[0:13] Okay. Goffstown.
[0:14] Welcome to the Goffstown Select Board.
[0:16] Regular meeting for Monday, October 5th, 2026.
[0:20] And join me with for the pledge of Allegiance.
[0:23] I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America.
[0:27] And to the Republic for which it stands.
[0:30] One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
[0:35] Okay.
[0:39] We need a roll call or anything.
[0:41] Nope. Okay.
[0:42] Thank you very.
[0:44] Okay.
[0:44] Acceptance and correction of minutes of,
[0:48] September 28th, 2026.
[0:51] I'll make a motion.
[0:52] We accept the minutes of 928, 2026,
[0:56] public and nonpublic minutes with corrections, if need be.
[1:00] Second.
[1:01] Okay. Motion by Mark. Second by Allison.
[1:03] Any questions? Comments?
[1:05] Okay. All in favor?
[1:07] I call all ayes.
[1:08] Have it.
[1:11] Announcements.
[1:12] I have one,
[1:14] trick or treating is currently scheduled
[1:16] for Saturday, October 31st, from 6 to 8 p.m.
[1:20] in Goffstown.
[1:22] Residents that trick or treat should be careful as you walk about.
[1:25] Neighborhoods stay on sidewalks were available as crosswalks.
[1:30] Watch for motorists.
[1:31] Thumbs down. Heads up.
[1:33] Be aware of your surroundings.
[1:35] Motorists should keep an eye out for residents trick or treating.
[1:39] Okay, any other videos containing an.
[1:43] Yeah.
[1:44] Open the meeting for public comment.
[1:47] Anyone hear from public comment?
[1:51] And not seeing or hearing
[1:52] or anyone to close public comment
[1:55] and invite the police chief.
[2:02] Good evening everyone.
[2:05] I always say to guests on what's going this
[2:09] this time around.
[2:12] Okay.
[2:14] Invite
[2:16] which one week to the.
[2:17] And so then trail Park road and no claim.
[2:21] Okay.
[2:22] All right.
[2:23] So, highway safety met September 16th.
[2:28] The first
[2:29] one we took up was the intersection of Westfield Park, Road by Oak Lane.
[2:35] This has been in front of us a couple times.
[2:37] Couple of different issues with line of sight issues.
[2:40] The curb, there's a little bit.
[2:43] You know, when you're coming
[2:44] up, wind chill, Wentzville Park, turn right towards Mass Road.
[2:48] There's some, a person's property
[2:51] has some pretty significant,
[2:54] I guess it's foliage.
[2:55] It's it's vegetation that's kind of growing.
[2:58] Can't really cut it back.
[2:59] It's their property.
[3:00] So we've been working with, DPW to figure out a way that we can kind of
[3:05] make this a little bit more of a line of sight.
[3:07] Correction, we put some some road markings down.
[3:11] A couple years ago to kind of give people
[3:13] a little bit more of an idea of the curve Evansville Park.
[3:17] This time around, a resident came in, was concerned about the intersection again.
[3:22] This particular resident lives right at the intersection.
[3:25] Watches, kind of. The cars come around the corner.
[3:28] One of the things that came up this time around was,
[3:30] we're seeing children walking to the bus stop from Westfield
[3:35] Park, walking up and turning right and going into, by mass Road.
[3:39] So one of the things that we thought would slow down traffic on top of,
[3:43] this whole situation was creating a three way stop sign.
[3:47] By actually putting a stop sign on the top half of Ridgefield Park Road.
[3:51] So when they come off of Mass Road, and instead of just
[3:54] cutting that corner really fast and another car
[3:57] not seeing them now, it's going to be a stop completely.
[4:00] So they have to stop. Look both ways.
[4:02] This car has to stop
[4:03] and cars in the dead in Oak hopefully would have to stop as well.
[4:07] We felt as highway safety that would be, good for the neighborhood, would be good
[4:12] for the children walking that cars would be cutting the corners too.
[4:15] You know, inside the yellow line
[4:17] or this one coming around that corner and this one pushing them off the road.
[4:21] DPW is going to work with, the homeowner again
[4:24] and see if they can
[4:25] maybe work with them to cut back some of the vegetation, but offer
[4:29] that some neighbors were offering, maybe putting up some smaller vegetation
[4:32] to help them kind of make it look nice, but not be overgrown into the street.
[4:36] So that's something that they were going to work on.
[4:39] So basically our committee, based out of all that
[4:42] recommended five oh to have a three way stop sign put there.
[4:46] So that's what came out of that.
[4:51] We have the authority to cut people's
[4:53] if they walk in a side, a stop sign.
[4:56] We see that we typically will cut back
[4:59] signs that are blocking any stop signs, speed limit signs.
[5:04] But this particular one, it's not blocking any signage.
[5:07] It's just kind of overgrown.
[5:09] So as you're approaching the curve, you just can't see
[5:13] the other side of that curve because it's overgrown.
[5:15] So now with kids walking with no sidewalk and they're walking on the street,
[5:19] plus cars are coming in.
[5:21] That's where it's kind of.
[5:22] And, you know, we talked to them in the past.
[5:24] Hey, can you cut some of your vegetation back?
[5:27] And it it really didn't want to do that right now.
[5:29] So we think the three way
[5:31] or at least get all the cars stopped, look around before they take out. So.
[5:36] But yeah we have done that in the past
[5:37] where you'll see like a 35 mile an hour sign.
[5:39] You can't see it.
[5:40] So we'll cut it back just to kind of a motion on each one of these.
[5:44] Well, I, I did send the chair a note about this.
[5:48] Previously when you did a stop sign, you did it as an ordinance.
[5:53] Back in January, we advised the board that, traffic
[5:56] regulations do not require public hearing an ordinance.
[6:00] So I guess I would leave it up to the board.
[6:02] If you want to put in
[6:04] any of these recommended actions to the board, want to hold public hearings
[6:07] on any of them, or do you want to take the action tonight?
[6:14] So you're saying one public hearing?
[6:16] No. You say we don't know. I don't have to.
[6:17] You don't have to.
[6:18] We could you could you can hold the public hearing for any action.
[6:22] You may on items number five and number six.
[6:26] I think those are a little bit,
[6:29] more significant, but, you know.
[6:31] Yeah.
[6:31] So the request for number one and sheet
[6:33] that come from residents there on the street. Yep.
[6:36] Let's say we'll get it done tonight.
[6:37] And it's been in context.
[6:39] We've had this not the three way but we've had problems on.
[6:42] Let's show where they've been coming to us. Speed.
[6:44] Other things of that nature. We did some speed studies here.
[6:47] We didn't find speed to be a problem.
[6:48] That's why we're thinking the three will be good.
[6:50] So we can just make a motion to approve this. Yep.
[6:52] I make a motion to approve.
[6:56] We have the amended traffic regulations at three way stop sign
[6:59] at the intersection of Litchfield Park Road and outfit Oakley.
[7:04] Second. Motion by George, seconded by Mark.
[7:06] Further discussion.
[7:08] All in favor? Aye. Opposed. All right.
[7:10] Now it.
[7:13] Stays on there.
[7:14] Sage Court and Cinnamon drive. Perfect.
[7:16] That's what I got.
[7:17] This one comes to us from two residents in the area of the spice rack.
[7:22] We call it, essentially, they're looking for a stop sign,
[7:27] at the intersection of Sage Court and or.
[7:31] I'm sorry, cinnamon into sage.
[7:35] Based on highway safety, we didn't really talk too much about it,
[7:38] because just about every intersection in that neighborhood has a stop sign
[7:42] except for that one.
[7:43] One of our thoughts, though, is because Acorn
[7:45] Drive is going to now run the extension into Sage Court,
[7:48] which most likely will bring more traffic volume in this Sage core.
[7:53] And then Sage to Cinnamon brings you to black Brook.
[7:55] So it's probably going to be a little bit of a more of, through fair,
[8:00] I guess you could say.
[8:00] So these two people live in on sage and sit right across from their concert
[8:04] with their kids.
[8:04] So we just said, yeah, we should put a stop sign there.
[8:07] Quite honestly, we talked to the, to Joanne and just
[8:11] we were trying to figure out
[8:12] that we're supposed to be part of the plan
[8:13] of the entire neighbor when they built it, but we couldn't find anything
[8:16] but every other intersection, for the most part, has one,
[8:19] so it makes sense to have it there. Okay.
[8:21] Make a motion to amend the traffic regulations and stop sign
[8:23] at the intersection of Sage Court and Cinnamon Drive.
[8:27] So I get motion by Da second by Mark.
[8:29] Can I just ask clarifying question.
[8:31] Is this on Cinnamon Drive going on the sage for.
[8:34] Okay.
[8:35] I just wanted to make sure when we come out of it.
[8:37] Okay. Any further discussion?
[8:40] Favor?
[8:41] I hope I have it.
[8:43] The next one we have is, Snick Road.
[8:45] A request for speed limit signs.
[8:47] So we took this in, we had a couple.
[8:52] Want a couple of them on snuck,
[8:54] but essentially,
[8:56] the resident on snuff was concerned
[9:00] that there was, significant speed on snuck.
[9:04] We said our radar, our our traffic survey radar
[9:07] out there, for a couple of days, if not a week.
[9:12] Did not see, we saw one car, which is an anomaly.
[9:16] I think one of them was doing about 50 to 70 is the category.
[9:20] All of them were just about 30 to 35, which is what the speed limit is.
[9:24] I think we tracked
[9:25] I think it's in your, in your packet, but we tried a couple of hundred cars
[9:29] and with those anomalies, you can never tell which is someone
[9:31] that saw the sign decide to speed up on it or not.
[9:35] But, essentially highway safety looked at all the data.
[9:39] They didn't think there's any excessive, speed there.
[9:42] So they took five zero,
[9:44] recommendation for no action on the speed, limit out there.
[9:53] Could you do a motion to take no action?
[9:55] Yeah, typically the board actually does do that. Yep.
[9:57] I'll make a motion that the, no action being,
[10:02] taken for the Snook Road.
[10:04] Request for the speed limit sign.
[10:09] Second motion by Mark, second by Allison.
[10:11] Any further discussion?
[10:12] All in favor?
[10:13] I oppose. All right, have it.
[10:16] And the next one was stick Road for, driveway line.
[10:19] Driveway.
[10:19] So the next one was a second resident on Snow Broad, who I'm not sure if they knew
[10:24] the first resident had to ask for speed, but this resident lives down the road
[10:28] from the first one.
[10:29] Lives kind of on a curve.
[10:32] He was looking for a blind driveway sign and thought
[10:34] that, there was a speed issue.
[10:38] We looked at the data. Obviously, we had the data.
[10:40] There was not a speed issue.
[10:41] We looked at the his road and where his driveway was in relation to the curve.
[10:46] He had some significant,
[10:49] distance
[10:49] from the curve to where his driveway came out.
[10:53] One thing that we noted is that it appears
[10:55] there's some overgrowth in on his property on the curve.
[10:58] And,
[10:59] Adam was thinking that maybe speaking to him
[11:01] about potentially cutting back some of that overgrowth to give him
[11:03] a little bit more of a line of sight on the other side of that curve.
[11:06] But we've had other ones in, in our highway safety
[11:09] that were a little bit closer.
[11:10] That could probably justify a buying sign, but this one,
[11:14] there's a spread between the curve to where his driveway is.
[11:17] So highway safety took a final vote to recommend.
[11:20] No action on that one as well.
[11:22] So really what's happening is the vegetation is causing an issue for me.
[11:25] Make it one. Okay.
[11:27] When you come out of his driveway, he you can see left, but there's a curve.
[11:30] So as the cars are coming around that curve,
[11:33] if they're going 35, 40 miles an hour, it looks like it's fast.
[11:36] He feels like there needs to be a sign and other signs is blind driveway.
[11:39] It's not necessarily blind because you can see you as you curve.
[11:43] You can see the driveway.
[11:43] I think his issue is as he's pulling out, he's concerned with
[11:47] if a car's coming too fast, he's got to kind of step on it. Yeah.
[11:49] So there is some vegetation overgrowth at in that curb that he could cut back,
[11:54] that potentially give him a line of sight issue
[11:57] or more line a side, I guess you could say.
[11:59] Okay, I'll make a motion that we do
[12:03] no action on the blind driveway sign
[12:06] on Schnook Road.
[12:09] Second. Motion by Mark.
[12:10] Second by Josh.
[12:12] Any further discussion?
[12:15] All in favor? I closed.
[12:17] I just have it.
[12:19] Next one is Union Street.
[12:20] Yeah, I, I think we ought to, have a public hearing on the last two and a
[12:26] if we decide to do that, I don't think we should make the chief go through that.
[12:30] Do you want to present at least. What?
[12:33] I guess it's up to you, but we we can presented at that public hearing.
[12:37] Can you do that?
[12:37] Yeah, it's it's really your.
[12:41] I don't know, did you get the board members
[12:44] to give us significant or sufficient information?
[12:47] We do have the traffic reports are in your office,
[12:50] but I don't know if you want to ask the chief any questions. Is here.
[12:53] Otherwise we could scheduled for public.
[12:55] I'd love to hear the chief's input on it.
[12:57] That's okay.
[12:58] Yeah.
[12:58] So this one, the presentation here is, essentially East Union Street.
[13:03] And, for those of you who don't know, East Union's
[13:07] right over here by Saint Warren's church.
[13:10] For years,
[13:11] it's been an issue when we have masks there.
[13:15] Or if we have pumpkin regatta or big events in town, people
[13:19] park on both sides of this industry.
[13:20] We had a situation where our officers, I mean, we see this public.
[13:24] We're starting
[13:25] to realize more and more cars are parking on both sides of East Union Street,
[13:28] which is really causing significant issue for vehicles to go down East Union.
[13:34] Particularly this came from my department.
[13:36] Our sergeants were had a call.
[13:38] They were a little bit concerned with
[13:40] their down there and they couldn't get through.
[13:42] And then the concern also is as you're going down there
[13:45] and another car is coming at you, there's no real place
[13:47] in someone's driveway to pull over in that cars go through.
[13:52] I did
[13:52] not ask the fire chief to put a truck down there to see what that would do.
[13:56] I mean, our our police cars were pretty tight as it was.
[13:59] This has been an ongoing issue, I guess you could say in the community
[14:03] whether or not anybody wanted to kind of say it was happening.
[14:06] I think we all know it's from the church.
[14:10] I think that's, you know, something that we can work with the church.
[14:13] Joanne was nice enough to go speak to the father.
[14:16] He's new, he's recognizing there's an issue there.
[14:19] They're working in the church to figure out some other relief on the,
[14:23] the parking situation.
[14:25] I, as you can tell,
[14:28] this is, the committee had a vote of 311.
[14:31] And I will tell you, in the six years I've been the police chief
[14:34] and I received the.
[14:35] This is the first time we've ever had any kind of vote that wasn't in agreement.
[14:39] You know, the big thing I would like to just express upon the board here is,
[14:45] the residents are concerned about coming in and out of their driveways
[14:48] on Sundays, Saturday nights when these bigger events are going on.
[14:52] We are concerned.
[14:53] I think police wise, we are finding our way through there.
[14:57] I think the bigger concern is if we have to get a bigger apparatus through there.
[15:01] You know what happens.
[15:03] This is obviously a situation that we would like to work
[15:06] with the church and the community to figure out the best results.
[15:09] Highway safety took this up.
[15:11] They they came up with some ideas of parking on one side of the road.
[15:18] Basically, you know, letting
[15:20] one side be able to travel, you know, at least try to get cars through there.
[15:24] For the length of the road, there is no parking up
[15:28] on, the hill by French rising already on one side.
[15:32] So that's already a one side only.
[15:34] And I think that was partially from the, the, the funeral home as well.
[15:39] So highway safety was looking at,
[15:43] voted in three, one one to basically have the odd street,
[15:47] the odd side of East Union Street being no parking, for the full length.
[15:51] And then obviously there's a little section on the curb.
[15:55] A prospect deck takes a right.
[15:57] You start heading towards, the bus, station not having parking there
[16:02] between signs because obviously there's cars parked there.
[16:04] You turn right, you're going to be you're going to be riding into a car.
[16:07] So that was what we came up with.
[16:09] There is some thought processes that were just
[16:13] pushing the problem further out into the community.
[16:16] I think what you'll see long term is if we do do this,
[16:21] you're going to push cars to West Union Street, which is across Main Street.
[16:25] We already have issues there during, spring
[16:27] when there's baseball for high school soccer down there, field hockey,
[16:31] neighbors complain all the time
[16:32] because there's parking on both sides of that string as well.
[16:36] It is it is getting tight down there, too, I think.
[16:38] So what you're going to see
[16:39] is this you and your West unit, eventually you're going to become kind of a bigger
[16:43] problem down the road when it comes to parking on both sides of the street.
[16:47] There might be some changes with Lions Field down the road.
[16:50] I'm not sure, but this this right here.
[16:56] You know, we like to put this in motion.
[16:59] Obviously, we have a public hearing and see what the public thinks.
[17:01] I think it's just the start of having a conversation with the church.
[17:05] And the community to kind of say, what can we do to get traffic
[17:08] that can flow through there properly?
[17:11] So that's kind of the gist of of it.
[17:15] There's, there's, you know, we didn't do like a traffic
[17:18] count of how many cars were there, but we did see how many different,
[17:22] you know, Saturday night, Sunday,
[17:25] there was a couple different,
[17:28] you know, church events, obviously.
[17:31] Pumpkin guys, a big one when they people park over there as well.
[17:37] So that's kind of where we're at for highway safety
[17:40] in your packet.
[17:41] There's pictures of comment as well. Yeah.
[17:44] So those are in, there in the, in your office.
[17:48] Does anybody think have any thoughts on public hearing.
[17:53] I'm I that's good. Yeah.
[17:55] Yeah yeah I think so.
[17:57] I was just getting stuff done, but I'm okay.
[17:59] Okay. Chief, can I just do one question? Sure.
[18:02] Do you have any understanding of the one person who voted against it?
[18:06] The 311?
[18:08] Yeah. Okay.
[18:10] I'm sorry.
[18:12] Don't be sorry.
[18:13] I'm just curious as to why you don't think it's a good idea.
[18:15] Is it just because it's going to push the problem elsewhere?
[18:17] Or what were you thinking exactly then the chief said it.
[18:21] The problem just kind of grow, and it's going to push the cars further away.
[18:24] Further away. And, you know,
[18:28] for what we do in.
[18:33] I think the main, main problem you're concerned about is an emergency situation.
[18:36] Right, right.
[18:38] And I'll say this and I, you know.
[18:42] As long as I've been here, the church has been here.
[18:45] They've always had cars on both sides of the street.
[18:47] It's been there.
[18:48] I just think it's that it seems like there's more and more cars
[18:51] parked on the street, the parking lots full.
[18:55] I guess it's a good thing for the church.
[18:56] They're they're busy.
[18:57] It's just at some point we have to figure out how.
[18:59] And again, we could pass this today at that go to a public hearing.
[19:03] I think we've already done some outreach with them.
[19:05] We don't we didn't want to blindside the church.
[19:07] It's about talking to them, figuring out how we can solve
[19:10] community problem together.
[19:11] And that's kind of yeah, this is the start. Yeah. I guess you could say
[19:16] that's why I think a public hearing is a good idea.
[19:18] Right. And a motion on that,
[19:21] I don't know if you want to wait until the very last item as well
[19:24] and see if you want to do a couple of public hearings.
[19:26] Sure.
[19:27] Of the next one, like the four way stop intersection of Wallace Road and Shirley
[19:31] Hill Road.
[19:31] Yes. So this one came up, new business from one of the members on the committee.
[19:36] There's been a few accidents
[19:39] in the area of Shirley Hill and Wallace Road.
[19:43] I call it Shirley Hill was the Bedford side
[19:45] because there's a Shirley Hill Wallace by Norman Road.
[19:48] This is down by the Bedford side.
[19:50] That kind of bigger intersection.
[19:52] We've seen, several accidents, in that area.
[19:57] For years this has been a conversation,
[20:01] a topic of conversation, of putting a four way there.
[20:04] We've had rumble strips on Wallace Road.
[20:06] We've had lights like solar power lights.
[20:10] I think since DPW pushed back
[20:13] some of that vegetation, really worked out some line of sight,
[20:17] particularly when you're
[20:18] coming from Goffstown and heading to Bedford a left.
[20:21] But when you're coming from Bedford and you, you can't actually see up
[20:25] the hill of the hill at all the, the, the woods there.
[20:29] So the concern, is that we've had some, some accidents,
[20:33] although lately not directly at that intersection,
[20:37] but there's been some speed issues coming to the intersection.
[20:41] The highway Safety Committee looked at it and thought
[20:43] that it's been a, a topic of conversation for a long time.
[20:48] And one of the biggest parts of why we didn't do a four way
[20:52] was because there's always a concern that as people are going up Shirley Hill,
[20:56] they would have to stop.
[20:57] And then if it's in the winter, they can't.
[20:59] They can't start.
[21:00] There was a conversation in highway safety about a lot of cars are
[21:04] all wheel drive now.
[21:06] There are from the drive there's probably not going to be an issue.
[21:09] One of the thoughts was it would slow people down.
[21:11] Definitely coming down the hill
[21:13] and stopping, because I think what you're seeing is cars coming down the hill
[21:17] as we see going through that intersection, probably too fast
[21:20] and then getting down towards John King,
[21:23] which is where we're having we've had some significant accidents down there.
[21:28] So highway safety
[21:31] had A50 vote to recommend to install
[21:33] for a stop sign on each side of it.
[21:36] So basically adding two more east side of, Shirley
[21:40] Hill.
[21:43] Part of that conversation was,
[21:46] there was a time that DPW had the two big stop signs
[21:50] that one of them had some LED lights that were on a saw that went blank.
[21:55] But that was very helpful.
[21:56] At night, as people were approaching, they could see it.
[21:58] So the idea was maybe having that on the other side to having a
[22:01] so when people come up,
[22:02] they can see or coming down the hill, they see a little bit of a flashing,
[22:06] lights.
[22:07] Obviously part of this is adding advanced stopping as well.
[22:11] So people coming down the hill would see on that curve
[22:13] and then coming up the hill would see as well.
[22:17] So that's, that's that presentation
[22:21] of questions.
[22:23] I agree that that intersection can get kind of hairy at times
[22:27] especially people find out that hill on that side.
[22:31] Yeah.
[22:31] There's there's been a few times like I've been on the motorcycle over there.
[22:34] You have to look really get out of there quick.
[22:37] It's a tough one.
[22:37] And I think that and the problem is, is
[22:41] you could probably get away with a three way.
[22:42] But I think the problem is most people get really confused
[22:46] at three way intersections.
[22:47] I mean, up in Dumbarton by the very top there are 77 and 13.
[22:52] That always was a three way,
[22:53] and they had so many accidents because of the confusion
[22:56] that they've just put a four way up there as well,
[22:58] similar to what we talked about with this body at Shirley Hill.
[23:01] And I'm not sorry to show you are seniors and, Rocklin,
[23:05] the city was going to put their three way.
[23:06] So we were like, we're going to add one, two because we're not going to.
[23:08] So I think if we're going to do it, really slowing it down, coming down
[23:12] the hill is good.
[23:13] But then you know, you having the the
[23:17] the traffic going up, just not stopping at all costs.
[23:20] More confusion.
[23:21] So that's no sounds like it could be an issue
[23:24] that is slipping through that intersection.
[23:26] I found that many times driving through there.
[23:28] No, he didn't need to stop.
[23:29] I think it how it would be so hard to stop sometimes. Yeah.
[23:33] And you know, we have data.
[23:34] I didn't go 20 years back.
[23:36] We went to it's three and three.
[23:38] And you know, we only had three access in the intersection.
[23:41] You know,
[23:41] we've had a couple pretty significant ones in the past that I remember personally.
[23:45] But, I can tell you we just had a really nasty one
[23:49] just on the other side between Addison and,
[23:55] Shirley in the Wallace area.
[23:56] I mean, this guy was flying down.
[23:58] Was he jumped over the curb there and spun around, hit a car, and almost rolled it.
[24:03] But we've, you know, going into the stop sign. So,
[24:07] obviously Shirley Hills had significant issues with speed.
[24:11] Anyways, so you put, warning signs for the stop signs on both sides.
[24:16] Shirley there. Yeah.
[24:18] So he probably had one.
[24:20] If this was to go through, we'd have an up as you're coming down
[24:23] like on some of those corner of the shop or down the hill,
[24:25] or you would have one kind of up in there a little bit
[24:28] just telling you, hey, there's a stop sign.
[24:29] And we would have, you know, we're trying to put two up there like
[24:33] there are now, so you can see it on both sides.
[24:35] One blinks red
[24:36] and then probably one coming up the hill down by like Eagle's Nest in that area.
[24:40] Stop ahead and then they blink as well. Yeah.
[24:42] Because people kind of flying up and down the corner.
[24:45] Yeah.
[24:45] Coming up even with that hill that's now removed that people
[24:50] do fly up that hill and you kind of like try to go or not go in. But
[24:55] and I think that hill removal that they did years ago
[24:57] really gave us a better line of sight, you know, from, from that. So,
[25:03] so how does everybody feel about a public hearing for that one?
[25:07] I think that one requires a public hearing for sure.
[25:09] I think they mentioned it a pretty big can we do those both at the same day?
[25:13] Yeah, we'll do them both at your next meeting.
[25:16] You need a motion for that or not when I get okay.
[25:20] And I believe that if you have to have to.
[25:24] All right. Thank you very much.
[25:26] Let's shift.
[25:28] And actually, we have the town administrator.
[25:30] Good point. Attempt by.
[25:32] Yeah.
[25:32] You had a revised consent agenda on the table when you came in.
[25:36] See, Steve, we'd had one item give employee
[25:39] status reports of full time firefighter resignations,
[25:43] a full time dispatcher, new hire, and a full time mechanic assistant.
[25:47] This is a promotion from heavy equipment operator.
[25:50] You have the general election warrant.
[25:52] This is a requirement of RSA 658 colon one.
[25:55] You have event permits for.
[25:57] It takes a village child care Halloween event on October 24th.
[26:02] You have a canoe neck mountain.
[26:03] There's snowmobile club.
[26:05] There are mini bike car show and swap meet on October 24th.
[26:09] You have Bartlett Halloween parade
[26:12] on October 30th and Granite State Health and Fitness.
[26:15] Glen like swim on August 15th, 2027.
[26:20] Make a motion to approve the consent agenda as presented.
[26:24] Second motion by Josh, second by Allison.
[26:27] Any further comments now?
[26:29] All in favor I posed I should have it.
[26:35] Okay, now we're to the budget
[26:40] and we're going to do the overview.
[26:41] I'll do the overview quick.
[26:42] You had a memo on the table, when you came in.
[26:46] Also over your, over the weekend, you had, the budget,
[26:50] summary by department and divisions and then all the budget detail,
[26:55] but, town department heads prepared
[26:59] the, proposed 2027 general fund
[27:01] operating budget using the direction provided by the Select Board.
[27:05] That was a 5% cut line for must hold, must have threshold
[27:10] with rent requests up to 7% for further discussion.
[27:15] You also asked us to break out operational and,
[27:20] capital requests.
[27:22] So what we've done for capital is
[27:23] we have brought in the approved CIP matrix under CIP.
[27:28] The only change between the CIP matrix and what you see in CIP in the budget is,
[27:33] the DPW has moved their vehicles to a lease finance model as requested.
[27:39] In terms of personnel, you
[27:40] have all the funded positions from the 2026, operating budget.
[27:46] You have wage adjustments for voter
[27:48] approved cbas for DPW, Teamsters and firefighters.
[27:51] Those are multiyear, collective bargaining agreements.
[27:55] We do have a placeholder for the two that we're currently in negotiations,
[28:00] roughly $1 placeholder for those for nonunion wage adjustments.
[28:04] We have step advancements for eligible employees.
[28:08] So, again, those are employees that are,
[28:10] will be out of the probationary period and are not on Sep 12.
[28:14] And then, we budgeted those wage increases for January 1st.
[28:18] That is to coincide with legislation we've seen in the last two biennium,
[28:23] where you cannot, put a mid-year
[28:26] increase into the following year's default budget.
[28:30] There is no adjustment in the budget that you have
[28:32] before you for nonunion wage matrix.
[28:35] But we do have, for each
[28:38] 1% of nonunion matrix adjustment, it cost about $71,000.
[28:42] So if the board does want to do a, matrix
[28:46] adjustment for nonunion, that's kind of where you would see,
[28:52] we have put
[28:52] in a placeholder for the health and dental increases,
[28:56] but we are going to be recalculating those at the end of this week.
[29:00] Health Trust will release those at the end of this week.
[29:03] So, between once we get our actual rates,
[29:06] we'll apply those to what people are currently taking for rates.
[29:12] And if we know if anybody's moving to a family or if anybody's jumping on,
[29:16] we'll make those adjustments.
[29:17] So we are going to provide you revised health trust,
[29:21] figures for your next meeting on the 19th.
[29:25] Again, not included are the,
[29:28] cbas for patrol officers and dispatchers and clerks.
[29:31] You just have a $1 placeholder, and department
[29:35] heads will report on notable increases when they present their budgets.
[29:39] Overall, the operational portion of the budget is up, 3.7%.
[29:45] And that includes all the departments as well as debt service.
[29:50] CIP is up significantly.
[29:53] But again, I think that's mostly reflects that, the capital projects have been,
[29:58] cut significantly in the last three budget cycles
[30:02] or they've been put out to separate worn article and funded from fund balance.
[30:06] So they haven't lived in CIP.
[30:09] So they're at the
[30:10] apex is up 3.7 collectively across everything for our.
[30:13] Yes. Yep.
[30:14] And CapEx.
[30:18] Is how much would that it's basically doubled.
[30:22] It's 103%.
[30:23] So, what was in the CIP in the default budget was 1.3 million.
[30:28] Yeah. Right now you have 2.7 million.
[30:32] That came over from the CFD, the approved cap matrix.
[30:36] So 2.7 million.
[30:38] And we were at one point, what, this year?
[30:40] 1.31.3.
[30:42] Okay.
[30:44] And what's making up most of that?
[30:47] So, Adam, we'll speak to it more when he presents,
[30:51] but one of the biggest items is, reclamation.
[30:54] Again, the budget committee made a cut to road plan last year, and the
[31:00] board put forward a special article to put additional funds from fund balance.
[31:04] Adam has put that back into CIP.
[31:08] And then he
[31:08] also has a critical, culvert, rehabilitation
[31:14] repair program that he's starting that he presented to CIP.
[31:18] And then, he's got the vehicle leasing program again.
[31:22] We haven't purchased DPW vehicles.
[31:24] We didn't purchase any this year.
[31:26] So he's got the leasing model.
[31:27] So we had made a recommendation that the reclamation
[31:30] be broken up into other mines based on spend. Yep.
[31:33] Has that happen right now it's all in the reclamation line.
[31:36] We did break out a separate bridge.
[31:39] Object.
[31:40] And we can further break out CIP as reclamation versus resurfacing.
[31:45] But right now it's all in the reclamation line.
[31:47] Yeah, I think we need to do that.
[31:49] Do you need a motion for that or,
[31:51] maybe a conversation with Adam of exactly what you're looking for?
[31:55] Whether it be, tonight or on next week, we can kind of make those adjustments.
[32:00] Yeah. Okay.
[32:02] He's presenting next week.
[32:03] He, you know, it's going to be police, fire and DPW,
[32:07] all the heavy hitters on the 19th.
[32:08] So, in terms of special articles, again, you've got
[32:12] two collective bargaining agreements that are currently under negotiation.
[32:17] Capital reserve funds.
[32:19] Your August 24th meeting, the board prior to prioritize establishment
[32:23] of four capital reserve funds, original a
[32:27] I had kind of floated the idea of multiyear,
[32:31] deposits into capital reserve funds, but, it may be better in
[32:36] some of the discussions with Danielle, as well as some of the department
[32:38] heads, to just do some bigger, deposits
[32:42] this year that would also satisfy,
[32:45] reducing your fund balance closer to 10%,
[32:48] which was kind of the intent of the voters when they voted for article 19.
[32:53] So what we have is currently you've got the fire
[32:55] apparatus and the library capital reserve fund we would look for.
[32:58] I guess we're recommending, deposits into those.
[33:03] And then, establishment of a town facilities capital reserve fund,
[33:08] a bridge replacement and rehabilitation capital reserve fund.
[33:13] And if
[33:14] you wanted to further define that one, you could make it bridge
[33:18] and critical culvert, replacement and rehabilitation
[33:23] and perhaps pull some of that money, some of the funds out of CIP
[33:27] police station replacement and rehabilitation
[33:30] and town technology.
[33:33] And then, the fire chief
[33:35] would be presenting proposal when he presents on the 19th.
[33:39] And then just again, as we get back to nonunion
[33:43] and how you want to look at their matrix on page three of my memo
[33:47] is just kind of a matrix adjustment by different groups in both the town
[33:51] and the school for the board to consider on the 10%.
[33:54] Eric, we went down to that,
[33:57] taking these recommendations here.
[34:00] What would that give us as an offset?
[34:02] When we go for, setting the tax rate and everything else like that,
[34:06] we have about a half a million
[34:07] that's basically being used to offset because of the extra that's in here now.
[34:11] So what would we basically be moving down if we did all these?
[34:15] I'm sorry.
[34:16] Yeah.
[34:16] So right now, with the amount of money that we have
[34:18] in the assigned fund balance, you only get interest on that. Yep.
[34:22] It's going up being applied to the tax rate. Right.
[34:25] Because of work.
[34:25] You know, so when we have fund balance
[34:29] it is it's, it's a, it's fund equity.
[34:32] It's a, it's a line on it.
[34:34] But balance sheet.
[34:36] But during the year we have cash in the bank.
[34:39] That interest is a revenue line, that general fund budget.
[34:42] So we take in between 400 and $500,000 worth of interest.
[34:48] And that reduces the amount that we have to collect in taxes.
[34:51] So you're not using it to reduce taxes.
[34:53] It's already built into our budget.
[34:55] It's being built into the budget.
[34:57] But what's that going to reduce it down. It's 400 or 500,000.
[34:59] Now what do we think it's going to get reduced down to.
[35:02] But I don't know.
[35:02] It's hard to tell because we've made some other changes in our,
[35:07] in some of our accounts to reduce what we're paying in bank fees.
[35:11] And we're hopeful there'll be a wash out to at most $100,000 reduction.
[35:16] So we're trying to keep if the board does use fund balance,
[35:20] we're trying to minimize the impact that it would have on revenue as well.
[35:24] So you think
[35:24] we'll be about a hundred thousand shorter than we were before potentially at most.
[35:28] Like I said, our finance director and treasurer has made some changes
[35:33] with, the, banking products that we're using to try and minimize
[35:37] some and increase interest
[35:39] on some of the other accounts where we've had, less interest before.
[35:43] So you're talking about the, the, the, the decrease of interest
[35:47] because of the decrease in the principal that. Yeah.
[35:50] Because because we'll be a row
[35:51] if we removed all these
[35:52] and then you're going to be removing some of that,
[35:54] some of that interest that is going as Robin, you're saying it's
[35:58] probably 100,000, but right there.
[36:00] Yeah, we can probably we could probably look at the cash flow
[36:03] and see exactly what it would would do.
[36:06] We're trying to minimize that as possible.
[36:08] I think it'd be good to know the estimate of that.
[36:10] Okay.
[36:11] Because if we're going to do it, we should be cognizant of that impact.
[36:16] Yep. Absolutely.
[36:23] Because, you know, maybe the
[36:25] suggestion that was made earlier is like, do a little bit each year,
[36:29] maybe a more appropriate, thing.
[36:32] I understand, like we want to see these.
[36:34] Well, I think is one reason why. Right.
[36:37] Because if we went to go put more in in future
[36:39] years, it would have to come out of taxation.
[36:42] Yeah. Correct. Right.
[36:44] Or if the town for some reason after we submit.
[36:48] So the way fund balance builds up is we either, we underspend our appropriation
[36:53] or after we submit our revised revenues, we submit those on September 1st.
[36:58] If that period between September 1st and,
[37:01] December 31st, if we get more revenue than we're anticipating.
[37:05] So, and that's happened, you know, we always get a little bit more revenue.
[37:10] So and then what we could apply that to the that goes into fund balance.
[37:14] But then instead of funding capital
[37:17] reserve funds, do you do a little bit about two.
[37:20] Yeah. 40.
[37:21] Is it for tax rate reducing the tax rate.
[37:25] So these money, these moneys, if we were to fund these
[37:30] these things, would they collect interest.
[37:32] They would,
[37:33] but they would stay the interest rate, stay in the capital reserve funds
[37:36] for those purposes. Okay.
[37:38] My question.
[37:42] So that's a general overview.
[37:44] And if you have any other questions I'll be happy to answer them.
[37:46] Otherwise I can go right into the town hall budget review.
[37:52] State stepped matrix
[37:53] versus like, adjustment.
[37:56] Right?
[37:57] She said for every 1% we're looking at about 71,000. Yes.
[38:01] And so
[38:03] and we haven't had,
[38:06] any wage adjustment increase since what year.
[38:10] So in so for nonunion town employees in 2024,
[38:15] you implement the board implemented the PayPal.
[38:18] We did a full market study in 2023 and then implemented it a year later.
[38:23] So, everyone was placed on that at 2024.
[38:26] In 2025, we there was a 3.3%
[38:30] adjustment to that matrix in 2026, nonunion.
[38:34] Receive it because we're in a default budget.
[38:37] So there's no matrix adjustment and no steps.
[38:45] So what you
[38:45] have in the budget, in the budget detail is we've moved
[38:49] all nonunion employees forward with the steps only.
[38:53] And then if you wanted to do,
[38:58] a matrix adjustment, it'll be about 71,000 for each percentage point that you had.
[39:03] So if we did,
[39:07] let's just say 3%.
[39:10] And right now we're 3.7% on opex increase.
[39:14] Do we know how much further that would take us?
[39:17] So right now your opex is 941,000 over.
[39:22] So that add about another 210,000.
[39:26] So be another one.
[39:30] I'd, I'd if we can figure it out for you and to give you what that total would be.
[39:36] So it'd probably be close to be closer to 5%.
[39:38] To 5%.
[39:40] Yeah.
[39:51] Where to go?
[39:52] I think so getting under that.
[39:55] Derek. Yeah.
[39:55] So admin I kept it, pretty, short and sweet.
[40:02] We had a lot of,
[40:05] over the last two years, we've had a considerable amount of, retirements.
[40:10] So when we look at our wage lines, it's not the typical hit
[40:14] that we see when there's an increase, because we hired people
[40:18] with less experience and we come in,
[40:21] further down the matrix.
[40:23] Overall, the admin budget that you have before
[40:25] you is up 5.2%, which is $174,000, roughly.
[40:31] But I'd really like to just add a lot of that is plus and minuses.
[40:36] As you go through the detail,
[40:37] you'll see where, we had some increases and where we had some decreases.
[40:41] It's primarily in three lines.
[40:44] The first one is in hardware.
[40:46] It hardware, that line is up $53,325.
[40:52] The big thing of that is when we're comparing to the 2026 default
[40:57] budget column, that's really the 2025
[41:00] approved budget by the voters.
[41:03] In the last two years, that demand for eight, I, I,
[41:09] has really
[41:10] seen it caused a huge increase in the cost of, PCs, servers, components.
[41:16] Any of those devices.
[41:18] So what I provided at the bottom of page one is where those individual,
[41:22] we haven't changed any of the life cycle replacement of anything.
[41:25] But you can see where we're seeing significant increases
[41:28] that it's going to cost to replace desktop glass tops.
[41:32] Our printers are our rugged,
[41:36] rugged mobile data terminals that are in the police cars.
[41:41] There's going to be significant increase where it was two years ago.
[41:45] The only new item that I do have in the hardware
[41:48] line is, CCTV cameras.
[41:52] This was done as a project in 2020.
[41:57] I'm sorry, there was a typo.
[41:58] So it says originally installed in 2025.
[42:00] We started that project in 2020.
[42:03] So, those all the
[42:06] cameras that we have are beyond their five year warranty.
[42:09] So if the camera, any of our building cameras,
[42:13] fails, we've got to go out and purchase one.
[42:17] So what we want to start doing is start putting those 75 devices
[42:20] on a five year replacement schedule or or,
[42:24] replacing 20% a year, and that's got an additional cost of $22,500.
[42:32] We also have a pretty
[42:33] significant increase in computer software.
[42:36] All right.
[42:37] Office has done a great job working with departments
[42:40] to reduce the number of programs and licenses town wide.
[42:44] So we only have about an $11,000 increase on programs and licenses,
[42:49] but that's mostly due to the work that they've done is, getting rid of,
[42:53] programs that we're not using fully or license that are not being fully used.
[42:59] I am proposing three new softwares in 2027.
[43:02] The first one is Civic Park stock access for 8300.
[43:07] This is web software that will help the town comply
[43:09] with Ada requirements for web accessibility standards.
[43:13] The compliance deadline for that is April of 2028.
[43:17] However, we do need to get it installed that way.
[43:20] Starts going through all the documents and everything that we have
[43:23] on our website, and make sure everything on our website,
[43:25] meets those accessibility standards.
[43:28] It is also seeking, what's called
[43:31] Crunch Atlas Threat Intelligence for 25,000.
[43:35] This is an embedded AI detection software.
[43:38] And it's really looks at that traffic that's coming in and out of network
[43:42] to see when, is it a user that's using or is this some type of AI enhanced network
[43:47] attack to to start to, flag
[43:51] those items for, to look at.
[43:54] And then the last one is it's called
[43:56] just FOIA Freedom of Information Act.
[44:00] This is a, right to know redaction and process management software.
[44:05] We're currently doing that, completely manual,
[44:08] by email, by talking with colleagues, you know, and it gets very cumbersome
[44:13] to maintain those and get that done completely.
[44:17] This is a process management software where you can build in,
[44:20] the different tasks, and it just kind of pushes it down the line.
[44:23] It also provides a web access for the person that requests.
[44:28] It can go in and go pick up what their 91 A is once it starts
[44:33] for these annual fees.
[44:34] Yes. These are all annual fees.
[44:37] So this is like are these SaaS products or these, ones that you guys
[44:42] are installing or require Civic Plus and just FOIA would be, cloud hosted?
[44:47] I can find out about the, the, the, AI detection software,
[44:53] that one I'm not certain about because it's so integral to the, to the network.
[44:58] So I don't know on that one. So I'll ask.
[45:00] Yeah.
[45:00] Stand up.
[45:01] We have to buy hardware for any of these.
[45:03] Not for just FOIA or the Civic Plus.
[45:06] And we are currently finishing up,
[45:10] project to move one of our biggest softwares to, cloud hosted.
[45:13] So we'll free up some space.
[45:15] So how much time do you spend a month maybe just ballpark on, manual employees?
[45:21] It depends on the month.
[45:22] We've got a couple of significant ones that we've been working over the summer
[45:25] that we're just finishing up right now.
[45:27] That has taken a significant amount of time.
[45:30] I mean, I think it's 4000 pages that are turning over and going through those.
[45:35] We're trying to use the Adobe software
[45:39] to make it less cumbersome, but you still have to have somebody.
[45:43] That's where this will go through.
[45:45] We will flag telephone numbers. It will flag,
[45:49] emails, will flag key terms to help process that.
[45:52] A little less names.
[45:53] Yeah, a little bit more efficiently.
[45:55] On any of these softwares, that you're putting in there,
[45:59] do they have, contractual agreements on some percentage of increase annually?
[46:04] I will get that answer for you.
[46:06] I don't know the answer to that right now.
[46:08] I'm sure Brian does.
[46:09] But I think, okay.
[46:11] And then the last item is the you'll see a significant increase
[46:15] in our, assessing or reevaluation of property.
[46:19] Our assessor is set to retire in March of 27.
[46:24] And we he has been with the town for 20 years now.
[46:29] He does a wonderful job.
[46:31] But assessing is a very difficult position to hire for.
[46:35] There aren't as many people out there in the assessing, business.
[46:40] So what we're doing is we'd be asking the board, can we advertise now and hire
[46:45] a replacement starting sometime in January so that we have overlap so that,
[46:50] it can be brought up to speed and make for a smoother transition?
[46:55] Because that's not one
[46:56] that we can really backfill with anybody else in the office.
[47:00] The other option.
[47:01] So I guess the board has two other options.
[47:03] If you're not in favor of that.
[47:05] Yeah.
[47:05] The option would be to hire and have somebody take over and have a smaller,
[47:10] overlap period so that we could reduce that amount.
[47:14] There are some towns that don't have an assessor in-house.
[47:18] They contract the service out.
[47:21] I would not recommend that to you, but that is an option and I can provide you,
[47:25] the names of those towns and what they're paying for, assessing services.
[47:29] They're paying a considerable amount, especially on Reval years where, you know,
[47:33] they're paying, six figures, for to, company to come in and do a reevaluation.
[47:39] I just assume start looking now,
[47:41] is that the main reason, is because of the extenuating cost
[47:45] that you would not recommend that Derek or that or other reasons to.
[47:48] I think you you lose a bit of customer service as well.
[47:51] Scott's done a really good job.
[47:53] Whenever we have people that are coming in for, the,
[47:56] the elderly credits and the veteran's credits or exemptions,
[48:00] but also explaining when somebody has a question about,
[48:03] what these other towns do is they have an assessing
[48:06] clerk, that can explain so much.
[48:09] And then they what have their contracting vendor in for,
[48:13] you know, one day a week to answer questions.
[48:15] So it's I think it's a better customer service model that we have right now.
[48:19] We're very lucky.
[48:19] Scott does an excellent job meeting with people
[48:22] when they have questions about their assessment.
[48:25] He's very knowledgeable and can explain all that.
[48:30] So we
[48:30] basically would have to have them in the seat by December.
[48:33] No, I think January be reasonable.
[48:36] He's going to be leaving at the end of March.
[48:38] So if we could, you know, look at, you know, what the, the job description.
[48:43] Scott reviewed it for me.
[48:44] He's provided his feedback on the job description.
[48:47] So I'll be bringing that forward at a future meeting.
[48:50] And. Yeah, if we can get it again, this is, it just aren't as many as,
[48:54] assessors out there as there were 25 years ago.
[48:57] The only reason I'm saying December is because, like,
[49:00] you're going to have to get ahead of the hiring process.
[49:03] So, like, you may need actually a little bit more.
[49:06] Yeah, we can definitely look at that and accelerate that. Yeah.
[49:09] Because then at least if there's a target in December,
[49:11] if we fall short, it January at least we're still okay.
[49:13] Yeah we can. Absolutely.
[49:14] I'd be worried if we said, hey, we're going to hire in January
[49:16] because I know how long hiring stay in sometimes for us.
[49:19] Yeah, I can bring a job description to you at your next meeting,
[49:22] and we can kind of push that process on.
[49:26] Is that 55,000?
[49:28] Figure from is that Scott?
[49:30] So what it is you're you're basically paying two assessors for three months,
[49:35] and Scott is going to have, he'll have vacation and the personal plan,
[49:41] if he has any intrinsically, if he'll be able to cash flows out.
[49:43] So he'll have what may amount to four months worth of pay in 2027.
[49:49] So you'd have four months of those over.
[49:51] Okay.
[49:53] And then the admin budget again does not include, matrix adjustment.
[49:58] I've also you do not have Guilfoyle treatment in this budget.
[50:01] What we did is we created a new line under,
[50:04] other general government.
[50:08] And what I did is I reduced conservation,
[50:11] Commission's line down to 2000 and then put a $1 placeholder
[50:16] and to see if the, you know, the select board, wants to discuss Milford Oil,
[50:21] I believe, Conservation Commission David Newman will be at your next meeting,
[50:26] to speak with you
[50:27] a little bit about the conservation Fund and then, working with the chair,
[50:31] we'll have an Tomasky Lake Association, future meeting as well.
[50:34] Is there any chance we can get grants from the state for Millville
[50:37] that the state already pays for 50% through, their their grant program? 30?
[50:42] Yeah. That's it.
[50:44] That.
[50:45] So the town has never been the town has never been the lead applicant.
[50:49] It's always been the lake associations that have been the lead applicant.
[50:53] It worked for the state on those.
[50:55] And we've done it as a reimbursement to the Lake Association.
[51:01] Do you think we would get more if we were the leader?
[51:03] I would want to talk to des.
[51:05] We can reach out to des
[51:06] and see if there if there's anything if there's any difference.
[51:09] If the town is a lead applicant, we can reach out.
[51:11] Okay.
[51:12] It'd be interesting to find out if there is something more.
[51:16] So the other general government, those numbers,
[51:20] those of Milford
[51:22] just want to understand what that is.
[51:25] You get.
[51:25] 441 999 on the first page.
[51:31] On my town hall.
[51:32] Yeah. So 41 990 other general government.
[51:36] That's the division.
[51:37] So if you look at page,
[51:42] I think it's on eight.
[51:43] No, it is on page nine.
[51:46] Okay.
[51:46] So other general government, we have conservation, we have historic
[51:49] district commission, budget reports, town report, wellness, civic ceremonies.
[51:53] So we have a couple different items.
[51:55] And those are all right. Thank you.
[51:59] And when you look at the Conservation Commission,
[52:02] you see the columns for 2024
[52:05] actuals, 25 actuals and their year to date
[52:08] and this year's budget, those included, the mill foil request,
[52:13] but because the request for mill soil was so big this year,
[52:16] what it did is just kind of, took those out and put them on their own
[52:21] line is just for a $1 placeholder at this point.
[52:24] Might. Okay, so what?
[52:29] So the default
[52:30] budget for them is 10,000 and they're at 1000 right now.
[52:34] Yes. Prior years they were only at like roughly five. Yes.
[52:38] And the largest portion of that was the mill oil reimbursement.
[52:42] Okay.
[52:42] So they have previously paid for removal from the operating budget.
[52:46] Okay. Yes.
[52:48] Not from the not from the land use change tax conservation.
[52:52] Gotcha.
[52:54] But they were doing small incremental hits.
[52:55] Then. Yes.
[52:57] Because, the the Lake Association was doing
[53:02] much smaller work.
[53:03] But yeah, they're doing some herbicide treatment.
[53:06] And it was, you know,
[53:09] I can give you the history and I'm just I'm just curious,
[53:12] talking about the same,
[53:15] Lake Association.
[53:17] Yeah.
[53:17] So in the past, the Conservation Commission has helped
[53:20] pay for some, even though it was on a much smaller scale, has helped pay
[53:24] for some of that mitigation out of the operating budget, their operating budget.
[53:28] Yeah.
[53:31] Okay.
[53:31] So this is just a really a different detail line comes from the same place
[53:34] comes from taxpayers.
[53:45] That's pretty much it for the town hall budget.
[53:47] I don't have anything in, CIP or special articles this year.
[53:52] I guess the only thing I will mention is we proposed the Town
[53:56] Technology Capital reserve fund.
[53:59] If the board decides that you don't want to, move forward,
[54:03] that I would ask that we perhaps, revisit computer hardware.
[54:08] Because I did not put in all of our networking hardware replacement.
[54:13] If you look on the page one, I only put in five devices,
[54:18] but if it has to fully come from the operating budget,
[54:21] it really should be doing 15 devices a year
[54:25] and all those for switches and stuff like that
[54:28] switches, you know, and all the buildings. Yes.
[54:31] Okay.
[54:31] So it's not just here at the town hall, town wide channel. Yep.
[54:35] And we're replacing those on a schedule over every five years. Yep.
[54:39] So 75 devices on a five year replacement schedule.
[54:43] Again, there's only five in the operating budget.
[54:46] And the rest we we start pulling from the technology CRF.
[54:53] Okay. And,
[54:57] Page seven.
[54:57] Derek, you're saying
[55:00] that on the regular full time wages, that includes,
[55:03] all staff adjustments for that, line for 2027.
[55:07] So what I'm reading, so that includes
[55:10] a full time a includes
[55:13] our current assessor through March and any bio.
[55:17] It includes a full time assessor for the full year.
[55:20] And it includes 50% of the,
[55:25] assessing building work because that position shared
[55:27] between two divisions,
[55:33] Where is the election line
[55:38] for elected officials?
[55:40] Not for the elected officials
[55:41] for for holding the elections and the amount that we're putting there.
[55:45] So that is.
[55:54] I there.
[56:03] Okay.
[56:03] So we decrease the line.
[56:06] Yeah.
[56:06] This is another one of those ones where we look at, we've got a pretty significant.
[56:11] And when we look at the 2025 actuals to what we're proposing, because again,
[56:15] we've had turnover in that department and then we've made adjustments
[56:18] for the number of elections that we'll have.
[56:21] Yeah.
[56:23] Do we know
[56:25] how much we're spending not only on
[56:29] the elections,
[56:31] from a standpoint of like food and that sort of thing,
[56:34] but also how much we're spending on details between the two.
[56:36] Location.
[56:37] So right now, the, police chief, is playing
[56:41] for the details out of his overtime line.
[56:44] So you're paying for that out of your overtime? My chief is okay.
[56:47] My understanding.
[56:50] Sorry.
[56:50] That's the only shareholder.
[56:53] Yes, currently.
[56:54] How it works for elections.
[56:55] We work with the town clerk to figure out how many officers are in need.
[56:59] We basically says for security and we pay our officers the audit rate for that.
[57:04] So part of our hot line is coming from that.
[57:06] And so we're going to see additive on this year because of the number of elections
[57:12] somewhat.
[57:13] But again not to get into the too deep into the weeds.
[57:16] But it just depends on who you get on their day off
[57:20] to cover that, because some people's overtime is different than others.
[57:23] So it's hard to actually whereas if there was a detail,
[57:26] we could say that detail rate is going to be this.
[57:28] Yeah, we have a whole internal thing about details of town,
[57:32] other town departments.
[57:33] But yeah, actually we're going to hire people to go there on the days off.
[57:38] And if the board feels more comfortable, you want to start showing that in here.
[57:43] I think we should,
[57:45] because I think we should be showing how much we're spending on that,
[57:49] because I think it's skewing the number.
[57:51] And it also kind of gets back to a discussion like,
[57:54] would it be much easier if it was all at one location?
[57:56] I mean, I can tell you, I don't know how far you guys want to go
[57:59] and I don't want to hijack your your presentation to Derek.
[58:03] But you know, just for context, for
[58:06] the for the people here that don't know and plus that public
[58:10] the polls open at seven close at seven.
[58:12] But our officers are meeting at town hall at 5:00 in the morning at 5 a.m..
[58:16] We suggest that they are helping town clerk escort ballots,
[58:20] security of them to both locations.
[58:23] And we are assigning officers there all day until almost 2 a.m..
[58:27] So later that Barling officers stay there.
[58:30] And then when you traffic, we bring one over there.
[58:32] They stay there till seven,
[58:33] bring all the stuff over to high school potentially 8:00, 9:00.
[58:37] That particular officer leaves, but we do have an officer that will stay.
[58:41] To your point.
[58:42] I remember one year we were here, I think till 4:00 in the morning
[58:45] that officers here from overtime and we, we try to break it up.
[58:48] So they're not here for that particular one.
[58:50] Officers here for all day. But we break it up.
[58:53] And then every once in a great while I'll stick around late.
[58:57] And that doesn't cost any extra, just my time.
[59:00] But, for the main officer who works security
[59:04] for the ballots that escorts the ballots back and forth here and stays here
[59:08] all night, and make sure the public the safety portion of its target. Yep.
[59:12] They're there.
[59:14] And again, we have some officers that are salaried employees that are the
[59:18] incident commanders or the lieutenants who are in charge of the entire day.
[59:22] But they split 5 a.m.
[59:24] till typically 11 or 12 at night, you know, and I think we're
[59:28] also spending time with our team as well, doing set up and tear down as well.
[59:32] That's not being calculated
[59:35] and resting
[59:36] and that's not being calculated out of town hall.
[59:38] You have Roger who helps out.
[59:40] Is there some way to understand how much
[59:41] we're actually spending between the two locations?
[59:44] I think we probably could get you a room board.
[59:48] I mean, it's hard when certain things like,
[59:52] Mike Parks and Rec and DPW helping out.
[59:56] A lot of times it's not.
[59:57] We're not calling them on, t it's just they're not working for those.
[1:00:01] They're starting at five in the morning, which is not for me, the regular time.
[1:00:06] So you start them early and then you make a decision.
[1:00:10] Do I need them to stay longer that day because we have things to do,
[1:00:14] or you let them cut out? And made up. Yeah.
[1:00:17] And I can tell you that that's.
[1:00:19] Well, when they, they in the morning our officers get help from those guys.
[1:00:23] But when it's late at night, it's typically, as some of you have experienced
[1:00:27] this very late when it comes to the personnel at that night.
[1:00:30] So now more there's still the same amount of work to do with less people at night.
[1:00:35] Which arguably could be one of the more important parts
[1:00:38] because now you have the actual ballots and everything else. Correct.
[1:00:41] They're done.
[1:00:41] I, I the police department can give a report.
[1:00:44] We have the breakdown of our overtime costs
[1:00:48] where they were for overtime, so I could generate a report for Derek
[1:00:52] for the board to show in the past 3 or 4 years,
[1:00:55] on average, what it costs us for specifically.
[1:00:58] Just that just does.
[1:01:00] Yeah. Because I do think
[1:01:03] there are certain things where people talk about overtime
[1:01:06] that are showing up because of other things that we're doing
[1:01:09] that are beyond just the, you know, emergency calls.
[1:01:13] And I think that we're also expanding cost and complexity
[1:01:17] when we could simplify a few things as we move forward, as well.
[1:01:22] Also, we have an extra.
[1:01:28] See your point.
[1:01:30] So you're all set Derek.
[1:01:31] Great. Yeah okay. So okay.
[1:01:35] So yeah.
[1:01:38] I was just curious under,
[1:01:40] General Government Administration, the employee development.
[1:01:44] Yeah. Jumped up quite a bit.
[1:01:46] Do you have something in mind for that?
[1:01:47] Yeah, we've got, an employee that, is doing a qualified,
[1:01:52] one employee that's doing a bachelor's degree
[1:01:55] and one that's going to be taking master's classes, so. Oh, right.
[1:01:57] So I know the personnel playing the,
[1:02:00] the board will pay 50%, and then they have to sign
[1:02:04] a promissory note, and there's, like, a clawback period.
[1:02:07] Okay. Perfect.
[1:02:10] Okay, everybody.
[1:02:11] One last question, Derek.
[1:02:13] Is there anything here
[1:02:15] that if we were to say, hey, we need to find money
[1:02:17] out of this, is there any one item you'd be okay?
[1:02:20] Well, that's going with or say it's not a necessity
[1:02:24] in terms of lines.
[1:02:25] Yeah, lines.
[1:02:27] I guess I would want to know how much money you're looking for.
[1:02:30] Of the three
[1:02:34] that I highlighted, I think you could probably get away
[1:02:39] another year of potentially not doing CCTV cameras.
[1:02:43] If you're going to do that in 2027 for the 2027 budget,
[1:02:48] I'd ask that you consider a budget transfer in 2026
[1:02:52] so that we can get a stock of some cameras this year.
[1:02:55] So if we had some extra, yeah.
[1:02:56] So we can maybe we're going to have extra.
[1:02:58] I know, because we've had, vacancies, workers
[1:03:01] comp and short term disability in my department.
[1:03:04] So we're going to have some low wages.
[1:03:07] So if you wanted to, reduce, I would say you could potentially do
[1:03:11] the hardware for, to remove the cameras and then just let me buy them now,
[1:03:15] because what we're going to do is we're going to buy them
[1:03:17] and we're going to start changing them out.
[1:03:19] But if we if he puts in an order
[1:03:22] in December versus
[1:03:23] March, I mean, it's not going to make that much difference
[1:03:26] where we can still start implementing that search, that switch out.
[1:03:31] Okay. And how much would that be?
[1:03:33] 22,500.
[1:03:37] And then,
[1:03:38] the other place that you could do it is, like I said,
[1:03:41] if you wanted to reduce the, the overlap between the assessor.
[1:03:45] Right now, I've got two proposes, a three month overlap.
[1:03:49] So that's something that we typically do.
[1:03:51] But it's such a it's such a subject matter expert.
[1:03:56] I feel like there's a lot of offices
[1:03:59] between Danielle, myself, the other people in the building.
[1:04:03] We can jump in assessors.
[1:04:04] One of those ones that don't really.
[1:04:06] I don't think we want to risk that. Think that's a good idea?
[1:04:08] I would almost be willing to say we need to move the assessor up.
[1:04:13] And then get some crossover.
[1:04:17] So if we have, the cash for the,
[1:04:20] Yeah, that one of the cameras.
[1:04:23] Okay. I mean, so I'll let,
[1:04:27] I guess the board as we
[1:04:28] go through these and you want to start making motions to if that.
[1:04:32] That'd be one that you could cut from.
[1:04:33] Let me know and I will talk to Brian about,
[1:04:37] the hard thing with hardware is it's just it's spike.
[1:04:40] The cost of spike even over throughout this year.
[1:04:43] Well aware.
[1:04:45] We're paying a ton.
[1:04:46] Are we going to do the Q three?
[1:04:49] Next meeting? Next meeting?
[1:04:50] It was just to.
[1:04:52] No, it's just too much. Yeah.
[1:04:53] I was just curious because I'm interested to see
[1:04:55] where we stand with a lot of things I know and and seeing what else we can get
[1:04:59] pushed to this year.
[1:05:00] Yep. What what line item was that, Derek, that we need to,
[1:05:03] so the actual line item is on
[1:05:09] page six
[1:05:11] under hardware.
[1:05:12] So 48450.
[1:05:16] So we would reduce that by 22,500.
[1:05:19] Yes. Okay. Yeah.
[1:05:20] But we can hold off on doing that until we.
[1:05:23] Yeah. Yeah okay.
[1:05:26] All right.
[1:05:27] Cool. I'll just mark that one.
[1:05:30] And I'd be happy if there's, if the board members
[1:05:32] have any questions about any of the lines, before our next meeting,
[1:05:35] we'll be happy to answer any.
[1:05:41] All right,
[1:05:43] next up, Mr.
[1:05:44] Wilhelm.
[1:05:53] Where are we starting for? Rick
[1:05:56] parks and rec is on a.
[1:06:02] Page.
[1:06:03] The 30, page 30.
[1:06:05] Thank you.
[1:06:06] Page.
[1:06:08] Thank you. Sir.
[1:06:11] With time record, you said page 30 of your budget
[1:06:13] details. Sir.
[1:06:22] Yeah.
[1:06:22] There you go.
[1:06:28] I don't have what you're looking at, so I have my own time.
[1:06:32] So I think we'll make it work.
[1:06:38] I what I'd like
[1:06:39] to do is just kind of go to what I gave you in hand.
[1:06:42] Here is the the, budget highlight overview.
[1:06:46] And then if you want to go in and
[1:06:49] the very last page of what you have, this is the budget.
[1:06:52] But the bottom line is I just want to make sure
[1:06:56] we're all working from the same point of view here.
[1:06:59] We are working from a default budget.
[1:07:02] What, 26 was.
[1:07:04] And we're working off of all those numbers.
[1:07:06] No adjusted numbers.
[1:07:07] Those are the default numbers.
[1:07:10] And that's what we're working off of.
[1:07:12] Our 27 budget is basically a 1.8%
[1:07:18] increase over the 26.
[1:07:21] Default equates to roughly about $11,500
[1:07:27] as an increase.
[1:07:31] There's
[1:07:32] a lot of kind of ups and downs throughout this, this budget.
[1:07:35] I mean, in our full time wage lines,
[1:07:39] based on what Derek was talking about, if the steps were to go through, that's
[1:07:44] that's about a $6,000 increase there for for the employees that are,
[1:07:51] able to receive their steps,
[1:07:54] their part time wage line was about
[1:07:56] was set at 106 and 26.
[1:08:00] We're bringing it down to 102659.
[1:08:03] Danielle and I did did a lot of work on that.
[1:08:06] Danielle kind of help me out to really define
[1:08:09] and really dive into that a little bit.
[1:08:11] We try to, we averaged out, you know, like 22 employees
[1:08:16] over a period of time and how many hours, you know,
[1:08:19] we're saying, okay, we got a 40 hour a week person.
[1:08:21] They're going to work 40 hours.
[1:08:23] Well, we're finding it's not all these employees are working 40 hours.
[1:08:26] It might take a week's vacation.
[1:08:28] They might be out sick or whatever, blah, blah, blah times 22.
[1:08:33] So what we tried to do is, is look at that, capture that, and,
[1:08:39] so we came up with a 102 figure for 27,
[1:08:43] which from the default will be a decrease of four breaks.
[1:08:50] I think that's that's a tough one.
[1:08:51] It's a it's,
[1:08:54] I hate using the word as a dartboard,
[1:08:56] but, man, I tell you, it's a tough one to to really gauge.
[1:08:59] It really is.
[1:09:01] And then the rest of them, you got longevity, retirement.
[1:09:05] You know, those are things that are all part of benefit plans.
[1:09:11] For employee development.
[1:09:12] We're just going to add $150 to that.
[1:09:14] Next year we're probably going
[1:09:18] to have to get two extra lifeguards certified.
[1:09:21] We pay for their certification.
[1:09:23] So we'll have to pay for that.
[1:09:26] Other than that, contract services will go down.
[1:09:31] Now, remember, what we did is in in 26
[1:09:35] is we pulled all what we have is we have,
[1:09:41] kids that, do scorekeeping for us, things like that.
[1:09:44] For all our youth, basketball games,
[1:09:47] something like 400 something games that we have.
[1:09:50] And, so they do that service that used to be
[1:09:53] right in contract services.
[1:09:57] Then we also have youth basketball officials.
[1:10:00] Okay.
[1:10:01] So that we took all that out of the contract
[1:10:04] service line, which was about $5,600 decrease.
[1:10:08] And we put that into the part time wage line.
[1:10:11] So by putting these contract service
[1:10:14] folks into the part time wage line, that that's
[1:10:18] where we made that adjustment to 102 for part time
[1:10:21] salaries.
[1:10:25] I can't say
[1:10:26] I do know what will what stays in the contract service is basically
[1:10:31] all our officiate officials for, for like our adult, our men's basketball
[1:10:36] league men, boys high school, men,
[1:10:39] youth lacrosse, stuff like that.
[1:10:42] And there is going to be an increase in
[1:10:46] all of those, all of those folks are there
[1:10:48] probably about a five, $10 per game type of thing per person.
[1:10:53] So you got two people as ten bucks.
[1:10:55] So that type of thing so that that will be an increase.
[1:10:58] But but still it's a decrease shown here in this number.
[1:11:05] Heating oil will be a slight decrease.
[1:11:08] And that decrease is more, more because we use less gallons.
[1:11:12] We didn't use as many gallons of oil.
[1:11:16] We put heat pumps,
[1:11:19] heat pumps, what do you call a mini split?
[1:11:23] We put the mini splits in, and 26
[1:11:27] was our first, like, full season.
[1:11:30] And, boy, I tell you, electric bill goes way up and, you know, it does.
[1:11:35] But, I mean, our fuel here,
[1:11:38] the contract is only good till eight 2827, 827.
[1:11:42] So do we really think that this is an accurate depiction of where
[1:11:46] we're going to land on cost for fuel?
[1:11:49] I, I'm, I'm going to roll with it.
[1:11:52] You know, that's a
[1:11:54] I leave that to
[1:11:55] my powers to be and maybe they have a little more insight.
[1:11:58] You know Danielle and those guys,
[1:12:01] if they I mean, they're the ones kind of working with these contracts
[1:12:04] and they can see how it goes up and down.
[1:12:06] I mean, I get there in a volatile geopolitical action.
[1:12:09] You're in a volatile world right now.
[1:12:11] So you're right.
[1:12:12] I mean, I don't know,
[1:12:15] Danielle, I mean, should we be putting some buffer
[1:12:17] on that collectively?
[1:12:21] We can definitely contract out for more.
[1:12:25] When does the oil, oil, propane, all those.
[1:12:28] They all have contract contracts for 27.
[1:12:31] Yeah.
[1:12:31] So the note on here that it's good through August 2027 is you can ignore that.
[1:12:36] So we're going until the end of the year. Yes okay. You.
[1:12:42] Thank you.
[1:12:43] Then we should we should I didn't explained up right here.
[1:12:46] Well no I think we should just make sure that if we go in the budget committee
[1:12:48] that we talk about, that we're good until the end of the year.
[1:12:50] Yeah, well, we'll give a cut because otherwise I think that,
[1:12:54] you know, when you see that, you think we may not be okay.
[1:12:57] Yeah.
[1:12:57] The only one that the only one we're off is electricity
[1:13:01] will be in next in next fall.
[1:13:04] That's the only one that we're going to be out of contract with the in like
[1:13:09] October, October, November for electricity next year
[1:13:13] I think this time around November.
[1:13:17] Well gasoline I think is the same thing.
[1:13:19] August.
[1:13:19] Oh they're going to be any commodities that we renew in 2027.
[1:13:23] Heating oil that the
[1:13:26] heating oil only.
[1:13:28] Okay. We need to make sure that we are.
[1:13:30] And I think if there's any that we have to renegotiate
[1:13:33] we should make sure there's some buffer on there
[1:13:34] because otherwise I think we're going to run short under. So.
[1:13:41] Sorry.
[1:13:42] No, no that's fine. That's good stuff.
[1:13:44] And then electricity definitely that has to go up because we've been behind.
[1:13:49] We're already are behind.
[1:13:51] So and I don't know if I went up enough there,
[1:13:54] but I think I did I mean, based on,
[1:13:58] I know on a season of those
[1:14:00] mini splits, I think, I think I'm okay. But
[1:14:04] and it also really depends on how harsh the winter is, that sort of thing.
[1:14:07] Variables that we don't have control over. Correct. Now. Yes.
[1:14:11] And even to self
[1:14:12] maybe it's twice as hot using AC more.
[1:14:16] Yeah. Yeah exactly.
[1:14:18] The a big increase here is in the in the park up operation line.
[1:14:23] It's about $10,000 increase.
[1:14:28] We the commissioners and listening to the friends of the Rail Trail,
[1:14:33] we're going to look if we can if this all goes as planned,
[1:14:37] look at replacing about $2,800 worth of dollars,
[1:14:41] because there's a lot of ballers on the trail right now
[1:14:43] that are pretty rotted. They're in bad shape.
[1:14:46] And, so I figure we're going to put that in there.
[1:14:51] And then on top of that, the only other really increases
[1:14:53] are your fertilizer costs.
[1:14:55] So go go up, seed cost goes up.
[1:14:59] The other one that goes up is portable toilets.
[1:15:03] Portable toilets.
[1:15:06] Pretty expensive.
[1:15:07] So that's another one.
[1:15:10] And now we do we're doing
[1:15:12] handicapped toilets at all locations.
[1:15:15] We never did that before, which was wrong.
[1:15:18] It was absolutely wrong.
[1:15:19] And that's about a $320 a month per
[1:15:22] unit right there. So,
[1:15:26] so those are your big increases,
[1:15:28] their program cost that's going to go up.
[1:15:31] Just there's no new programs or anything like that.
[1:15:34] It's just basically product cost.
[1:15:36] And that's a 4000, 47 on, $4,700 increase.
[1:15:42] So that kind of equates to $11,500
[1:15:47] increase, 1.8%.
[1:15:55] As far as CIP goes,
[1:15:57] I think we're in a really strange area with the whole CIP world.
[1:16:03] I think the commissioners do realize that, for us,
[1:16:08] for projects down the road, we have to look at the vehicles
[1:16:11] that we have in place and the vehicle, the only vehicle we really have
[1:16:16] is the use of the revolving fund monies and impact fee.
[1:16:21] Monies and impact fee monies are basically usable
[1:16:25] based on this classification of a project.
[1:16:29] Is it a rehabilitation?
[1:16:31] Then? It's not usable.
[1:16:33] Is it something new because of expansion?
[1:16:35] Then we can go down that road.
[1:16:38] So I think we do realize that,
[1:16:41] that's where that direction will be for a little bit.
[1:16:45] Next year we're going to look at we have, we're working right now with a,
[1:16:52] architect,
[1:16:54] designer, to do,
[1:16:56] to look at the Glen like waterfront.
[1:17:01] I don't know, people might say
[1:17:02] that's a waste of money, but I tell you right now, it's a safety hazard.
[1:17:05] There's a lot of things over there that really need to be fixed.
[1:17:09] So we got, we're going to look at that and then, you know,
[1:17:13] what we have for monies available is going to dictate what we can do.
[1:17:17] In all honesty.
[1:17:19] And that's going to be the reality for a little while.
[1:17:23] So when you asked me, I was talking to Derek the other day
[1:17:27] and I'm looking at these scraps
[1:17:28] and I'm like, quite frankly, I guess if you really look at it
[1:17:31] so I was like, every department, you know, CRF, I don't know.
[1:17:35] I honestly don't know.
[1:17:37] I mean, I'm just going to throw that out there.
[1:17:39] But,
[1:17:42] because if you have the
[1:17:42] revolving fund is going to you might take in 90,
[1:17:46] 85, $90,000 a year,
[1:17:49] you want to do a new field that's $1 million.
[1:17:53] So there's ten years to wait for that to build up.
[1:17:57] So you're looking at ten, 20,
[1:18:00] 30 years before things get done.
[1:18:10] So, that's kind of all I have.
[1:18:12] I mean, I roll on here to some other things, like in shipping, and I think that
[1:18:18] everything that we have on a list here needs to be on the list.
[1:18:22] Okay? It needs to be on a list.
[1:18:23] These are things that are failing facilities that are failing.
[1:18:27] They're all big money.
[1:18:31] And I do not have a crystal ball or an answer for any of that,
[1:18:35] but we do have to put that on a docket somewhere.
[1:18:39] And these are things that need to be looked at.
[1:18:41] Derek. Hey, I got an idea to fix your voting.
[1:18:45] Yeah, yeah.
[1:18:47] We build a 32,000 square foot facility.
[1:18:50] Okay.
[1:18:51] Behind a transfer station, three indoor basketball
[1:18:55] access, right, and three indoor basketball courts.
[1:18:58] Right.
[1:18:59] So then the whole community gains
[1:19:02] the availability to use indoor gym space, which we're all dying for.
[1:19:07] Okay?
[1:19:07] We're all fighting over two schools to make it work.
[1:19:10] They do that right.
[1:19:12] And then you take all your voting and it goes right there.
[1:19:15] Isn't that like the central of the town?
[1:19:18] Everybody drives right there and get plenty of parking.
[1:19:21] You could store all your voting stuff, make a special room for it.
[1:19:26] You don't have OT for Garrett and all those guys.
[1:19:29] Holiday trailer around, Hey, Rick, before you move it, that's a great idea.
[1:19:35] I love only $10 million.
[1:19:38] It's only $10 million.
[1:19:39] I got a great idea. Okay. I'm sorry.
[1:19:42] Okay, so the, the wages lines, that you have Rick in here?
[1:19:48] I'm just trying to, like, understand.
[1:19:50] So the default this year for part time, for instance, was 106.
[1:19:54] Correct? Right.
[1:19:54] We're at currently at 85 and, 24 and 25.
[1:19:59] Let's just say they both got about 90.
[1:20:01] I know we move some money from the contract line, over here.
[1:20:06] So let's just say it was another five K, and let's just say we had.
[1:20:11] So we're going to about 90.
[1:20:12] That's what I'm thinking.
[1:20:13] Year end.
[1:20:14] Yes. Year and 26 I think we'll be right around 90.
[1:20:17] Okay. So,
[1:20:21] so why would we put 102 there.
[1:20:24] Would it be slightly lower.
[1:20:26] It's I'm just curious.
[1:20:27] It's the rationale that working with
[1:20:32] for Danielle and putting these numbers together and taking 20 blaming Danielle.
[1:20:37] No. Oh not blaming any I, I don't blame us.
[1:20:39] I would blame her a scapegoat.
[1:20:42] I will take blame for anything I do. I'm not okay.
[1:20:44] I'm not that kind of person.
[1:20:49] But we're taking the 22 bodies that we have,
[1:20:51] and then we're trying to match up how many hours these people work.
[1:20:55] Okay?
[1:20:56] And that's how we came up with the 102 number.
[1:21:00] Could you put that at
[1:21:03] 95 and roll the dice?
[1:21:07] I don't know, and maybe maybe you can't.
[1:21:10] But I'm just asking is that assume assuming a step increase there
[1:21:14] like these like all these.
[1:21:15] For me this is a different world okay.
[1:21:18] Every every one of those 22 people, up to 22 people,
[1:21:23] probably 90% of them are going to be retired.
[1:21:25] So they all get they all get there.
[1:21:28] I just want to know how we came up with the number.
[1:21:29] And I think that we should explain that, every single time
[1:21:33] we talk about the lines. Sure.
[1:21:35] It was accurate. Danielle.
[1:21:37] Okay.
[1:21:38] So it includes the step
[1:21:39] increases, includes the assumption on the hours that they work before.
[1:21:42] And that's why we came up with that number.
[1:21:46] Yeah.
[1:21:46] For these guys, it's the hours that they've worked in the past,
[1:21:50] their hourly rate for the current time and what the next season would be.
[1:21:55] And I like the comment about 90% of them will be returning to.
[1:21:58] So like that's why we're going to have stuff increases on those.
[1:22:03] Okay.
[1:22:07] I mean, the other numbers look good to me, Rick.
[1:22:09] I mean, you're coming in at 1.8 on operational
[1:22:12] and this year you don't have any CIP.
[1:22:15] If I'm reading correctly there,
[1:22:17] it's nothing that is going to be used via taxation dollars.
[1:22:21] Yeah.
[1:22:23] Perfect.
[1:22:24] There might be yes.
[1:22:26] No taxation dollars.
[1:22:30] Okay.
[1:22:32] You may have set this up.
[1:22:34] Thank you Eric, thanks for the great idea.
[1:22:37] By the way.
[1:22:37] We're going to totally separate what I call the network.
[1:22:42] And then what happens. Yeah.
[1:22:44] Have you put an arrest warrant out for no.
[1:22:50] Okay, right.
[1:22:50] We're down on the library. Page 32.
[1:22:53] Thank you.
[1:22:54] Thank you.
[1:23:06] Hello.
[1:23:07] For for everyone who doesn't know
[1:23:08] me, I'm Teresa Curtis, on the chair of the board of Library Trustees.
[1:23:12] And with me is I'm Patty pack, your new library director.
[1:23:16] Thank you.
[1:23:17] So welcome.
[1:23:18] We are here before you with a,
[1:23:22] our 27, proposed budget,
[1:23:26] which represents a 2% increase over,
[1:23:31] the, the fall budget,
[1:23:33] a little less than $20,000.
[1:23:36] Over the course of the year, the area was where we,
[1:23:41] basically have any major increases,
[1:23:44] for everyone would be in furniture for 28440.
[1:23:49] That's we're looking at buying some,
[1:23:54] easy to clean,
[1:23:56] white, purple, white purple furniture.
[1:23:59] Yeah. Or,
[1:24:02] for the for the building.
[1:24:03] Our furniture is quite old.
[1:24:05] We're actually hoping
[1:24:06] that we will be able to continue to fund this line in future years.
[1:24:11] This is going to be replacing two pieces of furniture,
[1:24:14] with things that are,
[1:24:20] They've reached the end of the a publicly friendly.
[1:24:23] They can be cleaned appropriately.
[1:24:25] And if you think of the, some of our, our patrons, that might be
[1:24:31] an important reason that we we have that, so we we have an increase in that.
[1:24:38] If you
[1:24:39] look, you'll see some odd numbers because at the request of,
[1:24:44] IP for the town, we've kind of taken our computer and communications lines
[1:24:51] and what was our telecommunications fine
[1:24:54] and broken that across multiple, lines.
[1:24:59] So there's the communication, computer and communications,
[1:25:02] a computer software line.
[1:25:04] We typically does internet. Yes.
[1:25:09] Internet line and mobile communications lines.
[1:25:12] This basically just allows us to track
[1:25:15] with I.T things more closely.
[1:25:18] It takes into account our share of the costs
[1:25:22] of, the, that five year
[1:25:26] replacement plan for things like, you know, our laptops,
[1:25:30] our routers, switches, hubs that might be needed in the building.
[1:25:34] So it's a, it's a spread across, but it altogether
[1:25:38] does represent about, a two and a 2.5% increase.
[1:25:43] Was it
[1:25:44] I don't remember the percentage.
[1:25:46] It was about I feel like a 7 or $8000. Right.
[1:25:49] Yeah.
[1:25:49] So, costs were out of there.
[1:25:53] And the other line that we, you'll see a increase
[1:25:57] in is, our,
[1:26:01] programs, line 67100,
[1:26:05] we've had, over 20%
[1:26:08] increase in attendance at programs.
[1:26:11] And this line reflects the ability to keep up with that.
[1:26:15] So this is what pays for a program that might come in, whether or not it's
[1:26:19] for the speaker itself or it's for any of the,
[1:26:24] supplies needed for the projects or crafts associated with that.
[1:26:29] But as I said, we're seeing such
[1:26:32] an increase in, in the programs there is
[1:26:35] it needed to reflect that also in the budget?
[1:26:38] And then we also have an increase in our electronic subscriptions.
[1:26:42] That though is a little bit offset by the decrease.
[1:26:47] So if you notice there's a decrease in 47 400,
[1:26:51] which is books and publications of 11%,
[1:26:56] and then an increase in,
[1:26:58] six nine, 200 electronic subscriptions.
[1:27:01] Basically, we're just making sure that all of our electronic materials,
[1:27:05] things that we buy that are digital, are in electronic subscription
[1:27:09] so that we're not mixing physical materials and electronic materials.
[1:27:15] And Patty, did I miss anything that.
[1:27:17] No, I wanted to highlight
[1:27:18] other than to say the increase in programing the program line.
[1:27:22] Some of that increase came from the facilities maintenance line.
[1:27:26] So that wasn't a pure increase.
[1:27:29] Yeah.
[1:27:29] Some of that, some funds shifted down, I think $3,000.
[1:27:33] We shifted $3,000 out of facility maintenance,
[1:27:37] 53 for 62, program.
[1:27:41] So it was a basically a wash because we that would have been a 0%
[1:27:46] increase on that, facilities maintenance line.
[1:27:50] And we just moved $3,000. Now,
[1:27:53] questions to ask a few questions.
[1:27:55] Absolutely, sir.
[1:27:57] Your part time wage has gone up 14%.
[1:27:59] He explained that, 55 0100041150
[1:28:10] There are no new positions.
[1:28:11] There are no changes in hours.
[1:28:13] These were the figures that were there certain numbers that come to me, to us
[1:28:19] when we're building a budget and wages and it are those numbers
[1:28:23] that there were no changes.
[1:28:24] Daniel, do you I hate to put you on the spot, but do you have a sense of.
[1:28:30] Yeah, that one doesn't make sense to me.
[1:28:31] If we're just doing steps increases.
[1:28:33] Yeah. No, it's one step, right?
[1:28:35] Just a step. Freshman. Agreed.
[1:28:38] And all staff would have been all right.
[1:28:40] They're all the same. Right.
[1:28:41] You're not changing anybody out.
[1:28:42] Have it hire anybody new? Nope.
[1:28:44] Then I think we should validate that line.
[1:28:45] We're definitely looking to do a double check on that one.
[1:28:48] Okay.
[1:28:49] And then on,
[1:28:52] the telecom line that went to zero.
[1:28:56] Correct.
[1:28:57] You said that that has now been split between
[1:29:01] internet and mobile internet and mobile communications.
[1:29:04] But if I look at that line and computer software and computer software. Yep.
[1:29:10] If I look at those three
[1:29:11] lines, they are more than what we had allocated,
[1:29:16] in the default budget by a significant margin.
[1:29:19] Let's just go ahead and say by almost $5,000 more. Not.
[1:29:26] So let me show you.
[1:29:27] Can I show you this quite yet?
[1:29:28] Yeah, please.
[1:29:29] This is Brian.
[1:29:33] Just sort of shows this is for this budget coming up.
[1:29:37] So you have this line.
[1:29:38] Yep. Yep. That one.
[1:29:40] It makes sense because it's similar to the others.
[1:29:42] But then these three lines here which are supposed to be
[1:29:45] see this one here.
[1:29:47] Yeah that's a year to date year to date.
[1:29:49] But you had 9000 there.
[1:29:51] But if I add up all of these it's about $5,000 more.
[1:29:56] Right.
[1:29:57] And I mean the, the are the accurate lines coming from
[1:30:02] Brian that deal with our, but the internet lines
[1:30:07] shouldn't be increasing
[1:30:08] because I think that's
[1:30:08] an agreed upon contract that we have for like 3 or 5 years or something like that.
[1:30:12] Derek.
[1:30:12] Right on the internet side,
[1:30:14] it is and it should have gone down because we negotiated a lower price on it,
[1:30:18] but this would have been, yeah.
[1:30:22] So our, our, first light contracts are covered in that.
[1:30:26] So if they're not I agree with that one.
[1:30:28] But Brian negotiated a good rate, this last go around, with the internet side.
[1:30:33] So I'm trying to understand why it's way more than what it was before.
[1:30:38] Unless, like, some of these were sitting in another line item somewhere else there.
[1:30:41] I think that might have been part of the the reasoning,
[1:30:45] but I don't want to speak to it because I'm not as familiar.
[1:30:47] I just think we need to be prepared to ask, okay, here we can,
[1:30:51] we have to validate those numbers as well and, report back at the next meeting.
[1:30:56] Yeah. Just so that way we are clear.
[1:30:59] Like it was sitting in Derek's line previously.
[1:31:01] Right. It or something else.
[1:31:02] But like, how did that come about. Okay.
[1:31:06] I mean overall the numbers are still good.
[1:31:08] Like the 2% I think is great on the topics.
[1:31:11] Now that makes sense.
[1:31:13] In addition to that,
[1:31:16] we have one item in CIPA,
[1:31:20] that is we'd like to move ahead
[1:31:23] and that is $30,000,
[1:31:27] which is to help replace the Hvac system on the third floor.
[1:31:31] So is that is that line item in here?
[1:31:34] That is a part of the support that is on page 36.
[1:31:39] Thank you.
[1:31:45] So there's, facilities and repairs.
[1:31:48] Line 53475 near the top.
[1:31:52] So there's.
[1:31:54] Okay.
[1:31:57] So we,
[1:31:58] had $20,000 in that, which was originally for our drainage.
[1:32:03] Which we are using,
[1:32:06] as part of the default budget for our, our new paving.
[1:32:09] And I would ask anybody that wants to go, oh, and, over the paving.
[1:32:15] And, Adam, if you back there at your team, it's fabulous.
[1:32:20] But this is to
[1:32:22] replace the Hvac system, which is on the third floor.
[1:32:25] I will say, in addition to that, we are working
[1:32:29] with utility companies to help New Hampshire Saves Energy survey done.
[1:32:33] Which should be done before the Hvac system is replaced,
[1:32:37] because we're really not sure how much longer we have
[1:32:41] heating systems for all three floors.
[1:32:44] So it's not one heating system.
[1:32:46] It's each each floor is, and, this is only going
[1:32:52] to cover the third floor and we don't really know.
[1:32:55] Right now furnace, coverage,
[1:32:59] warranties and things like that tell us we should be good,
[1:33:02] but we are going to wait for the energy survey to
[1:33:05] to fully clarify that.
[1:33:08] There's the elevator repair fully.
[1:33:09] Now, the elevator is repaired.
[1:33:12] At the moment it is working fine.
[1:33:15] And we will not have to, preheat the elevator.
[1:33:20] They install a little heater.
[1:33:23] I for that to keep the oil that had been when it was very cold out.
[1:33:28] It would get thick and the elevator.
[1:33:30] We have to go outside and bundle up
[1:33:32] and go outside to the elevator room and hit the switch and wait a minute.
[1:33:35] So that should not be happening.
[1:33:38] So that thought actually was a side benefit
[1:33:40] of actually having to replace the other part.
[1:33:42] We were able to have.
[1:33:43] That part got at a very low cost compared to that.
[1:33:46] Do we still need to talk about transferring funds on it?
[1:33:48] Still, there? Yes. Yeah. Okay.
[1:33:51] You mentioned the services have gone up
[1:33:54] like the number of people showing up, right.
[1:33:56] Programs there.
[1:33:58] Do we have an increase in the number of people
[1:34:00] that also have gotten memberships or anything like that as well? Yes.
[1:34:04] Yeah.
[1:34:04] Let me take a look at what our I just think as the story goes through
[1:34:07] and you talked about the budget Committee, I would start off with that.
[1:34:10] We we normally by November will have an infographic,
[1:34:13] worksheet that will indicate all of the types of usage that we have.
[1:34:20] It's just not ready right now.
[1:34:22] Right.
[1:34:23] Year to date, we're up about almost just under 8% in terms of library card holders.
[1:34:28] Great.
[1:34:32] I'm just curious that
[1:34:33] 33%, I like electronic subscriptions to this aside
[1:34:37] to buying more different subscriptions or is it just the cost of it?
[1:34:41] It's just it's yeah, it's actually nothing new.
[1:34:44] And it would be fully funding hoopla back where it had been before.
[1:34:49] We made some reductions during the, the, default year.
[1:34:54] So the plan would be to increase that back up
[1:34:57] to default levels based on demand from the community.
[1:35:00] And it also reflects the fact that we have those
[1:35:04] electronic, all electronic materials in that line.
[1:35:07] I think club library.
[1:35:09] Right. So close.
[1:35:10] Wilde Library, some publications.
[1:35:13] And it's now moved down into the electronic subscriptions.
[1:35:17] Thank you.
[1:35:20] Anybody else?
[1:35:24] There's also one other
[1:35:27] last year we were, able to get a capital reserve
[1:35:32] fund established for, the library.
[1:35:36] And the library has expressed its interest to the select board and,
[1:35:40] funding, adding funding to that in this year.
[1:35:44] And the budget as proposed right now, does have you a $60,000,
[1:35:53] request for,
[1:35:55] additional funding for our, capital reserve fund
[1:35:59] and that that's sort of that that's the right recommendation of staff.
[1:36:02] And the library board of trustees had a little bit of a different.
[1:36:05] But what was the difference there?
[1:36:07] Our plan difference was just we were going to be looking at, multiple years.
[1:36:13] And this is making a larger payment
[1:36:18] upfront as opposed to spreading it out over multiple.
[1:36:22] Was the request, your side our request to to Derek was,
[1:36:27] I believe, $103,000 a year for five years. Yes.
[1:36:31] Each year in five years, we have approximately in the,
[1:36:35] building plan matrix that we've been maintaining.
[1:36:40] And we keep posted on the library's website a little over $500,000
[1:36:45] worth of known work that's either
[1:36:48] repairs, improvements or historic
[1:36:52] preservation items that need to be done to that building.
[1:36:55] I miss things like number how much?
[1:36:57] It's a little over $500,000.
[1:36:59] 500,000. Yeah.
[1:37:01] So I mean, part of the whole reason of having the,
[1:37:05] the CRF was that you would use that as a mechanism to try to get other funds,
[1:37:09] and that's why the other projects that we have on that list are broken,
[1:37:15] that some of those categories that these are building, we, repairs,
[1:37:20] these are, improvements to the building that will help
[1:37:23] with the library facilities or are offering our programs better.
[1:37:27] And these are things that are historic preservation.
[1:37:29] And, lines two and three tend to be the areas
[1:37:34] where we would be able to get grants right now.
[1:37:37] Our focus right now for grants is on getting
[1:37:41] a, preservation planning grant because,
[1:37:46] getting additional funds through allyship and things like that.
[1:37:51] To get more money, they're
[1:37:53] now going to be looking for us to have a professional plan in place.
[1:37:57] Okay.
[1:37:57] So we are, in fact, exploring both options to get a grant
[1:38:02] to help us actually right at preservation,
[1:38:05] planning plan type.
[1:38:08] Okay. Cupid.
[1:38:09] Qualified. Present. Qualified. Present.
[1:38:11] Thank you.
[1:38:12] I knew what was in it.
[1:38:13] They can be costly depending on how.
[1:38:16] You know, we've been given a price, though, of,
[1:38:19] it was under 10,000, so we're not sure where
[1:38:22] we're right now validating whether or not that is actually an accurate cost or not.
[1:38:28] And that is going to be a key component
[1:38:31] in us being able to get additional funding moving forward.
[1:38:34] Premature discussion.
[1:38:36] Okay.
[1:38:40] Great work.
[1:38:41] More nothing simple.
[1:38:43] Nothing is simple.
[1:38:44] We have to get a plan to get a plan
[1:38:47] and it might be a good time.
[1:38:48] Just a little extra plug for the elevator, if you don't mind me
[1:38:51] saying that it is a 30 year old elevator.
[1:38:54] We have success.
[1:38:56] Hopefully, repaired one of the parts in it,
[1:38:59] and at any given time, a different part could go.
[1:39:02] And so we have a pretty detailed estimate from, Stanley Elevator,
[1:39:07] listing out all the other components and what the anticipated cost is.
[1:39:12] So that's another thing, I think that's on the mind of everyone to that,
[1:39:17] another part could go again.
[1:39:19] And there are none of them are inexpensive.
[1:39:21] The two pieces I worry the most about our elevator.
[1:39:24] Another part going and the Hvac system and it being unrepairable
[1:39:29] because right now they have to, kind of manufacture parts.
[1:39:33] Parts for that Hvac system are no longer commercially available. So
[1:39:39] are any of the
[1:39:40] costs that, you know, work for the elevator in that 500,000 a year?
[1:39:44] Yes. Still, yes.
[1:39:46] So it's not in addition to not in a no, no, no, no.
[1:39:48] We're we're basically trying to,
[1:39:52] identify all those areas that need repairs.
[1:39:56] Because while everybody is aware of the age of the building
[1:40:00] and things like that actually really tracking and, and,
[1:40:04] and drilling down into how much things are going to cost
[1:40:09] and then trying to make a plan around it,
[1:40:12] has been what's been missing. And,
[1:40:15] when I say we have the the plan of projects, it's
[1:40:19] also part of the reason for, capital reserve
[1:40:22] funding across the board.
[1:40:26] Deposits into that is not everything.
[1:40:29] If somebody waved their magic wand, we still.
[1:40:32] We wouldn't be able to do all $500,000 worth of work at the same time
[1:40:37] because of how it would impact programs use this building.
[1:40:41] So there's planning that has to go into what what things can be done,
[1:40:45] that we could plan around versus what things do we have to do when we say
[1:40:49] people, I'm sorry, we have no elevator to the second and third floor.
[1:40:55] Okay.
[1:40:58] Anything else
[1:41:00] beyond that?
[1:41:01] Thank you.
[1:41:02] Thank you for that.
[1:41:15] Hey, Rick.
[1:41:16] Quick.
[1:41:17] Yeah?
[1:41:18] Could you come up for one second?
[1:41:27] But could you do the town
[1:41:29] a service and just give us an update on the pickleball courts?
[1:41:32] Oh, yeah. Absolutely.
[1:41:33] Coming along really good.
[1:41:36] They just put a, acrylic
[1:41:41] paint down on the asphalt, so I don't know if we'll get the paint.
[1:41:45] The actual final surface in just getting pretty cold tonight.
[1:41:49] And, whether if we have some nice warm days in a row,
[1:41:54] evening and day, he'll be able to get it in,
[1:41:57] but come along really good.
[1:42:01] I like it. It looks nice.
[1:42:02] You expect to be able people to be able to play on it this year, or
[1:42:05] just wait till next year?
[1:42:06] I would say count on next year.
[1:42:09] But, you know, you may get
[1:42:11] a couple weeks in this year.
[1:42:12] Maybe, you know, you may.
[1:42:15] Good. Okay. Thanks.
[1:42:16] Okay. That's it.
[1:42:19] Sorry about that.
[1:42:20] Anybody have any old business?
[1:42:24] Should we get an update on the bridge?
[1:42:27] And. Yeah, I do have a new business under me,
[1:42:31] but then we'll see how the road that's being worked out.
[1:42:34] Not a lot of.
[1:42:35] Yeah, I've seen some chatter on that.
[1:42:38] I've actually not.
[1:42:39] And there you go.
[1:42:42] Hey. Yeah.
[1:42:43] And we'll come back to the year of the bridge.
[1:42:46] Here on the bridge seems like everywhere.
[1:42:47] Not just time to so I don't.
[1:42:49] Oh yeah. It's so bad.
[1:42:50] But my goodness this is the worst.
[1:42:52] Everybody's at least stayed on all four wheels on ours.
[1:42:56] Okay, so, no particular order, but I'll take mine a lot of first
[1:42:59] since that was pretty, preexisting project is wrapping up.
[1:43:04] So contractor
[1:43:05] John Neville did finish a little bit earlier than, originally anticipated.
[1:43:08] Which is great.
[1:43:09] They were able to get it paved in,
[1:43:11] pretty short notice after the final backfill were done.
[1:43:14] So mine alone is paid back in.
[1:43:16] Reopened to traffic as of last week.
[1:43:19] There are some punch list items for, you know, landscaping, grass
[1:43:23] establishment, that sort of thing
[1:43:24] that we won't close out the full project until those things are done.
[1:43:27] But, yeah, I'm pretty.
[1:43:28] Well, no major hiccups.
[1:43:30] Flow, as they saw over there can vary quite a bit.
[1:43:33] There's a few things upstream that impact how much water goes through that culvert.
[1:43:37] But, by and large, it flows.
[1:43:40] And they, they, weathered a few of those higher discharge events pretty well.
[1:43:45] So pretty happy with the project.
[1:43:47] Time will tell, obviously, but it's a pretty hefty structure,
[1:43:49] so it should outlast all of us for sure around this table.
[1:43:53] And never did a great job as as usual.
[1:43:56] The big outstanding thing, on that project is still awaiting
[1:44:00] word from FEMA about the, project budget request.
[1:44:05] As you might recall,
[1:44:06] we had requested an increase in the grant amount because the bids came back
[1:44:10] higher than in 2022, or we had anticipated the project cost.
[1:44:14] So as soon as we hear back from that,
[1:44:17] that will release a little bit of fun to play over with us.
[1:44:20] So the bid came in,
[1:44:23] around $95,000, higher than,
[1:44:27] the 2022 grant request had been.
[1:44:29] So, that was the amount that we sort of, carved out from the road plan to say,
[1:44:35] in case we have to front this whole thing as a town of a piece, it'll
[1:44:38] be that amount. So,
[1:44:41] You never know, really,
[1:44:42] when FEMA kind of gets involved, the timeline or anything.
[1:44:46] But, HSM seemed to think it was kind of a no brainer to have the money available.
[1:44:51] There's only a couple of projects in the state
[1:44:53] that actually proceeded from that 2022, grant availability were one of them.
[1:44:58] We were one of the fastest to get to the table.
[1:44:59] So from what they're saying, it's a good chance we'll get it.
[1:45:03] But until it's we don't know until it's actually done, we don't know when.
[1:45:06] I'll have to talk with Zach and Danielle and Derek about what happens
[1:45:09] at end of fiscal year if,
[1:45:12] they haven't decided yet.
[1:45:14] And then do we encumber or can we encumber,
[1:45:17] you know, local funds for that release the fund balance
[1:45:21] if it doesn't come to pass or how that works. Right.
[1:45:23] Or and so we won't know until the project's completed
[1:45:27] is that, they at any time
[1:45:30] could approve the increase in, the,
[1:45:35] the grant funds amount.
[1:45:37] So we could be the populace could be done.
[1:45:39] There could be no, no more work at all.
[1:45:41] These could close out their end of the project.
[1:45:44] HCM could close it out.
[1:45:46] And then it would just be, you know, whatever FEMA decides to,
[1:45:50] you know, give way.
[1:45:50] So if there's like a, like, say
[1:45:52] we have to be complete before we apply it, but yeah.
[1:45:55] Okay. How
[1:45:57] so it's kind of a oddball thing,
[1:46:00] but nothing about the CIP grant project has been straightforward.
[1:46:02] But yeah, it's a good, good problem to have, I guess.
[1:46:07] Okay.
[1:46:07] So, with once a loan, a road being reopened that allows us
[1:46:12] some more flexibility with the upcoming Hill Road bridge project.
[1:46:15] The past couple of weeks, have been spent, meeting with the,
[1:46:20] consultant engineer for the precast, to verify
[1:46:23] they came to town, verified our bridge abutments are good to go.
[1:46:26] I think actually giving me that update already, but,
[1:46:29] So then there's been a lot of back and forth with the final design about,
[1:46:33] how those abutments get modified to accept the change
[1:46:36] from a steel girders to now the precast,
[1:46:40] planks.
[1:46:41] So, there's some very minor mods that have to happen once we close the road
[1:46:45] and, demo the existing steel structure.
[1:46:49] Right now, the, the,
[1:46:52] as of, about 2:00 this afternoon, the shop drawings
[1:46:55] and the bridge design by the consultant have been stamped.
[1:46:58] So that allows the precast to now form those planks.
[1:47:02] And that starts the clock as far as their availability.
[1:47:05] I'm.
[1:47:07] They haven't given me this officially yet, but I'm going to guess
[1:47:09] the first I'm going to remember is probably when we can anticipate those
[1:47:12] to show up on site based on, approval today.
[1:47:16] The, trick now is how having never
[1:47:22] demolished and had a contractor cut this particular abutment,
[1:47:27] and I don't want to close the road and take the bridge way too early.
[1:47:31] But I also definitely do not want to be in a position
[1:47:33] because so late in the season, especially where we're scrambling
[1:47:36] and not ready for those when planks are ready for delivery.
[1:47:39] So, right now we're talking about, mid to late next week
[1:47:44] as a possibility of, of doing the official closure.
[1:47:47] Now that the monument detour is open, it's not it's not terrible.
[1:47:52] It's pretty quick detour.
[1:47:54] But that will give us at least three weeks to,
[1:47:57] to do the full demo and prep those abutments and then.
[1:48:01] So how are we going to react to traffic?
[1:48:03] So the detour for that project is, if you're heading, northeast,
[1:48:07] you get to black Brook, you'll take black Brook, to east on Barton.
[1:48:11] We don't want to push everybody on Poplar Road.
[1:48:13] It's a kind of a smaller road, but, I think people in the know
[1:48:16] will take Pollard.
[1:48:17] And people have taken the official detour.
[1:48:18] Will black Brook to East Dunbar and,
[1:48:21] and then, coming the other way.
[1:48:24] Tomorrow on a rather so black brook East
[1:48:27] Barton model will be the, the wraparound path model.
[1:48:30] It takes you back to the top of Terrell Hill.
[1:48:32] And then the opposite from the other direction.
[1:48:36] Right from the model on a detour.
[1:48:38] I can't recall how long it is, but it's not very, you know,
[1:48:42] I think the overall length is a mile and a half or something like that
[1:48:45] compared to obviously, the summers major crossing on that.
[1:48:48] Yeah, it's been scattered quite.
[1:48:52] So, so that's kind of the game we're in now.
[1:48:54] Until I get a hard date, I'm a little hesitant to close, but I also,
[1:48:59] like I said, it, I mean, there's not a ton of traffic going over there now.
[1:49:03] I think, Terrell Hill is like 1500 cars a day, maybe ten walnuts.
[1:49:07] You know, a lot of local back and forth to, of course.
[1:49:11] But we also need the schools know that it's coming,
[1:49:14] but we need to be able to give them some, some notice that they it's coming up.
[1:49:19] One of our, our town engineers, child, bus driver has been asking him,
[1:49:24] so they're in the now and,
[1:49:25] the, the direct line to our town engineer, which is kind of funny, but, we'll,
[1:49:31] we'll get the,
[1:49:34] concrete cutting contractor lined up.
[1:49:36] So that'll be good to go.
[1:49:38] And the there's a couple of trees that have to be removed
[1:49:41] for the the crane that's going to be setting these, planks there.
[1:49:44] Don't you know, dead or hazard type pines.
[1:49:47] Anyway, so we've already met with landowners on that.
[1:49:50] There is some guardrail work.
[1:49:52] So we've, now that we've got the,
[1:49:56] finished our plans, we can get those to the guardrail, supplier.
[1:49:59] So they make sure they have the right, posts. But
[1:50:03] in general, it's a pretty,
[1:50:05] it's a lot less complex of a bridge in the end than something
[1:50:09] like every bridge with the truss style.
[1:50:11] So how long do we think it will take once we start?
[1:50:14] Is the question.
[1:50:15] So, there are some cure times for grout.
[1:50:17] There's some grouting of the connections that has to happen.
[1:50:20] So if each of these planks gets,
[1:50:23] crowded together, and, and post tensioned.
[1:50:26] So they're all pretty stressed beams, but then they get post tension
[1:50:29] the other direction after they're set in place.
[1:50:31] So that can all happen pretty quick.
[1:50:34] Is the grout supposed to cure for,
[1:50:36] the waterproofing membrane contractor prefers the seven day
[1:50:40] cure time, but we may massage that a little bit. But,
[1:50:44] then as soon as waterproofing is done, usually you can pay the next day.
[1:50:47] At this particular time, and our favorite contractor, continental.
[1:50:53] Is that.
[1:50:53] So this is going to be a late season, highly critical thing.
[1:50:56] So they'll be ready. So as long as we don't get a
[1:50:59] bout of snow or something like that, you know, sort.
[1:51:02] So we're thinking a couple weeks.
[1:51:03] So yeah, I would, you know, to be safe, I'd plan for two weeks post delivery.
[1:51:08] So it could be about a five week closure if we close three weeks prior to delivery.
[1:51:13] So that's kind of a
[1:51:16] that's a great assumption.
[1:51:19] We don't think there's, it's tough to fully, assess
[1:51:23] what's going on with the concrete abutment that's underneath the steel sections,
[1:51:26] which is, of course, where they take the most water in the crushing activity.
[1:51:30] But, for the most part, the rest of the concrete looks okay.
[1:51:33] We're not seeing a lot of spalling or chipping or cracking.
[1:51:35] So that leads us to, once we pull the steel off,
[1:51:37] we will have some crazy surprise.
[1:51:39] But it's a very fairly basic, cast in place concrete structure.
[1:51:42] So, should be able to that timeline will allow us
[1:51:46] to do any of those concrete prayers as well. The same time.
[1:51:51] With, you know, possibly.
[1:51:53] Okay.
[1:51:53] Thank you.
[1:51:54] Thanks.
[1:51:58] Okay.
[1:51:58] Action. Maybe.
[1:51:59] So any questions?
[1:52:02] Comments?
[1:52:05] Good.
[1:52:06] Okay.
[1:52:08] And we'll open up once again
[1:52:10] for public comment.
[1:52:13] Seeing and hearing.
[1:52:14] No one will close public comments at this time.
[1:52:19] Okay.
[1:52:20] So we have a
[1:52:22] okay, okay okay.
[1:52:25] Motion. Motion to adjourn.
[1:52:27] Second motion by Josh.
[1:52:30] My favor I see you.
[1:52:35] Thanks GTV