[0:00] Nope.
>> Is anybody watching online?
[0:04] » Good evening. This is the meeting of the
hand townhouse committee meeting and we
[0:10] think tonight
[0:14] 6:05
p.m. They stand for the
[0:21] » flag of
one nation
[0:28] of liberties and justice.
>> Anyone else recording the meeting other
[0:32] than ourselves
[0:37] people? Okay. What was recording? Please
don't
[0:44] res
have any motions to get started with
[0:49] that. I won't even get them started. No,
>> I I have a couple things I'd say. I was
[0:54] looking up. Okay, first of let's do
this. First of all, the the RFI has gone
[1:00] out the request for
post town website. The Times is going to
[1:06] do an article on it next week. Um the
>> So it will come out next week.
[1:13] » Yeah. Come out next week.
>> Next Thursday.
[1:16] » So that's still
[1:20] » Are you going to post anything else?
>> I tried and it just sat there so I
[1:26] deleted it. I'm gonna redo it. Maybe
I'll redo it tonight or tomorrow
[1:31] evening. So I think it gets the most
visibility.
[1:35] in the evening.
>> So the deadline for that is uh September
[1:40] 21st
>> that it's got to be back be back. It is
[1:43] a the date for site visit if anyone's
interested is 16
[1:52] meaning if somebody were interested in
they raise it up take a look.
[1:58] » So so where does it where does it go to?
I know it's on the town website, but
[2:02] where does he actually mail that to?
There's a big uh government site, right?
[2:07] » It goes to that goes to that
>> and that's where these people would be
[2:10] looking
>> so com they call it comb by looking.
[2:15] » All right.
>> And that's out there now.
[2:18] » It's out there now.
>> Good. Okay. Uh
[2:22] » nothing so far.
>> I know. I know.
[2:29] » Just wondering It'll be a long time
>> meeting warrant articles.
[2:37] I'm wondering if town g I gave the
select we reserve they reserve the spots
[2:44] meeting warrants we can revise them or
add to them
[2:51] now and
second October.
[2:57] Is this a good jumping off point for
having a second public forum? You mean
[3:03] before the town meeting?
>> Yeah.
[3:06] » I don't know.
>> I
[3:08] » I don't know if we even
>> I don't know.
[3:10] » I think we need to make clear to this
town is
[3:15] that building is really, you know, if
they're thinking about if they're
[3:20] thinking about saving that building,
they better think really hard because
[3:23] that building's in really bad shape.
Well, what if um if I were to post
[3:29] something on Facebook like in the next
day or two? What if we kind of gauge
[3:36] feedback or interaction on that to see
like what we're getting for responses
[3:41] from the people
article?
[3:44] » No, the I was going to post the RFI.
Yeah.
[3:46] » Just to make it available. Then I can do
like a followup
[3:50] » with the Warren article.
>> Yeah, sure. And just to like kind of
[3:54] gauge feedback to see like if people are
all up in arms or people are not
[3:58] responding or not paying attention or
you can kind of maybe
[4:04] » you don't want people voting with their
heart thinking, "Oh, we're going to save
[4:06] this building and then we save it and
all of a sudden they're like, "Oh my
[4:11] god."
>> Didn't you say last time that as these
[4:14] are written if if this one comes up
first?
[4:17] » Right. the first one comes up first and
that passes
[4:21] » then the second two are dead. Correct.
>> So I think I think people that need to
[4:25] be very clear.
>> Well I feel like I really to be honest
[4:28] with you feel like and I talked I said
this last time. I think we should
[4:31] combine one or two and then we only have
>> two.
[4:34] » We only have two and here here's what I
wrote. Just listen what I'm saying.
[4:39] This would be the all-encompassing one.
to see if the town will vote to
[4:43] authorize select for to evaluate and
pursue options for the future of the old
[4:48] town hall, including but not limited to
seeking qualified buyers and appreciate
[4:54] potential sale, obtaining ownership and
exploring public private partnerships,
[4:59] lease or lease back arrangements, or any
other economic development
[5:03] opportunities. and to authorize the
select board to appoint an economic
[5:07] development committee to assist in
evaluating these options and making
[5:10] recommendations to
so all that did was said [clears throat]
[5:17] but isn't that where we are now? Well,
if you're
[5:20] » we are but but we but it's this one the
first one says see if the town vote to
[5:25] to seek buyers to enter into
negotiations. How you're saying you told
[5:29] me that if this first one passes the
second two are moved, right? So then
[5:33] there's no economic there's no economic
development committee. There's no uh
[5:39] looking to explore other options for
that building. It's just to go out and
[5:42] try and sell. That's what we're doing
right now. We're trying to sell it.
[5:46] » You could you could separate this one
the second one out and say have the
[5:52] selected point A
>> ready
[5:55] » economic
>> development comma.
[6:01] » That's right.
>> Right. Right.
[6:03] » Well, I'd like to see that come out of
this meeting.
[6:05] » Okay.
>> So, you can make another warn article.
[6:07] So, I'm saying you could warn article be
to see if the town was to sell the bill
[6:12] and there'll be discussion about and
they'll talk about why do how much money
[6:17] are we going to get for it? Well, we had
a guy look at it. He said you're going
[6:19] to get a buck for it. You know, maybe
someone will buy it, but it's gonna
[6:23] that'll mean they can do whatever they
want with it. They can tear it down or
[6:27] we could maybe put some caveats on
there, right? Whatever. So if they let's
[6:31] say they vote no, right?
They vote no. So you go to the next one
[6:36] to see if the town will vote to retain
ownership of the building and property
[6:41] at 625 Main Street formally known as the
Hen Town House authorized select board
[6:46] to explore opportunities for the town to
enter a public private partnership. skip
[6:51] the economic development and create a
separate war article to create an
[6:55] economic development committee to study
what we can do all the mainstreaming.
[7:04] So, so if they so if they said yes on
that it wouldn't knock out the economic
[7:09] development. I understand.
>> But if when this is being read,
[7:15] is the whole thing being read through so
that all the options are read aloud
[7:22] » and then people go in
>> the one now. But before it's going to be
[7:28] in the book,
>> but unless people read beforehand, then
[7:32] they're not going to know. Are they
going to be told like if you vote on
[7:35] this?
>> Yeah.
[7:36] » The following are dead.
>> There's this like Rick would say there's
[7:39] three more.
[7:43] » If you vote for If you vote yes on the
first one, the other two are there will
[7:48] be no action.
>> If you vote no on this first one, it
[7:52] will go to the second.
>> Does it have to be read like that? You
[7:55] can't read all three.
>> Pretty cut and dry.
[7:59] » But they wouldn't know. I wouldn't know
what the they would
[8:02] » they'll be all confused.
>> So I didn't see I didn't see. So you're
[8:07] really asking
>> that's a multiple choice question and
[8:09] then you're being like here's a yes or
no before you know what B and C are.
[8:13] » I know.
>> Well, I think the logic the logic is
[8:16] that if you if you uh
>> Yeah, but if you did the multiple choice
[8:20] question, right, then what would you do?
You would have to say
[8:24] » you vote you vote for one of the three.
Every
[8:26] » vote, right? And then
>> I don't think I don't think
[8:33] » well
>> you'd have to have a real voting thing
[8:35] to do that.
>> Trying to do here is the last one is is
[8:40] where is where the people would vote to
say I want to keep it and I want to
[8:44] restore it and I'm willing to spend the
money. That's the last one. But if you
[8:48] combine the first two, all you're doing
when I the way I combined this here is
[8:52] saying that the sale part of it is part
of that warrant. You're not You don't
[8:57] have to split it in half. Can I read it
again?
[9:00] » Well, here's what I'm here, Tad. What
I'm thinking on that is you got a lot in
[9:04] that one Warren article. It's it's it's
it's cumbersome because you got the
[9:09] economic development council of the
second half.
[9:12] » Okay, that could come out, I guess,
because So, like like Don said, I almost
[9:16] said,
>> yeah, it's kind of worded different. So,
[9:17] like Don said, you take the economic
development out of that out of this
[9:21] warrant and and that would be the fourth
the fourth thing that comes on and and
[9:27] then that way that's going to get voted
on. Yes or no? There's no there's no
[9:31] messing around with whatever.
>> Would that be tied into our articles or
[9:34] would that be separate?
>> Separate.
[9:37] » Would it come before this or after?
>> It probably have to come.
[9:41] » Okay. I think you make it very simple
with that uh Warren article that the
[9:47] select board assembled an economic
development council. That's it. Don't
[9:53] identify where it's going to be. You
know,
[9:56] » broad enough that we can we can you know
>> well there but and I'm I'm only playing
[10:00] devil's advocate, but so you say
will the town be willing to vote to
[10:05] establish an economic council? So I'm
going to Okay. Wait, what? Who's who's
[10:11] on the council and what exactly is it
are you going to do?
[10:15] » Well, then you have
>> then then you have then you have a lot
[10:17] of questions come. I think you
>> I think since we don't have anything in
[10:21] town, I think we should include all like
you you want to include all the
[10:25] businesses that already exist so they
can balance off of what the potential
[10:30] businesses are. You don't want to
exclude them.
[10:34] » No, no. I That's right. I'm not saying
you'd have to put anybody, but I'm
[10:37] saying that if you make that All I'm
saying is if you make that article just
[10:42] a line that says have the the board
appoint an economic counselor.
[10:48] That That's a pretty broad swipe. Yeah.
And I think I get it. But but I think
[10:53] people will ask questions. Who
>> what are they going to do? Yeah. You
[10:56] know, is there is
>> I would handle that. I would I'd be
[10:59] willing I would be willing to to answer
that.
[11:02] » Yes. But I think that's a good
conversation starter about and getting
[11:06] getting interest raised. And if you
leave it very broad,
[11:10] » yeah, you leave it I think it should be
very broad.
[11:14] » An economic development council.
>> Here's maybe another idea. I'm again I'm
[11:19] just winging this out there. You could
stand up before that happens and you
[11:24] could say, "We've spent eight months
looking into what we could do at the
[11:29] town hall and we just voted on one one
option and we've we've got a lot of
[11:36] things floating around and we that we
would like to start an economic council
[11:42] to kind of look into not only the town
hall and options there but in that area
[11:47] as well."
>> Yeah. and and then then you just then
[11:50] you just leave it at that. So, we have a
we have a warn article that we've placed
[11:53] out there to start that economic
counseling and and then then at least
[11:57] there's some context and explanation for
what you're trying to do. Does that make
[12:03] any sense?
>> Yeah, I think it should be broad.
[12:06] » It has to be broad and your and your
speech has to be very narrow and focused
[12:10] and no flying cars.
>> No
[12:12] » flying cars. No delay.
>> No, you got to talk theoretical. It's
[12:16] theoretical. That's what this committee
is. I think we got to settle on these
[12:21] things and then move on.
>> I have a question. Um, as far as that
[12:27] committee,
a lot of business owners don't live in
[12:31] town.
So, are they available to participate?
[12:36] » You mean the economic council?
>> Yeah. So, say like the owner of like the
[12:40] village Mark doesn't live in town, but
they are interested.
[12:43] » That's a good question. But like so
something like this you have to be a
[12:46] resident.
[12:50] » So is there any
>> I think well if you like you have to be
[12:53] a resident or a business owner or
>> well the vote you do yeah
[12:58] » but you know what I'm saying.
>> Yeah I I see exactly what you're saying
[13:01] business
>> but I would think the structure of that
[13:03] is yet to be laid out but you could you
could have you know you could invite
[13:07] people to come in and
>> that are current business owners. Well,
[13:10] I went to see the I went to see the
treasurer uh Dick Patello and I I know
[13:15] and I asked him about uh about
having the town account, this new woman
[13:23] who was there who I spoke to as well
about being on this economic development
[13:27] council.
>> We got a new one.
[13:29] » He said,
>> but did she leave the one that we had?
[13:32] » She's leaving this week
>> or did she already leave?
[13:38] » Sure.
account.
[13:42] » Okay.
>> She left
[13:44] the end of September.
>> Okay. Well, yeah. So, so what did they
[13:48] say?
>> He said she could be on it, but she
[13:51] can't vote.
>> She's not a res
[13:54] » because she's not a resident. So, the
same with the same true with the
[13:57] businesses. If they're on a town
committee, which is open meeting, they
[14:01] can't vote. They can participate.
>> I disagree with that. I would take it.
[14:05] » Okay. I'm not saying [clears throat]
it's
[14:07] » because because the
[14:12] the economic econ any of those things
economic development council or even
[14:17] this thing here right we can vote this
is our recommendation
[14:23] » right
>> but that's got to go select one of the
[14:25] town meeting who has the final vote to
do it
[14:28] » you know so you know you so it's not
what the hell we have outside
[14:32] consultants come in
>> yep
[14:34] » for the fire station and everything
else.
[14:38] » We don't want to get too deep into the
weeds on the economic council structure
[14:41] of China.
>> No, we that's what we're going to do.
[14:44] » And so we'll make up a warrant article
that just is one line item, one one
[14:50] sentence.
>> See, the reality of it is if you say
[14:53] then that first one that we want to sell
it, right? And then someone comes and
[14:58] say, "Geez, I'll buy it, but I want to
be as part of the deal. I want the town
[15:04] to be a part of the partnership.
>> Okay?
[15:07] » You know what I mean? I the reality
that's the reality of of of a uh of it.
[15:16] Someone might buy it or someone might
want to partner with the town.
[15:22] That's what it comes down to.
>> So, you're saying you want to add the
[15:25] cell
his first thing.
[15:29] » What's the last one? You're saying the
last one is to see if the town will vote
[15:32] to retain ownership of the building,
formerly known as the Tandle Town Hall,
[15:36] and further develop the property for
historic, culture, educational, civic
[15:40] purposes. That's basically that we we
keep it and we spend money.
[15:44] » It would be private money
partnership.
[15:49] » I think you go through all of them just
the way I I'm not convinced you you put
[15:53] the two together, Ted. You know, I'm
thinking
[15:56] » I'm fine with that. I just um
>> do we have time to wait until a next
[16:00] meeting with like the broader
>> or do we need I'm going to say again, do
[16:05] we even need to have these people vote
on this? We've got the RFI out there
[16:09] now.
>> We we're looking for somebody to buy
[16:12] this place. Why are we voting to see if
somebody wants us the town wants us to
[16:16] do that because we can't do anything
with the building.
[16:21] » Exactly. So if we find somebody,
>> it's still got to be voted on. Joe said,
[16:26] "Yeah, I want to buy this."
>> Got to be voted on
[16:28] » and uh I'm going to give you a million
dollars for it. Right. It has to go to
[16:33] the
>> vote go the vote will go through through
[16:36] it to go to the town. This just says
this see if they would authorize
[16:41] buyers enter the negotiations to the
town.
[16:46] So my point is if we're out there
looking for a buyer right now, we're not
[16:49] looking for buyer.
>> We're looking for information. But so
[16:53] like we're starting to dig around in the
bushes for a while. And so if we
[16:58] » we've already got that going. I I guess
again I'm I'm wondering why are we going
[17:02] to have people vote on this thing before
we really
[17:04] » we don't have all the roots because
because I think we need a more
[17:09] definitive direction.
>> Yeah.
[17:11] » If they say sell it,
>> we vote to sell it. Then we can forget
[17:15] about
>> everything else.
[17:18] » Anything else?
>> Yeah. Well, then but then we'd have our
[17:20] third our our fourth warrant says, you
know, start the economic council, which
[17:25] would then
>> But I mean, if you get an overwhelming
[17:27] lean either way from the voters,
it kind of will dictate the future, I
[17:33] think, of what we're doing.
>> Exactly.
[17:35] With that being said,
[17:39] » if so, say this goes through and then
like a someone comes out with a
[17:44] proposal, does it have to wait to until
the springtime meeting or can there be a
[17:49] special meeting?
>> Special time special. Yeah.
[17:51] » So, we can hold a special town meeting
any time.
[17:54] » So, if a buyer were to come out for
this, say in like December, we can hold
[17:58] a meeting to figure out what to do. That
way, they're not tied,
[18:01] » right? Yes. So, so
>> it's possible that people will vote yes
[18:04] on the first one and yes on the second
one. They don't get to vote on those.
[18:08] That's right. If they vote yes on the
first one, then the other two are
[18:10] » all done. But here's the thing. Second.
>> No, that's what we were that's what
[18:13] we're asking at the beginning.
>> Yeah. You vote number one. That's it.
[18:16] » You vote.
>> Yeah. That's you're not going to have
[18:19] the other votes,
>> right?
[18:20] » Nope. Because it's already been But so
the second one is but the second one is
[18:24] really all about the economic
development committee. So that one
[18:27] almost is dead. this economic
development, but it's going to go down
[18:30] here as a separate item, right? So, this
second warrant is is really kind of
[18:37] » So, the second one is to see if the town
will vote to retain ownership, keep it,
[18:42] retain ownership of the building and
property and you know, blah blah and
[18:48] enter into, you know, explore
opportunities or public partnership. So,
[18:53] they want to sell it, it's done. If they
say no, we want we want to retain the
[19:00] ownership. See if you can't find Joe's,
you know, big sale to invest in the
[19:07] building.
[19:10] You know,
>> I I'm going to say again, I I feel like
[19:14] we've I think those two should just be
combined together.
[19:17] » One, you talk about one and two, right?
Combining them. Well,
[19:20] » how about
>> I'm almost almost agreeing with them.
[19:24] If we could add part of that into the
first one, like we'd have two options in
[19:27] one.
>> Then you're not then you're not kicking
[19:29] ourselves out,
>> right?
[19:31] » That's right.
>> We'd have two options in one.
[19:33] » Well, that's right. That's what I mean.
Selling it and looking into lease backs
[19:37] and other plans is all one big thing. So
if you said you you're the first one,
[19:43] you know, you're going to authorize
sweatboard by enter into negotiations
[19:48] and
explore opportunities for the town to
[19:53] enter into public private partnerships,
lease or lease back. It's that last
[19:57] sentence goes to take out then you got
to take out retainership.
[20:03] » Right.
But but if we could combine those two
[20:07] and keep the third one,
>> I see what you're saying.
[20:10] » That's an A+. We
>> need to re rearrange these.
[20:13] » Well, you Okay. So, the second one is to
retain ownership,
[20:18] but you take out this the economic
council part. Right.
[20:21] » Right.
>> Yeah.
[20:22] » So, you'd say to see if the town both to
retain ownership of the building known
[20:27] as the town hall and you're going to
take this out of economic development
[20:32] » right here. Yeah.
And then you're going to say notice the
[20:36] townhouse
>> development committee subs.
[20:41] » It is I get it. So the so the town so
the town can explore opportunities
[20:48] » to enter into public private
partnerships lease or lease back
[20:52] something to that effect. But the but
this economic development
[20:55] » get rid of that part. And then down
here, it's just wherever that falls into
[20:59] the the book is to see if the to see if
the town will vote and have the select
[21:04] board authorize
>> the development
[21:08] » economic development committee. That's
it.
[21:10] » Council I don't like
>> council committee. Council
[21:17] a little better council.
>> Yeah, council. You know
[21:21] corporation
>> you get jackets
[21:25] economic development commission.
>> What is a better term? Economic
[21:29] development council or economic
development commission. What has more
[21:34] gravitas?
>> I would stick with the council. I would
[21:37] go commission. That's
>> like council. Commission maybe sounds
[21:41] but commission sounds kind of more um
>> committed. Committed kind of like
[21:49] like
>> more permanent.
[21:51] » Yeah, it's like
>> well the Warren Commission wasn't very
[21:53] permanent. It's just together for a
certain time. I like either one council
[21:59] because I'm thinking about the jackets
now. What are the jackets going to look
[22:02] like?
The words are so big.
[22:09] » You're lucky we get we get t-shirts.
>> We'll get t-shirts of anything.
[22:16] But I think that's a good idea trying to
combine those two
[22:19] » in smaller towns and cities and councils
>> then leave the third one in there.
[22:23] » This is because
they're representing
[22:27] » no one's going to go for that.
>> Larger cities commission system may be
[22:30] more offended.
>> Where I used to say I
[22:40] think the town will go for I think the
town.
[22:42] » So we're going to work those come back.
We got to have a We need a second public
[22:47] forum.
>> I I don't That's the question. Do you
[22:48] want a second?
>> No, I don't.
[22:50] » I would vote no on that. I mean, what
are we asking? What do we say? We trying
[22:54] to educate them.
>> I think the only thing we'll be doing is
[22:57] is educating educating them on what what
they want out of it. I think we get more
[23:02] feedback on social media than at the
forum and there's more interaction and
[23:06] more conversation and people have time
to like think about it and
[23:12] get back and view other people's
comments.
[23:14] » So you're thinking when we do the RFI do
the RFI and where you put it
[23:20] » in the open forum and the community
forum and
[23:27] maybe there's like older ham one. I
don't know if that will cross anything.
[23:32] Um,
>> and then
[23:34] » and then when we get our warrant
articles solidified,
[23:38] » I would probably post them all at once
and then maybe we can break it down and
[23:43] post like
option one and like more detail about
[23:48] that, option two, more detail about
that. Like do them separately just to
[23:52] give information to people.
>> Yeah. Yeah.
[23:57] And and obviously
would you put let's say you're going to
[24:01] do let's say the third one says a good
example to see if the town to retain
[24:06] ownership then underneath that you would
say
[24:12] resident need to know that retaining
ownership is going to cost
[24:16] » tax implications taxations
>> or whatever however that comes out right
[24:22] » so that they know when they vote for
that that there's there's there's
[24:25] dollars attached because I'd rather have
educated I think it's our responsibility
[24:29] too to have educated voters coming here
to make a decision
[24:32] » like I think that's what we're doing
>> yeah I agree what you're saying um did
[24:38] we did we yank the tear it down off the
off the
[24:43] » Yes we did I mean I know we did
>> somebody's gonna say why don't we just
[24:48] tear it down
>> well you're always going to have those
[24:50] people
>> see there wasn't much interest in that
[24:53] option
>> no
[24:54] » no
>> very little interest in that option.
[24:56] » Okay.
>> Well, and you know what? In the end, if
[25:00] all five years of all fail in the end,
if all this goes goes down the tubes in
[25:07] a year, I'm fine. Chris, that's a long
time, but whatever the end of that
[25:12] commission would be, okay, we tried, we
didn't make it, and now we've got that
[25:16] building, and I think we need
>> by that means fail the other stuff in
[25:21] front.
>> I don't think that's what that thinks. I
[25:25] think that help people.
>> So, we're not going to do the public
[25:28] forum. So, the other one was continuing
discussion on future future use options.
[25:33] Do you want to do that tonight? Do you
want to discuss that some of those?
[25:37] » I think that should be for your economic
counsel too.
[25:41] » I don't know why we talk about that. I
think I'll be honest with you and I was
[25:44] going to bring this up. I think we
should I think this committee's
[25:49] business should be ended. It's the night
at the end of the town hall meeting. I
[25:54] agree with you 100%.
>> I think we should we should leave we
[25:58] should be done with that and it moves
into the economic council. Not I'm not
[26:02] saying we're all on that. I'm just
saying we're done and the economic
[26:06] council has moved forward
>> and we really I think we've done
[26:10] » like I [clears throat] say I think we're
getting that wits end already.
[26:13] » In fact once we get those figured out
we're cruising into the town meeting and
[26:18] » see what happens.
>> And kind of being done you think?
[26:22] » Yeah. Yep.
>> Okay. Are you with me?
[26:24] » Yeah, I'm I'm
>> That's four votes. So, we'll get one
[26:26] more. So, we I'm not saying we have to
put tonight saying I think that's where
[26:30] we're headed.
>> Don't you agree?
[26:33] » Yes. Okay.
>> 100%.
[26:37] » I don't know.
>> We make a motion. I'll make a motion to
[26:39] adjurnn.
>> I'll second it.
[26:42] » There we go. All
>> in favor? I
[26:44] » I
>> Oh, that was quick.
[26:46] » No, I think I think what we got right
now is right where we should be.
[26:50] » Yeah,
>> I'm with you. Thank you. had early.