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[music]

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We're going to start with the pledge of
allegiance.

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» [clears throat]

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» To the flag of the United States of
America and to the republic for it

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stands, one nation under God,
indivisible, with liberty and justice

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for all.

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Okay. Uh, the town is looking for
volunteers to serve as community liaison

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and help shape Grafton's future. The
municipal vulnerab [clears throat] I did

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it the last two times so well. The
municipal vulnerability preparedness 2.0

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core team will help identify and address
climate impacts in Grafton to make our

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community more resilient. Visit
tinyurl.com/graftonmvp

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to apply. Grafton wreck will host their
collectibles fair on Saturday, September

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12th from 10 to 3 at the Grafton Middle
School. There will be coins, comics,

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toys, records, trading cards, and sports
memor memorabilia vendors.

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A vaccine clinic will be held here at
the municipal center in the gymnasium on

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Friday, September 25th from 9 to 1.
Walk-ins are welcome for flu and COVID

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vaccines. Pre-registration is required
for RSV, pneumonia, shingles, tetanus

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vaccinations.
Please visit grafton-mma.gov

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for more information.

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Okay,
>> Mr. Chair, before you get going, I just

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wanted to let you know that Craig is
online, so all your votes will be roll

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call.
>> Awesome. Thank you.

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» Just before you get into the hearings.
[clears throat]

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» Okay. Um, so those are our
announcements. I'm going to welcome uh

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Lucas and Bob from the Veterans Advisory
Committee for their announcements.

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» Good evening. Uh, Lucas Remler, 27 Flint
Pond Drive. I'm currently the chair of

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the VAC and the trustees of soldiers and
sailors memorials and I was looking to

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invite the members of the select board
in our community to our gold star

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mothers event this September 27th. The
event starts at 7:45 goes to about 8:30.

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And then I was also I'm not sure if I
needed to submit anything but we were

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looking to get approval to raise the
gold star mother flag from September

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27th till October 2nd.

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All right. [snorts] Is that that's 7:45
in the morning, I'm guessing?

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» Yes.

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» So, that full the full week of
>> correct.

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» Okay.
>> I think the gold star mother flag

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request is on the September 22nd
meeting.

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» Okay.
>> Like on the agenda for

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» on the agenda. Okay.
>> You might want to I mean, they're not

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going to vote no, but you might want to
vote it then because it's actually on

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the agenda.
>> Okay.

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» Not problem. I can come back and
>> I don't think you need to come. I think

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they can just vote it, but it's it's
just not on this agenda. It's on the

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next one.
>> Gotcha. Okay. So, yeah, I'd like to just

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invite the members of the select board
and our community to the event.

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[clears throat]
We'll hold it up up over here in front

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of the senior center at Flagpole right
there.

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» Nice.
>> Great.

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» Thank you. Yeah. Yeah. Thank you so
much.

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» It's been a great ceremony in the past.
We, you know, appreciate you guys coming

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in and publicizing it and, you know,
inviting us to to partake as well.

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» Thank you.
>> Looking forward to it.

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» All right. Have a good night. you take
it. Take it, please.

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[clears throat]

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» Okay. Uh we'll start our first of three
poll petitions tonight uh with a public

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hearing for an installation on
Providence Road.

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Uh the select board will hold a public
hearing on the request of National Grid

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and Verizon New England, Inc. for
permission to locate poles, wires, and

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fixtures, including the necessary
sustaining and protecting fixtures along

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and across the following public way.
Providence Road National Grid to locate

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one JO pole on Providence Road beginning
at a point approximately 525 feet north

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of the center line of the intersection
of Main Street. Relocate pole 32, 20 ft

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closer to pole 33. The public hearing
will be held on September 8th, 2026 in

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conference room A of the Grafton
Memorial Municipal Center located at 30

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Providence Road starting at 7 p.m.
Remote participation will be available

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using Zoom webinar ID. Those interested
are invited to attend this public

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hearing and offer comments in writing in
person or via Zoom. Written comments

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must be received by noon on Wednesday,
September 2nd, 2026.

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Uh I move the board vote to open the
public hearing. Second.

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» Okay. Motion seconded. Any discussion?
Hearing none. All those in favor by roll

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call. Uh Miss Roy.
>> I. [clears throat]

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» Miss Duckworth.
>> I.

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» Miss Foley.
>> Foley. I

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» Mr. Din.
>> Dolphin. I

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» Jefferson I.
We have opened the public hearing. Um

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I don't see them in those attendees, but
do you have um Fritz Jolan and the

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attendees? Maybe.
>> It's an excellent question.

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» No.
>> Well, that is disappointing.

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Have a Mike Miller.
I don't recognize anybody from

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National Grid.
>> Yeah, I don't see I only have the one

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National Grid email address for tonight.
[clears throat]

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Well, at any rate, um does anybody have
any questions about the the pole

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relocation? I mean the
it's [clears throat] always nice to have

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them here to just walk us through it,
but um you know we do get the diagrams

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and the in the write up in the as part
of the packet. Um

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seems seems a pretty straightforward
request.

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Any comments or questions from the
board?

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» Nope.
>> Okay.

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» Are there any public comments?
>> Just throwing it out there.

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» Any hands on Zoom?
No.

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» Okay. Take a motion to close the public
hearing.

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» I move the board vote to close the
public hearing. [clears throat] Second.

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» Okay. Motion been seconded. Any
discussion? Hearing none. Uh, Miss Roy.

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» I.
>> Miss Duckworth.

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» I.
>> Miss Foley.

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» Foley.
>> I.

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» Mr. D.
>> I.

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» Jefferson. I uh hearing is closed. I can
take a motion.

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» I move the board vote to approve and
sign the pole petition by National Grid

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for Providence Road as presented.
>> Second.

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» Okay. Motion seconded. Any discussion
hearing? None. Uh, all those in favor?

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Miss Roy.
>> I.

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» Miss.
>> Duckworth.

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» I.
>> Miss. Foley.

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» Foley. I.
>> Mr. Dolphin.

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» I.
>> Do I?

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» I.
>> Jefferson. I.

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» Poll. Pition two.
>> The select board will hold a public

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hearing on the request of National Grid
and Verizon New England, Inc. for

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permission to locate poles, wires, and
fixtures, including the necessary

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sustaining and protecting fixtures along
and across the following public way.

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Westboro Road. National Grid to relocate
one J pole on Westboro Road beginning at

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a point approximately 10 feet southeast
of the center line of the intersection

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of Shrewsbury Street. National grid to
relocate one 40 foot class 2 pole

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numbered P1 approximately 25 ft
northeast on Westboro Road. All of this

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work is taking place per masked out
request as they are rebuilding the

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bridge and they need to increase the
working space for a crane. The public

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hearing will be held on September 8th,
2026 in conference room A of the Grafton

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Memorial Municipal Center located at 30
Providence Road starting at 7 p.m.

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Remote participation will be available
using Zoom. Those interested are invited

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to attend this public hearing and offer
comments in writing, in person, or via

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Zoom. Written comments must be received
by noon on Wednesday, September 2nd,

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2026.
I move the board vote to open the public

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hearing. Second.
>> Okay. Motion been seconded. Any

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discussion? Hearing none. Uh, all those
in favor, Miss Roy,

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» I.
>> Miss Doc, [clears throat]

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» I.
>> Miss Foley,

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» Fley, I.
>> Mr. Dolphin,

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» I.
>> Do I.

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» Jefferson, I
>> Okay. Um, again, uh, these two, the this

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one and the Shrewsbury Street um are
tied together. They're um replacement

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slash moving uh a couple poles to um
make some additional crane space as part

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of the B bridge replacement project
that's going on uh right there over the

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the railroad tracks.
Um are there any comments or questions

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on this from the board?
>> No.

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» Any public comment?
>> Okay, take a motion to close the

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hearing.
>> I move the board vote to close the

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public hearing. Second.
>> Okay. Motion made second. Any

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discussion? Hearing none. All those in
favor by roll call. Miss Roy.

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» I.
>> Miss Duckworth.

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» I.
>> Miss Foley.

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» Foley.
>> I.

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» Miss. Do I?
>> I.

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» Jefferson. I.
>> I move the board vote to approve and

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sign the pole petition by National Grid
for Westboro Road as presented.

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» Second.
>> So many motions and second. Any

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discussion?
>> Hearing none. Uh, all those in favor by

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roll call. Miss Roy.
>> I.

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» Miss Dworth.
>> I.

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» Miss Foley.
>> Foley. I.

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» Miss. Miss. Do I?
>> Do I. Jefferson and I as well.

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» The select board will hold a public
hearing on the request of National Grid

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and Verizon New England, Inc. for
permission to locate poles, wires, and

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fixtures, including the necessary
sustaining and protecting fixtures along

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and across the following public way.
Shrewsbury Street. National Grid to

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install one JO Pole on Shrewsbury Street
and relocate one J pole on Shrewsbury

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Street beginning at a point
approximately 10 ft southwest of a

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center line of the intersection of
Westboro Road and continuing

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approximately 107 ft in a southeast
direction. National Grid to relocate 140

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foot class 2 pole numbered P7
approximately 5 feet southwest on Trbury

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Street. National grid to install 140
foot class 2 pole numbered P650

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approximately 107 ft southeast of P7.
All of this work is taking place per

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Masot request as they are rebuilding the
bridge and they need to increase the

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working space for a crane. The public
hearing will be held on September 8th,

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2026 in conference room A of the Grafton
Memorial Municipal Center located at 30

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Providence Road starting at 7 p.m.
Remote participation will be available

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using Zoom. Those interested are invited
to attend this public hearing and offer

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comments in writing in person or via
Zoom. Written comments must be received

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by noon on Wednesday, September 2nd,
2026.

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I move the board vote to open the public
hearing.

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» Second.
>> Okay, been seconded. Any discussion?

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Hearing none. All those in favor? Miss
Roy.

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» Hi.
>> Miss Tuckworth. Hi.

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» Mr. Bley.
>> I.

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» Mr. Do I?
>> Dolphin A. I

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» Jefferson I. Um, any comments or
questions on these poll movements from

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the board?
>> Anything from the public?

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» Okay. Take motion to close.
>> I move the board vote to close the

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public hearing. Second.
>> Okay. Seconded. Any discussion? None.

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I'll play by roll call. Miss Roy.
>> I.

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» Miss. Duckworth.
>> I.

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» Miss Foley.
>> Fully. I.

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» Mr. Dan. A.
>> Dolphin. I.

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» Jefferson. I. I move the board vote to
approve and sign the poll petition by

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National Grid uh for Shrewsbury Street
as presented. Second motion seconded.

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Any discussion hearing? None. All those
in favor? Miss Roy.

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» I.
>> Miss Duckworth.

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» I fully. Thank you.
>> Mr. Dolphin I.

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» Dolin I.
>> Jefferson. I

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Okay. Uh is there anyone here for public
comment tonight?

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» Easy peasy. [clears throat and cough]
First appointment tonight is Gloria for

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our Council on Aging.

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» Welcome.
>> Oh, thank you.

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» Um, so we got your very extensive uh
resume. It you seem like you'd be a

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great fit for this position. Your your
heart in the right place for it. Um but

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for people who may not have read through
the packet, do you want to just give us

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a little bit about yourself and and what
drew you to the role?

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» Um I'm a retired dietician from Tri
Valley. Um I uh recently retired and

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well not recently but in 17 and um since
then I have um u been involved in other

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projects but I attended what I wanted to
tell you was I attended the senior

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center and all the like a lot of their
programs and I'm grateful for all of

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those and I got to meet a lot of new
friends after co and um I heard a lot of

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things so I was able to share them with
Shannon when she was here and now

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Stephanie uh when I was uh I was
involved in the Alzheimer's walk that

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they had. I I was the team leader for
that. Um

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uh also um I've attended uh back uh
several years ago. My mother stayed with

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us every every winter. She came up from
northern Maine and um I needed some

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additional equipment to help my mother
rollers that kind of thing and it was

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flown to me by the senior center and I'm
very grateful for that and uh needed

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advice although I worked at Tri Valley
in several capacities. Um being on the

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other side was a little bit different
when it's your own when it's your own

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mother. Um, you know, I'd be really
interested in helping and sharing

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whatever I could uh with the board. Um,
and I guess that's

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all I have to say.
>> That's plenty. Um, and you just

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confirming you said you are retired. You
have no problem. They I believe midday

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on Thursday.
>> I don't have a problem with the

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Thursdays. So,
>> great. Does anybody have any questions

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00:13:48,160 --> 00:13:54,320
or comments?
>> Thank you. Yeah.

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00:13:51,600 --> 00:13:58,160
» Yeah. Thank you so much.
Okay. Take a motion.

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00:13:56,240 --> 00:14:00,320
» I move the board vote to appoint Gloria
Pillsac to the Council on Aging.

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00:13:59,760 --> 00:14:03,199
» Second.
>> Okay. Motion being seconded. Any

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00:14:01,680 --> 00:14:05,279
discussion?
>> Hearing none. By roll call. Miss Roy.

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00:14:04,880 --> 00:14:06,240
» I.
>> Miss Stockworth.

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00:14:06,000 --> 00:14:07,279
» I.
>> Miss Foley.

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00:14:06,720 --> 00:14:09,199
» Foley. I.
>> Mr. D.

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00:14:08,399 --> 00:14:15,040
» Dany. I.
>> Jefferson. I. Welcome aboard. Um, you'll

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00:14:11,839 --> 00:14:18,079
get a um a letter from the town clerk
about your swearing in. Uh, you're

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00:14:16,959 --> 00:14:21,880
welcome to stay for the rest of the
meeting, but under no obligation.

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00:14:22,480 --> 00:14:30,639
Okay. Uh, next up we have
uh one, yeah, an appointment from the

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town administrator on this one. Um, our
department assistant in the recck

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department, Donna.

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00:14:40,720 --> 00:14:43,760
» Hi everybody.
>> Welcome.

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» Thank you.
>> Do you want to uh just take a moment to

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00:14:45,680 --> 00:14:50,000
introduce yourself? Tell us what brought
you here.

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00:14:47,440 --> 00:14:54,720
» Sure. I'm Donna Olson and I'm happy to
be here. Thank you for the opportunity.

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00:14:52,000 --> 00:14:59,279
Um, I have a lot of experience in office
management and managing the day-to-day

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00:14:56,480 --> 00:15:05,440
operations. Um, also with customer
service and working with students and

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00:15:02,079 --> 00:15:11,040
interns and volunteers, managing budgets
and planning and organizing events and

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programs from inception to completion.
Um,

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00:15:13,199 --> 00:15:19,440
and a lot of my experience really aligns
with this uh position. I have a lot of

241
00:15:17,120 --> 00:15:23,040
customer service experience, too. And
I've previously worked at Metro West

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00:15:21,279 --> 00:15:27,199
Economic Research Center where I manage
the day-to-day, organized the

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00:15:25,040 --> 00:15:31,440
conferences and events as well as the
library where I manage the volunteer

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00:15:29,279 --> 00:15:35,360
program and uh obviously there's a lot
of customer service involved with that

245
00:15:33,279 --> 00:15:39,600
as well and I'm very excited to be here
with the town of Grafton.

246
00:15:37,199 --> 00:15:43,199
» Awesome. Thank you. Uh any comments,
questions from the board.

247
00:15:42,160 --> 00:15:44,959
» Nice to have you.
>> Thank you.

248
00:15:43,519 --> 00:15:50,160
» Yeah, welcome aboard. Thank you.
>> Yeah, it seems like a really critical

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skill set for someone to be, you know,
effective in the recck department and um

250
00:15:53,519 --> 00:15:59,040
you've already met Adam, but you're
you're joining a fun team and Yeah.

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00:15:57,120 --> 00:16:02,399
» Yes. very excited. Thank you so much.
Thank you. Thank you.

252
00:16:01,360 --> 00:16:05,920
» I [clears throat] move the board vote to
affirm the appointment of Donna Olson to

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00:16:04,320 --> 00:16:09,120
the position of department assistant in
the recreation department. Second.

254
00:16:07,680 --> 00:16:12,160
» Okay. Motion made second. Any
discussion? Hearing none. All those in

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00:16:11,360 --> 00:16:13,279
favor? Miss Roy.
>> I.

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00:16:12,560 --> 00:16:14,160
» Miss Duckworth.
>> I.

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00:16:13,600 --> 00:16:16,000
» Miss Foley.
>> Foley. I.

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00:16:14,720 --> 00:16:19,279
» Mr. Dane.
>> Dane. I.

259
00:16:16,880 --> 00:16:22,560
» Jefferson. Okay. Okay. We have one
appointment from the fire chief tonight,

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00:16:20,880 --> 00:16:26,199
which is our new fire prevention
inspector, Taylor.

261
00:16:32,320 --> 00:16:38,160
» Thanks for having us this evening. As
you alluded to earlier, we almost didn't

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00:16:36,160 --> 00:16:41,360
make it. We had that oven fire and then
uh an alarm at the congregational

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00:16:40,240 --> 00:16:44,800
church. So, oh,
>> we made it in the nick of time.

264
00:16:43,471 --> 00:16:48,720
[laughter]
Um, today I'm here to ask for the uh

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00:16:48,056 --> 00:16:54,560
[snorts]
affirmation of uh Taylor Jonas as the

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00:16:51,279 --> 00:16:58,639
new fire inspector. Um, Taylor is a
lifelong resident of Grafton, graduated

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00:16:56,720 --> 00:17:02,639
Grafton High, and has been a member of
the Grafton Fire Department as a call

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00:17:00,320 --> 00:17:08,240
firefighter for 12 years. Um, during
that time, he's obtained his EMT and his

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00:17:05,520 --> 00:17:14,160
firefighter two certifications um that
came through the Mass Fire Academy. Um

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00:17:10,880 --> 00:17:20,880
Taylor has been a a go-to guy from the
start. Um he helps us on uh numerous uh

271
00:17:18,000 --> 00:17:26,799
committees from apparatus purchasing um
our SOG committee and many more that

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00:17:24,240 --> 00:17:32,799
there's too many to remember.
Um [snorts] Taylor is also comes with

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00:17:29,919 --> 00:17:38,080
this uh comes with um exper customer
service experience um and is a whiz at

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00:17:36,559 --> 00:17:41,520
small engine repair which works out
great for us as well. and we were able

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00:17:40,160 --> 00:17:44,799
to steal them from the water district.
So, if we need to know where a hydrant

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00:17:42,960 --> 00:17:48,160
is or why it's not working, he can tell
us. [laughter]

277
00:17:46,240 --> 00:17:52,559
But, uh, so I'd like to introduce Taylor
and we're excited to have him. [snorts]

278
00:17:51,600 --> 00:17:55,600
» Congratulations.
>> Thank you.

279
00:17:52,960 --> 00:17:57,919
» Yeah.
>> Well, you can tell us a little more

280
00:17:56,880 --> 00:18:00,080
about yourself if [laughter] I missed
anything.

281
00:17:58,480 --> 00:18:03,760
» Um,
I think he pretty much hit everything. I

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00:18:01,840 --> 00:18:07,600
got on the fire department in 2014. I've
been heavily involved ever since. Um,

283
00:18:06,160 --> 00:18:11,520
always wanted to be a part of the future
long term and can't think of a better

284
00:18:09,760 --> 00:18:15,039
way than serving in this job. So, I'm
looking forward to it's going to be a

285
00:18:13,200 --> 00:18:19,520
big learning experience and looking to
see where it takes me. It's moving the

286
00:18:17,360 --> 00:18:24,640
department forward and we'll keep moving
forward and see what happens. Yeah, it's

287
00:18:21,679 --> 00:18:28,160
a big step, you know, um adding adding
another full-timer, you know, and and

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00:18:26,799 --> 00:18:33,280
again, just throwing it out something
that we had budgeted for. Um you know,

289
00:18:30,559 --> 00:18:37,280
and and was an expectation, but you
know, as as we talk about that

290
00:18:35,120 --> 00:18:42,240
transition from from call to to
full-time and you know, as hopefully a

291
00:18:39,760 --> 00:18:45,120
slow roll out. Um yeah, you know, like
you're kind of the one of the first

292
00:18:43,760 --> 00:18:48,520
cogs. That's you know, it's pretty
special. So,

293
00:18:48,640 --> 00:18:53,919
» thank you. Um, you can you don't have to
stay.

294
00:18:52,880 --> 00:18:57,120
» I got more to do.
>> Congratulations, Taylor.

295
00:18:55,200 --> 00:19:01,679
» Yeah, congratulations. Let's say that I
know the chief has been looking to both

296
00:18:59,520 --> 00:19:06,640
create and then fill this position for
the four years that we've been talking

297
00:19:03,039 --> 00:19:10,480
about the budget. Uh, and I'm so excited
that this position exists and I could

298
00:19:08,799 --> 00:19:15,280
not be more thrilled that we're able to
hire from within the department and

299
00:19:12,960 --> 00:19:19,679
» promote based on
skill, merit, dedication. And I think

300
00:19:17,280 --> 00:19:25,120
it's uh just the best possible outcome.
>> Yeah, we're pretty excited. The guys are

301
00:19:22,240 --> 00:19:31,600
giving him a good ribbon, but [laughter]
>> before you go, uh Craig has his hand up.

302
00:19:29,120 --> 00:19:36,400
» Yeah, thanks. Uh Andy, just uh my
apologies for being remote tonight, but

303
00:19:33,360 --> 00:19:39,760
I just wanted to congratulate uh Taylor
um and the department on the

304
00:19:37,679 --> 00:19:44,200
appointment. So, I'm excited for him and
excited for the department. So,

305
00:19:45,600 --> 00:19:51,039
» all right. Castle.
>> I move the board vote to affirm the

306
00:19:49,360 --> 00:19:55,039
appointment of Taylor Jonas to the new
firerevention inspector/firefighter

307
00:19:53,200 --> 00:19:58,160
position on the Grafton Fire Department.
Second.

308
00:19:55,520 --> 00:20:00,000
» Okay. M seconded. Any discussion?
Hearing none. All those in favor? Miss

309
00:19:59,600 --> 00:20:01,039
Roy.
>> I.

310
00:20:00,240 --> 00:20:01,760
» Miss Duckworth.
>> I.

311
00:20:01,280 --> 00:20:03,440
» Miss Foley.
>> Foley. I

312
00:20:02,320 --> 00:20:06,160
» Mr. Dane.
>> Dany. I.

313
00:20:04,320 --> 00:20:11,600
» Jefferson. I.
>> Congratulations again.

314
00:20:08,559 --> 00:20:16,480
Okay. Uh, moving right into our general
update from the chief.

315
00:20:14,080 --> 00:20:20,960
um a little shorter than normal. I was
hoping to give you guys a a little

316
00:20:19,200 --> 00:20:26,720
presentation that I was looking to do on
retention, but uh been pretty busy, so

317
00:20:23,679 --> 00:20:31,360
didn't get it done. Um so with that, I
was uh hoping to schedule a time that I

318
00:20:28,799 --> 00:20:36,480
can come in possibly next month um and
discuss that. And just for um something

319
00:20:34,159 --> 00:20:40,960
to think about while I'm not here is the
part of the retention thing is looking

320
00:20:37,919 --> 00:20:47,679
into um bolster the uh pay for call
firefighters and also a introduce a

321
00:20:44,720 --> 00:20:52,480
merit-based stipen system for you know
rewarding those that are the the more

322
00:20:49,520 --> 00:20:55,480
active and whether it's calls or
training.

323
00:20:59,360 --> 00:21:02,640
So, are all three of those things going
to get discussed next month? Are you

324
00:21:02,000 --> 00:21:09,760
gonna discuss
>> No, next month. Just the Y. Um, and

325
00:21:05,440 --> 00:21:12,720
then, uh, so on the my update, uh, we
are still doing pretty good with

326
00:21:11,200 --> 00:21:17,760
recruitment. Uh, we had one member
recently graduate from the fire academy.

327
00:21:15,299 --> 00:21:25,120
[snorts] Um, and we have four members
set to start the academy at the end of

328
00:21:20,159 --> 00:21:29,440
October. And we have uh just interviewed
one candidate last week and we have two

329
00:21:27,200 --> 00:21:36,000
more candidates to interview in the
upcoming weeks. So that's going pretty

330
00:21:31,919 --> 00:21:40,400
well. Um a lot of uh couple of these are
um you know heard it through a friend.

331
00:21:38,880 --> 00:21:44,159
One of them is actually the new husband
of one of our firefighters that applied.

332
00:21:42,240 --> 00:21:48,720
So it's pretty neat. Try to you know
keeping the the family thing going and

333
00:21:46,799 --> 00:21:56,080
um supporting each other. So it's been
pretty good. um update on some of our

334
00:21:52,159 --> 00:22:00,880
apparatus. Um our new brush truck uh
that's going to be assigned to station

335
00:21:57,679 --> 00:22:08,159
two that we ordered way back in January
of 25 uh finally hit the uh the build

336
00:22:04,559 --> 00:22:12,720
floor at the manufacturer and we're
anticipating probably two to four months

337
00:22:10,640 --> 00:22:15,600
for completion. So they're right down in
Connecticut. So it'll be a short trip to

338
00:22:14,400 --> 00:22:20,559
go down, make sure everything's going
good and all that. So, um, that truck is

339
00:22:18,799 --> 00:22:25,520
a twin to another one that we have. So,
the the, um, build process on our end

340
00:22:24,080 --> 00:22:28,640
was a little easier. We tweaked some of
the things that we had we had noticed

341
00:22:27,360 --> 00:22:34,159
with the other one that we'd like some
improvements on. So, we're hoping that

342
00:22:30,080 --> 00:22:39,280
it'll work out good. Um, and last but
not least, training. Um, I can't say

343
00:22:36,559 --> 00:22:45,200
enough about the members. They do tons
of training. Um, so [snorts] much that

344
00:22:43,120 --> 00:22:49,440
as much as I try to get to, I can't make
all the trainings. And I feel bad when

345
00:22:47,520 --> 00:22:55,600
I'm not there, but I know it's in all in
good hands. Um, but this year, um, or

346
00:22:54,000 --> 00:23:00,320
actually should go back to last year, we
did, uh, four live burns at the Auburn

347
00:22:57,760 --> 00:23:05,679
facility. Uh, we up that number to eight
this year

348
00:23:01,600 --> 00:23:09,120
» and they've uh little less attendance
depending on the on the weekend. Um,

349
00:23:07,679 --> 00:23:14,080
some of them are close to holidays and
stuff like that, so that's been tough.

350
00:23:11,280 --> 00:23:18,000
But we've been able to do carry out six
so far and we have two scheduled in

351
00:23:15,679 --> 00:23:25,520
October. So those are usually ones that
everybody likes to go to because it's

352
00:23:19,440 --> 00:23:29,520
not 95 degrees out. So um yeah, I that's
that's the uh my update for tonight. And

353
00:23:27,919 --> 00:23:34,000
like I said, I'd like uh going to be
looking for the opportunity to come back

354
00:23:30,799 --> 00:23:40,280
and discuss some future items with you.
>> Sounds good. [clears throat] Uh

355
00:23:36,159 --> 00:23:40,280
questions and feedback from the board.

356
00:23:40,400 --> 00:23:46,006
I think most of my questions are going
to be next month [laughter]

357
00:23:46,159 --> 00:23:50,480
» about the money.
>> Yeah.

358
00:23:49,200 --> 00:23:54,000
» No, but that was that was really cool to
hear that even just the live burn

359
00:23:52,080 --> 00:23:56,880
training has doubled in a year. That's
that's great. So, you guys are really

360
00:23:55,520 --> 00:24:03,039
» We may end up scaling it back a little
bit because it is a lot um logistics

361
00:23:59,200 --> 00:24:06,960
wise because we're trying to um maintain
not having to go outside and having

362
00:24:04,960 --> 00:24:09,919
another fire department cover the town
while we're doing that. So we try to

363
00:24:08,559 --> 00:24:14,880
make sure we have enough people back in
town that are available to to handle the

364
00:24:12,400 --> 00:24:18,559
runs and stuff. So but so yeah,
logistically a little bit interesting,

365
00:24:16,799 --> 00:24:25,440
but we've been pulling it off. So
>> nice. [snorts] I'll just quickly um

366
00:24:21,760 --> 00:24:29,120
chime in that Foley family personally uh
requested the the services of the fire

367
00:24:27,279 --> 00:24:33,600
department I think twice in the last
month or thereabouts and just wanted to

368
00:24:30,880 --> 00:24:37,120
commend um all of you you know that show
up and your professionalism and even

369
00:24:35,440 --> 00:24:41,679
when it's an instance where you're not
sure in one of these cases should you

370
00:24:40,000 --> 00:24:45,600
call or not. Just really appreciate it
how you guys are there quickly and

371
00:24:43,840 --> 00:24:50,799
handle it and uh just your level of
professionalism is exceptional in my

372
00:24:48,400 --> 00:24:56,159
opinion. Thank you.
>> Second 100%.

373
00:24:53,120 --> 00:25:00,480
» Yeah, we hear that regularly about about
GFD and and I think to circle back a lot

374
00:24:58,720 --> 00:25:04,240
of it goes back to how much live
training and everything that you guys do

375
00:25:01,919 --> 00:25:07,679
and focus on and you know even getting
to getting us to be a part of that

376
00:25:05,600 --> 00:25:11,919
Auburn facility was something you know
one of one of the first things that you

377
00:25:09,039 --> 00:25:17,880
did uh coming on board and glad to see
you're you're maximizing your your usage

378
00:25:14,000 --> 00:25:17,880
over there. It's great.

379
00:25:18,559 --> 00:25:23,760
It's fun, too.
>> A [laughter] little bit. There's perks.

380
00:25:22,892 --> 00:25:26,400
[snorts]
>> Yeah. Looking forward to next month.

381
00:25:25,200 --> 00:25:28,842
» Yeah. It's not going to be as easy next
month. No. [laughter]

382
00:25:30,480 --> 00:25:36,159
» Okay. Uh, anything else?
>> All right. Luca.

383
00:25:35,120 --> 00:25:37,520
» All right. Thank you very much.
>> Thanks for coming in, Chief. Appreciate

384
00:25:37,279 --> 00:25:43,120
it.
>> Yeah. Thank you.

385
00:25:40,000 --> 00:25:48,000
A busy busy night.
>> Okay. Next up, charter review committee.

386
00:25:52,159 --> 00:25:57,200
Welcome, gentlemen.
>> Thank you for having us here tonight.

387
00:25:55,200 --> 00:26:00,880
» Thank you. Thank you.
>> John Kelly 9, Countryside Road,

388
00:25:58,720 --> 00:26:05,520
» Mark Hatad, 154 Providence Road.
>> We are here on behalf of the charter

389
00:26:02,720 --> 00:26:11,360
review committee and multiple of our
subcommittees. We're going article by

390
00:26:07,919 --> 00:26:16,080
article and these are the suggestions
for proposals that have been made to us

391
00:26:13,200 --> 00:26:20,960
so far. Figured we'd just go down in
numeric order. Uh starting with article

392
00:26:18,080 --> 00:26:23,440
two. It has been proposed. And also
before we start, these are all

393
00:26:22,080 --> 00:26:26,960
preliminary. You know, nothing's been
decided on. These are all still in the

394
00:26:24,720 --> 00:26:30,720
subcommittees. But first up is select
board recommendations to town meeting

395
00:26:28,640 --> 00:26:36,480
warrant articles similar to the finance
committee how they do theirs. So rather

396
00:26:33,600 --> 00:26:42,880
than just closing the warrant as a whole
and also rather than voting on them one

397
00:26:40,000 --> 00:26:46,320
by one, it would be a extremely similar
process to the finance committee where

398
00:26:44,320 --> 00:26:50,159
the board would have a meeting and
discuss each Warren article and then

399
00:26:48,799 --> 00:26:55,039
whether or not they recommended to
passage and your votes at town meeting

400
00:26:53,120 --> 00:26:59,679
would obviously still be private. We
reached out to multiple moderators and

401
00:26:57,120 --> 00:27:02,880
the belief was always the same that your
votes at town meeting are of private

402
00:27:01,039 --> 00:27:07,039
citizens not of elected officials and I
tend to agree with that. The process we

403
00:27:05,840 --> 00:27:10,000
believe can take place on its own
timeline. Doesn't have to come before

404
00:27:08,480 --> 00:27:15,120
finance committee or after finance
committee. Everyone here knows you know

405
00:27:13,679 --> 00:27:18,799
what's going on with these articles, the
ins and outs. So I don't think anyone

406
00:27:16,960 --> 00:27:23,840
needs to rely on anyone else's
recommendations. And then in collecting

407
00:27:21,440 --> 00:27:27,440
a list of towns and cities that already
have this practice. These are just the

408
00:27:25,760 --> 00:27:33,279
people and moderators who reached out to
us originally. Stoneham, Wellfleet,

409
00:27:31,200 --> 00:27:37,039
Hamilton, Conquered, Wer and Wayland.
And that is before actually looking out

410
00:27:34,880 --> 00:27:44,799
to charters to see how many other cities
and towns also are doing this. [snorts]

411
00:27:41,039 --> 00:27:48,240
So any questions or feedback on that?
>> I I regularly attend town meeting in

412
00:27:46,640 --> 00:27:51,120
Hopington and they they do this as well.
you know, select board recommends

413
00:27:49,440 --> 00:27:55,840
passage as they're reading the the
motions and things like that. So, um, is

414
00:27:54,240 --> 00:27:59,200
that how you're picturing it, too, where
the the board takes a vote? It's not

415
00:27:57,520 --> 00:28:02,080
like each individual board members, it's
just the board recommends passage or

416
00:28:01,200 --> 00:28:04,640
doesn't
>> and then if they want to know the

417
00:28:03,279 --> 00:28:06,720
individual vote, they would just watch
the meeting like a fin meeting.

418
00:28:06,320 --> 00:28:10,574
» Yes.
>> What we do, what we do in Grten is we

419
00:28:08,799 --> 00:28:14,080
put it actually in the warrant and
[clears throat] if it's unanimous, it

420
00:28:11,919 --> 00:28:17,600
says unanimous. If there is opposition,
we put the names of the select board

421
00:28:15,520 --> 00:28:19,440
members and opposed in opposition of the
article printed in the warrant.

422
00:28:19,120 --> 00:28:21,919
» Okay?
>> So people when they get to town meeting,

423
00:28:20,720 --> 00:28:24,480
they know how the select board feels
about a particular article. And I think

424
00:28:23,200 --> 00:28:26,960
that's important.
>> Okay?

425
00:28:24,960 --> 00:28:29,840
» That's how we've been tending. Uh I know
for the finance committee as a larger

426
00:28:28,240 --> 00:28:34,080
board, they tend to just put the numbers
or whether or not it passed in general.

427
00:28:32,080 --> 00:28:38,799
Even if it was five to four, they'll
just put passage or not. Um, being that

428
00:28:36,399 --> 00:28:44,480
this is a smaller board and the highest
elected board in town, our discussions

429
00:28:40,880 --> 00:28:49,360
so far have been that it would be who is
in favor by name and by vote.

430
00:28:46,720 --> 00:28:52,000
» Who is in favor of it? Okay.
>> Or not in favor if depending on the

431
00:28:51,279 --> 00:28:54,960
opinion.
>> Okay.

432
00:28:53,120 --> 00:28:59,120
So I had a question along those lines as
well because I noticed that it indicates

433
00:28:57,120 --> 00:29:05,440
select board individually you know their
their um their votes and so currently

434
00:29:02,799 --> 00:29:09,039
the finance committee and the warrant
does it say four to one or six to one I

435
00:29:08,240 --> 00:29:11,679
don't believe it does
>> it says the vote

436
00:29:10,159 --> 00:29:13,520
» okay so it just doesn't indicate the so
you want the

437
00:29:12,320 --> 00:29:19,039
» it doesn't it doesn't give like the
individual members but it does give the

438
00:29:16,000 --> 00:29:23,200
you know whatever whatever it was
>> and you could see the indiv individual

439
00:29:20,960 --> 00:29:24,880
members if you would go back and watch
the meeting then you could see who votes

440
00:29:24,559 --> 00:29:28,640
how.
>> Yeah. Which happens right now anyway. So

441
00:29:26,480 --> 00:29:33,360
there's no change there obviously. Um
it's just that

442
00:29:30,960 --> 00:29:38,960
I guess I would
I would tend to

443
00:29:36,000 --> 00:29:43,360
I I'm not sure why the individual names
have to be there as a yay or a nay.

444
00:29:41,200 --> 00:29:46,159
Similar to I wouldn't expect that for
the finance committee to be on the

445
00:29:44,880 --> 00:29:50,640
warrant. So
>> thank you. I would just uh I don't mind

446
00:29:47,919 --> 00:29:54,720
us you showing the vote. Um and that
it's indicated on the warrant and

447
00:29:52,960 --> 00:30:00,000
obviously people can watch it in live
time or look at the minutes. Um but I

448
00:29:57,279 --> 00:30:02,559
guess I would just question what do you
get from that practice? You know, what

449
00:30:01,760 --> 00:30:05,600
does what does
>> you're are elected officials. We should

450
00:30:04,000 --> 00:30:09,279
know how you stand on a particular
issue. Might change the way we vote for

451
00:30:07,520 --> 00:30:13,360
you the next time you're on the ballot.
So I think it's important that the uh

452
00:30:11,039 --> 00:30:17,919
that the citizens know exactly how our
elected top elected board is voting on

453
00:30:15,679 --> 00:30:21,200
various articles. So that's why we do it
in Grten and it's been it's been a

454
00:30:19,679 --> 00:30:24,960
tradition and people expect it. So I'd
like to see it here. It also serves the

455
00:30:22,799 --> 00:30:28,640
other handle of you know many of you all
of you I would say are looked up to by

456
00:30:27,039 --> 00:30:32,720
many members of the community and a lot
of people when they're beginning to do

457
00:30:31,039 --> 00:30:36,240
research for town meeting they want to
know how the people they trust are

458
00:30:33,919 --> 00:30:40,000
voting and so that can help on both
sides of the coin not only on the

459
00:30:37,919 --> 00:30:42,960
election side but on going into town
meeting well I trust Ann's opinion I

460
00:30:41,679 --> 00:30:47,360
want to see how they're voting on these
individual warrants

461
00:30:45,440 --> 00:30:52,799
» yeah that doesn't really convince me
still I would just push back on that I

462
00:30:49,840 --> 00:30:56,480
think um I wasn't here when you were
here last time relative to the planning

463
00:30:54,559 --> 00:30:59,520
board and changes that might be looked
there but I know that there was a

464
00:30:57,679 --> 00:31:04,559
discussion about you know getting people
to run for various offices and I think

465
00:31:02,000 --> 00:31:12,080
that um
this probably wouldn't help that

466
00:31:08,559 --> 00:31:15,440
andor um I guess my other feedback would
be then why not have the finance

467
00:31:13,760 --> 00:31:18,240
committee align the same way.
>> No problem doing that. I'll recommend

468
00:31:17,039 --> 00:31:21,760
that at our next meeting.
>> And that's not I'm I'm just I'm not

469
00:31:20,080 --> 00:31:29,520
agree with you recommendation
necessarily and um but

470
00:31:26,159 --> 00:31:33,760
yeah, I'm I'm not a fan of of that
change. I don't mind the the board put

471
00:31:31,600 --> 00:31:38,320
on put on the uh warrant how the board
overall voted or if it was 4 to2 or

472
00:31:36,240 --> 00:31:42,720
whatever it was. Um but I don't see the
need for names.

473
00:31:40,880 --> 00:31:50,880
And perhaps that comes from a place for
me personally where I've been um

474
00:31:47,440 --> 00:31:55,200
the recipient of some brutal stuff
relative to a vote or not, including at

475
00:31:53,519 --> 00:32:00,000
town meeting when we did the thumbs up
and thumbs down. So I don't I don't

476
00:31:58,159 --> 00:32:05,320
think that that's something that I want
to foster in our town any more than it

477
00:32:02,320 --> 00:32:05,320
occurs.

478
00:32:05,600 --> 00:32:10,640
» And uh thank you for bringing up the
planning board. I want to give a update

479
00:32:08,399 --> 00:32:17,039
on that at the end. But sticking on
this, any more comments, feedback?

480
00:32:13,919 --> 00:32:21,360
» I mean, my uh my comment is is more for
I think the select board in general that

481
00:32:19,360 --> 00:32:25,279
um
I wouldn't want to see this slow the

482
00:32:23,279 --> 00:32:31,279
process of getting the warrant out, uh
you know, any any more than we currently

483
00:32:26,960 --> 00:32:35,120
do. Um that FINCOM has two up to two
weeks prior to get their recommendations

484
00:32:33,600 --> 00:32:40,480
in right before it gets published. You
know, our best practice is we like to

485
00:32:38,000 --> 00:32:45,360
get them the printed copies distributed
where they typically go as early as

486
00:32:42,159 --> 00:32:48,799
possible. I I do think that having those
at least the fincom recommendations in

487
00:32:47,120 --> 00:32:55,919
there are critical when you know the
public goes through that. So I um I like

488
00:32:52,480 --> 00:32:59,840
the idea of of adding this to it. I
would just want our board to make sure

489
00:32:57,600 --> 00:33:04,480
that we are getting them submitted
submitted in a responsible timeline so

490
00:33:02,320 --> 00:33:10,559
that we're not, you know, um delaying
getting that out to the public.

491
00:33:07,200 --> 00:33:16,080
» Um I do have a a question. Um have you
what what say if any does the moderator

492
00:33:12,720 --> 00:33:19,120
have on this? Just the changing of the
warrant? I know I know they run town

493
00:33:17,760 --> 00:33:24,080
meeting, but do they have a lot? No.
Okay. Um, [snorts]

494
00:33:21,200 --> 00:33:27,760
and as far as putting select board votes
on there, I I don't really take issue

495
00:33:26,399 --> 00:33:31,120
with it. It's already going to be part
of the public record and part of

496
00:33:29,200 --> 00:33:35,440
minutes, part of videos. Um, it just
increases transparency and and I'm for

497
00:33:33,120 --> 00:33:39,760
that. So,
>> and you also can't I'm not recommending

498
00:33:37,519 --> 00:33:44,320
this, but you can vote however you'd
like at town meeting. Uh, that was one

499
00:33:41,840 --> 00:33:49,440
thing that was brought up. Uh the
specific actual example was the mosquito

500
00:33:47,360 --> 00:33:53,600
warrant from this spring town meeting
where information changes from when the

501
00:33:51,840 --> 00:33:57,200
warrant is published to when town
meeting happens. Um you know this is not

502
00:33:55,919 --> 00:34:00,480
going to be a situation where obviously
you're like well I recommended it so I

503
00:33:58,720 --> 00:34:03,840
have to vote for it. Uh you will all be
in attendance at town meeting. You can

504
00:34:02,080 --> 00:34:07,679
make yourselves known if things change.
So we want to make sure that that is

505
00:34:05,200 --> 00:34:12,000
well known.
>> Yeah. I'll say in general I'm neutral on

506
00:34:09,440 --> 00:34:17,760
it. I I tend to sort of agree that the
the way that we recommend and speak to

507
00:34:14,560 --> 00:34:21,839
it is already captured uh you know in in
memoriam. So putting it on the warrant

508
00:34:19,760 --> 00:34:26,639
to me is not
one way or the other. Um but I I do

509
00:34:24,000 --> 00:34:31,599
agree with the timing aspect um as long
as we hold ourselves accountable for

510
00:34:28,399 --> 00:34:35,760
ensuring that that does not hold up the
timeline. Um that's my only real

511
00:34:33,679 --> 00:34:40,240
concern. I think that having those
recommendations be individual also helps

512
00:34:37,440 --> 00:34:43,440
with that timeliness because if you're
doing it completely as a board that is a

513
00:34:41,839 --> 00:34:47,040
vote that is during a meeting whereas
your individual recommendations there

514
00:34:45,760 --> 00:34:51,520
could be a way to make it even more
timely if you were to submit them

515
00:34:48,560 --> 00:34:56,440
individually but that's obviously for
later down the line as we write the

516
00:34:53,440 --> 00:34:56,440
charter.

517
00:34:57,200 --> 00:35:04,960
Well, I mean, if we're framing it that
way, it [clears throat] feels like the

518
00:35:02,560 --> 00:35:08,800
general sense would be that we would not
submit individual,

519
00:35:06,960 --> 00:35:12,880
you know, we bring individual to our
discussion, but whatever goes in the

520
00:35:10,960 --> 00:35:16,480
warrant is going to be a group activity
and not

521
00:35:15,200 --> 00:35:18,400
oneoff lines like that.
>> Yeah.

522
00:35:16,960 --> 00:35:21,400
» Yeah.
>> Okay.

523
00:35:21,680 --> 00:35:24,960
Do plan board now?
>> Yeah, might as well go on. Article

524
00:35:24,640 --> 00:35:29,119
three.
>> Yep. Article three. The conversation was

525
00:35:27,200 --> 00:35:36,320
very productive with the planning board
about shifting from a elected board to

526
00:35:33,760 --> 00:35:41,440
an appointed board. We received a lot of
good feedback.

527
00:35:38,560 --> 00:35:43,760
Uh the most
productive was definitely the

528
00:35:42,560 --> 00:35:48,880
accountability, the direct
accountability aspect of it. Um there

529
00:35:47,200 --> 00:35:54,160
was comments about the number of
municipalities across the state that are

530
00:35:51,200 --> 00:35:58,480
doing this and I think we came to
different understandings based on those

531
00:35:55,680 --> 00:36:04,480
numbers. 70 municipalities across the
state have swapped this model in our

532
00:36:01,599 --> 00:36:11,280
district alone. Um just our general
vicinity. A quarter of the towns around

533
00:36:06,880 --> 00:36:17,440
us appoint their planning board and a
lot of them do it by town

534
00:36:14,000 --> 00:36:21,200
administrator. So there's almost no, you
know, elections determining the planning

535
00:36:19,920 --> 00:36:25,760
board. There are like two degrees of
separation for them. Whereas what we

536
00:36:24,000 --> 00:36:29,680
felt most comfortable with was the
select board approach. So that there's

537
00:36:27,280 --> 00:36:33,359
actually at least one degree of
accountability where when you're voting

538
00:36:31,520 --> 00:36:39,280
for a select board, you must take into
account who they may appoint to any

539
00:36:35,599 --> 00:36:43,200
board. So we are continuing to discuss
that proposal. Um it was made by

540
00:36:41,280 --> 00:36:45,920
multiple members of the community. So,
this isn't something that we're just

541
00:36:44,320 --> 00:36:48,720
going to drop after a meeting.
>> Part of our effort this this time

542
00:36:47,760 --> 00:36:51,200
through with the charter review
committee, we're trying to meet with

543
00:36:49,760 --> 00:36:54,720
people and meet with boards and
committees and let them know what our

544
00:36:52,560 --> 00:36:58,160
proposals are. So, Jack and I went and
we met with the the planning board and

545
00:36:56,560 --> 00:37:01,680
I'll let you guess what their reaction
to that particular recommendation was,

546
00:36:59,920 --> 00:37:04,720
but uh the committee still hasn't made a
final determination on that. We got

547
00:37:03,520 --> 00:37:09,200
really important correspondence though
the other day and someone had pointed

548
00:37:06,480 --> 00:37:13,280
out that every planning board
appointment that has been done by the

549
00:37:10,720 --> 00:37:16,400
select board has been contested.
Multiple people vying for it whereas we

550
00:37:14,880 --> 00:37:19,760
have not had a contested select board
election since May of 2018 planning

551
00:37:18,560 --> 00:37:25,440
board. Thank you very much.
>> So the argument of competitiveness is

552
00:37:23,760 --> 00:37:30,560
certainly in the favor of appointment
rather than election. But we're still in

553
00:37:27,760 --> 00:37:34,000
the early phases of these proposals.
Does the board want to weigh in on a

554
00:37:31,920 --> 00:37:38,400
position on that article?
>> I do have a question. Of that 25% in the

555
00:37:36,640 --> 00:37:41,680
local communities around here, were they
always appointed or did they switch from

556
00:37:40,640 --> 00:37:42,960
elected to appointed?
>> I believe they switched.

557
00:37:42,640 --> 00:37:46,240
» Yes,
>> they switched

558
00:37:43,599 --> 00:37:50,720
» because the state law and charter says
that planning boards are to be elected

559
00:37:48,160 --> 00:37:51,839
unless a home rule charter has a
different

560
00:37:51,520 --> 00:37:55,920
» perfect
>> want for it. So, they've all started

561
00:37:53,280 --> 00:37:58,800
elected and it's I mean like Shrewsbury
is one of them. Oxbridge, you know, town

562
00:37:58,400 --> 00:38:02,960
» big.
>> Yeah. people or municipalities very

563
00:38:01,119 --> 00:38:07,280
close to us are swapping to this model
and it's not just your Shrewberries and

564
00:38:05,599 --> 00:38:10,720
your Worcers obviously where they are
done by the town planner or the town

565
00:38:09,040 --> 00:38:13,440
administrator manager. We've got some
smaller municipalities than ours that

566
00:38:12,480 --> 00:38:16,320
are switching to this model.
>> And one of the arguments from the

567
00:38:14,720 --> 00:38:19,680
planning board was that the charter
review committee 10 years ago proposed

568
00:38:17,839 --> 00:38:23,599
this and it got shot down overwhelmingly
at town meeting. Well, we also proposed

569
00:38:21,520 --> 00:38:26,880
that the town clerk be appointed 10
years ago got shot down overwhelmingly

570
00:38:25,599 --> 00:38:30,400
and we brought it back to town meeting a
second time. It passed. So, I think it's

571
00:38:28,880 --> 00:38:32,720
worthy of a town meeting discussion, but
that's going to be up to the charter

572
00:38:31,359 --> 00:38:35,359
committee to decide whether or not they
want to bring it forward. And again,

573
00:38:34,160 --> 00:38:39,280
just to repeat what Jack said at the
beginning, these are all proposals and

574
00:38:37,440 --> 00:38:42,480
we're doing our homework. The uh
subcommittees are supposed to have all

575
00:38:40,720 --> 00:38:45,839
their work done by the end of the year
and come back to the full charter

576
00:38:44,560 --> 00:38:48,720
committee for decision and then
hopefully we'll have something for what

577
00:38:47,839 --> 00:38:50,079
the fall of
>> fall of next year.

578
00:38:49,440 --> 00:38:52,560
» Fall of next year
>> is when we'll have all of them on the

579
00:38:52,079 --> 00:38:55,280
floor.
>> It's been been a very deliberative

580
00:38:54,240 --> 00:39:00,880
process
>> which I think is good.

581
00:38:57,440 --> 00:39:03,839
um article. Any other questions on that?
>> Uh Craig has one.

582
00:39:02,720 --> 00:39:09,440
» Hi Craig.
>> Yeah. Hey, good evening everybody. Um so

583
00:39:07,599 --> 00:39:14,160
I was thinking uh the same thing as far
as we haven't had a lot of contested

584
00:39:11,599 --> 00:39:18,960
planning board races um in the last 10
years. So um that being said, it kind of

585
00:39:17,440 --> 00:39:24,640
makes sense for us to consider an
appointment process. Um,

586
00:39:22,320 --> 00:39:28,720
also, um, I've [snorts] been involved
with many, many appointments to the

587
00:39:26,320 --> 00:39:32,240
planning board, which has been a joint
appointment with the board of selectment

588
00:39:30,320 --> 00:39:36,160
in the in the in the, uh, planning
board. Um, is that, you might have

589
00:39:34,240 --> 00:39:39,359
touched on that. Is that process going
to continue? Because I think it works

590
00:39:37,520 --> 00:39:42,960
really well. The planning board, you
know, the board that's going to inherit

591
00:39:40,960 --> 00:39:47,599
whoever is applying, you know, they get
to weigh in and and the select board

592
00:39:45,280 --> 00:39:50,480
gets to weigh in as well. So, it's
>> we, you know, that's a that's a that's a

593
00:39:49,040 --> 00:39:53,280
great question. And under the general
laws right now, when there's a vacancy

594
00:39:51,760 --> 00:39:56,160
on elected board, it's the it's the
select board and the remaining members

595
00:39:54,560 --> 00:39:59,839
of that particular board that make that
make the appointment. We didn't talk

596
00:39:58,240 --> 00:40:02,480
about doing that with a joint
appointment between the planning board

597
00:40:01,119 --> 00:40:04,880
and the select board moving forward. But
that might be something to consider.

598
00:40:03,520 --> 00:40:08,240
It's not a bad idea because it does work
well now. I agree with you.

599
00:40:06,160 --> 00:40:11,599
» I mean, just right after that
suggestion, I would say that's likely

600
00:40:09,839 --> 00:40:15,119
the most optimal way of doing this
because they're going to have to work

601
00:40:13,359 --> 00:40:19,760
with that member very closely on
important issues. And when we did

602
00:40:17,520 --> 00:40:24,320
discuss the appointment method, our
options really were select board or town

603
00:40:21,760 --> 00:40:29,599
administrator. And despite the board's
roles being more administrative than

604
00:40:26,640 --> 00:40:34,160
legislative because everything they, you
know, put forward has to be approved by

605
00:40:31,040 --> 00:40:36,640
town meeting. So that would make it feel
like it should be more town

606
00:40:34,960 --> 00:40:42,160
administrator, but that lack of
accountability we feel was too far. So

607
00:40:40,160 --> 00:40:45,520
» I think that joint approach is very
good. also with just, you know, so

608
00:40:43,599 --> 00:40:50,320
there'd be theoretically nine people
involved with the vote versus one or

609
00:40:48,160 --> 00:40:52,079
versus five. So I think you might have a
better shot at selling at a town meeting

610
00:40:51,839 --> 00:40:53,760
where
>> That's a good that's an excellent

611
00:40:53,200 --> 00:40:58,480
suggestion.
>> Yes.

612
00:40:55,920 --> 00:41:02,880
» Yeah. Not not to say that, you know, we
shouldn't present this to town meeting

613
00:41:00,800 --> 00:41:06,480
and and let the voters decide, but I
personally am very hesitant to take away

614
00:41:04,960 --> 00:41:10,319
any
selection or decision from from the

615
00:41:08,960 --> 00:41:14,000
voter when it is something that they've
already had. didn't love it for the town

616
00:41:12,160 --> 00:41:18,800
clerk. Don't love it for this particular
idea. Uh again, not opposed to the

617
00:41:17,200 --> 00:41:21,359
charter review committee going forward
and again letting the people decide

618
00:41:20,160 --> 00:41:26,240
because that would be an antithetical to
my whole position. But but but

619
00:41:23,200 --> 00:41:31,119
personally um
look everyone sitting up here can tell

620
00:41:27,760 --> 00:41:35,359
you that running for election is is not
the most fun activity and I can

621
00:41:32,640 --> 00:41:39,599
understand why there's been uh you know
several empty um slots in the the

622
00:41:37,920 --> 00:41:44,400
planning board over the last few years
just like this last one. It's it's

623
00:41:41,040 --> 00:41:47,599
unfortunate but um still hesitant to to
take away

624
00:41:46,079 --> 00:41:51,920
a a direct piece of democracy from the
town of Grafton u as it as it stands

625
00:41:50,000 --> 00:41:55,200
today.
Yeah. thing.

626
00:41:53,920 --> 00:42:00,560
» Yep. Go ahead, Greg.
>> Um, yeah. I I mean, I I think our talent

627
00:41:57,599 --> 00:42:03,920
pool increases by doing this because as
Victoria said, it's, you know, it's

628
00:42:02,000 --> 00:42:08,720
scary for people to have to run a
campaign and put themselves out there.

629
00:42:06,560 --> 00:42:11,839
Um, but there's a lot of people that,
you know, with this type of background,

630
00:42:09,920 --> 00:42:16,079
they may may be willing to serve and
would do a very good job on the planning

631
00:42:13,520 --> 00:42:22,640
board, but the the thought of running is
is uh intimidating to a lot of people.

632
00:42:18,640 --> 00:42:26,000
So I I think we attract cuz we have had
appointments, you know, sometimes we

633
00:42:24,319 --> 00:42:30,160
get, you know, three or four people
applying for one position where we can't

634
00:42:27,920 --> 00:42:35,200
get anybody to run a campaign against
anybody. So um I think it might be good

635
00:42:33,520 --> 00:42:41,920
for the, you know, quality of the
planning board future.

636
00:42:38,560 --> 00:42:46,480
» Yeah. My initial knee-jerk was um to
agree with, you know, Victoria's take on

637
00:42:43,839 --> 00:42:51,119
this that uh you know, I appreciate the
the value of of people running for these

638
00:42:48,720 --> 00:42:54,640
positions. However, having having lived
here for quite some time and seeing

639
00:42:53,119 --> 00:43:00,160
what's going on in terms of these
positions, including this board, um

640
00:42:58,400 --> 00:43:04,880
I, you know, I agree with Craig that I
think that we would get a a greater pool

641
00:43:02,800 --> 00:43:08,960
potentially. I guess time would tell. Uh
but obviously what we're doing now

642
00:43:07,040 --> 00:43:14,160
hasn't been working over the last 5 to
10 years. Um so

643
00:43:12,400 --> 00:43:16,960
pivoting isn't a bad idea.
>> Yeah. And we also made it clear to the

644
00:43:15,599 --> 00:43:21,680
planning board when we went to see them
that first of all as we mentioned the

645
00:43:19,280 --> 00:43:25,839
proposal 10 years ago that board did not
do a ton of outreach. So we made it

646
00:43:24,160 --> 00:43:30,319
clear that you know this is a
cooperative pro process. You guys would

647
00:43:28,880 --> 00:43:35,599
know more than us. So we want to hear
that from all the boards that we're

648
00:43:31,520 --> 00:43:40,079
talking to. And at the same time, you
know, we're going to go based off of the

649
00:43:37,680 --> 00:43:43,680
data for our proposals and then the town
gets to decide at the end. So, in terms

650
00:43:41,839 --> 00:43:46,800
of the competitiveness, in terms of the
number of candidates and stuff like

651
00:43:44,960 --> 00:43:51,760
that, this seems to be uh where we're
leaning. And also before we go past

652
00:43:49,040 --> 00:43:57,359
article four or article three, I should
mention that for article three in the

653
00:43:53,920 --> 00:44:02,000
select board, we had no proposed changes
for how the select board is written up

654
00:43:59,200 --> 00:44:07,540
in the charter.
Just if I might add um it is more pal it

655
00:44:04,880 --> 00:44:09,440
would be more palatable to me if I
[clears throat] would know that it would

656
00:44:08,400 --> 00:44:12,079
be the select board and the planning
board that would be involved [snorts]

657
00:44:10,319 --> 00:44:15,680
because again five member board
depending on the makeup of the board we

658
00:44:13,599 --> 00:44:20,480
kind of get back into that you know
who's who's coming up you know to to to

659
00:44:18,000 --> 00:44:25,599
apply for these positions. So um a
larger

660
00:44:22,079 --> 00:44:28,640
look at behind this table in addition to
the planning board obviously has the

661
00:44:27,520 --> 00:44:32,720
knowledge of what they're looking for in
a candidate. Um, I think that that would

662
00:44:30,480 --> 00:44:35,760
be more palatable for me.
>> I like that suggestion. I think that's a

663
00:44:34,319 --> 00:44:39,839
good suggestion.
>> So, article four, uh, town

664
00:44:37,520 --> 00:44:42,560
administrator, um, there's a consensus
on the, uh, on the charter review

665
00:44:41,520 --> 00:44:46,480
committee to change the title of the
town manager. It's not going to change

666
00:44:44,720 --> 00:44:50,880
the duties. Uh, the the town
administrator in Grafton has the same

667
00:44:48,480 --> 00:44:57,200
authority as most town managers in the
state. Uh, it's more of a um, what's the

668
00:44:55,280 --> 00:45:01,200
word I'm looking for? It's more of a of
a industry-wide standard that the

669
00:44:59,599 --> 00:45:04,240
position is town manager, especially
with the authority currently vested in

670
00:45:02,880 --> 00:45:07,920
the town administrative position here in
the town of Grafton. So, the committee

671
00:45:06,240 --> 00:45:11,839
feels that changing the town manager
will do a couple of things. One, it puts

672
00:45:09,839 --> 00:45:15,760
a little more prestige to the position.
And god forbid if he ever decides to

673
00:45:13,760 --> 00:45:19,359
leave, which you better not, um, when
you advertise, more people look at that

674
00:45:17,839 --> 00:45:23,040
town manager title than the town
administrator title, even though the

675
00:45:21,040 --> 00:45:26,640
duties are the same. Even though they're
the exact same. So the the committee

676
00:45:25,200 --> 00:45:30,480
feels that making that change makes a
lot of sense and again would have no

677
00:45:28,000 --> 00:45:33,680
material impact on the position itself.
The the duties responsibilities were not

678
00:45:32,240 --> 00:45:38,000
touching that at all because it's a it's
a pretty good position. It should stay

679
00:45:34,960 --> 00:45:41,200
that way. Um so I part of our outreach I
sat down and met with Evan and I ran it

680
00:45:39,520 --> 00:45:45,440
by him and he didn't seem to object to
the uh to the suggestion. So I think

681
00:45:43,359 --> 00:45:48,560
it's a pretty easy change and I don't
think there's going to be a lot of

682
00:45:46,319 --> 00:45:51,520
controversy making that making that
change. But I'd like to hear any

683
00:45:49,839 --> 00:45:54,000
feedback from the select board on that
issue.

684
00:45:52,000 --> 00:45:57,680
» I just have a question. I think we were
here when we had our first town manager.

685
00:45:55,680 --> 00:46:02,240
Didn't we start with the manager um
title, Craig? And then we went to

686
00:45:59,359 --> 00:46:04,640
administrator. Do you remember?
>> Um I think it's always been town

687
00:46:04,160 --> 00:46:07,200
administrator.
>> Yeah, when it was Dan.

688
00:46:05,520 --> 00:46:09,920
» I could be wrong. I don't know when um
>> my I looking back at all the charters,

689
00:46:08,800 --> 00:46:13,359
correct? I think it's always been town
administrator.

690
00:46:10,480 --> 00:46:16,319
» Okay. I think at home I can check.
>> Yeah, Dan Morgado was a town right

691
00:46:15,440 --> 00:46:19,520
administrator.
>> That's why I was was thinking for some

692
00:46:17,839 --> 00:46:24,000
reason he was a manager, but Okay.
>> Yeah. Another position, another

693
00:46:22,480 --> 00:46:28,240
consideration that we're talking about
and we need to do more research on is

694
00:46:25,760 --> 00:46:31,920
the appointment of the fire chief. Um,
right now the fire chief is appointed by

695
00:46:29,839 --> 00:46:35,040
the select board. Um, the fire chief is
a strong chief. We're not touching that.

696
00:46:33,760 --> 00:46:40,160
We're not looking at changing that. The
fire chief should stay a strong chief.

697
00:46:37,359 --> 00:46:43,200
The committee feels that making the the
fire chief appointed by the town

698
00:46:41,520 --> 00:46:47,839
administrator, town manager makes a lot
of sense in terms of accountability, in

699
00:46:45,680 --> 00:46:53,200
terms of the fact that the town manager
is the professional who appoints every

700
00:46:50,400 --> 00:46:57,680
other department head position in town.
So, it makes sense to add the fire chief

701
00:46:55,359 --> 00:47:01,280
to that. One of the big things and one
of the main reasons that we looked at

702
00:46:59,119 --> 00:47:04,960
that and it's we're not hoping that this
ever happens, but when it comes to

703
00:47:02,400 --> 00:47:08,319
discipline of an employee, the select
board is going to do discipline. The

704
00:47:06,720 --> 00:47:11,119
select board can't do it behind the
scenes. It has to be a public. You're a

705
00:47:09,760 --> 00:47:14,640
public body. You have to post your
meetings. You have to do it in public or

706
00:47:13,359 --> 00:47:17,920
in executive session, but you have to
put on the agenda why you're going into

707
00:47:16,160 --> 00:47:22,079
executive session. That leads to
speculation. That leads to a lot of

708
00:47:19,760 --> 00:47:25,520
controversy. By having the town manager,
town administrator is the appointing

709
00:47:23,440 --> 00:47:28,000
authority. He would also be he or she
would also be responsible for

710
00:47:26,720 --> 00:47:32,960
discipline. It can be handled more
professionally out of the public eye and

711
00:47:30,400 --> 00:47:36,480
and it just allows for more smoother
operation of the of the government. And

712
00:47:34,720 --> 00:47:39,520
again, the the town manager, town
administrator, appoints every other

713
00:47:38,079 --> 00:47:43,359
department, including the police chief
and the DPW director and the town clerk.

714
00:47:41,920 --> 00:47:46,560
Makes sense to have the fire chief
appointed that way. I'm going to set up

715
00:47:45,280 --> 00:47:49,280
a meeting. I have a meeting tomorrow
with the fire chief to talk to him about

716
00:47:48,079 --> 00:47:52,319
this. [clears throat] I supposed to meet
with him last Wednesday and I'm a I

717
00:47:51,119 --> 00:47:55,200
can't look at calendars. I don't know
how to read a calendar, so I I missed

718
00:47:53,760 --> 00:47:58,480
the appointment. He was gracious enough
to agree to meet with me tomorrow. So,

719
00:47:57,119 --> 00:48:02,960
I'm going to talk to him about that to
get his feedback, but um right now we we

720
00:48:01,440 --> 00:48:06,240
don't understand. We have to figure out
how it's done because it's not

721
00:48:04,240 --> 00:48:10,400
specifically stated in the charter. It's
bylaw and we don't know how to how to go

722
00:48:09,119 --> 00:48:14,240
about making that change if we want to
recommend that change. So, we have a a

723
00:48:12,000 --> 00:48:17,920
request into town council to give us
advice on how that has to happen. Is it

724
00:48:15,920 --> 00:48:21,839
a special act? Is it a bylaw change? Or
is it a a charter change? So, we'll keep

725
00:48:20,480 --> 00:48:25,599
you updated on that and I'll let you
know how it goes uh after I talk to the

726
00:48:24,319 --> 00:48:29,040
fire chief because I'm really interested
to hear on his position on this. And

727
00:48:27,200 --> 00:48:33,040
again, I want to make it clear, we want
to keep it as a strong chief. It should

728
00:48:31,280 --> 00:48:36,400
stay a strong chief. So the only
difference would be the appointment.

729
00:48:34,640 --> 00:48:40,400
» Are there any communities you've found
that have have it structured this way?

730
00:48:38,960 --> 00:48:43,119
» Have the fire chief appointed
>> by the town manager

731
00:48:41,599 --> 00:48:45,119
» manager. Grten.
>> There you go. [laughter]

732
00:48:44,640 --> 00:48:48,800
So
>> a lot of a lot of towns have the uh town

733
00:48:47,040 --> 00:48:50,480
manager appoint the uh town
administrator town manager appoint the

734
00:48:50,000 --> 00:48:53,440
fire chief
>> and it's a strong chief

735
00:48:51,520 --> 00:48:58,000
» and it's an absolute strong chief. Yeah.
>> Okay. I mean for me I completely agree

736
00:48:55,920 --> 00:49:02,960
with this. So I don't have not really
quite understood how it's working

737
00:48:59,920 --> 00:49:09,760
currently um having been on been the
chair and overseeing Eric apparently and

738
00:49:06,319 --> 00:49:15,040
then when we come even to do his his um
his evaluation I'm looking to everyone

739
00:49:12,800 --> 00:49:19,599
in the departments as well as Evan uh
I'm not obviously during my day job

740
00:49:17,119 --> 00:49:23,839
overseeing him daily. So I think that
this makes perfect sense to me in both

741
00:49:21,680 --> 00:49:28,800
the appointment and the oversight of the
position. And additionally, um, you

742
00:49:26,720 --> 00:49:34,160
know, when it comes to even financial
decisions, I think that should be going

743
00:49:31,280 --> 00:49:38,079
through Evans office and Mary's and not
necessarily me.

744
00:49:36,400 --> 00:49:42,559
» It's just it's just the way you're doing
every other department head in town.

745
00:49:40,240 --> 00:49:46,559
» Additionally, I that's not lost on me.
It's consistent with how we are working

746
00:49:44,400 --> 00:49:50,640
as a town.
>> Yeah. Assuming, you know, the the chief

747
00:49:48,640 --> 00:49:54,000
has no legitimate issues with it. I I
wouldn't take issue with it either. you

748
00:49:52,000 --> 00:49:59,680
know, we're not removing any of his
authority, just reassigning, you know,

749
00:49:56,160 --> 00:50:05,040
who he we and and [snorts]
again to Anarie's point, we we added um

750
00:50:03,200 --> 00:50:08,400
you know, kind of that 360 review where
we we talk to other people who interact

751
00:50:06,960 --> 00:50:11,359
with the chief so we can get a better
idea of how he's doing on the

752
00:50:09,760 --> 00:50:14,800
day-to-day, but we're not really the
people to to best answer that. So,

753
00:50:13,119 --> 00:50:18,880
» I have to tell you, as a as a municipal
official for 41 years, who's had my

754
00:50:16,720 --> 00:50:23,760
performance evaluation done in public
for 41 years, it stinks. And I think um

755
00:50:22,000 --> 00:50:27,520
you know what I'm talking about, Evan.
So I think having you know the

756
00:50:25,359 --> 00:50:30,079
performance review any issues dealt with
behind closed doors with the with the

757
00:50:29,040 --> 00:50:35,440
top manager makes sense.
>> I agree with that too.

758
00:50:31,359 --> 00:50:37,440
» And if I might it stinks on for me on my
FYI.

759
00:50:36,160 --> 00:50:41,760
» Agreed. I understand that completely.
>> I think all the way around it public uh

760
00:50:39,680 --> 00:50:45,200
public appraisals are not fun.
>> Yeah. I have a career of doing

761
00:50:42,880 --> 00:50:47,599
appraisals and and this is quite
uncomfortable. Mhm.

762
00:50:46,240 --> 00:50:50,240
» So, I'll be interested to see how the
chief feels about it and I'll report

763
00:50:48,880 --> 00:50:52,480
back to you once I have that
conversation with him.

764
00:50:51,040 --> 00:50:55,200
» And quite frankly, that's with two folks
who don't have major issues imagining.

765
00:50:54,955 --> 00:50:58,640
[laughter]
>> Yeah. Yeah.

766
00:50:56,400 --> 00:51:01,440
» Um the other one other article that
we're dealing with right now is article

767
00:51:00,000 --> 00:51:05,760
six and that's the budget and financial
procedures. One of the things that were

768
00:51:03,839 --> 00:51:11,440
presented to us and that we've discussed
is how to go about doing the budget

769
00:51:07,680 --> 00:51:14,640
process. um Grafton, the last couple
years that I've been involved with the

770
00:51:12,800 --> 00:51:17,920
with the finance committee, it's always
been sort of a race to town meeting to

771
00:51:16,480 --> 00:51:21,280
see when we're going to make a final
decision and the and I know the town

772
00:51:20,319 --> 00:51:25,920
administrator and the school
superintendent have been coming in with

773
00:51:23,119 --> 00:51:29,760
37 different budget um ideas for you to
consider right up until the very end.

774
00:51:28,319 --> 00:51:33,839
And it just doesn't help the town
manager or I keep saying town manager

775
00:51:32,160 --> 00:51:36,480
eventually, Evan, but the town
administrator or the school

776
00:51:35,040 --> 00:51:39,680
superintendent. It helps if they have
direction earlier on. So, one of the

777
00:51:38,559 --> 00:51:43,359
things that we're talking about is a
budget calendar, and we're talking about

778
00:51:41,119 --> 00:51:46,000
having a budget summit in the fall where
the select board and the finance

779
00:51:44,640 --> 00:51:49,520
committee get together and they provide
guidance to the town manager and the

780
00:51:47,599 --> 00:51:53,359
school superintendent on how the budget
should be established so that the town

781
00:51:51,920 --> 00:51:56,400
manager, town administrator knows
exactly what the guidance is. You know,

782
00:51:55,040 --> 00:51:59,200
if the if the select board and the
finance committee come down and say, "We

783
00:51:58,000 --> 00:52:02,640
want you to balance the budget within
the confines of Proposition 2 and a half

784
00:52:00,800 --> 00:52:05,920
and not seek an override." He knows what
he has to do and then he in him and the

785
00:52:04,720 --> 00:52:09,599
school superintendent can work together
and get that done. It gives guidance and

786
00:52:08,000 --> 00:52:13,760
we're not doing these last minute
meetings and trying to figure out how to

787
00:52:11,520 --> 00:52:17,680
get it done. Having that done makes a
lot of sense. The other thing that we

788
00:52:15,440 --> 00:52:22,960
would like to do and and and clear up a
little bit is to have a a date specific

789
00:52:21,280 --> 00:52:28,319
that the school committee gives the
budget to the town administrator because

790
00:52:25,599 --> 00:52:31,359
right now it's it's really unclear the
way it is with the with the calendar and

791
00:52:29,839 --> 00:52:34,160
so many days before town meeting and
everything else. We want to have a

792
00:52:32,800 --> 00:52:37,520
specific date in which the school
committee has to vote their budget and

793
00:52:36,079 --> 00:52:40,400
turn it over to the town administrator.
It would be within the guidance

794
00:52:39,040 --> 00:52:42,960
hopefully and then the town
administrator can take it and put the

795
00:52:41,680 --> 00:52:46,720
final budget together. But we want to
have more consistency. We want to have a

796
00:52:44,880 --> 00:52:49,440
more deliberative process and we don't
want to wait until the last minute to

797
00:52:48,240 --> 00:52:54,480
try to figure out what we're going to
do. The budget process would stay the

798
00:52:51,599 --> 00:52:57,280
same after that other than right now the
way the charter is done and the way the

799
00:52:56,079 --> 00:53:00,559
bylaws are done is the town
administrator presents the budget to the

800
00:52:58,960 --> 00:53:03,520
select board and then presents it to the
finance committee and then eventually

801
00:53:02,319 --> 00:53:06,720
maybe the finance committee and the
select board get together and talk about

802
00:53:04,880 --> 00:53:10,800
it. That makes absolutely no sense. It
would make more sense to have one

803
00:53:08,480 --> 00:53:13,760
presentation in joint session to the
finance committee and the select board

804
00:53:12,240 --> 00:53:18,559
at the same time. That way the town
manager, town administrator is hearing

805
00:53:15,520 --> 00:53:22,480
from all all boards at the same time and
he's getting the same message. He's not

806
00:53:20,160 --> 00:53:24,640
going to go to the select board one
night and the finance committee the next

807
00:53:23,680 --> 00:53:27,520
night and all of a sudden the finance
committee has a different take on

808
00:53:25,920 --> 00:53:32,160
something and now he's got to go back to
the select board. It's just it's a real

809
00:53:29,920 --> 00:53:35,200
disjointed process. So I think that what
the charter review committee wants to do

810
00:53:33,440 --> 00:53:39,520
is make it more palatable and more
consistent and more make it easier for

811
00:53:37,599 --> 00:53:43,040
the town administrator, town manager to
put a budget together. Um, and then the

812
00:53:41,599 --> 00:53:46,000
budget would still go to town meeting
would be the the budget of the town

813
00:53:44,559 --> 00:53:50,319
administrator as it is now and that
wouldn't change. But getting guidance

814
00:53:48,240 --> 00:53:54,319
upfront early on from the select board
and the finance committee will allow for

815
00:53:52,079 --> 00:53:58,319
I think a better budget process and
there'll be more consistency and it'll

816
00:53:56,559 --> 00:54:02,720
prevent the town administrator from
doing seven budgets. As much as he loves

817
00:54:01,119 --> 00:54:05,760
to do it and I know you love to do it,
Evan, I think it would help if we had

818
00:54:04,400 --> 00:54:09,440
more consistency. So that's what we're
working on right now on article six. I'd

819
00:54:08,160 --> 00:54:14,880
be happy to answer any questions that
you have. Um, I love the idea of a

820
00:54:11,599 --> 00:54:17,680
budget summit, but um, I would love to
see the inclusion of the superintendent

821
00:54:16,559 --> 00:54:21,200
at the summit.
>> Um, just so we get some school feedback

822
00:54:19,520 --> 00:54:24,960
there, a huge part of the budget. And
then it does say the intent is to ensure

823
00:54:23,200 --> 00:54:28,880
that the town manager receives
meaningful guidance from both the select

824
00:54:26,880 --> 00:54:31,520
board and finance committee. I think the
finance committee should attend the

825
00:54:30,079 --> 00:54:34,960
summit, but the guidance should just
come from the select board. It's too

826
00:54:32,960 --> 00:54:40,079
wieldy to get that many people to agree
on one set of guidance. Um, I don't know

827
00:54:37,920 --> 00:54:44,640
how anybody else feels about that.
>> You'd be surprised how many times the

828
00:54:42,800 --> 00:54:49,040
finance committee and the select boards
have been in sync. I've been receiving

829
00:54:46,640 --> 00:54:52,559
the same budget guidance for the last 18
years and it's never differed. The

830
00:54:51,119 --> 00:54:56,240
FINCOM and the select board when it
comes to the budget have always been in

831
00:54:54,000 --> 00:55:00,640
sync and I think it provides huh
>> ingrain. Well, I'm just saying, but it

832
00:54:58,559 --> 00:55:02,960
it just I think it sends a better
message to the community when you have

833
00:55:01,839 --> 00:55:05,599
the because the finance committee is
going to ultimately have to recommend

834
00:55:04,079 --> 00:55:09,280
that, you know, make a recommendation to
the town meeting on what the budget is.

835
00:55:07,440 --> 00:55:11,680
So, having the the finance committee and
the select board in sync at the

836
00:55:10,480 --> 00:55:14,800
beginning makes it a more powerful
argument to town meeting moving forward,

837
00:55:13,680 --> 00:55:22,559
» which is why I totally think they should
be involved in the summit.

838
00:55:18,160 --> 00:55:27,520
» But that's your point.
Yeah, my um feedback was also why is the

839
00:55:25,200 --> 00:55:30,720
school committee andor the se um
superintendent story not included in the

840
00:55:29,680 --> 00:55:35,359
budget summit?
>> They should be. That's a good point.

841
00:55:32,160 --> 00:55:38,480
» Very important. 60 70% of our budget is
there.

842
00:55:35,680 --> 00:55:42,160
» Agreed. So, um I think that should be
something that should be considered and

843
00:55:40,079 --> 00:55:48,079
I would agree
um I could be swayed in terms of you

844
00:55:45,040 --> 00:55:52,559
know the the wording the verbiage of you
know facilitating versus making

845
00:55:50,960 --> 00:55:55,040
recommendations you know select board
and finance committee together. We'll

846
00:55:53,760 --> 00:55:59,040
see I guess how you guys hash this out
and how it comes back.

847
00:55:57,760 --> 00:56:02,160
» So you like the idea of having that
summit moving the [clears throat]

848
00:56:00,240 --> 00:56:07,119
process so that there's direct gut
>> in the in the in the very front of the

849
00:56:04,400 --> 00:56:08,400
budget season. Yes, absolutely.
>> Excellent.

850
00:56:07,680 --> 00:56:14,240
» That's a great idea.
>> Yeah, and you know, you made the points,

851
00:56:11,599 --> 00:56:19,359
but um things do things have changed
rapidly uh you know, during during those

852
00:56:16,799 --> 00:56:22,720
few months that we're all meeting and um
you know, there could be something that

853
00:56:20,480 --> 00:56:26,640
happens here that FinCom gets spun up
about and then by the time we have a

854
00:56:24,480 --> 00:56:29,920
chance to meet jointly, we've, you know,
pivoted into something else entirely and

855
00:56:28,240 --> 00:56:32,880
and that was basically a wasted meeting
because, you know, you spent time

856
00:56:31,280 --> 00:56:38,319
focused on one thing that never ended up
coming to fruition. um you know even

857
00:56:35,680 --> 00:56:43,839
even moving beyond the uh you know the
override uh insights and and discussions

858
00:56:40,799 --> 00:56:49,119
it'd be great to be as close as close to
aligned on what we want to what both

859
00:56:46,400 --> 00:56:53,119
parties want to see come out of um you
know the the budget for that year and

860
00:56:50,720 --> 00:56:57,680
and you know what our priorities are and
get those worked out sooner rather than

861
00:56:55,200 --> 00:57:02,079
later you know after we've had going
through iteration after iteration and

862
00:56:59,760 --> 00:57:05,119
then you know we finally meet jointly
three months afterwards. Yeah.

863
00:57:03,920 --> 00:57:06,960
» Have we met with the school committee
yet?

864
00:57:05,920 --> 00:57:08,240
» You and I are supposed to do that,
right?

865
00:57:07,200 --> 00:57:10,720
» I'm going to do that.
>> You want me to join you?

866
00:57:10,000 --> 00:57:12,640
» No, thank you.
>> Okay.

867
00:57:11,119 --> 00:57:15,040
» We have no suggestions. So,
>> I I'll just go with the budget. That's

868
00:57:14,400 --> 00:57:17,119
what I was thinking with [clears throat]
the budget summit. [snorts] We may want

869
00:57:16,000 --> 00:57:20,319
to bring that up to them.
>> Interject. I think that, you know, you

870
00:57:18,799 --> 00:57:24,079
can start the process as early as you
want or we can start the process as

871
00:57:21,760 --> 00:57:28,559
early as we want. There will be changes
and it it% So, you're throwing out

872
00:57:26,319 --> 00:57:34,000
number seven, 37, however many times you
feel but uh Evan has had to change the

873
00:57:30,559 --> 00:57:38,720
budget. Um, I don't see that changing
dramatically if we do a summit. I think

874
00:57:36,079 --> 00:57:42,160
it's it's a good tool that we get
together and look at priorities, but in

875
00:57:40,559 --> 00:57:45,359
terms of the numbers, quite frankly,
they're coming in after our Maytown

876
00:57:44,559 --> 00:57:52,000
meeting.
>> Um, so that's just on that and Craig

877
00:57:49,200 --> 00:57:57,440
does have his hand up.
>> Craig.

878
00:57:53,599 --> 00:58:03,280
» Yeah, thanks Andy. Um so currently we
have we have our town administrator and

879
00:58:00,160 --> 00:58:06,960
um our uh superintendent you know
creating the budget and then the the

880
00:58:05,520 --> 00:58:10,240
kind of the two elected boards the board
of selectment and the or the select

881
00:58:08,799 --> 00:58:15,839
board and the and the school committee
have an opportunity to review and to

882
00:58:12,240 --> 00:58:23,359
give input um to those to those two
budgets the town and the school side. Um

883
00:58:19,680 --> 00:58:28,400
the finance committee at its core is an
advisory committee, right? So I don't

884
00:58:26,400 --> 00:58:32,480
want to my concern is I don't want to
lose that. I like the fact

885
00:58:30,185 --> 00:58:37,920
[clears throat] that you [snorts] know
we generate the budget and then the

886
00:58:36,240 --> 00:58:42,480
finance committee gets to look at it
objectively.

887
00:58:39,760 --> 00:58:45,760
Um, I just feel like if if you know if
if they're involved with cooking the

888
00:58:44,000 --> 00:58:49,920
meal and then reviewing the meal, I
think some of that objectivity goes

889
00:58:47,440 --> 00:58:55,760
away. So, I think they play an important
role as another level of kind of

890
00:58:51,839 --> 00:58:58,720
oversight to review it. Um, and I want
them to be able to look at it

891
00:58:57,200 --> 00:59:02,880
objectively.
Um, we present it to them just like all

892
00:59:01,119 --> 00:59:05,920
the other Warren articles. The budget
should be no different. And we're, you

893
00:59:04,319 --> 00:59:11,839
know, and they review that. They ask
questions. they make comments and, you

894
00:59:09,119 --> 00:59:15,280
know, they hold Jay and and Evan's feet
to the fire on things that they think

895
00:59:13,359 --> 00:59:20,160
are important. I just feel like if
they're if they're part of cooking the

896
00:59:17,520 --> 00:59:24,000
meal, then I don't know. Um, and then
even if something say doesn't go, you

897
00:59:22,640 --> 00:59:27,839
know, something stays in the budget that
they strongly think should not be in

898
00:59:26,319 --> 00:59:31,760
there during the development process,
then when they're reviewing it, I think

899
00:59:30,079 --> 00:59:36,880
their objectivity goes away a little
bit. So I think the role that they have

900
00:59:33,920 --> 00:59:41,200
that they've always had is that advisory
kind of review of the budget. I I think

901
00:59:39,760 --> 00:59:47,760
that's important and I think we lose
that if we if we start involving them um

902
00:59:45,760 --> 00:59:53,599
you know in in the development of the
budget. I think that's Evan's job and

903
00:59:50,400 --> 00:59:56,839
Jay's and and our two boards to to go
through that.

904
00:59:57,359 --> 01:00:03,920
So I I don't mind the summits. I don't
mind, you know, communication is great.

905
01:00:00,799 --> 01:00:10,480
Talking about it, you know,
I'm fine with all that. Um,

906
01:00:07,040 --> 01:00:14,000
so it's just, um, I think they I don't
want to see their role changed as far as

907
01:00:12,640 --> 01:00:17,200
what what they currently do. I think
it's important.

908
01:00:15,920 --> 01:00:21,119
One other piece of feedback I want to
speak on. Um, during the process of

909
01:00:18,640 --> 01:00:25,680
crafting this proposal, I know that the
subcommittee has taken great caution

910
01:00:23,680 --> 01:00:30,960
into making sure that this is not a very
like rigid timeline because as an

911
01:00:28,960 --> 01:00:35,520
mentioned,
we get numbers almost always after the

912
01:00:33,359 --> 01:00:41,040
fact of what's actually going to go into
this. So, everyone is planning out this

913
01:00:38,799 --> 01:00:45,119
budget calendar with that in mind to
make sure we don't end up in a situation

914
01:00:42,720 --> 01:00:48,920
where we make a decision based on
numbers that aren't the reality.

915
01:00:51,359 --> 01:00:56,960
» Do you guys plan to be holding any
public hearings to get

916
01:00:54,400 --> 01:00:59,440
» We've had we had one so far. Once we
have all the final recommendations,

917
01:00:58,240 --> 01:01:01,760
we'll have another public hearing
because we definitely want to get

918
01:01:00,480 --> 01:01:04,720
feedback on that
>> because it could, you know, the public

919
01:01:03,040 --> 01:01:08,480
feedback coming in on a proposal, for
example, the planning board issue that

920
01:01:06,640 --> 01:01:11,680
could change our, you know, if we get a
human outcry not to go forward with

921
01:01:10,400 --> 01:01:15,119
that. I think that would affect the way
the charter committee makes its final

922
01:01:13,200 --> 01:01:18,000
decision. So, absolutely.
>> Public outreach is really important to

923
01:01:16,559 --> 01:01:22,400
this charter review committee.
>> We just did that earmark survey and

924
01:01:20,400 --> 01:01:25,520
there's like a lot of responses,
probably more than you'd get at a public

925
01:01:24,000 --> 01:01:27,280
hearing. Would that be helpful for you
guys to potentially

926
01:01:26,640 --> 01:01:31,200
» I think we
>> put some feelers out that way.

927
01:01:28,400 --> 01:01:35,440
» I think we've done one of those already
um for just open input and if you anyone

928
01:01:33,760 --> 01:01:39,440
watching wants to go right now to the
charter review committees section on our

929
01:01:37,599 --> 01:01:40,640
town website, you can make a suggestion
right now.

930
01:01:40,160 --> 01:01:46,319
» Okay.
>> Um once we get further down the line and

931
01:01:43,839 --> 01:01:50,960
we have our list of proposals, we will
be doing something like that to see what

932
01:01:48,559 --> 01:01:54,480
the temperature is going forward. like
like we said, we have until next October

933
01:01:53,040 --> 01:01:57,920
to be putting these out. So, we want to
get a good feel of not only how all the

934
01:01:56,240 --> 01:02:01,760
boards are thinking about these
proposals, but how the town as a whole

935
01:01:59,680 --> 01:02:05,520
is thinking on them. Uh, another big
step of our feedback, and that is more

936
01:02:03,119 --> 01:02:09,520
of an open question to you guys, is um,
based on this feedback tonight, and

937
01:02:08,160 --> 01:02:12,880
we're going to be asking this of all the
boards where we're suggesting big

938
01:02:10,880 --> 01:02:16,960
changes, do you feel you'd like to see
us again closer to when we're actually

939
01:02:15,440 --> 01:02:21,520
submitting these proposals from these
subcommittees, or do you think that this

940
01:02:19,280 --> 01:02:25,599
alone was enough feedback to have us go
back to our subcommittees and put them

941
01:02:23,440 --> 01:02:28,880
forward to the whole board?
I personally would like to see you come

942
01:02:27,119 --> 01:02:33,440
back once they're tightened up as we get
closer to the end of the process.

943
01:02:31,359 --> 01:02:36,319
» I like that. I think we should I I have
I have a question for for the board if I

944
01:02:34,960 --> 01:02:38,799
may. Do you have anything else?
>> One of the things the charter review

945
01:02:37,599 --> 01:02:41,520
committee is trying to figure out is how
to go about getting the charter

946
01:02:40,000 --> 01:02:44,880
approved. There are two processes that
you can do. You can do a home rule

947
01:02:42,559 --> 01:02:48,799
petition which is a majority voted town
meeting and then the legislature and the

948
01:02:46,960 --> 01:02:52,480
governor. The other is a two-thirds vote
of town meeting and then a ballot

949
01:02:50,000 --> 01:02:55,839
election. Doesn't touch the legislature.
Do you guys have a preference? because

950
01:02:53,920 --> 01:03:00,079
we've done it both ways here in Grafton
over the years. Is there a preference

951
01:02:57,440 --> 01:03:02,559
that you have on how to do it?
>> How have we done it historically?

952
01:03:01,440 --> 01:03:05,599
Probably keep it the same.
>> We've done it both ways. That's the

953
01:03:04,319 --> 01:03:11,839
problem.
>> And you know, doing it simple majority,

954
01:03:08,960 --> 01:03:15,359
it's easier to pass, but then it takes
quite a while for the legislature to get

955
01:03:13,680 --> 01:03:18,480
around to it. We've had situations, and
we're looking through the charter now,

956
01:03:16,559 --> 01:03:22,240
where I mean, these seem like minor
things, but they really aren't. when you

957
01:03:20,400 --> 01:03:25,200
have typos, everything's spelled
differently, different capitalizations

958
01:03:23,920 --> 01:03:28,480
with different definitions, you know,
that stuff takes time for our board

959
01:03:27,119 --> 01:03:32,000
where we could be spending it doing
research on much more important

960
01:03:30,160 --> 01:03:36,640
proposals. Uh, but then when it comes to
the two-third option, it's a much

961
01:03:33,680 --> 01:03:39,520
swifter approval, but it's a much higher
threshold to actually get it passed

962
01:03:38,400 --> 01:03:42,799
» because you have to get the two-thirds
vote at town meeting and then a majority

963
01:03:40,880 --> 01:03:46,079
vote at the ballot at the next annual
election. So, think, you don't have to

964
01:03:45,119 --> 01:03:48,799
answer now. I just want you to think
about that because we're grappling with

965
01:03:47,200 --> 01:03:52,079
it as a committee right now.
>> Craig

966
01:03:50,079 --> 01:03:56,480
Yeah, I I would try and keep it in the
town's hands as much as possible. Um,

967
01:03:54,960 --> 01:03:59,359
and maybe the bar should be high. I
mean, these are important changes and

968
01:03:58,000 --> 01:04:01,920
they're going to last for at least five
years, right? So, is it 10 years?

969
01:04:01,119 --> 01:04:07,039
» 10 years.
>> Yeah. So, um I think if we keep it with

970
01:04:04,799 --> 01:04:09,599
the residents, I think if we if we can,
I guess that would be my two cents on

971
01:04:09,119 --> 01:04:12,640
that.
>> Okay.

972
01:04:10,000 --> 01:04:16,319
» And we also do have immediate examples
of the legislature handing us back a

973
01:04:14,559 --> 01:04:20,160
charter that doesn't make a ton of sense
with the town clerk change. I don't

974
01:04:18,480 --> 01:04:24,799
think it's mentioned in there anywhere
that the town clerk is now appointed

975
01:04:23,039 --> 01:04:28,559
rather than elected. That position seems
to have just kind of vanished from the

976
01:04:26,799 --> 01:04:34,559
charter while leaving a ton of mentions
to town officials, which is now no

977
01:04:30,960 --> 01:04:36,880
longer a thing that we have. So, we are
definitely going to continue looking at

978
01:04:35,920 --> 01:04:39,920
those different mechanisms.
>> We have a lot of smart people on this

979
01:04:38,319 --> 01:04:43,200
committee that are word smiths that
really it's amazing the the amount of

980
01:04:41,760 --> 01:04:46,240
time they spend. We're very lucky. It's
a good committee.

981
01:04:44,480 --> 01:04:49,440
» It's a good committee. If I might, I
would just chime in that I agree with

982
01:04:47,920 --> 01:04:54,559
Craig. I would go with the um the
twothirds and the the majority ballot in

983
01:04:52,079 --> 01:04:58,160
mo for me mostly I agree to we should
set the bar high. This is something that

984
01:04:56,160 --> 01:05:02,079
we're going to live by for quite some
time and it needs to be right and agreed

985
01:05:00,319 --> 01:05:05,280
upon by everybody or at least the
majority.

986
01:05:03,119 --> 01:05:10,319
» It's good feedback. Glad I asked.
>> I I like that approach for the speed and

987
01:05:07,599 --> 01:05:14,400
simplicity. You know, it it really takes
things a while to get through the

988
01:05:11,440 --> 01:05:19,520
legislature as we've seen. So, um you
know, If uh we can we can hit that high

989
01:05:17,440 --> 01:05:23,760
bar mark and and get it done even
faster, let's do it.

990
01:05:21,039 --> 01:05:25,680
» Okay. Thank you so much for your time.
It's always nice to see you.

991
01:05:24,880 --> 01:05:28,079
» Thanks for coming in.
>> Yeah, very very well prepared

992
01:05:27,039 --> 01:05:31,720
invitation. Thank you.
>> Thank you.

993
01:05:28,400 --> 01:05:31,720
» Appreciate it.

994
01:05:36,480 --> 01:05:42,960
» Okay. Um
were we going to talk budget calendar

995
01:05:41,520 --> 01:05:48,960
with them or is that just us as a
followup? I think it was just us because

996
01:05:47,280 --> 01:05:52,240
that's how we started it and we can
always share it with them. I don't think

997
01:05:50,720 --> 01:05:56,000
it needs to go in the charter. These
aren't going to be an official charter,

998
01:05:55,359 --> 01:06:02,079
» right?
>> Budget calendar and whatever they do, we

999
01:05:58,160 --> 01:06:07,440
we'll implement into the calendar um
summit for example, the budget summit.

1000
01:06:05,280 --> 01:06:13,200
» Okay. Um do we have updates that we want
to review of the current calendar um or

1001
01:06:11,440 --> 01:06:15,440
gather? This was gathering feedback,
right? You were going to share some

1002
01:06:14,240 --> 01:06:18,799
feedback. We were going to share some
feedback.

1003
01:06:16,400 --> 01:06:21,039
» I don't have the feedback.
>> I'm

1004
01:06:19,359 --> 01:06:24,559
» based on the new information, it feels
like a reason.

1005
01:06:22,480 --> 01:06:27,119
» The new information why I don't have it.
>> Okay.

1006
01:06:25,119 --> 01:06:33,280
» Uh no, Will and I have had preliminary
discussions, but uh he is unavailable

1007
01:06:30,079 --> 01:06:38,480
and I just don't have it. So, I need to
circle back. Why don't we if it's

1008
01:06:35,039 --> 01:06:40,960
acceptable put it on the 22nd and come
back around at it again?

1009
01:06:39,920 --> 01:06:43,920
» Everybody's okay with that?
>> That's fine.

1010
01:06:41,760 --> 01:06:46,000
» Great. October 6th is my birthday, too.
So, if it has to go on that day. Well,

1011
01:06:45,680 --> 01:06:48,000
there you go.
>> Very excited for that. Great.

1012
01:06:47,119 --> 01:06:55,079
» There you go.
>> Her best birthday. [clears throat]

1013
01:06:50,000 --> 01:06:55,079
» Okay. So, we'll bring that back.

1014
01:06:55,920 --> 01:07:02,400
» Okay. Uh, we have a road closure request
from Wreck for Apprentice Street for the

1015
01:07:00,720 --> 01:07:06,240
fall festival.
>> Sorry, Adam. I should have

1016
01:07:04,720 --> 01:07:08,880
» asked for to get taken out of order
because your stuff's going to be quick.

1017
01:07:07,599 --> 01:07:13,039
» I I had two anyway, so funny. I had
donuts, so it's good. Good evening,

1018
01:07:10,319 --> 01:07:17,119
everybody. Um, so we're doing our annual
ask for road closure on Apprentice

1019
01:07:14,799 --> 01:07:20,079
Street, open for local traffic only. Uh,
last year was the first year we did the

1020
01:07:18,559 --> 01:07:23,920
fall festival at Nelson Park instead of
the common as the event has just

1021
01:07:22,079 --> 01:07:28,400
absolutely blown up in a positive way.
Uh, um, attendance wise, um, I thought

1022
01:07:26,640 --> 01:07:30,960
it went awesome last year at Nelson Park
and I think having the playground there

1023
01:07:29,599 --> 01:07:33,680
too was nice to have the kids have
something other than the trees on the

1024
01:07:32,000 --> 01:07:36,559
common to climb on.
>> Um, so we're just asking for for

1025
01:07:35,119 --> 01:07:40,000
requests to have local traffic only on
Apprentice Street for the 18th from uh,

1026
01:07:38,319 --> 01:07:43,920
10:00 to 3. The event is 11:00 to 2.
We're giving the hour buffer um before

1027
01:07:41,920 --> 01:07:46,640
and after. So,
>> uh any questions, comments from the

1028
01:07:45,599 --> 01:07:50,359
board?
>> Love the new location.

1029
01:07:51,280 --> 01:07:56,559
» Craig.
>> Yeah. Is it both sides of Apprentice

1030
01:07:54,960 --> 01:08:01,440
Street?
>> Apprentice is one way, so they'll just

1031
01:07:59,119 --> 01:08:03,760
» No, I think Apprentice splits 140 is
what Craig

1032
01:08:02,160 --> 01:08:07,200
» Oh, sorry. Yeah. So, it's it's just the
part of Apprentice Street that uh aligns

1033
01:08:05,440 --> 01:08:10,799
on on the side of Nelson Park. So, it's
not going to be the top part.

1034
01:08:09,200 --> 01:08:14,359
Okay,
great. Thank you.

1035
01:08:15,039 --> 01:08:19,199
Anything else? Okay, let's take a
motion.

1036
01:08:17,839 --> 01:08:22,480
» Looking forward to it. I move the board
vote to approve the closure of Print

1037
01:08:20,719 --> 01:08:24,000
Street on October 18th as requested by
the recreation department.

1038
01:08:23,600 --> 01:08:27,759
» Second.
>> Okay. Motion made second. Any additional

1039
01:08:25,839 --> 01:08:28,719
discussion? Heading none. All those in
favor? Miss Roy.

1040
01:08:28,480 --> 01:08:29,600
» I.
>> Miss Duckworth.

1041
01:08:29,359 --> 01:08:30,400
» I.
>> Miss Foley.

1042
01:08:30,159 --> 01:08:31,839
» Foley.
>> I.

1043
01:08:30,640 --> 01:08:34,080
» Mr. Doy. [clears throat]
>> I.

1044
01:08:32,239 --> 01:08:37,199
» Jefferson. I
>> All right. Let's talk about your uh gift

1045
01:08:36,400 --> 01:08:42,239
account.
>> Yeah. So, um, when we, uh, received the

1046
01:08:40,480 --> 01:08:45,600
grant or had announcement of the grant
for the Smile, uh, mass wheelchair over

1047
01:08:44,159 --> 01:08:50,319
the summer, uh, the community advocate
put out an article, um, about us

1048
01:08:47,600 --> 01:08:53,920
receiving that grant. Um, and we had a,
uh, a lovely person call me within days

1049
01:08:52,400 --> 01:08:59,040
and said, hey, would you like a second
one? Um, and I said,

1050
01:08:57,440 --> 01:09:03,520
well, tell me more what you mean by
that. And she says, well, how much do

1051
01:09:00,560 --> 01:09:06,960
they cost? And I said, about $2,500. Um,
we have one right now. I don't know if

1052
01:09:04,719 --> 01:09:09,600
there's need for two. and she said, you
know, would you be interested in taking

1053
01:09:08,400 --> 01:09:13,440
those funds and using them for other
accessibility purposes? Um, so, uh,

1054
01:09:12,159 --> 01:09:16,719
we're looking to create this account so
we can accept that gift in particular,

1055
01:09:15,040 --> 01:09:19,839
but also for future projects. We're
actually looking to get a, um,

1056
01:09:18,159 --> 01:09:23,120
allterrain wheelchair that we can rent
out through the department. So, this

1057
01:09:20,799 --> 01:09:27,759
will be a huge chunk of that. Um, those
wheelchairs cost $5,500. So, um, our

1058
01:09:26,319 --> 01:09:31,679
hope is to continue to grow that account
so we can, you know, anytime we have

1059
01:09:29,120 --> 01:09:35,120
accessibility requests or upgrades, uh,
we we have easy funds to tap into for

1060
01:09:33,679 --> 01:09:38,080
that. So, we're just looking to be able
be able to open an account for that.

1061
01:09:37,440 --> 01:09:42,000
» Very nice.
>> That sounds like a great cause.

1062
01:09:40,239 --> 01:09:45,279
» And that would be just a separate
account, Mary, in

1063
01:09:43,600 --> 01:09:49,120
» Yeah. So, it would sit in our our our
recck department. It's a separate. So,

1064
01:09:47,040 --> 01:09:51,600
we already have one that's separate from
this. Um, but yeah, we would have a

1065
01:09:50,880 --> 01:09:56,159
secondary account.
>> It's essentially creating another line

1066
01:09:53,440 --> 01:10:00,000
in their general ledger that will be
able to be tapped on, but otherwise

1067
01:09:58,000 --> 01:10:04,480
stays static regardless of what the
other budget does around it.

1068
01:10:01,440 --> 01:10:08,480
» Okay. Would the funds be restricted to
accessibility or

1069
01:10:06,640 --> 01:10:12,640
» based on the title of uh the gift
account that's it would be accessibility

1070
01:10:10,159 --> 01:10:15,199
or inclusion based programming? So um
obviously in our continued effort to

1071
01:10:14,000 --> 01:10:19,520
focus on that in the years that I've
been here um so anything that would fall

1072
01:10:17,040 --> 01:10:23,280
in that bucket we would use those funds.
>> Yeah. We we have different gifts gift

1073
01:10:21,679 --> 01:10:27,360
accounts in different places that are
very specifically worded because of the

1074
01:10:25,760 --> 01:10:32,480
intent of the person's donation.
>> Yep. So, and then 60 years from now, the

1075
01:10:30,960 --> 01:10:36,400
town administrator will curse us for
having created them because we have some

1076
01:10:34,400 --> 01:10:39,760
that are almost a hundred years old that
have pennies in them that we can't get

1077
01:10:38,159 --> 01:10:43,360
rid of
that Mary has to continually [snorts]

1078
01:10:41,840 --> 01:10:47,080
calculate. But that's, you know, that's
future Mary's problem.

1079
01:10:48,239 --> 01:10:55,199
» That's wonderful. That's very generous
of that person. And I I think it's a an

1080
01:10:54,159 --> 01:10:59,520
awesome thing to start at an
accessibility and inclusion account. see

1081
01:10:57,199 --> 01:11:04,719
what else you can get.
>> Yeah. Yeah. They two tend to be two of

1082
01:11:01,760 --> 01:11:08,159
our, you know, heavier draws in terms of
funding to to, you know, especially like

1083
01:11:06,800 --> 01:11:13,040
the inclusionary programming and
something that is uh both things um to

1084
01:11:11,199 --> 01:11:17,520
clarify that are, you know, critically
important for all of our residents and

1085
01:11:14,480 --> 01:11:20,400
and a commonly talked about issue. So,
yeah,

1086
01:11:19,520 --> 01:11:23,360
» let's take that motion.
>> I move the board vote to create a gift

1087
01:11:21,920 --> 01:11:24,800
account and accept the funding for the
recreation department.

1088
01:11:24,480 --> 01:11:28,480
» Second.
>> Okay. Motion and seconded. Any

1089
01:11:26,239 --> 01:11:29,520
discussion hearing? None. All those in
favor? Miss Roy.

1090
01:11:29,199 --> 01:11:31,280
» I.
>> Miss Duckworth.

1091
01:11:30,239 --> 01:11:33,199
» I.
>> Miss Dan.

1092
01:11:32,400 --> 01:11:35,920
» Dan. A I.
>> Jefferson. I.

1093
01:11:35,120 --> 01:11:40,280
» Thanks for coming in this.
>> Thank you everybody.

1094
01:11:37,120 --> 01:11:40,280
» Thank you.

1095
01:11:41,199 --> 01:11:47,760
» Okay. Uh, next up we're going to discuss
uh parking at the Grafton Historical

1096
01:11:45,120 --> 01:11:52,880
Society. And Dave, come on up.
>> Good evening. Thanks for having me. Um,

1097
01:11:50,159 --> 01:11:57,360
my name is Dave Tyrion. I'm currently
treasurer of the uh Graphen Historical

1098
01:11:55,760 --> 01:12:05,280
Society.
Uh we've we've been at that location

1099
01:11:59,760 --> 01:12:09,520
since the uh December 19 Yeah. 2018.
Just for a little background on it.

1100
01:12:07,440 --> 01:12:15,199
Prior to that, we we finished up a
30-year lease at the the old townhouse

1101
01:12:12,640 --> 01:12:21,760
in 2016
and became tenant at will. Uh it and

1102
01:12:19,120 --> 01:12:27,760
then the town went to outside management
and we could we could keep the place we

1103
01:12:24,880 --> 01:12:33,600
had uh for a mere $2,000 a month plus
expenses

1104
01:12:29,760 --> 01:12:38,480
uh which wasn't feasible uh at that
time. The town did offer us two other

1105
01:12:35,840 --> 01:12:43,679
locations to look at. The present
location 71 Main Street, the old

1106
01:12:40,640 --> 01:12:49,920
library, and the other one was the uh
Nelson Library. Uh

1107
01:12:47,120 --> 01:12:56,080
the downside to the Nelson Library, it
was too small and broken up. Uh it would

1108
01:12:53,120 --> 01:13:02,960
have been probably a 50% reducing
reduction in space. Uh we had a little

1109
01:12:59,120 --> 01:13:09,040
bit of concern about uh the the 71 Main
Street because we' been told that the

1110
01:13:05,199 --> 01:13:14,960
cell was wet. Um
as it turns out, um

1111
01:13:12,400 --> 01:13:20,239
it was an easy fix. the window wells
were lowered than the ground around it.

1112
01:13:17,199 --> 01:13:24,719
So, I was down there one time when it
was raining and I'm watching the water

1113
01:13:21,920 --> 01:13:27,600
come in the windows and I sandbagged the
outside and we haven't had a problem

1114
01:13:26,159 --> 01:13:35,280
since then.
Um the other the other enticement was

1115
01:13:31,120 --> 01:13:40,000
that the town agreed that uh the lease
would include uh nine Orchard Street,

1116
01:13:37,920 --> 01:13:46,239
which was the vacant parking lot across
the street

1117
01:13:41,760 --> 01:13:52,719
across from uh the thing
since 2018. It's progressively gotten

1118
01:13:50,159 --> 01:14:00,080
packing becomes more of a problem. Uh we
had a meeting Tuesday, last Tuesday, and

1119
01:13:55,840 --> 01:14:05,920
we had to park on the street because uh
the lot was full. Uh

1120
01:14:03,199 --> 01:14:12,719
and the the lease specifically says that
the area was uh reserved for parking for

1121
01:14:10,080 --> 01:14:16,719
the historical society. Uh conditions
were is that we would maintain the

1122
01:14:15,040 --> 01:14:22,239
grounds at the building and the town
would provide the space in plowing of

1123
01:14:19,520 --> 01:14:29,679
it. In fact, they even said we may have
to move vehicles to uh to allow us to

1124
01:14:26,480 --> 01:14:35,280
allow the town to plow it. U as it
stands right now, they can't plow it

1125
01:14:32,320 --> 01:14:40,960
because um there's too many cars in
there and they don't belong to us.

1126
01:14:38,400 --> 01:14:46,880
Uh there are currently
I believe three unregistered vehicles in

1127
01:14:43,520 --> 01:14:51,920
that lot which is in violation of town
town bylaw which town is actually in

1128
01:14:49,920 --> 01:14:57,199
violation maybe in violation of their
own bylaw because they have u more than

1129
01:14:55,040 --> 01:15:03,520
one unregistered vehicle on the
property. Uh and I know how that works

1130
01:15:00,560 --> 01:15:09,920
because number of years ago I was nailed
on the same thing. Uh but fortunately

1131
01:15:06,960 --> 01:15:14,880
one of mine was the town line up in
graft and goes through the property and

1132
01:15:12,880 --> 01:15:20,560
I had anticipated a problem. So one was
in Upton, the other was in graft and it

1133
01:15:17,040 --> 01:15:25,760
didn't become an issue. But uh as far as
the uh

1134
01:15:23,120 --> 01:15:31,840
the water nine Archer Street, my
recommendation or my my request is that

1135
01:15:28,560 --> 01:15:37,440
they they post it no overnight parking
and they they put signage up indicating

1136
01:15:34,480 --> 01:15:42,800
that it's uh parking photograph and
historical society. We we currently are

1137
01:15:40,480 --> 01:15:47,679
open Sunday afternoons,
Tuesday afternoon, and then there's

1138
01:15:44,800 --> 01:15:51,920
various functions during the during the
uh month.

1139
01:15:49,040 --> 01:15:58,239
And and a lot of them you just can't
park because there's no space.

1140
01:15:54,480 --> 01:16:01,520
» Uh I've been
raising an issue in this for about 3

1141
01:15:59,920 --> 01:16:07,040
years and I finally said, "Well, maybe I
got to go to the select board to resolve

1142
01:16:03,679 --> 01:16:11,297
it." But uh it's it's become a real
problem at this point and particularly

1143
01:16:09,199 --> 01:16:15,440
in the winter because there is uh
[snorts]

1144
01:16:11,920 --> 01:16:19,760
they can't plow it and the two neighbors
plow theirs into the middle. So you end

1145
01:16:17,840 --> 01:16:24,400
up with a pile in the middle that
freezes. So even with a front end

1146
01:16:21,840 --> 01:16:29,360
loader, you can't move it.
So like I said, my my request is that

1147
01:16:26,960 --> 01:16:35,840
they uh
quit a lot and they uh post put signage

1148
01:16:33,440 --> 01:16:42,560
up uh an overnight park and I think
would eliminate most of the problem. So

1149
01:16:40,000 --> 01:16:45,560
I I guess with that I'll leave it to
questions.

1150
01:16:46,880 --> 01:16:54,640
So my understanding is the problem with
that is we can put up signage but it

1151
01:16:51,920 --> 01:17:00,480
would be non- enforceable.
We can't I mean you we

1152
01:16:58,320 --> 01:17:05,679
we can't bar people from using mun
municipal lots. If it's a municipal lot

1153
01:17:02,480 --> 01:17:12,560
it's open to the public. Um, you know, I
we it sounds like we could confirm um

1154
01:17:10,560 --> 01:17:16,640
you know, the the the vehicles that are
parked there that you indicated, you

1155
01:17:14,159 --> 01:17:21,199
know, somebody has three unregistered.
We that's something that it seems like

1156
01:17:19,280 --> 01:17:24,960
the police department could could look
into,

1157
01:17:22,159 --> 01:17:30,560
» but you know, in terms of posting
signage,

1158
01:17:27,600 --> 01:17:34,000
uh it it doesn't really we again we can,
but my understanding is it wouldn't

1159
01:17:32,159 --> 01:17:39,520
force any issue. doesn't force anybody's
hand.

1160
01:17:35,280 --> 01:17:47,360
» Well, my Okay, my question is is if if
our lease covers that lot, then why is

1161
01:17:43,600 --> 01:17:48,800
it a municipal parking lot?
It's

1162
01:17:47,600 --> 01:17:52,880
» town owned land.
>> Mhm.

1163
01:17:50,800 --> 01:17:55,040
» And we can't do no overnight parking on
any of our

1164
01:17:53,520 --> 01:17:58,640
» You can post it however you want, but
the police won't enforce it. So, that's

1165
01:17:57,120 --> 01:18:03,440
always been the rub.
>> Um Dave, do you have a current lease?

1166
01:18:01,679 --> 01:18:06,880
» Yes, I do. Okay.
>> And we have we have a current lease. I

1167
01:18:05,199 --> 01:18:11,679
have a copy here, but we have a current
lease. It was this it was signed in for

1168
01:18:09,440 --> 01:18:20,000
it was 10 year lease signed December of
uh 2018 and it and it has a provision in

1169
01:18:16,400 --> 01:18:26,159
it for uh two two extensions five years
each or renegotiate the longer term. Uh

1170
01:18:24,239 --> 01:18:31,440
we would be looking to extend it for at
least the five years if not longer.

1171
01:18:29,520 --> 01:18:33,920
I mean, I have noticed those. I didn't
know that there were three, but I've not

1172
01:18:32,640 --> 01:18:35,920
noticed at least a couple of cars that
clearly are not going anywhere that have

1173
01:18:35,199 --> 01:18:43,040
been sitting there.
>> Part of part of the problem is is that

1174
01:18:39,199 --> 01:18:48,960
along the fence line there's there's
there's a there's a Toyota that hasn't

1175
01:18:45,280 --> 01:18:54,480
moved at the front of the lot since last
se be a year ago, September. Anyways,

1176
01:18:51,840 --> 01:18:59,360
but along the fence, uh, if you go back
and look at the at the GIS or the

1177
01:18:57,280 --> 01:19:05,280
assessor's photos,
uh, you'll see that 10 years ago, there

1178
01:19:02,640 --> 01:19:10,880
was nothing parked there. And then over
time, the trailer showed up and then now

1179
01:19:07,920 --> 01:19:14,480
on unregistered C, I suspect they're
unregistered. They don't move.

1180
01:19:12,480 --> 01:19:18,640
» Yeah, I've seen the two back there.
>> And the problem that creates is that

1181
01:19:16,480 --> 01:19:22,080
when they do plow it, they've got no
place to plow the snow. The logical

1182
01:19:20,400 --> 01:19:27,520
place would be to plow to the property
line in the fence, but there's a line of

1183
01:19:25,360 --> 01:19:33,440
trailers and cars there right now, and
that creates more of a problem. We don't

1184
01:19:30,800 --> 01:19:39,360
mind coexisting. it. The problem is is
that it's it's gotten so now that

1185
01:19:36,719 --> 01:19:47,760
uh five of [snorts] the cars that are
there at night, I believe

1186
01:19:42,880 --> 01:19:52,400
uh employees of the uh facility at 73
Main Street, the one next to us. And

1187
01:19:50,560 --> 01:19:59,679
historically, they parked in their own
lot or they parked along our fence. And

1188
01:19:56,000 --> 01:20:05,520
it's it's only since the pandemic that
that moved in there into the lot. But it

1189
01:20:03,679 --> 01:20:08,960
you know when you put five or seven cars
there and then the neighbors park all

1190
01:20:07,280 --> 01:20:13,360
there is and then you have commercial
trucker park there. Um we end up parking

1191
01:20:12,560 --> 01:20:16,960
on the street.
>> What's the business?

1192
01:20:15,280 --> 01:20:23,719
» Uh
I'm not sure if it's if it's a state

1193
01:20:19,360 --> 01:20:23,719
facility or what it is, but it's

1194
01:20:26,480 --> 01:20:34,159
But I went back and I and I looked at on
online at the uh

1195
01:20:32,080 --> 01:20:40,800
the [clears throat] aerial photos that
go year to year and it you go back 10

1196
01:20:38,320 --> 01:20:46,080
years or so and it progressively gets
more and more and more and the pandemic

1197
01:20:43,520 --> 01:20:52,159
kind of just blew it out because nobody
was using it. Uh but now that things are

1198
01:20:49,840 --> 01:20:55,920
back active, it it just creates a real
problem.

1199
01:20:53,440 --> 01:21:00,320
» I mean, so you know, a couple of things
that maybe we can impact the the cars

1200
01:20:58,640 --> 01:21:03,600
that are potentially there that are not
registered, etc. And that I think

1201
01:21:02,159 --> 01:21:06,640
there's a trailer that I've noticed.
>> There's there's two

1202
01:21:04,960 --> 01:21:13,679
» three or four trailers. There might even
be more than that. And and and

1203
01:21:10,000 --> 01:21:19,280
» there's two properties that that lot.
There's one on Archer Street and one at

1204
01:21:15,360 --> 01:21:23,440
Samson. And I it looks to me like
they've just provided additional space

1205
01:21:22,000 --> 01:21:28,560
for their own use.
>> So to get back to so maybe we can you

1206
01:21:25,920 --> 01:21:34,000
know impact that in some way. Um
additionally perhaps just a note to the

1207
01:21:31,199 --> 01:21:36,480
group home to whoever runs manages that
runs it. You know if they don't know

1208
01:21:35,360 --> 01:21:40,960
they don't know, right? They see
something that's open and there's no

1209
01:21:38,159 --> 01:21:45,920
signage. I do want to point out that our
public safety departments have said that

1210
01:21:44,320 --> 01:21:48,880
once we move them out of that lot, then
they start parking on the street and

1211
01:21:47,120 --> 01:21:52,719
then we can't get our equipment through.
Like that's one of the concerns with

1212
01:21:50,880 --> 01:21:59,760
that area so congested and that the
streets are so narrow that DPW

1213
01:21:57,040 --> 01:22:05,360
wants people to park in the end lot when
it snows so that they can plow the

1214
01:22:01,920 --> 01:22:10,400
street and police and fire like to have
people not parking along the road in

1215
01:22:07,280 --> 01:22:15,040
there. So that's the push back that
we've had on that side of the house that

1216
01:22:12,480 --> 01:22:22,560
I want to be just cognitive of because
that group home I think if we ban them

1217
01:22:19,120 --> 01:22:27,679
from parking in the lot on at the end of
Orchard, they're going to be lined up on

1218
01:22:25,040 --> 01:22:30,400
the street there.
>> I don't know about I mean I know a lot

1219
01:22:29,120 --> 01:22:35,120
about a lot of group homes in town. I
don't know about that one. Um, are are

1220
01:22:33,040 --> 01:22:37,440
there vans associated with it or is it
different?

1221
01:22:35,520 --> 01:22:42,080
» No, it's it's it's it appears the
employee because they they rotate it

1222
01:22:40,320 --> 01:22:46,080
3:00 or 1:00 or
>> because kind of depending on how big

1223
01:22:43,520 --> 01:22:48,960
that facility is, generally group homes
that I service, there's only a couple of

1224
01:22:48,719 --> 01:22:51,840
staff
>> staff at a time. Yeah.

1225
01:22:50,000 --> 01:22:56,480
» So, there were and the participants
don't have cars, so it's generally only

1226
01:22:53,679 --> 01:22:59,520
a couple of cars. And and I'm not and
I'm not sure at this point whether or

1227
01:22:57,920 --> 01:23:04,159
not they have more employees than they
used to have,

1228
01:23:00,560 --> 01:23:09,840
» but they they my recollection is there
used to be two or three cars parked

1229
01:23:06,960 --> 01:23:17,679
uh on the street, but they're off the
street. They're up against the fence uh

1230
01:23:12,719 --> 01:23:21,440
for the library at the back entrance uh
and and there were more there appeared

1231
01:23:19,679 --> 01:23:26,239
to be more of them parking in their own
site, but now they're that there's

1232
01:23:24,159 --> 01:23:33,199
anywhere from 5 to seven on a nightly
basis. H. And then my other

1233
01:23:30,400 --> 01:23:37,199
recommendation or idea was that um you
know we could put something relative to

1234
01:23:35,120 --> 01:23:41,120
snow removal for the neighbors, but it
sounds like like you said DPW actually

1235
01:23:39,600 --> 01:23:44,800
it's handy for them to have the cars in
there. So that doesn't

1236
01:23:42,719 --> 01:23:51,520
» align with that.
>> Um I I have a suggestion. When I when

1237
01:23:47,600 --> 01:23:56,639
I'm looking at the GIS map, I see maybe
total of like 15 residents that could be

1238
01:23:54,320 --> 01:24:00,960
potentially using this space. Have you
considered maybe sending out like a

1239
01:23:58,239 --> 01:24:04,480
monthly mailer to those 15 addresses
saying, "Hey, these are the dates of

1240
01:24:02,800 --> 01:24:09,120
events that we have coming up to just
maybe be mindful and trying open

1241
01:24:06,639 --> 01:24:15,600
communication that way with the people
potentially parking in those spaces.

1242
01:24:12,000 --> 01:24:19,600
» We we have we have spoken to the uh
manager of the [clears throat]

1243
01:24:17,520 --> 01:24:28,560
group facility
and there was no they just agreed and

1244
01:24:24,480 --> 01:24:31,560
that was about it. Uh
I'm

1245
01:24:32,000 --> 01:24:38,400
logistically I'm not sure whether or not
that would be something we could

1246
01:24:35,199 --> 01:24:42,320
practically do
>> because it does sound like if there was

1247
01:24:40,000 --> 01:24:45,600
more communication for hey this is when
we would like to be using the space and

1248
01:24:44,080 --> 01:24:50,320
the rest of the time we're open to
everybody else using it. does I don't

1249
01:24:47,920 --> 01:24:53,760
know how you communicate to to the
neighborhood though that you know we're

1250
01:24:51,679 --> 01:24:59,760
having an event from 2 to 4 on this day
or um an event on 1 to 3 on this day and

1251
01:24:57,040 --> 01:25:06,000
and or maybe if you if you had a website
that you could be updating or pushing

1252
01:25:01,679 --> 01:25:10,239
out to just I don't know maybe an email
chain to to some of these residents to

1253
01:25:08,159 --> 01:25:16,480
to see if they're interested in staying
um informed to when when you guys would

1254
01:25:13,199 --> 01:25:20,639
be likely having more cars show
because they might want to know too.

1255
01:25:17,760 --> 01:25:24,560
They might not want to get stuck in or
>> well they're there before we get there.

1256
01:25:22,239 --> 01:25:32,000
So that's that's the problem. Our
evening event start at 7

1257
01:25:27,199 --> 01:25:34,639
uh 6:30 or 7 and and by that time
the whole row is already filled up,

1258
01:25:34,159 --> 01:25:39,440
» right?
>> And and that's and that's gotten worse

1259
01:25:36,880 --> 01:25:42,560
in the last couple years. I'm not sure
where the number of houses hasn't

1260
01:25:41,760 --> 01:25:48,159
changed,
>> right? Uh there are a couple commercial

1261
01:25:45,600 --> 01:25:53,280
vehicles that are there that have showed
up and I don't know whether they're work

1262
01:25:51,600 --> 01:26:01,760
they work and they live at one of the
houses or what is but uh they

1263
01:25:57,840 --> 01:26:06,560
it's it's just you know it supposedly
the space was provided for our parking

1264
01:26:03,679 --> 01:26:12,159
and as it turns out right now we have no
we virtually can't park there.

1265
01:26:10,639 --> 01:26:17,040
Yeah.
>> And from what I know of the historical

1266
01:26:13,920 --> 01:26:22,560
society, um it's pretty slim in terms of
uh volunteers and what you guys are

1267
01:26:19,280 --> 01:26:26,320
doing with the very few hours of support
that you have right now is a lot. So I

1268
01:26:24,800 --> 01:26:27,679
mean I think you there is a website
though, isn't it?

1269
01:26:26,800 --> 01:26:30,800
» There is a website. Yes.
>> And there is a newsletter that goes out.

1270
01:26:29,199 --> 01:26:36,000
It's just a matter of
>> Yeah.

1271
01:26:31,600 --> 01:26:40,239
» Yeah. Uh and and my my gut feeling is
it's it's the houses in the close

1272
01:26:37,920 --> 01:26:45,760
proximity that would that are using the
ones along the back the stuff along the

1273
01:26:41,920 --> 01:26:54,000
back uh are clearly the two houses
behind it. Uh but that's

1274
01:26:51,520 --> 01:26:57,040
that's just it's there. I'm not sure
what we can

1275
01:26:54,960 --> 01:27:02,080
» Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, think thinking about
next steps as we go through this and

1276
01:26:58,960 --> 01:27:08,400
Evan, I mean, chime in on viability of
these ideas. It seems like we could

1277
01:27:04,639 --> 01:27:13,280
start with having GPD confirm
uh you know, active registrations uh and

1278
01:27:11,520 --> 01:27:17,360
you know, possibly remove any vehicles
that that aren't registered at that

1279
01:27:14,960 --> 01:27:23,120
point um or consider having them
removed. Um

1280
01:27:20,320 --> 01:27:29,199
we could we can again kind of take the
group temperature on if we want to have

1281
01:27:26,080 --> 01:27:35,040
uh signage get posted there knowing that
it's you know it's not enforceable. Um

1282
01:27:32,480 --> 01:27:37,440
but at the same time uh I feel like the
odds are pretty good that that the

1283
01:27:36,400 --> 01:27:40,880
people parking there aren't watching
this meeting. So we're not tipping our

1284
01:27:38,880 --> 01:27:46,159
hand in any any great way with uh with
that. But um

1285
01:27:44,560 --> 01:27:52,639
it seems like those are those are really
our two paths forward at this point

1286
01:27:49,440 --> 01:27:56,719
beyond as was mentioned you know trying
the the historical society trying to do

1287
01:27:54,880 --> 01:28:02,400
more outreach which I do understand is
is difficult giving here you know

1288
01:27:58,880 --> 01:28:06,400
limited staffing and um Craig you uh you
want to weigh in?

1289
01:28:04,639 --> 01:28:11,600
» Yeah, thanks Andy. I guess a few
thoughts. Um,

1290
01:28:08,880 --> 01:28:15,360
how if if we were to say [snorts] make
that a real parking lot and pave that,

1291
01:28:13,440 --> 01:28:19,760
like how do we have any idea how many
parking spots we could we could get in

1292
01:28:17,760 --> 01:28:25,600
there?
>> Um, I no, I mean, I could put that

1293
01:28:22,880 --> 01:28:29,120
together like an estimate, but um,
>> yeah,

1294
01:28:27,600 --> 01:28:33,120
» it's got a kind of a funky little
layout, too. So, it it would take me

1295
01:28:31,199 --> 01:28:35,840
just a little It's not a rectangle, you
know,

1296
01:28:33,760 --> 01:28:39,199
» right? I mean I you know I if not more
>> growing up had friends that lived on

1297
01:28:37,280 --> 01:28:43,840
Orchard Street and I know that that park
and you know that dirt corner has been

1298
01:28:41,760 --> 01:28:47,600
used by the residents there for for
decades and decades. So not that that's

1299
01:28:45,920 --> 01:28:52,800
right but it's just been you know
they've had the luxury of having that

1300
01:28:49,600 --> 01:28:57,120
that vacant lot there at their disposal.
Um so I don't know how the library

1301
01:28:54,719 --> 01:29:01,840
worked before that. um if it was an
issue for for the library when it was

1302
01:28:58,960 --> 01:29:07,040
there. But um I would say that the the
girls home that's down the street a

1303
01:29:03,600 --> 01:29:11,440
little bit, you know, they do have um
you know, it's a big big house with a

1304
01:29:09,199 --> 01:29:16,960
big front yard. They probably could
could uh make make some parking there

1305
01:29:13,679 --> 01:29:22,639
for themselves um if you know they
needed to. Um, and the third as far as

1306
01:29:21,120 --> 01:29:26,159
their if there's unregistered cars
there, we just we need to find out, I

1307
01:29:24,800 --> 01:29:30,400
think, whose they are and just give
them, you know, 7-day notice of getting

1308
01:29:28,719 --> 01:29:35,679
rid of them. I mean, there shouldn't be
unregistered cars in that public lot.

1309
01:29:33,040 --> 01:29:43,520
Um, and then I guess to David, how many
spots do you think um you need um on any

1310
01:29:41,199 --> 01:29:48,800
given day? Say on average between staff
and um because you're only open how many

1311
01:29:46,560 --> 01:29:55,360
days are you open down there, David?
>> We're open uh Sunday afternoon, Tuesday

1312
01:29:52,239 --> 01:30:00,960
afternoon. Uh there's normally somebody
there on Thursday. It's it's advertised

1313
01:29:57,679 --> 01:30:09,600
as it call if you want to come in and
then there uh uh we do a director's

1314
01:30:04,480 --> 01:30:14,080
meeting once a month and we have
we have other functions. It's it's it's

1315
01:30:12,080 --> 01:30:19,920
getting harder and harder to find places
to hold functions out

1316
01:30:17,440 --> 01:30:26,800
uh bigger venue. So we've been pushing
to have more at the museum. So, you

1317
01:30:23,360 --> 01:30:34,400
know, probably the maximum we need is
probably 20 uh

1318
01:30:30,560 --> 01:30:42,159
on a on a if there was a function, but
on on a on a normal director's night, uh

1319
01:30:38,639 --> 01:30:48,400
there's 10 directors, 12 directors, so
almost nobody capital. So, you you end

1320
01:30:44,880 --> 01:30:55,120
up with that many casts. as as far as
parking spaces, if you if you

1321
01:30:52,880 --> 01:30:59,600
there would be there would be another 10
spaces along the fence if if the trails

1322
01:30:58,080 --> 01:31:06,000
and stuff weren't there and it was
cleaned out. Uh

1323
01:31:02,800 --> 01:31:10,880
and I suspect if uh
if there was some way to to put lines

1324
01:31:08,560 --> 01:31:14,639
put parking lines in, you could probably
triple the amount of packing it. The

1325
01:31:12,639 --> 01:31:22,480
problem is right now it's it's a it's an
oddshaped lot and the street line is

1326
01:31:18,400 --> 01:31:27,040
really unclear. So
people pull in on a curve and then you

1327
01:31:25,199 --> 01:31:32,480
could theoretically park behind but
nobody wants to. So you uh and then when

1328
01:31:30,719 --> 01:31:36,239
you put snow in there it's it's just a
horror show.

1329
01:31:33,679 --> 01:31:42,239
» Yeah. Well, I mean, I guess I'll make,
you know, one suggestion is maybe we can

1330
01:31:39,280 --> 01:31:45,520
have, you know, Paul and Brian and maybe
they've already done this and, you know,

1331
01:31:44,080 --> 01:31:50,159
put their heads together and look at the
kind of the layout of that corner. I

1332
01:31:47,440 --> 01:31:54,080
know it's just one big radius,
>> you know, maybe that there's a way to

1333
01:31:51,679 --> 01:32:00,080
square those lines up and make it more
to to to, you know, specification, I

1334
01:31:57,440 --> 01:32:05,600
guess, and and
look at doing that lot correctly because

1335
01:32:03,120 --> 01:32:12,480
it's just always been there. They they
all go back to the 1933 layout for this

1336
01:32:10,159 --> 01:32:17,199
subdivision when the when the mill sold
off the property. And uh all the lots

1337
01:32:15,760 --> 01:32:23,199
went to the center line of the road
because it was a subdivision prior to

1338
01:32:18,880 --> 01:32:27,520
town approval. Uh and I think that lot
just says by the radius of the street or

1339
01:32:25,199 --> 01:32:31,440
the center line of the street. So you
you you could establish the back lane

1340
01:32:29,440 --> 01:32:35,760
one but you can't you'd be hardressed to
do the front.

1341
01:32:34,239 --> 01:32:41,199
Just thinking maybe it would be helpful
if there was just a sign um you know

1342
01:32:38,880 --> 01:32:44,880
town land or property of the historical
society or something to that effect for

1343
01:32:43,440 --> 01:32:49,199
folks that are just randomly parking
there. I think that if I knew

1344
01:32:47,199 --> 01:32:52,159
» it was parking for someone, I would
think twice about it. Maybe might it's

1345
01:32:50,719 --> 01:32:55,760
not going to solve your entire pro
problem, but

1346
01:32:53,360 --> 01:32:59,360
» um at least a way to let folks know that
this is actually supposed to be used by

1347
01:32:58,159 --> 01:33:04,159
by someone
>> might help. I'm I'm not entirely sure

1348
01:33:01,840 --> 01:33:06,400
that the the people that park it in know
the problem.

1349
01:33:05,600 --> 01:33:08,639
» That's Yeah, that's what I was
wondering.

1350
01:33:06,800 --> 01:33:13,520
» And that's the other that's the other
issue.

1351
01:33:10,960 --> 01:33:17,840
» When we were having the issue at the lot
out here with the senior center, did we

1352
01:33:15,280 --> 01:33:21,600
end up posting signage or no? And then
we've had people complain over the years

1353
01:33:19,520 --> 01:33:24,159
at Norcross Park as well where there
people who live in apartments around

1354
01:33:22,880 --> 01:33:28,000
there are parking in there and we didn't
post signage there at all. My concern

1355
01:33:26,000 --> 01:33:31,120
about if we put signage here, we're
going to hear back from all of the other

1356
01:33:29,520 --> 01:33:35,040
parking lots that we've had requests for
signage and we've told no to as well.

1357
01:33:33,360 --> 01:33:38,719
» Well, there's signage up here that now
says no parking between 7 and 3 or

1358
01:33:37,120 --> 01:33:40,719
something behind the senior center in
all those spots, right?

1359
01:33:40,239 --> 01:33:43,760
» I
>> there's something up there. It's no

1360
01:33:42,239 --> 01:33:45,280
parking 7 to 3.
>> Yeah, it wasn't

1361
01:33:44,639 --> 01:33:51,040
» 9 to three.
>> There's there's posting in this lot, but

1362
01:33:47,920 --> 01:33:55,040
it's just not enforceable. So, we can
>> So, we did put signage up. Uh there's

1363
01:33:53,120 --> 01:33:57,600
signage here that's pre-existing and
then there's that hasn't been added

1364
01:33:56,400 --> 01:34:01,679
since I've been here.
>> Okay.

1365
01:33:58,080 --> 01:34:04,719
» And then um Norcross, I don't believe
there's anything. I was just over there.

1366
01:34:02,960 --> 01:34:10,159
There's there's nothing there. But I
mean you could you can post this, but

1367
01:34:08,400 --> 01:34:11,120
GPD is not going to take it and tell
anybody.

1368
01:34:10,719 --> 01:34:14,239
» Mhm.
>> Okay. But the difference between the

1369
01:34:12,639 --> 01:34:17,679
park, it's like it's kind of obvious
this is a park and that's the parking

1370
01:34:15,600 --> 01:34:21,600
lot for the park. Whereas this little
circle, you really it's super random.

1371
01:34:20,000 --> 01:34:22,480
You know, if you don't know, you don't
know.

1372
01:34:21,920 --> 01:34:26,639
» That's right.
>> And you know, quite frankly, even I know

1373
01:34:24,880 --> 01:34:30,159
and you're still not sure what is that
for. So,

1374
01:34:28,000 --> 01:34:33,040
» it can't be enforced, but it can't harm
in my opinion that at least folks would

1375
01:34:31,600 --> 01:34:35,760
know that oh, that's meant for the
historical society.

1376
01:34:34,480 --> 01:34:40,239
» Yep.
>> Like, like I say, the the only reason

1377
01:34:37,760 --> 01:34:45,840
that it it's been the last four or five
years that that it's escalated

1378
01:34:43,440 --> 01:34:49,199
there. I I know some of the neighbors
that park there and I know they go there

1379
01:34:47,280 --> 01:34:54,320
when there's a snowstorm, but they
usually move them out. Uh the last

1380
01:34:52,320 --> 01:34:58,960
couple of snowstorms we've had is they
they were buried. They would they'd be

1381
01:34:56,880 --> 01:35:05,679
there for a couple days, three days, and
uh and then the town can't plow it. So,

1382
01:35:04,080 --> 01:35:12,080
» has there been any consideration about
adding spaces on the lot that the the

1383
01:35:09,360 --> 01:35:15,840
museum is on? Like on that back square
property there between that and and the

1384
01:35:15,120 --> 01:35:20,880
the home.
>> There's about a six foot drop from the

1385
01:35:18,400 --> 01:35:23,280
where the fence line is to
>> ground topographically. It won't

1386
01:35:22,800 --> 01:35:25,120
» not good.
>> There's nothing really around the

1387
01:35:24,320 --> 01:35:28,880
library at all.
>> The the f the fence line is is about the

1388
01:35:27,120 --> 01:35:34,159
top of slope.
>> Yeah. The grade So, all right.

1389
01:35:31,970 --> 01:35:40,880
[clears throat] What I've got so far is
that we'll we Evan will uh talk with the

1390
01:35:38,560 --> 01:35:46,000
chief about, you know, confirming the
status of the cars and and whatnot that

1391
01:35:42,960 --> 01:35:50,400
are over there now. Um it sounds like
we're leaning towards posting signage.

1392
01:35:48,000 --> 01:35:55,040
Is how how is how is the board feeling
on that? Let's get a a temperature. Is

1393
01:35:52,960 --> 01:36:00,000
that something that we want to post, you
know, a um

1394
01:35:58,159 --> 01:36:04,800
uh you know, Grafton Historical Society
parking sign, even though, you know, we

1395
01:36:02,960 --> 01:36:07,520
know it's it's non-inforceable, but it
implies that hopefully people will

1396
01:36:06,560 --> 01:36:11,600
consider that.
>> I wouldn't want to post anything until

1397
01:36:09,040 --> 01:36:15,760
we're confirmed that safety vehicles can
get by where these vehicles end up as an

1398
01:36:14,239 --> 01:36:19,760
alternative. Like these vehicles are
going to end up somewhere. And what I'm

1399
01:36:17,679 --> 01:36:24,560
hearing is that it's it's better for
fire trucks and safety vehicles and

1400
01:36:21,440 --> 01:36:27,920
plows to get by if they're here.
>> But if that's not the case, then I'm

1401
01:36:26,480 --> 01:36:31,520
okay with the sign. But if that is the
case, I'm not okay with the sign. That's

1402
01:36:30,639 --> 01:36:32,880
me personally.
>> Craig,

1403
01:36:32,480 --> 01:36:36,239
» I mean,
>> yeah, it sounds like there's no rhyme or

1404
01:36:34,800 --> 01:36:40,000
reason to the parking down there. I
mean, I haven't been down there

1405
01:36:37,199 --> 01:36:43,120
recently, but without lines, you know,
people,

1406
01:36:41,520 --> 01:36:46,239
you know, it's amazing how some people
park. they just don't think about it

1407
01:36:44,800 --> 01:36:48,480
when they pull into
>> Yeah.

1408
01:36:46,480 --> 01:36:51,679
» into even a parking lot with lines, you
know what I mean? So,

1409
01:36:49,600 --> 01:36:57,280
» we're not doing us ourselves any favors.
It's probably not not efficient. And I

1410
01:36:53,760 --> 01:37:03,520
don't know if we can put, you know, even
some um you know, spend a little bit of

1411
01:37:01,119 --> 01:37:07,360
money down there um just grading the
place. And even if we have to put some

1412
01:37:05,199 --> 01:37:10,719
wrap in there and just, you know, some
hard pack or something in there,

1413
01:37:08,800 --> 01:37:15,360
something we could put lines on. I don't
know if we can do that or not. Um,

1414
01:37:13,760 --> 01:37:20,080
» yeah, I think I think we should have
Evan

1415
01:37:16,880 --> 01:37:23,520
uh, you know, draft up a lot plan
similar to what we did with ThreeWor and

1416
01:37:21,840 --> 01:37:28,000
figure out how we can maximize, you
know, parking there currently. Um,

1417
01:37:26,597 --> 01:37:32,960
[clears throat] you know, and I know
we're we're focused on solving this one

1418
01:37:29,840 --> 01:37:36,719
problem, but um, whereas we had the
facilities assessment committee in at

1419
01:37:34,800 --> 01:37:42,239
our last meeting and I'm sure they've
talked to, you know, the historical

1420
01:37:38,239 --> 01:37:47,440
society as well. Um, that building is in
really rough shape. Really rough shape.

1421
01:37:44,880 --> 01:37:53,760
» I did the walkth through with Ray me and
and the other two and

1422
01:37:51,760 --> 01:37:58,560
the article I read in the Grafton News
doesn't actually reflect

1423
01:37:56,639 --> 01:38:01,199
the comments that came out of that walk
through

1424
01:38:00,320 --> 01:38:04,320
the the
>> I'm not sure what appeared in the in the

1425
01:38:02,560 --> 01:38:08,320
Grafton News article. I mean, I know
there was a copy of the report that we

1426
01:38:06,400 --> 01:38:13,119
were given that was in our our last
packet. That was that was pretty damning

1427
01:38:10,719 --> 01:38:18,000
» and their recommendation was that you
consider the Nelson Nelson Park Library

1428
01:38:15,520 --> 01:38:23,440
again. Um, we also met with the Nelson
Park trustees, uh, I believe that same

1429
01:38:20,480 --> 01:38:27,280
meeting or the meeting after, um, who
expressed that, you know, at the time,

1430
01:38:25,360 --> 01:38:31,679
uh, back in 2018 when you had initially
moved, they wanted to keep at least the

1431
01:38:29,600 --> 01:38:35,600
conference room area for themselves and
that that's not the case anymore. Their

1432
01:38:33,600 --> 01:38:40,639
priority now is making sure that that
building is occupied. Um, and according

1433
01:38:38,400 --> 01:38:47,199
to that report, we could put somewhere
around 100 or so thousand into what it

1434
01:38:43,840 --> 01:38:53,360
currently needs. um things like new
sliding doors and and you know minor

1435
01:38:49,600 --> 01:38:58,880
stuff um and that make that a a more
viable facility for historical purposes.

1436
01:38:57,280 --> 01:39:04,000
The building and the envelope are in
much better condition. It alleviates a

1437
01:39:00,960 --> 01:39:10,719
lot of the parking issues. um you know
so again starting the conversation as

1438
01:39:06,880 --> 01:39:16,560
one member I think it would be
worthwhile for the historical society to

1439
01:39:14,080 --> 01:39:22,560
you know a start discussing that idea
and b um start you know getting some

1440
01:39:20,480 --> 01:39:27,360
pricing from like professional movers
and and things

1441
01:39:23,840 --> 01:39:32,560
» we we moved eight years ago and and and
as of right now

1442
01:39:29,280 --> 01:39:38,800
» we have a lease would would an option to
extend and the the North Graffton

1443
01:39:36,560 --> 01:39:44,239
Library is even with the conference room
is too small and too disjointed. It's

1444
01:39:41,920 --> 01:39:49,280
» they
are it's not a feasible location. Uh

1445
01:39:47,760 --> 01:39:52,639
» I'm I'm just I'm going to urge you to
consider it because we're talking about

1446
01:39:50,639 --> 01:39:55,679
putting money into a parking issue and
then also the assumption that we're

1447
01:39:54,239 --> 01:39:59,360
going to continue to put money into that
building and I don't think those are

1448
01:39:57,760 --> 01:40:04,480
reasonable assumptions to be working
under. What what do you do with the

1449
01:40:01,760 --> 01:40:08,639
building if you if you don't use it? You
going to tear it down?

1450
01:40:05,920 --> 01:40:15,679
» That would be a future discussion.
>> Our priority is is making sure that that

1451
01:40:12,000 --> 01:40:21,119
» your you know, your group is in a is a a
viable location. You know, for sure. Um

1452
01:40:18,960 --> 01:40:23,920
but you know this was part of the
facilities assessment review is that

1453
01:40:22,560 --> 01:40:28,560
we're going to have to have some
difficult discussions about some of the

1454
01:40:26,159 --> 01:40:33,199
municipal municipal properties and
unfortunately you know you the

1455
01:40:31,119 --> 01:40:39,440
historical society falls falls in one of
those areas. So I'm just while we are

1456
01:40:37,280 --> 01:40:44,080
talking about parking and I take that
point that we need to stay focused on

1457
01:40:40,800 --> 01:40:48,159
that. I do want to just remind everybody
that, you know, I think we we need to

1458
01:40:46,080 --> 01:40:51,760
look at the make sure we're looking at
this globally and that, you know, we're

1459
01:40:50,239 --> 01:40:54,239
it's not just about putting money into
parking. It's going to be about, you

1460
01:40:52,960 --> 01:40:59,280
know, a commitment to that building in
the future and, etc., etc. So,

1461
01:40:56,960 --> 01:41:03,520
» it's just some forward thinking and if
we have two two-ish years left on the

1462
01:41:01,840 --> 01:41:07,920
lease, it gives us some runway to to
start some planning on that and have

1463
01:41:05,199 --> 01:41:11,520
those discussions.
>> Could I just circle back to B? We were

1464
01:41:09,440 --> 01:41:15,520
we were coming up with um a punch list
of things to look into and talk to.

1465
01:41:13,679 --> 01:41:20,480
» And I thought at one point I heard that
maybe some of the the residents down

1466
01:41:17,280 --> 01:41:23,199
here are even unaware of
you know that that that the historical

1467
01:41:21,920 --> 01:41:26,000
society is having an issue even though
I'm hearing that it's been an issue for

1468
01:41:24,560 --> 01:41:30,000
at least three years. But if they're
unaware of it, is there a way that the

1469
01:41:27,520 --> 01:41:35,360
town could send out just like a pretty
generic mailer to the these um

1470
01:41:32,880 --> 01:41:40,000
neighborhood to say, "Hey, do you guys
have your when when is your um monthly

1471
01:41:38,400 --> 01:41:42,639
meeting typically? Is it like every
third?"

1472
01:41:40,639 --> 01:41:46,960
» Uh first first Tuesday of the month.
>> First, so the first Tuesday of the

1473
01:41:44,239 --> 01:41:50,880
month, you know, if if possible, could
you make the lot available and and just

1474
01:41:48,960 --> 01:41:53,920
see if what kind of response you get
from that?

1475
01:41:52,000 --> 01:41:57,679
We've got a we've got a function coming
up in two weeks or on Friday, Saturday,

1476
01:41:56,719 --> 01:42:01,360
and Sunday.
>> So So that might I mean, if those are

1477
01:41:59,360 --> 01:42:04,639
oneoff things, but if if you know if
it's the first

1478
01:42:02,639 --> 01:42:07,840
» Sorry, what was it again? Tuesday. The
first Tuesday of every month, you know,

1479
01:42:06,560 --> 01:42:12,400
you're having a parking issue and that's
a standing thing, maybe just some, you

1480
01:42:10,239 --> 01:42:16,000
know, neighborly communication is is
something that's easy and and we're

1481
01:42:14,320 --> 01:42:21,119
missing that before we start dumping
tons of money.

1482
01:42:18,400 --> 01:42:27,199
My understanding was is is the the
intent of putting the parking spaces in

1483
01:42:24,080 --> 01:42:29,360
our lease so they would be available,
>> right?

1484
01:42:27,520 --> 01:42:33,040
» And we we should not have to go out and
get

1485
01:42:30,719 --> 01:42:36,719
» if the town can send a letter on just a
like a generic.

1486
01:42:34,800 --> 01:42:39,920
» I understand you're you're saying that
you guys have at least 10 people and

1487
01:42:38,480 --> 01:42:42,320
that might not be enough for you to
continue the communication.

1488
01:42:40,960 --> 01:42:46,639
» Well, there's I believe at this point
there's 13 directors.

1489
01:42:43,600 --> 01:42:50,400
» So 13 directors. Yep. And I understand
that you guys are busy doing other

1490
01:42:48,480 --> 01:42:54,320
things, but it does sound like a
communication issue is at the heart of

1491
01:42:52,159 --> 01:42:58,560
what's going on here. And everybody has
different objectives, right? The public

1492
01:42:56,800 --> 01:43:01,119
safety's objective isn't going to align
with the objective that you have that's

1493
01:43:00,000 --> 01:43:04,880
going to align with the people who are
using those spaces. But I think if

1494
01:43:02,480 --> 01:43:10,159
everybody could at least be aware of an
issue, I think that could be somewhat

1495
01:43:07,280 --> 01:43:15,119
helpful. At least one Tuesday night a
month is my hope. um you know, in

1496
01:43:14,080 --> 01:43:18,639
addition to all of the other things
we're looking into. Is that Do you think

1497
01:43:16,719 --> 01:43:22,719
that's possible to send a letter out
like that to the neighborhood?

1498
01:43:20,480 --> 01:43:24,239
» Yeah. Or we could use our code red and
probably catch

1499
01:43:23,920 --> 01:43:26,880
» Yep.
>> more of those people.

1500
01:43:25,280 --> 01:43:30,000
» Okay. Whatever you think would be more
effective on that I think would be and I

1501
01:43:29,119 --> 01:43:33,520
don't think it has to go out every
month, but just like a hey, just

1502
01:43:31,440 --> 01:43:38,080
friendly reminder in case you're using a
lot first Tuesday of every month at 7:00

1503
01:43:36,080 --> 01:43:42,239
the historical society does have an
event. And if you can make that space

1504
01:43:39,360 --> 01:43:45,280
available, might alleviate some of the
issue is what I'm hopeful for.

1505
01:43:44,159 --> 01:43:47,600
» There'd be more dates, though. That's
the catch.

1506
01:43:46,000 --> 01:43:48,560
» No, it's not going to it's not a perfect
solution,

1507
01:43:48,080 --> 01:43:52,719
» right?
>> But it it's it releases some pressure is

1508
01:43:51,040 --> 01:43:57,600
what I'm hopeful for.
>> My my reason for bringing the issue up

1509
01:43:54,719 --> 01:44:01,520
now is is in is in anticipation of snow
again in the winter.

1510
01:43:59,280 --> 01:44:06,960
» Uh we can live with parking on the
street if we have to. There's no other

1511
01:44:04,239 --> 01:44:11,679
choice. But
the way it currently configured with the

1512
01:44:10,080 --> 01:44:18,560
with the number of cars that are in
there, it uh they can't do snow removal,

1513
01:44:16,719 --> 01:44:22,239
which means that if we get an early
snowstorm, we're without parking for the

1514
01:44:20,800 --> 01:44:28,719
whole winter.
>> No, it's at this point my concern is

1515
01:44:25,840 --> 01:44:34,199
just ant in anticipation of problem more
problems in the winter. Mhm.

1516
01:44:31,199 --> 01:44:34,199
» Um

1517
01:44:34,880 --> 01:44:40,800
» well at the le at the very least we can
look into the vehicles that we we're not

1518
01:44:38,719 --> 01:44:43,520
sure if they're owned by anyone and we
sort out what happens with those. If

1519
01:44:42,080 --> 01:44:48,000
there's three or four of those at
something and then for me I I like you

1520
01:44:46,639 --> 01:44:51,040
know the idea of some sort of signage
whether it's enforceable or not. At

1521
01:44:49,119 --> 01:44:58,600
least I know if I'm driving by this
isn't just a random parking lot for

1522
01:44:52,560 --> 01:44:58,600
anybody. Um, and then um,

1523
01:44:59,199 --> 01:45:04,480
» sorry, I don't know what my third point
was, but it'll come back to me.

1524
01:45:03,040 --> 01:45:07,280
» Calculating the spots that we could have
if we paved it.

1525
01:45:05,679 --> 01:45:09,440
» No, I don't know about that. I mean,
that's like down [clears throat] the

1526
01:45:08,080 --> 01:45:13,440
line if we're looking at trying to pave
something. We all know, you know, we

1527
01:45:10,480 --> 01:45:18,560
have financial issues that we have to to
look into. So, that's No, it wasn't it

1528
01:45:16,159 --> 01:45:22,080
wasn't that. It was Oh, sorry. um if you
know in fact the group home seems to

1529
01:45:20,159 --> 01:45:25,520
either have increased in volume with
their vehicles or whatever's going on

1530
01:45:24,320 --> 01:45:31,360
there. I think if we're looking at
targeting a mailing, I would target that

1531
01:45:28,480 --> 01:45:35,840
facility and just indicate, PS, this is
municipal parking was meant to it's in a

1532
01:45:33,440 --> 01:45:39,679
lease for for the historical society. If
at the at least they could be mindful of

1533
01:45:37,520 --> 01:45:42,800
it because to Colleen's point, I
wouldn't be surprised if they don't even

1534
01:45:41,040 --> 01:45:46,239
know.
>> If all random people are parking there,

1535
01:45:44,560 --> 01:45:51,440
there's vehicles that we all know aren't
moving for years. Anyone's going to park

1536
01:45:48,159 --> 01:45:56,000
there, of course. Right. Why not?
There's one Toyota that sits in the

1537
01:45:53,840 --> 01:46:00,080
middle of the front that like I say it
hasn't moved since sometime last

1538
01:45:58,639 --> 01:46:04,080
October, November.
>> I think we all already agree like at

1539
01:46:02,000 --> 01:46:12,960
least looked at that about further.
Yeah. uh in in regards to to the Nelson

1540
01:46:09,760 --> 01:46:20,800
Library, I will take another look at the
uh floor plan, but I looked at it eight

1541
01:46:17,199 --> 01:46:27,040
years ago in Eman even using the entire
facility. It was it was it would have

1542
01:46:23,760 --> 01:46:32,159
required us to we we took about a 30%
reduction in space moving from the

1543
01:46:29,679 --> 01:46:37,360
townhouse to
to South Grafton but the floor plan was

1544
01:46:35,360 --> 01:46:42,800
open so it
>> you [clears throat] didn't lose as much.

1545
01:46:39,679 --> 01:46:50,400
Uh when we did look at Nelson the the
floor plan was terrible. uh you you're

1546
01:46:45,600 --> 01:46:56,480
back to a number of rooms and it it just
doesn't make for an easy flow on a

1547
01:46:53,280 --> 01:47:02,000
exhibits. So I I will take another look
at it, but uh I

1548
01:47:00,320 --> 01:47:06,560
not confident that you're going to get
much of a different answer out of it.

1549
01:47:04,719 --> 01:47:11,600
» Yeah, just ask that you you know look
and try and be open-minded. Um, you

1550
01:47:09,280 --> 01:47:15,440
know, looking at the those reports, they
are pretty comparable in square footage,

1551
01:47:13,760 --> 01:47:18,159
the two the two buildings, but like you
said,

1552
01:47:16,080 --> 01:47:22,080
» the library has much a much more open
floor plan than than the other. But,

1553
01:47:20,880 --> 01:47:25,760
» um,
>> yeah, maybe maybe there's something that

1554
01:47:23,840 --> 01:47:33,040
can be done with that, too.
>> Um, okay. So, I think um my suggestion

1555
01:47:30,000 --> 01:47:37,360
is going to be that we have a few items
that in our punch list here that Evan

1556
01:47:35,440 --> 01:47:41,600
can go through and and we'll start to
get some answers on some of these

1557
01:47:38,719 --> 01:47:45,199
things. Um, we'll add this back to a
future agenda so we can check in on how

1558
01:47:43,280 --> 01:47:49,600
the progress of those things are going.
And then we'll we'll also keep the

1559
01:47:47,119 --> 01:47:52,719
historical society updated as to, you
know, as that information rolls in and,

1560
01:47:51,440 --> 01:47:56,320
you know, make sure you're aware next
time it's going to be on the agenda and

1561
01:47:54,080 --> 01:47:59,679
we're going to discuss it and all those
things and we'll see what what sort of

1562
01:47:58,239 --> 01:48:03,119
progress we can make with this.
>> Okay.

1563
01:48:01,280 --> 01:48:06,840
Thank you. Thank you for your time.
>> Yeah. Thank you for coming in.

1564
01:48:08,400 --> 01:48:16,840
» Okay. Um, next up we have the uh street
light locations on Clear View Street.

1565
01:48:19,679 --> 01:48:25,679
» Mhm.
>> We talked about this briefly earlier.

1566
01:48:22,639 --> 01:48:28,960
Um, seemed like this was part of a road
acceptance.

1567
01:48:26,639 --> 01:48:31,960
» Yeah. Yeah. Stand by for one second. I
think

1568
01:48:35,360 --> 01:48:37,380
» [snorts]

1569
01:48:45,920 --> 01:48:51,040
» Neil Rybecki. See, is there a Neory
Becky here?

1570
01:48:49,440 --> 01:48:55,720
» Yep.
>> Oh, I mean [clears throat] I have one on

1571
01:48:52,719 --> 01:48:55,720
the list. [laughter]

1572
01:48:56,880 --> 01:49:01,615
There's nobody on Zoom.
[clears throat]

1573
01:49:02,880 --> 01:49:08,639
Essentially, what this is, this is a
project that was started by uh Fiona

1574
01:49:08,110 --> 01:49:17,080
[snorts]
before her departure. Um and so it it

1575
01:49:12,560 --> 01:49:17,080
appears that um

1576
01:49:17,840 --> 01:49:23,920
you know what, let's let's push this to
a future agenda.

1577
01:49:21,440 --> 01:49:28,159
» All right, easy enough.
>> Because I I thought Mr. uh Neil was

1578
01:49:26,480 --> 01:49:32,320
going to be here to speak to it.
>> Okay.

1579
01:49:28,719 --> 01:49:35,360
» So, I didn't uh review enough, so let's
just move it.

1580
01:49:33,040 --> 01:49:39,360
» That's great. Okay. Earmark survey
results.

1581
01:49:37,440 --> 01:49:45,840
Um
it was

1582
01:49:42,000 --> 01:49:50,320
I would I was pleased with the um
feedback that we got and the the level

1583
01:49:47,760 --> 01:49:55,199
of engagement. I feel like we you got
got pretty pretty good engagement from

1584
01:49:52,880 --> 01:50:02,520
the town overall on this uh for for you
know compared to some of our other

1585
01:49:57,520 --> 01:50:02,520
outreach sess sessions and whatnot. Um

1586
01:50:03,280 --> 01:50:09,920
yeah I don't know how we want to kick
off this discussion. I went through um

1587
01:50:08,400 --> 01:50:14,000
the
responses that that Amber provided us

1588
01:50:11,840 --> 01:50:18,320
with and and put them into, you know,
numerical order from the highest

1589
01:50:15,760 --> 01:50:24,639
percentages to the lowest percentages.
And um throughout each one, you know, in

1590
01:50:22,159 --> 01:50:30,960
the first choice category, water
treatment facilities was first uh at

1591
01:50:27,520 --> 01:50:37,440
59.4%, 4%, municipal roof projects at
12%, adding sidewalks at 11.3, and then

1592
01:50:35,840 --> 01:50:42,400
funding additional funding for safe
streets and roads for all at 10.2.

1593
01:50:40,159 --> 01:50:48,560
Um, while the order of those four things
change throughout the the eight options,

1594
01:50:45,440 --> 01:50:52,080
um they are the the same top four in the
second choice in a slightly reordered

1595
01:50:50,480 --> 01:50:57,440
fashion. And then in the third choice,
they are the top five um with aquatic

1596
01:50:55,199 --> 01:51:03,360
invasives edging the water treatment uh
for that fourth spot. So those four

1597
01:51:00,159 --> 01:51:09,440
things it felt like to me were um
important to consider in sending our

1598
01:51:06,960 --> 01:51:13,520
request. Um I don't know if we want to
if we want to limit it to four or you

1599
01:51:11,360 --> 01:51:19,920
know simply provide them like say the
list of eight and this is

1600
01:51:16,960 --> 01:51:24,880
uh you know kind of give them again a
ranking um an overall ranking for for

1601
01:51:22,480 --> 01:51:31,719
the order of importance for the town.
Guess I'll just open that up for some

1602
01:51:26,560 --> 01:51:31,719
discussion and see what y'all think.

1603
01:51:32,239 --> 01:51:39,760
I [snorts]
am hesitant to

1604
01:51:37,840 --> 01:51:45,119
provide
anything other than the top choice as a

1605
01:51:42,880 --> 01:51:52,560
request. There's risk and there's reward
in that. Um but I I think we we have a a

1606
01:51:49,679 --> 01:51:59,360
quantitative ask here. This is and and
this is precipitous. 60% of respondents

1607
01:51:56,560 --> 01:52:03,360
said that they were the most interested
in funding water treatment facilities or

1608
01:52:01,920 --> 01:52:13,199
or infrastructure. [snorts]
Right? So my my my fear is that if we

1609
01:52:08,880 --> 01:52:18,960
um structure our ask and give too many
options um

1610
01:52:16,400 --> 01:52:26,000
maybe worst case scenario is they
specifically create write fund grants

1611
01:52:22,560 --> 01:52:31,280
that that are so small because we've now
taken a limited pool of money and split

1612
01:52:28,320 --> 01:52:37,440
it up that there's not an impactful
amount for anything, right? We can't

1613
01:52:34,480 --> 01:52:48,239
actually make an action on any of that
with any of that funage meaningfully. Um

1614
01:52:43,119 --> 01:52:53,840
I I also fear um if we go with a a long
list or a list at all, but you could

1615
01:52:50,719 --> 01:52:58,159
probably convince me top three. Um that
we

1616
01:52:56,239 --> 01:53:02,560
uh ourselves look as though we are
unsure about what we would like for the

1617
01:53:00,800 --> 01:53:08,880
community and that might be less
compelling for the the federal grant

1618
01:53:06,719 --> 01:53:12,719
powers that be to actually give us
anything at all.

1619
01:53:10,719 --> 01:53:19,040
Right? Like if we if they say, "Well,
the town of Grafton seems to not even be

1620
01:53:16,560 --> 01:53:22,560
sure of what is a priority for them,
like is this something we should even

1621
01:53:20,800 --> 01:53:26,320
think about or consider
>> because this is not a guaranteed pot of

1622
01:53:24,639 --> 01:53:31,599
money. This is not a guaranteed grant.
This is just an ask, right?" Um, so I

1623
01:53:29,440 --> 01:53:35,679
think being
directive and quantitative

1624
01:53:33,388 --> 01:53:38,960
[clears throat] is is is going to be the
most helpful. And part and parcel to

1625
01:53:37,280 --> 01:53:44,639
that is I think we do kind of have to
approach this like a grant, right? So

1626
01:53:42,000 --> 01:53:48,960
just for an example, we we go and we
write this up and we say 60% of our

1627
01:53:47,199 --> 01:53:51,840
respondents have said they would like
additional funding so that we can

1628
01:53:50,480 --> 01:53:56,639
bolster our water treatment facilities
or infrastructure for problem areas and

1629
01:53:54,719 --> 01:54:00,480
this is how much money we would like and
this is where we would spend the money

1630
01:53:58,159 --> 01:54:06,159
and how and potentially who, right? Like
we we'd probably have to have some sort

1631
01:54:02,800 --> 01:54:12,400
of actual thought out
plan or or or true grant proposal as it

1632
01:54:09,440 --> 01:54:16,000
were to be as compelling as possible to
do the work for them so that they're

1633
01:54:13,840 --> 01:54:21,040
more likely to give us the fundage. And
if we spread ourselves too thin, um

1634
01:54:18,719 --> 01:54:26,480
we're less likely to be hyper compelling
on every individual line item is another

1635
01:54:24,239 --> 01:54:30,639
fear of mine. If we if we go too if we
spread ourselves too thin. Anyway,

1636
01:54:27,920 --> 01:54:34,719
that's my thought process. Um but I'm
not

1637
01:54:32,639 --> 01:54:40,239
I've just I do a lot of grants, right?
So this is just a sort of an experience

1638
01:54:37,360 --> 01:54:43,840
writing grant to the federal government.
>> Um

1639
01:54:42,000 --> 01:54:50,239
even if that's an it's in a scientific
capacity, but yet still um it's it's

1640
01:54:47,040 --> 01:54:53,599
just a watch out if we if we do the list
approach.

1641
01:54:52,239 --> 01:54:56,639
» Can I add the question?
>> Sure.

1642
01:54:54,239 --> 01:55:00,560
» Um I didn't consider it that way at all.
So it's it's like very interesting to

1643
01:54:58,239 --> 01:55:04,719
hear that. My my thought was to send top
three and give compelling arguments as

1644
01:55:03,119 --> 01:55:09,040
to why. And I think the top three would
be easy enough to do, you know, with the

1645
01:55:06,480 --> 01:55:13,440
water treatment, the roofs, and federal
um safe roads. We we have compelling

1646
01:55:11,119 --> 01:55:18,239
arguments for all three of those pretty
much ready to go, I would imagine. Um

1647
01:55:16,239 --> 01:55:22,080
but my thought of doing a list of three
is like what if they're like, "Oh, well,

1648
01:55:20,560 --> 01:55:26,159
hey, we have like these two
opportunities here and they send us more

1649
01:55:23,920 --> 01:55:30,719
money than we were anticipating." I
didn't think about it your way. So now I

1650
01:55:28,400 --> 01:55:35,520
guess I'm wondering what's
more likely. Is it is it more likely

1651
01:55:33,840 --> 01:55:38,000
that if we give them too many options
they say you don't know what you're

1652
01:55:36,560 --> 01:55:40,159
doing it or is it more likely like oh
look they actually have a couple

1653
01:55:39,040 --> 01:55:44,159
opportunities and there's some grants
available for that let's send them this

1654
01:55:41,679 --> 01:55:47,280
and again none of it's guaranteed but I
guess I didn't think about it that way

1655
01:55:45,440 --> 01:55:50,719
and now I'm wondering what's more
probable.

1656
01:55:48,480 --> 01:55:56,560
» So what we do when we work with the
state on earmarks is that we give them

1657
01:55:53,119 --> 01:56:00,719
our top three choices and ask them to
pursue whatever they think is most

1658
01:55:58,320 --> 01:56:03,280
likely or they're most most passionate
about.

1659
01:56:01,920 --> 01:56:08,800
um because if they're most passionate
about it, they're they're likely to

1660
01:56:06,000 --> 01:56:13,040
actually advocate for it. Um and they
know what opportunities are going to be

1661
01:56:10,719 --> 01:56:18,400
available and and more likely than than
we are. So that's how we do it with um

1662
01:56:16,560 --> 01:56:21,199
Senator Moore and Representative
>> Meridian

1663
01:56:19,679 --> 01:56:24,159
» and that's worked out pretty well for
us.

1664
01:56:22,000 --> 01:56:27,440
» Okay.
>> So I would definitely be in favor of of

1665
01:56:26,320 --> 01:56:32,080
sending three.
>> I mean, if there's a track record, I'll

1666
01:56:28,880 --> 01:56:36,480
take it. This is this is federal.
>> No, not state. So that is also something

1667
01:56:34,880 --> 01:56:42,080
to think about.
>> Um but I will

1668
01:56:40,560 --> 01:56:46,400
» expertise is much appreciated.
>> Food security is a huge McGovern issue

1669
01:56:44,480 --> 01:56:51,520
too and I think I saw that in one of the
additional ideas. Um, so it wasn't in

1670
01:56:49,440 --> 01:56:56,960
the survey as one of the choices, but
maybe kind of do the top two that we saw

1671
01:56:54,639 --> 01:57:01,679
in in the survey and then include
something for the Grafton Food Bank or

1672
01:56:59,199 --> 01:57:07,440
some other food security initiative in
in Grafton that um could benefit. I

1673
01:57:05,440 --> 01:57:11,360
don't know what that would be exactly.
Um, funding for the senior center or I

1674
01:57:10,080 --> 01:57:16,000
don't I don't know what that could look
like. Yeah, he did a he did a

1675
01:57:14,320 --> 01:57:20,080
refrigerator refri milk milk
refrigerator

1676
01:57:17,440 --> 01:57:24,320
» with us and he did some community
harvest project

1677
01:57:21,679 --> 01:57:26,159
» related grant work as well
>> in in recent years.

1678
01:57:25,760 --> 01:57:29,599
» Okay.
>> But that personally that's why I like

1679
01:57:27,920 --> 01:57:33,760
the
here's the here's what the community is

1680
01:57:31,679 --> 01:57:36,480
telling us is an important need.
>> Um water is obviously

1681
01:57:35,920 --> 01:57:44,960
» very important
>> very important to everybody. Um

1682
01:57:40,560 --> 01:57:50,080
and then let let that office
tell us what the process is going to

1683
01:57:47,599 --> 01:57:52,639
yield the best the best option for us to
yield a positive result.

1684
01:57:51,599 --> 01:57:54,480
» Okay.
>> My my opinion

1685
01:57:53,599 --> 01:58:00,080
» I like that.
>> So does this is the suggestion there

1686
01:57:57,280 --> 01:58:05,840
then to sort of do the opposite of what
I I'm advocating for which is to be more

1687
01:58:03,040 --> 01:58:09,040
vague and less prescriptive and say this
is the goal. How is the be how would you

1688
01:58:08,560 --> 01:58:13,119
best
>> Yeah. Because in my opinion, we're not

1689
01:58:11,119 --> 01:58:15,119
this isn't really a you're not asking
for a grant. You're asking for an ear

1690
01:58:14,560 --> 01:58:18,800
mark.
>> So this is, you know, pork essentially

1691
01:58:17,920 --> 01:58:22,480
they would call it,
>> which there is in in every budget and

1692
01:58:21,040 --> 01:58:25,119
and you want to try to get
>> what we can for the residents of

1693
01:58:23,840 --> 01:58:29,840
Grafton. So
>> what you're essentially looking for is,

1694
01:58:27,679 --> 01:58:36,080
hey, here's the in my opinion, these are
the veins that the community finds most

1695
01:58:34,159 --> 01:58:39,840
important. here's the things we have
going on locally that are related to

1696
01:58:37,760 --> 01:58:43,840
that. Right? There's your specificity a
little bit.

1697
01:58:42,159 --> 01:58:49,760
What what can you do to help us?
>> Okay,

1698
01:58:44,719 --> 01:58:52,960
» that's that's how I would fra frame it.
>> I guess when you're talking about the

1699
01:58:51,199 --> 01:58:55,679
water, you know, I would think that the
water district already had a bite at

1700
01:58:54,320 --> 01:58:57,920
this apple. I mean, they went for
federal funding before they started the

1701
01:58:57,360 --> 01:59:01,599
projects, right?
>> And Yeah. and they have received some

1702
01:59:00,080 --> 01:59:07,920
federal money,
>> but as a as a as a resident, I don't

1703
01:59:05,440 --> 01:59:10,880
think that they necessarily care that
much that we've already gotten federal

1704
01:59:09,199 --> 01:59:14,320
money. They want to see it faster.
>> And I I don't know that money any amount

1705
01:59:12,719 --> 01:59:18,639
of money is going to do that for them,
right? Is part of the problem.

1706
01:59:16,639 --> 01:59:22,639
» Yeah. So, I guess I'm just saying for
residents to know that the water

1707
01:59:20,639 --> 01:59:26,400
district already had this opportunity
before they put a shovel in the ground

1708
01:59:24,800 --> 01:59:32,360
in terms of
>> I can't remember what the name of that

1709
01:59:27,520 --> 01:59:32,360
grant is now. Draw a blank.

1710
01:59:32,880 --> 01:59:36,080
» Might not even be a grant. Might be a
loan.

1711
01:59:35,119 --> 01:59:39,080
» I think it's a loan.
>> Yeah.

1712
01:59:39,360 --> 01:59:46,960
» Craig, you have your hand up.
>> Yeah. Um just two cents. I I think

1713
01:59:45,440 --> 01:59:50,880
um Evan's right. We got to be pretty
specific about our ass so they're not

1714
01:59:48,960 --> 01:59:56,639
guessing at it. I think that's what he
said. Um, and

1715
01:59:54,480 --> 02:00:00,000
the roofs. I love the roof idea, but I
think if the the feds, you know, they're

1716
01:59:58,239 --> 02:00:03,520
all probably going to figure out that
there's, you know, state money that's,

1717
02:00:02,080 --> 02:00:08,480
you know, grant money that's out there
for roof repair. So, they may I don't

1718
02:00:06,159 --> 02:00:14,800
know if they would um buck at that
because there are state funds to repair

1719
02:00:11,920 --> 02:00:19,199
school roofs um a program for that. So,
I guess for me it would be like what we

1720
02:00:16,960 --> 02:00:24,880
think would resonate most with the feds,
whether it's, you know, public safety,

1721
02:00:22,960 --> 02:00:31,360
the, you know, the environmental stuff
like with the water chestnuts,

1722
02:00:27,119 --> 02:00:37,760
um, the DMs, you know, feds that might
resonate with them. just pick on some

1723
02:00:33,440 --> 02:00:42,000
things that we think um they would, you
know, that maybe that they funded in the

1724
02:00:39,440 --> 02:00:51,360
past, had programs
um to to help municipalities out.

1725
02:00:47,760 --> 02:00:55,679
» Might it be helpful for us to draft a
earmark request based on the survey

1726
02:00:53,520 --> 02:01:00,880
results and bring it back to the board
rather than looking at this

1727
02:00:57,440 --> 02:01:03,040
» entire survey? We can narrow it down.
>> Sure.

1728
02:01:01,520 --> 02:01:06,239
» Okay. Okay, I think we can work on that.
>> We can do that.

1729
02:01:05,343 --> 02:01:09,119
[clears throat]
>> Okay,

1730
02:01:07,840 --> 02:01:12,000
» I'm just going to keep picking whatever
the is the opposite of what Victoria

1731
02:01:10,639 --> 02:01:15,840
said. [laughter]
>> That's cool. I really like that.

1732
02:01:14,000 --> 02:01:19,520
» So, I it's my new barometer.
>> No, but it was it was helpful hearing

1733
02:01:17,840 --> 02:01:24,880
that perspective because it's not the
lens I brought to it. Um,

1734
02:01:22,719 --> 02:01:27,440
» so was I liked I liked thinking about it
that way. As a general rule, when you

1735
02:01:26,639 --> 02:01:32,239
are going [clears throat] out for
something like that, a a grant

1736
02:01:30,480 --> 02:01:36,080
specifically, I mean, you you want to
basically say, I've already done all of

1737
02:01:34,719 --> 02:01:41,360
the planning. I've thought everything
through and I know who I'm going to use

1738
02:01:38,080 --> 02:01:46,000
for this. Trust me,
>> right? And so that's kind of the lens

1739
02:01:42,800 --> 02:01:52,480
that I'm going through it with. Um but
but but but heard like there are

1740
02:01:49,599 --> 02:01:59,054
functions and triggers that exist to
already take these sorts of um inputs

1741
02:01:55,920 --> 02:02:05,560
and create
[snorts] money tree output and let's

1742
02:02:01,840 --> 02:02:05,560
utilize that if it exists

1743
02:02:06,080 --> 02:02:15,040
» because that what I heard is that you
know how to shake the money tree. Evan,

1744
02:02:11,440 --> 02:02:19,119
» I do work for the government.
All right. So, you you would just take

1745
02:02:16,880 --> 02:02:22,880
the the top three that you saw from
there and kind of present it in a

1746
02:02:20,639 --> 02:02:25,840
different way for us to discuss.
>> Yeah, I think so. I mean, you asked the

1747
02:02:24,400 --> 02:02:30,480
residents for their input. So, I think
it's good to be honoring honoring what

1748
02:02:28,960 --> 02:02:34,320
they asked for and
>> we may be able to [clears throat]

1749
02:02:32,000 --> 02:02:38,560
massage it a little bit.
>> I I also wanted to say I love the

1750
02:02:36,639 --> 02:02:42,800
survey. I love the responses. I love
that people were taking the time and I

1751
02:02:40,159 --> 02:02:47,280
think we should [snorts] be doing these
more if we can because it it was good to

1752
02:02:45,440 --> 02:02:52,719
read all the additional ideas for
funding or just the general comments,

1753
02:02:49,360 --> 02:02:56,000
but you know, we don't typically get 152
people showing up to a public outreach

1754
02:02:54,639 --> 02:03:01,440
meeting, but will someone take five
minutes online and provide that same

1755
02:02:58,400 --> 02:03:03,599
amount? Oh, yes, please. I think how do
we do more of these?

1756
02:03:02,560 --> 02:03:07,440
» Yep.
>> Sorry for that.

1757
02:03:05,280 --> 02:03:13,199
» No, I mean I think it's great. It's a
great way to solicit feedback.

1758
02:03:10,800 --> 02:03:15,920
» I didn't go through I mean and write up
something for all the feedback that we

1759
02:03:14,719 --> 02:03:19,040
received, you know, in the additional
ideas and whatnot, but there were there

1760
02:03:17,360 --> 02:03:22,159
were some things that I felt like we
should highlight just because they are

1761
02:03:20,480 --> 02:03:27,360
in progress things and hopefully it just
helps get the word out. You know, in uh

1762
02:03:25,119 --> 02:03:32,320
the invasives were a big deal, not just
the aquatic, but the terrestrial ones.

1763
02:03:29,920 --> 02:03:36,000
Um you know, we do try and get those
those stadium marks. We've been pretty

1764
02:03:33,840 --> 02:03:40,000
good about getting those and and um
doing our water chestnut treatment. It

1765
02:03:37,760 --> 02:03:43,840
would be great to get some additional
>> funding to to take care of some of those

1766
02:03:41,599 --> 02:03:48,080
terrestrials. The Route 122 corridor
came up a few times, which is something

1767
02:03:45,920 --> 02:03:52,639
that, you know, we're ongoing doing
ongoing work with Mass DOT over the next

1768
02:03:50,400 --> 02:03:56,400
year as as they start to, you know,
address some of those issues and get

1769
02:03:54,000 --> 02:04:02,480
ready to repave upgrades to our
emergency communications which are, you

1770
02:03:59,520 --> 02:04:05,679
know, going to be um part of the the
wreck. the regional emergency

1771
02:04:04,159 --> 02:04:10,639
communications.
Um, repairing old sidewalks, adding new

1772
02:04:08,159 --> 02:04:15,280
green spaces and parks. Uh, for the old
sidewalks, we've added them sidewalks to

1773
02:04:12,960 --> 02:04:19,920
our asphalt management management plan
in an effort to address those things.

1774
02:04:17,599 --> 02:04:24,239
Um, new parks, green spaces are are an
ongoing commitment. Um, there was a

1775
02:04:22,560 --> 02:04:28,320
suggestion to about an independent
auditor for um, municipal spending.

1776
02:04:27,280 --> 02:04:31,920
That's something that we've discussed
and are in the progress of

1777
02:04:29,440 --> 02:04:37,360
investigating, you know. So, uh, things
like that that, um, you know, were are

1778
02:04:34,880 --> 02:04:42,480
good suggestions, but I I want to just,
I guess, uh, comfort the residents to a

1779
02:04:40,320 --> 02:04:46,080
degree that that, uh, we're already
invested in some of those things and and

1780
02:04:44,080 --> 02:04:48,960
trying to seek some answers.
>> I'll call out one more, too. The

1781
02:04:47,360 --> 02:04:53,040
protected bike lanes with physical
barriers between cars and bikes. Um, I

1782
02:04:51,280 --> 02:04:57,280
would highly suggest going down Main
Street in Hopington, um, where they did

1783
02:04:55,199 --> 02:05:01,679
implement that, and it's been a
nightmare. I would strongly advocate

1784
02:04:59,599 --> 02:05:05,679
against anything like that coming here.
Um, it's really difficult for emergency

1785
02:05:03,760 --> 02:05:11,520
vehicles to get by, cars get by. It's it
creates a real pinch point and it's not

1786
02:05:08,400 --> 02:05:15,040
even it's just not awesome the way
Hopkinson implemented it.

1787
02:05:13,280 --> 02:05:19,760
» If you're able to plan for those types
of infrastructure, it's great. But

1788
02:05:17,199 --> 02:05:25,840
trying to go back and retrofit Grafton
>> would be difficult.

1789
02:05:22,320 --> 02:05:29,599
» Okay. Um we can move on to the findings
implementations of strategy to reduce

1790
02:05:27,440 --> 02:05:31,840
fatal and serious injury motor vehicle
accidents

1791
02:05:30,080 --> 02:05:36,239
» rolls right off the tongue.
>> Um yeah so and there was a little

1792
02:05:34,159 --> 02:05:41,520
confusion on how this got back on here
and for what the purpose was. Um and so

1793
02:05:39,040 --> 02:05:45,199
it's my understanding having reviewed
the previous meeting that really we were

1794
02:05:43,520 --> 02:05:49,920
just coming back to see if anyone had
any feedback before issuing this because

1795
02:05:47,280 --> 02:05:58,880
it's in draft form now. So before
issuing this in a more finite version

1796
02:05:54,159 --> 02:06:04,440
and um before starting to implement some
of the some of the discussion in in the

1797
02:06:01,440 --> 02:06:04,440
document

1798
02:06:05,040 --> 02:06:13,360
» I have additional
>> yeah just I I think um you know going

1799
02:06:11,119 --> 02:06:19,119
through it it was it was very well very
well broken out um when you talk about

1800
02:06:17,040 --> 02:06:23,440
developing the local road safety action
plan. It seems like CMRPC would be a

1801
02:06:21,599 --> 02:06:27,199
great partner in that. That was one of
the op one of the routes that you um

1802
02:06:25,920 --> 02:06:30,880
threw out there that we could go.
Perhaps we have some hours available

1803
02:06:29,440 --> 02:06:35,760
with them that we could, you know, put
towards that.

1804
02:06:32,400 --> 02:06:40,800
» Um establishing a fatal and serious
injury crash review team seemed like a

1805
02:06:37,440 --> 02:06:45,760
no-brainer. Um
I was kind of honestly kind of surprised

1806
02:06:43,199 --> 02:06:52,239
that we don't already have a municipal
fleet distracted driving policy. Um,

1807
02:06:49,280 --> 02:06:54,320
does that would that have any bargaining
implic implications to put something

1808
02:06:54,000 --> 02:06:58,159
like that?
>> No, I don't I don't think so. I just

1809
02:06:55,840 --> 02:07:03,040
don't think we have it. Like I don't
think it's ever been added. it. I'm not

1810
02:07:01,679 --> 02:07:06,800
going to go into it right now, but that
is something that we're going to be

1811
02:07:03,840 --> 02:07:13,679
discussing in the near future with the
way that our personnel bylaw is written

1812
02:07:10,480 --> 02:07:18,320
and versus how many municipalities have
moved away from the personnel bylaw

1813
02:07:15,440 --> 02:07:22,239
because doesn't allow us to shift very
quickly because it's in bylaw form. Um,

1814
02:07:21,040 --> 02:07:27,280
so they [snorts] wind up with a very
short bylaw that has to deal with

1815
02:07:24,239 --> 02:07:33,280
personnel and then they create another
layer, right? It's usually through my

1816
02:07:29,199 --> 02:07:37,760
office or TA office, TM office, whatever
to create indiv, you know, these these

1817
02:07:35,440 --> 02:07:45,040
subset policies because there's probably
a number of areas that we are lacking in

1818
02:07:42,159 --> 02:07:48,880
local policy as far as for our staff. I
mean, that would take us a very short

1819
02:07:46,719 --> 02:07:50,960
amount of time to push out.
>> Yeah.

1820
02:07:49,199 --> 02:07:54,159
» The bargaining component only becomes if
they if it's used for discipline.

1821
02:07:52,719 --> 02:08:00,480
» So, we'd have to figure out what we're
how we would approach that.

1822
02:07:56,719 --> 02:08:05,040
Um the everything listed under uh 13,
the strengthen transportation safety

1823
02:08:02,239 --> 02:08:10,560
requirements and developmental review.
Um is that more to like codify how we

1824
02:08:08,880 --> 02:08:14,079
how we do all those things because a lot
of them seemed like they're current

1825
02:08:12,560 --> 02:08:20,159
practices whether they're something
that's legally mandated or good

1826
02:08:17,520 --> 02:08:24,239
practice. Yeah, I think that we have a
lot of these things um that we're

1827
02:08:22,480 --> 02:08:30,400
already doing, but it would kind of
codify that in a way that's [snorts]

1828
02:08:28,320 --> 02:08:34,880
every board committee and staff member
knows that these are priorities when

1829
02:08:32,320 --> 02:08:40,159
we're doing um I liken it to, and this
is not the same thing, but um you know,

1830
02:08:38,079 --> 02:08:46,400
I had sent a memo to the planning board
and the zoning board to ask them to stop

1831
02:08:43,280 --> 02:08:49,840
adding fences to developments um like to
the entryways because they would add

1832
02:08:48,079 --> 02:08:54,079
these really pretty like split rail
fences or all these decor decorative

1833
02:08:52,000 --> 02:08:57,599
fences and then we don't we have no
means to maintain any of these things

1834
02:08:55,360 --> 02:09:01,119
and we wind up owning fences that we
don't so we put out a memo that just

1835
02:08:59,520 --> 02:09:04,320
says look at that you can have a fence
there but it's standardized and this is

1836
02:09:02,880 --> 02:09:09,119
what it is so that we can go to Home
Depot and get a post and put it in and

1837
02:09:07,280 --> 02:09:14,800
fix it. um and that was very
wellreceived. So it would be kind of

1838
02:09:10,719 --> 02:09:18,000
taking that idea and just reiterating
some of these things that are probably

1839
02:09:16,159 --> 02:09:22,159
already happening in practice but
bringing them back to the forefront and

1840
02:09:19,840 --> 02:09:24,719
saying here here's what graft and values
in in this particular area. That's the

1841
02:09:24,159 --> 02:09:29,840
intent there.
>> No, it makes a lot of sense. Um the only

1842
02:09:27,280 --> 02:09:35,360
other I wouldn't even say concerning
ones but um I wanted to highlight uh

1843
02:09:32,960 --> 02:09:40,400
number 10 which is conduct datadriven
high visibility enforcement.

1844
02:09:37,040 --> 02:09:45,520
» Yeah. Um because I I I do think that's a
great idea. Uh my understanding is that

1845
02:09:44,239 --> 02:09:50,000
currently, you know, our traffic
enforcement hours are pretty minimal

1846
02:09:47,280 --> 02:09:54,880
compared to the other, you know, the the
necessary police work that's happening.

1847
02:09:52,079 --> 02:09:58,560
Um so, you know, I think is is that's
something that's discussed. We need to

1848
02:09:56,400 --> 02:10:04,079
just consider that from a budgetary
perspective. um you know and and whether

1849
02:10:01,199 --> 02:10:08,560
that's asking the chief to revise the
way he currently all lots some of his

1850
02:10:05,679 --> 02:10:12,079
funding or um if we're going to you know
seek additional annual public safety

1851
02:10:10,400 --> 02:10:19,119
funding through the budget as part of
that process. Um and then 15 uh install

1852
02:10:17,040 --> 02:10:24,320
visual traffic monitoring cameras at
high-risisk intersections. Uh I thought

1853
02:10:21,440 --> 02:10:28,639
you really detailed our approach to that
very well. I think it it would require

1854
02:10:26,639 --> 02:10:33,280
that and a very, you know, careful roll
out with lots of public outreach and

1855
02:10:30,719 --> 02:10:36,320
education based on how the whole flock
conversation went. You know, this is

1856
02:10:34,560 --> 02:10:40,159
something that's drastically different,
but we need for people to understand

1857
02:10:37,840 --> 02:10:46,520
that and and understand, you know, what
the where it's coming from. So, that was

1858
02:10:42,880 --> 02:10:46,520
that was it for me.

1859
02:10:47,840 --> 02:10:56,880
Anything else?
Okay, we can move on then. um

1860
02:10:53,760 --> 02:11:02,159
representative for the CMMO information
and member selection. Uh this was

1861
02:10:59,280 --> 02:11:07,199
something that was emailed over. The
CMMO is a central mass metropolitan

1862
02:11:05,199 --> 02:11:13,199
planning organization.
They uh responsible for prioritizing

1863
02:11:09,920 --> 02:11:19,280
federal funds on roads, bridges, transit
in, you know, Worcester and the

1864
02:11:15,040 --> 02:11:25,760
surrounding suburbs. Um it was asked if
we'd consider um at least sending a

1865
02:11:22,560 --> 02:11:31,280
representative um from from the Grafton
board there. So uh is that something

1866
02:11:29,119 --> 02:11:34,960
that we would be interested in? And if
so, is there somebody who has an

1867
02:11:32,960 --> 02:11:38,800
interest in
fielding that position?

1868
02:11:37,520 --> 02:11:42,480
» I'm going to throw out there that I
cannot attend that day and time. Five

1869
02:11:41,119 --> 02:11:48,800
o'clock is really hard for me on
Thursdays. I'm still cleaning teeth.

1870
02:11:45,840 --> 02:11:51,520
It's not great timing.
>> Um

1871
02:11:49,440 --> 02:11:56,639
» Craig's hands up. [clears throat]
>> Craig, go ahead.

1872
02:11:53,119 --> 02:12:01,679
» Um just a suggestion. Could we um could
we nominate our town planner

1873
02:11:59,520 --> 02:12:06,560
um as our representative for that?
>> That's a good question. I

1874
02:12:03,840 --> 02:12:09,360
» mean, I know we can we can appoint
people that are not on our board to

1875
02:12:08,159 --> 02:12:13,040
represent a position,
>> right? The designate.

1876
02:12:11,440 --> 02:12:16,079
» Yeah.
but

1877
02:12:14,800 --> 02:12:18,239
» he has a background in this kind of
stuff.

1878
02:12:16,400 --> 02:12:21,599
» Email does say specifically a select
board member. Town administrators and

1879
02:12:19,840 --> 02:12:25,360
town managers are also included, but the
select board member um it looks like

1880
02:12:23,520 --> 02:12:29,679
they're looking for somebody from this
board.

1881
02:12:27,360 --> 02:12:35,920
» It's a good idea though.
>> My my question and you not to burden

1882
02:12:33,440 --> 02:12:43,520
anybody further. I was I was wondering
if we should handcuff this to one of our

1883
02:12:39,840 --> 02:12:49,679
CMRPC reps as well because CMRPC is one
of the organizations

1884
02:12:45,280 --> 02:12:55,599
that sends representatives to the CMMPO
along with representatives from Mass Dot

1885
02:12:52,159 --> 02:13:00,000
and the uh WRTA. So, it it seems like an
area where there'd be a little bit of

1886
02:12:56,719 --> 02:13:05,760
overlap. Um, if you're already our rep
to the CMRPC that that this could

1887
02:13:03,199 --> 02:13:11,920
dovetail easily, but I don't want to
make that commitment for anybody either.

1888
02:13:08,239 --> 02:13:18,639
Um, that said, we have two reps. I am
one of the CMRPC reps. Um,

1889
02:13:15,840 --> 02:13:24,320
I could should be able to make the the
CMMPO meetings. Um, but I don't want to

1890
02:13:21,679 --> 02:13:29,520
deny somebody else that opportunity if
if they're looking for it.

1891
02:13:26,480 --> 02:13:38,400
» I'm all set.
>> So, I could attend this on the 24th. I

1892
02:13:34,880 --> 02:13:42,800
have a conflict that has come up
this upcoming Thursday that's going to

1893
02:13:40,560 --> 02:13:48,760
make attending the quarterly meeting
difficult, but not impossible for me.

1894
02:13:45,760 --> 02:13:48,760
Um,

1895
02:13:49,360 --> 02:13:54,639
» would you be able to make this Thursday
if I attend?

1896
02:13:52,960 --> 02:13:57,119
» Yeah, I'm I'm definitely going to the
the quarterly meeting Thursday. So,

1897
02:13:56,480 --> 02:14:00,239
» okay, perfect.
>> If if if you're down with that, that

1898
02:13:59,119 --> 02:14:04,239
could be something that we can
coordinate offline, too. I can catch you

1899
02:14:02,000 --> 02:14:08,079
up on, you know, what happened at any of
the CMRPC meetings if you're not able to

1900
02:14:06,239 --> 02:14:11,360
attend and then you can take that
information here. You really anybody, I

1901
02:14:10,800 --> 02:14:16,239
guess. But
>> that works for it.

1902
02:14:12,719 --> 02:14:19,920
» Yeah, I'm settled. open the war.
>> No, [laughter] but this this meeting in

1903
02:14:17,760 --> 02:14:23,599
particular is I I wish I could go to it
because they're talking about federal

1904
02:14:21,360 --> 02:14:28,079
funding for roadway, bridges, transit,
transportation, and that's all part of

1905
02:14:25,119 --> 02:14:30,880
our earmark request. So, if there's,
>> you know, some language or if they

1906
02:14:29,599 --> 02:14:36,480
mention something for us to be
including. I I would love to

1907
02:14:34,639 --> 02:14:39,440
capitalize on that information.
>> It'd definitely be good to be aware of.

1908
02:14:38,159 --> 02:14:44,079
My [clears throat]
my gut is that is this is very forward

1909
02:14:42,000 --> 02:14:49,119
facing you know like over the next 10
years what what are we projecting what

1910
02:14:46,719 --> 02:14:52,480
projects are we prioritizing that type
of stuff you know just thinking about

1911
02:14:50,880 --> 02:14:56,639
like
>> the railroad bridge in particular and

1912
02:14:54,480 --> 02:15:00,880
how many times we had to approve the
Chrissy grant as they you know as uh

1913
02:14:59,280 --> 02:15:04,320
Grafton Upton apply applied for that
siding and we just kind of waited for

1914
02:15:02,159 --> 02:15:10,639
that project to come up every year but
who knows um but Yeah, great. We can

1915
02:15:08,960 --> 02:15:12,320
Victoria's on board. Moving on.
>> Thank you, Victoria.

1916
02:15:11,679 --> 02:15:18,079
» Okay.
>> I move the board vote to have Victoria

1917
02:15:15,360 --> 02:15:20,320
Duckworth represent us at the CMMO
information and member selection

1918
02:15:19,280 --> 02:15:23,119
meeting.
>> Second.

1919
02:15:20,719 --> 02:15:24,880
» Motion made second. Any discussion?
Hearing none. All those in favor? Miss

1920
02:15:24,560 --> 02:15:25,760
Roy.
>> I.

1921
02:15:25,040 --> 02:15:26,639
» Miss Duckworth.
>> I.

1922
02:15:26,079 --> 02:15:28,400
» Miss Foley.
>> Foley. I.

1923
02:15:27,199 --> 02:15:30,480
» Miss Dolphin. I.
>> Dolphin. I.

1924
02:15:29,199 --> 02:15:32,320
» Jefferson. I.
>> Congratulations. Thank you for

1925
02:15:31,679 --> 02:15:35,760
presenting us.
>> You're so welcome.

1926
02:15:33,280 --> 02:15:38,320
» Okay. And let's uh take another motion
to open the fall town meeting warrant.

1927
02:15:36,960 --> 02:15:39,520
» I move the board vote to open the fall
town meeting warrant.

1928
02:15:39,199 --> 02:15:44,079
» Second.
>> Okay. Motion seconded. Any discussion?

1929
02:15:42,079 --> 02:15:44,800
Hearing none. All those in favor? Miss
Roy.

1930
02:15:44,480 --> 02:15:45,760
» I.
>> Miss Duckworth.

1931
02:15:45,520 --> 02:15:46,560
» I.
>> Miss Foley.

1932
02:15:46,320 --> 02:15:47,920
» Foley.
>> I.

1933
02:15:46,880 --> 02:15:51,679
» Mr. Dolphin. A.
>> Dolphin. I.

1934
02:15:48,639 --> 02:15:55,639
» Jefferson. I. It's open.
>> Okay. Select board reports.

1935
02:15:56,320 --> 02:16:02,480
» I can't think of anything.
>> Anybody?

1936
02:15:59,520 --> 02:16:08,079
» Um, I'll throw a thank you to uh Troop
107. I got to um sit in on an Eagle

1937
02:16:05,599 --> 02:16:13,920
board of review for Lucas Pelgrren last
weekend. Um of interest to the to this

1938
02:16:10,800 --> 02:16:18,079
board. Uh Lucas built the second 48 foot
equestrian pedestrian bridge over at

1939
02:16:15,679 --> 02:16:21,199
Hassan Ames Woods. Um so both of those
upgrades are now complete. He worked

1940
02:16:19,840 --> 02:16:26,560
with the trails community to get this
done. And he's also a camp counselor for

1941
02:16:23,679 --> 02:16:31,040
Grafton Recre over the summer. So um
pretty dynamite kid.

1942
02:16:29,440 --> 02:16:34,000
Young adult. I shouldn't say kid, young
adult.

1943
02:16:33,200 --> 02:16:39,359
to your report.
>> Yeah, great.

1944
02:16:36,399 --> 02:16:43,519
Wrap it up, Andy. It's getting late. All
right, so I'm going to skip um so I've

1945
02:16:41,040 --> 02:16:47,280
got Route 122. We're probably not going
to hear anything for the next month to

1946
02:16:45,599 --> 02:16:51,120
two months, I would think. Uh out of
Masto, I'm going to leave it in here so

1947
02:16:48,719 --> 02:16:55,679
that we don't lose track of it, but I
don't think we're going to see uh a heck

1948
02:16:52,960 --> 02:17:00,479
of a lot coming out. There's a lot of um
planning work to be done. Um so, George

1949
02:16:58,960 --> 02:17:07,359
Hill construction update, this will be
on the website. uh tomorrow morning. Um

1950
02:17:04,479 --> 02:17:12,319
we will be doing this monthly. That is
our goal. Uh and this should give a

1951
02:17:10,160 --> 02:17:18,719
breakdown week by week of what they'll
be doing and where. Um but I also

1952
02:17:15,599 --> 02:17:22,960
created an overview. I'm going to just
unless anybody wants me to read this out

1953
02:17:20,399 --> 02:17:27,200
loud, but it's essentially they're doing
drainage for the rest of the month.

1954
02:17:25,599 --> 02:17:29,840
Um and that'll
>> subject to change.

1955
02:17:28,080 --> 02:17:34,719
» Subject to change without notice. I put
it on the bottom because we don't

1956
02:17:31,679 --> 02:17:41,359
necessarily control that. Um, but I also
created kind of a a phased plan. There

1957
02:17:39,280 --> 02:17:44,719
are no dates in the phase plan. And
that's because [snorts] as we move into

1958
02:17:43,040 --> 02:17:49,920
fall and winter, if we have a mild
winter, um, crews will then be pulled

1959
02:17:47,679 --> 02:17:59,280
off of other work and we will make
better time. Um, or we may have a bad

1960
02:17:54,399 --> 02:18:03,920
winter and make less progress. So um but
these are the these this is essentially

1961
02:18:01,439 --> 02:18:07,760
what's going to happen. Um so we did the
tree work on the full length. Again

1962
02:18:05,519 --> 02:18:13,040
there may be more tree work to come but
the preliminary work is done. Um we are

1963
02:18:11,599 --> 02:18:18,559
currently working on completing the
widening and drainage from Leland to

1964
02:18:15,040 --> 02:18:24,080
Soaphill. Once that's complete we will
pulverize the road, grade it and put a

1965
02:18:21,359 --> 02:18:27,599
binder on it which is essentially
the base coat of of asphalt.

1966
02:18:26,805 --> 02:18:33,280
» [snorts]
>> Phase two is soap hill to Miriam. We

1967
02:18:29,760 --> 02:18:37,120
will same as we did on Leland to soap.
We'll widen it. We will install the

1968
02:18:35,439 --> 02:18:42,160
drainage and we will pulverize and
binder that section. We will then do FA

1969
02:18:39,840 --> 02:18:48,960
Mountain. We will do soap pill and then
we will pave the full area as the top

1970
02:18:45,439 --> 02:18:53,679
goes. Um [clears throat]
crews may turn up at other places at

1971
02:18:51,359 --> 02:18:57,679
other times as they make their way
through the project. So this is a

1972
02:18:56,080 --> 02:19:01,479
overview
uh purpose only.

1973
02:19:01,519 --> 02:19:07,920
Other updates, we finished the senior
center ramp. That came out great.

1974
02:19:05,280 --> 02:19:11,920
» We also uh finished the installation of
the pavilion over by the senior center.

1975
02:19:10,080 --> 02:19:17,200
Um we do have some picnic tables off to
the right that will be moved back under

1976
02:19:13,920 --> 02:19:21,760
this pavilion. And then we have um
sourced

1977
02:19:18,800 --> 02:19:27,760
uh ADA accessible uh picnic tables that
that have spaces uh on either side for

1978
02:19:24,559 --> 02:19:32,960
wheelchair or other accessibility. So
now that we have finished this, we can

1979
02:19:30,800 --> 02:19:37,200
start uh hopefully doing some
landscaping around this and finished

1980
02:19:34,800 --> 02:19:42,960
landscaping around the exercise court
because it'll all be kind of contiguous

1981
02:19:39,200 --> 02:19:45,280
over there. Um so this is this is good.
We've been waiting for this for for

1982
02:19:44,319 --> 02:19:47,519
quite some time.
>> Looks great.

1983
02:19:45,760 --> 02:19:49,359
» But I think it I think it I think it
does look great.

1984
02:19:48,080 --> 02:19:53,359
» It's a really nice structure.
>> Yeah, I like it and I think people are

1985
02:19:51,760 --> 02:19:59,920
going to enjoy it, both staff and
residents and senior center folks. So,

1986
02:19:56,800 --> 02:20:04,880
uh very happy with that. Uh other
updates, there's no changes to this

1987
02:20:02,000 --> 02:20:10,399
slide. Staffing updates because it never
ends. Uh Amy Barry, our town clerk, is

1988
02:20:08,160 --> 02:20:16,080
leaving. Uh we will be posting that
position this week and I would request

1989
02:20:13,040 --> 02:20:22,080
that the select board uh get a volunteer
to do the exit interview.

1990
02:20:20,240 --> 02:20:25,840
» Anybody want to
>> I mean I've done a number of them. I'm

1991
02:20:23,680 --> 02:20:30,800
happy to do it but I'm fine if someone
else wants to take it too.

1992
02:20:28,640 --> 02:20:34,800
» I haven't done one so I don't I don't
mind doing one. Amry, do you want to

1993
02:20:32,640 --> 02:20:38,640
kind of give me a rundown of how you
handle them?

1994
02:20:36,880 --> 02:20:42,720
We have a we have a form which is a
template now and just have a

1995
02:20:40,880 --> 02:20:45,680
conversation.
>> Amber will send it over.

1996
02:20:43,840 --> 02:20:50,520
» Okay. Yeah, I don't mind doing it
either.

1997
02:20:46,160 --> 02:20:50,520
» Okay. Um

1998
02:20:51,840 --> 02:20:57,439
Bob Doma is retiring. That's not new
information, but I'm putting this on

1999
02:20:55,760 --> 02:21:01,760
here uh just to kind of keep track of
it. Um we're going to try to post that

2000
02:20:59,760 --> 02:21:05,200
position this week. That's our goal
anyways. [snorts]

2001
02:21:02,880 --> 02:21:09,359
Um and then Paul Canoyer is retiring as
DPW director. We have been working

2002
02:21:07,439 --> 02:21:14,880
internally on a different management
plan. So we are going to not fill the

2003
02:21:11,200 --> 02:21:20,240
DPW director position. Uh I am going to
serve as the DPW director uh on a trial

2004
02:21:18,000 --> 02:21:27,520
basis. That's uh allowable under the
charter. Um so Highway Cemetery Sewer

2005
02:21:24,880 --> 02:21:31,359
and Engineering will report to me uh
until about May 1st. Again, this is a

2006
02:21:29,920 --> 02:21:36,960
trial basis. We're going to see how this
goes. Um, if we get to May 1st or a

2007
02:21:35,680 --> 02:21:41,120
little earlier and it's not working,
then we will have a conversation about

2008
02:21:38,560 --> 02:21:46,479
posting that position. Um, but there is
a considerable savings to the town if we

2009
02:21:43,359 --> 02:21:51,600
don't fill the position and given what
we've been discussing, we're going to

2010
02:21:49,359 --> 02:21:56,319
see how it goes. If we can save folks
some some money, we we will.

2011
02:21:54,960 --> 02:21:59,760
And that's it.
>> Your hands are going to be full. Brian,

2012
02:21:58,399 --> 02:22:03,359
Daryl, Kevin.
>> Yep. is full already because I've been

2013
02:22:01,600 --> 02:22:09,600
we've been pretty much doing it. We've
been piloting it a little bit and then

2014
02:22:05,600 --> 02:22:14,000
um that did allow me to I shifted some
day-to-day management over to William so

2015
02:22:12,399 --> 02:22:18,479
we can kind of get his feet wet on some
of that

2016
02:22:14,880 --> 02:22:20,479
» great work as well. So, um yeah, it's
been

2017
02:22:18,880 --> 02:22:23,760
» I will say the three names that you
mentioned are all, you know, seasoned

2018
02:22:23,359 --> 02:22:28,000
Yep.
>> competent guys that hopefully will make

2019
02:22:26,800 --> 02:22:30,800
your job easy.
>> Hopefully. Okay, that section [laughter]

2020
02:22:29,840 --> 02:22:33,200
that section of your
>> hopefully hopefully

2021
02:22:31,680 --> 02:22:38,000
» well I put it out into the universe.
>> I appreciate it will be

2022
02:22:34,560 --> 02:22:42,479
» take all the help I can get.
>> Any correspondence anybody wish to

2023
02:22:39,760 --> 02:22:45,200
discuss?
Take a motion for meeting minutes.

2024
02:22:43,840 --> 02:22:49,120
» I move the board vote to approve the
meeting minutes for February 17th of

2025
02:22:47,040 --> 02:22:52,000
2026 as written. A second.
>> Okay. Motion been seconded. Any

2026
02:22:50,479 --> 02:22:53,600
discussion?
Hearing none. All those in favor? Miss

2027
02:22:53,280 --> 02:22:54,640
Roy.
>> I.

2028
02:22:53,920 --> 02:22:55,920
» Miss Duckworth.
>> I miss Foley.

2029
02:22:55,359 --> 02:22:58,000
» Foley. I
>> Mr. Do.

2030
02:22:57,040 --> 02:23:01,359
» Dawan. I
>> Jefferson. I take a motion to adjurnn.

2031
02:23:00,640 --> 02:23:03,600
» So moved.
>> Second.

2032
02:23:02,080 --> 02:23:04,800
» Okay. By roll call, Miss Roy.
>> I.

2033
02:23:04,000 --> 02:23:05,600
» Miss Stockworth.
>> I.

2034
02:23:05,040 --> 02:23:07,200
» Miss Foley.
>> Foley. I

2035
02:23:06,160 --> 02:23:12,359
» Miss Dan.
>> Dolphin. I

2036
02:23:08,160 --> 02:23:12,359
» Jefferson. I We are ajourned.