continuing the work on on the fcom and and I believe the the school committee meetings are actually going to be moved uh away from from Tuesday nights going forward as well so that I would be able to uh to attend both so that's um it is my intention to to complete my my three-year term on the fcom going forward and do you are you what when does your term expire the term expires uh I believe it would be so 2023 to so 2025 next year okay okay this would be the second year of the of a three-year term okay did and I know when we had talked back in April you were going to get a legal opinion in writing on that um did you did were you able to get that from the state I have requested um the uh it's quite a backlog which is why I I tried to talk I I I talk with multiple multiple individuals um but the uh but yeah the the request is in um I can follow up on it for sure but it's they have quite the backlog is what okay okay um all right so you're going to stay on the committee okay well welcome back or you never left so um I'll I'll just make just a comment and I'm not a lawyer so and I'm sure you've spoken to lawyers and there's not a a conflict from the legal standpoint but I've expressed to you that it feels to me there's an implied conflict of interest so um I just I just want to navigate through the year um you know there's there's perceived conflict of interest so even if there's not a technical conflict of interest there can be a perceived conflict and which could create confusion for for people and when you're speaking are you speaking on behalf of the finance committee are you speaking on behalf of the school committee um so there there's a lot of elements that come into play even though there may not be a technical conflict so you know let's think through how we navigate that through the year uh together so if if I may respond to that um yeah absolutely I I feel very strongly that there is not an inherent conflict because at the end of the day we all serve the town of Westport um I do believe there would be a conflict if for example uh it was a paid position as as a as an elected official say say with the Board of Health or with the with the select board um but as I said when it comes when it comes down to it we all serve the town of Westport we all all trying to uh be uh be as fiscally responsible as we can for all Town departments and you know that that mentality is also what I am what I bring to the school what I brought to the school committee and will continue to it it's and I think it's very crucial going forward in these uh in in in all the budget discussions even you know talking about the the the building the old high school building all all these things it's very important that a collaborative Spirit uh be be lifted up as much as possible and and quite frankly you know the the US versus them thing aspect of of of some of the conversations that have happened over the past year I'm really hoping that uh a lot of that I'm really hoping that a lot of that can be put aside and we can move forward and all try to make fiscally sound decisions for for the town of Westport as a whole so that's that's my that's my feelings on that um you know I I do intend to uh to to your point about speak am I speaking for myself when speaking for finon school committee I would certainly make point to uh whenever I'm outside of a committee meeting uh to uh make it clear but um I I really it's my intention to again bring a collaborative spirit with the hope of of uh navigating through some significant financial challenges uh for the entire town not just not just school committee so that's that's that's my thoughts on that okay no appreciate it we'll we'll just assume when you're at a fincom meeting you're got your fincom hat on and you're speaking as a fincom member um and when you're not at a fincom meeting I think that's an important piece to distinguish if you're at other committee meetings or other places what you know um if there is a a difference where you know where you're where you're coming from so um go ahead Al uh Christopher just wanted to say um you know something you you you you said a couple of minutes ago there has always been in my lifetime a them versus us I I to paraphrase what you said and it goes back to Milton Earl it goes back to Martha Kirby and it it's not I'm not saying this positively and negatively I'm just saying that's never going to be dispelled especially when everybody is is uh you know looking for uh scarce resources so I you know I and I'm I'm I'm if you want to continue if the group wants to have you continue I'm all for it this is not not a negative comment it's it's just that there's always going to be that yin and yang uh between the town and you let's let's call it the town side and you know the the the school side it it just it's the way it's always been and and I certainly acknowledge that that that there is a history of of that for sure and I I can't say that I can uh you know fix it all at once myself but I'm certainly going to make effort and and you know I I for example on on the uh school committee meeting been doing meetings since uh we started at the 7:30 AM uh meeting for the closed books this morning and you know I I made a point to speak about how if this if the the move out of the the old high school building is going to take place it's got to be done in a collaborative fashion it's got to be done in a way where okay if we are able to save the school department school department $90,000 we need to make sure that's a real savings and that it doesn't cost a townside 20 you know 250,000 so I I uh I certainly take the point that there is a long-standing history and and uh I I'm GNA do do my uh do my part to try and swim against the tide on that and hopefully maybe I can drag some some uh some people on either committee with me so perfect that yeah thanks Christopher yeah and and I'm I I'm all for collabora I'm all for you staying on the committee I just in what you know as we as in the future when we talk about budgets ju I think we all need to be conscientious of as as the US versus them so another department coming in um and talking about their budget and if you personally have conflict with their budget they could perceive it to be oh that's because it's the school you know so we just want we don't we want to navigate that carefully to make sure that people are understanding that you're you're doing it with a finance committee hat and it's not an US versus them kind of thing so so I appreciate you being here so all right so um so now we have to figure out the committee assignments so so Cindy and Christopher both have the heaviest load or had the heaviest load so we're um we got some terms that have ex have expired so so Cindy are you comfortable do you want to stay on the Personnel Board the audit committee well um just to give you know a little background so the Personnel Board is a fairly active one if there's any board that I would like to have you know others involved with it would be that one only because it is um you you do get a little bit more involved in in the struggles of of how you know the budget for the town side as well as the school side is you know 75% of the budget and so even though the Personnel Board is not involved in the union contracts it's very much tied into what everybody else in town gets paid for their services so it's uh it's a very active committee um I'm I'm happy to continue to serve on it but certainly any any of the committee groups that I'm on are up for Gra if people would like to um you know to join in um that's no problem at all we're down a member and personal getting getting a quorum sometimes is a struggle so it can be um you know it can be a challenge um sometimes to get things done what was The Other Board you mentioned oh audit committee a yeah let me just let me just phrase that a little bit differently too so rather I'm not really right now asking for a second member to join the personel but in if somebody wanted to be on the committee maybe to replace or um or that so that's why I just wanted to let people know what's involved in that committee currently I'm the chair of Personnel Board and we just had that compensation uh review which the Personnel Board has not had the opportunity to um go over and detail as a committee but there's there's some work involved in that committee um I just just wanted to say that yeah okay um the other one audit committee is not you know Christopher is also on that now is at large member um but um that is not as uh involved our mission is to meet quarterly so um and that's pretty much what what transpires this meeting quarterly so I've done that for several years you've had a round at that uh I'm you know I'm happy if someone else would like to um join in the party a quarterly party with h with that so um uh I have no no problems with that and you're on the capital Improvement planning committee last year was your first year right so I I I enjoy um continuing on with that because I like you said last year is my first year uh doing it so um has relatively short term and it does meet during working hours because most of the people on that committee are from town hall or work in some other businesses so the meetings do take place like at 3 o'clock in the afternoon so you have to have some flexibility but I'm happy to continue to join okay okay all right um then Christopher so what looking at looking I would love to break up as much as we can so I think there's a lot of overlap with the infrastructure committee the long-term planning and economic development I'd love to split those into three different committee members if we can do that um so I think the um as far as the the infrastructure oversight committee and the economic development committee there is a bit of overlap there in general with those two committees um I would certainly like to maintain on the the infrastructure oversight committee going forward uh if if the um as I said the economic development committee is only met once from last term uh so well at least when it wasn't a a joint meeting so to speak with the uh with the infrastructure oversight committee so um it's uh yes I mean that's certainly at the uh at the committee's discretion there um I would say that I I I would very much like to continue on the infrastructure oversight committee um and uh with the with the long-term building committee I mean that that I would like to I certainly would like to see that through and as I said I think it was my thought that I was still an atlarge because I remember originally that I was appointed as an at large member to that committee before I was on the uh before I was on the finance committee so I'm not sure again going back to the confusion I'm not sure what the status is now but that's you know holy moly okay um okay I would just I'm just going to add here that if if Christopher is not on the long-term building committee whether he be finance committee or at large uh we're kind of sunk because he's really the only person on that committee right now that can adequately serve as chair I mean it's it's a very mixed group of people and Christopher has really had the um ability um you you you developed a great slide presentation last night without any input from any of the other members without any help from any of the other members so um he's really done a very good job on that committee and we've kind of gotten second another second chance if you will or a second mandate uh that we'll have to work on again quickly so uh I would certain recommend that Christopher stay on the long-term building committee it would however it is um whether it be at large or well Christopher's term on the long-term building committee is through 2026 so so he's on will be on the committee the question is if he's at large or fincom but he is on that committee and and hopefully by 2026 if we don't have this thing figured out by 2026 oh my God I will not be asking for reappointment in 2026 I can assure you that hopefully the that part of the committee is at is uh is uh done and gone but we'll see what happens okay so now we have the so we so it appears the infrastructure oversight committee does have an expiration of 2024 and that I believe that's annual appointments right it seemed like the select board just did annual appointments for that one um my only concern Christopher is those are two heavy committees and it there's seven other eight other members here so who have some light committees that it'd be nice to um add some other members into some hot and heavy fund committees so I will say you know I certainly would want would walk away from the uh the economic development um I I I do feel a strong uh pull to continue with the infrastructure oversight committee uh but again it it it is at the committee's discretion so Christopher in term from the school committee standpoint can you are you a have the option to be a school committee rep is that taken on that on the school side there there is no school committee uh rep representative for the infrastructure oversight committee oh okay okay um oh go ahead Al you've got your hand up and then I wanted to ask is there any other Committee Member that would be interested in being on the infrastructure oversight committee I I would be Karen okay okay thank you ja thank you Duncan go ahead Al I just wanted to bring up the point and and you brought it up earlier that um we have based on the last town meeting there are are two possibly three heavy Financial issues in the town um short-term rentals being one of them uh certainly the sewer and water on Route Six and I'm sure there's at least one more that you know I I can't I can't remember right now and and I do believe that it is important for whomever is is appointed to a committee and I'm not you know throwing both hands on saying pick me pick me pick me but I am saying that I think it's the finance committee's uh responsibility to not just simply uh you know have a meeting once a month or listen to these these other committees but really do a deep dive into the long-term financial implications of whatever these major issues happen to be uh and to have someone that has the dedication to go in and say I'm doing a deep dive I'm going to do ABC D and I'm going to present to the town's people of Westport the pros and the cons of whatever whatever the article happens and next year it'll be something else or it maybe it may be last year plus next year I I don't know but I you know without getting uh you know too long- winded I I I think it's important for us to really split up and focus our energies on you know I have two or three liazon which you'll get to in a few minutes two of the three three of the three are pretty easy lifting you know Duncan I think has some pretty easy lifting Zach has so let's maybe consider grabbing one of the heavy lifting ones and saying this is the one I'm going to really deal with so I'll leave it to that that that was that was yeah Al you said it perfectly and I think that's some of my con question concern too to to have to be on a committee where there is likely some financial implications that are be going to be coming to us in the next year potentially as a warrant article to have different members participating in those committees is much more helpful because it's O It's overloading and overwhelming and for one one individual to try to handle multiple ones while the we have eight other committee members that have availability that aren't on committees I also worry about you know if some Committee Member has to resign for personal or other reasons that leaves a big hole to the committee that for multiple committees now that are heavy Financial ones that we we're really behind the eightball and so so separating it out a little bit makes it a little more helpful too so you know the big committees and you're right the long-term building committee is going to be a really busy committee for the year um the infrastructure committee is a very busy committee um the capital Improvement committee is a very busy committee and a very short period of time for three or four months but it's a very busy committee and has some pretty big financial implications so keeping those separate I think is really helpful Karen I have to sneak out for a couple of of minutes but I'll be right back so I'm gonna turn off but I'll be right right thank you all right so um so Zach you're on a couple of committees that are lighthearted do you you have any other committees that you might be interested in if we sort of do a little swap here or there I would say not personally um and I definitely you know similar to what Al said if it's going to be a a heavy lifter I don't want to just be on the committee and and be able to show up at the meetings but not be able to you know be there fully or to do a deep dive kind of as Al said um that's why I have haven't really volunteered for any of these and I was picking up what you were putting down um with that all said I would say I'm a team player and if the the team needs me to step up I will all right well no I appreciate that we the the what we don't want right is to someone to step up up into something hot and heavy and then aren't isn't able to do it so we appre I appreciate your honesty with where you are so let's keep you for those two for now um unfortunately we don't have two me two or three members here that that we don't want to allocate something to them um as well um but I'm not sure Hugh would be interested in taking on any more committees at at this stage in his uh committee membership I'm not sure where Gary stands I know he's super busy in the town of Dartmouth so I'm not sure where he would stand for more committees either so that's what makes this a little um little hard yeah Michelle Michelle as well we get feedback from them and and see where they're at you know I so um I'd be willing if there's a heavy lifter and and someone's got a tough schedule if they feel like they need someone to step in at least for a meeting because there's a conflict or something like that I would totally be open to like temporarily jumping in on one of those and taking the best notes can yep okay um so so what's everyone's thought my my thoughts are the if if Duncan is interested in in the infrastructure committee that could help balance this a little bit more um and then we could um we can leave the rest of the committees as they are and then as Al had mentioned from the leason assignments um we could shift those around for someone that is looking for a little bit more um or less we can kind of shift it around a little bit that way but this is really bul of the work could could I just ask question Christopher um if if your assignment for the infrastructure oversight committee were shifted away from a fincom member would you still have the opportunity to become an atlarge member I would think that committee is still looking for members I I actually do not believe that there isn't that large spot currently available on that okay and and so that you know that that is something that drives uh certainly drives my my thought process here on wanting to stay on the committee because again there is there is no opportunity uh at this time based on the appointments that have been made already this term okay and so and and as far as you know even though the process that you know the members had gone through through over the past year uh with the large project was uh defeated you don't think that there are some members that may now not want to come back based on the conversations that I had had uh with several members including the chair um it it it does seem that there is a uh that that everybody is is planning on returning um okay with the possible exception of one of the uh planning board Representatives um so that's yeah and I mean I you know having gone down to DC and and and being part of a meeting with Senator Mar's office going through some of the uh going through some of the you know a lot of lot of the process there what once I came on um I I will say that I see you know I I I was appointed very late in in the process for the last time uh the last uh questions that came to before town meeting and and the ballot question and I uh I think that there's a lot there's a lot I wish I I was able to to maybe uh have a say in or at least help uh guide uh in terms of both in terms of scope and in terms of uh how it was presented um because I do think obviously there was there was some fundamental flaws with the way it was presented last time um and and again I just I I admit it is it's something near and dear to my heart that I would I would very much like to continue on that committee so but again I serve it would serve it the pleasure of the committee so my my suggestion so the committee had is has two planning board spots I would maybe they could the the planning board only needs one spot that would open up the second spot as at large where you could join in on that it's it's always possible but I mean again my I'm very concerned where both of these committees are probably going to be two potential warrant articles and Heavy Hitters and financials and I really I really prefer to split these up um for for the committee sake I think it's too too much too much to ask uh of any one person and you are also on the school committee and you you know I think it's it's we have to be fair to the finance committee that um to to split things up a them so I you know as I said I've certainly stated my preference but again I do serve at the pledge of the committee so it's is up toit here so my recommendation would be to appoint Duncan law to the infrastructure committee I don't know uh if someone feels the same and would like to make a motion to that I excuse me I would I would make a motion to appoint Duncan I I do feel strongly that there are many Financial challenges that are coming ahead of us and splitting things up and allowing a person to focus is is extremely important um I I I'd make a motion for Duncan to uh uh you know to fill that seat second thank you any other discussion on that Christ I'm not trying to knock you off the committee I'm hoping that we we can get you on as an at large um that way or or maybe they could increase the committee seats as well that could offer one more seat for you to get you on that committee how many how many members are on that committee Christopher is there seven or five two three four five six seven uh it's eight or nine actually okay go ahead Al yeah I would also like to uh to say that that that Zach um lifted his hand as well and even though that that that uh you know i' I've put a motion in front of us for Duncan there are other committees some serious committees uh or or or issues if you will that are going to be before us so I want to make sure that Zach uh get gets his due as well um in this sure while you while you were gone Al we had that discussion pardon I'm sorry cindia what while you were gone we had that discussion okay great okay and Zach was happy being on the two two committees he has and not to get over committed with his with this committee so he was good but thank you for um for thinking of that appreciate it all right so we have a motion and second on the table is there any other discussion on that we can do a roll call Al Al I Zack Zack Le brw I Duncan Duncan law I Cindy Cindy Brown I Christopher I think I'll up stain from this one okay and Karen r i okay all right so Christopher let's try to figure out a way to get you on as the um on the committee as an at large I bet we can do it I bet we can do it I think we can do it all right um okay so I think that's so um so I think at this moment since we are missing three members tonight I don't I would love to lighten Cindy's load a little bit but yeah I was just going to say if there's any members you know that um once again I mean I I'm a little bit embedded in the long-term building committee I would I would like to retain that one but certainly the three other committees I just joined cipc uh the like I said those meetings are daytime that I will throw that up as the caveat to any member that would consider um joining that that you have to be available uh daytime for the meetings um so I know I'm ha I'm happy to offer any of those would you you know Michelle Orlando used to be on the audit committee when she was a school committee member right she might be willing to go back to that committee yeah yeah I mean if you know we can we can uh pause those to hope hopefully see if um next meeting any of the three me cipc and audit committee is not due to meet now until perhaps September October so there are no meetings pending for the audit committee um right now and um with uh Personnel Board uh you know I've got a meeting next week but you know if anybody would like to be on the Personnel Board that's that's uh that's a that's a good one um but yeah certainly audit committee or cipc so cipc is of interest to me you know the the the the Liaisons that I have right now are pretty loow hanging fruit I mean going to the uh going to the town accountant going to the town Treasurer um is you know not that big a deal uh in in addition you know the one that that is important well they're all important the the uh the fire department is one that I would like to keep but I don't need to uh uh I don't have a h a lot of heavy lifting so if if nobody else wants the capital Improvement I'll grab that from Cindy and that would be fine with me you know and and then you know we can go from there okay that'd be great because that would open up Cindy a little and then maybe potentially when we can confirm with Michelle if Michelle would like the audit committee then Cindy's balanced a little bit more and doesn't have to wear all five hats like you wore last night I was going to say last night select board meeting I literally had to I literally wore four of the five so this that if Michelle feels more comfortable with cipc um I I can do the audit committee all right so so you know I think the audit I think the cipc works very well for you because you are available during the day and um a 3:00 meeting I know suits you far better than a 7 P.M meeting so why don't we do this so both the audit committee and the capital Improvement committee are not going to be meeting in the next two months so let's pause both of those and then we can take that up at our next meeting which hopefully will not be in August would be in September um and then we can take it up then uh and then in the meantime we can confirm with um Michelle or we could always vote we can always um we can always vote tonight subject to confirming with Michelle if we want to do that and then if she's fine with it our vote goes through or we can wa I would like to just make a motion to have Al Le uh be appointed to the finance committee rep at to the capital Improvement planning committee all right second okay sounds good to me um any further discussion on that okay I'll do a roll call Al yes Alie is I thank you Zach Zack Leu I Duncan Duncan law I Cindy Cindy Brown I Christopher Christopher Thrasher I thank you Karen Rouse I okay um so we will um anything else on this list at the moment great okay so just to go through Zach Leu will stay on the energy committee and the tax incentive program committee Cindy will renew on the Personnel Board we will hold on the audit committee Al will take the capital Improvement we are going to remove the tax incentive program committee um we have a question Cindy is still on the long-term building committee which we think is at at large Gary will re is on the Personnel Board his term is through 2026 Hugh Morton remains on the CPC with indefinite expiration I can stay on the school building committee um I'll don't know what my expiration is I can get confirm that Duncan will be on continue on the internet advisory committee that will get renewed and then we'll join the infrastructure oversight committee Christopher remains either is the we think it's the fincom rep for the long-term building committee um and Christopher is at large so we don't on two other committees and Michelle Orlando remains on the capital the campground development committee uh we don't know her expiration on that okay okay so Cindy you just a bit the long-term building committee we should just list you as our large sure right sure it's the best information we have that's fine and and you don't know your expiration though uh no I do not right okay okay I'll check and see um I I'm I'm sure I have the paperwork here of the last time I was appointed yeah so that will give me some I I dug out the letter uh just a couple of weeks ago because that was when I confirmed that it did not say what my status was so I I'll dig that out and it will have the expiration on that okay okay and um all right well that takes care of the committee appointments um I think we should wait on the L uson assignments till Hugh and Cindy and Gary are back to see if we want to switch them up a little bit yeah um there's there's some nice benefit from from switching things around because then you get to learn of other budgets and a little more you go into the the next level that you normally don't go through so there's some value to kind of moving things around um for someone that's held those budgets for a number of years if you're new to it then you're still new to it but we should wait till our till we have a full committee that we can go through Karen Karen I would like to add that we need to step up our game a little bit on diamond so they're going through some issues in fall river right now about the U not about the construction about the payment of it because they've evidently added some um some portions to the building that are now not uh fully reimbursed by the state so the last article I read now granted was in the paper doesn't mean it's 100% true um it was not just a somebody posting on online it was in The Herald news that their reimbursement level now has dropped down to the mid-50s which means that the you know the portion that everyone else is going to have to pay keeps going up and I feel that we don't have a very good handle on what the future cost will be for the diamond school not that we could do anything about it but even just their yearly budgets I feel like we've got we've gone astray a little bit from getting good information yearly you know when it's budget time how how they how they their budget is you know comprised and we just get the bill and eat it every year and we we don't really have a good handle I don't think on their budget process and certainly this now construction process so I think that we need to have a um you know a good dedicated liaison to um Diamond uh that we haven't had that presence I know when when Tracy was here she was also the representative for Diamond uh and I know that we have a Westport resident that sits on the board of diamond um and maybe we could have that person in you know when it's budget time to um inform the board uh the committee uh of what's going on there so I think we just need to include them like we would any other board have them in and let's talk to them sure sure we can schedule something in the fall um and when we get to the Leons um for the school for the the school which we were primarily focused on our Westport Community Schools we had three leasons um myself Christopher and Lawrence and Lawrence has left and and now Christopher is on the school committee so we may want to um expand our school Leons a bit which then can also include Diamond as as uh somebody's point of contact there yeah yeah I'm I I raised my hand I I'll I'll pull it off say one thing that it it's it's incredibly important for us to have a seat at the table Visa uh Diamond the the stats are overwhelming that over 60% of the students that that graduate from Diamond do not go into the trades and we are paying right now for another secondary or percentage of a secondary high school with no guard rails as far to to Cindy's Point as far as what the um the final cost is going to be the concept is wonderful but the reality is far different than what we have been sold as a town and as a region this is my opinion my opinion only but if if if people check out the facts I think you're going to find that they're pretty darn close so yeah I I think it's extremely important for the finance committee of the town of Westport to have um a seat at the table when it comes to um you know the the the the cost and the ongoing cost of diamond V I totally agree yeah all right well we'll uh we'll add that to our list in in September and then maybe we can uh try to schedule schedule someone to come in at some point in the fall to um give us an update on on what's happening with the project and maybe the select board may be doing doing the same thing so we may be able to uh do something together okay so we're going to hold on L on so let's move on to our next item which is to um approve the minutes so we have minutes of April 30th 2024 we had uh found a little discrepancy in there and uh they were on a a vote that we took so those had been since corrected and um we have also the minutes of June 18th and I will honestly tell you that I don't remember reading them nor do I nor do I all right so we'll um we can hold on on those um let's can can we make a can I'll accept a motion on the April 30th 2024 minutes to approve so moved there a second great thank you any discussion on those no okay uh roll call so Al Al is I Zach Zack Leu I Duncan Duncan law I Cindy Cindy Brown I Christopher threr Christopher and C else I thank you uh so we'll hold on the June 18th minutes um next item on the agenda was if there was any committee or update uh committee or last on updates I know we had pretty extensive updates at the last meeting um I I would like to bring up uh and I think actually Christopher is probably a better person to to bring it up I don't know if uh if I'm the liaison or he is but if you did not watch the select board meeting uh last evening it is available on YouTube Christopher put together an excellent uh slide presentation of the options that are before the town regarding the high school and I think the the number one thing regardless of where you are on you know sell it tear it down do whatever we do not have enough money in the budget to cover anything so no matter what what direction it takes it doesn't even you know that that's not the point here you can have a big big um Bill ahead of you with a renovation you can have kind of an empty Bill ahead of you with a demolition that could cost a significant amount of money um overall it's a very large building 160,000 square feet um that would need to be demolished and removed that cost is in the millions so you could go ask the town to for for debt override for three4 million and they get nothing in return um or you know you mothball it but that's going to cost a lot of money every year and that was not put into the budget so regardless of whether the school moves out of the building or not that that's it's a little bit um irrelevant only because um when the school was there um they they had an extended day program in the in the lower level of the building and that helped the town meet the 31% requirement of being um occupied and the insurance level uh for the insurance insurance payment uh having a 30 at least 30% occupied building is far different than having a build building that's less than 30% occupied when that extended day program was there um that helped qualify it the state came in and reviewed that building and Christopher please uh correct me if I'm wrong the state came in and to do an assessment of that program uh and they found um termite infestation in the area near where the these classrooms were they shut it down and said you cannot have this this program here in this building now the the they've had remediation of the termite issue I don't know whether that not that program could go back maybe it could maybe it couldn't I don't know as you know if parents would want their kids to go back I have no idea that's that would help the situation but absent um additional space being occupied on a regular basis for the building we still wouldn't have enough space occupied to qualify for that the current insurance carrier won't even carry the building if it's not occupied so I I say these little things because they all equal money and these these are all dollar signs that were not included in our budget for fiscal 25 so look at the slide presentation Christopher did launcher building committee has some some serious work that we have to to get done you know we've spun our wheels for years and we really have to come up with a plan with dollars in front of it and present it to the town the town is going to be be be faced with a bill no matter what happens that's a big building that needs either to be maintained or something and we don't have enough money for it this is more than the $90,000 savings the school would have one way or the other because I don't think at this point it even matters um so anyway I think that these are some serious Financial issues that are going to be faced in the next six months because the town is GNA not have the enough financial money to either heat the building or mothball the building either way so it's uh it's a big problem may I uh M chair may I address one quick thing um just just to give a little bit more background to uh talking about the out of school Pro or the out of school time program so we actually discussed this a little bit on the on the school committee today um it is actually possible that we would be able to utilize that or utilize the building uh with that program in a different part of the building perhaps even the part that's being vacated by the school administration so um the the there's also a letter being sent to uh the select board if it hasn't been sent already ready um also asking for a bit of a workshop uh with the school administration uh with J uh Jim hard as well as uh select board to to kind of iron out some of the logistics here um but I I do see a path that allows the um that allows the the school administration uh most of the school administration to still to move into the the uh the other schools uh but still be able to utilize that building um without without needing that that increased in in insurance cost so um certainly nothing's done until it all gets flushed out but it does seem to me that there is a path of H path of least resistance that's opened up on that front um and and just to just to follow up on on what Cindy was saying thank you for the kind words about the presentation I uh I think that I and I mentioned this last night one of the big issues with the long-term building committee uh this past year is that there was almost a question of exactly what the Mandate was because it was still very much focused on uh focused on on trying to or or I guess going over all of the options as opposed to focusing in so I think uh it it seems to me there may be a clear mandate coming from the select board now that is okay this is this is the direction in which a strategic plan needs to be crafted uh to to be able to present something to to the uh the towns folks so I think I think uh there's been some baby steps but I think it it it's a pretty pretty big Leap Forward at least at least there seems to be a clear Direction now of what work needs to get done on that on that committee so great thank you thank you both Al you've got your hand up go ahead Ju Just just very quickly and and this is actually a good conversation about uh some of the feedback I've been getting from people within the town is is that they want the finance committee to take major issues and do a deep dive into the implications for the town you know the taxpayer um Christopher I haven't I haven't looked at at at at your presentation I will tomorrow I've got you know nothing else to do with my life so I I will happily but all kidding aide we need to somehow figure out how to take what whether it's the two or three or four major issues uh and not just say we recommend we don't recommend you know we don't do this and say if we recommend it or don't recommend it why don't we and do a deep dive and one of the reasons that I suggest suggested earlier that that we kind of deconstruct or decouple uh some of the finance committee members and go into different buckets is so that they he or she could focus on that particular issue and and feed it back to fincom and feed it back to the town so so that we can we can say we think this is good or not good for a you know all these all these reasons so you know I I I you know I'm glad that Cindy and and and Christopher have you Christopher in particular excuse me um have this um sorry my dog's growling um have this particular uh you know you know PowerPoint or whatever it might be and I think we need to do more of this we need we are the financial um whatever the people that that they rely on okay or one of them and and I think it's important for us to uh be able to present our our thought process uh you know towards towards a particular issue thanks Al appreciate that um and I agree with that I think you know know ultimately right the finance committee makes a recommendation for town meeting but the finance committee is a resource and should be involved in so much of you know many of these projects as they're going on and and I I want to make sure our com our committees and our leasons are off doing the committee work but then keep the finance committee updated on what's Happening and allow the finance committee to pass along ideas suggestions concerns comments that that feeds back to the committee and there's a discussion that goes on um rather than waiting for us to only reply it as a recommendation at town meeting that it seems wasteful uh totally so right so coming up with that mechanism that we're in the loop and kind of participating in that process as well so I think um we'll you know work work on on on that throughout the year as well but thank you um and thank you Christopher for being on that committee and taking charge of that so I look forward to to a direction a direction as do I and and and to follow up just a little bit on our uh discussion pre the previous meeting now that there is a recommendation and now that hopefully we'll be looking at some real concrete numbers uh I of course want to bring uh the finance committee up speed with with everything that's going to be dis everything going to be discussed as ter in terms of estimates etc etc now that there's actually something to uh something to to or at least there will be something to actually digest as opposed to 15 different options all good most of them good all of them with a ridiculous price tag so anyway so hope hopefully hopefully there'll be some some forthcoming uh data and numbers to actually crunch so my um my my only comment is a a high higher level comment so I appreciate the long-term building committee and the what to do with the old high school needs this strategic plan but the town also needs a strategic plan and what I mean by that is less than two months ago the town had a $35 million Water and Sewer project that they were asking for the town to um approve and then it obviously it got uh down to eight million and then didn't get approved two months later we now have this next potential $30 million project that we may or may not be asking the town um to support I think that the there needs to be a strategic plan on we certainly the town's certainly not going to get two $30 million projects passed so which one is more important right I mean that that's clearly been a problem going back decades that there is no direction of the future of what what what's going to happen next what's the next important piece that the town needs to uh Link in to have it move forward y you know so so even you know talking about um you know the um the uh the the wind wind project you know and the impact it's going to have on the town and I'm I'm glad I mean not that I'm in favor of more committees but I'm I'm glad that at least they're going to put together a group that will look at it in advance instead of waiting until the last minute and saying oh we need to have a decision or this is what's going to happen in the next 30 days I mean the town never has a good plan now that doesn't mean there isn't a plan that was put in place somewhere in the master plan but it seems like the master plan is delivered and then it's just put in the drawer uh you know as Mr I believe it was Mr Elias last night at the select board meeting said um you know every every idea in town lasts about 10 days you know the life of it is about 10 days and then you move on to some other new crisis and that's kind of true but we never seem to really latch on to say we you know this is the plan for the future of the town and that is not the role of the finance committee I mean certainly that's the role for others to um you know to direct or or or perhaps have you know to have some leadership in that way and we need to provide the support of of letting the voters know how much it may cost but we're not given that direction you know certainly not in advance as to what the next step is and that's how you ended up with you know the police and fire station being as controversial as it was because everything happens at the last minute we have to do this now one of these days the annex is not going to work anymore and you know either the septic system is just junk or the well is absolutely junk I don't know where you're going to put all those people because we don't have you know vacant Office Buildings in the town of Westport so I don't even know where those people would go for offices so we don't have a backup plan we don't have a strategic backup plan for anything like that so it's it's a problem and I think the long-term building committee does have to have a wider angle lens to look at the impact of all of the buildings and that was that was made clear last night that you know we have to look at the uh Council on Aging building and you know the town hall building and the Annex Building uh and anything else that the town May own as as to where it fits into everything else and that's very very important very important maybe some things have to be sold maybe some things can't be sold and they need to be repurposed for something else but I'm not really sure what some of those things are but I think that um you know with Christopher's leadership on that committee I think he needs to assign some of those tasks to individual committee members to say okay you go find out what you know what you can and cannot do about the annex and you know we've got to hire somebody to give us an appraisal or an assessment of what the the you know extended life is of that building which was probably 20 years past where where it should have been used for its purpose but I we need to have a very comprehensive plan now fortunately we have the money for that and it was clear from you know the committee last night indicated that you know we didn't want to spend money foolishly on on different reports without knowing to get a good fine-tune uh guideline as to what those reports need to say and I think now we do have the funding resources to be able to get some of this information we don't all have to do it on our own we can get professionals to uh help us identify uh what the value is of some of these buildings and and what some of the uh the problems are with these buildings and put us in the right direction so I think we're finally going to be able to pull something together and I think Christopher's really got to lean on people to on the committee to do some of the work he can't do it all you know you can't be just one or two members everybody that's on that committee needs to pitch in and if they can't then we need to get more committee members or different committee members but yeah absolutely yep but so just to to to my point the long-term building committee has its marching orders right it's got its just all the things you said but from the finance committee standpoint I think a strategic plan townwide is the concern that I have where because any let's say this old high school is $3 million and let's say it goes and it passes well I'm not a betting person but I could pretty well guarantee the water and sewer project if it came in front with a $30 million that would never pass right you're not going to get two projects right through so right which one is more important right that's a townwide strategic plan so you've got a strategic plan that you're working on for the long-term building process but what's it I don't need to say anymore but go ahead l no you you you you've said it all the only thing I want to say and and I do have um as many of you do but maybe I have a little bit more uh history these buildings are junk I mean let's just deal with reality the Milt neural school that I went to from third grade through sixth grade was a dump when I went there and it ain't gotten any better right the high the the the the town hall was built the WPA uh it was it was Jean Hart's father that was the uh Clerk of the works on that in 1936 it hasn't been upgraded the Reed Road school I mean we go down the list and I I I don't want to rant and Rave all about this but everybody is dealing with emotion and I'm going to say this and maybe that this is going to be wrong and of course it's being recorded most of the people that are dealing with emotion haven't lived in this town more than 25 or 30 years oh we have to keep this because of that or whatever no we don't the one thing that my father told me before he died was do not ever hold on to something because a building or proper because of emotion because it will just continue to sink you and that's what happening in this town between the old high school Reed Road School Earl school and and and and whatnot so I'm going to let other people figure this out because they're smarter than me but nobody's going to spend 20 3040 million do making this happen I wouldn't vote for it be smart about it whatever the smart happens to be Christopher and Cindy that's your job not mine but it's just be smart about it it's time for it to to move on thank you Al and I didn't mute you I almost was tempted when you were going to speak I was going to go maybe he'll want to be [Laughter] maybe I should save his face and mute him but I didn't H go ahead Christopher thank you so I I just wanted to kind of follow up on what you had said Madam chair um this is a situation I think that is happening uh across not just municipal government governments uh it's happening in business uh all across the country there is a Sit it seems like the situation has developed where everything is is being treated as as a a triage situation everything is being being uh F the the crisis dour is what's being focused on and there is no strategic planning and I agree that this is a serious deficiency um it is something unfortunately that goes well beyond just just Westport uh I think that in terms of the the uh the building the building committee as well as uh you know the town in general it was mentioned by by a couple of uh select board members uh Mr Brewer in particular was was mentioning that there are other options Beyond just renovating the uh the old high school as for when it comes to all of the the buildings in in town you know maybe maybe there's something to be said about putting an an uh uh expansion on the on the town hall I mean I I think that it's certainly my intention to at least as far as as that as the Mandate on on the buildings go to make that as comprehensive a strategic plan as possible and and realistically look at uh needs values uh and and uh lifespan of all all the town buildings um I do agree that there is a serious need for some leadership to uh from from various uh parts of of the of the Town governance and otherwise to to really focus and hone in on a a real I hate to use the term just strategic plan but basically just to to shift the perspective from the crisis dour to the long-term View and and that's you know it's it's a tall order certainly but I think that anything that can be done to try and and focus in or try to you know if nothing else just sound the alarm because mean it is very clear you know the the the plans that were and the the reports that had have been presented I mean we are on a we have significant fiscal uh Crisis coming up it's just a question of of you know is it going to be two years down the road or five years down the road or perhaps even next year like it's it's coming and and without without the willingness to approach this from a comprehensive perspective it's going to continue to be a triage situation so it's uh I think I think you're spot on right there and I'm hoping hoping that uh others will will uh follow along and understand that really it really is a shift in perspective that is that is necessary thank you Christopher anything else all right um thank you for the updates uh moving on to the next topic on the agenda we're going quick here I have no topics that came up within 48 Hours Advance meeting uh I just saw somebody's hand up go ahead christop my apologies I did want to mention one thing I just wanted to follow up right quick on the so the school committee the request for a reserve transfer uh that had to do with those uh yes eversource um invoices so it has been uh it has not been resolved however eversource has communic ated with uh Nicole and the accountants office as well as the school department that um it is not a situation where the where credits were not being quote unquote produced it was a it's a monitoring issue on ever source's uh side of the equation eversource has has stated that withholding payment is is appropriate at this time so uh the flip side of that is that there has not been an invoice yet given for June um which could without credits could end up being somewhere between 29 and $33,000 according to the business office the school department business office uh as well as the outstanding issues with the uh with the the other bills um these funds were not encumbered from the 2024 close of books so it is anticipated that this will be will be uh dealt with based on the credits once the credits are correctly applied but I do want to make the committee aware that um should it end up being that it's it is um should should it not be resolved uh in in the coming months there there may be a need to revisit it but so far at least uh the guidance from ever source is that they are uh that they are aware and that the issue is on their end and that withholding uh or at least making a a significant decrease in in the the payment um is is appropri of the St great great thank you for that update um Cindy go ahead so how have we dealt with um June I'm talking as the town not necessarily just the the school but if a payment for so for an electric bill uh utility bill for the month of June doesn't come in until you know July the 10th or July the 18th how do how do we deal with that from a fiscal year issue I think Nicole said she only has until the 15th but is that for all the bills or does she have a window I should know this since I was the town accountant but you know it's more than 40 years ago so um how how long is that window that she can go into the next fiscal year to pay for utility bill that was uh used for the prior fiscal year do you know Karen no not a question I can answer nope right and I know that Nicole couldn't make it tonight so so that becomes you know a problem that you end up seeing a bill like that on a special Town that's why you get those little bills you know on special town meeting warrants or annual town meeting warrants which you don't want to wait that long but those are prior year fiscal prior fiscal year bills that were not able to be paid at the time so uh it that may become a bigger issue uh Christopher that um it may not be able to be paid because the fiscal year has already ended and if if that window if they don't resolve that June Bill within the window of time which I cannot say I know what that window of time is then that bill has to get posted to a special town meeting for appropriation there so I I I don't know the I I was under the impression that the 15th was kind of like the drop dead deadline on that um could be be but I I don't know if that's a regulatory statutory deadline or just a self- opposed um but I will say I've been told that the bill not coming in yet uh as of what time was this email about uh four o'clock um it it is they expected to have the bill by now so oh okay this could this could be you know this could be eversource trying to fix it before they send the bill out this time who knows uh but you're saying that if if you get a bill tomorrow we're just going to say you get a bill tomorrow for $20,000 are you saying that the school committee does not have $20,000 to pay it I'm just using that number what what I guess what I'm saying is that it's still it because it would represent an additional bill that is um that is not uh that or that that still has issues with the credits the credits are still not being applied it it's just that it it it kind of Pates the issue that it hasn't been resolved yet so we don't really know where uh where that's going to end up is what I'm saying so so I mean if if they still want a request from the reserve fund because they don't have that uh it has to be a finance committee meeting that has to do that that's the only way that bill can get paid out of the reserve fund if the school committee does not have the funds to pay it they have to come before the finance committee to get a transfer out of the reserve fund so and that would require a meeting on our part that that was it was my understanding that that was the reason the transfer was brought uh to to to be discussed last meeting um there was the committee certainly expressed hope that this would be resolved by now I was hope certainly hoping as was the business office with the school department hoping that this will be resolved by now um the best we have is that it is it is confirmed that it's an eversource situation or an eversource issue and that eversource has said it's perfectly fine not to pay the bill in full at the at at this time um okay but I do you know I if there is I don't know if if it's even it's not possible I guess for this meeting to uh to do a Reser to to make to renew that that request okay so but I I you know if it is to me if it does end up being uh if the bills end up being accurate as they were which again I I I think is a very there's very slim to none chance of that being the case but just in case um it would be it would represent funds that are not uh that have not been allocated for this for this uh new fiscal year for sure so Christopher do does school have what its estimated turn backs are expected to be for June 30th yes uh I can if you'll give me one second I can bring that up from earlier today um I cannot say that it is a large amount uh so I believe the turn back is it's 5,429 and then a uh there's also a prior year incumbrance return of $7,150 so not not a uh certainly not a huge amount although I will say that that should if the credits are applied that that certainly would be cover it that would cover it if if the credits are applied correctly and again that's on unfortunately onus is on uh for that okay but we did we did vote to turn to do those turn backs today so like that that has has taken place yeah on committee side yeah right okay go ahead Al so Christopher um does Nostradamus work in the budget office at the school department I you know who knows really but uh to my knowledge no sir well I I'm I'm looking at tens if not hundreds of thousands of dollars on the so-called Town side of the the the the budgets but yet there's never and I I went back actually this was when we had our uh over not oversight but but override committee and I went back 15 years and I saw no turn backs to speak of 20 grand 25 whatever over that period of time in the school department but 100 hundreds of thousands of dollars so I'm not I'm not pinning the tail on you I'm just I'm just simply saying it's amazing to me with it with with a 2123 million budget that the best that they can do is come up with five grand to turn back or else the people that are doing the budgeting are so pencil perfect pencil perfect I I will say I will say this um I I came to both the finance committee and and to the school committee uh with a uh a a a an ethos of fiscal responsibility um and I will tell you that I when I received the bill warrants for example I go over those with a fine tooth comb so far the only thing that I have found that could even be cons considered I I found absolutely no waste and what I have found I I there was one item I believe to Le Supermarket for about $200 that was in the wrong that was in the wrong category and so far that's the only discrepancy that I have found and that so I don't blame me oh no no no no no it just you certainly didn't it's just it's just funny that that that literally was the only thing I found and I I you know I want I want it to I want you all to to to know and to to the the people West for to know you know I'm not I'm not just GL gonna be on one committee or another and just gloss over things I'm looking at everything with a fine tooth comb and I'm telling you um it is is it uncanny the prediction on on expenses yes I would say it is but uh you know the moment I find waste in the school Department's budget or any any budget uh I'm going to uh shout it from the rooftops and I I have yet to find if anything I'm I'm finding uh amazing amazing efficiency with h with what they have so but that's okay but I but I do understand I do understand the the sentiment on that and I understand that it uh you know certainly the numbers are close so thank you and and I don't want to overdue do this comment but it's I don't think that I don't feel the sentiment was saying there's waste in the budget so um or misspending or misappropriation that's not at all um I don't believe the intent of that Al's comment at all um but you know I've been managing budgets for 30 years I manage Grant budgets and there's an art form to spending your entire budget it just doesn't happen happen um and that's not a badad thing um but there's there's a plan to spend the money and intend to not return any um and again that's not a bad thing but it's not doesn't just happen organically um so in in no way saying that there's wasteful spending in any regards and I'm sure everything that's purchased is needed but there is there there is a plan to spend down a budget to to return nothing so again it just doesn't just happen again not that that's a bad thing because it's a very tight budget and whatever you don't spend in this fiscal year put you in a hole starting in the next fiscal year so if you can spend it down in fiscal 24 you don't start off with a hole in fiscal 25 so it's a management of a budget so it's not not a criticism it's not a negativity I I want to be you know I I certainly did not take that as a disparaging comment by Mr Le either at all I I if anything I just wanted to highlight that yes there is an art there's certainly an art to coming that that uh to hitting the number that close um what I have noticed just anecdotally I will say that it's almost uh it it's very much the opposite instead of spending all the way down it's trying to like okay it's almost going backwards and trying to manage a deficit to the point where you get get the uh get the Thousand turn back so anyway but but yeah but again I certainly did not take that as as for the record yeah thank thank you Ken one last comment that 25 years ago my former brother-in-law was the business manager for the school department and at that time I learned every trick of the trade when it came to how the how the school department did what they did to to to zero in on the zero dollars I'm not saying it's different it could be different now it could be not be different but there there was there was a a scheduled pay down uh at at that time and I I'm say I mean you know and and we're all products of our you know former experience and I just want to say that I think it's important for us to to look at what is truly uh spent down if you if you if you will and what is at the end of the year in the LA that that last 30 to 45 days um you know spent down without necessarily needing it so we'll leave it at that great thanks all right so uh thank you everyone so I think we're uh ready to wrap uh no correspondents to talk of topics for next meeting um lay us on assignments for sure and we'll go from there meeting schedule I don't see a need for an August meeting uh at this time so if uh we're all aimal we can take August off and reconvene in the second Tuesday in September whatever dat that is how does that sound for everybody good sounds good sounds good okay all right then I there's uh we've gone through the agenda so um if nothing else anybody second all right super Al I thank you Zach Zack Leu I Duncan Duncan I Cindy Cindy Brown I Christopher Christopher Thrasher I and Karen rals I thank you everyone have a great July August