[0:00] Hello everybody. There you go. Looking for a little sound.

[0:05] Okay. Noting a quorum and a successful return of the warrant.

[0:12] I call this special town meeting to order.

[0:18] I'm Jimmy Reor. I'm your moderator.

[0:23] » It's good to see you all. To my right, your left, we have the

[0:29] select board, town administrator, town council.

[0:35] To my left and your right, we have town clerk, we have finance committee,

[0:42] personnel committee. We have anybody from there? Okay. Finance committee.

[0:48] So this is the way this works.

[0:54] The purpose of a town meeting is to conduct the yearly business of a town or

[0:59] by and or twice a year from the budget and finance committee

[1:08] to material needs Conway whether it be fire, EMS, police department or

[1:15] administrative needs, corrections in addition to town policies or bylaws are

[1:20] just keeping the town compliant. with the ever changing world we live in.

[1:25] How town meeting works. You have received the town warrant and a warrant

[1:30] light. Each warrant article is the town's suggestion on how we deal with

[1:34] each topic covered by a warrant article. Each article will be read in order of

[1:40] listening on the warrant. After each is read, the select board will enter a

[1:44] motion for consideration to the floor, after which a second to the motion will

[1:49] be asked for. If a further explanation of the motion is needed, the principal

[1:55] most able to explain will try to do just that.

[2:00] The floor will then open for discussion on the motion. Speakers must be

[2:04] residents or gained permission to speak. To speak, you must raise your hand and

[2:12] be recognized by the moderator before moving to or being handed a

[2:18] microphone. We do have a microphone and a runner today who will approach you.

[2:23] State your name and please keep your comments to within a twominut period.

[2:30] During discussion, some behavior is unacceptable and may cause you to

[2:34] forfeit your right to speak. Vulgarity and personal attacks will not be

[2:39] tolerated. Raising your voice and talking taking over the talking over the

[2:45] two-minute mark may also cause the same end result. The moderator would like to

[2:51] limit each citizen to speaking only once per

[2:56] article. During discussion of each article,

[3:00] please keep in mind that if someone else has a different opinion than you, it

[3:05] doesn't mean they're wrong. It just means their life experiences have led

[3:10] them to a different conclusion. During discussion, we may decide to vote

[3:16] on an article as is or amend it or change it. We could also decide to table

[3:22] it, put it aside to another time. Each article is open to many parliamentary

[3:27] motions and these are outlined in the handbook town meeting time published by

[3:32] the Massachusetts moderators association in 1962

[3:37] and recently re uh redone for the fourth time

[3:43] by town meeting vote in 23. >> So that's how we're going to run.

[3:51] » Sure.

[3:54] Okay. So, let's start with article one >> real quick. I'm sorry. Um, when you're

[4:00] looking at the uh votes between different boards and committees, you'll

[4:05] see three numbers in some cases. The first number will be yay. Second number

[4:09] nay, and third number just means absent. Committee members

[4:14] test the clickers. Voting clickers.

[4:21] » Are we doing a test run? >> Uh uh. You want to do a test?

[4:25] » Okay. Green is yes. Red is no. Yellow is abstain. So,

[4:34] » let's have a test. [snorts] >> Let's have a test.

[4:39] Let's vote.

[4:42] » We vote on your shirt. [laughter] >> Sure.

[4:56] » [laughter]

[4:58] » Okay, we look like everything's coming through. Great.

[5:05] » Close the Okay, >> article one. I move that the town vote

[5:10] to appropriate and transfer to the general fund $537,857

[5:17] for the purchase of a new ambulance as presented in the warrant.

[5:24] Oh, do I need to read the Okay. Um 400 uh 451

[5:30] 64 $451,641 will come from the ambulance

[5:34] stabilization fund. $40,000 from the ambulance reserve for receipts fund.

[5:40] $46,216 from free cash.

[5:49] » Do I have a motion? >> That's your motion.

[5:53] » That's my motion. Yes. [laughter] >> What do I need for a motion?

[5:57] » Second. >> Thank you. We have a motion and second.

[6:01] Let's open it up for discussion.

[6:06] Daryl Chase 904.

[6:09] » Daryl Chase 904 Bars Fairy Road. Could you let us know how much is in free cash

[6:13] at this time? >> Yes. Yes. That is

[6:24] the free cash that was certified for this year is $894,273.

[6:32] Any

[6:36] other discussion?

[6:40] Okay, let's vote.

[6:55] Five more seconds.

[7:00] Voting is closed.

[7:05] The motion passes. 64 five against one abstension.

[7:15] Article two. >> I move that the town vote to appropriate

[7:19] and transfer $125,000 from free cash to the general fund to cover the increased

[7:24] cost of health insurance for town employees in FY26.

[7:32] Second. Thank you. Let's open it to discussion.

[7:45] » Hello, Carl Anderson from 291 Riley Road. I was just wondering what

[7:49] percentage increase that number represents.

[7:54] » About this is about 10%.

[7:59] I >> think it's a $900,000 line.

[8:04] » 20% >> since Jan.

[8:07] » Yeah. Okay. So, what happened is that for October 1st, the it the um increase

[8:12] was 20%. And it had also been 20% for July 1st. So, this amount actually

[8:19] represents about a tenth of the budget. It's about 900,000 just shy of a million

[8:24] I think for employees um costs. So I think although it may be less for

[8:32] that may be the total employee benefit line. Sorry.

[8:37] Any other discussion? Okay, let's vote on article two.

[8:54] Five more seconds. >> 20 in July and 20 in October.

[8:58] » Voting is closed.

[9:03] » Article two passes. 60 yes, seven no.

[9:14] » Article three. I move that the town vote to appropriate and transfer $38,025

[9:20] from free cash to the general fund to pay for necessary upgrades to the town's

[9:24] electronic infrastructure.

[9:29] I have a second discussion.

[9:38] Oh,

[9:42] » discussion one last time.

[9:48] Kenwat 72 Parson Hill Drive. What exactly is this for electronic upgrades?

[9:56] This is mostly for hardware. Um when the town voted this summer to um move to a

[10:04] managed IT services. uh the the quote that we were given. It turns out when

[10:10] they came in and started to do some of the necessary upgrades, our hardware was

[10:15] not actually sufficient to support the the changes that need to be made.

[10:23] » Any other discussion?

[10:28] Let's vote on article three.

[10:38] Five more seconds.

[10:43] Voting is closed.

[10:48] Article three passes. 60 yes, eight no, three abstensions.

[10:58] Article four. I move that the town vote to appropriate

[11:02] and transfer $3,500 from free cash to the general fund to pay for the purchase

[11:07] of public street lights.

[11:12] » We have motion in a second. Any discussion?

[11:20] » Okay, let's vote. Article four.

[11:33] Five more seconds.

[11:37] Voting is closed.

[11:41] [snorts] Motion passes. 59 yes, 10 no, one abstension.

[11:50] Article five. I move that the town vote to appropriate and transfer $23,636

[11:56] from free cash to the general fund to pay back stipend payments to a town

[12:00] employee.

[12:05] » Second. >> I have a second

[12:09] discussion.

[12:18] Michelle Har Michelle Harris 99 Shelurn Falls Road. Who is this for? What is it

[12:24] for? >> Can you take that one, Bernique?

[12:27] » Yeah, I'm H. So, what happened is um when I prepare the budget every year, I

[12:35] add in what was expended in the prior year. And I happened to notice this past

[12:42] year that the amount that was excuse me put in for a stipend for this person was

[12:48] not the amount that was paid out and there was a big discrepancy. So then I

[12:52] went back and got the information about how many years has this gone on. The

[12:56] problem was that there was an increase that happened in the stipend but it

[13:00] never got translated properly through the process. So instead of being paid

[13:05] the increased stipen, this person was just getting a cola increase on the

[13:10] lower amount from earlier on. So this had gone on for 10 years. Um so what

[13:17] we're trying to do is just do the right thing and make the payments that were

[13:21] supposed to have been made all this time.

[13:26] Any other discussion?

[13:30] Okay, let's vote on article five.

[13:40] Five more seconds.

[13:45] Voting is closed.

[13:49] Article five passes. 70 yes, three no. Two abstensions.

[13:57] Article six. I move that the town vote to appropriate and transfer the balance

[14:02] of funds previously appropriated for transfer station repaving to pay for new

[14:06] Conway Mall expenses and right to farm signs as presented in the warrant.

[14:12] » Second. >> I have a second discussion. Article six.

[14:22] Oh, >> the two of us.

[14:30] » Yeah. So, I'm Susan Schroeder and I live on Maggie Drive and um Carl's over there

[14:36] because he is part of this project. In 2017, the town voted to be a right to

[14:42] farm town and we started working on creating uh the signs to go with that so

[14:49] that there would be a an appropriate visibility of the fact that one of the

[14:53] primary characters of Conway is farming. Um but our commission agricultural

[14:58] commission sort of fell apart and the project ended. We've revised it. I've

[15:03] been working with Veraneique and our artist is Amy Anderson and uh we have

[15:08] some beautiful signs and we'd like to get them up on the roads. They'll be on

[15:12] six of the entrance roads coming into town. Thank you.

[15:20] » Any other discussion?

[15:24] » All right, let's vote Article Six.

[15:34] Five more seconds.

[15:38] Voting is closed.

[15:43] Article six passes. 62 yes, 11 no, two abstensions.

[15:50] Article 7. I move that the town vote to appropriate and transfer $7,000 from

[15:56] free cash to the general fund to cover the additional cost of hiring an

[15:59] accounting firm for February through June of FY26.

[16:06] » Second. >> I have a second

[16:10] discussion.

[16:16] » Pamela Gilmore, 194 River Street. Uh, is $7,000 the accounting fee for four

[16:22] months of services? >> Yes, it is.

[16:27] » Wow. >> No, I'm I'm sorry. Just to c That's how

[16:30] much additional we will need in the budget line.

[16:33] » There was funding there. This is just what we need to add on top of that. Um,

[16:38] » I want to say it's about 3500 a month or that's I'm sorry, that's what it will

[16:46] be I believe in the next year. But in any case, yes, it's just an addition to

[16:50] the line that we already have to cover the cost.

[16:54] » Any other discussion?

[16:58] Let's vote on article 7.

[17:08] Five more seconds. Voting is closed.

[17:16] Article 7 passes. 63 yes, 10 no. Two extensions.

[17:23] Article eight. >> I move that the town vote to appropriate

[17:27] and transfer $7,211 from free cash to the general fund to

[17:31] partially cover the cost of replacing a fence along Weightley Road at the ball

[17:35] field. >> Second.

[17:39] » We have a second. Discussion.

[17:45] Okay, let's vote on article 8.

[18:02] Five more seconds.

[18:08] Voting is closed.

[18:12] Article 8 passes. 57 yes, 10 no, two extensions.

[18:24] » Article nine. >> I move that the town vote to appropriate

[18:28] and transfer the remainder of the following funds. $50,565

[18:33] from the highway facility fund, 46 thou 46,236

[18:39] from the highway storage building fund, and $8,000 from the purchase of the boom

[18:43] lift to the general fund to pay for the replacement of the public safety

[18:47] building garage roof and other costs associated with the public safety

[18:50] building.

[18:54] » I have a second discussion.

[19:03] Okay, let's vote on article 9.

[19:09] » I know, right?

[19:12] Five more seconds.

[19:17] » Voting is closed.

[19:22] Article 9 passes. 70 yes, five nos, two extensions.

[19:30] Article 10. >> I move that the town vote to appropriate

[19:35] and transfer $24,321 from free cash to the general fund to

[19:39] pay for an American with Disabilities Act self-evaluation of town properties.

[19:47] » Second. >> Second discussion.

[19:57] Jane Roy Brown, six Parsons Road. I just want to know what self- evvaluation

[20:02] means in this context, please.

[20:07] » So, excuse me. It means that the town is looking at itself and all of its

[20:12] different facilities and things including the website um to come up with

[20:17] a plan for how to make sure that the all the town properties are accessible. This

[20:22] was done back I want to say in 2018. Um and it is a requirement for us to be

[20:27] able to apply for other grants from um the uh municipal office of disability

[20:35] with the state. So we have to have the self-evaluation in place. It has to be

[20:39] updated for us to be able to apply. This is actually a precursor to applying for

[20:44] a Lula lift for town hall. So that's not to mention the fact that it's something

[20:50] that we need to be doing. [laughter]

[21:01] » Howdy. I'm Mary Mcccleintoch. I live right down the hill on 116. Um will

[21:06] there be an opportunity for people in town in this self-evaluation process to

[21:11] have input, public input? >> Yes. And we'll be told that through the

[21:15] Conway currents or >> how will we know?

[21:19] » Yes, I can absolutely do that. Yes. >> Yeah, that would be great. I have

[21:23] opinions. I'd love to share them. [laughter]

[21:32] » Any other discussion? >> Vote on. [laughter]

[21:38] » We [snorts] have one over here, Jenny.

[21:44] get away from that speaker Michelle Harris 99 Shelurn Falls Road. So, is

[21:49] this if it's a self-evaluation, is this somebody's

[21:54] salary in every town property that I can think of is handicap accessible? So,

[21:59] does this include state forests or the new parks that are being built?

[22:07] » No. Um so this is would be hiring um a company to perform this evaluation with

[22:13] us. It will include the school particularly because the school is the

[22:17] emergency shelter. Um and again and so it'll include town hall town offices. Um

[22:24] the new public safety building shouldn't be a problem because it's being built

[22:27] right now. So it's to standards. Also the the parks and the ball fields um and

[22:32] the website. It's basically to ensure that all of these things are completely

[22:37] accessible and these things do change over time. Um the requirements and also

[22:42] the capabilities to um ensure accessibility. So

[22:47] » long-term goal is to not be in the town offices. So once the public safety

[22:52] building is completed, the fire department and police department can

[22:56] then move their offices over there and um then we can go into town hall. Town

[23:02] Hall does not have a lift. So, you know, the some of the offices will be

[23:07] upstairs. So, there's going to need to be a lift in that building.

[23:16] » Hi, Elizabeth Stowe. Um, Deerfield Road, South Deerfield Road. Um, am I right in

[23:23] assuming that this is not just physical disability when you say uh it's things

[23:27] like sight, hearing, an array of disabilities? Yes. Okay. Thank you.

[23:35] » Any other discussion? >> Let's vote on article 10.

[23:49] Five more seconds.

[23:54] Voting is closed. Article 10 passes. 69. Yes. 8 no one

[24:02] abstension. Article 11.

[24:07] » I move that the town vote to approve the payment out of the FY26 information

[24:11] technology budget $23.72 for Comcast invoices from FY25.

[24:19] » Second. >> I have a second. Discussion.

[24:26] Let's vote on article 11.

[24:33] » [snorts]

[24:35] » It is a >> five more seconds.

[24:38] » I know I didn't screw around. >> Voting is closed.

[24:45] Article 11 passes. 68 yes, eight no. One abstension.

[24:53] Article 12. I move that the town vote to appropriate or reserve for later

[24:57] appropriation $69,000 from the community preservation fund for use by the Conway

[25:02] Cemetery Association for removal of overgrown trees that are threatening

[25:06] ancient gravestones in the oldest part of historic Howland Cemetery.

[25:13] » There's a second discussion.

[25:22] My name is John Cordis. Um 67 Upper Baptist Hill Road. Um

[25:30] I have family connections that go way back and my great uncle is buried in the

[25:34] Howland Cemetery, but it's a very important location for multiple reasons.

[25:40] Obviously, the historic gravestones that are mentioned. My concern though as a

[25:45] climate activist is that the um white pines that are in that cemetery also

[25:51] have historic value. Um

[25:56] many of you probably know that the tallest tree in New England is in

[26:00] Massachusetts in the Mohawk Trail State Forest, a white pine. And these these

[26:06] trees were known as the king's pines uh back in revolutionary days.

[26:13] Um, I could go on bore you about all this forestry, but um I've spoken with

[26:20] um a tree scientist about this who has emphasized the carbon sequestration of

[26:28] older trees far surpasses trees that are younger. And so I'm wondering as we

[26:36] appropriate this money if uh we could have some discussion about are there any

[26:41] other alternatives to actually cutting the trees down completely.

[26:46] Um I know that some of the gravestones are

[26:50] already moved by the larger girth trees. So that if we were to cut the tree down

[26:57] that's not going to solve that problem because there's still going to be a

[27:00] stump there. Um, so I would just hope that we could have a little bit more

[27:04] discussion maybe with the cemetery association as a town. And I'm going to

[27:09] try to post something in the currents um from this tree scientist that I'd spoken

[27:16] with just to get a little bit more discussion going.

[27:19] » Okay. Thank you.

[27:25] » In the back.

[27:28] » We're coming.

[27:38] Uh, Amanda Kirk, 1733 Roaring Brook Road. I'm curious where the 69,000

[27:44] figure comes from, if that's an estimate from a specific tree removal service or

[27:50] if you got competing estimates. Um, as a historic preservationist, I am concerned

[27:55] about the preservation of the graves, but that that figure sounds excessive

[28:00] for uh removal of a few trees.

[28:06] » Do we have anyone here from the cemetery association?

[28:16] » Oh, thank you, Jim. Hello again. Michelle Harris, 99 Shelurn

[28:22] Falls Road and neighbor to the Howland Cemetery.

[28:28] Where to begin? Um,

[28:33] to answer your questions first, it is not threatening the graves. It has

[28:38] already destroyed multiple graves. every year or when there's a snowstorm or an

[28:44] ice storm, the branches from those trees continue to come down. Um Ken WT is here

[28:50] and he is in charge of the spring cleanup in that cemetery and

[28:57] there is mass destruction over there of these graves. Um to answer your

[29:03] question, I received three quotes ranging from 50 to close to 100,000.

[29:10] This 69,000 that we asked for was the middle quote and somebody local that we

[29:17] know. The highest quote came from Northern Tree Service, a huge company

[29:22] out of I want to say Springfield. Um they came in at 90 plus,000.

[29:30] Just to add a note to this, um, because of the graves, because of the

[29:36] destruction, because of the soil, etc., this project is massive. I won't go into

[29:44] all the little details, but it requires bringing in protection for the grass,

[29:50] gravel to put the out riggers on on the crane. It involves a 300 ton crane

[29:56] because it has to come it has to park on the road and be able to reach over and

[30:01] get the top of these pines which have to come down piece by piece because of I

[30:08] mean the graves are right up against these trees at this point. There is only

[30:13] six six white pines, a dead red maple, and there is another one that I can't

[30:21] remember what it is. They're all over in the old section of the cemetery.

[30:27] Um,

[30:31] did I cover everything? Oh, the carbon footprint um or the carbon concerns.

[30:37] The cemetery fund does have a little bit of money, not a lot. And our plan is

[30:42] after this project is to go in and actually find somebody that can help us

[30:49] and plant smaller, friendlier, nondestructive trees and bushes over

[30:54] there with the stumps. We have talked about putting, I don't know, whiskey

[30:59] barrels with flowers on top of them so they're not quite as

[31:04] stumpy looking. [laughter] Um, we'll take them down as far as we

[31:08] can. Obviously, the stumps are not going to be pulled because there are graves

[31:13] right up against the base of these trees.

[31:18] I can't think of either or question. I think I've answered them all. If I

[31:24] haven't, please let me Oh, hello.

[31:35] » Um, Julia Stone, um, River's Edge Drive. Michelle, has the association consulted

[31:41] anyone to figure out what the effect would be from killing those trees in

[31:45] terms of um soil uh water drainage and the effects down on the road that goes

[31:52] nearby and things like frost heaves?

[31:58] [cough] [clears throat]

[32:02] » Yes. Um yes and no. The soil over there is very

[32:08] poor. It's very sandy soil. We've never had a flooding problem or a drainage

[32:13] problem. And that is quite a that is quite a null. We've never had problems

[32:20] with the soil or with the roads except for that massive rain that we got that

[32:26] washed out the bottom of the upper road that is nowhere near that null or the

[32:32] old section of the cemetery. I keep calling it the null.

[32:37] Has the association consulted any specialists to figure out what the

[32:41] effect will be of removing those trees? >> No, we have not because we did not see

[32:46] that as an issue based on history. The only effect that it's going to have

[32:53] is saving the rest of those slate stones over there

[32:57] that we see. >> All right. So, that that's your goal.

[33:00] Understandable. Um

[33:05] may I suggest consulting with somebody because we've seen examples when removal

[33:10] of one tree has an effect out on the building on the water seepage to the

[33:15] buildings nearby. So there water seepage could change and uh

[33:22] maybe have effect potentially on the road that goes by

[33:25] » um because there is a massive root system associated with these trees.

[33:30] » Correct. And those root roots would be dead eventually and they'll rot

[33:35] » and that would change the situation in the soil there.

[33:38] » Mhm. >> We could hire a consultant. I'm imagine

[33:42] because the word consultant is associated with this person, it's going

[33:46] to cost a lot of money that we probably do not have. And we're trying to get

[33:51] this project done sooner than later because every year more things are

[33:55] destroyed over there, more graves are destroyed.

[33:59] » Okay. Perhaps could be a way to find a specialist, a knowledgeable person to

[34:03] talk to. >> Hello there. Any other questions

[34:07] » behind you too, Adam? >> You can go there first.

[34:14] » Hi, Julia Washurn. New Hall Road. Um, couple of quick questions. I understand

[34:19] both sides of this. I understand the importance of the historic preservation

[34:22] and I understand the importance of um of protecting h uh heritage trees. My

[34:28] understanding from listening to you is this is about seven trees. And are they

[34:33] I mean are they heritage trees? Are they deemed has anyone I mean it sounds like

[34:39] they're very very old and tall and and maybe healthy? Um are the trees not

[34:46] healthy? So have they been evaluated by an arborist to say yes these are

[34:50] hazardous trees? >> We haven't had it evaluated. we deem

[34:55] them as hazardous because every year they're destroying graves.

[34:59] » Yeah. So my question then would be has anyone explored any alternatives to

[35:04] cutting them down such as limming them or trimming them or set so forth?

[35:09] » That would probably involve just about every limb in the tree and then instead

[35:13] of having a 10-ft stump, we would have a 150 foot stump. [laughter]

[35:18] » No, I'm not I'm not being sarcastic. My my point is that I'm just asking is

[35:24] has everything possibly been done to see what could be done about saving the

[35:28] trees? And if so, then I would suggest that you go ahead and cut them. But I

[35:34] just want to know if there's more research to be done before we do that.

[35:40] » Could you Kenw please? >> Ken WT Parsons Hill Drive. Okay.

[35:47] Along with Michelle, I've been on a committee for I don't want to guess how

[35:51] many years. I have every every year, fall and spring cleanup, I get the

[35:57] inmates from the jail. We do massive amount of brush removal, picking up

[36:03] those branches, have in there with chainsaws, cutting the limbs up that

[36:07] fall. Those trees are dying rapidly. The big pines, you can walk right up to

[36:14] them. You can peel the one inch thick bark right off of

[36:20] the root systems are dying. The trees are dying. There's nothing we can do. We

[36:25] they're they're not safe enough to climb.

[36:28] » We've had our We've had arborists go in there, assess them. They said we can't

[36:33] send people up these trees. It has to be done with a crane, taking it from the

[36:38] top to the bottom. So there is no saving those trees. There's also the maple

[36:44] trees that Michelle mentioned. Same thing. Every year, massive limbs come

[36:49] off of those, the size of the trunks of most trees. They smash the stones. So,

[36:55] every year we're in there with the inmates cutting them up.

[36:59] I know because I'm in there with them.

[37:06] » Any other discussion?

[37:12] Um, John Harrison, Baptist Hill Road. I just want to mention as a nearby

[37:17] neighbor of the cemetery that if you the more familiar you are with the cemetery,

[37:21] the more you would actually realize the problem with the trees. Um, and it's not

[37:26] just small limbs that come down. It is often very large portions of the trunk.

[37:31] And when you see what they do to the stones, they are not just knocked over.

[37:35] They are turned into little tiny smitherines. I mean, they're

[37:38] obliterated. And we've seen this over the years, big limbs coming down every

[37:43] year. So I think there's no solution to it other than to try to really mitigate

[37:48] with the trees.

[37:55] » Mary Iwin Baptist Hill Road. >> Okay.

[38:00] » The historical significance of Howland Cemetery is very important.

[38:06] This is the oldest part of Howland where some remarkable people are buried. We

[38:13] have lost a number of trees. Michelle, can you tell us approximately how many

[38:17] trees have been cut already and has that impacted drainage or

[38:26] or the terrain in any way?

[38:32] I believe I believe there's been a minimum of four trees taken already

[38:36] years ago. >> Has no impact on the soil.

[38:41] » I just >> I heard a suggestion to move the

[38:46] question >> and a second. So let's let's take a

[38:50] quick voice vote on that. All in favor of moving the question

[38:55] » I >> opposed.

[38:58] Okay, let's vote on article 12.

[39:10] Five more seconds.

[39:15] Voting is closed.

[39:20] Article 12 passes. 62 yes, 14 no, three abstensions.

[39:27] Article 13. >> I move that the town vote to approve the

[39:31] grant match and administration account to include all expenses necessary for

[39:36] the application and administration of grants applied for by the town.

[39:44] » I have a second discussion.

[39:53] » Suzanne Archim, Upper Baptist Hill Road. So I have a question. Um

[40:00] the the wording on this is really kind of vague and the example given in the

[40:05] light warrant states um design and engineering costs.

[40:13] My understanding is that generally those would be included in a phase one grant.

[40:24] Um the the idea is that for certain grants we may not be in the best

[40:30] position to apply for them because a little design or engineering work is

[40:34] necessary in order to actually prepare the grant application. So this would

[40:38] just give that account the ability to spend the money on you know say say a

[40:43] consulting engineer to review the grant application um so that we could put that

[40:48] application forward. So, my only concern or one concern about that is that

[40:54] there's no limit on that. >> Well, the um

[40:59] » that there's no what >> limit. Oh, no.

[41:01] » Yeah. Well, there's no limit because we're not I mean, there's a limit.

[41:04] There's there's an amount that's in the grant in the admin the grant

[41:07] administration account. So, this just basically gives us more

[41:12] flexibility in spending the money that's already been appropriated for that

[41:15] account. >> Okay. Got it. Thank you.

[41:19] The other account actually only has 13,500

[41:23] just so you're aware. >> Any other discussion?

[41:29] » Let's vote on article 13.

[41:40] Five more seconds.

[41:45] Voting is closed. Article 13 passes. 66 yes, six no, three

[41:53] extensions.

[41:56] » Article 14. >> I move that the town vote to amend its

[42:01] general bylaws as presented in the warrant.

[42:08] » I have a second. Discussion. >> You want to save trees? Here's your

[42:13] chance. [laughter]

[42:16] » Okay.

[42:19] Elizabeth Stow 304 South Field Road. Yeah, I really love trees, but I

[42:25] remember paper >> when you used to like read it. Um, we

[42:29] were prepared today because we'd gotten the town warrant in the mail and we had

[42:34] read it thoroughly and argued over it and stuff. Um, we just aren't these

[42:40] computer people. I I can't read a long document on the internet and I don't see

[42:46] why you shouldn't keep mailing them out. Thank you.

[42:49] » They'll be available >> that Yeah. So, we will still mail them,

[42:53] but they'll be available on request. So, as opposed to spending $3,000 to mail to

[42:58] every single post office box and address in Conway, um we'll only mail them to

[43:04] people who actually do want a physical copy or you can pick up a physical copy

[43:08] at town hall, but we'll definitely make physical copies still available by mail.

[43:12] We just won't by default mail them to everyone in town.

[43:22] » Daryl Chase 904 Bardsville Road. Um, just to be clear, is it is this is just

[43:26] the town report or is it the warrant as well?

[43:30] » Just >> because I think she was talking about

[43:31] the warrant. >> Yeah, it's just the town report which is

[43:33] the huge >> Right. But the but the printed warrant

[43:36] will still be mailed. >> The warrant will Yeah, we'll continue to

[43:39] mail. >> Okay. Thank you.

[43:44] » Any other discussion? Oh, >> Jane Roy Brown, Six Parsons Road. How

[43:50] would a person opt in or out for the mailing of the report, please?

[43:56] » I think at this point emailing or calling the town administrator, but we

[43:59] could certainly I mean I don't see why we couldn't have a you know form on the

[44:02] website that make it really easy to you know put in your information and request

[44:15] Lucinda Cathkart 482 New Hall Road. I think if the presumption is we want to

[44:20] be accommodating to people that are going to not want to do the computer

[44:25] thing for all the right reasons, I think that the campaign to give them the

[44:29] option to receive it via mailing needs to be like in the current. It needs to

[44:34] be something that's not just online because I think you're going to miss who

[44:38] you don't want to miss. >> Yeah. Thank you. I will definitely do

[44:40] that.

[44:45] » Any other discussion? Oh,

[44:56] hi Drew Cronin, Wheatly Road. I'm just wondering, is it possible to email them

[45:00] out? Because for those of us who don't go on the website regularly or go to

[45:05] these places, wouldn't email be also a effective option?

[45:10] » Yeah, I don't see why we we couldn't do that. We we could, but I would just have

[45:13] to say we don't have all your email addresses. So, it' still have to be a

[45:17] request. So, the form that I could put on the website would be printed copy or

[45:21] emailed copy and you'd have to give me your email address.

[45:28] » Um, we Yeah, I guess we we could um >> I don't know, Don, is that necessary to

[45:32] do a floor amendment to specify that we'll it will still be available in

[45:36] other >> It says are mailed upon request. So,

[45:40] » Okay. If you want to be really specific, you can say mailed or emailed upon

[45:45] request. >> Okay. So, how do we do that, Jimmy? Make

[45:48] a motion to amend the floor amendment.

[45:53] » I don't know if it really requires amending it.

[45:56] » Well, Donna says we should just to be our basis. Okay.

[46:00] » So, do I make a motion to Okay. So, I'm going to make a motion to amend um the

[46:05] article as it was written. Um so, currently it says will be mailed upon

[46:10] request. will say mailed or emailed upon request.

[46:17] » We have a second on the amendment to article 14.

[46:26] We have a second. Any discussion on that amendment?

[46:32] Okay, let's vote on amending article 14 >> by voice.

[46:37] » By voice. All in favor? >> I

[46:41] » opposed.

[46:45] » Noted. The amendment passes.

[46:49] Now, let's vote on article 14 as amended.

[47:01] Five more seconds.

[47:07] Voting is closed.

[47:11] Article 14 passes. 75 yes. Four no.

[47:23] » Do you close the meeting or do I? >> I have. I do.

[47:26] » Okay. >> But yes. Okay.

[47:29] » That was one quick meeting. I [applause]

[47:38] before I have a motion uh to adjourn, I'd just like to note that yesterday was

[47:43] a half day of school here. There were sixth graders who were in afterchool

[47:50] program who volunteered to set this room up with Emily Sweet.

[47:56] » And they are uh Logan Phillips, Cade Anderson, Martin Karns, Cash

[48:04] Waskevitz, Huck Caris, and Freddy Swinderski.

[48:09] And their teacher was thrilled that they volunteered to do it. So, I thought I'd

[48:14] mention it to you today. >> All right.

[48:16] » Thank you. [applause]

[48:20] » Now, I would entertain a move to adjurnn >> and a second.

[48:25] » Second. >> Let's vote.

[48:29] » I [laughter] >> I

[48:31] This meeting is adjourned.

[48:36] » Almost. All right.

Conway Special Town Meeting - December 6, 2025

Transcript