[0:18] Heat. Heat.
[0:40] All right. Today we have Dave Nadoo here
with us to answer some questions about
[0:46] being the chairman of the select board
of the town of Aspie, which is
[0:50] impressive as hell because not that many
people want that job.
[0:55] Uh Dave did something and he doesn't he
doesn't know I'm going to talk about
[1:00] this and I'm going to do it anyway. But
while I was thinking about the
[1:05] questions,
some of the people that I rely on to
[1:08] help me with these questions, um one of
them surprised me and said that Dave, I
[1:17] got this thing up a bug up my butt about
the state gives a class on being a
[1:23] selectman. are people take that class
before they run.
[1:27] » And it turns out it's it's more
parliamentary parliamentary procedure
[1:32] type of a class
>> which you can read a book. You can see
[1:36] it online. But what you did which
I was amazed because I don't think
[1:43] anybody else has ever done this. You
attended committee meetings of all the
[1:48] major committees that we have going in
the town. So, you know what was going
[1:53] on?
>> I did.
[1:55] » Do Did you ever hear of anybody else
doing that?
[1:58] » I did not. It was uh suggested
uh by somebody that I was talking with
[2:05] before I actually really decided if I
wanted to be on the board. And they
[2:11] said, "Well, why don't you start
attending some of the other boards
[2:16] meetings?" I said, "That's a fantastic
idea." So I joined all of the meetings,
[2:23] board of health, conservation planning
board just to figure out where the town
[2:29] was going uh and learn because I didn't
know anything at that time.
[2:33] » And I have to say feedback that I got
from those people that were on those
[2:39] committees at that time, they were
impressed as all hell.
[2:44] » Really? They they thought this guy
really wants to do the job. And that to
[2:50] me that that just I think there should
be some kind of a law passed that every
[2:57] board member should do that
because then they come then they come
[3:03] with an awareness that is essential I
think to be part of running the town.
[3:08] Otherwise, you're sitting there for the
first month or two trying to figure out
[3:13] what what's going on.
>> Yeah.
[3:15] » You already knew what was going on cuz
you were there and you did it and you
[3:19] all right.
>> And I didn't I read actually several
[3:22] months of meeting minutes from
committees and boards.
[3:25] » See,
>> so I would be prepared for what was to
[3:28] come.
>> And it it I I guess it it showed.
[3:34] » Thank you.
>> It it is it is good.
[3:37] » I appreciate that. Okay. What made you
decide to become a Schle board member?
[3:43] » So, that's a funny story. Um, I was
approached by Lillian Whitney.
[3:50] » Oh, yeah.
>> Okay.
[3:52] » Um, she called me several times um and
grabbed my ear and said, "You know, the
[3:58] town needs you." I said, "Really?"
I said, "Needs me for what?" We want you
[4:04] to be on the select board. I said,
"Well, who is we?" And uh all the people
[4:10] in town.
So, I laughed. I said, "Well, I've never
[4:14] done that before. I'm not sure I could
possibly do that." Uh how much time was
[4:18] involved? And she offered to help. Um
and she was a sweetheart. She
[4:25] she really believed in me at that time.
>> Um and encouraged me.
[4:31] » Uh she would call me a couple times
every week. uh have you pulled papers?
[4:35] Are you going to do it? We have a
meeting at uh Scott Sweeny's house if
[4:40] you'd like to come meet him. He's on the
select board. Um and I said, "Okay."
[4:47] So, she really enticed me to do this. Um
so, like you mentioned before, I started
[4:55] listening to meetings and I started
attending select board meetings. I
[5:00] attended every select board meeting. uh
that I possibly could. I don't think I
[5:05] missed one
>> for several months prior to me uh
[5:09] pulling papers.
>> So it was interesting. Um so a lot of
[5:15] that credit goes to Lillian Whitney.
>> That that amazes me.
[5:20] » Everybody says that.
>> Yeah.
[5:23] » She believed in me.
>> Yeah.
[5:24] » You know.
>> Yeah.
[5:26] » And
>> Yeah.
[5:27] » Yeah.
>> That that's great. I mean I you know I
[5:30] that is
>> not many people know that. I've told
[5:32] some people, but yeah, not many people
know that.
[5:35] » Ah,
>> that's good.
[5:37] » Yeah,
>> that's good.
[5:38] » Um, beginning your position on the
select board
[5:42] » for a few years now. You've been in it
for a few years now.
[5:45] » Does the town operate the way you
thought it did? So, there's many
[5:51] different aspects of town government,
and you can't possibly know every aspect
[5:57] of it. Um, so when I first got on,
I actually thought the select board was
[6:04] in charge of every single thing
possible. Um,
[6:08] and
>> in an oversight type of way.
[6:12] » Yeah. And I started
>> You thought you're going to find out
[6:15] everything that happened didn't happen.
>> And I started to get overwhelmed.
[6:18] » Okay.
>> And was to a point, well, is this really
[6:21] what I'm supposed to be doing? Um, and I
did have a mentor uh who talked me
[6:29] through some of this. Uh, not from town.
She serves on a council uh in Lemonster.
[6:35] » Okay.
>> And she said, "Dave, don't worry about
[6:40] any of that stuff. Everything's going to
fall into place. Do not try to reinvent
[6:44] the wheel.
>> Um, just kind of go with the flow and
[6:48] learn." Um, and when I first got
elected,
[6:54] I Let me go back. Before I got elected,
I spoke to Mike McCuel, okay?
[7:00] » And he said, "You know, Dave, the first
year, just sit back and learn and
[7:04] listen. Don't make any big decisions.
Just sit back and learn." And I did
[7:09] that.
>> Um, so that helped.
[7:13] » Did you serve with um Mike?
>> I did.
[7:16] » You did. Okay.
>> I did. When I first started, it was me,
[7:19] Mike, and Scott.
>> Okay.
[7:22] » Uh I Janet Flingstrom uh did not run
again, so her seat was vacant,
[7:28] » right?
>> Um
[7:31] nobody ran against me,
but I did put out signs. I sat at
[7:38] Yep. My hall was the first time
>> and I stayed out there for however time
[7:43] the poll was open for. So, back to how I
think the talent should work or what
[7:48] should have worked.
I didn't really know at the time. It's
[7:52] I'm still learning.
>> It's a process. This is going on four
[7:56] years and I still don't know everything.
>> Okay.
[8:01] » But I surround myself with good people
and people that I trust.
[8:05] » Good. Good.
>> That that does Yeah, that sounds good.
[8:10] It sounds
logical.
[8:14] I mean,
>> yeah,
[8:16] » you definitely had targets, I guess you
would call them.
[8:19] » And I realized I can't do it all myself.
>> Yeah.
[8:22] » You know.
>> Yeah. Well, that's that's a lot of
[8:25] people in this town think they could.
>> Yeah.
[8:28] » And they don't want interference.
>> How many hours do you put in as the the
[8:33] chair of the select board?
>> H
[8:36] » on a week, weekly basis. uh between
phone calls, emails, and such, I'm sure
[8:41] I put in about 20 20 hours,
>> maybe 30 uh depending on the week. This
[8:46] week was a very busy week. We had uh we
had to get ready for town meeting uh
[8:51] warles.
>> The last two months, I would say, you
[8:55] had you had select board meetings almost
every week. It's supposed to be just
[8:59] once every two weeks.
>> It's tough, you know. Uh but you do what
[9:03] you have to do to keep everything
running.
[9:06] » The town doesn't stop.
>> Average 25 hours.
[9:08] » 2530 hours. Yeah,
>> that's fair.
[9:10] » That that Well, um, does the town
operate the way you thought it should
[9:16] from the hourly point of view? Did you
think you were going to put in more or
[9:20] less hours?
>> Less.
[9:22] » Less hours.
>> I did.
[9:24] » And so it surprised you. Do you think
that your other two
[9:29] partners on the table
put in as many hours?
[9:34] » Oh, I believe Mike McCallen put in a lot
more than that. Okay.
[9:38] » Yeah.
>> How about Doug and Jessica?
[9:40] » Oh, the current board members we have
now. Oh, that's a Oh, yeah. They put in
[9:44] just about the same, if not more,
probably.
[9:46] » Really?
>> Yeah.
[9:48] » Yep.
>> Doug is very involved. Um, he kind of I
[9:53] look at him as the day-to-day liaison.
Not now, but prior because we didn't
[10:00] have a town administrator,
>> right? So Doug would, you know, come to
[10:05] town hall probably every day in the
morning,
[10:08] » right?
>> Uh make his rounds and, you know, make
[10:10] sure that town ran during the day. U
Mike Bustle, who was the interim town
[10:15] administrator at that time would call me
if there was an issue. Uh but him did a
[10:20] really good job
>> um when we didn't have a TA and then
[10:24] bringing Jessica on board.
>> She's amazing.
[10:28] » Yeah.
>> Simply amazing.
[10:30] » Well, how how did
Not being fully staffed
[10:37] affect your job
at the point where you didn't know
[10:43] everything yet? It
>> was hard.
[10:46] » Where did you get your your
Who was your mentor through that whole
[10:51] thing?
>> Claire Freda.
[10:53] » And she's a
>> she's a city councelor city council
[10:56] woman from Lemonster.
>> Okay. All right. And she understood and
[11:00] » Oh, yeah. She's been on the council for
a very long time.
[11:03] » Okay.
>> She's been the top vote getter in Lster
[11:06] for many, many years.
>> Oh, okay.
[11:08] » As a council woman. Yeah.
>> She's great.
[11:10] » Good advisor.
>> Yep. I uh I lean on her a lot. I do.
[11:15] » Okay.
>> Because it's also an independent view
[11:18] » of
what I think is going on in town. And
[11:23] she's looking from the outside.
>> Well, it's a non noni
[11:27] » nonbias.
Yeah. So, It's probably enjoyable for
[11:31] her not to worry about whose toes she's
stepping on. That's right.
[11:35] » By giving you the advice, let him step
on your toes.
[11:40] » True.
>> Which, you know, might happen. I had I
[11:43] I'm going to go right to this question.
>> How much do you make as a select board
[11:47] member?
>> We make absolutely nothing.
[11:51] » That's that's what I I want people to
know that
[11:54] » you don't get even reimbured for
>> nothing.
[11:57] » Nothing. I have no no reimbursements.
I've never put in a receipt for
[12:01] anything.
>> Now, is there pressure on your family
[12:05] because of the hours that you've been
putting in and the phone calls you get
[12:09] at the weirdest times?
>> Absolutely.
[12:11] » Yeah.
>> It's a lot of pressure.
[12:13] » Yeah.
>> Um in all of this for the past four
[12:17] years, my wife has been the rock.
You know, she's uh absolutely amazing
[12:23] » because she's taken this ride. Do you
hear you signed up for it?
[12:28] » Uh, somewhat
>> at times.
[12:31] » Yeah. Yep. And a few other choice words
that we won't say this evening.
[12:36] » No, but you know, it's hard
>> uh because it
[12:41] » I am on the phone a lot and I'm
answering emails at all hours of the
[12:45] night because I try to spend time with
her as well. There's a balance, right?
[12:49] And if you don't have that balance, it's
not going to work.
[12:52] » Yeah.
>> So, I have to be
[12:55] open to
adjusting my hours at home and making
[13:00] sure I give her the attention she needs
as my wife.
[13:04] » Now, is this the first time that your
phone has been turned off in a while?
[13:08] » So, it's funny you said that because
we're starting a new practice in my
[13:12] home.
>> Mhm.
[13:13] » And that is
about 8 8:30. I'm trying to silence my
[13:19] phone. And when I mean silence, I put it
on airplane mode and I put it on the
[13:23] side of my bed.
And if somebody really needs me or if
[13:28] something really happened, they know my
home phone number. I have a landline
[13:33] » and
Mike, Mary, Jessica or Doug. I'm sure I
[13:38] would get a phone call and say, "Hey, so
I need to learn to balance town verse
[13:46] your your life, your home life, your
social life." A lot of things I have
[13:52] missed
due to town stuff. Um, and my wife is
[13:58] completely understanding.
You know, she sees how much I enjoy
[14:03] doing this
>> and
[14:08] I think deep down inside
she enjoys me doing this as well.
[14:14] » Well, what what did you used to do with
your spare time?
[14:19] » I worked and I worked and I worked. Um,
I am a medical assistant at a cardiology
[14:26] practice and I worked for a bez excuse
me a busy electrophysiologist.
[14:32] » Uh, he's a surgeon and I would go in at
7. I would leave 7 8:00 at night Monday
[14:39] through Thursday, sometimes going in on
Fridays. Um, I consumed myself with
[14:45] work.
>> And did they understand when you said,
[14:49] "Hey, listen. I'm gonna run for sweat
person in my town, so I'm not gonna be
[14:56] able to put in as many hours.
>> Yes.
[14:58] » Did that affect the practice?
>> Um,
[15:03] no.
>> I think it affected other people's
[15:07] workload a little bit,
>> but not drastically.
[15:10] » Okay.
>> Um,
[15:13] I was very open with the doctor and he
was very excited for me. He said, "You
[15:20] should do that. I think you would be
good at it."
[15:22] » That's good.
>> You know, he was a
[15:24] » I would say he was one of my
cheerleaders.
[15:27] » You know,
>> he'd always ask me, "Hey, so what are
[15:29] you doing tonight? You got a meeting
tonight?" Um, and occasionally he would
[15:34] uh Oh, I noticed that we're going to
have a few of your constituents in
[15:37] today.
And he would make a point of it to uh
[15:43] come in while I'm with one of them. And
>> because I would never mention it at
[15:47] work.
>> I really tried to keep my
[15:50] » Yeah.
>> work in town separate. So I never, you
[15:53] know,
>> Right.
[15:53] » Uh but he would make a point to uh
mention that sometimes.
[15:57] » Yeah.
>> He's a really good guy.
[15:59] » It's kind of a
>> Yeah.
[16:00] » Yeah.
>> Yeah. He was
[16:01] » without you asking for it, you get that
pat on the back that hey
[16:05] » Yeah. Another fan like he mentor fan. He
motivated me.
[16:10] » Yeah.
>> You know, he um he encouraged me. Do you
[16:13] get that from towns people?
>> I do.
[16:15] » That's good.
>> I do.
[16:17] » That's good.
>> I do. I think I get more of that than I
[16:20] get of the naysayers,
>> you know, because there's a lot of
[16:23] people.
>> Is that what you expected?
[16:29] » Um,
>> did you expect more of a hard time from
[16:33] the normal people that give everybody a
hard time?
[16:36] » What I've learned is some people have
agendas.
[16:39] » Oh, yeah.
And if you don't go along with their
[16:43] agenda,
goodbye.
[16:46] » Yeah.
>> And that's how it kind of went.
[16:50] » Yeah. That's
>> Yeah.
[16:52] » That's that's one way to do it, I guess.
>> Yeah.
[16:55] » For a good part of your tenure as a
sweatboard member,
[16:59] » it seems you have been in difficult
staffing situations.
[17:04] » How does this affect the running of the
town? And did you think anything could
[17:10] be done to minimize future resignations.
I don't think you in your first four
[17:15] years.
>> Yeah.
[17:17] » There hadn't been much time in that four
years where there was three select
[17:22] people.
>> No,
[17:23] » it was always two.
>> Correct.
[17:26] » That that is
>> there was a lot of change.
[17:27] » That is unusual. A
>> lot of turnover.
[17:29] » Yeah.
>> And it was hard.
[17:32] » Yeah. Um, I was new
and when somebody tells you, okay, you
[17:39] know, it's either affecting their home
life or they have a medical condition or
[17:42] something and they need to step away,
you have that moment where you say,
[17:48] » oh yeah, something like that. Yeah,
exactly. Um, and but you know what? Like
[17:56] I said earlier,
you surround yourself with good people.
[18:00] » Yeah. And we have amazing people in this
town. Employees, volunteers,
[18:07] amazing.
>> They
[18:10] I don't think I've ever had somebody
say, "No, I can't do that for you."
[18:15] » I have a lot of people say, "How can I
help you?
[18:18] » Is there anything I can do for you?"
>> So,
[18:23] yep, there was some resignations. Um,
people decided to move on and such. You
[18:28] can't control that,
>> you know. You got to just keep going
[18:31] forward and do the best you possibly can
with what you have. And we have amazing
[18:36] staff. So, it was easy.
>> Now, you you've been with I'm going to
[18:41] call it two different
or actually three different town
[18:46] administrators,
>> Mr. Hansen.
[18:49] » But the last two the last two
>> had very very different styles.
[18:56] » Mhm.
Um, I'm being kind and you know it.
[19:02] » How did you handle the two different
styles and get the same job done?
[19:08] H when did it come to a point that you
said to yourself, I I I just can't do it
[19:15] that way or
you know I this doesn't seem right to me
[19:20] or you know because the one person was
very difficult for the volunteers in
[19:26] town to work with
>> and that had to affect you because I
[19:31] know a lot of people that they just
decided you know what I'm not doing
[19:35] anything until that person is gone.
[19:42] That's a very good question. It's,
you know, you hindsight's 2020,
[19:48] » right?
>> Oh, yeah.
[19:50] » Um, and everybody has different
personalities and different ways of
[19:56] doing things.
And
[20:01] you can't knock them for that because
that's their style, their personality.
[20:06] you're not changing somebody's
personality or the way they do things.
[20:11] Um,
so you try to work with them. You try to
[20:15] do the best you can. And sometimes
people decide to part ways and that's
[20:23] okay, you know. Um,
it's taxing though. It's taxing on the
[20:31] employees.
Um,
[20:34] » left.
>> Yeah.
[20:36] » Yep.
>> Or were totally
[20:39] » long-term employees.
>> Yeah.
[20:42] » Okay. All right. Let's let's not get
into that type of a negativity then.
[20:47] » No, it is what it is.
>> Yeah.
[20:52] Um, some people who have been on the
select board in the past came to the
[20:56] select board with plans to introduce
changes to improve the town. Did you
[21:02] have improvements and changes as part of
your plans when you were elected?
[21:06] » No.
>> Okay.
[21:08] » Zero.
>> You didn't see anything that you said,
[21:11] "Boy, I wish I could make that a little
bit different or I wish I could, you
[21:16] know, in the future, can we do this a
little bit different?" Did you change
[21:20] anything the way it's done?
>> I I know there one thing that you did
[21:25] do. You got the 15minute clock now.
>> Yes. which I don't think we even know
[21:31] the results of that yet because it just
started
[21:36] » and the people that caused it I think
are fading away.
[21:42] » So, you know, you know what I'm saying?
It's
[21:46] » I mean there was a reason we did it.
>> Yep.
[21:49] » Do you see that going on forever?
>> For as long as I'm on the board, I would
[21:56] hope so.
>> Okay. Okay. Okay.
[21:58] » But things change,
>> you know, people come and go, things
[22:01] change,
>> right?
[22:02] » Um, in the beginning, I didn't really
know what to think. So, I did take
[22:07] » Mike McCllum's advice. I sat back and
watched,
[22:10] » right?
>> You know, and it it takes a good two
[22:14] years
to really figure out the ins and outs
[22:19] and how certain departments work. And of
course, you could just jump in and say,
[22:23] "Ah, you should do it that way." Well,
doesn't work that way. You know, you put
[22:28] a department head in place
>> because they know that job. They're the
[22:32] expert, right? They're the professional
in that job.
[22:36] » So, you have to respect that. And you
don't go in,
[22:39] » okay, here we go. We're doing it this
way now. This way now. No, we it's it's
[22:43] about conversations,
>> you know, how are we going to do it,
[22:47] » right? let's figure this out together.
>> Yeah.
[22:49] » You know,
>> because if we're not doing it together,
[22:52] one of us is doing it alone and it's not
going to work.
[22:56] » So now, by not having,
I guess, what politicians called a
[23:02] platform with, you know, we're going to
do this and this and this and this,
[23:07] we're going to strengthen this and get
rid of this and blah blah blah.
[23:12] Does that way of thinking
help in a town situation,
[23:19] small town situation.
[23:23] » There could be a ripple effect with
that.
[23:26] » Okay.
>> Um,
[23:29] like I said, you have to allow the
people
[23:34] to do their jobs.
>> Yeah.
[23:36] » You know, you can't go in there with a
hammer
[23:39] and
>> if you need a screwdriver.
[23:41] » Yeah. You don't you need to learn it.
And that's one thing I did. I learned
[23:46] the departments.
I met with the department heads. Um
[23:53] I got to know them,
>> you know, personally
[23:58] » and professionally
and they taught me. So,
[24:03] » and you were willing to learn.
>> Absolutely.
[24:05] » See that that
>> I love to learn. If you saw a a a
[24:09] destructive
entity enter into a facet of the town
[24:16] that you as the select board oversee.
>> Mhm.
[24:22] » You don't you don't do it. You oversee
it.
[24:25] » Correct.
>> How would you handle that?
[24:28] » Um conversations.
>> Yeah.
[24:33] » You have to have conversations.
>> Yeah. You know, I'm a firm believer in
[24:39] having good conversation. You know what?
We're not always going to agree. We're
[24:45] not always going to agree with the way
somebody does their job or the way they
[24:50] get to A to B. I might do it
differently, but you have put that
[24:55] person in that place in that job to do
the job,
[24:59] » right? And
you have to have conversations and it's
[25:05] feedback. You know, I've had plenty of
people come to me, Dave, I wish you
[25:10] didn't say that that way. I wish you
wouldn't have done that. Okay. Why not?
[25:17] Why? Tell me why. Not just you shouldn't
have done it. Tell me why don't you
[25:23] think I should have done it that way?
And then you have a conversation and you
[25:27] figure it out. Sometimes you're like,
"Yeah, you're right. You know what? I
[25:31] got to change."
>> Or it's opposing points of view and
[25:34] sorry, but that's how I feel.
>> You just agree to disagree.
[25:37] » Yeah.
>> You know,
[25:38] » yeah.
>> Somebody once said to me, "If you don't
[25:44] agree with somebody or the way they the
thought process or whatever,
[25:50] he goes he can say this." He goes, "I
appreciate your opinion, but I don't
[25:55] share it."
>> Yeah.
[25:57] Yeah, that's a
>> Yeah, that
[26:00] » because we all have opinions and you you
have a certain way you want to do
[26:03] things.
>> Oh, yeah.
[26:04] » You know, look at this great this great
space right now.
[26:06] » Oh, yeah. Yeah.
>> We said, Jim, well, you came to us and
[26:10] you said, "We want to do a studio."
>> I said, "That's fabulous."
[26:14] » Yeah.
>> And we weren't coming down here with the
[26:17] clipboard.
He said, "Go for it. You're surrounded
[26:23] by great people."
>> And we got the budget. And you got the
[26:26] budget.
>> That was the Well, we don't have a
[26:29] budget.
>> We had the account
[26:32] » which was sitting there for
>> Comcast. Yeah. Comcast account just to
[26:36] be clear. It's not the operating budget
or anything,
[26:39] » right?
>> But we didn't come down here and tell
[26:41] you how to do it.
>> We didn't tell you. True. You know,
[26:45] » you had a vision
>> and I believed in your vision and Joe
[26:50] and Emma,
>> you know, you guys had a vision.
[26:53] » No way would I ever step. I know nothing
about the audiovisisual world.
[26:57] » Neither do I.
>> It's not my specialty.
[26:58] » Neither do I. How is it built?
>> Right.
[27:01] » They tell me what it has to be.
And I Yeah. I guess a lot of people in
[27:06] town are like the same.
>> They they use their strengths to work
[27:11] with other people to make something, do
something, achieve something. So yeah,
[27:20] it was pretty cool,
>> you know. And you
[27:22] » Yeah.
>> You surround yourself with good people.
[27:24] » Yeah. you know, people you trust and
rely on.
[27:27] » Hey, you've been four years now.
>> It'll be going on four years. Yes.
[27:32] » It'll be four years in a month.
>> You're going to love this question.
[27:35] » Oh, I love it.
>> How did co
[27:38] and Zoom affect the town?
[27:44] » You must have a special story about Zoom
>> because we're still doing it.
[27:49] » Yeah.
>> CO was awful. Let's face it. It was it
[27:53] was a terrible time.
>> Um,
[27:56] but
everybody
[28:00] supported everybody wherever you were,
>> you know. Um, and it really showed the
[28:08] compassion
that
[28:11] was insides some people, you know,
because people were getting sick, people
[28:15] were dying.
>> Oh, yeah. you know, and town government
[28:20] still runs.
>> So, how do you do it?
[28:26] » Zoom.
I wish I bought stock in Zoom when CO
[28:32] first hit.
>> Oh, yeah.
[28:34] » Um,
Zoom is a great thing.
[28:40] I believe that it has gotten many people
more involved
[28:46] in town government, just in the town in
general with volunteerism.
[28:53] Um, people are able to do it from their
home where sometimes they may not have a
[28:58] car. Um, they may want to get to a
meeting. It could be snowing out. Let me
[29:03] hop on the computer.
>> Oh, yeah.
[29:06] » And you can interact.
>> It's a great thing. Um,
[29:11] I love that we're back in town hall
because when I first joined the board,
[29:17] never had a meeting in town hall and I
couldn't wait
[29:20] » Oh.
>> to get back into town hall.
[29:23] » Yeah.
>> So, that was the timing.
[29:26] » Yeah.
>> Cuz to me, Zoom was, you know, it was
[29:30] almost like
we have Zoom now we could have COVID.
[29:37] What would we have done if we didn't
have Zoom?
[29:41] » It would have been
>> Well, it would have been six foot
[29:44] sitting six foot apart meetings
>> outside.
[29:47] » Remember the town meeting we had at
Allenfield?
[29:51] » That was uh
>> strange.
[29:53] » I won't forget the day Mike Bustle Mike
McCllum was uh wrapped up in a jacket.
[29:58] We had a heater blown and the sound was
too much for the communication part.
[30:04] » So they said, "We got to shut the heater
off." I'm like, "What?
[30:08] What do you mean shut the heater off?
This is going to be a long meeting.
[30:11] Everybody's in their cars. The heat's
cranking. Here we are. Me, Mike, the
[30:15] moderator. There was a ton of people
there. It was
[30:19] » I was It was amazing to be a part of
that."
[30:22] » Yeah.
>> Because that's never happened.
[30:25] » Yeah, it's true.
>> You know,
[30:27] » it's true.
>> Outside in front of Ashby Elementary
[30:30] School another time.
>> Yeah.
[30:32] » Granted, it was much warmer at that
time.
[30:34] » Yeah. Still the just putting that thing
together.
[30:39] » It was
>> amazing people.
[30:40] » Yeah, it was it was
>> amazing from the clerk
[30:43] » to everybody helped out. Everybody
>> everybody got together and helped
[30:50] wherever they could.
>> It's
[30:53] this community is amazing
especially when
[30:59] the crap hits the fan.
It could be anything from somebody's
[31:04] house catching fire
>> to somebody losing a family member to
[31:10] somebody having a new grandbaby.
Everybody wraps around and supports each
[31:16] other in the time of needs, in time of
happiness. Doesn't matter. They may not
[31:23] agree with you all the time, but I found
a lot of people that don't necessarily
[31:28] agree with my thought process or my
opinions. They'll be the first to call
[31:33] me and say, "Hey, how you doing? I
noticed you were off on the meeting a
[31:37] little bit. Anything going on?"
And it
[31:42] I was blown away. Many times it's
happened. I'm like, "Thank you for
[31:46] calling." People just call and say, you
know, I appreciate you. I appreciate
[31:50] what you're doing.
>> Really? Yeah. Many, many times. That's
[31:54] what keeps me going, Jim. It's that
>> I've talked to a lot of other
[32:01] » select board members. Nobody's ever said
that to me that they get called to say
[32:07] that they're appreciated or all of them
say they get called calls.
[32:13] » Oh, we get those too. Let's not, you
know,
[32:15] » but
>> but the good definitely outweighs the
[32:18] bad
>> every once in a while.
[32:20] » There's one. There's one or two. Yeah.
>> And you know, our job is to listen.
[32:24] » Yeah.
>> We're not going to face it. Sometimes we
[32:26] can, but we listen. We try to help them
as much as we can. Some of it's out of
[32:33] our control, but you show support. All
people, some people just want to be
[32:39] heard, you know, and their opinion
matters as well as my opinion, your
[32:44] opinion. Everybody's, it matters because
that's how they feel.
[32:49] » Do you think people
feel like you you are the person that
[32:55] changes things.
>> They do
[32:59] » when they when they approach you. Like
last night, I was listening to somebody
[33:03] that was talking during 15 minutes.
>> Mhm.
[33:06] » And I got the impression that they
wanted to say it and you were going to
[33:13] change it
>> immediately.
[33:14] » Just like that. You were going to write
something out and it was done. It was
[33:18] changed. Mhm.
>> You don't have that power, do you?
[33:21] » No, we do not.
>> And you don't want that power.
[33:24] » No, I do not.
>> No, I do not.
[33:27] » Okay.
>> But I'll help them.
[33:29] » Oh, no.
>> You know, that's obvious.
[33:32] » Get it there.
>> But that's you.
[33:34] » Yeah.
>> That's you. You You're sticking yourself
[33:37] out there. That's unusual
>> for for a select board member to put
[33:42] themselves out there like that.
But you seem to have that personality
[33:47] and people look at you and say, "Oh,
brown eyes.
[33:53] I could talk to this guy."
>> Uh, you sound.
[33:56] » No, but you but you you have that
temperament that you make it easy to
[34:02] talk to you.
>> Thank you. Appreciate that.
[34:05] » Well, I'm not I'm not trying to make the
move on you. I'm just saying that
[34:09] » I think from what I've understood,
that's the way people feel about you.
[34:14] you you have that temperament that you
know they got to say it to somebody.
[34:20] » Yeah.
>> You know, so thank you very much for
[34:23] coming in.
>> Thank you.
[34:24] » And uh you know we we I think we learned
a lot about the select board, you know.
[34:32] » I mean so thank you. I appreciate it.