uh 605.
But
>> have the minutes recognized that
Kerianne was duly elected appropriately
by the voters at the time and that
subsequent acts have created this
incompatibility with office and then you
can accept her. It's
>> taking attendance. We have Brian. No.
John, yes. Dane Collins, no. Dlinsky
is remote.
S is here.
No, Stone. Yes. Yes. And Harry
Sandel is a yes.
One, two, three, four, five.
Six.
» Who's that?
>> This is Jim Swift.
>> Yeah. Tell him to uh give us call back
and five minutes.
>> We'll call him. Hello, Jim.
All right. So, we have a call.
>> We're just getting we're just getting
started with the meeting. We got a few
things to take care of and then when
it's your when we get to the candidates,
I'll give you a call right back.
>> Okay. Yeah, sure. Thank you.
>> Um,
first order of business is to approve
the minutes from January 31.
I'm going to take you under other
business.
Okay.
>> [laughter]
>> Hey, approve minutes. January 31.
Got a motion to accept minutes.
>> Second.
>> Any comments?
All those in favor?
>> Do a roll call.
>> Oh, I got Oh, we got Mr. Duplinsky.
Sorry. Remote. So,
>> if you agree that um we're going to have
uh remote to u
allow remote members to vote.
» Well, they they can vote anyway. You
just have to do a roll call vote,
>> right?
>> All right. So, then we're going to do
we're just going to do a roll call on
all of our votes tonight.
>> Yes.
>> Okay.
>> All right. This is on the minutes. Mr.
Berseron.
>> Yes.
>> Mr. Duplinsky.
>> Yes.
>> Thank you. Sal. Yes. Mr. Reese.
>> Yes.
>> Mr. Stone.
>> Yes.
>> Sand Del.
>> Yes.
>> Thank you. Okay. Next door to
businesses. Uh, election of officers. We
have three officers. We have a
president.
We have a vice or we have a chair.
Excuse me. We have a vice chair.
And we have a secretary.
First we'll replace the current version
of that which is Persia
Reese
Persia. Sorry
>> and Reese.
Okay. Accept any motions for the chair.
Anybody want to
>> I move the existing slate.
>> You move the entire slate.
>> Right.
>> Do I have a second on that?
>> Yes. Okay. Any discussion on that?
All those in favor
roll call. Excuse me. Okay. John,
>> yes.
Tom,
>> yes.
>> Percy, yes. Reese,
>> yes.
Stone,
>> yes.
>> Dandel,
>> yes.
>> Thank you very much. We have a new set
of
next order of business. Representative
to the CIP committee last year was
Persia. have any
nominations for that? Anybody?
>> I nominate Percy.
» All right. Any discussion about that?
>> Great job. Thank you. Keep it up.
[clears throat]
>> Thank you. Okay. Appreciate that, Billy.
I do have um All right. Roll call on
that. Mr. Berseron,
>> yes.
>> Mr. Duplinsky,
>> yes.
>> Percy abstains. Reese?
>> Yes.
>> Stone?
>> Yes.
>> Sandell?
>> Yep.
Okay.
Uh, just generally can meeting our
meeting schedules. Can we all do
Wednesdays again? That okay? I I Well,
>> Shane, it's not a
>> I have a conflict on this.
>> Well, no, we finished the year on
Wednesdays.
>> Did you?
>> Yes, we did.
>> Not in my world. [laughter]
>> First Wednesday of the month, I have a
conflict.
>> Okay. So, let's do the second and the
fourth.
How's that? That works for you. That
works for me.
>> Anybody have any problems with the
second and fourth Wednesday of the month
when we get around to starting them
sometime in God knows when? [laughter]
>> September, right?
>> Way probably, you know, August at least.
Maybe September. Aren't you going to be
living in town by now?
[laughter]
>> I already bought all the vacant land
around the lake. So,
>> he knows that there's an influx of
people. All right. So
all right that is okay. Is that okay
everybody with that everybody? All
right.
» So same as the board.
>> Yeah. Yes.
>> Not that it matters but it's okay with
me by the way. [laughter]
» Come. You're paid.
>> No conflict. You be
>> you are invaluable.
>> I'm a scrier. We are nothing.
>> Exactly. [laughter] Before we do that,
do we know if Sadi is doing anything
whiteboard wise on second important?
>> That's Tuesday. I don't know if there's
other stuff. The meetings are Tuesdays.
>> The people who are absent, they tell us
we got a problem. In which case, we got
to reconsider.
>> Yeah, we can reconsider. Get a answer.
But for now, let's just put that down,
not hard stone.
>> Exactly. Yeah.
>> Okay.
>> Everything we do, we can do.
>> Okay. The uh next order of business is
uh try to fill the open
position that we have coming up.
>> Maybe we should first have an open
position. I guess
do you have something to say to us?
>> I need to resign from the budget
committee.
>> Oh,
okay. And the reason for that would be
personal
>> personal
Well, she's incompatible with ser as a
function of statute.
>> She's she now has a job as the finance
director of the town. So, I get that
she's ineligible in that context.
All right. So, we will have to
gracefully accept your resignation.
Sorry to hear that out. Jack.
Yes. Next, we have
candidates. Any are there any candidates
to be uh considered here? We have one uh
Mr. Swift.
Ellie, are you going to be in the
>> Yeah, but I was just wondering, do you
need to do your redo your quorum thing
first?
» No. No. Okay. All right.
>> We open the meeting with the quorum and
>> Okay. All right. That's fine. Okay.
>> Walked out.
>> No. A couple people asked me to put my
name in. So, I don't know if you want me
or not. But,
>> well, I think
>> if you if you don't want me to tell you
what to do, then you don't want me
because I have a knowit all, you know,
and I do know the law. So, but nobody
else here has any training but me as far
as I know except for Jack.
>> Yeah.
>> So, if you want me to go through, I can
tell you my whole life story. My
>> You don't need your life story. I think
we you you've already given us a really
good reason why we would want you on the
committee.
>> Thank you. Is there anything else you
would like to say?
>> I'll just say I'm a I'm a nonpracticing
CPA. I have a doctorate in finance,
economics, and math. I have 21 years of
experience on the budget committee of
the town budget committee. I have eight
years experience on the school budget
committee and more than eight years as
cemetery trustee.
So,
>> I've worked as a college professor and a
bunch of other things.
>> Impressive. Anybody have any questions
for Miss Davis?
All right. We do have one other
candidate. Um, but before we get him,
let me uh read his uh [clears throat]
who he is.
Got a blur for him.
name is James Smith. He lives on N
Swift. He lives on 94 Peninsula Road.
And
he's a he's been an attorney with the
law firm of Langro Berry Wool
of Mberry in Burlington, Vermont for the
last 44 years. His practice includes
litigation, estate planning, real
estate, and business transactions.
He served as managing partner of the
firm for 20 years. He's served on
numerous boards of charitable
organizations including Henry S Museum,
middlebury Amateur Hockey Association,
Mbury Cemetery Association, Addison
County United Way, Arrow Streets Arts
LLC, Milbury Middlebury Community House,
Congregation Church of Mbury, North
Chapel Universalist Society, and various
others. He's been a permanent resident
of can since April of 25 and is retiring
from his firm this summer.
So that's gentleman.
>> What's his name again, please?
>> James W. Swift and the firm of Langrock
Berry and Middlebury
>> and the position
that we're talking about here.
>> Oh, this is the uh to replace the
recently resigned uh position position.
>> Pleasure committee member. budget
committee memb
we have the existing budget committee
has is has the authority to appoint
somebody and then they serve until the
next town meeting they just serve until
the balance of the year till the next
meeting
>> and then they would have to have
[clears throat] to be elected
>> do any of us know this gentleman
>> yes
>> I think Tom knows. I I know him a little
bit, but Tom knows him the most.
>> Yeah. [clears throat]
>> Hey, Ellie, I have a question for you.
After the uh we interview this
gentleman, would you be willing to leave
the room so we can discuss it without
you in the room?
>> No, we have to do it in public.
>> Well, I don't have to. Um I believe that
uh
I believe you can help me out with this
because you know all the rules.
>> Yeah. There's something called 91-8.3
non-public sessions and it applies to
all public bodies.
Um says you shall not meet except for
one of the purposes in p in non-public
session except for one of the purposes
set out in paragraph two. One of those items is item C. matters
which if discussed in public would
likely affect adversely the reputation
of any person other than member of the
public body itself unless such person
requests an open meeting.
>> I'm requesting an open meeting.
>> Okay, that's fine. We can do that.
>> But I'm already an elected official. So
>> I'm sorry.
>> I said I'm already an elected official.
So I think whatever I do should be
public.
>> That's fine. That's why I'm asking. We
can't do it. We have the authority.
>> Yeah. Yeah. Okay.
>> Okay. I guess I've never had it done
that way.
>> I know, but I did my homework.
>> Okay.
All right. So, let's get uh Mr.
Swift on the phone and see what he's got
to say.
» Here is do the best. I got it out as
loud as I can. Okay. I'll put on
speaker. Yeah. Good idea.
Hi, this is Jim.
>> Hi, Jim. It's Michael Reese here.
>> Hey, Michael.
>> Okay, so um I guess we're gonna have You
can't get on team, so we're gonna we'll
do it this way as best we can. Uh S, our
chairperson, just read uh your bio for
everybody.
>> Yep.
>> And we have uh five members. We have a
few absentes absences to today, but we
have five members of the board here and
one other candidate also in the room who
has been on the budget committee before,
Kelly Davis. She's in the room also
along with the town the town
administrator and the finance man.
>> Y
>> I don't know. Can everybody hear?
>> Oh, you're right. And of course our
minist
I'm just going to put the phone down and
I guess we'll invite him to
>> Yeah. Just if you just like to address
the group and and you know tell us a
little about a little bit more about
yourself and why you're interested in
the position. All right. Thank you.
>> Sure. Sure. Well, uh, Chip Swift. Um,
I'm a lawyer. Uh, been practicing in
Vermont for 42 years and, uh, retiring
at, uh, the end of June. Uh, but, uh,
Diane and I, uh, my wife moved to, uh,
Kanan about a year ago in April. And um
uh you know I'm interested in doing my
civic duty of of uh trying to
participate in local government and uh
bring whatever knowledge I have from all
the various things that I've done um to to help the town. um you know
[snorts] the things that I've done is
basically uh managing a 24 attorney
uh 60 employee um law firm for 20 years
and u you know fortunately have handed
off the torch on that been involved in
lots of uh various boards
um Madison County United Way etc etc so
I I'm thinking that uh this be a good
fit for me as I eased my retirement. So
that's basically my thoughts.
>> Okay. Anybody have any questions for Mr.
Swift?
» So you went you went through the list of
his experience items. Yeah.
>> And there were several municipal things
there. Could you repeat the municipal
items or maybe maybe Jim can
» government? But I have been um involved
in municipal light things including the
uh Addison County United Way which uh
you know for 15 years I was on their
board uh dealing with uh you know how the money is raised and then
dispersed and uh evaluating uh proposals
for dispersement and uh so so I think
that's valuable for the budget
committee. Um, I also have been
I god forbid but but uh sort of the
chief financial officer for the Mbury
Cemetery Association where we have a um
you know endemic of over $750,000
dealing with the u expenses and and uh
proposals [snorts] for that. Um so
things like that is is what I've I've
been involved in as well as um of course
uh being managing partner of a firm of
you know multi-million dollar budget
know having to deal with contractors and
it and all that stuff. [snorts] Um, so
you know, I've been involved in
budgeting over over uh many of the
facets of of my career.
>> Um, I do have another question for you,
Jim. Um, we uh we will be meeting on
Wednesdays, the second and fourth
Wednesdays of the month at 6:00 PM here
in town. Um,
>> starting
end of June is my official retirement
date.
>> Yeah. Um but uh we we will start meeting
somewhere around the middle of September
official, you know, meetings and that
will run um all the way through the end
of January.
Um so will you be available at those
times and dates that we're going to be
meeting efficiently enough to be able to
participate effectively?
>> Yeah.
>> Yes. Like I said, um I'll be retiring
and you know, right now I'm in Mbury. I
work three days a week in Middbury and
uh Mondays and Fridays remotely from Kanan. Uh but at the end of June, I
will be uh stepping down from the firm
and uh full-time in Kanan. So yeah,
that's good.
>> Okay. All right.
Any other
question? Sure. For us, I guess are are
we able to increase the number from 10
to something else? Not without you know
some other kind of
>> why would birth would you want to do
that
>> just if we wanted 11 or 12 on the budget
that's
>> you have nine now
>> nice to have an odd number but I think
nine's quite
>> well the town statute calls for 10 is
that correct Ellie
>> really
>> no it well nine it calls for nine at
large number selected numbers and then
the selectment choose a representative
>> it's just the
>> state doesn't count
>> just like all the other public bodies to
pick a person that they can't serve then
they can pick somebody else to take
their place.
>> Was that a warrant article?
>> No, that's in the law.
>> Stat
reads 32 again, John.
>> Okay. [laughter]
>> Because some towns have less, but it's
usually a multiple of three. So like
some towns have three, some towns have
six. Some towns have only an advisory
committee. In that case, I think you can
do whatever you want.
>> But
all right. Anything else?
Uh, okay. So, Jim, you're welcome to
stay on the line if you like. We're
going to be discussing voting on this in
a few seconds here.
>> Okay.
>> So, anybody have any thoughts?
We kind of have a Sophie's choice here
because we [laughter] we have I would
say very capable candidate on the phone
and we have a very capable candidate
that has served in the past in
>> and that's why I was asking about 11
because it would be nice to have them
both
>> because I don't think there's a bad
choice here at all. Yeah.
[clears throat]
» Nope.
>> Um,
I liked Jim's resume and I liked what he
had to say and I think
fresh face would be advantageous. Fresh
first participant
sort of expanding the the universe of of
uh activist
uh residents in town.
Tom, you got something you want to say?
Anything?
>> Yeah. Uh, so I I basically support uh
Jim. I've known him actually for more
over three years and interacting with
him with our community over on Goosebond
and I, you know, uh, have we've
interacted and I know his credentials.
So I I'm supporting I would support Jim.
Yeah. Can I say one other thing is I
think
this is too male dominated. You have no
elected female members.
» Okay. We had one she had one. She
resigned.
Doesn't want to hang out with us. You
don't know why you do, but that's
[laughter]
» But John, you had something
>> want to say something?
>> Yeah. Uh just reading the laws RSA 3215.
Yep.
>> Budget committee committee cons shall
consist of three to 12 members at large
who may be elected or appointed by the
moderator.
>> Oh,
>> as a town or district uh adopting the
provision of this subdivision shall by
vote determined. So it says it can be
greater than what we have now, but the
town meeting has to do it.
>> Oh, the town meeting. So it said it says
the uh
as the town or district adopting the the
provision of this subdivision shall vote
to
shall vote determined.
» Can you have an alternate?
>> You have an alternate John? You know
>> I'm reading.
» We did that. We've done that on the
cemetery trust building.
I' I've never seen that. Means we should
have had a warrant article to pick the
number.
>> Yeah.
>> And I've never seen that.
>> You mean the budget committee had to
have a warrant article to pick the
number?
>> Yeah.
>> Well, that would have been a 1948.
>> Yeah.
>> Were you around in 1948?
>> No.
You probably didn't see it
>> before I started the minutes.
>> We've always had that many. All right.
>> You can't fix that now.
>> We can't fix that now. Right.
[clears throat]
So,
>> I don't see any mention of all things.
>> Okay.
All right. Any other comments, thoughts,
quips, or quotes?
» Well, I hope whatever happens that the
other candidate would attend continue to
attend budget committee meetings and you
know, I mean, in this particular case,
Ellie comes to the meetings and she's
been a big help.
>> In a way, it's almost a a way to expand
the body without expanding the body.
>> Well, I haven't been. I only went to one
this year or two.
I went to the public hearing.
>> Move the question.
>> Okay, let's move the question. Jack
wants to go home. Go ahead. You have
something else you want to say?
>> Just let's go.
» Let's go. Says Mr. Stone. He's not
dealing well. All right. Let's take a
vote on this. Uh Mr. Berseron,
>> vote for Ellie. Ellie,
Mr. Duplinsky,
>> Jim Swift,
» Mr. Reese, I'm gonna say Jim Swift, but
I don't want Ellie to be mad at me, but
» Jim Swift.
>> I can't state how important you are to
the group. I'm gonna vote for Ellie, but
that's a three to two for Mr. Swift.
Well, when I talked to Gold Sale, Mr.
Swift,
>> you're now a member of uh I'm sorry.
Just give me one second. Mr. You've been
appointed to the budget committee
training, Mr. Swift.
>> Okay, that's great.
>> All right. And uh what I need you to do
is I need you to send me your email.
>> I can I will
>> um And my email is S Perc
go
» spelled like it sounds.
>> Yeah. s p
i aat.net.
» But Mike Reese will send it to you.
>> Mike,
[laughter]
>> he's on my email.
>> Ellie, thank you so much.
>> I forgot what I was going to say now.
Oh, I because I for both you and Mike.
It's nobody else, so I couldn't probably
wouldn't have bogged it, but um that's
it. That's all I wanted to say. Thank
you.
Okay. [clears throat] Um, okay. Any
other business?
We have any other business?
>> I I just wanted to ask um we did last
year start on September 18th was so
probably that same uh you're thinking
we'll be
>> Well, I need to sit with Jack. Uh we we
don't know whether we will have a
permanent town man town administrator in
place by then. We don't know what's
going to go on.
>> Okay. uh act, you know, uh but I will be
sitting down with Jack and uh we'll
start to work out a schedule of when
people can show up and carry in as well
and figure out what she'll be ready to,
you know, do other little parts and
pieces,
>> but you know, because
>> I I might suggest you you you um we can
talk about it.
>> [clears throat]
>> It might be good to start earlier in the year and and give enough time for
the department heads to come in and and
expend my my recollection from a few
years ago got pretty crowded
schedulewise wise.
>> Well, we did pretty well last year. We
got through it pretty well. I think the
CIP committee wants to get going
earlier.
>> Okay, that's fine, too.
>> Right. And that'll bring the department
heads in for their capital requirements.
Right.
>> Right.
>> And then, you know, whenever you guys
are ready, we can
>> I mean, we're ready to start. It's
really a question of when the department
heads have all their
>> focus on perhaps getting information out
to you sooner.
>> I like the
>> I'm happy to make it less crowded. Yeah.
>> So, we can do shorter meetings,
>> right?
>> You know, I'm happy to do that, Ellie.
Well, I just look at the calendar
because of you switching to second and
fourth. You're actually like a week
ahead of
>> Yeah.
>> So, it's the 10th and the TW. You have
two meetings.
>> The 10th and the 24th is enough.
>> Yeah. We'll we'll we'll work it out.
>> Okay. Well, I have to come in because
I'm on the cemetery trustee. So, we'll
have to come in, too. So, I kind of I'm
sorry. It would be the 9th and the 23rd.
Sorry.
>> That's all right. Thank you. All right.
So, yeah, we'll do that. Any other
business? I do have one thing that I do
want to talk about quickly and then and
just so you can think start thinking
about it. Um last year at the um public
session of the budget committee, we had
one person show up. We had two um
warrants fail
requirement for the funding of police
cruisers and stuff [snorts] and uh the
town government buildings.
And I think part of that um was a lack
of information and education to you know
the town basically about what it's
about. So, I would like us to start to
think about whether or not I mean I'll
do it myself if I have to, but um I
would like to go out and go out and
after we've completed the uh budget have a proposed budget and
Lawrence, I would like to some of the
groups in town and the Lions Club and
any other ones that have, you know,
sufficient enough people that we can
visit with and talk to them about budget
because if we wait for them to come to
us, they're not going to come to us.
So, I would like to, you know, see if we
can start to go out and talk to people
about what the budget is and why it is
what it is and why we're recommending
what we're recommending. So, just put
that in the back of your heads.
I'll see if we can get somebody on. Um,
any other
>> the other thing is to consider moving
things from warrant articles into the
main budget if it's a critical item that
you really want.
>> Yeah. stick it in the main budget
because they may have a higher
probability of passing and this the
trouble with building account is you're
not really telling them what they what
you're going to use it for.
>> That's what I'm getting at.
>> Yeah. Great.
>> That's that is the the big give us a
slush fund. No, you can't have
>> we don't want a slush fund. We already
have a slush fund called the the
community center capital reserve which
by the way it's got about 270 grand in
it. Can't even get at it because it's
specific purpose thing. Well, it was
also set up improperly.
>> Yeah, of course.
>> The money the money didn't go where
supposed to.
>> All right. Well, that's good. So,
everybody wants to go home. Uh, I'll
entertain a motion to adjourn.
>> So, move.
>> Second.
>> All those in favor?
>> I thank you very much.
>> Roll call.
>> Oh, jeez. Sorry, Mr. Beron.
>> Yes.
>> Mr. Dlinsky,
>> yes.
>> Percy, yes. Reese,
>> yes. Stone,
>> yes.
>> Uh, that's it. Swift and Mr. Swift
>> actually need to say yes.
>> He has to get sworn in too.
>> Yeah, we'll get beauty.
>> [clears throat]