[0:08] All right. Good evening. It is Tuesday,
March 24th, 6:00 p.m. and I call this
[0:11] meeting of the North Brookfield Board of
Selectmen to order. If you all rise and
[0:15] salute the flag.
[0:18] Pledge allegiance to the flag of the
United States of America and to the
[0:23] Republic for which it stands, one nation
under God, indivisible, with liberty and
[0:29] justice for all.
>> [clears throat]
[0:32] » All right. So, our meeting is starting a
little different tonight than usual cuz
[0:37] we have a
public hearing posted for 6:00 p.m.
[0:41] And that is [snorts] for
the CDBG application. And who's here for
[0:47] that?
Okay.
[0:50] Um
What's your name again? Shannon Sullivan
[0:52] and I'm from Central Mass Regional
Planning Commission. All right, Shannon
[0:56] Sullivan. Thank you.
Can you hear me all right here, okay? Um
[0:59] I think so. I think they can hear you
everywhere.
[1:02] Hi. Uh good evening, everyone. Uh my
name is Shannon Sullivan. I'm the
[1:05] Community Development Planner at the
Central Mass Regional Planning
[1:08] Commission or CMRPC. Uh we are the
state-designated regional planning
[1:13] agency for North Brookfield.
Um if you haven't signed in yet, you can
[1:16] please sign in at the sign-in sheet
right over there.
[1:19] Uh the purpose of this public hearing
tonight is for a presentation and
[1:23] discussion of the fiscal year 2026
Community Development Block Grant
[1:27] application. Our Board of Selectmen vote
is required to authorize the submission
[1:32] of the application by CMRPC on the
town's behalf. A handout located over
[1:37] near the sign-in sheet is also available
to reference the presentation.
[1:41] CDBG or Community Development Block
Grant was enacted in 1974 by President
[1:46] Gerald Ford. And it's federal funding
which comes through the US Department of
[1:50] Housing and Urban Development or HUD.
There are approximately 11 entitlement
[1:55] communities in the state which are
granted large federal funding
[1:59] automatically based on their
populations. So, places like Boston and
[2:02] Springfield and Worcester. Small
communities like North Brookfield known
[2:06] as non-entitlement communities follow a
competitive process in which not all
[2:10] communities are given CDBG funding.
So, projects under CDBG must meet three
[2:16] national objectives. The first,
benefiting low to moderate-income
[2:19] populations which is verified by income
survey and qualification process and or
[2:24] census data. Elderly and disabled
persons are generally considered to meet
[2:28] that low to moderate-income criteria.
The second national objective is to
[2:32] remove or prevent slums and blight on an
area basis which is verified through an
[2:37] inventory and report or for a single
property a spot designation. And lastly,
[2:42] a response to a community development or
urgent need by special request only
[2:46] which is very rare.
Eligible project types can include
[2:49] infrastructure like roads, sidewalks,
sewer, water and drainage, ADA-related
[2:54] ADA-related improvements
like elevators, sidewalks, access and
[2:59] ramps, public facility improvements such
as senior centers and public housing,
[3:03] but that's not for general use municipal
buildings such as town hall or DPW
[3:07] garages, um housing rehabilitation,
parks and recreation, planning, design
[3:12] and improvements for parks and
playgrounds, environmental remediation
[3:16] like a brownfields assessment, planning,
architectural and engineering designs
[3:20] and social services like literacy and
domestic violence prevention.
[3:25] There's no municipal financial outlay
required to apply for funding to manage
[3:29] and to manage projects and there's no
local match required. The state assigns
[3:33] a community needs score to each
entitlement community that affects the
[3:37] competitiveness of each community's
application.
[3:40] North Brookfield's needs score is a nine
out of 10 in the fiscal year 2026
[3:44] program which reflects a high need.
So, the proposed project for the fiscal
[3:49] year 2026 application is the South
Common Street and Saint Clare Avenue
[3:53] improvements project which may include
the design and construction of surface
[3:57] and subsurface public works
infrastructure improvements within the
[4:00] existing public right-of-way on South
Common Street and Saint Clare Avenue.
[4:05] The preliminary budget presented tonight
is not yet finalized, but it will be in
[4:09] the ballpark of what is presented.
Um here first, there is a maximum amount
[4:14] of $950,000
that the town can apply for meaning that
[4:18] the budget will not exceed that amount.
So, first, this includes design and
[4:22] construction activities which is going
to be approximately $810,000
[4:28] including the design and construction of
the subsurface and surface public works
[4:32] improvements.
In addition, the preliminary budget for
[4:35] grant administration and program
delivery is approximately $130,000
[4:41] which includes overall grant management
and technical administrative support,
[4:44] community development and support,
travel, advertising, training and
[4:48] education, contractor management, etc.
The total budget is to not exceed
[4:53] $950,000
as that's the maximum the town can apply
[4:57] for like I said earlier.
Uh this project was identified in the
[5:00] town's East Side Neighborhood
Infrastructure Study funded by a
[5:03] previous CDBG grant in fact in 2014. It
was recommended due to the existing
[5:09] conditions, location, available funds
and projected costs.
[5:13] Meetings and communications with town
public works officials have taken place
[5:16] to develop scoping and project phasing.
In addition to date, community outreach
[5:22] has included various website postings,
neighborhood outreach including a
[5:25] resident input letter mailed a few weeks
ago, this advertised public hearing
[5:29] tonight, and an upcoming resident
meeting being held Wednesday, April 1st
[5:33] at 6:00 p.m. at the Senior Center. We
encourage residents to attend that.
[5:38] This year's application is due on
Tuesday, April 21st about a month from
[5:42] now. Awards are typically announced in
either the summer or the fall.
[5:46] Uh from here, I can answer any questions
and I request for the recommended motion
[5:51] as stated at the bottom of this page.
Thank you.
[5:55] Thank you.
Good job. Thank you.
[5:58] » [clears throat]
>> Jamie, do you have any questions?
[6:10] All right.
Um
[6:17] » [clears throat]
[6:20] » So, but I'd ask if anybody has questions
out in the audience.
[6:27] Um
Question Questions need to be asked
[6:30] through the chair
so there's no back and forth, you know.
[6:34] Um it's going to be a little difficult
sometimes, but
[6:37] but I'd be Why was that area targeted
for improvement?
[6:42] Um so, as I had said, it was pri-
originally prioritized in an
[6:45] infrastructure study for the East Side
Neighborhood that was funded through a
[6:49] 2014 CDBG grant. Uh that study
identified improvements for subsurface
[6:54] infrastructure like water and sewer as
well as surface such as streets and
[6:58] sidewalks. Um this project was
prioritized in that study and in the
[7:02] recent community engagement efforts that
we've done, this project was also
[7:06] prioritized through that.
Um [snorts] so, that's where the where
[7:09] the project came from.
Thank you. Yeah.
[7:13] John.
Just for for [snorts] more information
[7:17] for the townspeople, a few years ago
uh we had a
[7:22] drainage issue with some surface
drainage and some of the houses on Saint
[7:27] Clare Ave.
Their sewer
[7:30] was not going in
proper locations.
[7:34] That's kind of what put this thing
on the on the upscale part of it. I know
[7:41] they went and
cameras up those pipes and they're bad.
[7:46] So, that's what the subsurface, I think
that you guys are talking about. People
[7:50] don't know what that stuff is, but I was
there when they did the cameras up.
[7:53] And subsurface that's going to be taken
care of there is the water and the sewer
[7:57] and the
probably the
[7:59] uh storm drain
culvert pipes and everything because
[8:03] it's all intertwined up in that area.
And then the sidewalks next to the park
[8:08] and all that will be good for the Senior
Center
[8:11] um because it's right there. So, it's
kind of like into the park and the
[8:14] playground and everything. So, it is a
good idea to do that. Um and then on the
[8:19] other side of North Common Street
a couple years ago when the town all the
[8:23] way up the sidewalk and parking on Saint
Clare
[8:27] and the ramps all private.
This side is and the playground
[8:32] is good. It's good
for the
[8:34] Does anybody have any questions?
[8:41] Is there a
scope or a
[8:44] drawing of the area and exactly what the
infrastructure upgrades going to be? Do
[8:49] you have that somewhere? Not yet. Uh we
are still in the process of phasing and
[8:53] scoping the project. So, we'll submit
that with the application. If it's
[8:57] awarded, we will have that. Um and in
the coming months, there will be a
[9:02] resident meeting where we would go over
all of that with the with the project
[9:05] design. So, we don't have that quite
yet.
[9:08] Okay. Excuse me, I'm Andrew Low also
with the Central Mass Regional Planning
[9:12] Commission. So, this application is for
the design
[9:16] of the project. So, we have a planning
study from a few years ago that
[9:19] highlighted some of the need for the
project, but it hasn't the specific
[9:22] improvements have not yet been designed.
So, this grant would include design and
[9:26] as much construction of improvements as
can be afforded within the grant budget.
[9:30] So, as Shannon says, the specific
improvements there will be public
[9:34] engagement with the folks who live in
that area as part of that design process
[9:37] just to make sure folks are aware of
what's going on and you know, they may
[9:41] have concerns that engineers don't yet
know about that can help with the design
[9:45] process. So,
that would be forthcoming if and when
[9:48] the grant is funded.
Thank you.
[9:51] Yes. Yes.
>> [clears throat]
[9:53] » Real quick cuz I like numbers.
So, your numbers not to exceed $950,000
[9:59] Mhm. in the preliminary approximate
budget to design
[10:04] is 820, so that leaves 130 for the
actual work to be
[10:09] The work has to be designed to be taken
care of and handled within
[10:15] Correct me if I'm wrong, Jim, but the
$820,000 includes design and as much
[10:19] construction Correct. Okay. done. So,
most of that will be construction. Not
[10:23] all
Not all of it will be that. The
[10:24] remainder there
is for project management and grant
[10:28] Correct. compliance and that sort of
thing.
[10:33] So, the the project, I would say,
completely handled by CMRPC. Okay. Yeah.
[10:38] Yeah. Nothing asked Nothing required
from the town Well, if it is a town
[10:43] grant, it would be a town project, but
we will do all the legwork for the town.
[10:46] So, we'll help, you know, get it through
environmental review. We'll put
[10:50] materials together Okay, and then you
hear sign off of the invoices. Well, the
[10:54] the town will have an engineer under
contract. We will have
[10:57] the procurement of that engineer.
Um but it
[11:00] Um same thing with the construction
contractor. It will be a town
[11:04] contractor, but we will help and the
engineer will help with procurement of
[11:07] that contractor. So, we'll essentially
be the town's project manager for this.
[11:12] Uh but again, with
the town having opportunities to be
[11:15] involved and to over have oversight into
Understood. So, you've got the headaches
[11:20] and we
That's That's what we're here for. I
[11:23] like that. That's the 50 That's the 20.
Or the 820.
[11:36] Anybody else have any questions?
[11:39] All right.
Entertain a motion? I will make a motion
[11:43] to support and approve submission of the
FY 26
[11:50] activity as presented today
with allowance for minor budget or
[11:55] program adjustments and to authorize the
chair and CFO to sign all documents
[12:01] required for the application.
[12:05] Second.
All right. Any further discussion?
[12:08] Uh
yeah, I got a question.
[12:11] Uh with allowance for minor budget and
program adjustments, the minor budget
[12:16] adjustments, I'm assuming
[12:20] So, the cap is not to exceed 950, right?
So,
[12:26] are we If it exceeds 950, does that put
the town at Mhm. on the hook for the
[12:32] No, so the budget won't exceed $950,000.
We're currently phasing and scoping the
[12:38] project to ensure it will not exceed
$950,000.
[12:41] Okay.
Okay.
[12:46] So, this application is for design of
the full project and
[12:50] if the construction of everything can
fit within this, we'll budget for that.
[12:54] Uh it may end up being a two-phase
project depending on what budget comes
[12:57] As everybody knows, these things have
gotten a lot more expensive the last
[13:00] five Mhm.
>> Um
[13:03] but we will make sure that the
construction part of it is budgeted with
[13:06] a contingency so that it doesn't go
over. And if it is phased, we can try to
[13:10] make the phases organized in such a way
that you're not going to be biting off
[13:14] more than you can chew with each grant
for it.
[13:17] Okay, and then the
And I guess the last question
[13:24] All right.
>> [laughter]
[13:28] » Are we This is not a reimbursement type
grant, correct? No. Okay.
[13:33] Okay.
[13:36] Thank you.
All right.
[13:39] Ralph, you got anything?
No. All right. All right. Jim has asked
[13:42] my question.
All right.
[13:45] All in favor? Aye. Aye. Aye.
All right.
[13:50] Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank
you.
[14:01] All right. Minutes.
So, we got to do these
[14:05] uh
two different
[14:08] groups.
So, I'll entertain a motion to approve
[14:12] the minutes of 219
2026 and 33 2026 executive session. So
[14:19] moved.
I'll second that. Um
[14:22] Ralph, you weren't here for those.
Correct.
[14:25] Any discussion?
No. All in favor? Aye. Aye.
[14:30] I will entertain a motion for the
regular meeting and executive session
[14:34] meeting of 310 2026. So moved.
Second.
[14:39] All right.
Any discussion?
[14:44] All in favor? Aye. Aye.
All right.
[14:52] I will entertain a motion to approve
payroll warrant number 19 for
[14:56] $355,192.42,
[15:00] school warrant number 1076 for
$126,131.43, [clears throat]
[15:06] the fire highway warrant for
[clears throat] 1077 for $115,779.25,
[15:13] debt and interest warrant number 1078
for $6,364,800,
[15:20] general fund warrant number 1079 for
$165,951.65,
[15:27] wastewater treatment plant upgrade
number 1080 for $211,670
[15:32] and general fund postage uh
1081 for $1,038.06.
[15:39] So moved.
Second. Motion's been made and seconded.
[15:42] Any discussion?
[15:46] All in favor? Aye. Aye. Aye.
[15:50] » [clears throat]
>> All right.
[15:53] Uh
we don't have financial items.
[15:58] Uh old business.
Um
[16:01] Mr. Tripp, [clears throat]
you want to give us a rundown on your
[16:04] notes here?
The line of old business, is that how it
[16:07] works? That's how it used to work.
Well, yeah. Okay.
[16:16] You guys got my letter or our letter
from the
[16:20] Uh if you want to read it.
Go ahead. If I could.
[16:25] Oh, we did read it, yeah.
[16:29] I would.
So, you know I don't type things out, so
[16:32] I'll read it.
Uh
[16:34] we had a a meeting
the North Brookfield Memorial Park
[16:38] Committee was formed
uh with myself, Ernie Rhymes, and
[16:42] Jessica Foulds.
And
[16:45] we We organized the board that first
night at the open meeting that at the
[16:49] senior center.
And we wrote this
[16:52] I'll read the shorter version first.
Uh under the auspices of the Board of
[16:56] Selectmen, this committee was formed
as the North Brookfield Memorial Park
[17:01] Committee. Our first thing on our list
is to name the park in the center of
[17:04] town North Brookfield Memorial Park.
We are here to do just that. The Board
[17:09] of Selectmen can officially name the
park with our recommendation to do so.
[17:16] At the meeting that we did discuss
uh a month and a half two months ago,
[17:21] uh
you guys wanted
[17:24] wanted a committee to
to help name the park, so that's what we
[17:28] did.
Um and I know Mr. Colburn was here. Uh
[17:32] he said that
you guys could officially name
[17:35] the park the Memorial Park. So, that's
that's the first final of the letter um
[17:40] of the meeting.
[17:43] Uh the second one is a little bit
longer.
[17:45] It's kind of our mission statement
that we came up with. In the early
[17:49] 1900s, the property described as 180
North Main Street became town property.
[17:54] And since then, it was a nice place to
sit on
[17:57] a few benches or sit on the ground to
reflect on the downtown area. Years
[18:02] past, the downtown stayed the same for
the most part.
[18:05] In 2019, a new electronic sign board was
installed and the electric and
[18:10] electricity was brought to a new panel
board for distribution.
[18:14] In early 2020, as a member of the Select
Board, I was given the opportunity to
[18:19] rebuild the park area.
After many hours of working with friends
[18:23] and volunteers, plans and drawings were
made.
[18:26] I became the leader of a great number of
volunteers with unique talents and their
[18:31] own sets of skills.
We began the work
[18:35] on the renovation. Donations were coming
in rapidly and many
[18:39] » [clears throat]
>> hours of manual labor from the
[18:41] volunteers. Almost all the park was
created with donations. Some tractor
[18:45] work and truck haulings of dirt and
materials was done by our highway
[18:49] department as we do.
Uh the park was created in about eight
[18:53] months. The memorial table and benches
were purchased by members of families
[18:58] and locals.
The North Brookfield Memorial Park
[19:00] Committee intends to protect and
maintain the park and build it as
[19:04] [clears throat] a memorial park.
It
[19:07] It is now the centerpiece for travelers
to gaze upon as they come to the park.
[19:12] For the first two years, the park and
its name, the flower beds, walkways, and
[19:17] lawn were funded and maintained with
donations of volunteers
[19:21] and volunteers performed the work. As
the committee, we would ask the Board of
[19:25] Selectmen to come up with some town
funds, a line item in the budget for
[19:29] this
for this year and years to come. We can
[19:33] get volunteers to do the work. Thank
you, the North Brookfield Memorial Park
[19:37] Committee.
[19:40] So, in a nutshell,
we're going to take care of the park
[19:44] with volunteers.
Uh I have equipment I can mow
[19:48] and I can get people to
uh
[19:51] plant, maintain the flowers, uh
and walkways
[19:56] and whatnot and like I said
My wife and I have pretty much funded it
[20:01] for the most part. We did have a lot of
people donate flowers
[20:05] and
Mr. Allen donated the bark mulch for the
[20:09] park two years in a row.
So that was a good
[20:16] But that's kind of it. We're going to
start shortly here for tomorrow snowing.
[20:22] We'll get started on the flowers and
what not.
[20:24] » [clears throat]
[20:26] » So it's up to you guys if you would
formally name the park. I don't know if
[20:30] you're ready to do so or if there's
paperwork that has to be done.
[20:35] Put it to a vote and Do either of you
see a problem with that?
[20:39] No. No. All right. Just I have a
question. Go ahead.
[20:42] For a North Brookfield Memorial Park, do
you foresee
[20:48] monuments or plaques to famous North
Brookfield residents from years past
[20:54] or anything like that? Just myself.
We're going to put a bronze statue in
[20:58] front of you. Yeah.
I'd like to wait for you to discuss it.
[21:03] No, there's nothing there.
It's it's pretty much full now. I mean
[21:07] you could put a couple more benches.
[clears throat] You have to put
[21:10] papers, you know, something.
But what I like to do
[21:13] after it's formally named the memorial
Excuse me. The memorial park, I'd like
[21:19] to put plaques
and with plaques made
[21:22] we have two plaques on on one side of
the bricks where the sign is.
[21:28] I'd like to make put a plaque in that
says it's the memorial park with a date
[21:33] that it was
actually built.
[21:35] » So who do who do we memorialize?
[21:40] It's it's a memorial park. The people
that built it,
[21:44] donated to it, bought the
>> [snorts]
[21:49] » benches and picnic tables, Christmas
tree. Tara Hayes donated the Christmas
[21:54] tree and then my other person her son
who passed away years ago.
[21:58] So it it is memorializing
[22:02] Gosh, probably 30
maybe people
[22:07] and their families.
If you want to do something there, we
[22:11] could put something
with a plaque with your name on it. In
[22:14] memory In memory of Ralph K and his
family.
[22:18] Perhaps K. Well, I don't know.
You know.
[22:21] So did did he answer your question? I
guess.
[22:25] There won't be a bronze statue of me.
I'm sorry.
[22:28] Just that fits on I just seems that
we should be memorializing more than
[22:34] a couple of local
I mean current people if if it's going
[22:38] to be a memorial park in my mind.
The idea is to recognize You're welcome
[22:43] to donate a plaque with somebody's name
on it in memorial of them.
[22:49] That's basically what it was.
It is a You don't need to be
[22:54] a plaque.
[22:57] » [snorts]
[23:01] » All right.
Is there a motion?
[23:06] I will make a motion to
um
[23:11] Is there
Is there any type of a of vetting
[23:15] process to
memorializing anybody that or is it just
[23:19] anybody that
donates uh something with their name on
[23:23] it?
I I I think I think I'm I think I'm
[23:26] going to get to that after we get to
this part cuz I I There's there's a
[23:30] piece of this that I I think we need to
cover, too.
[23:34] But it has nothing to do with the name.
I think
[23:39] » [clears throat]
>> I will make a motion to
[23:45] name the
Do you know the address of that?
[23:48] It was 188 on the green. 188 North Main?
Yes. Yes.
[23:55] I will make a motion to name the site on
188 North Main Street, North Brookfield
[24:01] as the North Brookfield Memorial Park.
[24:08] All right. Discussion.
[24:12] All right.
All in favor?
[24:14] Aye. Aye.
All right.
[24:17] Do you have a I do have a question and I
think that
[24:20] So
there there's kind of two parts of this.
[24:23] Um
And [snorts] I I I've looked around a
[24:27] little bit,
but I I haven't found any records where
[24:31] the town accepted the benches as a
donation.
[24:39] Um and I find that that is a common
element to these like
[24:47] like along the rail trail.
And you know As we were building it, I
[24:51] asked for donations.
And we selectmen afterwards,
[24:56] I would take two minutes that I would at
least get from you guys. Yeah. And I
[25:01] would
thank the people for donating their
[25:04] whatever they donated.
It should be in all the minutes. You can
[25:08] watch the movies. So those benches were
were accepted in the selectmen's
[25:14] meetings afterwards.
But they didn't have formal acceptance.
[25:20] Well, I don't know what you're talking
about.
[25:21] I'm
I'm not trying to give you a hard time.
[25:24] I just want to make sure we dot the i's
and cross the t's.
[25:28] Any anything that's donated to the town
needs to be we the board needs to vote
[25:34] to accept the donation. Right?
And the piece of that is is that it it
[25:40] it now makes that bench town property.
Right? It makes the bench town property,
[25:45] makes the plaque plaques town property.
Um
[25:49] and you know, any research that I did,
that's that's a kind of a core element
[25:54] of the plaques and the benches.
Um and like I said, I didn't see any
[25:59] record of officially accepting those
those donations.
[26:03] And I guess my point is if we hadn't
officially accepted donations, it's
[26:07] probably something we need to take care
of.
[26:12] Is that
Sure. Okay. And so, you know, I I know
[26:16] you've got I've seen your records and I
you know, you've got records for pretty
[26:20] much anybody and everybody that has
donated bench or plaque. And I guess I
[26:25] would just ask could we
>> [snorts]
[26:27] » could the committee provide us with a
list of that? And we can just get it
[26:32] done officially in one fell swoop. And
then going forward, I think the
[26:37] that answers the question as far as how
it's vetted is that process of accepting
[26:42] that donation. Right? If somebody wants
[clears throat and cough] to add
[26:44] something.
Right? The board would accept that
[26:48] donation
um to put it on the park to to accept it
[26:52] as town property and and place it in the
park.
[26:56] Is that
[26:58] That's that seem reasonable?
>> We weren't that formal when we when I
[27:01] was on the board.
Follow that process. We took what people
[27:07] gave us and
and I when I
[27:09] Yes.
Sure. I'll give you whatever paperwork I
[27:12] don't I'm not I'm not again, I'm not
trying to give you guys a hard time. I
[27:15] just want to make it official. I just
want to make sure it's done right and
[27:17] and and that was
that was definitely one thing when I
[27:21] looked around as to you know, how these
things are handled.
[27:25] Um and you know, and they had policies
where
[27:27] you know, the donation would be accepted
and then they basically had kind of a
[27:31] timeline and say, okay, look if it's a
bench, what's the average lifespan of a
[27:35] bench? Right? Because eventually you're
going to get to the point where you
[27:40] know, the stuff the donation [snorts] is
degraded and kind of falling apart and
[27:44] at that you know, at that point what do
you do with it? Right? What's the
[27:47] process of dealing with it? Because you
can't you know, something is falling
[27:51] apart, you can't be locked to keeping it
there
[27:54] forever. There has to be some kind of
recourse or some kind of way to kind of
[27:59] address it.
Um
[28:01] But anyway, so I would I I guess I would
I would ask if the committee could maybe
[28:06] uh give a list so we can again accept
the donations and maybe some kind of
[28:11] loose policy as to okay, you know,
the donations taken and here's how we
[28:16] evaluate the donations, you know, if
it's
[28:20] if it's something that's falling apart
and needs repaired, okay, we can repair
[28:23] it, but if it's something that's not
repairable,
[28:25] right? Some way of kind of addressing
that
[28:29] concern.
Good.
[28:32] Good. Okay.
[28:36] Should we be
approving it before it's
[28:41] actually done? In other words, I guess
I'm thinking out loud.
[28:45] We're going to memorialize anybody who
comes forward with a donation and want
[28:50] to donate a bench in honor of
somebody.
[28:54] And we find out that that somebody
[28:59] maybe shouldn't be memorialized for
whatever reason. Are we going to be
[29:03] doing that?
What? I'm just asking the question.
[29:06] » much full unless there's more benches
and
[29:10] you know, any donations now would be for
flowers or maintenance
[29:14] or
bark mulch or adds to the blocks. The
[29:19] benches that are there
>> [clears throat]
[29:20] » from Frog
down in
[29:23] It was Arkansas and they said forever
benches.
[29:28] I'm not going to live forever, but
hopefully [clears throat]
[29:30] when forever comes,
they'll be there. They're made of
[29:33] recycled materials
and they're
[29:37] set on there forever. But I can give you
all that paperwork from them.
[29:42] They were made in the USA.
All right.
[29:46] Yeah. I have a question on that.
Sure. Sure. in his statement he asked
[29:52] about a budget and if he's looking for
2027,
[29:57] he's asking you guys someone needs to do
something because the finance committee
[30:02] is currently looking at the budget and
making cuts. So, there'll need to be a
[30:06] formal
request put in soon.
[30:12] Thank you.
[30:16] » [clears throat]
>> I just had a question about donations.
[30:18] Those would have to go into a gift
account, correct? If they're financial
[30:21] donations, do we have a gift account for
a park? I'll have to set up a separate
[30:26] one because it's in with another one and
it just doesn't work that way.
[30:31] » I just wanted to make sure.
[30:38] All right. Is is is there There should
still be a
[30:42] I don't know how Sheila had it set up,
but a park donation fund for the only
[30:46] park.
>> Right. There's about $75 in there right
[30:49] now.
>> Yep. So, is that still active if
[30:52] somebody wants to donate to that? Yeah,
but it like they said, when you if you
[30:57] got a list of donations, you'd have to
bring it forth to them and then turn it
[31:01] over to the little you know, the little
park. I'm going to make it separate I'm
[31:05] going to make a little park gift account
so that it's not intervened with the
[31:10] selectmen gift that it was. Okay. So,
that it will be specific to that. And
[31:15] after this it will be the memorial park.
Well, yeah. I don't get that technical
[31:20] in Okay.
[31:24] Faith on the appointment.
[31:27] May I be allowed to ask a question?
Is there any legality for changing it to
[31:32] a memorial park than a regular park or
just a name?
[31:36] I don't think so.
Just the name. Okay.
[31:42] Anything else?
You good?
[31:46] Naming it's one thing, classifying it
makes it I did see a lot of
[31:51] as far as like cemeteries
I I think here we're we're naming it.
[31:57] That's That's That's a simple
[32:01] » [clears throat]
>> So, do you guys have to accept these two
[32:05] things
both
[32:07] or is that
[32:10] Um
well, we named the park. Yeah. Um so,
[32:15] this mission statement, is that more
like minutes from your meeting or is it
[32:19] It's like a history.
No, it's That's It's two separate
[32:22] things.
Looks like I'm It's more of a
[32:26] what the park was about. All right. How
it was made and what it was about.
[32:29] Right.
I will entertain a motion to
[32:31] [clears throat]
accept um
[32:35] the mission statement and
um
[32:39] report [clears throat] from
the
[32:42] um memorial park committee.
So moved.
[32:46] Second. Discussion?
[32:50] All in favor? Aye. Aye.
All right.
[32:54] Did you vote on naming it also? Yeah, we
did that.
[32:57] » that already. That was a long long time
ago.
[33:00] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
All right.
[33:05] New business.
[33:08] Uh we have highway here.
Um
[33:11] » [snorts]
>> we have Justin Stearns looking to be
[33:14] uh hired by the highway department.
Uh I will entertain a motion to
[33:21] hire Justin Stearns for the driver labor
position. So moved.
[33:25] Second. All right. Discussion?
Hi, Justin. Yes, sir.
[33:32] All right.
So, what makes you want to do that?
[33:39] Looking to be closer to home and
>> [clears throat]
[33:41] » providing community
service to the community.
[33:45] » [snorts]
>> All right.
[33:47] And uh
Randy recommends hiring you, so
[33:51] you got any questions?
No.
[33:55] Okay. All right.
Uh
[33:58] What licenses do you have?
I'm getting my
[34:02] » [laughter]
>> reapplied my hoisting license and my CDL
[34:07] will be within the next 6 to 9 months.
Okay.
[34:12] All right.
Uh
[34:15] You want to just tell us a little bit
about yourself real quick?
[34:19] Uh Justin Stearns, coming from
family of butchers, Mike Stearns Custom
[34:23] Meats and Towing.
I'm a
[34:26] jack of all trades, master of very few.
Uh
[34:31] There's not much I won't
attempt to do.
[34:34] Uh
You [snorts] ask me I'll be there and
[34:37] I'll try my best.
That's all I can
[34:40] give you.
All right.
[34:42] Thank you very much.
All right. Motion is made and seconded.
[34:46] All in favor? Aye. Aye. Aye.
All right. Welcome aboard. Thanks, Mr.
[34:54] All right.
We have
[34:57] Pamela Ducas. Yes.
All right.
[35:00] So, Pamela Ducas is applying for the
collector clerk position. She's been
[35:04] recommended by Kim Bett.
Uh
[35:08] Can you tell us a little bit about
yourself? Sure. I was born and raised in
[35:12] this town. Um
my family moved to East Brookfield in
[35:16] the early '80s and then I moved back
when I remarried 2 years ago.
[35:22] So, I'm back in North Brookfield and in
the meantime I've held a variety of
[35:27] different office jobs and I've worked
with some very
[35:31] confidential type um information that
I've had to keep so and stressful
[35:37] situations and
um so forth. So, I think I'd be able to
[35:42] help him in the office.
Help him get caught up and then help
[35:46] things go smoothly [snorts] going
forward.
[35:49] All right.
I will entertain a motion to appoint
[35:53] Pamela Ducas as the collector clerk.
So moved.
[35:57] Second. Discussion? I'm familiar with
Pam.
[36:02] » [clears throat]
>> She
[36:03] at when she says under stress, she works
under stress. She does She did a great
[36:08] job. She'll do awesome here.
[36:13] Okay. All right.
[36:15] » [clears throat]
>> All in favor? Aye. Aye.
[36:18] Welcome aboard. Thank you very much.
All right.
[36:25] We have a couple donations.
Uh
[36:33] All right.
[36:36] Let's you speak, right? All right. What
do you got? Uh
[36:41] North Brookfield Ambulance Service is
donating uh
[36:44] an AED to the town in hopes that it
will go into the fire department in case
[36:50] Daniel's out of town and they'll have a
working AED on
[36:54] additional fire trucks.
[36:57] All right. Hopefully the highway never
has to use it.
[37:01] Okay. Now, I'll entertain a motion to
accept
[37:05] the
um AED donations from emergency uh
[37:10] emergency medical services.
So moved. Second.
[37:14] All right.
Discussion?
[37:16] I'm going to
Yeah, I know.
[37:20] We don't want
All in favor?
[37:23] Aye. Aye. Aye. Thanks, Pete. Yeah.
Definitely thank you, Pete.
[37:29] All right.
The next thing we have is a donation
[37:33] from the North Brookfield Railroad
Corporation
[37:37] to
the town of North Brookfield.
[37:40] The
Kubota tractor that the railroad
[37:43] corporation has, they're donating it to
the town.
[37:48] Um I will entertain a motion to accept
that donation.
[37:52] So moved.
All right.
[37:54] Discussion?
[37:58] No.
Aye.
[38:00] All in favor? Aye. Aye. Aye.
All right.
[38:06] Uh
next thing, water commissioners.
[38:10] We have their rules and regulations
proposals.
[38:15] Uh Ralph, do you want to read the first
one?
[38:18] Please.
[38:22] Read it in here? Yeah.
This? No.
[38:26] Just this?
You want to know what's in the
[38:30] where the letter is.
Oh.
[38:33] Sorry. That's okay.
And that's what it says. Yep, and then
[38:38] one in the back.
Okay. Sorry about that.
[38:40] » No problem. Rules and regulations
proposal. This proposal is to amend
[38:44] certain rules and regulations as
described below and to take effect
[38:48] immediately following proper approval.
If this proposal is accepted and
[38:52] approved approved, the next course of
action would be to amend the fee
[38:56] schedule of the North Brookfield Water
Department Rules and Regulations
[39:01] to include the fee of $70 for cross
connection {slash} backflow inspections
[39:07] and the fee of $50 for final water sewer
reads.
[39:11] Respectfully, Tim Mason, chairman Board
of Water Commissioners.
[39:16] Okay. Thank you, Ralph.
I'll read the next one.
[39:21] This proposal is to amend
certain rules and regulations as
[39:25] described below and to take effect
immediately following proper approval.
[39:28] If this proposal is accepted and
approved, the next course of action
[39:31] would be to amend chapter nine, water
billing information number one for the
[39:36] North Brookfield Water Department Rules
and Regulations to read as follows.
[39:40] » [clears throat]
>> Number one, water bills be issued
[39:43] quarterly based on the previous 3 months
water usage.
[39:48] » [clears throat]
>> And that replaces the bi-annual
[39:52] language.
[39:55] I'll entertain a motion to accept the
bylaw changes for the water department.
[39:59] So moved.
Second.
[40:01] Any discussion? Yeah, do we know what
the
[40:07] Are they charging now for
cross-connection and backflow
[40:11] inspection?
Yes.
[40:14] Yeah. Do we know what that fee is?
Sheila, do you know off the top of your
[40:18] head?
Yes, but I can't think of it. It's um
[40:23] » [laughter]
>> like $80 I believe.
[40:26] Okay, so they went up they went up 10
bucks. 10 bucks. Okay.
[40:30] » [clears throat]
[40:38] » All right, we made a motion and seconded
it, right? Yes. All right, all in favor?
[40:41] Aye. Aye.
All right.
[40:46] We have one more thing
uh to read here.
[40:50] We have a resignation
um
[40:53] from Thomas Bessette.
Uh it says, "Dear Board of Selectmen,
[40:57] please accept this letter as my
resignation as a member of the Board of
[41:00] Engineers and interim Deputy Chief
North Brookfield Fire Department
[41:03] effective April 1st, 2026.
For the last 19 [clears throat] years,
[41:08] the North Brookfield Fire Department has
played an important role in my life.
[41:11] The training and skills I developed as a
member laid the foundation for my career
[41:14] and I genuinely
believe I would not be where I am now
[41:18] without this department. I wish to
express my appreciation to the Select
[41:21] Board for granting me the opportunity to
contribute to the department's
[41:24] leadership during the recent period of
transition. I would also like to extend
[41:28] my gratitude to the members of the North
Brookfield Fire Department for their
[41:30] ongoing support throughout the years.
The professionalism and commitment to
[41:35] community service consistently
demonstrated by this dedicated team
[41:38] distinguish them among all among call
departments in the region.
[41:43] As I transition from my position with
the North Brookfield Fire Department, I
[41:46] remain committed to supporting the town
and the remaining Board of Engineers in
[41:49] any way that may be beneficial.
Sincerely, Thomas A. Bessette."
[41:55] » [clears throat]
>> I will entertain a motion to accept uh
[41:58] Tom Bessette's resignation. So moved.
Second.
[42:02] All right, discussion?
I wish him the best on his
[42:07] new career. New career.
All right,
[42:11] all in favor? Thanking for his service.
Yeah.
[42:14] All in favor? Aye. Aye. Thank you, Tom.
All right, next we have a
[42:23] Chapter 90
funds and highway operations
[42:27] um
discussion and uh
[42:31] PowerPoint, right?
Yes, sir. Keeps me on point. All right,
[42:35] I'm going to get out of the way then.
Since you're going to do it on the
[42:38] screen.
The big screen.
[42:55] Wake up.
We're trying, I'm trying.
[43:00] I think
[43:03] It's on. It's coming.
[43:18] That's why he's the chief.
Yeah.
[43:21] Yeah, because my the technology glowing
technological advancements here. Uh we
[43:26] learned to use it too long.
[43:33] No big deal.
I don't know what you did, but it was up
[43:36] there before. Yeah, it just uh sometimes
it goes to sleep.
[43:43] » [snorts]
[44:04] » You can see it now.
[44:14] Is it okay with that?
[44:18] We have
[44:26] We're on camera. I know, that's it.
[44:30] You look good.
Damn, you looking good.
[44:35] Looking good.
[44:54] There you go. What's that all about?
[44:59] There we go.
[45:05] » [snorts]
[45:15] » Thank you, sir. Mhm. All right.
[45:19] So um Chapter 90 is tends to be a
subject that gets talked about a lot and
[45:25] I can say from my own experience
that
[45:30] um
I didn't really have an understanding of
[45:33] how it worked.
Um and it's some of it still
[45:37] well
I'm going to say I'm anywhere near
[45:41] Kim's level of expertise, but I've
learned a few things and I kind of
[45:45] wanted to take it
I kind of wanted to take a little bit of
[45:49] time tonight to talk about it because
it's you know, for our community Chapter
[45:54] 90 Chapter 90 is is huge.
The thing that people need to keep in
[46:00] mind is that our budgets
for town departments, highway department
[46:07] does not include any money towards
paving.
[46:13] We we don't have money for paving as
part of our
[46:18] as part of our property taxes.
Um
[46:23] the budget for highway is an operational
budget.
[46:27] So
for us Chapter 90 is is a lifeline to
[46:32] keep our our roads and infrastructure um
going.
[46:36] Um and
you know, the thing that
[46:41] people you know, it it it's important to
understand how it works.
[46:46] Um
[46:49] Chapter 90
and I'm going to I'm going to I'm going
[46:52] to
it runs kind of like a grant.
[46:55] And I'm I'm going to look at you,
Sheila, and you can bat me upside the
[46:58] head if I go too far off the res
reservation here.
[47:02] » [clears throat]
>> Um the state [snorts]
[47:04] doesn't just hand us money. That's not
the way it works. The state makes a
[47:09] determination
as to how much money they'll allocate to
[47:13] us.
And that money is based on I'm going to
[47:16] need your help, Kim, a little bit. Miles
of roads, Yes.
[47:21] uh population, Mhm.
and employment.
[47:24] Yes. Okay. So, [snorts] those three
variables kind of factor into this
[47:28] equation
as to how much money is made available
[47:32] to us. Correct.
Um you know, and and and and there's
[47:36] some additional funds, you know, there
is the fair share um program that was
[47:42] legislation that was passed in what,
2022, 2023?
[47:46] And we've we've seen a little bit of
money from that. A little bit of extra
[47:50] money. A little bit of extra money.
Um but by and large, it's that Chapter
[47:54] 90 um allocation that really kind of
gets us by.
[47:58] And
so what Chapter 90 what Chapter 90 money
[48:03] is for is for our road infrastructure.
We can use that money directly for
[48:08] paving, road work. We can use that money
for engineering
[48:13] of road sidewalks. We can use that money
for equipment
[48:19] to help maintain our roads and
infrastructure.
[48:22] And we've certainly used it for all of
that.
[48:26] Um and
you know, the the the the the process
[48:32] and I took this directly from the from
MassDOT uh
[48:37] um section on the internet for this is
basically
[48:41] we submit a project request and we're
putting together basically a scope, an
[48:46] estimate, you know, an environmental
punch list and that's that is is has
[48:51] been Kim's kind of
mission through this and she's done a
[48:56] darn good job with that. So, she puts a
package together and and submits it.
[49:03] Um
we identify procurement and
[49:08] prequalification requirements, putting
stuff putting the projects out to bid.
[49:12] Um you know, basically getting how many?
Three? At least three? Three lowest
[49:17] bidders. Three lowest bidders um
and you know, we
[49:23] submit that to the prequal office.
Um
[49:27] and based on that, they decide, "Okay."
They'll They give us the go ahead.
[49:33] They'll approve it.
Um so, once we get the scope and the
[49:36] work approved, then the work starts.
Um and
[49:42] you know, contractors,
engineers, what have you.
[49:47] Um
and when the work is
[49:51] done,
well, as the work is going,
[49:55] the contractors turn their invoices in.
The town uses its its own funds
[50:02] to pay the invoices
and we get reimbursed.
[50:07] So, as you can imagine,
the state has some oversight of this and
[50:14] has
they approve it.
[50:18] So, they approve it they approve the
scope, they approve the who you're going
[50:22] with, they approve the project, they say
go ahead, we do the work, we get the
[50:28] invoices,
we pay the invoices and then we submit
[50:32] for reimbursement.
Okay? And at that point, I'm sure
[50:36] there's some kind of approval process
that says, "Yep, you did it right,
[50:39] you're good. We pay you."
Um
[50:42] and the town the town's a
illustrious accountant
[50:47] works her magic
um to make sure that we free up funds to
[50:52] cover these invoices until we get
reimbursed.
[50:56] Um but the thing to keep in mind is that
this is not again, this is not just
[51:00] money that we're handed.
You know, this is very much like a grant
[51:05] process where where there's oversight
over what we do with the money from
[51:10] beginning to end.
It's not some check that, you know,
[51:14] Uncle Sam writes us and we squirrel it
away somewhere or we have the freedom to
[51:18] do whatever we want. There are strict
controls on this money.
[51:22] Okay?
Um
[51:25] So,
with that,
[51:28] what's it cost to do a road?
Now, I've sat down with Randy, our
[51:32] highway superintendent, and and Kim and
we have looked at our most recent work
[51:38] that we've done in 2025
and we've come up with some pretty good
[51:43] estimates.
Um reclamation per mile and that I'm
[51:48] going to use your your wording, Randy,
is is essentially
[51:51] they come in and rototill the the old
pavement up, use it as a base,
[51:58] and put a base coat over.
And that process is $33,000
[52:03] approximately per mile. Okay?
Now, paving is a two-step process.
[52:11] The first, there is a base coat of 2 in
of asphalt.
[52:15] That goes down and that is a more coarse
mix.
[52:19] Um and that coarse mix goes down and you
have to wait a certain amount of time, 1
[52:25] year at least,
um before you need to come back and do a
[52:29] top coat.
You got to correct me if I go off.
[52:33] Okay.
Okay.
[52:36] So,
so we go in, we pave it, and you know,
[52:40] it's a rough coat. Well, you know, in
order for that pavement to last, we have
[52:46] to come back
and do a top coat. So, that base coat
[52:50] costs us on average about $107,000
per mile is is what the bids that we've
[52:56] previously last year that we were we
were uh
[52:59] we were awarded.
The top coat is about an inch and a half
[53:03] of asphalt. That is a finer finer
asphalt and that's about $87,000.
[53:09] Okay? So,
you know, the thing to keep in mind
[53:17] is if you're replacing
an older road,
[53:21] oops.
[53:33] Comes about $227,000
per mile.
[53:39] Okay? Now, that's excluding any kind of
drainage work that needs to be done,
[53:44] anything kind of funky.
Um and then keep in mind that, you know,
[53:48] North Brookfield absolutely I I wouldn't
even call it
[53:53] I can't call it an aging infrastructure.
I can't even call it really a crumbled
[53:59] infra- crumbling infrastructure. A lot
of it is just crumbled. There's there's
[54:04] not much left
So, you know, when you
[54:09] bear that in mind, the $227,000,
you know, I would I would I would argue
[54:14] that by the time you get going, you're
probably upwards about $250,000
[54:19] a mile just to use round numbers. Okay?
So, if we
[54:26] we accept that as $250,000
a mile.
[54:32] Okay? There are 82 miles 82 miles? 84 84
miles
[54:38] » [snorts]
>> in North Brookfield.
[54:40] Okay? Now, I've seen estimates on how
long
[54:44] a paved road should last.
And I've seen estimates for New England
[54:49] between 15 and 25 years.
Would you agree with that?
[54:54] Mr. Superintendent?
I don't think they last that long. Okay.
[54:59] Sake of argument, let's say they last 20
years.
[55:03] Just
humor me.
[55:07] Okay.
So,
[55:12] Kim, on average the last couple years,
we've gotten
[55:16] $520,
[55:19] $520,000
[55:22] in Chapter 90 money a year.
Okay?
[55:26] So, and keep in mind, you know, I'm
excluding
[55:32] I'm excluding um
engineering that we've paid with Chapter
[55:38] 90 money for um
for like the sidewalk projects um here
[55:43] in town,
um money that we've paid in the past to
[55:47] buy equipment. I'm just talking if we
just use this money strictly for roads.
[55:53] Okay?
You know, at 500
[55:58] say we say
It's 2 miles.
[56:03] 2 miles? Mhm. Yeah. Right. So, if we
have
[56:08] 84 miles of road,
[56:14] 40 years.
[56:17] Okay?
So, rough numbers,
[56:22] what does that equal?
Unpaved roads.
[56:26] Unhappiness.
No one in North Brookfield will ever be
[56:32] happy
with our road system.
[56:38] It doesn't it it it doesn't, you know,
we can have our opinions,
[56:44] but the numbers
spell it out.
[56:49] 40 years.
Now, keeping in mind,
[56:56] we get grants for major improvements.
Be it bridges, be it downtown,
[57:03] things that North Brookfield does need.
And a lot of times, we don't have that
[57:09] extra money in our budget or free cash
or anywhere. Okay? And we are we are we
[57:16] are kind of stuck with going to that
Chapter 90 money and using that to to
[57:20] get those engineering charges paid.
So,
[57:26] you know, it it
[57:31] you know, I I think I I heard a wise
woman say we have champagne taste with a
[57:36] beer budget.
And I I I
[57:41] here we are.
So, we can all agree
[57:46] that we're never all going to have
nice new roads.
[57:53] Okay.
So, if we look at what we've done in the
[57:56] past,
I looked at the like past 5 years of
[58:00] what we what we've used night Chapter 90
money for because I think it
[58:04] we don't really talk I don't think we
talk about that enough. And I and and
[58:07] I'd like to see that change. I'd like to
see us talk about what we're getting,
[58:12] what the plan is, what we're doing.
Um so, that way it's it's it's not a
[58:17] mystery.
So, if if I run through the last 5 years
[58:22] and, you know, starting [clears throat]
in 2021,
[58:25] um we ended up doing a reclamation of
Bullard Road
[58:30] and resurfacing of North Street.
Make sense? Anybody questions?
[58:37] 2022, we used some of that money for
drainage on North Street
[58:42] and we used that money for reclamation
on various streets. In 2022, Kim, do you
[58:48] have do you have an idea of what those
streets might have been?
[58:52] In 2022? Yes, ma'am. I have Town Farm
Road.
[58:57] That's the only thing that's missing
for 2022.
[59:02] Okay.
[59:05] Uh
I might have that.
[59:12] Okay, as far as the various. Right.
Okay.
[59:15] Got you.
Okay.
[59:17] 2023, we did some chip sealing of roads,
which
[59:22] my understanding isn't the greatest, but
it's cheaper than certainly cheaper than
[59:28] paving.
Um and we did a reclamation of Barnes
[59:32] Road.
Okay?
[59:36] 2024,
[59:39] we did nothing.
[59:42] We did nothing at all.
We did no paving, we did no reclamation.
[59:50] Not a darn thing.
Not a darn thing.
[59:55] So,
that money that was allocated to us in
[59:59] 2024,
if you don't use it, it rolls over into
[1:00:03] the next year. Yes, Miss Kim? Yes.
>> Okay.
[1:00:06] So,
we make some changes.
[1:00:11] Yeah.
One of which is is leadership.
[1:00:16] And get into the next 2025
paving season.
[1:00:21] And
[1:00:27] we do a little bit more. Actually, we do
a lot more than 2024.
[1:00:31] We do reclamation and resurfacing the
base coat of Brickyard Road, Donavan
[1:00:36] Road, Fuller Hill Road, Town Farm Road
for 400 slightly over $436,000.
[1:00:44] We use some of that money
to help cover the complete street
[1:00:48] engineering charges.
We use some of that money for
[1:00:53] reclamation of Hines Bridge Road,
Stoddard Road, Walker Road.
[1:00:58] We use some of that money for doing the
top coat of Smith Hanson Road and Tucker
[1:01:04] Road. Which, keep in mind,
we base coated those roads in 2017.
[1:01:12] Right? So, I know there was talk about
why we're repaving these roads, but keep
[1:01:18] in mind, in 2017 we did a base coat and
then never went back.
[1:01:23] So, a decision had to be made. Are we
going to allow those roads to fall apart
[1:01:29] or we're going to do what needs to be
done and do a top coat?
[1:01:33] Okay?
So, we spent $242,000
[1:01:38] on top coating those two roads.
[1:01:44] Which,
you know, if if you look back
[1:01:48] from 2025
to 2024, to 2023, to 2022,
[1:01:55] to 2021.
Okay? This is what we've done in front
[1:02:01] of you with no opinions, with no
talking, with no herded on the street.
[1:02:09] This.
Okay? This is what the state approved
[1:02:14] for work. This is the work we did. And
this is the work that we submitted for
[1:02:18] reimbursement.
[1:02:22] Okay?
[1:02:25] Thank you, Mr. Barnes.
Thank you, Kim.
[1:02:28] » [applause]
[1:02:30] » Thank you.
Now, I'm going to go back
[1:02:38] to what we talked about a little
earlier.
[1:02:41] At $524,000
[1:02:45] in state funds a year
with 84 miles of road,
[1:02:50] with nothing at all in our yearly
budgets to pay for paving,
[1:02:58] our roads will never
never look like Boston. Never look like
[1:03:04] a suburb of Boston.
They will continue to crumble.
[1:03:12] This is a reality that we have to face
[1:03:17] unless the state is going to do
something different.
[1:03:21] Now, the fair share
in 2024,
[1:03:25] we got an extra $191,000.
And that's thanks to the millionaires.
[1:03:32] But that's not a guaranteed thing.
That 191 was a one-off.
[1:03:38] » [snorts]
>> So, you know, again,
[1:03:43] North Brookfield is a poor town.
[1:03:47] We do what we can with what we have.
We're a farming community, old farming
[1:03:53] community. That's how it's worked. And
that's how it continues to work.
[1:03:59] » [clears throat]
[1:04:01] » Thank you.
[1:04:04] All right.
Any questions?
[1:04:10] Okay, well, that was easy.
[1:04:17] » [clears throat]
>> All right.
[1:04:19] Okay.
Public comment period.
[1:04:25] Oh, right.
[1:04:31] » [clears throat]
>> All right.
[1:04:32] So,
[1:04:43] Eric,
do you want to explain it?
[1:04:47] Um,
in front of you guys is a letter of
[1:04:50] support that I drafted uh, on behalf of
the Board of Selectmen
[1:04:55] um,
to uh,
[1:04:58] get the approval to go ahead and reapply
for federal grant money, um, to
[1:05:03] rehabilitate the secondary clarifiers
down at the wastewater treatment plant.
[1:05:08] Um,
we applied last year uh,
[1:05:12] through what they call the
congressionally direct spending. So,
[1:05:14] it's just a program that directs federal
funds, um, under certain accounts. So,
[1:05:20] last year we applied under under the
USDA rural development, um, and we were
[1:05:25] not approved. So, we're looking to take
another crack at it this year and we're
[1:05:28] going to apply under a different account
this time. Now, which is called the EPA
[1:05:33] state and tribal assistance grant. Um,
so we're hoping this one's a little more
[1:05:38] directed towards drinking water and
wastewater infrastructure projects.
[1:05:43] So, we're really hoping that we have
some good luck with this.
[1:05:46] Um,
there is a 20% local cost local cost
[1:05:52] share for this project, which we've
already discussed. That's no different
[1:05:56] than what we applied for last year.
Um,
[1:06:01] » [clears throat and cough]
>> yeah, so there is like I said, there's a
[1:06:02] letter there of support. I just need a
signature if you guys approve it.
[1:06:07] Um, and that's part of that's one of the
requirements for the application.
[1:06:13] And that
[1:06:21] Okay. And and what are we seeing
[1:06:26] the value?
[1:06:30] So,
I truthfully haven't gone out and asked
[1:06:33] for quotes. It's it's kind of it's kind
of a big job to do.
[1:06:37] Uh, but we did we did that last year and
they were like they came in at 1.5 to 2
[1:06:42] million.
Um, that certainly could have gone up
[1:06:45] with the with the inflation, but
within that, Jamie, there was like that
[1:06:49] was a total rehabilitation, replacing
the the the main drives, like all the
[1:06:54] moving mechanisms, and then structural
and concrete rehabilitation.
[1:06:59] Um,
typically with these grants, they
[1:07:04] from what I understand, they you you
apply for a high value and you typically
[1:07:09] get knocked down. So, if we apply for
two, we might get
[1:07:12] it seems like 1 million seems to be the
average. Um, so even with that, we can
[1:07:17] still replace the the
mechanical portion of it. That's really
[1:07:21] what's falling apart. Um, we can live
with deteriorated
[1:07:26] concrete, but you can't live without the
mechanical portion of it. So, I mean, we
[1:07:31] can have a discussion down the line
where if they do approve um,
[1:07:35] a million, do we want to
and and I don't even know
[1:07:41] if this is possible. I haven't discussed
this with Sheila, but can we go can we
[1:07:45] go out for a loan for the other 1
million portion of Um,
[1:07:50] but, you know, like I said, right now
I'm just trying to
[1:07:53] aggressively pursue any grant funding we
can because eventually we will have to
[1:07:58] bite the bullet if we don't have any
luck with the grant and and do
[1:08:01] something. Got you.
Eric, for the purposes
[1:08:05] for the purposes [clears throat] of
whoever may be watching, can you talk
[1:08:08] about the clarifiers and how important
this is? Sure.
[1:08:12] So,
>> [clears throat]
[1:08:13] » the secondary clarifier is the circular
tanks that some of you may or may not
[1:08:18] have seen or be familiar with.
Um, basically, what those do is they
[1:08:22] reduce the velocity of the liquid as it
flows through the treatment process. Um,
[1:08:28] and by reducing the velocity, you allow
all the solids, which are the bacteria
[1:08:32] that you do the treatment, they settle
to the bottom of the clarifiers and the
[1:08:36] clear liquid, which is basically which
is treated at that point, uh, can flow,
[1:08:42] you know, over the weir and down to the
next process. So, it's really a liquid
[1:08:46] to solid separation process. Um,
they're very vital. It's a
[1:08:52] it's a very vital piece of equipment or
or component of the process. Without
[1:08:56] that, you you really don't have
treatment. Um, North Brookfield
[1:09:00] [clears throat] has a very tough permit.
So, because of that, you know, we have
[1:09:06] to remove things like total suspended
solids and total phosphorus, aluminum,
[1:09:10] copper, and zinc, which a lot of
treatment plants don't don't have to
[1:09:14] remove that. So, that clarifier plays a
big role in keeping those solids in the
[1:09:19] clarifier and and preventing them from
going out to the river because within
[1:09:23] those solids is all your phosphorus and
your aluminum and zinc, everything's
[1:09:27] bound up in those in that bacteria.
Um so, if you let's just say, you know,
[1:09:32] if you lose a clarifier, if the if the
drive main gear of the drive fails,
[1:09:38] and you you're not able to use that
clarifier, then you're looking at uh
[1:09:43] permit violations.
You know, that's the last thing we want
[1:09:46] to do, given that the town spent all
this money and was very proactive.
[1:09:50] Um you just don't want to
you know, be back in a position where
[1:09:54] you have the EPA,
you know, down your throat. And and they
[1:09:58] they're relentless. [clears throat] They
really don't care what the town's
[1:10:00] financial situation is.
Um
[1:10:04] you know, they they they just they will
come at us pretty hard. So, you know,
[1:10:09] the clarifiers are very important piece
of the process.
[1:10:12] Thank you.
Thank you, Eric.
[1:10:16] » [clears throat]
>> All right.
[1:10:19] I will entertain a motion to sign a
letter
[1:10:23] from us to the senator
um [clears throat]
[1:10:27] Senator Warren.
Uh this one's actually going to Ed
[1:10:30] Markey.
>> Ed Markey. Senator Markey. All right.
[1:10:33] So, I will entertain a motion to send
the this letter from us to Senator
[1:10:38] Markey asking for um
the acceptance of the grant for the
[1:10:44] clarifiers. Some
Second. Discussion?
[1:10:51] All right. All in favor? I. I. I. I need
I need to fix something. Sorry.
[1:10:56] Thank you.
Thank you.
[1:10:58] » Thank you.
Um
[1:11:00] in my previous discussion, I get so
wrapped up in talking about Chapter 90.
[1:11:06] You know, it's it's easy to forget
the people.
[1:11:11] Randy Morgan, highway superintendent.
>> I am part of that. Yeah, I I know you
[1:11:17] are.
Highway Superintendent Randy Morgan,
[1:11:20] thank you.
And the lady who holds it all together,
[1:11:24] Kim Corbin.
And takes all the irate messages, swears
[1:11:30] and all.
Thank you.
[1:11:36] All right.
Now we can do public comment period.
[1:11:46] Brendan.
You know, I I like to have a little fun
[1:11:50] with numbers myself sometimes, so I was
looking at this uh
[1:11:56] road situation, and if people really
wanted
[1:12:01] good roads,
I figure it costs $2 million a year over
[1:12:06] 10 years,
and $2 million a year on the tax base
[1:12:11] would be about $1,000 on the average
person's
[1:12:15] tax bill. So,
just so people will have that in mind,
[1:12:20] you know,
like
[1:12:22] that, you know, we're on a tight budget.
You can only do so much.
[1:12:28] People really want it,
and they're going to have to go out and
[1:12:32] vote it.
But I can't see uh
[1:12:36] town taking on that kind of burden.
[1:12:41] Anybody else? Matt. Uh one thing I heard
another town around here does, and this
[1:12:45] may alleviate some of the
calling and yelling at a secretary um
[1:12:52] working at the highway department.
And I know we're revamping the website
[1:12:55] right now. Has there been any thought to
adding like a portion there where you
[1:12:59] can
notify the town of a pothole or of
[1:13:03] something. So, it's right on the
website, maybe it goes to her office,
[1:13:06] and you know, then they she can reach
out, rather than someone complaining
[1:13:09] about not getting
through or whatever. I mean, electronic
[1:13:13] nowadays.
[1:13:16] I don't know. We are in the process of
updating the I I forget what town around
[1:13:20] here said. I heard it some one of the
other towns does it, and it seems to
[1:13:23] help.
You know, so where you can identify
[1:13:25] where the issue is. You know, like I
know the thing on Facebook recently,
[1:13:29] there was a gentleman up on that really
dirt road. I would have never even
[1:13:33] bought a house up that way.
But that's a There was a reason I mean,
[1:13:36] the house was probably
my guess is the person got a good deal
[1:13:41] on that house because of the road it's
on.
[1:13:43] Um but
things like that, he could have just
[1:13:46] went online,
said, "Hey, I have a complaint about the
[1:13:49] my road washing away." Rather than
putting it on Facebook, making it this
[1:13:52] thing that turns into, you know,
something bigger than it really is.
[1:13:57] Yeah, a lot of fairness to that
gentleman. He he he that he didn't start
[1:14:01] on Facebook, but I hear you. But having
the the the thing, I guess
[1:14:08] people aren't always the best with their
opinions.
[1:14:12] And I'll say with personal I I I didn't
know it until I actually started kind of
[1:14:17] jumping in with these guys, you know,
driving the plow truck, and driving the
[1:14:20] sidewalk machine. The thing to keep in
mind is
[1:14:23] every damn time I've been out on one of
those machines, I've had somebody
[1:14:28] yelling, screaming, and swearing at me.
Okay?
[1:14:32] The last time I was on that sidewalk
machine,
[1:14:35] I had to call the officer on duty
because I literally somebody having a
[1:14:39] meltdown on me.
Yeah, so I
[1:14:44] Yeah. Yeah, I mean, there's obviously
much bigger issues, but that's But there
[1:14:47] is there is, but I like the idea because
it wasn't all that too not long ago
[1:14:51] where Kim had somebody come in, and you
know, a guy coming in screaming and
[1:14:55] swearing at him.
Yeah.
[1:14:58] A lot of school buses Right.
[1:15:04] All right. Thank you. Thank you, Matt.
Eric, I have a question for Randy. So,
[1:15:10] so let's [snorts] say
uh
[1:15:13] from Hannaford's back, I'm not sure if
that's East Brookfield or Gilbertville.
[1:15:16] I I don't know kind of
crosses somewhere near there. But
[1:15:19] because that's a Route 67, a state road,
by understanding it, are we not allowed
[1:15:23] to
uh
[1:15:25] include that in Chapter 90?
Gilbertville? Yes. That's our street.
[1:15:31] It's not a state road. It's not 67 goes
towards West Brookfield.
[1:15:35] Okay.
So, we own all the way to East
[1:15:38] Brookfield.
Everybody mistakes it and calls East
[1:15:41] Brookfield Road 67. Yeah.
I thought I thought
[1:15:47] So, take that a step further, that is in
our sights right now.
[1:15:55] So, on that note,
>> [clears throat]
[1:15:57] » being that we are an agricultural
community,
[1:16:01] can the town
essentially repossess
[1:16:05] a road such as say Conant Road?
There's a lot of farms on it.
[1:16:11] It is a
essentially a dirt road. There's no need
[1:16:15] to pave that road. And then any other
agricultural roads that are say Conant
[1:16:19] Roads to cut down on our
aging for miles of
[1:16:25] paved road,
if you will, from the Chapter 90, to
[1:16:28] maybe boost it. The 84 miles is every
road in town. There's Well, exactly.
[1:16:33] What I'm saying, you know,
[1:16:39] you know, something like that to
help boost our numbers towards
[1:16:43] Yeah, as far as the community having
Yeah, well, the thing is is, you know,
[1:16:46] and you know, it's it's much easier. We
have a grader,
[1:16:51] right? The dirt road is is, you know, we
can regrade it, which we do.
[1:16:58] Mr. Morgan's been doing it twice a year.
Um
[1:17:04] but you can't do that with a with a
paved road that's falling apart. So, I I
[1:17:08] yeah.
I I think I I think Randy's kind of
[1:17:11] trying [clears throat] to manage along
those lines.
[1:17:14] But good point.
Good point.
[1:17:18] All right.
Anybody else?
[1:17:22] All right.
Um announcements.
[1:17:27] The 2026 town elections are scheduled
for May 4th,
[1:17:31] 2026. The following have returned their
papers for election.
[1:17:35] Uh Board of Selectmen, one seat, Pete
Orsi and John Tripp. Water Commissioner,
[1:17:39] one seat, Richard Cannon and James
Arkizy. Water Commissioner
[1:17:44] to fill vacancy for two-year term,
Donald Gillette.
[1:17:47] Board of Assessors, Brandon Avery for
three-year term. Board of Health, Ethan
[1:17:51] Milad,
>> [snorts]
[1:17:52] » uh candidate for re-election.
Uh Cemetery Commissioner,
[1:17:58] Kirk Burnham, candidate for re-election.
Library Trustee, two seats. Uh Carol
[1:18:03] Kelly is a candidate for re-election.
Planning Board, five-year term, Karen
[1:18:07] Hubback. Planning Board, four-year term
to fill vacancy, Sadie Kylie. Housing
[1:18:12] Authority, one seat, Darlene Lavin,
candidate for re-election. And Southern
[1:18:16] Worcester County Regional Vocational
District, one seat, Donald Gillette,
[1:18:20] candidate for re-election.
The [clears throat] Senior Center will
[1:18:23] host an Easter luncheon on Wednesday,
April 1st at 12:00 p.m.
[1:18:27] Uh please call the center at
508-867-0220
[1:18:31] for the full menu and to reserve a seat.
And a reminder that dog licenses expire
[1:18:37] on April 1st.
All right. Pending any future agenda
[1:18:41] items.
Any?
[1:18:46] All right. So,
um
[1:18:48] we do have to
at some point have a um
[1:18:53] executive session and open up uh
the contract for the police to do the
[1:19:01] uh
some language has to be reworded
[1:19:04] um regarding details.
So, that will be something forthcoming.
[1:19:11] So,
All right.
[1:19:13] Uh
I'll entertain a motion to adjourn.
[1:19:16] Special town meeting on 9:07. Opposed? I
forgot about
[1:19:20] Oh.
[1:19:24] » Put that in the meeting minutes.
[laughter]
[1:19:29] All right.
So, special town meeting.
[1:19:33] Date, time?
What?
[1:19:37] I'll just go back.
Friday,
[1:19:41] April 17th at 6:00 p.m. at the North
Brookfield Elementary School.
[1:19:46] All right. Friday, April 17th, 6:00 p.m.
at the elementary school.
[1:19:50] Are you on here?
>> Thanks, Mary Beth.
[1:19:52] All right. I will entertain a motion to
adjourn.
[1:19:54] » So moved.
Second. All in favor?
[1:19:57] » Aye. Aye. Thank you, everybody. Have a
good night.