[0:03] All right, you're on. >> All right, I'd like to call to order

[0:06] this regularly scheduled board of finance meeting for Wednesday, August

[0:09] 12th. All members are present. So, we'll start with the pledge of allegiance.

[0:17] » I pledge algiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the

[0:22] republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and

[0:28] justice for all. Thank you. Uh I see no public, so no public comment.

[0:35] Uh communications correspondents. >> Okay, we had uh Kelly Wyn, Brook Mano,

[0:42] Mark Morash, Steven Paresi, Andy Kareah, and Alice Carolyn.

[0:48] » Perfect. Approval of the meeting minutes.

[0:50] » I would like to make a motion to approve the July 8th, 2026 regular meeting

[0:55] minutes. >> Second. and second.

[0:58] » Second. >> Any discussion?

[1:01] » Hearing none. All in favor? >> I

[1:03] » I >> I'll abstain. So, as I didn't to be

[1:07] honest with you, >> uh I'll make a motion that we Oh, no.

[1:12] Steven's not here. So, go ahead, Steve. It's uh on you.

[1:16] » You guys aren't here to replace him. >> No, the understanding was we were

[1:21] » there. I'll make [laughter] I'll make a motion that we move the

[1:27] board of education to next on the agenda. Do I have a second?

[1:30] » I'll second. >> Second. All in favor? I. Steve, it's

[1:34] your floor. >> Okay. [laughter]

[1:38] All right. >> Catch your breath.

[1:39] » How are you all? I know. I'm sorry to have a meeting downstairs. So, good to

[1:43] see you all. Um, >> just want some updates on things.

[1:49] » Yes, sir. >> How we're doing, where we're going. Uh

[1:52] things are going along great with the boiler uh at Brookfield High School. Um

[1:57] a lot of progress has been made. The actual boiler unit itself has been

[2:01] ordered. Um the container ordered that that whole outer piece, but they u have

[2:07] also also um repaired one boiler almost to full and they were going to fire it

[2:13] up by the [clears throat] end of this week. So the goal is that'll

[2:17] get fired up by the end of this week. Um, and hopefully we have that one on

[2:22] ready to go. And then when the other boiler comes in, they already have um

[2:26] put in all the piping and all the holes in the walls to the exterior of the

[2:31] going outside of it into the boiler room to be able to pipe it and funnel it all

[2:35] in. And they're working on the electrical. And then they're working on

[2:38] a very safe place to put it if you know that area at all where it will go. Um,

[2:43] kind of to the right hand side of the building, main entrance there. um

[2:47] they're trying to look at where the best spot is. So, but uh but they're they're

[2:51] really cruising on that. So, thank you so much for your support with that. Um

[2:56] in regards to the uh Whiskaner Middle School playground that you approved

[3:00] also, thank you for that. Um we have uh the contract ready to go uh in

[3:07] coordination with parks and recreation. They have already removed the uh old

[3:12] swing set from the area uh along with the uh three-foot pilings that were

[3:17] holding it in. uh their recommendation before we move forward with putting in

[3:22] or installing a new playscape or any equipment. Um and they're going to to

[3:27] manage this uh would be to um remove the base

[3:33] uh that's been there for about 40 years with just uh engineered uh wood chips

[3:39] put on top of it which decompose over time. And so it's really not um

[3:46] best up to code as it could be. Uh so they want to go I think about 16 inches

[3:50] down remove the whole base layer uh and then refill so that way it is a more

[3:57] safe uh area before putting in uh new new equipment which I think is a smart

[4:03] long-term decision. Um I think they're working on getting quotes for that right

[4:08] now. Uh it looks like it'll be approximately $15,000 to do that work.

[4:13] Um, and so, you know, we would work on somehow coordinating that or um figuring

[4:19] out how we'll we'll manage all that. But, um, but that's their recommendation

[4:23] first. So, I'm kind of in a place where uh the equipment's ready to go and get

[4:28] ordered, but I I want to make sure that the timing of it is [music] right and

[4:32] that we coordinate it with what parks and recreation is recommending.

[4:37] » So, just pause there for a moment, see if there's any questions on that.

[4:41] No, I'm good. >> Is the off slightly off topic of the the

[4:47] uh quotes and the work on uh cam blade. >> Yep.

[4:50] » Playground. >> Perfect. Right where I was going.

[4:52] » No. All right. Good. >> Uh so yes, uh great news just came in

[4:56] today. um that uh that uh quote started off I think when I first presented it to

[5:03] you at um at $114,000

[5:10] just uh for the equipment and the installation of the equipment. So that

[5:14] was $114,000 like 139 maybe. So rounded up to 114.

[5:20] Then I found out they were a part of this uh national like group Omnia where

[5:25] we can get discounts if we're a part of it too. And that brought it down to 102.

[5:29] Then about a week after it came down to 102 after I found that out and talked to

[5:33] them uh their company I got an email that uh if you submit your name and what

[5:39] you're trying to do, you can get additional uh you can get selected to

[5:44] win more more price off of your project. And I did and I just found out today

[5:49] that we got a total of 40% off the actual equipment. The installation not

[5:55] but the equipment. Yes. So from $75,000 down to um approximately 455. So that

[6:02] brings the whole project down to $90,000. So we could do that whole

[6:06] project right now. We wouldn't have to change the base layer at all. It's

[6:10] currently a rubber mulch and so they can install a new playground with that same

[6:15] rubber mulch in there. they'll just pull it back, install, put it back, right?

[6:20] So, we wouldn't have to pay for anything else but what the quote is right now,

[6:24] which is $90,000, which I think in total I came to maybe at 125 at one point. So,

[6:29] it's a significant reduction from where we were. Um, and so that is the latest

[6:34] and greatest, but that quote in that um discount does expire. So, there is an

[6:41] expiration date to that. Um, so I would just, you know, ask you again to

[6:45] reconsider if that's something that we think, uh,

[6:49] you are interested in supporting us to be able to move forward, uh, and there

[6:54] are any opportunity to approve funding for that. We have what I would consider

[6:58] one of the best rates that we're going to get for that type of place.

[7:05] » What's the expiration date? >> I'm sorry. Do we know the expiration

[7:07] date? >> I can't have you. Sorry.

[7:09] » Sorry. Here's [laughter]

[7:14] the contract. What is the expiration date? [snorts] I don't know. [laughter]

[7:19] » Contract. It's only the top one. >> 30 days.

[7:23] » Quote valid for 30 days. >> Quote is denial for 30 days. So

[7:28] then they give it to someone else. He's ready to move. So that's where we are uh

[7:35] with those kind of three major major projects. Um, we also have uh well, we

[7:40] have a number of things going on. I I I'd ask you, you know, if you have some

[7:44] questions of me or things that >> Hold on. Why don't you just come to the

[7:48] table and then we can have if you wanted to help out here or whatever.

[7:52] [clears throat] >> Yeah.

[7:53] » I mean, you're filling in for Caroline. I should have invited you earlier. I

[7:56] apologize.

[8:00] » I just can't have from the sidelines because if I do that,

[8:04] right? All right. All right. So, you have any questions

[8:10] since this is right in your >> No, I mean I think I think um 90,000 the

[8:16] the discussion that we had at the last meeting was that and I'll I'll speak

[8:21] from what I remember is that everybody was supportive of putting the new

[8:25] equipment in. There was not as much support. there's not wasn't decided as

[8:30] to whether or not the the rubberized flooring or whatever it's called

[8:35] » was really needed or not at both places, right? So, so um $90,000 using the

[8:40] existing material on the base I think would be well in line with what was in

[8:45] general would have been supported at the last meeting and by and we've got three

[8:49] members of the cattle committee here tomorrow. But I think that's that's

[8:51] [clears throat] a really good solution. Can they get it

[8:54] done in time for school? No, it's a six week lead time on the product to arrive.

[8:59] Um, >> so they're thinking uh the whiskaner,

[9:02] they're trying to get that one done. Um, not before school, but you know, this

[9:06] fall. >> Yeah.

[9:07] » This one uh if we commit to it, it it may get in before wintertime or it would

[9:12] be right when the spring opens.

[9:15] » And if we wanted to in the future, we put the new equipment in. Let's say

[9:20] that's approved. We then can put in the rubber board around it.

[9:23] » You can. >> Yeah. I think that was something that we

[9:26] all agree was not a great those No, no, those

[9:32] » they're not they're not >> those chips, the rubber chips, right?

[9:36] They're not very >> But again, yeah, it's

[9:42] » it doesn't doing the doing the equipment doesn't preclude at a later date

[9:46] deciding to do the >> correct

[9:48] » redo that. >> Yeah. And now the other thing was we

[9:50] were looking at CLS in in association with what parks and recck was possibly

[9:55] looking at for I don't know if it was kids kingdom or somewhere else to maybe

[9:58] get a good price but seems like you've negotiated a very good price on this

[10:02] kind of independently from that. So I don't know if waiting on this makes a

[10:06] lot of sense. >> Run this down for me just so we have a

[10:09] thing. So what did the boiler end up? Is that number still 341979 or what did

[10:14] that end up at?

[10:18] So yes, it's going to be we've already given like 174.

[10:22] » Okay. >> Uh we've been half down, I believe. But

[10:24] yes, it's going to be the cost that >> So in your original you had 200,000 in

[10:29] for the CLES place cut from this document at our last meeting.

[10:33] » Correct. Because that also included what we considered our caller was just

[10:37] talking about in place too. And we're saying that's not really a necessity and

[10:41] we can do this without that. So then how much was the W playscape without doing

[10:48] the $15,000 worth of digging? >> So at uh I believe I asked I asked for

[10:53] $45,000 >> here.

[10:56] » I think we authorized >> 75. We

[10:58] » was that >> we talked about 38. Uh Brian asked me to

[11:01] help get them down to and uh and then I got them down to 365. Right.

[11:07] » I keep 365 >> and 15,000 to make it. Right. Right.

[11:14] » Right. >> Yes.

[11:15] » So that's 415. Right. 515.

[11:21] » And this is down now to 90.

[11:27] » Yes. >> And that quote for the work just came in

[11:30] today to parks and recreation. So Laura shared that with me. That's not my, you

[11:35] know, she quotes all that out for the actual work done on the playscape.

[11:38] » So, we authorized the 38 already. >> That's the thing you authorized.

[11:44] » Yes. >> So, we'd need another

[11:47] » 16. Well, I was plus the 90 16 and 90 105ish.

[11:52] » Well, we authorized >> 38, right? Well,

[11:57] 1.5k less. So, >> 10 103.5.

[12:03] That's what they need. >> Yeah, I'd call 1045 just to be

[12:07] » for both W [music] for everything except for in place. That

[12:12] would have that would be all the requests except for the foreign place

[12:15] which we're I think we're >> Yeah. 90,500 for

[12:20] » for CL >> and 15,000 for WMS,

[12:26] » right? >> Might be 15.

[12:27] » Well, that's you have 1.5 extra from >> Yeah. Let because you under spent on the

[12:33] equipment. >> What is the latest on the new school

[12:38] » that we had an update in two months? >> The new school?

[12:41] » Yeah. The the what we have left. What's the balance? 100,000 a million 200

[12:45] million. >> One of the things 2 million

[12:47] [clears throat] >> I have a number

[12:50] » because we're going to ask the NBC to come to the board of selectment and the

[12:54] board of finance in September and give us a another financial update. They've

[12:58] given us indications. I don't have Do we have a solid number on that yet?

[13:03] » She's she's looking. >> Um I have a number based on incumbrances

[13:09] outstanding. >> Okay.

[13:10] » Um um my number is a little bit different

[13:13] than Emily's cuz hers is cash basis. Mine's an acrruel basis. Um and I don't

[13:19] have the final payables because she won't give them to me until NBC approves

[13:24] them on their August meeting next week. So I've put in estimates but it should

[13:30] we've already encumbered the money. So um what we have uncommitted

[13:36] is um

[13:40] um $1150 for administ 1,0001 150 for administrative costs um a little less

[13:47] than 600,000 for the offsite work which is the baseball fields um and 55,000

[13:55] for owner's contingency. Um >> so what's the total there? uh 656.

[14:01] Although the legal fees are continuing, so they'll they're going to have to come

[14:06] out of these numbers. >> What are they like? What's the run rate?

[14:09] 20,000 a month. >> 20 to 30,000

[14:11] » a month. >> Yeah.

[14:13] » Um so you know more about this than I do.

[14:18] The negotiations OMG, what is still outstanding? Do we

[14:22] » That don't know that. >> See, that's going to be the killer. So,

[14:24] there's a million dollars um in um um construction

[14:31] um that's still a contingency in there, but what we don't know is, you know, oh

[14:37] um 75% we're definitely going to have to spend or 25% we're going to have to

[14:43] spend. That's where we >> There's two buckets of money, right,

[14:45] that we talk about when we do this. >> A million of of um

[14:49] » this this was one bucket, this 656, but there's another bucket with a million.

[14:54] the G contractor's contingency >> and that

[14:59] » that's where we're spending the money on the lawyers negotiating with them

[15:02] » for all of the things who we think weren't done right. They say they were

[15:06] done right and they're going back and forth and back and forth and that's why

[15:10] I asked Paul to come to the board of selection meeting in September. Uh 6

[15:15] months ago there were 120 some odd items in dispute.

[15:20] » Wow. So out of that 656, how much of it was for the baseball field? 400,000.

[15:25] » It was 400,000 for >> the field that we sort of So it's

[15:28] uncommitted, but it's committed, >> right?

[15:31] » Right. So what is uncommitted uncommitted right now out of that fund

[15:35] roughly? >> I would take that total number six and

[15:38] 656. So that would be 256. >> I I would say the only thing that's

[15:42] uncommitted is the owner's contingency at 55,000.

[15:47] » That's the owner. Uh, that's what I believe the

[15:55] » and 1,150. >> Yeah, that's fine. 55. We've been

[16:00] holding off on Whisker and baseball field projects to make sure that we keep

[16:05] this project.

[16:11] » Are you looking to get to see if we can fit this there? Is that what you're

[16:15] thinking?

[16:19] It's all going to come back to the town. I know, right? So, if we don't spend it,

[16:22] it comes back to the town. But is it cleaner to utilize it for the CLES, the

[16:26] 55,000, and put that towards the CLS, >> the [snorts] 90

[16:30] » 90,000 that he needs? >> I I would be hesitant to use any of this

[16:36] without the NBC's blessing. >> Um, and so I would say it's all going to

[16:41] end up in the same pocket when we're done, our pocket. Um, and I would do it

[16:46] as separate transactions and not take it from here. We have capital non-recurring

[16:51] funds. We've got a million80,000 that is not uh designated for any project at

[16:57] this time and and we still have money that will be

[17:01] coming there from the general fund this year.

[17:03] » And we have to be careful with the state grant and the bonding on CLES moving

[17:08] funds. >> That's what I'm worried about because

[17:10] CLES is still under the new construction. Is it easier to take that

[17:13] 55 and say it's part of the new construction process still?

[17:17] » We could do that, but I agree with Marcia. I'd be very reluctant to touch

[17:20] that funding until we know exactly where that project goes. That's fine.

[17:25] » At what point then do we sit down with the NBC? You said you're going to sit

[17:29] down with them. At what point do you sit down with them and we outweigh the

[17:33] fighting versus the payback? At 30,000 a month, if we're only fighting over

[17:37] $15,000, we're chasing bad money. At what point? Who who's assessing that

[17:42] right now? >> Um, I've been having discussions with

[17:45] Paul and and Josh, mostly Paul to say, "We got to get this done." And they're

[17:50] in mediation nonstop here, and that's why it's costing us 20 to 30,000 in

[17:55] legal fees. And my point to them was, you are burning money on legal fees.

[18:01] Sit. Just pick the number. It may be higher than what you think is the right

[18:06] number to settle this, but at $30,000 a month,

[18:10] » it's not worth it's a zero sum game.

[18:14] » Yeah. >> One more question and then we'll move

[18:16] on. Is who's the ultimate decision maker? Is Paul the ultimate decision

[18:20] maker or can you overrule it as a town official? I mean, you it's a committee,

[18:24] so you sit over that committee, don't you? Can you just say this is it?

[18:28] Enough's enough or not? I do not know the answer to that. I will ask the

[18:34] town's attorney. The NBC has significant >> I agree and I agree and I respect that

[18:39] power, but at some point we got to figure this out.

[18:42] » Oh, I agree. >> Cuz it's dwindling and we have expenses

[18:45] that we got to cover. All right. >> I think we should put this topic on the

[18:48] next meeting as a No, it's

[18:52] » Well, we're going to ask him to come before the board of select in September.

[18:55] We think I going to suggest they come to you too

[18:58] » and have them. >> I have a question though.

[19:01] » If it expires in 30 days, >> are we screwing something up or no? For

[19:05] that Oh, that's what we're doing. Okay, we're

[19:09] going back to that. Oh, okay. Sorry. I thought I didn't mean I thought we were

[19:12] tableling everything >> for the math of it all. The best quote

[19:14] that came in for the work at WMS to redo kind of the fill is 15450.

[19:21] » Okay. So, I just >> I want to be digging the process. So

[19:25] » digging the hole, refilling. >> Got it.

[19:26] » Yeah. >> So just

[19:28] » can you give me the the maybe Marshia this might be for you. I don't know who

[19:32] knows this might be attention. [music] C do we

[19:37] can you give me the latest number of how much the the board of ed is returning

[19:42] back to the town from last year broken into the the special ed versus

[19:46] everything else because the numbers moved around a little bit and maybe

[19:49] they're finalized. Does someone know that?

[19:51] » I think the meeting has been moved to tomorrow night. Monday.

[19:55] » Monday. So, we have not gotten the report.

[19:57] » Do we know what the last because I have numbers?

[20:00] » I think 300.

[20:05] » I have a chart that had special ed at 285.

[20:15] » I just have so many different numbers. They're all about the same.

[20:17] » I know. I can't remember the last meeting

[20:21] » for me. actually carried on. >> So the BOE is not meeting tomorrow.

[20:25] » No, >> she did. She

[20:29] » is business and operations and >> Okay. So, so let's you know what on the

[20:33] on the June 26th memo, it said we expect to return to the town 679,000.

[20:40] » Yes. >> Okay. So,

[20:41] » okay. >> Both buckets.

[20:42] » That's both buckets. And the special ed number is something under 300ish.

[20:48] » Close to but a little bit under >> like 297. And we said 341 for the

[20:52] boiler. >> Well, I got that. I'm going to go let me

[20:54] let me put it together. So, let's just say it's 300 for special ed and then

[20:58] that leaves 379 for everything else. >> Okay. Just if it's just 679.

[21:05] » So, the boiler is 342. The the whisker equipment was we

[21:12] authorized 38. It's 365, right? And then the to go is 90.5

[21:20] + 15.5. So 91.56

[21:27] » 106. Yeah. >> Call it 105 because you understand the

[21:30] other thing. So you add up the 342 38 105 that's 485.

[21:35] So for those three projects which is what was requested would be 485

[21:40] » of which 679's coming back. Now 379

[21:45] is school underrun. The 300 for special ed, we always said we're going to give

[21:51] you more and hopefully that's going to come back. But contributing about

[21:55] $100,000 of that underrun towards this to me makes a lot of sense.

[21:59] » Yeah. Yeah. And the boiler thing was something that we

[22:02] » Yeah, the boiler absolutely right. So >> yeah,

[22:04] » my view is authorizing and I don't know how we execute this but authorizing

[22:09] additional 105 to get these the playcape this placecape done at both places and

[22:14] be done with all this. Let them go execute

[22:16] » and meet this dirty date >> is the is the right thing to do.

[22:19] » I second that >> less your thought.

[22:22] » Yeah, I agree. John, >> you want to get it done quicker?

[22:24] » I agree with that. >> It's [clears throat] using this money.

[22:27] » Yeah. Now how do we >> we can approve it upon you guys to

[22:31] approve it, right? So we can approve it upon the board of selectment approval

[22:35] approving. Right. So I can make a motion to approve $105,000

[22:40] for the set three pride for the pride for the two projects CLA

[22:45] and WMS >> based upon the final approval from the

[22:50] board of selectment >> and the funding come out of I think CNR.

[22:55] » Yeah. Funding coming from CNR. >> CNR Marshall. That's where this stuff.

[22:59] » Yeah. >> All right. Then I'll make the motion.

[23:01] » I'll second it. >> I'll make the motion that we approve

[23:04] $105,000 for the CLLE Playscape and WMS

[23:09] Playscape. Uh that would come out of No more than 105,000

[23:15] to come out of the CNR funding. Do I have a second? Second.

[23:19] » We've discussed it. Correct. Everybody good with this?

[23:22] » Yep. Yes, Mr. >> Y.

[23:24] » All right. All in favor? Hi. >> All right.

[23:29] » Thank you very much. >> Get her done.

[23:30] » Yeah, really appreciate it. >> Any other questions or updates that

[23:35] » any more discounts you can get? [laughter]

[23:39] » Keep trying. >> Can you do something on kids?

[23:43] » Budget process. >> Yeah, we

[23:47] don't know. >> I don't have anything to show.

[23:48] » Okay. >> So, we will be uh we have a business and

[23:51] operations meeting on Monday night. At that time uh we will be discussing a new

[23:57] budgeting process uh that we are hopeful uh will provide uh more clear uh

[24:03] communication in organization to uh anyone who's kind of following along in

[24:09] the process but also when we're collaborating and working with you all.

[24:12] So we are eager to go through that process. It is in draft format. Uh so

[24:16] the business operations team will first review it, give feedback on it. I

[24:20] believe they've been looking at it and we'll get feedback that night. We'll

[24:23] make any revisions that they [music] recommend. Then we'll bring it to the

[24:26] full board on Wednesday night following that Monday night meeting for even more

[24:30] review and recommendations. Once completed, we would like to to bring it

[24:34] to you all and and share it with you. So that way um we can all be on the same

[24:38] page with how we go about the budgeting process and how we can uh support

[24:42] getting to a budget that meets the needs of the schools and community.

[24:47] » Okay, any questions? Les, I know you went to the one meeting and the notes

[24:52] were amazing. >> Yeah, I was glad to hear that that

[24:55] process is is more than underway. >> Absolutely.

[24:59] » It's going to help a lot. >> Okay. I mean, you followed along pretty

[25:02] well. So, you're good with all of that? >> I am.

[25:05] » Okay. Thank you for coming. [laughter] >> Anything you ladies like to add before

[25:11] we call it here? >> No.

[25:14] » All right. Well, thank you all for >> everything. Thank you all very much. I

[25:19] appreciate it. [clears throat] >> This is attorney Rose.

[25:22] » I know. We're going to make a motion to go into executive,

[25:27] right? >> Um just one sec.

[25:30] » Is Kermit joining us?

[25:36] » Thank you all. Have a good night.

[25:43] Yeah, I don't want to have

[25:48] » do that. I'm paying 5,000 an hour right now. The lawyers,

[25:51] » I would make that motion now. I can do all my stuff.

[25:54] » Great. >> We were going to make it anyway.

[25:56] » I know. [laughter] >> All right. I'd like to make a motion

[25:59] that we go into executive session to discuss legal terms. We are going to

[26:04] invite Marsha. No, >> I don't need to be here.

[26:08] » You're not here. Okay. Okay, we'll invite the two attorneys to the table

[26:12] then. And uh do I have a second? [music] >> I'll second. There you go. Last.

[26:17] » All in favor? Hi. Okay, we'll enter

[27:18] All right, we're back on. >> All right, I'd like to amend my motion

[27:23] to go into an executive session. I'd like to make a motion that we go into

[27:29] executive [music] session to discuss pending litigation with attorney Mike

[27:34] Rose and Sherry >> Adams. Adams

[27:38] » from Ker >> from [music] Karma. Do I have a second?

[27:41] » I will second. >> All in favor? I

[1:15:51] You're back.

[1:15:59] » Back on. Marshall, you're back on. >> We're back on. Steve, can you take us

[1:16:03] now to your report? >> Sure. Uh, just uh I won't cover

[1:16:07] everything that I have because I don't want to take an hour of your time. our

[1:16:10] union negotiations. We are pretty close on the police in the ranges that we have

[1:16:17] discussed. I think we're going to end up with a a pretty good agreement. Uh CSEA

[1:16:22] is a little bit behind that. We've made a final offer to them. Uh they'll come

[1:16:28] back to us. I think it again will be in the same range and with um some tweaks

[1:16:34] to some things, you know, you always have that with union negotiation. I

[1:16:38] think we're going to stay within the numbers that I had told you last year in

[1:16:44] the budget season, right? I don't want to name those numbers. We're good. We

[1:16:48] will be there. Um >> the cell tower, they had a hearing last

[1:16:54] this week. This week? No, last week. Um and they pretty much finalized what

[1:16:59] they're going to do. the uh commission has not the sighting council has not yet

[1:17:04] made a formal decision but they kind of issue their preliminary for people who

[1:17:09] go in and say no that's not what I said no this isn't correct no it should have

[1:17:12] been this I don't anticipate a change [cough]

[1:17:15] I think they will be putting that cell power in um on the gas compressor

[1:17:20] station we did deep has reopened uh the project and we are applying for

[1:17:29] an adjudic atory hearing and we have four pieces of paper that people have to

[1:17:34] fill out so they don't say to us again we didn't do this right. I think we will

[1:17:39] get the adjudicatory hearing. Um my understanding is that they also agreed

[1:17:44] one of the things we really wanted was ambient air testing on an ongoing basis

[1:17:49] outside the plant. Uh I understand that's they're going to consider that

[1:17:54] and do that. the electric gas compressors. Uh that's still a hard no,

[1:17:58] but we're still going to push for that if we get the adjudicator hearing and at

[1:18:02] least we get it on record. You know, zero emissions are better than 3.9 tons,

[1:18:09] right? So, how can you as the en environmental

[1:18:15] organization of the state not say, "Hey, gas compressors, no, use electric. They

[1:18:21] are much more expensive." Let's say they were $50 million more and they've got a

[1:18:27] million downstream clients. Those compressors last for 50 years, right?

[1:18:34] So, it's a million dollars a year divided by a million clients. That's a

[1:18:38] dollar a year per client. That's 16 cents per client per month.

[1:18:45] And they have way more than a million clients. So, we'll see where that ends

[1:18:48] up. uh the fire commission uh a fire uh EMS ordinance. The fire commission,

[1:18:55] we're going to have a hearing on August 19th to uh review that again like we did

[1:19:00] before and then a board of selection meeting right after that to approve it

[1:19:04] and adopt it. We have agreement from all the members of the committee and they

[1:19:08] tell us that all of the firemen and EMS are all in favor. So that should pass

[1:19:13] through. Um, Brooks Quarry, we are entering into an agreement where the

[1:19:19] town will be the conduit for a $2.5 million grant they were awarded to

[1:19:27] improve the entire facility. They're going to go through almost rebuild the

[1:19:32] ADA, so they meet current things. They're going to fix up the kitchens.

[1:19:36] They're also applying for another $2.5 million grant. So, if we get $5 million

[1:19:41] for grants, that is going to become one of the finest facilities of its type in

[1:19:46] the state. Very nice. >> It's going to be really nice. I don't

[1:19:49] know if anybody here has been in those units.

[1:19:51] » You have you. So, you know what we're talking They're pretty rund down.

[1:19:55] They're livable, but they're not nice. >> So, that's good. That's a win. The

[1:19:59] pickle ball court. >> Phone call after phone call. It should

[1:20:04] be fixed within the next 5 to seven days, right?

[1:20:09] uh really talk about the pickable court

[1:20:12] anymore. Um again, we're asking going to ask the NBC to join us at the board of

[1:20:17] select committee meeting uh in September to do exactly what we talked about

[1:20:21] already. Where are we? Okay. Um let me see if there's anything else you really

[1:20:27] need to know. Um

[1:20:33] » no, I'm gonna I'm going to call that day. Oh, park and parks and rec. We

[1:20:37] appointed Bradley Ko to the board. I think he's going to be a great addition.

[1:20:42] He's a really good guy. >> Eileen's husband.

[1:20:45] » Oh, any questions for me?

[1:20:48] » We're Marca is going to talk about beginning with Lake Bridge. When we get

[1:20:52] to that, I'll let her run through the finances of where we are.

[1:20:55] » I have two questions. One, have you got a police station quote

[1:20:59] yet? >> Uh, no we do not. We are That is on my

[1:21:04] list, but I didn't bring it up. Um, we were supposed to have a quote by the end

[1:21:09] of last week. We don't have that yet. Um, we we can't move forward without it.

[1:21:14] If we use the numbers [clears throat] from the community center ad hoc new

[1:21:19] build, I think it was $625 a square foot for a new build. Um, I'm

[1:21:25] not sure the square footage of the police station.

[1:21:28] I get that. So, we're talking more than we probably originally estimated, but I

[1:21:34] don't know the number. And we can't move forward without that number. We have to

[1:21:38] understand what it is we're being asked to spend as we have.

[1:21:41] » And when do you think you'll have that number? Cuz there's a number floating

[1:21:44] around town. I can tell you that right now. It's $38 million.

[1:21:48] » 38 million is the number I'm hearing. >> Yeah. That's a big number to all the

[1:21:53] time. >> I don't know the number. No one has come

[1:21:56] to me. Jay has not come to me yet. But I want that number by the end of this

[1:22:00] month because we want to move this process forward and it's gonna take

[1:22:03] months to get this to referendum. >> Anything else? Second question.

[1:22:09] » I forgot it now. >> Are we time to go to finance?

[1:22:12] » Yeah, it is time to go to finance. >> All right,

[1:22:16] » I'll stop if you remember it. >> Okay. um it's first month and it's not

[1:22:21] even a complete month in the budget that um revenues are fine that um it looks

[1:22:26] low for taxes but it's exactly where it was on the same day last year and since

[1:22:31] that came in we we've received millions um that um as far as the revenue

[1:22:37] expected revenue we had two grants that we received in after our budget was done

[1:22:43] one was a casino grant one time casino grant the other one was a supplemental

[1:22:48] education grant which I believe is one time. Um the selectman um discussed

[1:22:54] they'd like to add the additional education money to the education budget

[1:23:00] [clears throat] that um um it's not required. There's a

[1:23:04] formula. If you didn't go up by that amount of money, then you got to add it

[1:23:08] to the budget or the difference to the budget. But we did. Um um but that is is

[1:23:14] what they're thinking when they go through this. They didn't make any and

[1:23:18] it doesn't have to be done at any particular time. They didn't make any

[1:23:22] motions to do it. Just so you know their thinking. Uh interest rates, we're

[1:23:27] currently earning 3.72 to 3.75. Um the budget anticipated that we'll be

[1:23:34] getting 3.5 until November and 3.25. So we So as long as we're on target with

[1:23:40] the cash that we have, we should be um um good with the interest rates. Any

[1:23:46] questions on revenue? No. >> Uh expenditures? Nothing exciting.

[1:23:54] » Any questions on expenditures? >> All right. Um capital um we're looking

[1:24:00] for a transfer that the Canderwood Lake Road Causeway

[1:24:06] um is uh um we'd like to take the money out of small bridge repair and put it in

[1:24:13] there. This was something I discussed with Ralph because I didn't realize that

[1:24:17] he was just going to sit on that 65,000. So when he wanted to add money in his

[1:24:22] budget, I said, "No, use this first because it's bonded." And so we can't

[1:24:26] just sit on it until he he needs to use it 5,000 at a time or something. Uh and

[1:24:32] so he said, "Fine." So we want to move that out of the uh small bridge repair

[1:24:38] and into the causeway. that um the causeway um he got quotes um for an

[1:24:46] engineered block system um uh from a company we normally use and

[1:24:54] um the um engineer came in and doesn't want the engineered blocks or the state

[1:25:00] wouldn't allow the engineered blocks and so that um had to be replaced with rip

[1:25:07] wrap um and we went out to bid. The place we got the quote from didn't bid

[1:25:14] because they don't do rip wrap. They do engineered block. Um the other um bids

[1:25:20] came in between 275 and 450. We're looking at the low bidder. Um we've

[1:25:26] never used that vendor. Um they had good um references. Um and so that is um what

[1:25:34] we'd like to do. In addition, um they are saying that they have to have the

[1:25:40] police outside services um for lane closures. Ralph says he's anticipating

[1:25:47] doing this in October. He wants to add it to the budget, but hopefully he can

[1:25:52] save that cost because October is a slow time for his people and maybe he could

[1:25:58] use one police officer and one of his people or maybe two of his people um um

[1:26:04] could do the that instead. Um but for right now, this is worst case. Um

[1:26:12] uh there's um a six- wheeled dump truck, a $325,000

[1:26:17] or $33,000 dump truck. It's now 308,000. And um the guidance uh wing and roof air

[1:26:26] conditioner needs $567 more dollars to close it out. Any questions on that?

[1:26:36] on the on the causeway stuff. We're going to bring that into the October

[1:26:40] capital committee just to see if there's things we can learn about can we do the

[1:26:45] process better so we don't get surprised. I'm not I mean the the having

[1:26:51] police there when they were doing the repairs that probably should have been

[1:26:54] known. The fact that the solution that we were planning on for a couple years

[1:26:56] all of a sudden wasn't viable and might be something that we couldn't have seen.

[1:27:00] But we're going to try to see if there's anything we can do to prevent surprises

[1:27:04] like this going. >> I mean, it sounds like it was an

[1:27:07] engineered block versus something else problem. Who would have known that?

[1:27:10] » Yeah. Right.

[1:27:14] » Okay. >> But something about the water and that's

[1:27:16] why we couldn't use this. I >> Yeah. I mean, we're just volunte.

[1:27:24] » Exactly. [snorts] >> All right. Um and then audit update.

[1:27:29] They've been out for their preliminary work. Oh, this is from last last month.

[1:27:33] It was last month they were out. Uh they'll be back September 8th. Um and

[1:27:38] the audit engagement letter we put on hold last time and I sent it out at that

[1:27:43] meeting. Um no hurry in approving it, but um

[1:27:46] » it's out there. Um >> that's it.

[1:27:50] » Put it on hold business. I do have a question and I know Miheit asked to go

[1:27:53] but back two meetings ago when we talked about the board of ed money and moving

[1:27:59] it and everything else you said oh it's not going to affect our ratio of fund

[1:28:05] balance >> I had a calculation that that showed and

[1:28:09] I probably had one of these powerpoints that showed that um we thought with the

[1:28:15] revenue that is coming in a little higher and the expenditures that are

[1:28:20] coming in a little lower that we would still be at the same percentage like

[1:28:24] down to the to the tenth of a percent. >> Now, that was like I think 19 something

[1:28:30] if I remember correctly. >> Huh?

[1:28:33] » 19. >> So, then Steve mentioned that's we've

[1:28:36] got to flatten out at some point. What is our flatten out number? Is it going

[1:28:40] to be 20%, 21%. What is our thing? And then what is it going to take to

[1:28:46] maintain that if our budget goes up 3 1/2 to 4% a year? Because we sort of

[1:28:52] just like let it go and we didn't talk about each year the budget goes up the

[1:28:58] percentage if if the money remains the same our percentage dips. So, if we're

[1:29:02] going to make a statement like we're going to be flat, what is our flat

[1:29:05] number that we're going to work to? Because that's part of when we're doing

[1:29:08] the budget. And then how are we going to maintain that [music]

[1:29:12] within the budget? Because this year we just said, "Okay, it's just going to

[1:29:16] meet. It's okay." But yet, we're going to go up 3 and a half to 4% next year.

[1:29:20] How are we going to manage this? >> A fund balance policy,

[1:29:23] » right? You know, that's >> overdue in updating. So, it's up to you

[1:29:28] guys what that fund balance percent should be that um we should put on the

[1:29:33] agenda to update that because we were going to update it every 3 years and

[1:29:36] it's been about five or six. >> Okay, let me let me jump in here. My

[1:29:41] goal would be as first selection to have between 18 and 20%. That is above the

[1:29:46] average well above the average of most towns but it gives us significant

[1:29:51] resources in case something came up. [music] Your second question is, I

[1:29:56] think, the more difficult one because if our budget goes up 3% a year, we would

[1:30:02] want our fund balance to go up 3% just to keep it where it was. We've had a lot

[1:30:07] of good luck, not good luck, good planning, this board, my board in that

[1:30:11] we have always been under on our expenditures [music] and over on our

[1:30:15] revenue in the budget. So, we've been able to put a lot of those funds into

[1:30:20] that. They just roll into the general fund. that is going to be more difficult

[1:30:23] this year and I think it's going to be more difficult for the next two years

[1:30:28] coming. >> So we should plan for that and if we

[1:30:32] plan to say okay here's our budget next year

[1:30:37] and it's going up x amount and we just can't afford that we have to make it

[1:30:42] think about make a conscious decision of what's going to happen to our fund

[1:30:46] balance at least understand. So if we're at 20,

[1:30:51] » we should talk about it. We should have a meeting um agenda

[1:30:55] » September or October meeting. [music] Just just spend some time on this.

[1:30:58] » Yeah. >> Every indication and I've been doing

[1:31:01] this now for 10 years. This budgets we've had a lot of good news, a lot of

[1:31:06] good planning. This was the first year we teeter tottered.

[1:31:10] » Yeah, we're right >> with the salary negotiations on the

[1:31:14] board of ed side. We're struggling going to struggle with their needs. We're

[1:31:19] going to struggle with our own needs. We're going to struggle

[1:31:22] » and this is going to get away from us if we don't get on top of it because this

[1:31:26] is the first time we teeter. We're always gone up and now we talk

[1:31:30] plateauing and we said, "Oh, it's plateauing." But yet, if we're

[1:31:33] plateauing, we got to figure out the number we want to plateau at and then we

[1:31:37] got to fully understand what is it going to take get to keep it there because

[1:31:41] there was no sense building this thing to 19% to have it go to 14%. that that

[1:31:46] would be unacceptable in my >> in 2020. Our target was 18.

[1:31:50] » Okay. >> But um but we do have to look at

[1:31:53] » but we were at the low end of the target when we chose 18 I thought because we

[1:31:57] picked an attainable number if my memory and other towns were like 20 and like a

[1:32:02] little bit above 20 but we said let's pick a number we can achieve and

[1:32:06] readress it. Maybe I'm wrong. >> We had a chart way back two or three

[1:32:10] years ago that had all the towns on it. >> We need that updated. I don't know how

[1:32:13] to do that. >> Yes. So we definitely Dan made I don't

[1:32:16] know if you did it.

[1:32:21] » Thank you. >> But to your point just to hold our

[1:32:24] balance of $700,000 of additional >> I'm just saying we can't lose sight of

[1:32:29] that >> so much but that's a lot $700,000.

[1:32:31] » I know I'm freaking out. >> What I would like to hold off on that

[1:32:35] discussion and I'll tell you why we're going throughout

[1:32:40] residential properties have gone through the roof. It looks like commercial is

[1:32:45] not. That means if residentials go up 60 and

[1:32:50] commercial only goes up 20, we are going to be moving a significant portion of

[1:32:56] the tax burden from commercial to res. >> We already did that the last stream,

[1:32:59] Val, too. And it hurts. >> And and it wasn't this time. I think

[1:33:03] it's going to be more difficult. >> We should have indications

[1:33:08] in early September where those numbers are going. Not hard numbers, but

[1:33:12] indications from our reval company because that's going to affect how we do

[1:33:17] this too. That's if if we go like New Milford went 60% up on residential and

[1:33:23] 11 12 on commercial >> in New Milford, it meant that an average

[1:33:28] $400,000 house with no tax increases, we're going to get an increase of 16% in

[1:33:33] their taxes. We need to look at all of these things

[1:33:38] in conjunction with each other to see where we're going to end up.

[1:33:41] » All right. I think that's a good conversation to have and I perfect.

[1:33:45] » All right, everybody else. >> 24 is the last year we have fund

[1:33:49] balances. We can update for 2025. Um but this

[1:33:54] » where are we? The yellow. >> Uh we're the yellow. Um so we're kind of

[1:33:59] mid-range. This is AAA towns. >> Um

[1:34:03] » okay. All right. We'll put it on the agenda for next.

[1:34:06] » Can you send me this? Cuz I I um I think I have an older one

[1:34:10] » or I couldn't find maybe have it but I couldn't find it.

[1:34:12] » All right. >> Cuz the one I we used to show it at the

[1:34:15] at the annual meeting with the town. Those are in you know

[1:34:20] » whatever largest to small. So you can kind of see a lot easier where we

[1:34:23] » Yeah. And I can sort those when I'm not under pressure. No worries.

[1:34:26] » You found it under pressure. Pretty good.

[1:34:28] » Remind me when you ask anything. >> Uh anything else questions? Everybody

[1:34:32] good now? Glass you're good. All right, capital committee. You want to say

[1:34:35] anything? >> Yes, we're going to get together as I

[1:34:37] said on how it goes. >> All right. You got a date on that,

[1:34:40] right? >> Yeah, it's already calendared. I think

[1:34:42] it's the 13th. Double check. If you don't see on your calendar, let me know.

[1:34:45] But I think somebody sent it out. I think you send it out.

[1:34:48] » We'll go on to new business and I'll make a motion to approve the proposed

[1:34:52] transfers between projects in the bonded capital projects fund as shown on the

[1:34:58] attach report for the year end of 2026. Do I have a second? Looks like second.

[1:35:04] » Uh I think we discussed it with Marcia. We She went through the numbers. We're

[1:35:07] up. We're good with that. Moving. So hearing no more discussion. All in

[1:35:11] favor? I >> motion passes 5.

[1:35:16] » Oh, I skipped all business. The audit engagement letter, but I think she said

[1:35:20] it went out, right? >> It didn't go out.

[1:35:21] » It didn't went out to you guys. >> It went out to us. Then Brian wanted to

[1:35:24] read it. >> Yeah, which I did.

[1:35:25] » Okay. >> So, it's it's very detailed and they

[1:35:29] protect themselves well, but it's appropriate. So, yeah, I'm fine with it.

[1:35:32] We're good. >> All right. So, we don't have to discuss

[1:35:34] anymore. It's a done deal. Discuss. >> Um I I'll need your signature, but I

[1:35:37] when I I don't have it printed tonight, so I'll get you.

[1:35:41] » Thank you. >> Okay.

[1:35:43] » Uh other items >> hearing none.

[1:35:47] » There's nobody else here. I'll make a motion to adjurnn. Do I have a second?

[1:35:53] » All in favor? Bye >> bye.

[1:35:57] » We're still on video, so don't worry. >> If you would sign that one.

[1:36:02] » Thank you, Brian. >> Just happen to have it with me.

[1:36:07] Amen.

2026-08-12 Board of Finance

Transcript