[0:15] All right. Well, welcome everyone. We

[0:18] we'll start the uh call to order the

[0:21] town council meeting for Thursday,

[0:23] September 3rd, 2026. We could all stand

[0:25] for the pledge of allegiance.

[0:31] pledge to the flag of the United States

[0:34] of America and to the republic for which

[0:37] it stands. One nation under God,

[0:41] indivisible, with liberty and justice

[0:43] for all.

[0:47] » All right. So, next we have any

[0:49] additions or changes to the agenda?

[0:52] >> Don't have any.

[0:54] >> Anybody from the town council?

[0:55] >> All right. So, that'll move us into our

[0:57] first public comment. This section of

[1:00] the agenda is reserved for persons in

[1:02] attendance who wish to briefly address

[1:04] the town council. Council requests that

[1:06] a person's comments be limited to a

[1:08] single period lasting three minutes or

[1:11] less. While the council respects the

[1:13] right of the public to provide comment,

[1:15] this time is not intended for open

[1:17] discussion or council response.

[1:20] Residents who wish to request a dialogue

[1:22] should make arrangements to do so

[1:24] through the town manager's office or the

[1:26] council chair. Persons wishing to

[1:28] comment should type comment and your

[1:31] name in the chat box and you will be

[1:32] recognized. So, first of all, is there

[1:34] any public comment here tonight? Yes,

[1:37] ma'am. You step forward, just state your

[1:39] name and your address. You can stand

[1:41] right right at the end of the table.

[1:42] Yeah, that's good.

[1:43] >> Okay.

[1:44] >> Thank you.

[1:45] >> Sandy Waldo. My address is 33 Mil

[1:49] Landing Road.

[1:53] and I am I wanted to introduce myself

[1:55] and I also would like to read our our

[1:58] mission statement which is I'm on the

[2:01] commission on aging and so that that's

[2:04] why I'm here tonight. Uh the commission

[2:07] on aging promotes a and supports a

[2:10] livable caring community for hein's

[2:13] aging population focusing on their

[2:16] well-being and supports the senior

[2:19] center through active engagement.

[2:22] And that last phrase is why I'm here for

[2:27] support her.

[2:28] >> Thank you.

[2:32] >> Any other public comment?

[2:35] Any public comment online?

[2:39] Okay,

[2:40] that brings us to good to know. Special

[2:44] recognition.

[2:45] >> We don't have anything.

[2:47] >> Okay. And appointments and resignations.

[2:50] >> Nothing. Right. So, that brings us to

[2:53] the town manager report. Donna.

[2:56] >> All right. So, I think the first thing I

[2:59] would like to reach for is that we have

[3:01] an audit. The audit was issued today.

[3:05] This is a 20 324 fiscal year audit. Um I

[3:09] it has been forwarded to you all and the

[3:12] board of finance and we will have hard

[3:14] copies before too long that we'll share

[3:17] with you.

[3:18] So it's been a long time coming and it's

[3:21] good to have it done.

[3:23] Um as you know we've had the final

[3:27] interviews for the town manager. They

[3:29] went quite well. our decisions and an

[3:33] announcement will be made soon.

[3:36] Um, we're continuing to prepare the

[3:38] office for the new town manager cleaning

[3:40] and painting. Our assistant revenue

[3:43] collector

[3:45] started

[3:47] well next week and the assistant

[3:50] assessor started this week. So, it's

[3:52] good to have those people in place. We

[3:55] are continuing recruiting for finance

[3:58] director

[4:00] and public works truck driver and we are

[4:03] reviewing resumeumés now for the parks

[4:05] and recck program supervisor and the

[4:08] accounting specialist. Those interviews

[4:10] will take place within the next week or

[4:12] two.

[4:14] Um we received the um bique funding

[4:19] today for the bond anticipation note for

[4:22] Gilead Hill School.

[4:24] So that has

[4:26] finally been finalized. Um we are we

[4:30] issued the RFP for attorney services and

[4:33] that will close within the next couple

[4:35] of weeks. We're working on RFPs for on

[4:39] call architects, firet truck lease, and

[4:41] audit firms.

[4:45] We're still working on the FOI requests

[4:47] for the library um Mr. Howard and the

[4:52] dog case with from Miss Connelly.

[4:56] The CIP budget process will kick off

[4:59] next week. It's already time. Um we'll

[5:01] be holding a staff meeting, in-person

[5:04] staff meeting next week to kick off the

[5:06] CIP budget.

[5:09] Um the police department had an

[5:12] accreditation b visit from post a couple

[5:15] of weeks ago and we did pass that.

[5:18] Hebrin is in compliance with the

[5:20] reertification requirements.

[5:22] >> Right.

[5:23] >> Hebrin fair is next week

[5:25] >> the 10th through the 13th. Um we're

[5:28] going to enter into a temporary

[5:30] agreement with the town of Chester for

[5:32] police coverage. They our police

[5:35] department and the and the state police

[5:37] need some supplemental coverage. So it

[5:39] will just be a temporary agreement just

[5:42] for the fair.

[5:44] Um,

[5:45] our resident state trooper Justin

[5:47] Hagerty is back from his deployment.

[5:50] We've had a a series of fillings, but

[5:54] Justin is back. So,

[5:56] >> um, good to have him back. He had to

[5:58] have some training before he came back

[6:01] to us, but he is here and we'll get him

[6:03] in front of you before too long.

[6:05] >> Great.

[6:07] Um, and RAM, I think you may have

[6:09] received the notification, but RAM is

[6:12] holding a special meeting on September

[6:15] 10th at 6 PM in the middle school

[6:18] library to discuss capital funding and

[6:21] bonding.

[6:23] Um, the pickle ball courts repairs

[6:26] started this week and should finish up

[6:29] next week.

[6:30] >> And then under correspondence, we just

[6:33] have a couple of things. one letter from

[6:35] the center for housing opportunities

[6:38] regarding um affordable housing

[6:41] and then the state police July activity

[6:45] report

[6:47] and that's it unless you have any

[6:49] questions. I just had one followup

[6:51] question on release accreditation.

[6:54] >> Is that an annual exercise? So it's like

[6:56] good for one year.

[6:58] >> The re the um this review they were just

[7:01] looking at training files. So they came

[7:04] in and looked at two of our Hebrin

[7:07] police officer

[7:09] personnel or training files to make sure

[7:11] that everything is done. So I do think

[7:14] it's probably on a rotational basis on

[7:17] what they're looking for for

[7:18] accreditation. We have that lease up.

[7:22] Officer Rhodess who is our accreditation

[7:25] officer works very closely with Mark

[7:28] Rubber to make sure that we are up to

[7:30] speed on everything to maintain our

[7:32] accreditation and that's separate from

[7:34] anything pertaining to state trooper.

[7:38] This is this is from police. Yes.

[7:42] >> Thank you. questions.

[7:44] >> Any other questions from town council?

[7:47] >> Thank you, Don. As always, we appreciate

[7:49] all you do.

[7:50] >> Thanks so much.

[7:52] >> Um, okay. So, that brings us to old

[7:54] business. First thing on the agenda is

[7:56] department operational reviews. And we

[7:58] have senior services tonight. So, want

[8:00] to welcome Sharon Gerard Hoffman, a

[8:04] senior services director. She's going to

[8:06] provide a presentation of the

[8:07] department's operational review. and we

[8:10] have attached materials for the town

[8:12] council to review. So, thanks so much

[8:13] for coming tonight. We appreciate it.

[8:20] » So, again, there's myself, our program

[8:23] coordinator, Ruth Reinwald, and our

[8:25] social worker, Dennis Bar.

[8:29] Um, just to mention that we're separate

[8:32] from senior housing. A lot of people

[8:34] think that we're connected with senior

[8:37] housing. senior housing is through the

[8:39] housing authority and they have a

[8:41] management company merit properties um

[8:44] because often we'll get the question how

[8:46] many people live there so again we are separate um there is an arrangement

[8:52] that I just want to mention probably

[8:55] dated about 25 years ago whereby um

[8:59] public works takes care of plowing the

[9:03] uh lot at senior housing along with our

[9:07] lot. Um, and then their landscape

[9:11] contractor takes care of shoveling our

[9:14] walks. Um, so sometime sometime there's

[9:17] a bit of a disconnect there because it's

[9:19] their contractor. So sometime we come in the morning, the walks aren't

[9:23] shoveled. We know that Sean would be

[9:24] more than willing to help us, but he's

[9:27] got his own

[9:29] uh assignments of where he's shoveling.

[9:31] So sometime we're we're trying to shovel

[9:34] out. So um

[9:37] so that as I said that arrangement

[9:39] sometime works sometime doesn't uh and

[9:42] then uh parks of Rex takes care of all

[9:45] of our grass.

[9:51] Um so there is a state statute that uh

[9:55] every municipality has to have a

[9:57] municipal agent for the elderly. Uh and

[10:00] then that uh that state statute

[10:04] specifies that the person is supposed to

[10:07] be able to provide information,

[10:10] referrals,

[10:11] uh be able to um assess the needs of the

[10:17] community, etc. That's overseen by the

[10:21] state of Connecticut Department of

[10:22] Social Services. and also I am the

[10:25] liaison um to the commission on aging.

[10:30] Uh and um also too um there is a statute

[10:45] regarding uh those who are responsible

[10:47] for reporting any uh neglect, abuse,

[10:52] exploitation of seniors. And again,

[10:56] myself and our social worker are

[10:59] mandated reporters.

[11:04] Our mission um as part of a

[11:06] comprehensive community strategy to meet

[11:08] the diverse needs, interest, and

[11:10] abilities of older adults. U Senior

[11:12] Services strives to offer a responsive

[11:14] evolving broad range of services,

[11:16] activities, and supports along with

[11:18] providing information, assistance, and

[11:20] referral to link individuals with

[11:22] resources. Sandy shared with you their mission mission on aging.

[11:35] » Uh very appropriate that I'm here this

[11:39] month doing this presentation because

[11:41] September is National Senior Center

[11:43] Months. So it's when senior centers have

[11:46] an opportunity to try to explain what it is we do.

[11:53] Um, nationally, uh, 10 to 30% of a

[11:57] community's older adults attend their

[11:59] local senior center. Uh, currently we

[12:02] have 1,231 registered members, uh, with

[12:07] 686 active members, so me members who

[12:10] are repetitively coming senior center,

[12:14] uh, which represents 26.37%.

[12:18] So again, we're on target for what the

[12:22] national trend.

[12:24] Um we're a designated multi-purpose

[12:27] community focal point senior center.

[12:30] That's a designation through the area

[12:33] agency on aging. And again, it

[12:35] represents that we have services

[12:38] colllocated within our facility. uh we

[12:43] uh I'll touch upon it in a bit but we

[12:46] have the activities piece, the social

[12:49] services piece and the transportation

[12:51] piece. So those services are all

[12:52] collocated where again we can coordinate

[12:55] services and be able to assess people

[12:58] from different perspectives.

[13:05] So again we have the three primary roles

[13:07] our uh our social our uh activity piece

[13:12] social services piece and then it our

[13:16] transportation is what's called on

[13:18] demand doortodoor

[13:20] uh so again people are calling making a

[13:23] request to uh be transported somewhere

[13:27] and then our services doortodoor

[13:30] some services are door through door,

[13:33] which means they kind of can go into

[13:35] someone's home and help them. Our

[13:37] service does not provide that. It's just

[13:39] doortodoor.

[13:41] If somebody needs help um beyond that,

[13:45] then they're responsible for

[13:48] uh securing somebody to help them. We

[13:51] also too have an arrangement with uh

[13:53] Iliad helping hands whereby if we have

[13:58] someone who needs help but they do not

[14:01] have someone to help them, Iliad helping

[14:03] hands will work with us to find somebody

[14:06] who will um volunteer to assist the

[14:09] individual. The other thing I just want

[14:11] to mention with transportation is we

[14:13] don't transport someone if they've uh

[14:16] had anesthesia because again that person

[14:20] on discharge needs to um

[14:24] have somebody with them and have

[14:26] somebody with them for a certain number

[14:28] of hours later because we do get a lot

[14:29] of people who may be going for

[14:32] colonoscopy and wants us to provide

[14:34] transportation. So it's not something

[14:36] that we could do. you could get them

[14:38] there but then they need to make other

[14:41] arrangements for securing somebody to

[14:43] get them home. Um so again research

[14:47] shows that older adult adults who

[14:49] participate in senior center programs uh

[14:52] can manage uh issues that they are

[14:56] dealing with aging delay the onset of

[14:58] chronic disease and experience

[15:00] measurable improvements in physical,

[15:02] social, spiritual, emotional and mental

[15:04] and economic well-being and quality of

[15:06] life.

[15:11] um population information. So Hein's

[15:14] current 60 plus population is 2,61

[15:19] which is 29.58%

[15:21] of the town's total population. And of

[15:24] that 2,601

[15:27] 410 are 80 and up. Um so the older adult

[15:32] population here in Hebrin is expected to

[15:35] peak between [clears throat] 2030 and

[15:37] 2035

[15:39] um with approximately 2,612 individuals

[15:42] age 60 and during that time period and

[15:45] between 469 and 559 people aged 80 plus.

[15:51] Um I will touch upon it in a minute but

[15:54] 60 plus is the age set by the uh federal

[15:57] older Americans act. for older Americans

[16:01] act last year turned 60.

[16:08] So again, the size of the older adult

[16:10] population. Um,

[16:13] I began here in 2005, but kind of went

[16:17] back to

[16:20] 2004, which were the figures that we had

[16:22] when I started here, that there was a

[16:24] total of 804

[16:28] 60 plus individuals back in 2004.

[16:31] And now it is 2,6001.

[16:36] So there's been quite an increase in the

[16:38] senior population in the time that I've

[16:40] been here. Um and again with the uh 80

[16:43] plus population again 103 back in 204

[16:48] and uh in 2025 410

[16:52] and those are the individuals that often

[16:54] are needing you know more concentrated

[16:59] uh services.

[17:02] So while the population has increased as

[17:05] you can see the budgetarily there hasn't

[17:08] been an increase. I went back 15 years

[17:12] ago from 2010 to 2011 and what the size

[17:16] of the population was it was 16% of the

[17:19] total population versus now when it's

[17:21] 29.58%.

[17:25] Um so we have more seniors and again the

[17:28] budget is relatively flat. It actually

[17:31] is $456

[17:35] less than it was 15 years ago. Um, and

[17:39] as far as uh grant revenue, there is

[17:42] more grant revenue now than there was

[17:45] back in 2010 2011. Uh, so the net budget

[17:50] is less now than it was back 15 years

[17:54] ago.

[17:55] Um

[17:57] the

[18:00] bunch of the uh expenses that have uh

[18:05] taken a hit uh have been program

[18:08] development and meetings and

[18:09] conferences. Um

[18:13] that's

[18:15] helped to off those um those reductions

[18:18] have helped to offset the fact that our

[18:21] utilities have gone up, office supply

[18:24] costs have gone up. Um so those are

[18:28] increases telephone so things that we

[18:31] don't have control over and so

[18:33] consequently those other line items have

[18:36] uh suffered

[18:43] is small. We don't have a way to bring

[18:45] it make it bigger

[18:50] and then I lose I lose a little bit of

[18:52] it on the side. Sorry, I just didn't

[18:54] know if you can make it bubble screen.

[18:56] Um, so we have um in our budget, which

[18:59] you know, I know you saw uh at budget

[19:02] time, I every year prepare a budget

[19:06] descriptor

[19:08] the way I've I've done it all along. And

[19:12] so it shows

[19:16] what is contained in a particular line

[19:18] item and where there have been increases

[19:21] and where there have been decreases.

[19:23] Um so for the senior services budget and

[19:28] we have fitness instructors.

[19:32] Um

[19:35] a little bit sorry

[19:40] um and then as you can see um program

[19:43] development

[19:45] uh there was a $500 reduction

[19:49] this year in that line item. I want to

[19:52] point out that that total line item is

[19:56] now $2,000.

[19:58] Um,

[20:00] of that line item, there are licensing

[20:03] fees that we have to pay. Um, there is a

[20:06] music license. So, when we have fitness

[20:09] classes and there's music associated

[20:11] with it, we have an entertainer come um

[20:14] any we have our coral group, uh, there

[20:17] is a music license that needs to be

[20:19] retained. And also too, if we're showing

[20:21] any TED talks or a movie, we need to

[20:25] also have a U motion picture uh license.

[20:30] So those two licenses alone are $800.

[20:34] When we subtract that from the 2,000, it

[20:37] leaves us very little for uh

[20:39] programming. There is another music

[20:42] license that

[20:44] we have to retain and as a cost-saving

[20:47] measure we um parks and Rex covers that

[20:52] license. So, ours um our BMI license

[20:56] covers the town with that $459.

[21:00] And then the license that Parks and Rex

[21:03] carries um covers uh remember the the

[21:09] letters for the other music license. Um

[21:12] but that covers the town also. So, we

[21:17] have one in one budget, one in the other

[21:19] budget.

[21:21] um meetings and conferences. Uh again,

[21:25] there was a reduction in in that line

[21:28] item um with all of the changes

[21:33] uh especially to at the federal level

[21:36] with uh health insurance,

[21:39] uh SNAP benefits, um eating assistance,

[21:44] uh etc.

[21:47] It's important that we're keeping up to

[21:49] date with those conferences.

[21:57] But there's any this is pretty

[21:58] straightforward. So I don't know if you

[22:00] have any questions in regards to that.

[22:02] uh with contractual services. Again, we

[22:06] were using Comcast

[22:08] uh for our internet provider and we now

[22:12] as as just as of last week are connected

[22:15] to the uh Connecticut education network.

[22:19] So now we are able to sever with Comcast

[22:23] and and can save on that expense.

[22:34] something about the machine

[22:38] like the next page or something.

[22:46] Okay. Okay. So um

[22:51] in the bureau veritus report there was

[22:56] indicated for 2025

[22:59] repair to an exterior door. We have a

[23:02] door that is kind of corroding at the

[23:05] bottom. It's difficult to open or close.

[23:08] >> So we're not even using that as a means

[23:10] of egress at the moment because of the

[23:12] condition of that tour. So I had notated

[23:16] it as something that needed to be put in

[23:19] the maintenance budget would be

[23:22] not my budget maintenance budget. So I

[23:26] just notated that. Um,

[23:36] and then again, our copier is pretty

[23:40] much on its last leg, and so I had um

[23:44] just gotten some pricing in regards to

[23:48] uh replacement of the copier.

[23:51] We think we're going to maybe be able to

[23:54] switch with another department.

[24:00] regular size. So on our social,

[24:03] recreational, and educational uh side,

[24:07] again, we have a plethora of events. Um

[24:11] you know, your kind of routine, what you

[24:13] would think of as uh senior center fair

[24:16] with uh special events, celebrations,

[24:19] volunteers, volunteer recognition,

[24:22] musical events, discussion groups, etc., day trips, um art groups, uh tech

[24:30] assistants. Uh our new

[24:34] uh program coordinator is young and so

[24:37] very techsavvy, so she's been able to

[24:40] assist a lot of the seniors with

[24:42] technical issues that they might be

[24:44] having with their phones or laptops. Um

[24:49] we have we work with AARP for them to

[24:51] provide the AP smart driver course and

[24:54] also to the tax aid program. Um our

[24:58] fitness classes, our fitness room, we

[25:00] work with Chattam Health District and

[25:03] provide the vaccination clinic um health um presentations um file of life.

[25:10] I don't know if any of you have ever

[25:12] seen the file of life.

[25:14] So, it's a red plastic pouch that

[25:19] uh has a magnetic strip and can go on

[25:21] somebody's fridge and in that is a card

[25:25] that somebody would fill out with all of

[25:27] their pertinent information so that if

[25:29] emergency responders came to the home,

[25:32] that's right there. So, if the person

[25:34] couldn't convey the information, that's

[25:36] right there. And there's also a wallet

[25:37] version.

[25:38] >> So, uh we have those at the senior

[25:40] center. Um and also too, we work with

[25:43] RAM. their special needs program because

[25:45] they have students who are trying to uh

[25:49] have a work transition

[25:52] experiences and so we we work with them

[25:54] too.

[25:58] Um

[26:01] and just uh this reiterates what I had

[26:04] just said about the uh program line item

[26:07] and the fact that 800 of it is consumed

[26:11] by the licensing fees. Um, and we spend

[26:16] our program development

[26:18] line item on such things as

[26:21] entertainers, speakers, instructors,

[26:23] supplies,

[26:25] um, refreshments, handouts, etc.

[26:33] Um,

[26:35] we've always been very fortunate that we

[26:39] have a lot of seniors themselves making

[26:42] donations. seniors who were continuously

[26:45] bringing in coffee, bringing in um paper

[26:48] goods, um

[26:52] uh decorations uh for us to, you know,

[26:56] make the senior center look welcoming

[26:59] and and uh pleasant to to be there,

[27:02] refreshments, etc. And and staff

[27:05] routinely

[27:07] makes personal contributions uh to to

[27:10] the senior center. Um,

[27:13] we've also had different organizations

[27:17] who have sponsored some of our events.

[27:20] Uh, it's usually part of their marketing efforts. Uh, but we take

[27:25] advantage of that to again be able to

[27:28] stretch our budget. Um, this has allowed

[27:32] us for various years to not expend all

[27:35] of our program line item

[27:37] and as I mentioned, not because it's not

[27:40] needed.

[27:41] It's because we've had a fortunate year.

[27:44] Um things are getting tighter and so

[27:49] we're not seeing the donations as they

[27:52] have been in the past and I expect that

[27:55] to continue for a while now as uh things

[27:59] are things are tighter and tighter with

[28:01] people's budgets. Um, one of the things

[28:04] is I I've always been very very well

[28:07] aware of the fact that if I don't spend

[28:11] all of a line item that then that

[28:13] jeopardizes the next year that that line

[28:16] item might get get

[28:19] I've just never been able to say I'm

[28:22] going to spend it just to spend it. So,

[28:25] and I don't expect to do that in the

[28:28] future. It's just

[28:31] been a frugal person at home and I try

[28:33] to be frugal with the senior center too.

[28:36] Um, so as I said, if if money is not

[28:40] spent, it's it's not because it's not

[28:44] needed, it's because we were able to.

[28:48] Thank you. Because we were able to uh

[28:53] get donations elsewhere.

[29:01] Um we have volunteers uh we have

[29:04] volunteers who

[29:06] um share their talents to lead programs.

[29:10] We have right now we have uh two

[29:13] volunteers who one one day a week one

[29:16] two days a week in the morning the whole

[29:20] day are helping to answer the phone.

[29:24] um volunteers who deliver home delivered

[29:27] meals. Uh that is getting harder and

[29:30] harder. I think as gas prices are going

[29:32] up, it's harder for us to get uh

[29:34] volunteers who are delivering meals. And

[29:36] then when volunteers are not available,

[29:39] that means staff as the delivery

[29:41] delivered of the meals um and volunteers

[29:45] helping with special events, decorating,

[29:47] etc. Just want to mention with the with

[29:50] the delivery meals um meals are provided

[29:55] by community renewal team in Hartford.

[29:58] So the meals are then brought to us and

[30:01] then we are responsible for then

[30:03] delivering the meals.

[30:06] um social services. Um we're providing

[30:10] information and assistance regarding

[30:12] state, federal, local, private, etc.

[30:15] programs, veterans benefits. Um

[30:19] information regarding inhome assistance,

[30:22] long-term care supports. Um we we right

[30:26] now will be soon beginning Medicare open

[30:28] enrollment

[30:30] um and winter heating assistance. Right

[30:33] now we're finishing up renters rebates.

[30:36] Uh that program ends September 30th. Um

[30:42] we also work with AHM with their youth

[30:45] chore program. We're the intake site for

[30:48] uh seniors who want to partake in the

[30:50] youth chore program. As I mentioned

[30:52] before, we work with Gilead helping

[30:54] hands, not just in regards to them uh

[30:59] helping with someone who needs help with

[31:01] transportation, but um I help Helping

[31:05] Hands

[31:07] will provide somebody who might need

[31:11] assistance maybe in putting an air

[31:12] conditioner in or out or, you know, some

[31:15] something small. I mean not not a large

[31:18] although they have um been able to do a

[31:22] ramp.

[31:23] It depends on the skills of of their um

[31:28] their individuals. Just go back make

[31:30] sure I touched upon it.

[31:32] >> Sorry.

[31:35] Um

[31:39] caregiver guidance and support. I just

[31:41] want to mention that that

[31:43] with

[31:44] caregivers um

[31:47] we have you in town especially too when

[31:50] we look at 60 and up. We have a lot of

[31:53] individuals who are maybe in their 60s

[31:56] who are caring for older

[32:01] residents here in town. Um and so again

[32:04] we're providing supports for both the

[32:08] older individual and the younger older

[32:13] individual. Um and then also too we have

[32:18] caregivers who are um caring for someone

[32:24] that the caregiver lives here in town

[32:26] but they're caring for somebody who

[32:28] lives out of town. And again they're

[32:30] looking to us for supports. And then

[32:32] conversely, we have caregivers who live

[32:35] out of town caring for someone here in

[32:37] town and so they're looking for our

[32:39] support. So again, it kind of broadens

[32:42] who who we're serving. Um we also too

[32:46] have some funds that we try to make be

[32:50] the payer of last resort.

[32:53] um where we can help somebody with a

[32:55] utility expense or with um a medical

[32:59] bill or some other special needs. So, we

[33:03] have those at our disposal.

[33:07] Um and as I mentioned before, staying up

[33:10] to date is um vitally important.

[33:14] um just had an update webinar earlier

[33:19] this week about some of the changes that

[33:21] are coming to Medicare and there's going

[33:24] to be some significant uh changes. So

[33:26] again, we need to be keeping a breast of

[33:29] all of those changes.

[33:33] Uh transportation.

[33:35] So um oh

[33:39] I apologize. I just want to go back for

[33:41] a second to the social services. Um

[33:45] I had in my narrative mentioned you

[33:48] don't have to go back to the slide.

[33:50] >> In my narrative I had mentioned how our

[33:53] social services is for 18 and up. So

[33:58] Hein Interfaith Human Services their

[34:01] executive director had been a social

[34:03] worker and she retired in 2010. when she

[34:06] retired they replaced her with a very competent individual but not

[34:12] somebody with social work background and

[34:16] um as it became apparent that that was

[34:19] not the direction that [clears throat]

[34:21] uh HIS's board was going in um

[34:27] AHM takes care of the needs of families

[34:30] but there really was nobody for that 18

[34:33] plus population and so I felt uh the

[34:38] town had a responsibility to provide

[34:40] social services for those individuals

[34:43] also. And at that time our social work

[34:46] position was part-time and so

[34:49] incrementally

[34:50] uh that position was increased because

[34:54] of the increase in the senior population

[34:55] and because of the um the taking care of

[35:00] 18 plus individuals also. So that became

[35:03] a full-time position.

[35:05] I just wanted to mention that before I

[35:07] forgot.

[35:09] Um transportation again we're providing

[35:13] transportation to 60 and up and disabled

[35:15] individuals 18 and up. Um we have our

[35:19] three multi-passenger handicapped

[35:20] accessible buses six passenger the 10

[35:23] pass and the 20 passenger which we are

[35:26] in the process of again having the 20

[35:29] passenger for the auction. And we have

[35:31] our one car for medical appointments,

[35:34] grocery and we provide transportation

[35:38] for medical appointments, grocery

[35:39] shopping, our mobile food share to the

[35:42] food bank, um to and from the senior

[35:44] center, personal leads, social day

[35:47] trips, etc., etc. Um at present we're

[35:50] providing approximately 2,000 rides

[35:53] annually and surfing 78 individuals on a frequent basis about 52 I call

[36:02] regulars and then about about another

[36:05] 130 when needed. Uh

[36:08] again we have people who kind of come

[36:10] and go on the program. So, somebody

[36:12] might be needing transportation for

[36:15] physical therapy, but now their physical

[36:17] therapy is over and they're they're not

[36:20] needing our services.

[36:25] We I just will mention one other thing

[36:28] in regards to transportation. Um,

[36:32] one of our transportation positions, our

[36:34] dial right positions was a full-time uh

[36:37] individual, so full-time benefited

[36:41] um who also took care of

[36:44] um dispatch scheduling of seniors rides

[36:48] and scheduling of the uh other dial ride

[36:52] drivers.

[36:53] She retired in April of 2025

[36:57] and we filled that position with a

[37:00] part-time driver unbenefited position um

[37:04] who just drives. So again we um we lost

[37:09] that position of providing the dispatch

[37:14] and the scheduling etc.

[37:18] So staff is has taken on that

[37:21] responsibility. Also

[37:24] um transportation costs um you can see

[37:28] that transportation costs have gone down

[37:30] also. Um,

[37:34] a much of that is, and I me I mentioned

[37:38] this in the narrative, is really because

[37:41] of

[37:45] the availability of drivers. It is very

[37:48] hard to get drivers. They have to have a

[37:52] passenger endorsement, which takes

[37:54] months for them to get. It's they're

[37:57] getting fingerprinted. They're having a

[37:59] written test. they're going through a

[38:01] physical, you know, so for a driver who

[38:04] just says, "Oh, I'll drive seniors," you

[38:06] know, and then they realize all of that they have to go through. Sometime

[38:10] it discourages them. So, um it is a a

[38:14] process for us to get drivers and all of

[38:16] our drivers are retirees, so they want

[38:19] retirement time, too. So, a lot of times

[38:22] they are taking extended vacations and

[38:24] we're scrambling to coverage.

[38:28] So, a lot of why that line item went

[38:31] down was because of the fact that

[38:34] I really don't have the drivers that I

[38:38] need to have and so to have some fill-in

[38:42] drivers would be extremely helpful.

[38:47] Um, that's our service area of where we

[38:50] provide transportation.

[38:52] Um

[38:53] that's my rudimentary map that developed

[38:57] over time. Um so you can see we have a a

[39:01] 35 uh town radius that we are providing

[39:05] transportation in.

[39:10] So, transportation is supported through

[39:14] the federal older Americans act um as is

[39:19] our outreach program and as is our

[39:22] physical activity programs. But the

[39:24] Older Americans Act stipulates that

[39:28] um we can have suggested donations

[39:33] but we cannot impose charges.

[39:37] uh and that if somebody is

[39:40] not donating that we cannot deny

[39:43] services and we also too can't means

[39:46] test. So again I can't decide I'm going

[39:49] to give scholarship to somebody because

[39:52] we can't we can't means test.

[40:01] You can see that our suggested donations

[40:04] are extremely low. Those were set by the

[40:09] then commission on aging

[40:12] um back in remember when it was it was

[40:18] 20

[40:20] cut off there.

[40:21] >> Yeah. So again it's quite some time ago.

[40:25] Um

[40:29] those have have not been revised since

[40:32] then. As I said, you can see that

[40:33] they're they're quite low. We don't want

[40:37] to discourage people from using our

[40:38] service. And so, again, having them that

[40:42] load, I think it helps to encourage

[40:44] people also to um transportation is one

[40:49] of the major things that takes burden

[40:51] off of caregivers.

[40:53] Um transportation budget. I don't think

[40:56] there was any really remarkable in the

[40:58] transportation budget.

[41:01] Just again I do the descriptor so it

[41:03] shows you line by line

[41:10] vehicle replacement. So, as you know,

[41:13] the town uh plans to divest itself of

[41:17] the 2017 20 passenger bus.

[41:22] Um

[41:24] has 42,000 plus miles on it and I did

[41:28] get it appraised and it was appraised at

[41:31] uh 33,757.

[41:33] I don't know exactly

[41:35] we're at

[41:37] and that was the the value. Um, we also

[41:40] have a 2014 Ford CMX energy hybrid car.

[41:45] You can see the mileage on that is high.

[41:49] Um, the useful life of that vehicle is 8

[41:53] to 15 years and is 100,000 to 200,000

[41:57] miles. So again, it's reaching the end

[41:59] of its useful life.

[42:02] Um, my recommendation would be to

[42:04] replace this vehicle with a handicap

[42:06] accessible minivan.

[42:08] uh that would make our entire fleet

[42:11] handicapped accessible. Um and

[42:16] that would be through the utilization of

[42:18] what's called a 5310 federal grant where

[42:22] the town incurs 20% share of the cost

[42:25] and the grant 80% of the cost. Um so the turnaround time for that grant

[42:40] is about a year and a half. So I would

[42:42] recommend when the RFPs come out

[42:46] probably the beginning of 2027

[42:49] that you consider applying for a 5310

[42:53] grant or a minivan.

[42:57] My best estimate is that uh the town

[43:00] share would be approximately $15,000 for that that would be in the 2027 2028

[43:06] budget. Also wanted to remark that in

[43:10] the

[43:11] um 5-year capital improvement plan,

[43:15] there is a line for uh senior center

[43:18] replacement of that vehicle for 75,000.

[43:25] the 5310 grants were not covering the

[43:29] expense of a minivan and so we had had a

[43:33] placeholder in the CIP budget but now

[43:38] they are allowing minivans. So again I

[43:41] think we can take that out of there and look instead to utilize the 5310

[43:47] grant.

[43:50] Um, all multi-passenger handicapped

[43:53] accessible buses have a useful life

[43:55] expectancy of 5 years or 150,000 miles.

[43:59] So, we also have the the 10 passenger

[44:01] bus um with 91,000 miles plus. So, it

[44:08] would be on track uh to be replaced in

[44:11] six years.

[44:13] Um

[44:17] my recommendation would be if we are um

[44:20] divesting ourselves of the 20 passenger

[44:23] bus to replace that 10 passenger with a

[44:26] 14 passenger when the time comes.

[44:30] Um

[44:32] a 16 or up requires a CDL license. So,

[44:37] if we keep it at a 14 passenger, the

[44:40] driver would not have to have a CDL

[44:43] license in order to drive it. They would

[44:44] just have to have the passenger.

[44:51] Um, and then we have our uh 2024

[44:55] six passenger bus. Um, that was a long

[44:59] time coming. Um, I was

[45:04] writing that grant back when COVID hit.

[45:08] And so it because of all of the

[45:10] worldwide um difficulty with parts, it

[45:14] took from 2020

[45:18] uh to 2024 for us to finally get that

[45:20] bus.

[45:23] So that bus would be on track for

[45:24] replacement in 15 to 16 years.

[45:29] is the smallest

[45:32] bus that uh is covered under the uh the

[45:36] uh 5310 grant.

[45:45] So in summary regarding the vehicles

[45:48] um that my recommendation would be using

[45:51] the 5310 grant to on the replacement of those vehicles. Um,

[46:02] I think I had expounded a little bit on

[46:06] the uh origin of us getting the the

[46:11] hybrid car. So, the hybrid car uh grant

[46:16] had been written through the town

[46:17] manager's office.

[46:19] um was not a grant that we

[46:24] were

[46:26] focused on uh being a benefactor, you

[46:31] know, from uh by the senior center. Um

[46:33] and then the we were told that the car

[46:36] was going to be assigned to us. So

[46:39] again, it caused us to then have a fleet

[46:43] of four and uh

[46:47] fleet of three does meet our needs

[46:50] especially too with the difficulty with drivers.

[46:58] Um the building so the one-story ADA

[47:03] compliant 650 square foot building um

[47:08] was built in 1990 with some addition and

[47:13] renovations in 20 uh two. Um and then

[47:19] again according to the facilities

[47:22] condition assessment by bureau veritas

[47:24] the interior and exterior finishes are

[47:26] in good fair condition and will require

[47:28] only life cycle replacement.

[47:34] There's something else I want to mention

[47:35] about. Let me just refresh my memory

[47:38] here for a sec.

[47:43] Oh I know. I was just going to mention

[47:45] that the senior center serves as a

[47:49] cooling and warming center but we cannot

[47:53] uh serve as a shelter. We don't have a

[47:55] generator. Um and uh again we don't have

[47:59] uh bathing facilities

[48:04] from the bureau veratas uh study and

[48:08] there was the recommendation as I

[48:10] mentioned before about the the door and

[48:13] some exterior lighting that we're uh

[48:15] targeting for 2025.

[48:18] Um,

[48:20] building projects for the next five

[48:21] years according to them would total

[48:24] almost $280,000.

[48:26] Building pro building projects for the

[48:28] following five years would

[48:32] about $212,000.

[48:35] Again, that would be if taking into

[48:37] account and and this is way too small,

[48:40] but I had again listed all of the items

[48:44] that they had recommended

[48:47] during the during the five-year period

[48:49] and then the uh next five-year period.

[48:53] I know you have a copy of the PowerPoint

[48:55] presentation, so maybe you could see it

[48:57] there because I can't see it that far.

[49:00] um no singular project meets the CIP

[49:03] threshold uh for the next 10 fiscal

[49:06] years. Uh during the five fiscal years,

[49:09] there's eight projects that meet the

[49:12] 10,000 to 74,999

[49:15] capital outlay threshold. Um and during

[49:19] the following five fiscal years, there's

[49:20] five projects that meet that uh capital

[49:23] outlay threshold. The only project uh

[49:27] that Euro Veritas had uh recommended uh

[49:31] that does meet the CIP threshold is

[49:36] uh for 2044

[49:39] is uh replacement of the uh brick stone

[49:43] retaining wall.

[49:49] The town council can help. So, um,

[49:52] mindfulness of the, uh, demographics of

[49:54] the town, um,

[49:58] awareness, as I mentioned, that $800 of

[50:00] our program development line item bid

[50:02] budget is consumed by those licensing

[50:04] fees, and support for a

[50:07] multi-disciplinary team. So

[50:12] um

[50:15] going back 2018

[50:18] um I had been uh starting to um advocate

[50:23] for us to have a multid-disciplinary

[50:26] team and that's a team of different

[50:30] um department heads uh professionals uh

[50:37] who serve the community.

[50:39] um organizations again who serve the

[50:41] community home care agencies um uh

[50:46] medical providers etc who can get

[50:49] together together periodically

[50:52] and try to try try to troubleshoot and

[50:55] to identify

[50:58] gaps in services how we can maybe solve

[51:02] some of the uh those gaps in services be

[51:06] able to tap into one another's skills to

[51:09] avoid duplication.

[51:11] Um so I felt at that time that there

[51:15] needed to really be some um direction

[51:21] from the town manager's office to the

[51:24] other department heads in order for them

[51:27] to get buy in because if I just was

[51:30] saying please come to a meeting

[51:34] everybody's busy. Um so

[51:38] finally

[51:40] just postco

[51:42] um I'm Dr. green light to kind of go

[51:45] ahead with a M team. We convened an M

[51:49] team meeting and unfortunately there was

[51:53] very little attendance from the town's

[51:57] departments. There was good attendance

[51:58] from outside entities but not from the

[52:01] town departments. So

[52:04] it really at that point is not going

[52:08] anywhere. I really need a more hearty

[52:12] um

[52:13] buy in from administration in order for

[52:18] us to get department heads

[52:21] avidly involved in in you know this

[52:24] endeavor. Again

[52:27] you see the virtue in that I would ask

[52:29] for your support in

[52:32] helping to get a multi-disiplinary team

[52:35] off the ground.

[52:39] questions.

[52:41] >> Thanks so much for that presentation. It

[52:42] was really informative. We really

[52:45] appreciate it

[52:46] >> and we appreciate all you do with

[52:49] limited funding you have. It's obvious

[52:51] that beyond decades here with no

[52:53] increase in funding and it's a tall

[52:56] order and uh I know this this year's

[52:58] been very difficult but uh we appreciate

[53:00] all you do. Yeah, absolutely. Um anybody

[53:04] have any questions?

[53:06] I do I have a couple questions. So with

[53:09] respect to um when you talk about the

[53:12] multi-disiplinary team and other

[53:14] agencies that exist in town,

[53:16] >> I'm specifically thinking about in my

[53:19] mind ahm

[53:20] >> and their incredible resources, their

[53:22] expertise, their professionals.

[53:26] Um how do you uh cooperate with them in

[53:29] order to provide so badly needed

[53:32] supports in your department?

[53:34] So um

[53:37] AHN has in the past when we have had

[53:41] um social workers who have a bachelor's

[53:45] degree, they've been able to provide the

[53:49] um expertise with a master's social

[53:53] worker um providing some oversight and

[53:56] guidance. also too uh they house the

[54:01] youth chore program and again as I

[54:03] mentioned earlier we're the intake site

[54:05] for the youth chore program

[54:08] um they're serving they're serving

[54:11] families so again it's a different

[54:13] population that we're we're serving um

[54:16] but

[54:17] when we

[54:19] did have our first multid-disiplinary

[54:22] team meeting they were part of it and I

[54:24] would plan for them to be part of it

[54:27] moving forward So what you're saying is

[54:29] AHM's mission doesn't necessarily apply

[54:32] to the senior population in town.

[54:36] >> I don't know what their mission is.

[54:38] They're they cover, as Sharon said,

[54:41] families, youth, and now they go up to

[54:45] 26 year olds. They'll provide social

[54:48] services, counseling and support for

[54:51] individuals up to 26 years old,

[54:55] >> but not not the senior public, not

[54:59] adults,

[55:00] >> only up to 26.

[55:01] >> So, but they're they'll always come to

[55:04] the table.

[55:05] >> Yeah. And again, their service is more D

[55:08] mentioned counseling. So when we're

[55:11] seeing somebody 18 to 59,

[55:15] it's usually somebody who's experiencing

[55:18] financial insecurity

[55:21] um or uh underinsurability.

[55:25] So we're typically dealing with them in

[55:27] those respects, not counseling, so to

[55:31] speak.

[55:33] >> Gotcha. Understood. I had a question

[55:35] also on meals on wheels. You mentioned

[55:37] that uh community renewal team provides

[55:39] the actual meals, but they only drop off

[55:42] the meals to the senior center. Senior

[55:44] center staff is responsible for making

[55:46] sure that meals are distributed to

[55:48] individual residences.

[55:50] >> Yes.

[55:51] >> Um is there any way that CRT could do

[55:54] that part

[55:56] or they don't do it? Because I know they

[55:58] do it in Herford. Why don't they do it

[55:59] in Hebrin?

[56:00] >> They don't have the the staff. Um and

[56:04] also too, as you know, geographically,

[56:07] we have a broad area. Um we have

[56:11] clients, you know, kind of from one end

[56:13] of town to the other.

[56:15] >> Um and so it would be

[56:18] timeconuming for their staff and they just they just don't have the

[56:22] staff.

[56:24] >> So we so we rely on volunteers.

[56:27] >> Right. Right. Um also I mean when I say

[56:30] they don't have the staff they also too

[56:32] don't have the funds. Um in my narrative

[56:35] I had mentioned that they get federal

[56:38] funding

[56:39] and so typically home deliver meal

[56:43] clientele gets a hot lunch and a cold

[56:46] pack dinner and they can get those up to

[56:49] seven days a week. At present because of

[56:52] limited funding they're getting just

[56:55] lunch and only Monday through Friday.

[56:59] So they have a you know funding issue

[57:04] themselves.

[57:05] So that that's as a result of federal

[57:07] cuts

[57:09] that Yes. Yeah.

[57:12] >> Uh I had another question about

[57:14] transportation. So, you did mention

[57:16] that, you know, we have in-house

[57:18] transportation, actual vehicles and

[57:20] drivers, etc.

[57:22] Um, has there ever been like a pilot

[57:26] program where we you could use like an

[57:28] Uber type of service for the seniors

[57:32] here in town

[57:34] >> with us helping to fund the

[57:38] >> necessarily, but is there are there

[57:42] um I guess a dialer ride like Uber type

[57:47] service?

[57:49] >> That is not something we've looked at. I

[57:51] mean I think Uber

[57:55] and Lyft coming to Hein is relatively

[57:57] new. Um

[57:58] >> right

[57:59] >> so it isn't something that we've you

[58:01] know investigated

[58:03] um if someone is unable to be

[58:07] accommodated by our service. First of

[58:10] all we really make an effort to um allow

[58:14] them to be accommodated by our service.

[58:16] A lot of times what will happen is if if

[58:19] we can't accommodate a certain ride, we

[58:21] often will contact the provider and try

[58:25] to

[58:27] meet a mutually convenient time when we

[58:30] can transport the individual and they

[58:32] can uh they they can see the individual.

[58:35] So, you know, we kind of take that extra

[58:37] step. Um when we we can't we have a

[58:42] list. uh some of it is contingent upon

[58:46] the person's

[58:50] condition. So there might be American

[58:52] Cancer Society might have a service that

[58:55] they provide to people who might be

[58:57] going for chemotherapy or radiation

[58:59] therapy. Uh there's something for

[59:01] veterans. So So

[59:04] it doesn't fit the needs of everybody

[59:07] those those uh ancillary services.

[59:10] >> Right.

[59:11] >> Okay. That's only

[59:15] here real quick on um so the the 5310

[59:18] grant

[59:19] >> the change sounds wonderful very much

[59:22] within our needs as a town that it does

[59:24] apply toward transportation grants

[59:28] >> when

[59:30] just so we you you'll find we're very

[59:32] receptive to grant money like as a c

[59:35] whatever the makeup of this council this

[59:37] council is going to be receptive to

[59:38] grant money

[59:39] >> all of the buses have been bought in the

[59:41] pass with people.

[59:43] >> So, so when I know you said for 2027,

[59:46] but just so it's in the back of our

[59:49] minds, hopefully forefront of yours,

[59:50] when are you coming up to us with this

[59:54] grant application?

[59:55] >> So, you're not always consistent with

[59:59] when they come up come out with the RFP.

[1:00:01] It's usually at the beginning of the

[1:00:03] year. Okay? So, you know, the first

[1:00:06] couple months of the year is when I

[1:00:07] would expect the uh RFP to come out and

[1:00:13] then, you know, naturally there would be

[1:00:16] period of time the grant would need

[1:00:19] submission which I would come before you

[1:00:21] before the grant was submitted.

[1:00:23] >> Okay. I would certainly just urge you

[1:00:26] early and often is with those grants

[1:00:28] because that's

[1:00:31] >> we all remember March

[1:00:32] >> and it's 8020, right? That's how that

[1:00:34] works.

[1:00:34] >> Yeah.

[1:00:34] >> I had I had shared with Donna that my

[1:00:37] goal was to never write another 5310

[1:00:40] grant in your life.

[1:00:43] [laughter]

[1:00:43] >> They're a lot of fun, right?

[1:00:46] We appreciate we know so many uh of our

[1:00:49] departments do this and of course this

[1:00:52] is how we you know can maintain all

[1:00:55] these vehicles and services for for you

[1:00:57] know our citizens a lot through these

[1:00:59] grants. So we we appreciate the efforts

[1:01:01] you you make on that.

[1:01:02] >> Yeah. And I'm and I'm happy that now

[1:01:04] they will

[1:01:07] fund minivans.

[1:01:08] >> Yeah, for sure.

[1:01:09] >> That will be helpful.

[1:01:10] >> That's huge.

[1:01:14] » Any other questions? Okay.

[1:01:16] >> Thank you.

[1:01:16] >> All right.

[1:01:17] >> Thanks so much. We really appreciate the

[1:01:19] presentation tonight.

[1:01:20] >> Thank you.

[1:01:21] >> Appreciate the effort.

[1:01:22] >> Thank you.

[1:01:23] >> It's another extremely thorough

[1:01:25] >> Yes. Again,

[1:01:26] >> I mean, those volunteering ahead of

[1:01:28] time, it made it very difficult for the

[1:01:29] larger departments coming later. That's

[1:01:31] right. You're you're setting the

[1:01:33] standard for presentation.

[1:01:34] >> Yeah,

[1:01:35] >> it's two in a row.

[1:01:36] >> Those who volunteer.

[1:01:37] >> I just was gonna mention I know you

[1:01:38] don't have the housing authority

[1:01:41] before you. So I don't know that's

[1:01:46] they're another entities.

[1:01:50] We are right now we're doing the

[1:01:53] departments that have budget

[1:01:56] requests or budget demands of us but

[1:01:58] hopefully in the future we will be doing

[1:02:02] reviews of all the appointed and elected

[1:02:05] boards and commissions their charges

[1:02:07] their composition and just

[1:02:11] >> to get to know what some of them are

[1:02:13] doing. So,

[1:02:14] >> so it it benefits us as a town council,

[1:02:16] but all of course all Hebrin citizens as

[1:02:19] well. We want, you know, all of this

[1:02:20] information to be out there so you guys

[1:02:22] are making a case for your different

[1:02:24] needs, right? It's important that you do

[1:02:26] that. People know what you all are

[1:02:29] doing. So, we appreciate it. We

[1:02:30] appreciate the effort you made this very

[1:02:32] thorough presentation. So, thank you.

[1:02:38] » Okay. Have a good evening. Thank you.

[1:02:40] >> Thank you.

[1:02:41] >> All right. All right. That brings us to

[1:02:43] ARPA funds update. Anything there?

[1:02:48] Okay. And then that brings us to DPW

[1:02:51] action committee update.

[1:02:54] >> There's anything this second

[1:02:56] >> they're off, right? This is this is the

[1:02:59] off week. And that brings us to Mr.

[1:03:02] Pettit with his revisions to the

[1:03:04] employee handbook of personnel policies

[1:03:06] and procedures. Yeah, Tiffany was

[1:03:09] instrumental in in getting this second

[1:03:11] half done across the finish line. Um, I

[1:03:14] reviewed those um notations that she had

[1:03:18] made, made a couple of adjustments and

[1:03:21] additional notations. Those were all

[1:03:23] sent out. I know we haven't really had a

[1:03:26] chance to look over them fully as the

[1:03:28] council and um I don't know if we want

[1:03:31] to go through them necessarily tonight

[1:03:33] or wait until um Tiffany gets back. Um,

[1:03:37] maybe that'll give you a chance to kind

[1:03:39] of digest on your own before we have a

[1:03:43] full kind of run through of it. I know

[1:03:45] this is like the first time it's getting

[1:03:47] out there, especially, you know, it's

[1:03:49] the first time we're kind of seeing all

[1:03:51] the revisions from the public as well.

[1:03:54] Um, so I I leave it up to the rest of

[1:03:57] the council if you want to go through it

[1:03:59] now or wait until Tiffany's back and we

[1:04:02] all go through it together. being that

[1:04:04] she made some of the updates, uh, many

[1:04:07] of them probably be good for her to be

[1:04:09] able to add some additional

[1:04:12] justification and overview of why she

[1:04:14] made the certain changes.

[1:04:16] >> And I don't, you know, I know a lot of

[1:04:17] it was just language and gender specific

[1:04:20] language.

[1:04:21] >> Some was and and the other thing is is

[1:04:23] like, you know, again,

[1:04:25] >> we're not HR professionals per se. Um, I

[1:04:28] know I'm definitely not and there are

[1:04:30] some sections of the the policies and

[1:04:33] procedures that, you know, we're not

[1:04:34] necessarily experts in. So, it gives the other counselors a chance to

[1:04:38] take a look at it. Great.

[1:04:39] >> Um, because I know one of the important

[1:04:42] parts in this last section is related to

[1:04:45] it.

[1:04:46] >> So, you're definitely much more Okay.

[1:04:49] >> You know, wellversed in that subject

[1:04:51] matter than we are.

[1:04:52] >> Sure.

[1:04:52] >> U,

[1:04:54] >> especially because it it looks like that

[1:04:56] portion was written

[1:04:58] you know, 10 plus years ago and yeah,

[1:05:01] technology is is changing very quickly.

[1:05:05] So,

[1:05:05] >> okay. So, I'll make sure I make a good

[1:05:07] effort there to review that section. I

[1:05:09] appreciate pointing that out. I did

[1:05:11] briefly go through it, but again, it's

[1:05:13] been crazy week. So, I I think it's good

[1:05:16] for us to take some time to to review

[1:05:18] this, give it the due

[1:05:20] >> attention it should have. So, no, I

[1:05:23] appreciate what you've done, what uh

[1:05:25] chair um has done as well. So, that's my

[1:05:30] >> suggestion, but I'm open to your guys

[1:05:34] >> opinions as well.

[1:05:36] The only change this month is we lost

[1:05:38] the three stars.

[1:05:40] Yeah, I fall for those three stars.

[1:05:44] meaning no update at this

[1:05:45] time. So, yeah, a future meeting.

[1:05:47] >> Okay, very good. So, we'll we'll shove

[1:05:49] this for the the next meeting. keeping

[1:05:51] this in our hand is definitely

[1:05:53] >> that's a huge accomplishment. So, thank

[1:05:55] you. Thank you to you and Tiffany and

[1:05:57] Absent for doing that

[1:05:59] >> agenda.

[1:05:59] >> That's huge and I know it's been a huge gargantuan task for you both. So,

[1:06:04] thank you both for doing it and we'll

[1:06:06] give it the proper attention it deserves

[1:06:08] because of all the attention you guys

[1:06:10] gave it. So, that's the least we can do.

[1:06:12] >> Sounds good.

[1:06:12] >> All right. Thank you, sir. All right.

[1:06:14] That brings us to the Homestead

[1:06:16] Exemption Ordinance. That's really I

[1:06:18] believe Tiffany's

[1:06:20] uh kind of area. So, we'll we'll table

[1:06:23] that one when she comes back. And then

[1:06:26] that brings us to the Town Center

[1:06:27] Project America 250 update.

[1:06:30] >> I think that's me because Holly was had

[1:06:32] a conflict tonight. Just a couple quick

[1:06:35] things.

[1:06:35] >> Great.

[1:06:36] >> Um the next 250 meeting is on the 19th

[1:06:40] here in this room on um 9:00 in the

[1:06:44] morning if anybody wants to join. And

[1:06:46] then the next big event is the night at

[1:06:50] Black Ledge Tavern, September 25th, 6

[1:06:53] PM. It's a dinner theater. The Hein

[1:06:56] Community Theater will be performing.

[1:06:59] Um there will be a buffet dinner and the

[1:07:02] tickets are on sale. It should be a very

[1:07:06] enjoyable evening.

[1:07:09] >> I plan on going. Good. Um

[1:07:11] >> should be a good time.

[1:07:12] >> You know, one of our counselors is going

[1:07:14] to be acting in it.

[1:07:14] >> Definitely. someone who's not here at

[1:07:16] the moment.

[1:07:17] >> They had a preview of the script and

[1:07:18] it's it's gonna be good.

[1:07:20] >> Awesome. Okay.

[1:07:22] >> So, buy your tickets now.

[1:07:24] I think they they said uh they can run

[1:07:26] out of tickets, so make sure you buy

[1:07:28] early, right? Okay. Excellent. Anything

[1:07:31] else?

[1:07:32] >> That's it.

[1:07:33] >> Okay. Thank you, Donna. All right. That

[1:07:36] brings us to that Hein Cell phone towers

[1:07:39] advisory group.

[1:07:41] >> I could report out on that. Did Craig

[1:07:44] give you you all a record?

[1:07:46] >> He gave me a little update. Okay. But if

[1:07:48] you want to do yours and then I'll add

[1:07:50] if Yep.

[1:07:51] >> Um, as part of the committee, we we met

[1:07:54] last week. Um, we talked about the

[1:07:57] continued contract negotiations, if you

[1:08:00] will, with SGA

[1:08:04] SBA Communications. Um, they came back

[1:08:07] with another offer. Um,

[1:08:11] and

[1:08:13] It looks good, but the devil is in the

[1:08:16] details. So, we did review the contract.

[1:08:20] We had some hesitations about it. Um,

[1:08:25] and so we're going back to them and

[1:08:26] asking them to provide sort of like u

[1:08:31] the little Miss Muffet or whoever the

[1:08:34] that you know the nursery rhyme where

[1:08:35] it's too hot, too cold, and just right.

[1:08:38] So, we're going to ask them to go back

[1:08:39] one more time and we're going to look at

[1:08:41] three versions that are going to be

[1:08:44] presented to us, which we would like the

[1:08:46] three versions to be presented to town

[1:08:48] council that we can show that we really

[1:08:51] did all our due diligence, that we

[1:08:53] vetted, that we asked questions, that we

[1:08:55] can make the best decision for the town,

[1:08:58] particularly from a financial

[1:09:00] perspective and also just protecting our

[1:09:02] assets um as well. Uh, also Chief

[1:09:07] Starkell has also spoken to the folks

[1:09:11] that provide communication towers for

[1:09:13] emergency services. And so there's going

[1:09:15] to be um some more conversations about

[1:09:18] actual locations for these either actual

[1:09:22] towers or um apparatus that amplify

[1:09:26] signals in areas that are considered

[1:09:29] dead or low signals. So progress is

[1:09:32] being made and so more to come on those

[1:09:35] on that the larger contract for sure in

[1:09:38] the in the coming weeks. And was there

[1:09:41] anything I missed?

[1:09:42] >> I think we got it. Okay.

[1:09:43] >> Yeah, we're waiting for the third option

[1:09:45] which Craig said is going to be tailored

[1:09:48] more as the one that Marboro. So there

[1:09:52] will be

[1:09:55] » and I know there was a misspelit who was

[1:09:58] the who was the uh goldilocks

[1:10:02] >> yes call us goldilocks we're looking for

[1:10:04] that

[1:10:04] >> and then there would

[1:10:05] >> happy medium

[1:10:06] >> you know alongside of doing something

[1:10:08] you know a new contract for the existing

[1:10:12] tower there would probably be an RFP

[1:10:16] done for an additional tower

[1:10:21] to be continued.

[1:10:22] >> All right. Very good. That's good

[1:10:24] development there. I appreciate all the

[1:10:25] efforts there.

[1:10:26] >> I think that's going to bring some

[1:10:28] needed cell service to town and some

[1:10:30] additional income that we could use

[1:10:32] additional revenues, right?

[1:10:33] >> It's a it's a multiaceted challenge to

[1:10:36] bring more revenue to town. That's one

[1:10:38] of it.

[1:10:39] >> Great. So, that brings us to the town

[1:10:41] website project update. Um, so I

[1:10:44] understand, Donna, the town manager's

[1:10:47] office has reviewed the computer

[1:10:48] services account and has determined that

[1:10:51] there is a shortfall of about 5 to8,000

[1:10:54] in the 2026 2027 budget to accommodate

[1:10:58] the full amount of this project and

[1:11:01] we're going to provide some details on

[1:11:02] that.

[1:11:03] >> Sure. So the amount we need to get this

[1:11:06] project started in this fiscal year is

[1:11:09] $14,750.

[1:11:12] So within the existing IT budget, we

[1:11:15] have a little bit of funding that we can

[1:11:18] assign to that project, but we are going

[1:11:20] to be short and that's a range because

[1:11:22] we don't know exactly how much we'll be

[1:11:25] paying to revise during the course of

[1:11:28] the rest of the year. And we have a few

[1:11:31] projects that we are hoping to do

[1:11:35] that we had planned to do this year for

[1:11:37] it. um mostly securitybased projects. Um

[1:11:43] and those are also we don't know what

[1:11:46] the final amount of those projects will

[1:11:48] be, but we anticipate we'll need 5 to

[1:11:51] $8,000. That number we can't tell you

[1:11:53] what it is today. So what we would like

[1:11:56] to do is move ahead with the contract

[1:11:59] with revis

[1:12:05] with the firm number of what we need.

[1:12:07] And our proposal would be to use or

[1:12:11] whatever the amount is that we need

[1:12:13] additional in our IT budget would be to

[1:12:16] use um existing

[1:12:20] ARPA interest. So there is interest in

[1:12:24] ARPA that acrewed that we have not

[1:12:26] allocated right now. We believe it's

[1:12:29] about $15,000.

[1:12:32] Um but there it may be a little bit more

[1:12:34] than that because we haven't updated

[1:12:36] that number since the last time we

[1:12:38] looked at ARPA really. Um and we can use

[1:12:41] ARP but interest

[1:12:44] for anything.

[1:12:46] So that's where we're proposing because

[1:12:49] that way we don't have to do a transfer

[1:12:52] from another line item. We don't have to

[1:12:54] seek a special or supplemental

[1:12:56] appropriation.

[1:12:58] Um it would still leave a little bit of

[1:13:01] a cushion in ARPA

[1:13:04] if we needed it for the you know last

[1:13:06] couple of projects that we're doing. So,

[1:13:08] we'd like to move ahead so we can get

[1:13:10] this project started knowing that we do

[1:13:13] have a source for the funding.

[1:13:18] >> Very good.

[1:13:18] >> Love that idea.

[1:13:21] >> So, is this like a one time? Is this

[1:13:24] going to be like a higher amount the

[1:13:26] first year? Is there implement?

[1:13:28] >> No. So, next year, so for the first

[1:13:31] three years, they're spreading the

[1:13:33] implementation or the new website.

[1:13:35] They're spreading that over the first

[1:13:37] three years. In the fourth year, the

[1:13:40] amount, and I think this is in your

[1:13:42] package,

[1:13:43] >> it is

[1:13:43] >> the fourth year, it is going to be a

[1:13:45] $9500 a year fee going forward. So, in

[1:13:50] next year's budget, there will be an

[1:13:52] increase in the IT budget of probably

[1:13:56] around $8,000

[1:13:58] to cover the the second year of the

[1:14:03] three-year

[1:14:05] basin.

[1:14:07] >> And so, it's covering the migration of

[1:14:09] all the content to and establishing

[1:14:11] these sites. So, that what they're

[1:14:13] taking is that about 25 grand I think it

[1:14:15] was.

[1:14:16] >> Yeah. instead of us having to up the

[1:14:19] full amount spreading it out over three

[1:14:20] years and then the fourth year then

[1:14:22] we're down to what the normal yearly fee

[1:14:25] >> the annual.

[1:14:27] >> Yeah.

[1:14:28] >> I mean but on on the other hand and I

[1:14:31] know I'm glad that the audit is done and

[1:14:34] I know we still have two more ahead of

[1:14:35] us.

[1:14:36] >> Yes, we do. But um you know as we as we

[1:14:40] start to look at our unassigned fund

[1:14:42] balance numbers like these these are the

[1:14:45] kind of things you know we we've had

[1:14:48] these budget conversations in the past

[1:14:50] and I don't want to get into that

[1:14:54] situation during budget season like we

[1:14:57] have in the past where we're trying to

[1:14:59] use it to supplement operations because

[1:15:03] that's going to get us into an issue

[1:15:05] with the accountants.

[1:15:06] But this kind of of you know

[1:15:10] implementation

[1:15:11] expense is the perfect way to use a

[1:15:15] small amount of unassigned fund balance

[1:15:17] so we can you know slowly tweak that

[1:15:21] number into what our target value is

[1:15:26] and also not have these you know higher

[1:15:31] taxes for two years and then we drop

[1:15:33] back down to normal. I mean, don't get

[1:15:35] me wrong, I appreciate them being open

[1:15:37] to being able to spread that out,

[1:15:39] >> but on the other hand, like these these

[1:15:43] kinds of one-time fixed spikes

[1:15:46] >> is what that unassigned fund balance is

[1:15:49] designed to smooth out. Okay? And so

[1:15:51] like from an accounting perspective,

[1:15:54] this is the perfect opportunity to use

[1:15:56] as a as a minor tweak

[1:15:59] >> if we see that this dollar amount is is

[1:16:03] what we want to use.

[1:16:04] >> Yeah.

[1:16:04] >> Well, that

[1:16:07] >> if if we say, okay, we our target is

[1:16:10] $100,000 less. you know, if there's 24

[1:16:13] of it is this, that helps us get close

[1:16:15] without having a gigantic swing where

[1:16:18] we're above our target, below our

[1:16:20] target, all over the place. You know, I

[1:16:23] kind of like these little increments

[1:16:26] because then we're not we're not making

[1:16:28] huge adjustments that might put us in

[1:16:30] danger of anything. So, just something

[1:16:32] to keep in mind for when [clears throat]

[1:16:34] we when as we get closer to budget

[1:16:36] season.

[1:16:36] >> Um because these kinds of implementation

[1:16:40] >> um expenses are perfect for that

[1:16:44] >> because that's really I mean that's

[1:16:45] really what it's designed for is it's

[1:16:47] you know one-time capital injections or

[1:16:51] you know implementation costs that we're smoothing out but not

[1:16:55] supplementing operations.

[1:17:00] I appreciate that background.

[1:17:01] >> Yeah, absolutely. Thanks for that,

[1:17:03] Keith.

[1:17:03] >> Something I would have never thought of,

[1:17:05] >> right?

[1:17:05] >> Thank you.

[1:17:06] >> Count of the group.

[1:17:09] >> Good. Um, so any any other comments?

[1:17:14] » Okay. Um, so we do have a proposed

[1:17:16] motion.

[1:17:18] >> Uh, Claudia, sure. You like to read

[1:17:19] that? Move that the Hebrin Town Council

[1:17:22] approve moving forward with the attached

[1:17:24] web services sales agreement with Revise

[1:17:26] LLC to implement a new website the town

[1:17:29] of Hebrin and authorized Donna Lanza

[1:17:31] interim town manager to sign the

[1:17:33] agreement and to effectuate the project.

[1:17:36] >> Okay. So all those in favor indicate by

[1:17:38] saying I oppose. Nay or abstain. Lia

[1:17:41] Riley.

[1:17:42] >> Claudia Riley I.

[1:17:43] >> Keith Pettit.

[1:17:44] I.

[1:17:45] >> Sean Fitzgerald.

[1:17:46] I.

[1:17:47] >> Dan Lawrence I. Motion passes. Thank

[1:17:49] you. Fantastic.

[1:17:51] >> That's a long time coming. Thanks so

[1:17:53] much. Appreciate all your work, Jory,

[1:17:55] Donna,

[1:17:56] >> Mallerie, and Absentia. You guys all

[1:17:58] spent a lot of time in, you know,

[1:18:00] different uh interviews with these

[1:18:02] different companies. So glad to finally

[1:18:05] settle on this company. I think they're

[1:18:06] going to be great. So looking forward to

[1:18:08] this, guys. Thank you all.

[1:18:10] >> Thank you.

[1:18:12] >> All right, there's the whole agreement.

[1:18:14] You scroll through if you haven't

[1:18:15] already. Um, okay. And so that brings us

[1:18:18] to town manager executive search update.

[1:18:24] So

[1:18:24] >> you want to do it?

[1:18:25] >> I can I can. So um we had our final

[1:18:31] interviews

[1:18:33] um and we've settled on a a candidate,

[1:18:36] but we're not in a position to announce

[1:18:38] that person yet. Uh we're very close to

[1:18:41] signing the agreement. Um, but we are

[1:18:44] looking forward to doing a press release

[1:18:46] hopefully next week. Um, we're really

[1:18:49] excited about our choice. I think that

[1:18:51] person is going to bring a tremendous

[1:18:53] amount of experience

[1:18:55] >> and know how um and um just just

[1:19:00] background in running a town uh and uh

[1:19:05] developing a town and supporting

[1:19:08] businesses in town. Um, so yeah, I'm I'm

[1:19:12] super excited about our decision and and

[1:19:15] the whole team uh came, you know, to

[1:19:17] this to this point and we're in

[1:19:19] agreement with our choice. So, um, I

[1:19:22] think it was a a tre gargantuan effort

[1:19:25] for everyone here. There was a lot of

[1:19:27] meetings on it, a lot of interviews, a

[1:19:30] lot of pouring through resumes,

[1:19:31] researching about these candidates. Uh,

[1:19:34] all of I just want the town to know all

[1:19:36] of the town council people here tonight

[1:19:39] spent an enormous amount of their time

[1:19:41] to find the best person to help run our

[1:19:45] town. And I want to thank Donna again.

[1:19:47] You were instrumental as well helping us

[1:19:49] work with SGR. SG and Bill were

[1:19:53] tremendous uh partners in this. uh they

[1:19:56] were extremely professional and um you

[1:19:59] know they really gave us a tremendous

[1:20:01] amount of candidates to choose from uh

[1:20:04] and they did a tremendous amount of

[1:20:06] their own research and assessment to

[1:20:08] help us make informed decisions as well.

[1:20:11] So I just want to open it up to the team

[1:20:13] if there's anything else you guys want

[1:20:14] to say about the process or candidate at

[1:20:17] this time. Okay. The only other thing is

[1:20:22] that the formal appointment will be made

[1:20:25] at the next meeting on September

[1:20:26] >> 7. Thank you. Thanks, K. Yeah, that's

[1:20:28] right. So, we'll have the chair back and

[1:20:30] so uh looking forward to making that uh

[1:20:33] official appointment then the next

[1:20:35] meeting in two weeks.

[1:20:37] Very good. Okay, that's that big one. Um

[1:20:41] so, well, in the meantime,

[1:20:44] [laughter]

[1:20:45] we have to reappoint the interim town

[1:20:47] manager. So we uh by charter would do

[1:20:49] that for another month. Um so I think we

[1:20:53] would need a motion on that. So Keith

[1:20:55] Pocket, could you read that motion?

[1:20:58] >> Be it resolved, pursuant to section 601B

[1:21:01] of the town charter, the Heintown

[1:21:03] Council reappoints Donna Lanza to

[1:21:06] continue as interim town manager for an

[1:21:08] additional 30 days from September 5th,

[1:21:11] 2026 through October 5th, 2026.

[1:21:17] All right. Any discussion?

[1:21:20] Hearing none. All those in favor say I.

[1:21:22] Oppose. Nay or abstain.

[1:21:25] >> Vlatty Riley.

[1:21:26] >> Vlad Riley. I.

[1:21:27] >> Keith Pettit.

[1:21:27] I.

[1:21:28] >> Sean Fitzgerald.

[1:21:29] I

[1:21:30] >> Jam Lawrence I. Motion passes.

[1:21:35] All right. Thank you. So that brings us

[1:21:36] then to the Hein Solar One project

[1:21:40] discussion. Um so um at a special

[1:21:44] meeting on August 27th, 2026, the

[1:21:47] Heintown Council voted to request party

[1:21:49] status and the Hein Solar One project.

[1:21:52] The town attorney will be filing the

[1:21:54] request on behalf of the town and an

[1:21:57] update is to be provided.

[1:22:00] So, we distributed for you tonight um

[1:22:04] the draft of the attorney's submission

[1:22:08] that will be sent tomorrow. Um and then

[1:22:12] attached to that is the summary that we

[1:22:16] gave him to to work from the items that

[1:22:20] the council pointed out at the last

[1:22:22] meeting. Um, I think the only decision

[1:22:27] tonight would be whether or not the

[1:22:30] council wants to request as part of this

[1:22:34] submission

[1:22:35] a public hearing.

[1:22:39] It's not necessary. The town attorney

[1:22:42] said at this point there is no public

[1:22:44] hearing scheduled. Um, they do not have

[1:22:47] to hold a public hearing. If we request

[1:22:50] one, they still don't have to hold it.

[1:22:53] They can if if they want to. On the

[1:22:56] public hearing would allow us to

[1:23:00] um submit evidence, ask um questions,

[1:23:07] interview

[1:23:09] if there is, you know, any

[1:23:12] public hearing. So, it's not necessary

[1:23:15] and it's not something that you were

[1:23:17] requesting. But he just wanted you to

[1:23:20] know it is an option. So tomorrow we can

[1:23:25] um ask him to submit it as it is or we

[1:23:28] can remove the public hearing request

[1:23:30] and submit it just for the party status

[1:23:34] request.

[1:23:36] >> The planning and zoning commission has

[1:23:38] already submitted their letter that is

[1:23:41] already on the sighting council website.

[1:23:45] I mean, I would say personally as as one

[1:23:47] of the ones who voted I to the narrowly

[1:23:50] passing of becoming party status, I

[1:23:54] would say the public hearing would

[1:23:56] overstep what I was voting I for. This

[1:23:59] is purelyformational. We want to remain

[1:24:02] a businessfriendly town.

[1:24:03] >> Yeah.

[1:24:04] >> And

[1:24:06] a public hearing tips into business

[1:24:09] unfriendly.

[1:24:10] >> I concur.

[1:24:11] >> So, yeah. So, no.

[1:24:13] >> Yeah. I I already had talked uh to Don

[1:24:17] about it and felt the same way. That was

[1:24:19] not the spirit of our original request.

[1:24:21] I know it was a tight vote. I I do

[1:24:24] think, you know, the spirit of it was to

[1:24:26] be informed and and we want to inform uh

[1:24:30] the Hein citizens as much as we possibly

[1:24:32] can about the project uh so that they

[1:24:35] understand what is being done and that

[1:24:37] was the intent

[1:24:39] and the other two council members voted

[1:24:41] against doing it in the first place.

[1:24:42] >> Right. That's all right. So, so no

[1:24:44] additions.

[1:24:44] >> Okay, that is

[1:24:46] >> you that. Okay. Okay. Very good. So,

[1:24:49] we'll just take that out.

[1:24:51] >> Thank you. Thank you, Don. Appreciate

[1:24:52] that. Thanks, everybody.

[1:24:54] >> Any other old business before the

[1:24:56] council?

[1:24:58] >> Any other old business?

[1:25:00] >> Hearing none, that brings us to new

[1:25:02] business. Um, first item is a requested

[1:25:06] waiver for winter.

[1:25:07] >> Are you still supply? Are you still

[1:25:09] awake over there, Paul? All

[1:25:11] right.

[1:25:13] >> You you absorbing all this today?

[1:25:14] >> Exactly. [laughter]

[1:25:18] » Um,

[1:25:19] >> good evening.

[1:25:21] >> Um, yeah, I'm mentioning the word salt.

[1:25:23] You guys are about to have some burgers

[1:25:25] on the grill this weekend. So,

[1:25:27] >> salt burgers are good.

[1:25:28] >> Yeah, a little add a little extra salt.

[1:25:30] Good for blood pressure. [laughter]

[1:25:32] Basically what I'm coming here to you

[1:25:34] guys to say to get is a bid waiver

[1:25:37] because of the prod is a Morton salt

[1:25:40] which I had lead last year and I had

[1:25:44] supply of salt for almost the whole

[1:25:46] winter and Morton

[1:25:48] um from the communities I talked to

[1:25:50] other public work directors they had run

[1:25:52] out and the quality of the salt was just

[1:25:55] they're scraping basically the bottom of

[1:25:57] the barrel to give them some salt to

[1:25:59] give them the storms And when lead ran

[1:26:03] out of uh treated salt, they offered me

[1:26:05] regular salt if I needed it in place of

[1:26:08] uh the treated salt so they can keep me

[1:26:11] sort of afloat and which was a great

[1:26:13] thing. So then also this year Morton

[1:26:15] salt I believe is a little better for

[1:26:17] the state of Connecticut also. So a lot

[1:26:19] more uh communities are going to be

[1:26:22] getting out going with Morton this year.

[1:26:24] So, I just want to step aside so we

[1:26:27] speak and go with the next bit up. And

[1:26:29] uh it's a dollar more a ton. And you can

[1:26:31] see on the sheet here, last year we went

[1:26:33] to 1,475 tons and the year before that

[1:26:37] we did like 600. So around,000

[1:26:40] more than it cost us this year if we

[1:26:43] were to go this route if on average. So,

[1:26:47] >> and you repented trying to run uh avoid

[1:26:50] the situation of maybe running out or

[1:26:51] running into supply issues.

[1:26:53] >> I mean, you need for basic snow for

[1:26:55] media obviously employees, you need

[1:26:57] equipment, you need salt and then, you

[1:26:59] know, so if we don't have materials and obviously fuel you need too. So,

[1:27:05] >> right.

[1:27:06] >> So, I don't want to run I don't run

[1:27:07] around salt and I do something different

[1:27:10] than other municipalities. I don't wait

[1:27:12] to get down low in salt. I order every

[1:27:14] storm. So every storm if we use up 75

[1:27:16] pound tons, boom, ordered next day. So

[1:27:19] >> well, you guys always do a fantastic

[1:27:20] job. I really appreciate it. Absolutely.

[1:27:23] Back at my my guys, my team.

[1:27:25] >> Always. I mean, uh I I that was one of

[1:27:27] the first things I noticed moving to

[1:27:28] town was my god, these guys, they clean

[1:27:30] the road so quick. It's it's amazing,

[1:27:32] right? So just kudos to your whole team.

[1:27:34] >> We try we try hard, you know.

[1:27:36] >> Yeah, we appreciate it. It's it's it's

[1:27:37] obvious. Yeah, we appreciate it.

[1:27:39] >> Thank you.

[1:27:40] >> Any

[1:27:42] questions? I just hope that the bridge

[1:27:44] gets done before winter because I I like

[1:27:47] being on old Colchester because it

[1:27:48] always gets plowed first.

[1:27:50] >> Yes, it will. Right.

[1:27:52] >> They're actually supposed to be pouring

[1:27:53] concrete tomorrow that one of the things

[1:27:55] came in late today. So, they're going to

[1:27:56] wait till Tuesday to pour more concrete,

[1:27:58] but it should be done by uh Turkey Day.

[1:28:01] >> Perfect.

[1:28:01] >> They're on schedule.

[1:28:02] >> Okay.

[1:28:03] >> And right, you know, all the all the

[1:28:04] money. They're right on right on

[1:28:06] schedule of everything. So,

[1:28:07] >> fastest bridge in history. My goodness.

[1:28:09] Right. before you know it.

[1:28:10] >> Producing Colchester took 10 years.

[1:28:13] >> Nice work.

[1:28:15] >> Fantastic. All right. So, thanks for

[1:28:18] that, Paul. All right. And I think

[1:28:19] you're gonna have another one, but we'll

[1:28:20] vote on this one first. So, I think that

[1:28:23] >> uh I'll ask Sean to leave this one.

[1:28:27] Sure.

[1:28:28] >> You're next.

[1:28:29] >> I can next on the

[1:28:32] >> Thank you for the zoom. I'm not that

[1:28:34] old.

[1:28:35] >> [laughter]

[1:28:36] >> I move that the Hebrin Town Council in

[1:28:38] accordance with the town of Hebrin

[1:28:40] purchasing policies and procedures

[1:28:42] approve a bid waiver and award the

[1:28:43] contract for winter salt supply to lead

[1:28:46] salt.

[1:28:46] >> All right. Have any I have to say that

[1:28:49] correctly or else I would have

[1:28:51] >> All right. Any other discussion on the

[1:28:53] salt hearing? None. All those in favor

[1:28:57] say I. Oppose. Nay or abstain. Claudia

[1:29:00] Riley.

[1:29:00] >> Claudia Riley. I

[1:29:01] >> Keith Pettit.

[1:29:02] >> Keith Pett. I

[1:29:03] >> Sean Fitzgerald.

[1:29:04] Jan Lawrence I motion

[1:29:06] passes. You got your salt.

[1:29:09] >> Thank you.

[1:29:09] >> All right.

[1:29:10] >> We didn't want salt.

[1:29:13] [laughter]

[1:29:14] >> That's right. That's right. It's going

[1:29:16] to get a little punchy now. It's getting

[1:29:17] late in there meeting.

[1:29:19] >> All right. So now we also have a

[1:29:21] requested waiver for street markings. So

[1:29:24] apology you

[1:29:25] >> Yeah, we've been using the Atlantic

[1:29:27] pavement marking for the last little

[1:29:29] since I've been here three years. And uh

[1:29:31] I use them in my prior job also and they

[1:29:35] do an overall decent job, but they they

[1:29:38] just to me they don't seem to be up to

[1:29:40] my where I want to see it. I drive

[1:29:42] around, I notice I put like 12,000 miles

[1:29:45] just in this town blowing my vehicle

[1:29:48] every year. So I notice every little

[1:29:50] thing and I notice every year that they

[1:29:52] vary left and right of the lines and

[1:29:53] stuff like I'm not sure if it's because

[1:29:55] of a car coming at them. I I don't

[1:29:56] really know. So the other company that

[1:29:59] we're looking at going through, they

[1:30:01] safety markings, they actually mark at

[1:30:02] night time. They'll actually come in

[1:30:04] here at like 10 o'clock at night and

[1:30:05] mark it off. So when you wake up in the

[1:30:06] morning, your lines are fresh.

[1:30:08] >> So we spend about $20,000 a year on line

[1:30:12] street markings, some in the fall

[1:30:14] because like Burrows Hill, we like to

[1:30:15] get it before the snow flies here

[1:30:18] because it tends to be darker out. Those

[1:30:20] are the windy roads and stuff like that.

[1:30:22] Then in the springtime, we just hit the

[1:30:24] rest of the road so it's nice and fresh

[1:30:25] all summer long. So, but I'd like to go

[1:30:28] with the next uh on the next on the

[1:30:31] prime bid uh the safety markings.

[1:30:33] >> Okay. Any any questions on that one?

[1:30:36] >> It's not the same. It's a quality issue.

[1:30:39] >> Yeah. I mean, when you have the squirrel

[1:30:41] carcass in the middle of the road and

[1:30:42] the two live, [laughter]

[1:30:46] >> we got a few of those, I'm afraid. All

[1:30:49] right. Very good. Uh any other

[1:30:51] questions, comments? All right. So,

[1:30:54] let's see it real quick, please. So,

[1:30:57] you've already done the math. What would

[1:30:59] be the difference?

[1:31:01] >> I see the the 1.4 cents per foot.

[1:31:04] >> I'm going to be putting some of the line

[1:31:06] marking like uh the ones we the roads we

[1:31:08] do this year. They're going to be coming

[1:31:09] out of our road improvement budget. So,

[1:31:12] I don't have the exact cost, but you can

[1:31:14] see the breakdown um in the write up of

[1:31:17] what what's the difference is

[1:31:19] >> 30. You have to add the two together. So

[1:31:21] it's 30 cents or something like that per

[1:31:24] mile. And then he gives you the

[1:31:27] estimated the estimated miles.

[1:31:29] >> So the difference would be three cents a

[1:31:30] mile. Just again just just because I've

[1:31:32] got a calculator here. Let me just

[1:31:35] >> Yeah. Thanks. So that I know what I'm

[1:31:37] getting myself into here

[1:31:39] times.

[1:31:40] >> And not every road gets painted every

[1:31:41] year. Some of the side streets will hold

[1:31:43] off and when it starts to fade we'll hit

[1:31:44] it then.

[1:31:47] >> And perfect road. All the roads get paid

[1:31:49] painted every year.

[1:31:51] I don't think we need to do that.

[1:31:52] >> We have a four low forest here.

[1:31:54] >> Okay.

[1:31:55] >> Yeah. Thanks for the question, Sean.

[1:31:57] >> Which would be Yeah. I mean, so less

[1:31:59] than less than a 10% increase for

[1:32:01] significant quality.

[1:32:02] >> Mhm.

[1:32:05] >> The contractor did tell me it may take

[1:32:06] two years for it to get up to his liking

[1:32:09] also. But I said, "Listen, we we'll try

[1:32:11] it out one year, and if it's the same

[1:32:13] sort of quality, then I'm just gonna go

[1:32:15] back to the the other company." But I

[1:32:18] got a big favor in this company. Okay.

[1:32:21] >> Very good. Buddy, you want to read this

[1:32:22] one?

[1:32:23] >> Sure. Move that the Hein Town Council in

[1:32:25] accordance with town of Hebrin

[1:32:27] purchasing policies and procedures

[1:32:29] approve a bid waiver and award the

[1:32:31] contract for street markings to safety

[1:32:33] markings.

[1:32:34] >> Very good. All right. So, all those in

[1:32:36] favor say I. Oppose. Nay or abstain. Ly

[1:32:39] Riley.

[1:32:40] >> Ly Riley. I

[1:32:41] >> Keith Pett.

[1:32:42] >> Keith Pettit. I.

[1:32:42] >> Sean Fitzgerald.

[1:32:43] I

[1:32:44] >> Jan Lawrence I. Motion passes.

[1:32:48] >> You got your lines.

[1:32:50] your soul

[1:32:52] priority. That's all I got to say.

[1:32:54] >> That's it.

[1:32:55] >> Thanks for spending time with us. Thanks

[1:32:57] for waiting for us. I appreciate it.

[1:32:59] >> See you guys.

[1:33:00] >> Good night.

[1:33:00] >> Less than a month from now. My

[1:33:02] presentation.

[1:33:02] >> That's right. That's right. Looking

[1:33:03] forward to it.

[1:33:04] >> Sharon put a good presentation up

[1:33:05] tonight. So

[1:33:06] >> she did.

[1:33:06] >> I got to kick it up.

[1:33:08] >> I'm telling you, these guys are setting

[1:33:09] the bar high.

[1:33:11] >> All right. Take care. Thanks, Paul.

[1:33:14] >> All right. So, let's see. That brings us

[1:33:16] to discussion of a potential noise noise

[1:33:20] ordinance.

[1:33:22] >> I'm going to hand it over to Keith

[1:33:24] Pettit.

[1:33:26] >> I mean, I just

[1:33:27] >> I didn't know what this was about. I'm

[1:33:28] sorry. I forget.

[1:33:29] >> Well, this is something that we're going

[1:33:31] to have to do some some research on.

[1:33:33] Okay. Um because you know one of the one

[1:33:36] of the major things with

[1:33:39] the potential issue from the solar one

[1:33:43] >> is that um

[1:33:45] >> you know obviously it's private land. We

[1:33:47] can't

[1:33:48] >> get involved. The sighting council is

[1:33:50] going to

[1:33:52] >> you know make the decision on what can

[1:33:54] and can't go in. However, as a

[1:33:56] community, we can um enforce certain

[1:34:00] ordinances related to the the number one

[1:34:04] issue with facilities like this is the

[1:34:08] you know abundance of noise that's

[1:34:10] caused by the large power inverters. And

[1:34:13] so what we can look into is having some

[1:34:17] sort of townwide ordinance that is not

[1:34:19] specific to any one company or land

[1:34:22] owner, but that addresses the problem

[1:34:25] imposed by, you know, large inverters or

[1:34:29] other large electrical equipment that

[1:34:31] have a continuous high decibel hum and

[1:34:35] how that affects, you know,

[1:34:39] >> abuing land owners, right?

[1:34:41] >> Yeah. So, um, it's just something that I

[1:34:43] wanted to kind of bring to our

[1:34:44] attention. We can look around to see if

[1:34:47] there's other communities that have, you

[1:34:49] know, similar ordinances. I know a lot

[1:34:52] of communities have noise ordinances

[1:34:54] pertaining to before a certain hour,

[1:34:56] after a certain hour, but I think this

[1:34:59] should be more tailored specifically to,

[1:35:03] you know, because it's a it's the

[1:35:06] persistent loud humming of electrical

[1:35:08] equipment

[1:35:10] >> that yeah, you might not notice it if

[1:35:12] you're driving by it because it hums and

[1:35:14] then it goes away. But if you're an

[1:35:16] abuing land owner and every time you

[1:35:18] walk out your front door, it sounds like

[1:35:20] there's this like swarm of bees five

[1:35:23] feet behind you, that can get annoying

[1:35:26] after six months. No doubt. you know, so

[1:35:29] um I think that that's something, you

[1:35:31] know, a simple good neighbor ordinance,

[1:35:35] um having some sort of soundproofing or

[1:35:37] other things that prevent that kind of

[1:35:40] persistent noise from crossing um you

[1:35:44] know, landlines.

[1:35:45] >> Yeah. No, I think it's a great idea. Um,

[1:35:48] you know, we we were researching uh

[1:35:51] these other projects this company

[1:35:53] carried out and that was one of the

[1:35:55] issues

[1:35:56] >> that was brought up in one of the towns.

[1:35:58] And um and you know, again, it's better

[1:36:01] to preempt this and and have them, you

[1:36:03] know, require them to have the proper

[1:36:05] sound deadening equipment uh to prevent

[1:36:09] that from happening because now these

[1:36:11] towns is is having an issue with trying

[1:36:13] to get them to put up some kind of sound

[1:36:15] barrier.

[1:36:17] So, we want to avoid that.

[1:36:19] >> Yeah. And it's and and I, you know, I

[1:36:21] don't want to be seen, again, you know,

[1:36:24] we talked about the business friendly

[1:36:25] environment. Sure. Um, I don't want to

[1:36:27] be seen as like picking on one

[1:36:30] particular property owner or business.

[1:36:32] This would be something that would be

[1:36:34] townwide. Sure.

[1:36:35] >> It would be something known that before

[1:36:38] a company even comes in, they know,

[1:36:40] look, I have to be a good neighbor. I

[1:36:42] have to abide by these rules. And it's

[1:36:44] not something where we're picking and

[1:36:47] choosing who we're going to be

[1:36:50] >> allowing. It's it's a more standard

[1:36:53] businessfriendly environment because,

[1:36:55] you know, a lot of people think that

[1:36:57] businesses, you know, hate towns that

[1:37:00] have these inordinate expectations or

[1:37:02] whatever. It's it's not that. If a

[1:37:04] business knows what it's going what it's

[1:37:07] getting into from the beginning, they

[1:37:09] can plan and either say that's for me or

[1:37:11] that's not for me. Um, but it's when

[1:37:13] businesses come in and they are abiding

[1:37:17] by the rules and then as soon as they

[1:37:20] show interest, they start getting above

[1:37:22] and beyond push back, right?

[1:37:24] >> That's when we become a business

[1:37:25] unfriendly environment.

[1:37:27] >> You don't want to make it be a moving

[1:37:28] target, right? You don't want them to

[1:37:30] have to, oh, well, we did that now, but

[1:37:32] we want that. Oh, no, but now we want

[1:37:34] this. Yeah, we want to avoid that. We

[1:37:36] want to be upfront. Hey, this is what

[1:37:38] we're expecting. We don't think it it's overreaching

[1:37:42] >> and this is what we expect of everybody

[1:37:44] just you.

[1:37:44] >> Yes. Exactly. Exactly. Right. Um because

[1:37:48] you know again we will see in the future

[1:37:50] what other businesses come to town but

[1:37:52] again we want to protect u residents as

[1:37:55] well and but at the same time be

[1:37:58] business friendly. So I think it's it

[1:37:59] makes a lot of sense.

[1:38:01] >> Yeah. I do think just with noise

[1:38:04] ordinances we would have to understand

[1:38:08] how that would be enforced

[1:38:10] >> and that has been the you know one of

[1:38:12] the main issues when noise ordinance has

[1:38:16] that issue has come up a few times over

[1:38:18] the last many years

[1:38:20] >> is how how you enforce it. Do you have

[1:38:22] someone who can enforce it

[1:38:25] >> and you need a decibel meter it has to

[1:38:28] be calibrated you have to be able to

[1:38:30] respond. So we would have to understand

[1:38:33] how all of that works.

[1:38:34] >> That's right.

[1:38:35] >> And I I understand that this would be

[1:38:38] specific to the electronic noise. It not

[1:38:42] just a in general noise ordinance

[1:38:45] because the couple of times that that

[1:38:47] has come up over the years. It has been

[1:38:52] um not well received.

[1:38:54] Let's just put it that way. We've had

[1:38:56] it. We've had um the most recent time we

[1:39:00] went as far as public hearing because we

[1:39:02] had a proposed ordinance. We were moving

[1:39:04] ahead with it.

[1:39:06] >> Public hearing. There was a huge

[1:39:08] outpouring against

[1:39:11] implementing a noise ordinance. So,

[1:39:13] >> do you remember what they were uh what

[1:39:15] were the issues? Um it was back in 2006

[1:39:20] 2007

[1:39:22] and I think the reason we were pursuing

[1:39:24] a noise ordinance at that time was a lot

[1:39:27] of um ATVs and motor bikes and you know

[1:39:31] very disruptive in certain

[1:39:33] neighborhoods. We did the public hearing

[1:39:37] um but

[1:39:39] too many people came out against it just

[1:39:43] you know

[1:39:44] taking away their their right to enjoy

[1:39:47] their own property and at that time it was determined that

[1:39:53] we backed off a little bit with the

[1:39:55] understanding that we would just fall

[1:39:57] back on the state statutes that do cover

[1:40:01] noise.

[1:40:02] >> I see.

[1:40:04] and the time before that it was pretty

[1:40:06] much the same. It didn't get that far.

[1:40:09] Um but when they started talking about

[1:40:11] it was more with construction noise they

[1:40:14] decided, you know, let's just deal with

[1:40:16] it administratively. So

[1:40:19] >> yeah, and I think that is something that

[1:40:21] we're going to have to address because

[1:40:22] again, this is not this is not meant

[1:40:24] for, you know,

[1:40:27] residential use as far as like a

[1:40:29] homeowner with an outside generator.

[1:40:32] like that's this is meant for ongoing

[1:40:34] persistent operations. I I think that

[1:40:37] when we do start looking at the specific

[1:40:39] language, it's going to have to be

[1:40:41] specific to either commercial or

[1:40:43] industrial continue

[1:40:46] or right, you know, like persistent use of equipment.

[1:40:51] >> Um,

[1:40:53] >> and you know, that's that's something

[1:40:54] that we can get into with that. But

[1:40:57] yeah, I I agree with Donna. Like

[1:40:58] especially the enforcement side of it

[1:41:00] when you're dealing with what we might

[1:41:03] consider the normal nuisance reporting.

[1:41:06] Oh, this person was doing something.

[1:41:08] Yeah. For a couple of hours, but that's very different from I don't think

[1:41:13] anybody would have an issue with an

[1:41:14] electrical transformer that only hummed

[1:41:16] for an hour a day.

[1:41:18] >> They probably wouldn't even notice. But

[1:41:21] when you're talking, you know, 247

[1:41:24] >> uh persistent like then that that starts

[1:41:27] to become an issue.

[1:41:29] >> Um so, you know, that's

[1:41:31] >> that's something that again it has to

[1:41:33] we'll have to look at how the language

[1:41:35] looks as we get further down the road.

[1:41:37] >> Sure. But um it'll be very much tailored

[1:41:40] so that we're not kind of chasing this,

[1:41:43] you know,

[1:41:44] >> the normal residential

[1:41:46] spikes in things related to, you know,

[1:41:50] an outside generator or

[1:41:53] >> enjoying, you know, a gasoline motor

[1:41:56] vehicle or whatever it happens to be,

[1:41:58] lawn mower, you know, that's that's not

[1:42:00] what this is, right?

[1:42:01] >> This is for persistent

[1:42:03] >> noises. Leave blowing's coming.

[1:42:06] >> Yeah. So, yeah, I'm afraid that's

[1:42:08] coming. Uh, very good. No, I appreciate

[1:42:11] you bringing that up. I think it's

[1:42:13] definitely worthwhile looking into. I'm

[1:42:16] curious what state statutes are out

[1:42:18] there, too, you know, but probably no

[1:42:21] probably nothing specific to that type

[1:42:24] of industrial

[1:42:26] noise because um of the experience that

[1:42:29] has happened in the past. But yeah, no,

[1:42:32] I think it's it's important uh that we

[1:42:34] look into that for sure. Yeah.

[1:42:37] Good.

[1:42:38] >> Put out a new town manager's list.

[1:42:42] >> Perfect. Well,

[1:42:42] >> we'll build a list for that person. I'm

[1:42:45] sure we'll have some ideas. Um, very

[1:42:47] good. Um, excellent. Thanks for that.

[1:42:50] All right. Um, so that brings us to the

[1:42:53] draft agenda for the September 17th

[1:42:57] regular meeting. I can scroll down to

[1:43:00] that. Um

[1:43:05] and

[1:43:06] looks at that. Um yeah, I think we're seeing an appointment there.

[1:43:12] Number six.

[1:43:16] Any comments, additions to that right

[1:43:19] now?

[1:43:21] >> If anybody has anything they'd like us

[1:43:23] to add just right, we got

[1:43:25] >> next week. You just need to know what is

[1:43:27] it the Friday by the Friday before

[1:43:30] >> earlier as

[1:43:33] early as possible. Friday we're sending

[1:43:35] out the agenda so before Friday.

[1:43:38] >> Got it. Very good.

[1:43:40] >> All right.

[1:43:41] >> Thank you.

[1:43:42] >> Thanks for that. Any other new business

[1:43:44] before the council?

[1:43:46] We have new business.

[1:43:50] >> All right. Hearing none, we come to the

[1:43:52] consent agenda. Consent agenda items are

[1:43:54] considered to be routine in nature which

[1:43:57] the council may not need to discuss

[1:43:59] individually and may be voted on as a

[1:44:01] group. Any council member who wishes to

[1:44:04] discuss a particular item in this

[1:44:06] section may request the chair to remove

[1:44:08] it for later discussion and a separate

[1:44:11] vote if necessary. So first of all we

[1:44:14] had the we need we have the approval of

[1:44:16] minutes for the August 20th 2026 regular

[1:44:19] meeting. Um, were there any issues with

[1:44:23] the minutes of the last meeting?

[1:44:29] » We're hearing none. Do we just approve

[1:44:31] those by consensus or do we have to vote

[1:44:32] on those individually?

[1:44:34] >> You can vote on the whole thing. So,

[1:44:36] that motion

[1:44:38] >> proposed motion. Does the minutes handle

[1:44:40] all the tax refund?

[1:44:41] >> Very good. And so, I signed all those

[1:44:43] tax refunds. So, um, if we can just, uh,

[1:44:47] I'll make a motion to approve the

[1:44:49] minutes for the August 2026 regular

[1:44:52] meeting and the tax refunds.

[1:44:55] Um,

[1:44:57] so I'll put that to a vote. Uh, Claudia

[1:45:01] Riley,

[1:45:02] >> Riley, I,

[1:45:03] >> Keith Pett, I,

[1:45:05] >> John Fitzgerald,

[1:45:06] >> Sean Fitzgerald, I,

[1:45:07] >> and Jan Lawrence, I

[1:45:09] that passes. That takes us to liaison

[1:45:12] reports. John Fitzgerald of AHM Youth

[1:45:16] Services.

[1:45:17] >> I do I do this meeting. It'll be quick.

[1:45:19] Kim uh HM has their well it's it's not

[1:45:22] annual. It's new. Hopefully annual

[1:45:24] Dancing with the Stars fundraiser. Oh,

[1:45:26] cool.

[1:45:27] >> held at RAM on September 19th 6 PM. Uh

[1:45:31] working with a number of local dance

[1:45:32] studios. So, should be a lot of fun. Um

[1:45:35] tickets are $12 in advance, 15 at the

[1:45:38] door. And you can learn more at ahm

[1:45:40] youth.org.

[1:45:42] >> Fantastic. All

[1:45:44] right, thanks Sean. Um, we have Hein

[1:45:47] board of ed, but of course Tiffany is

[1:45:49] not here.

[1:45:50] >> Um, I don't know of any updates on board

[1:45:53] event, so we'll just move on.

[1:45:56] >> Keith start to the school year.

[1:45:58] >> That Okay, there you go. It's like they

[1:46:00] got they got new roofs.

[1:46:02] >> They got new roofs, right? They got new

[1:46:04] roofs. So, we know that's definite.

[1:46:06] >> And they got a new fire panel, too, that

[1:46:08] he would help, right? That's good stuff.

[1:46:11] >> Excellent. All right. Uh, Board of

[1:46:12] Finance, Keith Pett,

[1:46:14] >> they have not met.

[1:46:15] >> Okay. Uh, open space has not met. WPCA

[1:46:19] is meeting next week. So, I'll be at

[1:46:21] that meeting next week. So, I'll have

[1:46:23] something to report at the next meeting

[1:46:24] for the town council. So, that takes us

[1:46:26] to RAM board of ed for Claudia.

[1:46:29] >> Yes. So, I do have something to report.

[1:46:31] Uh, the RAM board of education met uh

[1:46:34] for their first meeting. Welcome back,

[1:46:37] school year, etc. Um, as you all know,

[1:46:40] um, Donna did mention that there is a

[1:46:42] special meeting on September 10th, uh,

[1:46:46] that the superintendent did send out a

[1:46:48] letter, uh, explaining the reason for

[1:46:51] the meeting and all of the various, um,

[1:46:55] where, when, etc. So, the public

[1:46:57] obviously is invited to listen to that

[1:46:59] important announcement. on September

[1:47:01] 10th uh at the policy and programming

[1:47:04] subcommittee meeting uh the there was a

[1:47:08] approved policy passed around AI

[1:47:12] artificial intelligence

[1:47:14] >> which is a hot topic clearly

[1:47:17] >> it needs to be for staff and students

[1:47:20] and approving so that was one policy uh

[1:47:23] also they approved granting the Colombia

[1:47:26] students credits for art foundation and

[1:47:29] algebra 1 if they pass the course and

[1:47:30] choose to attend RAMP. Um the credit

[1:47:34] would not go to other schools of choice

[1:47:36] but they will at RAM. Hopefully it makes

[1:47:39] RAM more enticing choice for the open

[1:47:42] choice program or the surrounding towns

[1:47:44] that participate.

[1:47:46] Uh they also approved reducing nonprofit

[1:47:49] costs to rent space at RAM for

[1:47:53] um approved Hebrin Andover and Marbor

[1:47:55] nonprofits. So, they're going to reduce

[1:47:56] the rate from 175 to $100 an hour with a

[1:48:00] minimum of a 4hour minimum. This came up

[1:48:03] at the pre-me

[1:48:05] um with the chair and the superintendent

[1:48:09] with three people attending before the

[1:48:10] last board of education meeting. So,

[1:48:12] they were responsive to those requests

[1:48:14] for assistance there. $100 an hour fee

[1:48:18] will cover the cost of custodians,

[1:48:20] water, electricity, etc. So they're not

[1:48:22] paying for them

[1:48:24] uh to use the space and the subcommittee

[1:48:26] felt it makes us a good partner with the

[1:48:29] regional communities to reduce the price

[1:48:31] and lessen the burden on the nonprofits.

[1:48:35] Um and so those subcommittee

[1:48:37] recommendations will be brought to the

[1:48:39] full board of ed

[1:48:41] on for a vote a final vote and final

[1:48:44] approval on the next general meeting on

[1:48:46] September 14th. And that's it.

[1:48:50] >> Very good. a lot going on.

[1:48:51] >> I know.

[1:48:52] >> And I'm sorry, I misspoke earlier. They

[1:48:55] have met. It's just we have met three

[1:48:58] times since then.

[1:48:59] >> Oh, so

[1:49:00] >> it's all I was thinking to myself. I'm

[1:49:03] like, no, they they have met since our

[1:49:06] last business meeting. Um, so the last

[1:49:10] time they met, it was early last week.

[1:49:13] >> Okay. And um

[1:49:14] >> That's right.

[1:49:16] >> Or the It was since our last visit.

[1:49:18] >> Yeah. because we had a meeting

[1:49:20] >> when we were here and I saw them coming

[1:49:22] in. That's right.

[1:49:24] >> We had all of the con the contract

[1:49:26] meetings in between. So, yes,

[1:49:28] >> we met several times which is throwing

[1:49:30] me off.

[1:49:30] >> Understood.

[1:49:30] >> We're meeting all the time.

[1:49:31] >> That's understood. Um so the two the two

[1:49:35] things from their last meeting um they

[1:49:39] went over um some of the items coming up

[1:49:44] and as far as like projects and

[1:49:46] everything. And so they wanted to have a

[1:49:49] representative from our bond council

[1:49:51] come in to speak to them about

[1:49:54] things that they can do to make sure

[1:49:57] that when we get our audits done that we

[1:50:00] land in a good spot to have a good bond

[1:50:02] rating. And they wanted to understand

[1:50:05] some of the the intricacies of what goes

[1:50:08] into the bond rating process.

[1:50:10] >> Okay.

[1:50:10] >> So they're going to go ahead and

[1:50:12] schedule a meeting with our bond council

[1:50:14] at one of their future meetings.

[1:50:16] >> Okay. And they also um elected to create

[1:50:20] a working group. So um

[1:50:25] Brian O'Reilly and Adam Oman will be

[1:50:30] working on the side updating some of the

[1:50:33] policies to bring that language back to

[1:50:36] the full board um for updating some of

[1:50:39] the the financial policies. I believe

[1:50:41] the first one they're going to work on

[1:50:43] is the um

[1:50:46] the financial fund uh policy or the fund

[1:50:49] balance policy. So, they're going to

[1:50:52] have a working group. They're going to

[1:50:53] meet with bond commission. They're also

[1:50:55] going to call in some other, you know,

[1:50:57] experts to help them make some of these

[1:50:58] decisions

[1:51:00] >> and um hopefully we'll we'll see some

[1:51:02] improvement. And hopefully soon we will

[1:51:05] have a fully staffed finance department.

[1:51:09] >> That would be nice. They're all looking

[1:51:10] forward to that.

[1:51:11] >> Fantastic initiatives.

[1:51:13] >> Absolutely. Lot lot of opportunity

[1:51:16] there.

[1:51:17] >> Thanks, Keith.

[1:51:18] >> All right. So, that brings us to our

[1:51:19] second public comment. There's nobody

[1:51:21] here. Uh, so is there anybody online?

[1:51:26] >> We cleared the house.

[1:51:27] >> Yes.

[1:51:28] >> Yeah.

[1:51:30] >> All right.

[1:51:32] >> So, I think that will take us to an

[1:51:35] executive session. So, we'll have to log

[1:51:38] out of here and come back into adjourn.

[1:51:42] >> Yeah.

[1:51:42] >> All right. So, if we can get

[1:51:47] >> We can.

[1:51:51] » So, uh I move that the town council

[1:51:54] enter executive session at 8:51

[1:51:58] and invite in Donna Lanza, town manager

[1:52:01] and

Hebron Town Council - September 3, 2026

Transcript