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This is NHTV2, North Haven Government Television, a service of North Haven

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Community Television.

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The following program is brought to you through the support of

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the Town of North Haven.

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All right. Good evening, everyone.

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I'd like to have everyone take their seats, please.

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I'm Mike Freed, North Haven's Selectman, and welcome to our October Board of

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Selectman meeting. Joined as always by our second Selectman, Mr.

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William Piper, and our third Selectman, Mr. David Cohen.

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Let's rise for our pledge of allegiance.

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I pledge allegiance

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To the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it

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stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

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Before we get started, I want to have a motion made, and I want to explain

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why I'm going to make this motion to change the order of this agenda.

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As many of you know, I have a very good relationship with the media, so I have

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Channel Eight coming in here. Channel Eight will be here for the drone portion of

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this meeting. I want them to come in. Preston Stover's going to be here.

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We work very closely together, because I'm going to be making a presentation so

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that not only everyone here, everybody on North Haven TV, and everybody watching on

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Channel Eight is going to be updated in terms of what's happening on this Amazon

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drone issue here in North Haven. So Preston Stover will be here at

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7:12. So I'm going to make a motion to amend this agenda to reverse the order of

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this. So item number four, which is the first Selectman's overview, which is this

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presentation I'm going to give, goes after item number five, which now

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will become four, which is the veterans exemption.

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Is there a motion? I'm making the motion.

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Before we, and if-

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Yes

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... if the press isn't here yet, we could push that. You want to push it even more?

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Yes.

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Yeah, I would agree with that. That maybe, we have all these other resolutions and-

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We can do the bonding.

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Yeah, maybe we'll do the bonding. Yes.

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Do some of it.

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And then there's a second part to this.

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We agree to-

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Yes. And I'll second your-

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Yes

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... your motion here to

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move the agenda around, and I guess we'll be a little flexible-

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Yes

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... with which items we address first.

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We'll, of course, get to every item on the agenda, but we'll move it around as

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necessary and wait for press to get here.

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And in conjunction with this, what we're going to do to wait for Channel Eight to

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come in, we will have public comment after I deliver this presentation.

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And we'll also have public comment to the issue about the petition of the firetruck

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rather than wait till the end of the meeting for public comment.

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We'll still have public comment on other issues.

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So what we're going to be proposing here in this motion through the discussion is

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that I'm having Channel Eight come in, and we will allow public comment while

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Channel Eight's here on this drone issue that I'm going to present and give

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everybody an update, and we'll do the same thing on the petition on the firetruck.

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Right. And to clarify, so for each, I'm totally on board with that.

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A lot of folks have asked us to do that generally, that they would like to comment

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on agenda items before we get to the end of the meeting.

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So with respect to the drone update, folks will be able to come up and speak to it

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so it gets recorded,

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so the media can see it. And then also agenda item six, which is the petition with

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respect to the new fire engine.

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Yeah.

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The canceled fire engine. So we'll do both of those.

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And in respect of each, once that agenda item's done, we'll go to the next one, and

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people will be able to speak to that as well.

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And then at the end of the night, please don't come back up and raise those two

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agenda items. So those will be specific and exclusive to those two agenda items.

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And then at the end of the night, when we have normal public comment, it'll just be

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for anything other than those two agenda items.

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Want to talk about the timeline?

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Yes.

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Plus, I think we're going to also ask that you, so that everybody has a chance to

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speak, you limit your comments to no more than five minutes like you would at a

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town meeting or a special town meeting.

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And then if you have more comments to make after everybody has spoken, then you

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could get back up on either of those agenda items and speak again.

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So this way, at least,

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as opposed to somebody talking for 15 minutes, you can still talk for 15 minutes,

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but you need to do that in five minutes and let other people speak.

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And then ultimately, if there's nobody left, finish your comments.

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I think that's a fair thing to do as opposed to dominating the floor, and that's

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exactly what we do for a town meeting.

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Yeah.

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Okay. That works. We'd be able to-

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And hopefully that takes care of it.

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It's great that we have such a good turnout tonight.

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Yeah.

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Thank you.

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And when I have Channel Eight come in, we're going to allow them a few minutes to

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set up so they can film this meeting and film public comment.

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Okay, great.

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Very good.

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So, second the motion.

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Okay. We'll have a motion, second, any other discussion?

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No.

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All right. Hearing none, we'll call for that vote. All those in favor?

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Aye.

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Thank you very much, ladies and gentlemen.

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Thank you.

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Okay. Item number two, any public comments relative to the agenda?

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Okay. Very good. Item number three, the approval of the minutes of the Board of

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Selectmen meeting from September 3rd. Is there a motion?

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Make a motion to approve the minutes from September 3rd, 2026, the Board of

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Selectmen meeting.

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I'll second that motion.

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Okay. We have a motion, we have a second. Any other discussion?

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Hearing none, we'll call for that vote. All those in favor?

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Aye.

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Thank you very much. Okay. Now, item number four is now item number five.

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So,

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was item number five.

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Right.

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So we're going to read the consideration.

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David and Bill, would you like to participate?

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Sure. Bill, I'll have you start. To consider, so new item number four, to consider

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and vote upon whether to recommend that the town meeting adopt Article 13,

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exemptions for veterans with total service-connected disability and surviving

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spouses of residents killed in action of the taxation ordinance at Chapter 184 of

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the ordinances of the Town of North Haven.

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Result, to recommend that the town meeting adopt Article 13, exemptions for

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veterans with total service-connected disability and surviving spouses of residents

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killed in action of the taxation ordinance at Chapter 184 of the ordinances of the

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Town of North Haven.

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Okay. Is there a second?

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I'll second.

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Okay. In the discussion,

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you see here a copy of the proposed ordinance.

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Now, for those that don't know, Bill Piper,

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retired lieutenant colonel, United States Army.

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He is the municipal liaison between the town and the veterans.

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So I'm going to turn this over to Bill to go through the ordinance, and we've

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invited our town assessor here, Lynn here.

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She's here also to offer some commentary or answer any questions. Bill?

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This exception actually, these are actually

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exceptions that we can approve at the municipal level.

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There's a mandatory exception that already exists under Connecticut statute,

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where municipalities must provide an exemption to eligible participants who are

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100% permanently and totally disabled.

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But these are two other situations that we locally can approve.

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The ones that I just mentioned, the general one, is mandatory, and I think we're

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already, as Lynn's going to mention as our town assessor, is already being

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applied and given to people,

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or veterans rather, that are entitled to that

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property relief. But these are ones that would extend it maybe to a few more people

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who do deserve it, that may not quite fall under the complete statutory

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arrangement that for permanently and totally disabled.

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And I think including the

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surviving spouses for somebody that we may not even have anybody that regrettably

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were killed in action, and would be entitled to this if it ever happened in the

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future. So, I

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think it's a good thing. I think it recognizes that there are veterans, the state

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statute does, and our extension may be the state statute into some cases that are

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technically maybe not covered by the state statute, but where the veterans are

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permanently and totally disabled, they will have tax relief, and they will not be

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paying taxes on their primary residence up to, I think, two acres of land.

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No, not the two acres, just one of them. I'm sorry, just one.

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So we got the assessor here. Just one acre of land.

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They don't own- No, just the dwelling. Pardon? Just the dwelling, no acreage.

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Oh, just the dwelling, I'm sorry. Just the dwelling. Just the dwelling, no acreage.

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And, if they don't have a dwelling, it would apply to 100% on one vehicle.

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On one vehicle. Mm-hmm. So maybe

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after that, I think maybe it would be appropriate for our assessor to come up and

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maybe provide some further comments.

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Sure.

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That maybe actually clarifies what I've said.

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Lynn, the floor is yours, Lynn.

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Well, thank you, Bill, for your service. My husband is also a Marine.

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Well, not retired but ex.

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So the state rolled this program out for veterans who are 100%

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P&T. It began in '24.

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Initially, when they wrote the statute, they had ambiguity about the percentage of

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disability, whether it was permanent.

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So in '25, they rewrote the statute, or they actually rewrote it

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before the 25 grand list was effective, but they made it effective with the 25

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grand list that it would be somebody who has 100% permanent and

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total disability.

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It allows the dwelling of that individual, as Bill pointed out, to be fully

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exempted or their motor vehicle to be exempted if they don't have any real estate.

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What happened was is there's a group of individuals who are veterans

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who have a disability that isn't 100%, but they get

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paid at the 100% rate because they're unemployable, and it's permanent and total.

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So those were not included in the statute when they wrote that.

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So what the state did is they allowed municipalities to adopt this statute to

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include that population and afford the exemption to them.

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As of the 25 grand list, we only have 12 TDIU, nine of them have

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real estate and three motor vehicle.

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I don't know if there's anything else I can elaborate on.

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Sure. Thank you so much, Lynn.

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Oh, you're welcome.

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So this is an expansion of the state's statute, right?

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We're kind of filling in the gaps.

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Right. The state is not mandating us to do this.

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They're allowing the municipality to decide whether or not that they want to do it

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because the state does not reimburse for this.

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And does the state reimburse for the statute that they promulgated?

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They do not.

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No. Okay.

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Have most municipalities taken up the offer to expand the statute itself and

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fill in the holes here?

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I don't know the complete statistics on that.

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I do know that there are quite a few towns and municipalities have not

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adopted it.

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Okay.

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So.

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And then the second piece is-

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Trumbull, I know it did.

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From talking to other municipal veteran drafts, it sounds like a lot of towns, if

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they've not done it, are considering it.

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Are considering it.

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Right. Yes.

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I'm sure they are.

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Yeah.

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I think they gave us that ability because

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the way the statute was drafted maybe wasn't as encompassing as it was initially

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intended.

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Right. And tying it to employability was the way to give the folks who clearly

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could fall into this the opportunity to take advantage of the exemption. Okay.

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Right.

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And I think one of the things that I was mistaken about the land, because we could

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do that as an exemption on a future basis for up to two acres.

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Yes.

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Because I think the way it was drafted originally, again, by the state legislature,

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talked about dwelling and not the property.

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Mm-hmm.

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Okay.

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Right. That is correct. You can exempt it up to two acres.

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So again, a lot of this language came after they were pushing to get the

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exemptions afforded to the veterans as they deserve.

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But there was a lot of ambiguity because there is a complexity in the way the VA

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assigns disability ratings. So you can be 100% and not permanent and total,

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and your percentage of disability at 100% could go down to 50. It could change.

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So

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it was my understanding the same could occur even if they assigned less than 100%

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and it was P&T. So they just had to redefine it and make it less

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ambiguous.

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Mm.

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A lot of it has to do with the VA defining disability in a couple of different

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ways based on how they can maybe most

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properly pay benefits for veterans who are really 100% permanently and totally

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disabled-

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Right

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... in terms of home healthcare and trying to allocate it properly.

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The other thing that I think is important to know is, and Lynn you can help me with

244
00:14:28,752 --> 00:14:33,613
that too, is that it is something, unfortunately, you think if you're 100%

245
00:14:33,642 --> 00:14:35,983
permanently and totally disabled, you'd always be that way.

246
00:14:36,373 --> 00:14:41,502
Sometimes the VA changes that disability, and they have to apply by January 1st of

247
00:14:41,562 --> 00:14:42,132
every year.

248
00:14:44,113 --> 00:14:44,442
Yeah.

249
00:14:44,623 --> 00:14:45,762
You can comment on it a little bit more.

250
00:14:45,792 --> 00:14:47,113
I think you understand that better than I do.

251
00:14:47,352 --> 00:14:52,812
So it was my understanding that that can change more variably with

252
00:14:52,962 --> 00:14:55,212
100% and not P&T.

253
00:14:57,492 --> 00:15:02,623
There are exceptions where if you are 100% P&T, that permanent and total

254
00:15:03,132 --> 00:15:09,012
disabled, that it could change. It's not likely to get

255
00:15:09,102 --> 00:15:13,662
that percentage of disability. You'd have to really demonstrate

256
00:15:14,892 --> 00:15:15,702
a significant

257
00:15:17,262 --> 00:15:23,172
qualification for that. So I am not really that well-versed in terms of

258
00:15:24,492 --> 00:15:30,222
what that entails. But I do know that it is possible to go below the

259
00:15:30,252 --> 00:15:32,952
100%, but not likely to.

260
00:15:33,162 --> 00:15:33,162
Okay.

261
00:15:33,222 --> 00:15:36,162
It is more likely if you were just 100% and not P&T.

262
00:15:36,373 --> 00:15:36,762
Right.

263
00:15:36,882 --> 00:15:42,312
I'm not really clear as to why they made them require to come in and

264
00:15:42,373 --> 00:15:48,282
apply annually, but I guess it's just to make sure that they in fact still

265
00:15:48,373 --> 00:15:54,342
qualify more than anything, possibly not even really truly understanding

266
00:15:55,632 --> 00:15:59,532
the whole ins and outs of that disability rating.

267
00:15:59,803 --> 00:16:00,102
Yeah.

268
00:16:00,642 --> 00:16:00,912
Mm-hmm.

269
00:16:01,483 --> 00:16:06,312
I think that's very helpful. And then the second prong of this is still in action.

270
00:16:06,402 --> 00:16:09,553
Spouses of service members killed in action.

271
00:16:09,642 --> 00:16:10,062
Yes.

272
00:16:10,303 --> 00:16:11,772
The exemption applies as well.

273
00:16:11,831 --> 00:16:11,921
Yes.

274
00:16:11,921 --> 00:16:13,392
Is this an expansion or is-

275
00:16:14,351 --> 00:16:18,613
This would be an expansion, not mandated. This is just a municipal option.

276
00:16:19,123 --> 00:16:19,212
Okay.

277
00:16:19,242 --> 00:16:22,092
And it's for anyone. They call them Gold Stars.

278
00:16:22,152 --> 00:16:22,242
Yep.

279
00:16:23,623 --> 00:16:26,742
But we don't have anyone, luckily-

280
00:16:27,192 --> 00:16:27,402
Norhaven-

281
00:16:27,462 --> 00:16:30,072
... in Norhaven as of this point. Yes.

282
00:16:31,152 --> 00:16:37,002
That we're aware of that sometimes, unfortunately, not everyone is aware

283
00:16:37,092 --> 00:16:42,072
of the program. But I do know that the VA and a lot of the representatives did go

284
00:16:42,192 --> 00:16:46,902
out and try to reach out to as many members as they possibly could.

285
00:16:48,282 --> 00:16:51,402
But as far as I am aware, we do not have anyone.

286
00:16:53,322 --> 00:16:53,562
Right.

287
00:16:53,983 --> 00:16:58,392
There's also, and again, it just complicates Lynn's job from an assessor's

288
00:16:58,422 --> 00:17:03,282
standpoint, is that if you've been in another town and move into North Haven-

289
00:17:03,522 --> 00:17:03,702
Mm-hmm

290
00:17:03,702 --> 00:17:06,252
... and you've already applied by January 1's portability.

291
00:17:06,732 --> 00:17:07,032
Okay.

292
00:17:07,542 --> 00:17:07,662
Right.

293
00:17:07,722 --> 00:17:12,282
Actually, I talked to a veteran in another, not in North Haven, but if he's in

294
00:17:12,342 --> 00:17:16,482
South Haven or Plainville, who'd moved, somebody who I knew was a veteran.

295
00:17:16,932 --> 00:17:18,642
We talked about that, and I told them.

296
00:17:18,702 --> 00:17:20,532
He did have the documentation and moved-

297
00:17:20,562 --> 00:17:20,712
Mm-hmm

298
00:17:20,742 --> 00:17:25,902
... and they should accept, the assessor in the other town should accept the

299
00:17:25,932 --> 00:17:28,812
documentation that approved in the prior town. So.

300
00:17:30,492 --> 00:17:36,252
Yeah. Usually, they have to have their DD 214 filed in the other

301
00:17:36,342 --> 00:17:40,722
town, and they have to provide it to us within the assessment year.

302
00:17:42,763 --> 00:17:48,642
But yeah, and in any case, to qualify, they have to have their DD 214

303
00:17:48,702 --> 00:17:54,192
filed by September 30th, regardless of what town they are in.

304
00:17:54,582 --> 00:17:54,822
So.

305
00:17:56,112 --> 00:17:58,272
And this is all separate from the standard

306
00:17:59,922 --> 00:18:05,322
exemption we have in the town of North Haven for any veteran who served, $3,000

307
00:18:05,352 --> 00:18:05,502
that

308
00:18:07,182 --> 00:18:09,192
is deducted from their assessed value.

309
00:18:13,992 --> 00:18:14,112
Right.

310
00:18:14,172 --> 00:18:20,142
Which again, is based on our mill rate, is about maybe a savings of about $90

311
00:18:20,172 --> 00:18:21,072
to $100.

312
00:18:21,162 --> 00:18:21,342
Yeah.

313
00:18:21,582 --> 00:18:21,732
Right.

314
00:18:22,872 --> 00:18:25,482
At 31 mills, a $3,000 exemption.

315
00:18:25,542 --> 00:18:26,682
But there are additional-

316
00:18:26,832 --> 00:18:28,092
Additional ones too. Unlimited ones

317
00:18:28,122 --> 00:18:34,032
... so you have others that have a disability rating, and so they'll get a range of

318
00:18:34,092 --> 00:18:39,672
a greater exemption benefit. It's also based on income.

319
00:18:40,962 --> 00:18:45,402
So you could qualify if you didn't meet the income threshold.

320
00:18:46,452 --> 00:18:50,952
Then there's a local exemption you could get if you met the income threshold and

321
00:18:50,982 --> 00:18:56,832
you had a disability rating, or even if you met the income level and didn't have a

322
00:18:57,102 --> 00:18:59,472
disability rating. It's a fun chart.

323
00:18:59,532 --> 00:19:02,053
If you ever want to pop in, I'll be happy to show you.

324
00:19:03,522 --> 00:19:06,732
Actually, it raises an important question that people have asked me before.

325
00:19:06,792 --> 00:19:12,312
Do we have a dedicated space on our town website where people can find-

326
00:19:13,500 --> 00:19:17,190
It's probably not in the chart, but the information or chart, if there's something

327
00:19:17,250 --> 00:19:21,240
that they can-- There's a resource we have so that folks who can qualify for some

328
00:19:21,270 --> 00:19:24,810
of these programs, be it at the state or municipal level or a combination thereof,

329
00:19:25,740 --> 00:19:27,540
how do we make sure that folks have that information?

330
00:19:27,840 --> 00:19:33,510
So we do have some application forms on there and some general

331
00:19:33,600 --> 00:19:35,460
information for veterans.

332
00:19:37,710 --> 00:19:43,621
One of the goals that I just started in at the end of April, but one of my

333
00:19:43,680 --> 00:19:48,871
goals is to improve and enhance and utilize that website as a tool.

334
00:19:49,051 --> 00:19:49,350
Great.

335
00:19:50,340 --> 00:19:53,910
But it's not to where it needs to be right now.

336
00:19:54,060 --> 00:19:57,690
So some of the other information that we have out there right now has been updated,

337
00:19:57,750 --> 00:20:00,240
like for personal property that's going on right now.

338
00:20:01,889 --> 00:20:07,861
I was waiting for this to get final before I started putting out information, so I

339
00:20:07,950 --> 00:20:12,900
knew where we stood in terms of what we can communicate to our veterans, because

340
00:20:12,990 --> 00:20:17,220
that will matter. We are intending to send out letters to all the veterans who have

341
00:20:17,250 --> 00:20:22,500
a disability rating of 10% or more, and the chance that they may end up

342
00:20:22,530 --> 00:20:23,400
qualifying.

343
00:20:24,840 --> 00:20:27,540
Just so that we make sure we got that

344
00:20:29,010 --> 00:20:32,460
well communicated. They are

345
00:20:34,320 --> 00:20:39,720
welcome to call our office. We have information for them available, and we're

346
00:20:40,440 --> 00:20:43,950
willing to walk through and hold their hand through the whole process.

347
00:20:44,430 --> 00:20:46,890
But I can put something out there for them.

348
00:20:47,460 --> 00:20:50,280
I just haven't quite committed to that yet.

349
00:20:50,549 --> 00:20:55,260
Part of it was just to make sure, again, with this meeting and decision as to

350
00:20:55,290 --> 00:20:59,010
whether the town was going to adopt it. It made more sense to then finalize it.

351
00:20:59,220 --> 00:20:59,460
Great.

352
00:20:59,850 --> 00:21:04,920
So on the town webpage, I have a veteran site under community that actually has a

353
00:21:04,980 --> 00:21:10,410
link to the assessor's office, links to the VA, to the Connecticut Department of

354
00:21:10,440 --> 00:21:14,580
Veterans Affairs, to veterans discounts, and all kinds of stuff.

355
00:21:15,240 --> 00:21:17,670
So I think, if you go to the website,

356
00:21:20,160 --> 00:21:21,810
I can show you where that link is.

357
00:21:22,051 --> 00:21:22,260
Yeah.

358
00:21:23,100 --> 00:21:23,310
But

359
00:21:24,540 --> 00:21:26,820
it is on our main webpage.

360
00:21:28,051 --> 00:21:28,080
Yeah.

361
00:21:28,111 --> 00:21:31,890
And from time to time, I do make sure that the links still work.

362
00:21:32,130 --> 00:21:32,280
Yeah.

363
00:21:32,700 --> 00:21:35,070
And there is a link to the assessor's office on that site.

364
00:21:36,150 --> 00:21:40,290
That's great. And I also think it would be wonderful if we made the navigation of

365
00:21:40,320 --> 00:21:44,190
these pages really simple for folks so they can go on, not just for veterans, but

366
00:21:44,850 --> 00:21:49,890
there may be a lot of people out there who qualify for a variety of exemptions of-

367
00:21:49,920 --> 00:21:50,790
Of town benefits. Yeah

368
00:21:50,820 --> 00:21:50,910
... services.

369
00:21:50,910 --> 00:21:50,910
And town benefits, yes.

370
00:21:50,910 --> 00:21:54,000
Yeah, or town benefits, either from the state or the municipal level, who don't

371
00:21:54,030 --> 00:21:54,330
know it-

372
00:21:54,720 --> 00:21:54,871
Right

373
00:21:54,871 --> 00:21:56,010
... maybe because they're not aware of it.

374
00:21:57,030 --> 00:22:02,250
So having a very simple, almost like a flowchart, like, "Hey, this is who I am.

375
00:22:02,430 --> 00:22:04,950
Who are you?" And you fill it out, and it tells you, "These are the things you

376
00:22:05,010 --> 00:22:10,440
might be able to access. What are your basic background and

377
00:22:10,530 --> 00:22:15,630
information?" And just giving people a sense, okay, I can check out these things

378
00:22:15,690 --> 00:22:16,710
and go ask these people.

379
00:22:16,740 --> 00:22:17,010
Mm-hmm.

380
00:22:17,700 --> 00:22:18,930
I think that would be really helpful.

381
00:22:19,200 --> 00:22:19,290
Yeah.

382
00:22:19,350 --> 00:22:20,070
I love your goal.

383
00:22:21,210 --> 00:22:22,200
It's, yes.

384
00:22:22,260 --> 00:22:22,950
Yeah. It's a good goal.

385
00:22:23,700 --> 00:22:23,910
Yes.

386
00:22:24,000 --> 00:22:24,361
It's an important goal.

387
00:22:24,361 --> 00:22:25,140
And we're getting there.

388
00:22:25,230 --> 00:22:25,230
Yeah.

389
00:22:25,260 --> 00:22:26,699
We're getting there, too.

390
00:22:26,699 --> 00:22:26,699
Good.

391
00:22:27,449 --> 00:22:32,160
It is very helpful. I do have links to the website in the automated email

392
00:22:32,220 --> 00:22:37,020
responses. So you do your out-of-office reply, is basically what it is.

393
00:22:38,220 --> 00:22:42,900
So instead of getting, "We're out of the office," I'll actually give them an email

394
00:22:42,960 --> 00:22:46,470
that has links to our website and all the information that they can get.

395
00:22:46,560 --> 00:22:49,111
So it's pretty useful. Hint, hint.

396
00:22:50,010 --> 00:22:50,130
Yeah.

397
00:22:50,160 --> 00:22:53,520
Lots of information about motor vehicles, personal property-

398
00:22:53,940 --> 00:22:54,030
Yeah

399
00:22:54,060 --> 00:22:58,770
... just real estate in general. And of course, we're always available to help

400
00:22:59,100 --> 00:23:00,270
answer any questions you have.

401
00:23:00,330 --> 00:23:01,890
Great. That's great. Thank you. Yeah.

402
00:23:01,950 --> 00:23:06,150
Lynn, I want to thank you, and just so the public knows that we were very fortunate

403
00:23:06,210 --> 00:23:09,330
to have Lynn join us about three ago, was it about three months?

404
00:23:09,510 --> 00:23:10,710
It's about five now.

405
00:23:10,770 --> 00:23:11,400
Five months now.

406
00:23:11,430 --> 00:23:11,490
Yeah.

407
00:23:11,551 --> 00:23:16,111
Right. So our assessor, Gary Johnson, retired, and what we're finding in

408
00:23:16,140 --> 00:23:20,310
government, that it's awfully difficult to find directors of finance, assessors,

409
00:23:20,790 --> 00:23:23,310
building officials. Very, very difficult.

410
00:23:25,080 --> 00:23:28,200
And we're grateful to have Lynn because of her municipal experience.

411
00:23:28,830 --> 00:23:33,810
She came to us from another municipality, and she's well-versed in, as you can see

412
00:23:33,840 --> 00:23:36,361
here tonight, in some of the things she spoke about.

413
00:23:36,630 --> 00:23:37,830
So we're grateful to have you, Lynn.

414
00:23:38,250 --> 00:23:42,510
Well, I'm very grateful to be here, and thank you very much for the opportunity,

415
00:23:42,630 --> 00:23:45,630
and I am happy to serve the town of North Haven.

416
00:23:46,140 --> 00:23:46,380
Thank you. Thank you.

417
00:23:46,410 --> 00:23:46,770
Thank you.

418
00:23:46,801 --> 00:23:49,770
It sounds like you had a goal when you started work.

419
00:23:49,830 --> 00:23:51,390
You started work in April, it sounds like.

420
00:23:51,480 --> 00:23:51,840
Yeah.

421
00:23:51,900 --> 00:23:53,340
Yeah. So you set those goals in April.

422
00:23:53,580 --> 00:23:54,000
Oh, yeah.

423
00:23:54,060 --> 00:23:54,270
I love it.

424
00:23:54,330 --> 00:23:55,560
I'm making everybody earn it.

425
00:23:55,740 --> 00:23:56,910
I love it. It's great.

426
00:23:58,350 --> 00:23:58,530
Thank you.

427
00:23:58,560 --> 00:24:02,611
They may not like it, but they're good, and I have a good staff, so.

428
00:24:02,640 --> 00:24:04,861
The more information people can have access to, the better.

429
00:24:05,220 --> 00:24:05,430
Yes.

430
00:24:05,670 --> 00:24:05,820
Yeah.

431
00:24:05,850 --> 00:24:09,900
Yes, and that's ultimately our goal. So all right.

432
00:24:10,020 --> 00:24:11,551
That's why we redid your office.

433
00:24:11,580 --> 00:24:11,820
Yeah.

434
00:24:11,940 --> 00:24:12,690
To make it so-

435
00:24:14,130 --> 00:24:17,100
And it's very nice. It's very, very comfortable. Thank you.

436
00:24:17,160 --> 00:24:17,580
That's great.

437
00:24:17,640 --> 00:24:17,910
All right.

438
00:24:18,600 --> 00:24:23,880
So before we continue, the goal here tonight is to vote on this

439
00:24:24,240 --> 00:24:26,700
resolution and then bring it to a town meeting.

440
00:24:27,000 --> 00:24:29,551
Now, I just noticed that it says September.

441
00:24:30,660 --> 00:24:34,140
Val, it should be- That is- ... the town meeting. I don't know ...

442
00:24:34,170 --> 00:24:35,310
the town meeting is-

443
00:24:35,940 --> 00:24:36,030
I don't know.

444
00:24:36,030 --> 00:24:36,600
I think it's the-

445
00:24:36,960 --> 00:24:37,650
It comes later.

446
00:24:37,710 --> 00:24:38,551
It comes later. Okay.

447
00:24:38,760 --> 00:24:39,930
It comes later.

448
00:24:39,930 --> 00:24:40,170
It's October-

449
00:24:40,680 --> 00:24:42,361
So it's October 20th.

450
00:24:42,420 --> 00:24:44,190
Very good. Okay. That's very good.

451
00:24:44,760 --> 00:24:47,130
Just vote whether or not to recommend it, and then it will come later.

452
00:24:47,130 --> 00:24:51,030
Then it comes later. Back later, okay. So very good. So we have a motion for this?

453
00:24:51,720 --> 00:24:55,380
Bill, second. Bill, second? Yeah. All right. Motion and a second.

454
00:24:55,440 --> 00:24:58,740
Any other discussion? Hearing none, all those in favor?

455
00:24:59,130 --> 00:24:59,400
Aye.

456
00:24:59,820 --> 00:25:00,240
Thank you.

457
00:25:02,940 --> 00:25:08,580
All right. We're about eight minutes away from Channel 8 coming in, but just wanted

458
00:25:08,611 --> 00:25:10,560
to see if that's him out there.

459
00:25:12,930 --> 00:25:14,850
Maybe we do the bonding real quick. Let's go to the bonding.

460
00:25:14,940 --> 00:25:15,810
Yeah, let's do the bonding.

461
00:25:19,350 --> 00:25:19,801
Okay. Okay.

462
00:25:21,030 --> 00:25:23,040
David, do you want to do an overview, or want me to go through the-

463
00:25:23,190 --> 00:25:24,690
Yeah. I'll do an overview. So

464
00:25:26,100 --> 00:25:30,660
it's important to note here that what you're going to see is a series of

465
00:25:30,720 --> 00:25:36,450
resolutions that we're going to ask at the town meeting to

466
00:25:36,510 --> 00:25:37,861
bond for these projects.

467
00:25:39,120 --> 00:25:43,620
One of the most important points that I'd like you to remember about this is other

468
00:25:43,679 --> 00:25:46,440
than the $7 million worth of road paving,

469
00:25:47,790 --> 00:25:53,280
every other resolution on here that you'll see is fully reimbursed with state

470
00:25:53,340 --> 00:25:58,950
grants. So the $7 million in road paving will be road

471
00:25:59,010 --> 00:26:03,930
paving for next year, starting in April, May, and then up to September.

472
00:26:05,460 --> 00:26:10,770
That is not reimbursable. Everything else you see, the dollars you see here, like

473
00:26:10,830 --> 00:26:14,400
Sackett Point Road you're going to see, all of that is reimbursable.

474
00:26:14,460 --> 00:26:15,900
So the way it works is that

475
00:26:17,280 --> 00:26:21,780
consider it like a revolving loan at a bank, okay? We have to do the bonding.

476
00:26:22,230 --> 00:26:24,870
I have to go to the rating agencies now for a rating call.

477
00:26:25,500 --> 00:26:30,241
I have to go for a rating call in October, and we're going to get re-rated or rated

478
00:26:30,330 --> 00:26:33,330
or holding our rating. I have to present the profile.

479
00:26:33,390 --> 00:26:35,580
I have to present the corporation of North Haven.

480
00:26:36,000 --> 00:26:39,390
And these, as I've said before, they're some of the smartest financial people in

481
00:26:39,420 --> 00:26:42,120
the United States. So we have to be on our game,

482
00:26:43,650 --> 00:26:46,230
and that is what's going to happen in the rating call.

483
00:26:46,290 --> 00:26:50,520
So I'll be dealing with S&P 500, presenting the town of North Haven, all of its

484
00:26:50,851 --> 00:26:55,020
intricacies, all of its finances, and the economic development, and anything else

485
00:26:55,051 --> 00:26:55,741
that they ask.

486
00:26:57,810 --> 00:27:01,470
So from there, we bring it to the town meeting.

487
00:27:01,500 --> 00:27:03,930
And then what happens is in the bonding, because our

488
00:27:05,790 --> 00:27:11,491
town has been very-- People have been very interested in our town's

489
00:27:11,580 --> 00:27:16,410
notes, because when I say notes, the bonding, okay? We have to take loans out.

490
00:27:16,440 --> 00:27:21,420
They're bonds. We get a lot of financial people, financial people that come in and

491
00:27:21,510 --> 00:27:26,430
bid on the bonds. And when that happens, is we get the lower rate

492
00:27:26,491 --> 00:27:32,160
because our town is so attractive to the outside investors that we get

493
00:27:32,460 --> 00:27:36,690
five, six, eight, 10, 15 people bidding on our paper, we call it. Okay?

494
00:27:37,290 --> 00:27:40,980
And that's what we want to see, because when you only have one or two people, you

495
00:27:41,010 --> 00:27:44,551
don't have the ability to get the lowest interest rate.

496
00:27:45,150 --> 00:27:50,940
So that's why the strength of this organization from a financial standpoint

497
00:27:51,060 --> 00:27:52,650
is appealing to the investors.

498
00:27:54,120 --> 00:27:57,510
So that's an overview. We're going to go through the resolutions.

499
00:27:57,660 --> 00:27:59,970
David and Bill are going to read the resolutions.

500
00:28:00,270 --> 00:28:06,060
But remember, when you see all these numbers, only $7 million is not reimbursable.

501
00:28:06,120 --> 00:28:08,821
Everything else is reimbursable. David and Bill?

502
00:28:09,420 --> 00:28:12,991
Yeah, that's not any, I think, different than it has been over the years-

503
00:28:13,051 --> 00:28:13,051
Yes

504
00:28:13,080 --> 00:28:16,470
... where so much of what we have to bond for initially,

505
00:28:17,970 --> 00:28:18,420
eventually

506
00:28:19,770 --> 00:28:23,220
does get reimbursed because there is state reimbursement for it.

507
00:28:24,480 --> 00:28:27,180
So this is no different. I think it just goes through the same process.

508
00:28:27,510 --> 00:28:33,342
The other thing, I think, and I should have brought my- Brett, the numbers

509
00:28:33,402 --> 00:28:39,252
with me, but the other thing to note is we have a maximum level that we

510
00:28:39,283 --> 00:28:42,703
can bond. We're substantially below that bonding level.

511
00:28:43,242 --> 00:28:43,362
Yeah.

512
00:28:43,453 --> 00:28:43,962
I think only

513
00:28:45,283 --> 00:28:48,252
half or 60% of maybe what we could bond as a...

514
00:28:48,972 --> 00:28:52,182
So I think from a debt service standpoint, if

515
00:28:53,412 --> 00:28:58,302
you've looked at the town's financials over the years, we've been very good about

516
00:28:59,382 --> 00:29:05,263
not extending our bonding to such a level that we have no flexibility to bond in

517
00:29:05,292 --> 00:29:05,893
the future.

518
00:29:06,462 --> 00:29:09,552
Exactly. One of the things that I'm trying to accomplish before I leave at the end

519
00:29:09,582 --> 00:29:14,292
of December is, over the past seven years, we've been

520
00:29:14,832 --> 00:29:18,522
calculating what the debt service reduction will be.

521
00:29:18,522 --> 00:29:18,522
Right.

522
00:29:19,302 --> 00:29:24,643
So you'll see that after I leave. You'll see that over the course of the next few

523
00:29:24,703 --> 00:29:29,412
years, all of a sudden there's going to be a sliding debt, which means that that is

524
00:29:29,533 --> 00:29:33,013
less money that has to be put in town budgets in future years.

525
00:29:33,552 --> 00:29:39,402
However, what generally happens is that if there's other capital projects that are

526
00:29:39,462 --> 00:29:42,372
needed, let's say it's a new building, let's say, okay?

527
00:29:42,792 --> 00:29:48,342
That the key is to try to not add on debt, but to add the debt

528
00:29:48,462 --> 00:29:51,822
as other debt is falling off the books.

529
00:29:52,572 --> 00:29:57,042
So that'll be something that you'll see in the next couple of years, that the debt

530
00:29:57,132 --> 00:29:59,712
service will be sliding, which is a good thing.

531
00:30:00,643 --> 00:30:06,402
It'll offer capacity for the new administration to come forward with

532
00:30:06,522 --> 00:30:09,042
other projects that need to be bonded for.

533
00:30:09,672 --> 00:30:15,582
And that new administration will then be able to utilize the sliding debt scale

534
00:30:15,643 --> 00:30:19,332
and replace debt with things that are needed from capital expenditures in the

535
00:30:19,393 --> 00:30:19,813
future.

536
00:30:21,072 --> 00:30:21,522
Okay.

537
00:30:22,122 --> 00:30:26,982
Just a question on that. Are the projects that are kind of falling away or we're

538
00:30:27,042 --> 00:30:32,862
making our payments and paying it down, are those the firehouse and police

539
00:30:32,982 --> 00:30:35,652
and high school and middle school? Are those the big capital projects?

540
00:30:35,802 --> 00:30:38,502
That's a great question, Dan. We've talked about this before.

541
00:30:38,563 --> 00:30:42,192
So a lot of times, ladies and gentlemen, that when you see a new building built

542
00:30:42,222 --> 00:30:47,652
like four new firehouses back in 2012, '13, or you see a new police department, or

543
00:30:47,682 --> 00:30:52,122
you see a $69-million middle school that's been built, people think it's already

544
00:30:52,212 --> 00:30:55,272
paid for. That's when the debt service begins.

545
00:30:55,932 --> 00:31:01,602
So to David's question here, we're closing out the debt on the firehouses.

546
00:31:01,962 --> 00:31:04,302
We still have the debt on the police department.

547
00:31:04,572 --> 00:31:08,742
We probably have another nine years to 10 years on the middle school.

548
00:31:09,072 --> 00:31:12,342
So that's the way it works. And even when you pave roads, okay?

549
00:31:13,692 --> 00:31:19,152
That's adding debt service that over the course of time, we have to add to our

550
00:31:19,332 --> 00:31:25,002
budget on debt service because these projects now that are built, the

551
00:31:25,092 --> 00:31:27,192
debt pretty much starts.

552
00:31:29,143 --> 00:31:30,972
So always remember that in the future, folks.

553
00:31:31,302 --> 00:31:34,122
When you see a building that's built, that doesn't mean it's paid for.

554
00:31:34,842 --> 00:31:36,402
It's like taking a mortgage out on a house.

555
00:31:36,972 --> 00:31:39,372
You're going to pay it out over 20 years, let's say.

556
00:31:40,092 --> 00:31:41,622
And it's no different than in government.

557
00:31:42,313 --> 00:31:45,372
So, good question, and I think that's a good discussion to have here.

558
00:31:45,581 --> 00:31:49,932
Yeah, absolutely. And opening up capacity for future capital projects.

559
00:31:49,962 --> 00:31:50,622
Future capital projects, that's right.

560
00:31:50,893 --> 00:31:52,063
That's a great thing for town.

561
00:31:53,563 --> 00:31:57,372
All right, so let's get into it. So the first one I'm going to read is the only

562
00:31:57,462 --> 00:32:03,042
one, to Michael's point, that is on the town budget. The rest will be reimbursable.

563
00:32:03,102 --> 00:32:07,182
This is Sackett Point Road. "Consider an act upon a resolution recommending a

564
00:32:07,242 --> 00:32:12,972
$7-million appropriation and bond authorization for reconstruction of Sackett Point

565
00:32:13,063 --> 00:32:17,412
Road. The project shall consist of the reconstruction, milling, and paving of the

566
00:32:17,472 --> 00:32:17,953
roadway,

567
00:32:19,272 --> 00:32:21,252
installation and repair of sidewalks,

568
00:32:22,902 --> 00:32:26,412
lighting, signage, traffic controls, drainage, and other related improvements and

569
00:32:26,442 --> 00:32:28,902
repairs." That could be the resolution then, Bill?

570
00:32:28,992 --> 00:32:29,472
Yeah.

571
00:32:29,953 --> 00:32:32,832
"Resolved, that the Board of Selectmen recommends that the Town of North Haven

572
00:32:32,862 --> 00:32:35,893
appropriate $7 million for reconstruction of Sackett Point Road.

573
00:32:36,313 --> 00:32:39,342
The project shall consist of the reconstruction, milling, and paving of the

574
00:32:39,402 --> 00:32:43,842
roadway, installation and repair of sidewalks, lighting, signage, traffic controls,

575
00:32:43,932 --> 00:32:46,242
drainage, and other related improvements and repairs.

576
00:32:47,112 --> 00:32:50,832
The appropriation may be spent for design, construction, demolition and removal

577
00:32:50,893 --> 00:32:55,092
costs, materials, installation, easements, equipment, engineering fees, other

578
00:32:55,122 --> 00:32:59,232
consultants' fees, legal fees, net temporary interest and other financing costs,

579
00:32:59,292 --> 00:33:01,453
and other expenses related to the project.

580
00:33:01,992 --> 00:33:05,922
And that the town shall issue bonds or notes and temporary notes in an amount not

581
00:33:05,953 --> 00:33:09,192
to exceed $7 million to finance the appropriation.

582
00:33:09,703 --> 00:33:14,263
The total amount of the bonds issued shall be reduced by the amount of grants or

583
00:33:14,352 --> 00:33:18,283
other funds received and not separately appropriated for the project."

584
00:33:19,602 --> 00:33:21,643
So we'll, I'll make a motion for the motion.

585
00:33:22,063 --> 00:33:23,533
I'll second that motion.

586
00:33:23,592 --> 00:33:26,412
All right, we have a motion and a second. Any other discussion on this item?

587
00:33:27,162 --> 00:33:32,982
So again, just to be clear, we have three more bonding-- Actually one, two, three,

588
00:33:33,162 --> 00:33:35,802
four more. This is the only one that is-

589
00:33:36,013 --> 00:33:38,862
No. Let me-- So there's two $7 million.

590
00:33:40,513 --> 00:33:44,022
What I was saying earlier is the $7 million on road paving is-

591
00:33:44,112 --> 00:33:44,802
Oh, road paving.

592
00:33:45,132 --> 00:33:46,992
Sackett Point Road. They happen to be the same numbers.

593
00:33:47,143 --> 00:33:50,862
Seven million. Okay. Forgive me. I'm sorry. I was mistaken. So that's for 10.

594
00:33:50,922 --> 00:33:53,472
So we'll come back to that. So this one is reimbursable.

595
00:33:54,372 --> 00:33:55,272
This one's reimbursable.

596
00:33:55,332 --> 00:33:59,112
Yeah. Okay, great. Motion and second. Any other discussion?

597
00:33:59,533 --> 00:34:01,302
I think it's what, 90% reimbursable?

598
00:34:02,112 --> 00:34:02,893
If I remember right

599
00:34:04,872 --> 00:34:07,453
from the Board of Finance meeting, I think when you discussed it.

600
00:34:07,542 --> 00:34:13,033
Yeah, there are some ancillary fees for the design side, I think, so I'm not sure

601
00:34:13,033 --> 00:34:14,322
if it's 90 or whatever it might be.

602
00:34:14,322 --> 00:34:15,703
But it's a significant portion.

603
00:34:15,763 --> 00:34:18,612
Basically. In other words, let's say it's 5%.

604
00:34:19,033 --> 00:34:22,993
You've got to pay five to get 90% of $7 million.

605
00:34:24,552 --> 00:34:27,612
But this is primarily reimbursable.

606
00:34:27,643 --> 00:34:27,882
Mm-hmm.

607
00:34:28,632 --> 00:34:28,812
So.

608
00:34:29,893 --> 00:34:30,102
Okay.

609
00:34:30,162 --> 00:34:30,763
Okay.

610
00:34:30,792 --> 00:34:32,442
And I'll second that resolution.

611
00:34:33,672 --> 00:34:34,812
All right. All those in favor?

612
00:34:35,322 --> 00:34:35,442
Aye.

613
00:34:35,472 --> 00:34:35,922
Aye.

614
00:34:36,432 --> 00:34:38,592
Now, we have Charlie here. Preston, how are you?

615
00:34:39,013 --> 00:34:39,192
I'm good.

616
00:34:39,252 --> 00:34:44,922
So I think procedurally, I'd like to make a motion to maybe pause this, okay?

617
00:34:45,072 --> 00:34:45,222
Sure.

618
00:34:45,283 --> 00:34:47,472
We'll get into the Amazon presentation.

619
00:34:48,042 --> 00:34:52,902
Preston, as we spoke earlier, I've made arrangements here to have public comment

620
00:34:53,862 --> 00:34:55,092
after this presentation.

621
00:34:55,152 --> 00:34:55,272
Sure.

622
00:34:55,302 --> 00:34:57,221
And answering questions for the public.

623
00:34:57,462 --> 00:34:58,092
Thank you for making that change.

624
00:34:58,752 --> 00:35:00,012
I thought you came for the bonding.

625
00:35:00,192 --> 00:35:01,451
That too, yeah.

626
00:35:01,541 --> 00:35:03,822
Yeah. That's the most exciting thing we do.

627
00:35:03,942 --> 00:35:08,682
Exactly. All right. So, okay. So we'll pause right here now.

628
00:35:08,772 --> 00:35:13,782
So here we are, and I direct everyone's attention to the TV camera here, okay?

629
00:35:14,172 --> 00:35:15,252
Preston, if you're okay.

630
00:35:16,242 --> 00:35:16,242
Yes.

631
00:35:16,393 --> 00:35:18,222
Right there. Thank you.

632
00:35:19,962 --> 00:35:22,362
We'll do an audio check, Preston. How does that sound?

633
00:35:22,422 --> 00:35:23,832
Yeah. Count to three real quick.

634
00:35:23,893 --> 00:35:27,672
Okay. One, two, three. We're good? Okay. All right.

635
00:35:30,162 --> 00:35:34,962
So the purpose of this presentation is to tell you what's happening here

636
00:35:36,672 --> 00:35:37,422
and what

637
00:35:38,652 --> 00:35:41,682
we are doing about this, okay? So let's start,

638
00:35:42,942 --> 00:35:43,842
if you look ahead here,

639
00:35:47,143 --> 00:35:52,182
the Amazon Prime Air drone delivery. I'm going to go to the next slide here.

640
00:35:54,912 --> 00:35:59,772
It's important for me to tell you that this North Haven Amazon distribution

641
00:35:59,832 --> 00:36:05,592
facility, the one we have here in North Haven, and its local management, is

642
00:36:05,652 --> 00:36:10,752
not the driving factor for these drones. They're not the driving factor.

643
00:36:13,332 --> 00:36:14,862
It's Amazon corporate

644
00:36:16,182 --> 00:36:21,192
on a national basis that's the driving factor in bringing this project forward.

645
00:36:21,792 --> 00:36:25,123
And right now, it's about 15 states all over the country.

646
00:36:26,832 --> 00:36:29,502
We happen to have the facility in North Haven.

647
00:36:30,792 --> 00:36:36,462
And because we have the facility in North Haven, the facility is essentially

648
00:36:36,522 --> 00:36:41,802
almost mandated by this project to move forward with this project

649
00:36:42,912 --> 00:36:47,772
in the event it passes through the FAA and the Connecticut

650
00:36:48,222 --> 00:36:54,072
Department of Environmental and Energy Protection. Is everyone clear on that?

651
00:36:54,132 --> 00:36:56,112
I'm going to go step by step on this.

652
00:36:57,612 --> 00:36:57,792
Any-

653
00:36:58,332 --> 00:37:03,132
Well, why is it important that it's not the local management and it's a national?

654
00:37:03,462 --> 00:37:04,932
Because they're coming.

655
00:37:05,802 --> 00:37:11,143
Yes. It's important because people think that Amazon locally is driving this, okay?

656
00:37:11,562 --> 00:37:16,002
It's Amazon corporate. But people don't understand that there's almost two separate

657
00:37:16,092 --> 00:37:19,992
entities here. It's a perspective that I want to share with you before we move

658
00:37:20,052 --> 00:37:20,652
forward here.

659
00:37:22,092 --> 00:37:25,542
So if you just bear with us here, okay? You can get up after this, okay?

660
00:37:25,782 --> 00:37:31,452
Also, to answer that question, it's we as a municipality do not control

661
00:37:31,542 --> 00:37:34,123
anything above the ground. The FAA does.

662
00:37:34,272 --> 00:37:35,382
Okay. We're going to get to that.

663
00:37:35,412 --> 00:37:36,162
The EP does.

664
00:37:36,222 --> 00:37:38,112
We'll get to that. All right, let's go to this.

665
00:37:40,044 --> 00:37:44,394
So the North Haven Planning and Zoning Commission did not authorize drones being

666
00:37:44,484 --> 00:37:49,194
flown in the airspace, because that seems to have been an area of confusion here.

667
00:37:50,904 --> 00:37:56,034
So because the North Haven Planning and Zoning, nor does

668
00:37:56,694 --> 00:38:02,514
any other planning and zoning, have any authority to authorize

669
00:38:02,754 --> 00:38:04,584
drones being done in the airspace.

670
00:38:05,454 --> 00:38:08,844
So I feel like a lot of people, they think, why did Planning and Zoning authorize

671
00:38:08,904 --> 00:38:11,934
this? They didn't authorize the drones being flown.

672
00:38:16,105 --> 00:38:22,014
What happened here was that Amazon applied to the town for a site plan approval

673
00:38:23,275 --> 00:38:29,124
for a planned drone facility at its distribution center at 409 Washington

674
00:38:29,214 --> 00:38:29,605
Avenue.

675
00:38:30,954 --> 00:38:33,684
What this means is it was planned

676
00:38:35,484 --> 00:38:41,364
the drone facility would take place only if the FAA and

677
00:38:41,424 --> 00:38:47,364
the DEEP organizations authorized the drones being flown.

678
00:38:48,804 --> 00:38:50,664
The town's approval, Planning and Zoning,

679
00:38:51,924 --> 00:38:56,394
five Planning and Zoning commissioners, Democrats and Republicans,

680
00:38:58,494 --> 00:39:03,534
they voted for the site plan approval for the improvements

681
00:39:04,134 --> 00:39:09,924
necessary for the drone handling and preparation in the event the drone was

682
00:39:10,044 --> 00:39:14,304
authorized by the FAA and the DEEP.

683
00:39:16,404 --> 00:39:22,284
In other words, if the drone airspace flying is not

684
00:39:22,404 --> 00:39:28,254
authorized by DEEP and the FAA, this

685
00:39:28,314 --> 00:39:30,264
facility probably will not be built.

686
00:39:31,284 --> 00:39:33,264
So I want to make sure that everyone understands that.

687
00:39:35,544 --> 00:39:39,084
So due to the nature of the application that was presented back in May to Planning

688
00:39:39,114 --> 00:39:44,334
and Zoning as a site plan application and the nature of the proposed ancillary use

689
00:39:44,394 --> 00:39:48,144
itself, the commission was limited in its scope of review.

690
00:39:50,754 --> 00:39:53,394
Again, no authority to authorize drones.

691
00:39:56,094 --> 00:40:00,894
All aspects of the drone operations and airspace are essentially what I just

692
00:40:00,954 --> 00:40:06,864
mentioned. They're within the exclusive jurisdiction of the FAA, and the town has

693
00:40:06,924 --> 00:40:12,714
no authority or any aspect of drone flight path elevation, time of

694
00:40:12,804 --> 00:40:17,544
day, restrictions, method of delivery, noise, or privacy.

695
00:40:18,025 --> 00:40:20,364
We have no jurisdiction over that, no authority.

696
00:40:20,424 --> 00:40:22,944
And by the way, so we're not happy with it, but that's the reality.

697
00:40:26,634 --> 00:40:28,914
So all over social media,

698
00:40:30,684 --> 00:40:36,534
there's been people who have been accepting our suggestion to send

699
00:40:36,624 --> 00:40:40,974
your testimony in to the FAA and to DEEP.

700
00:40:41,784 --> 00:40:41,964
So

701
00:40:44,184 --> 00:40:49,525
the concerns really need to go to both organizations, FAA and DEEP.

702
00:40:50,244 --> 00:40:54,953
As part of the FAA approval process, Connecticut DEEP

703
00:40:55,764 --> 00:41:00,744
has it been included for a coastal area management review, which is under their

704
00:41:00,804 --> 00:41:06,054
jurisdiction. Residents, and I said this before, may also, we encourage it.

705
00:41:06,355 --> 00:41:12,234
We encourage that they provide public comment to DEEP during the review process.

706
00:41:12,924 --> 00:41:13,074
Now,

707
00:41:14,514 --> 00:41:18,775
October 1st was the deadline, which is today, but I know that hundreds and hundreds

708
00:41:18,834 --> 00:41:23,664
of people have already submitted testimony, as I have, as our state delegation has,

709
00:41:24,684 --> 00:41:26,154
and even talking to our

710
00:41:27,624 --> 00:41:30,654
third congressional district, they have. They called me.

711
00:41:31,164 --> 00:41:36,294
So all of that has been submitted, and we have copies here for those that want to

712
00:41:36,324 --> 00:41:36,775
read it.

713
00:41:40,794 --> 00:41:46,434
The FAA, based on some feedback back to the residents in North Haven,

714
00:41:47,334 --> 00:41:48,324
some of the residents who

715
00:41:49,584 --> 00:41:52,824
actually went on the FAA email,

716
00:41:54,474 --> 00:42:00,204
some of them have been responded back to, and the FAA has advised those

717
00:42:00,264 --> 00:42:02,634
town residents. Is Alex here tonight?

718
00:42:03,444 --> 00:42:03,474
No.

719
00:42:03,534 --> 00:42:07,494
Okay. So Alex was one of them, because he sent me a message and I talked to him.

720
00:42:07,554 --> 00:42:10,014
We've been talking to people all week on this, in the last two weeks.

721
00:42:12,114 --> 00:42:14,334
This is the FAA telling some of our residents.

722
00:42:14,784 --> 00:42:20,214
The matters that are specific to the Amazon drone delivery operations,

723
00:42:21,264 --> 00:42:26,964
the FAA is advising those residents, if they have any questions, to call

724
00:42:27,084 --> 00:42:32,004
Amazon directly at this number and on the website, submit your testimony.

725
00:42:33,534 --> 00:42:36,775
I think that even though DEEP and

726
00:42:38,484 --> 00:42:44,304
FAA, that sunsets, October 1st is the sunset, that I think that testimony

727
00:42:44,334 --> 00:42:46,434
can still be sent to Amazon,

728
00:42:47,724 --> 00:42:50,244
and we can supply these websites and phone numbers again.

729
00:42:52,074 --> 00:42:55,374
So, the last couple weeks, I've expressed my own concern.

730
00:42:56,094 --> 00:43:01,284
And I talked to Amazon corporate, and right from the beginning, and I explained

731
00:43:01,344 --> 00:43:06,684
that there should have been public meetings on this in every city and town,

732
00:43:07,494 --> 00:43:12,924
specifically in the 7.5-mile zone, because a lot of my colleagues, I'm friendly

733
00:43:12,924 --> 00:43:16,764
with all the mayors in the area. A lot of my colleagues also share the same

734
00:43:16,824 --> 00:43:19,105
concerns. There have been no public meetings.

735
00:43:21,025 --> 00:43:21,894
So that's going to change.

736
00:43:25,314 --> 00:43:31,134
So I've asked Amazon, I have asked Amazon, to pause this project until all

737
00:43:31,254 --> 00:43:37,074
meetings take place throughout the region where the people can be heard

738
00:43:37,194 --> 00:43:42,534
and where the people can ask their own questions and express their individual

739
00:43:42,654 --> 00:43:46,404
points of view in these public meetings. So where are we right now?

740
00:43:48,504 --> 00:43:52,584
I mentioned that I've written to both FAA and Connecticut DEEP, and what I've said,

741
00:43:52,644 --> 00:43:55,884
basically, I'm not going to get behind this project and that public meetings need

742
00:43:55,944 --> 00:43:56,994
to be taking place.

743
00:44:00,114 --> 00:44:03,564
I'm also working with my colleagues in the south central region, the mayors and

744
00:44:03,624 --> 00:44:08,093
first selectmen in the area. And what we're doing is, and I tried to do this back

745
00:44:08,154 --> 00:44:10,494
in September, to have a mayors meeting.

746
00:44:10,554 --> 00:44:15,894
I had all the mayors in the area on board with this, but it was canceled by Amazon.

747
00:44:15,954 --> 00:44:16,074
They

748
00:44:17,424 --> 00:44:18,204
had other things

749
00:44:19,644 --> 00:44:22,404
relating to this that they felt they needed to present.

750
00:44:23,484 --> 00:44:23,664
So

751
00:44:25,284 --> 00:44:27,084
we're concerned that

752
00:44:28,584 --> 00:44:33,264
the way it's unfolded is not the right way,

753
00:44:34,584 --> 00:44:36,504
and we're not happy because it's not the right way.

754
00:44:37,584 --> 00:44:43,044
So we've urged Amazon, myself, as I mentioned here, and my colleagues to

755
00:44:43,105 --> 00:44:46,434
reschedule the public meetings, which they've agreed to do.

756
00:44:47,154 --> 00:44:49,554
We don't have dates on that yet. But

757
00:44:50,964 --> 00:44:53,154
we also got them to agree

758
00:44:54,414 --> 00:45:00,355
that it'll be the mayors meeting before the public meetings, will be either the

759
00:45:00,444 --> 00:45:02,994
third or fourth week of October, this month.

760
00:45:04,494 --> 00:45:08,064
Amazon has also informed me that they're also going to be providing virtual

761
00:45:08,124 --> 00:45:12,504
meetings on Monday, October 5th, with all the state senators and all the state

762
00:45:12,564 --> 00:45:15,474
representatives across the state of Connecticut.

763
00:45:17,124 --> 00:45:19,404
Our delegation, our legislation,

764
00:45:21,144 --> 00:45:25,344
our state colleagues, they've all submitted their own recommendations, as have

765
00:45:25,464 --> 00:45:30,114
other members of the State House and State Senate.

766
00:45:32,904 --> 00:45:35,574
So what do we see happening in the future?

767
00:45:36,924 --> 00:45:42,775
We don't know what the FAA or DEEP is going to end up saying, but I

768
00:45:42,804 --> 00:45:47,844
think that the fact there is some agreement now that the mayors meetings will take

769
00:45:47,874 --> 00:45:52,794
place first after the meetings with state senators and state representatives, and

770
00:45:52,824 --> 00:45:56,484
there'll be a lot of people on that call to ask their own questions.

771
00:45:57,384 --> 00:46:02,694
And then to follow it up with the public meetings, that's going to be able to

772
00:46:02,754 --> 00:46:07,554
thoroughly vet this out so the public is satisfied or not satisfied with whatever

773
00:46:07,584 --> 00:46:11,844
the answers are. And that's the story right now, ladies and gentlemen.

774
00:46:13,224 --> 00:46:15,294
Now I'm going to open up the public comment one by one.

775
00:46:15,654 --> 00:46:18,684
Identify yourself, your address, and please stand up.

776
00:46:18,744 --> 00:46:18,984
Yes

777
00:46:23,982 --> 00:46:26,742
Just, I'm so sorry to interrupt. Just a reminder, we're going to try to limit it to

778
00:46:26,802 --> 00:46:27,342
five minutes.

779
00:46:27,373 --> 00:46:28,962
Oh, yeah. I don't have long.

780
00:46:30,732 --> 00:46:35,472
Sharon Sarasoli, 48 Vista Road, town resident for maybe 28 years.

781
00:46:35,802 --> 00:46:38,352
And thank you, Mike, for that presentation. That was helpful.

782
00:46:38,712 --> 00:46:43,962
I guess my only thought from the presentation would've been, is rather, I found out

783
00:46:44,022 --> 00:46:46,873
about this through an article in "The Register," so I didn't hear anything from

784
00:46:46,962 --> 00:46:48,162
town. I didn't hear anything from

785
00:46:49,932 --> 00:46:52,182
Planning and Zoning. I just wonder if there's a different way to disseminate

786
00:46:53,292 --> 00:46:55,692
information in the future. We don't have a town newspaper anymore.

787
00:46:55,722 --> 00:46:59,143
We don't have a great way to disseminate, and I was talking to people in the rec

788
00:46:59,202 --> 00:47:01,512
center today who still didn't know this was going on.

789
00:47:01,602 --> 00:47:04,992
So my concern is just how are we, and I don't have an answer to that, but how are

790
00:47:05,022 --> 00:47:06,912
we going to inform all the residents?

791
00:47:07,032 --> 00:47:09,102
Yeah, I think, Sharon, first of all, nice seeing you here tonight.

792
00:47:09,552 --> 00:47:10,842
I didn't recognize you with the mask on, by the way.

793
00:47:11,712 --> 00:47:11,861
Right.

794
00:47:11,921 --> 00:47:12,042
So,

795
00:47:13,272 --> 00:47:14,112
I want to let you know that

796
00:47:15,342 --> 00:47:19,992
we weren't the ones, not us, all the citizens, we weren't the ones hosting the

797
00:47:20,052 --> 00:47:20,802
public meetings.

798
00:47:20,982 --> 00:47:21,162
Right.

799
00:47:21,342 --> 00:47:23,562
It was Amazon that had agreed to host the meetings.

800
00:47:23,742 --> 00:47:28,452
Not the public meeting, on the fact that Planning and Zoning approved the site

801
00:47:29,652 --> 00:47:31,002
piece of it back in May.

802
00:47:31,182 --> 00:47:31,182
Yes.

803
00:47:31,212 --> 00:47:33,672
And this is the first time hearing of it a week and a half ago.

804
00:47:34,062 --> 00:47:34,062
Yeah.

805
00:47:34,092 --> 00:47:36,942
So what happened there that disconnected town residents didn't know?

806
00:47:37,002 --> 00:47:38,652
Yeah, I think here's what I think happened.

807
00:47:38,652 --> 00:47:39,852
I wasn't at the Planning and Zoning meeting.

808
00:47:39,942 --> 00:47:40,182
Yeah, no.

809
00:47:40,452 --> 00:47:43,212
It was May 4th. It was a public meeting. Yeah.

810
00:47:43,242 --> 00:47:46,152
But it was a public meeting that was televised on TV. Okay?

811
00:47:46,572 --> 00:47:50,712
So we realize sometimes that people aren't watching these TV shows.

812
00:47:50,802 --> 00:47:52,482
They're not watching the town meetings, right?

813
00:47:52,873 --> 00:47:57,192
But the minutes were posted, so Planning and Zoning and the staff did what they're

814
00:47:57,312 --> 00:47:58,302
obligated to do.

815
00:47:59,143 --> 00:47:59,231
Right.

816
00:47:59,262 --> 00:48:01,452
They're not obligated to hold another public meeting.

817
00:48:01,782 --> 00:48:04,123
No, and I don't want to use up my time necessarily all on this.

818
00:48:04,242 --> 00:48:07,572
I will just say, I just think there's a way for them to disseminate information.

819
00:48:07,602 --> 00:48:11,623
I'm just going to put that nugget there that to just rely on us watching a public

820
00:48:11,682 --> 00:48:15,732
meeting virtually to get the information in this day and age is just not a good way

821
00:48:15,762 --> 00:48:16,062
to do it-

822
00:48:16,302 --> 00:48:16,452
Okay

823
00:48:16,452 --> 00:48:17,082
... in my opinion.

824
00:48:17,893 --> 00:48:18,042
Fair.

825
00:48:18,102 --> 00:48:20,232
Okay. So, sorry. Thank you, though. I appreciate that.

826
00:48:20,623 --> 00:48:22,962
So I'm absolutely, completely opposed to the drones.

827
00:48:23,592 --> 00:48:27,702
Other than corporate profit and maybe trying to get people's dopamine hits going, I

828
00:48:27,762 --> 00:48:29,832
really don't understand why this is necessary.

829
00:48:31,002 --> 00:48:34,902
I was totally in support of the Amazon facility because of the jobs created, and

830
00:48:34,932 --> 00:48:37,332
this is doing the opposite of that, right? This is not creating jobs.

831
00:48:37,362 --> 00:48:40,842
It's going to be taking away if it's a drone that's manned, say it's a $30,000 or

832
00:48:40,842 --> 00:48:42,042
$40,000 drone.

833
00:48:43,302 --> 00:48:44,893
So I think it's completely unnecessary.

834
00:48:46,092 --> 00:48:51,552
I'm concerned about the potential harm to the animals, pets, environment, water,

835
00:48:51,643 --> 00:48:53,262
you name it, just the environment.

836
00:48:53,322 --> 00:48:54,732
I did send emails to both

837
00:48:56,052 --> 00:48:59,172
entities. I'm concerned about the noise level.

838
00:48:59,442 --> 00:49:02,382
I don't know how many people have read "The New York Times" article or seen some of

839
00:49:02,412 --> 00:49:06,822
the videos online from Richardson, Texas, and it's pretty astounding to hear their

840
00:49:06,852 --> 00:49:07,272
comments.

841
00:49:08,623 --> 00:49:12,702
One guy quote said, "I get up in the morning, the drones are there. I go to work.

842
00:49:12,972 --> 00:49:16,722
I come home. The drones are there." They interviewed several people who said they

843
00:49:16,752 --> 00:49:20,922
can't even enjoy the outdoors anymore because of the constant, constant irritant of

844
00:49:20,952 --> 00:49:23,502
the noise. And we have a nice quality of life here.

845
00:49:23,652 --> 00:49:28,032
I just don't want to sacrifice it so people can get their item in 30 minutes, if

846
00:49:28,062 --> 00:49:30,432
that's accurate, or an hour instead of overnight.

847
00:49:31,062 --> 00:49:34,212
When I go online now, I usually order, and I don't order that much from them

848
00:49:34,302 --> 00:49:37,182
actually, truly, because I'm not a fan of Bezos.

849
00:49:37,421 --> 00:49:41,862
But when I go online and order, it usually is next-day delivery or for an extra $2

850
00:49:41,893 --> 00:49:45,702
to $2.99, you can get it first thing in the morning, 4:00 to 8:00 AM.

851
00:49:46,212 --> 00:49:50,082
So I just, again, think it's completely unnecessary. Noise level issues.

852
00:49:50,562 --> 00:49:54,492
Some of the videos said that the drones have hit property or hit the house.

853
00:49:54,552 --> 00:49:57,582
What happens if they damage property? What about the surveillance?

854
00:49:57,852 --> 00:50:01,902
I know we're relying on all these corporate entities in the US to police themselves

855
00:50:01,932 --> 00:50:06,612
to get rid of the surveillance information. Where really is that going?

856
00:50:06,732 --> 00:50:11,022
And that's a total trust issue. I'm supposed to trust this mega corporation to get

857
00:50:11,082 --> 00:50:14,652
rid of any personal information flying around my neighborhood, people are outside,

858
00:50:14,742 --> 00:50:17,682
kids are outside. That's a total privacy violation.

859
00:50:18,822 --> 00:50:21,612
To me, the bottom line is it's going to be decreased housing values.

860
00:50:21,912 --> 00:50:26,292
I've noticed, unrelated to this, quite an increase in the noise level just in the

861
00:50:26,352 --> 00:50:30,312
Avelo Airlines going overhead. And when Tweed finishes their expansion, just wait.

862
00:50:30,972 --> 00:50:34,512
And this to me is just look at your housing, what it's going to be worth if you

863
00:50:34,542 --> 00:50:37,873
have these constant drones. Because again, look at the Richardson, Texas, videos.

864
00:50:37,992 --> 00:50:42,072
Look at the article by "The Times," I think this past week or so, and it's very

865
00:50:42,132 --> 00:50:44,832
clear the quality of life is impacted there,

866
00:50:46,212 --> 00:50:47,802
and then the reduced employees, I think.

867
00:50:48,402 --> 00:50:52,962
So that's, yeah, as you can tell, I'm 100% completely opposed, and I think what I'm

868
00:50:52,992 --> 00:50:56,322
going to write Amazon is if this passes, I know it's going to be hard, but I will

869
00:50:56,382 --> 00:50:59,712
just not order from them again. I will boycott them totally because it's not in the

870
00:50:59,742 --> 00:51:01,632
best interest of our town. It's just not.

871
00:51:01,692 --> 00:51:02,052
So Sharon-

872
00:51:02,112 --> 00:51:05,682
And not just our town, but Hampton, North Haven, Longford, and I believe parts of

873
00:51:05,712 --> 00:51:09,732
New Haven, anybody in the 7.5 mile radius.

874
00:51:10,362 --> 00:51:14,532
So it should be noted also, Sharon, for those that don't know, that we don't know

875
00:51:14,532 --> 00:51:16,272
what their end up decision's going to be.

876
00:51:16,452 --> 00:51:16,542
Sure.

877
00:51:17,592 --> 00:51:20,262
But it's important to know that you have the ability to opt out.

878
00:51:20,952 --> 00:51:22,422
So because it's a fee-based-

879
00:51:22,873 --> 00:51:25,392
But that's not going to affect it if everybody else in my neighborhood is opting

880
00:51:25,452 --> 00:51:25,603
in.

881
00:51:25,692 --> 00:51:25,932
I know.

882
00:51:26,052 --> 00:51:31,452
I will not opt in, but I'm just concerned with people's impulsivity and wanting to

883
00:51:31,482 --> 00:51:33,972
get things so quickly that it's going to ruin it for the rest of us.

884
00:51:34,182 --> 00:51:38,322
Right. I guess what I was trying to say is that if you have family and friends, if

885
00:51:38,353 --> 00:51:42,012
you don't want it, you might have the ability to have it opted out in other-

886
00:51:42,072 --> 00:51:44,862
I can do it, but I think as a community, we need to come together and really stand

887
00:51:44,922 --> 00:51:45,103
up.

888
00:51:45,282 --> 00:51:45,642
I agree.

889
00:51:46,182 --> 00:51:47,472
And that's the only way we're going to make change.

890
00:51:47,532 --> 00:51:52,272
I'll email Amazon, but honestly, I don't think that this is, as you said, driven by

891
00:51:52,332 --> 00:51:54,192
corporate. To me, it's driven by greed.

892
00:51:54,282 --> 00:51:54,402
Right.

893
00:51:54,462 --> 00:51:57,582
The bottom line, the dollar, and they're not going to listen to us is my opinion.

894
00:51:57,792 --> 00:51:58,212
Okay.

895
00:51:58,272 --> 00:51:58,842
Just my opinion.

896
00:51:58,992 --> 00:51:59,413
Thanks, Sharon.

897
00:51:59,472 --> 00:52:00,253
Thank you.

898
00:52:00,312 --> 00:52:05,832
It's very frustrating that it's not something that we control directly

899
00:52:05,892 --> 00:52:06,402
locally.

900
00:52:06,462 --> 00:52:07,272
Oh, yeah. Totally. I totally get that.

901
00:52:07,603 --> 00:52:09,492
I appreciate your comments, and Mike has totally-

902
00:52:09,582 --> 00:52:12,253
You'd think for sure that we would control-

903
00:52:12,612 --> 00:52:12,792
Yeah

904
00:52:12,792 --> 00:52:14,383
... the space over our heads and-

905
00:52:14,623 --> 00:52:15,192
Exactly

906
00:52:15,253 --> 00:52:17,562
... and I would not have known before this that-

907
00:52:17,623 --> 00:52:18,732
Kind of science fiction, right?

908
00:52:18,792 --> 00:52:22,722
Yeah. That we're dependent on the FAA to say no.

909
00:52:22,873 --> 00:52:23,472
Exactly.

910
00:52:24,072 --> 00:52:27,942
Or actually do it in a reasonable way where you wouldn't have things like noise

911
00:52:28,003 --> 00:52:31,542
problems or potential injury to pets or-

912
00:52:31,932 --> 00:52:32,142
Or even-

913
00:52:32,202 --> 00:52:33,702
I did read the article you're talking about.

914
00:52:33,762 --> 00:52:37,542
Even the 6:00 AM to 10:30, I've been told that they've opted out of that because

915
00:52:37,603 --> 00:52:41,292
it's in the air, but that's an absolutely ridiculous timeframe for delivery.

916
00:52:41,772 --> 00:52:44,682
But I will say that at whatever the meeting is, too. Thank you very much.

917
00:52:45,042 --> 00:52:45,222
Okay.

918
00:52:45,253 --> 00:52:45,642
Thank you.

919
00:52:46,123 --> 00:52:47,682
Next. Anyone else who would like to speak?

920
00:52:48,972 --> 00:52:49,932
Mary White. Yes.

921
00:53:05,052 --> 00:53:10,753
Mary White, Summer Lane. Okay, so I would like to start off by giving people, I

922
00:53:10,782 --> 00:53:12,042
guess we have until midnight,

923
00:53:13,482 --> 00:53:19,003
the correct emails that you want to send comments to in

924
00:53:19,062 --> 00:53:21,913
opposition. So for Connecticut DEEP, it's

925
00:53:22,032 --> 00:53:27,942
karen.michaels@ct.gov, and it's exactly like it

926
00:53:28,003 --> 00:53:28,932
sounds. So

927
00:53:29,353 --> 00:53:35,952
K-A-R-E-N.M-I-C-H-A-E-L-S

928
00:53:36,883 --> 00:53:42,522
@C-T.gov. And for the FAA, the name of the

929
00:53:42,582 --> 00:53:44,202
individual is Christopher Hurst.

930
00:53:44,802 --> 00:53:50,592
Hurst is spelled H-U-R-S-T, and it's a long email, so I'll

931
00:53:50,652 --> 00:53:53,712
go slow. First I'll say it. So it's

932
00:53:54,222 --> 00:54:01,542
9-FAA-drone-environmental@faa.gov.

933
00:54:02,022 --> 00:54:07,422
So we're going to go nine, and then the number nine. A dash.

934
00:54:07,842 --> 00:54:11,472
And then FAA is capitalized. And another dash.

935
00:54:11,712 --> 00:54:15,133
And then drone, the D is capitalized, R-O-N-E.

936
00:54:15,792 --> 00:54:17,892
A dash, and then the word environmental,

937
00:54:18,342 --> 00:54:22,692
E-N-V-I-R-O-N-M-E-N-T-A-L

938
00:54:23,232 --> 00:54:26,322
@F-A-A.gov. Okay. So

939
00:54:27,672 --> 00:54:33,582
for Connecticut DEEP, the proposed operations of the Amazon Prime Air deliveries

940
00:54:33,642 --> 00:54:38,052
are not consistent with the Federal Coastal Zone Management Act's enforceable

941
00:54:38,172 --> 00:54:43,782
policies. So there was a 2021 nesting season drone

942
00:54:43,812 --> 00:54:49,332
harassment incident, and I think that that's enough for Connecticut DEEP to say no

943
00:54:49,422 --> 00:54:53,322
to Amazon Prime Air. So what happened was,

944
00:54:54,612 --> 00:55:00,582
in the 2021 nesting season, a pair of American oystercatchers and a pair of

945
00:55:00,642 --> 00:55:05,652
nesting piping plovers where the birds received the drone as a threat, which caused

946
00:55:05,682 --> 00:55:10,123
them to dive bomb the drone because it was such a disturbance, which

947
00:55:10,182 --> 00:55:15,883
caused the oystercatcher to sustain a leg injury, and then later

948
00:55:15,972 --> 00:55:21,822
on, the little birds did not hatch, so infertility.

949
00:55:22,362 --> 00:55:25,692
And then it also caused the abandonment of their nests.

950
00:55:25,992 --> 00:55:31,057
So These are a never-ending nuisance for the birds.

951
00:55:33,636 --> 00:55:37,087
So we have actually endangered species and threatened birds.

952
00:55:37,446 --> 00:55:43,206
So examples are short-eared owl, king rail, saltmarsh sparrow, piping

953
00:55:43,266 --> 00:55:45,996
plover, great egret, and the bald eagle.

954
00:55:46,087 --> 00:55:49,866
So North Haven provides the low disturbance and quiet coastal habitat.

955
00:55:50,286 --> 00:55:56,016
The hundreds and hundreds of flights daily, 6:00 AM to 10:30 PM, the birds will be

956
00:55:56,047 --> 00:56:00,096
harassed. They'll become distressed, injured, and like I said, leading to nest

957
00:56:00,156 --> 00:56:01,716
abandonment and

958
00:56:03,366 --> 00:56:08,886
infertility. And what else? So this will cause destruction of a

959
00:56:08,976 --> 00:56:10,057
fragile, natural

960
00:56:11,946 --> 00:56:16,566
ecosystem, and will guarantee those threatened and endangered bird species will

961
00:56:16,596 --> 00:56:17,677
become extinct.

962
00:56:21,486 --> 00:56:23,706
The previous speaker mentioned Richardson, Texas.

963
00:56:24,666 --> 00:56:26,466
So Prime Air is operational there.

964
00:56:26,736 --> 00:56:32,466
Residents report the drones' loud buzzing noises are louder than a lawnmower and

965
00:56:32,527 --> 00:56:35,406
can be heard over the television indoors.

966
00:56:35,916 --> 00:56:41,797
Residents report the drone flight patterns are below promised altitude range.

967
00:56:42,186 --> 00:56:48,006
Residents also report hundreds and hundreds of drone flights daily, day and

968
00:56:48,066 --> 00:56:49,807
night, over their homes.

969
00:56:53,406 --> 00:56:58,656
The drones will have cameras. We know they're operating 6:00 AM to 10:30 PM.

970
00:56:59,196 --> 00:57:02,766
That leaves 7.5 hours of quiet time.

971
00:57:03,395 --> 00:57:07,986
I personally need eight hours of sleep and quiet. That's not enough for me.

972
00:57:08,466 --> 00:57:11,106
So we will have no peace, no privacy.

973
00:57:11,436 --> 00:57:15,096
Whether you're going for a walk in your neighborhood or you're trying to enjoy your

974
00:57:15,156 --> 00:57:17,946
pool in the backyard, there is no privacy.

975
00:57:18,216 --> 00:57:22,536
So I definitely am against this, and I encourage everybody, you have until

976
00:57:22,566 --> 00:57:26,557
midnight. If you haven't sent an email to Connecticut DEEP, or you haven't sent an

977
00:57:26,677 --> 00:57:31,777
email to the FAA, I strongly encourage you to do so. Thank you.

978
00:57:32,076 --> 00:57:32,646
Thank you, Mary.

979
00:57:34,146 --> 00:57:35,616
Next. Anybody else?

980
00:57:37,236 --> 00:57:37,777
Nobody else?

981
00:57:39,876 --> 00:57:40,386
You going?

982
00:57:40,476 --> 00:57:41,016
No, you're-

983
00:57:41,436 --> 00:57:41,976
Oh, boy.

984
00:57:43,416 --> 00:57:45,126
Can I say one quick thing before you-

985
00:57:45,216 --> 00:57:45,216
Sure

986
00:57:45,216 --> 00:57:48,156
... just really quick? I'm just going to be really quick.

987
00:57:52,536 --> 00:57:54,246
Stephanie Magnuson, Seven Manor Drive.

988
00:57:54,486 --> 00:57:58,087
So just really quickly, on the note of the planning and zoning, I just did want to

989
00:57:58,116 --> 00:58:03,726
make one point with their agenda. If you look at the agenda items, it does say

990
00:58:03,816 --> 00:58:09,576
Amazon, but there's no mention of it actually being a drone site building.

991
00:58:10,087 --> 00:58:14,436
So there was nothing there to sort of alert the public that this was something that

992
00:58:14,496 --> 00:58:16,506
they were approving or denying that day.

993
00:58:16,956 --> 00:58:19,626
So that was just something that I noticed when I was looking into it.

994
00:58:20,166 --> 00:58:23,766
I know those agendas are-- Because it was actually their lawyers, I believe, that

995
00:58:23,826 --> 00:58:28,206
were there and not Amazon, is from what I understand, and you guys can correct me

996
00:58:28,236 --> 00:58:28,746
if I'm wrong.

997
00:58:29,047 --> 00:58:29,886
You can have a seat.

998
00:58:31,177 --> 00:58:32,797
Oh, go ahead. No, go ahead, Steph.

999
00:58:32,856 --> 00:58:36,156
No, I'm good. That's it. That's all I want to say, is that the agenda was just a

1000
00:58:36,216 --> 00:58:40,055
little bit-- There was nothing there that would've alerted us to say they're

1001
00:58:40,116 --> 00:58:42,516
approving a drone site building.

1002
00:58:42,936 --> 00:58:43,295
Yeah.

1003
00:58:43,385 --> 00:58:48,337
So to the public, they wouldn't have known whether to show up to that meeting to

1004
00:58:48,427 --> 00:58:50,316
make public comment on a thing like that.

1005
00:58:50,946 --> 00:58:50,946
Okay.

1006
00:58:50,976 --> 00:58:51,726
That's only thing.

1007
00:58:52,506 --> 00:58:52,506
Okay. Yeah.

1008
00:58:52,536 --> 00:58:53,286
Thanks.

1009
00:58:53,316 --> 00:58:55,927
Can I just say one thing in response?

1010
00:58:55,986 --> 00:58:56,406
Yeah, sure.

1011
00:58:56,976 --> 00:58:58,777
Sorry. Normally, don't do this, but

1012
00:59:02,797 --> 00:59:07,236
Mary White-Zermolen again. I just want to respond. I'm very familiar with zoning.

1013
00:59:07,446 --> 00:59:13,206
I go to the meetings every month. So it's under site plan, and even if they had

1014
00:59:13,297 --> 00:59:18,186
said in the description that it was about the drone docking station that they want

1015
00:59:18,216 --> 00:59:20,976
to build, the public cannot speak.

1016
00:59:21,606 --> 00:59:24,636
So even if we knew about it, it's a site plan application.

1017
00:59:24,696 --> 00:59:26,976
There is no public comment. It's not a public hearing.

1018
00:59:27,786 --> 00:59:28,536
So I just want to tell you

1019
00:59:29,826 --> 00:59:30,006
that.

1020
00:59:30,066 --> 00:59:30,427
We might have known about it.

1021
00:59:30,427 --> 00:59:30,427
Recognize that.

1022
00:59:30,427 --> 00:59:31,536
Yeah, we might have known about it.

1023
00:59:31,596 --> 00:59:32,466
Right. But because-

1024
00:59:33,096 --> 00:59:34,746
But thank you for that, though. I appreciate that.

1025
00:59:35,646 --> 00:59:37,686
I think Mary's at every plan and zoning.

1026
00:59:38,196 --> 00:59:39,966
I know. I watch them all on YouTube. I'm sitting at home.

1027
00:59:40,266 --> 00:59:44,406
I actually think the town should hire Mary to tell everybody what's happening at

1028
00:59:44,466 --> 00:59:45,846
all the meetings in town.

1029
00:59:47,466 --> 00:59:48,606
All right. Next. Yes, sir.

1030
00:59:49,956 --> 00:59:50,047
Yeah.

1031
01:00:03,337 --> 01:00:08,256
Mr. Freda, thank you for taking the time. Mr. Cohen, nice to see you.

1032
01:00:08,316 --> 01:00:08,677
You too.

1033
01:00:09,156 --> 01:00:09,756
Mr. Piper,

1034
01:00:11,166 --> 01:00:13,986
I'm curious about what's going to happen at the end of the year with your

1035
01:00:14,047 --> 01:00:14,496
departure.

1036
01:00:14,677 --> 01:00:15,636
Can you identify yourself, please?

1037
01:00:15,726 --> 01:00:20,706
Sure. My name is Adam Francis. I live at 24 Vista Road, right here in North Haven,

1038
01:00:20,766 --> 01:00:25,506
Connecticut, about 3.2 miles away from the distribution center.

1039
01:00:26,466 --> 01:00:29,527
You've given a good presentation, and I understand that the town does

1040
01:00:30,756 --> 01:00:35,106
not have the capability to do a lot, but I'd still like to read some stuff into the

1041
01:00:35,166 --> 01:00:35,466
record-

1042
01:00:35,646 --> 01:00:36,096
Absolutely

1043
01:00:36,126 --> 01:00:37,087
... so that you can hear that.

1044
01:00:37,146 --> 01:00:37,536
Yes.

1045
01:00:37,596 --> 01:00:39,006
So that the folks here can hear

1046
01:00:40,297 --> 01:00:40,986
my concerns.

1047
01:00:44,226 --> 01:00:44,286
Yeah.

1048
01:00:44,346 --> 01:00:48,427
So I've been following the proposed Amazon drone operation because I have some very

1049
01:00:48,576 --> 01:00:53,856
basic questions about what happens when we put potentially thousands of commercial

1050
01:00:53,946 --> 01:00:57,366
aircraft into the skies over our community.

1051
01:00:59,256 --> 01:01:00,756
The property may be in North Haven,

1052
01:01:03,456 --> 01:01:04,896
but the operation won't stay there.

1053
01:01:06,096 --> 01:01:11,286
The FAA's documents for Amazon MK30 contemplates up to 1,000 delivery flights a

1054
01:01:11,346 --> 01:01:14,677
day, operating from 6:00 AM to 10:30 PM.

1055
01:01:16,027 --> 01:01:21,096
That's 16 and a half hours a day. That's an average of more than 60 flights an

1056
01:01:21,156 --> 01:01:26,047
hour, essentially one flight every five minutes, for 16 and a half hours a day.

1057
01:01:27,427 --> 01:01:32,587
Potentially 365 delivery operations a year from one facility,

1058
01:01:33,277 --> 01:01:36,666
covering a potential operating area of 174 miles.

1059
01:01:38,916 --> 01:01:41,166
And Amazon won't necessarily be the only company.

1060
01:01:43,206 --> 01:01:44,256
What happens when Walmart,

1061
01:01:45,756 --> 01:01:46,057
Wing,

1062
01:01:47,587 --> 01:01:48,066
Zipline,

1063
01:01:49,356 --> 01:01:55,116
UPS, or any medical delivery company decides to do drone delivery in the area?

1064
01:01:56,826 --> 01:02:02,196
How many commercial drones can occupy the same low-altitude airspace before we have

1065
01:02:02,256 --> 01:02:03,486
reached too much?

1066
01:02:06,216 --> 01:02:07,146
And who decides?

1067
01:02:09,156 --> 01:02:11,316
And it isn't some distant hypothetical either.

1068
01:02:13,206 --> 01:02:14,076
So here's my question:

1069
01:02:16,116 --> 01:02:20,976
How do we meaningfully evaluate the impact on a particular community before we know

1070
01:02:21,066 --> 01:02:23,226
exactly where the drones are going to fly?

1071
01:02:28,297 --> 01:02:31,596
Where exactly are these drones going to fly if the routes are fixed?

1072
01:02:33,756 --> 01:02:37,326
Let's see them. Let's see which neighborhoods are underneath them.

1073
01:02:38,136 --> 01:02:39,696
Let's see which homes are underneath them.

1074
01:02:39,906 --> 01:02:42,876
Let's see what happens around schools, businesses, and parks.

1075
01:02:44,286 --> 01:02:44,826
And yes,

1076
01:02:46,206 --> 01:02:51,756
Sleeping Giant. Not in this town, but five minutes away from my home.

1077
01:02:53,047 --> 01:02:57,066
Who's going to be underneath these flight paths? Who is going to hear them?

1078
01:02:57,516 --> 01:03:00,576
Who is going to have cameras and sensors passing over their property?

1079
01:03:02,496 --> 01:03:07,146
I currently volunteer with the Sleeping Giant Park Association trail crew.

1080
01:03:07,896 --> 01:03:12,096
I'm out there helping maintain trails that generations of volunteers have cared for

1081
01:03:12,156 --> 01:03:14,706
for more than 100 years.

1082
01:03:17,016 --> 01:03:18,516
So I care about what's happening there.

1083
01:03:19,896 --> 01:03:21,427
But it's not just about Sleeping Giant.

1084
01:03:21,696 --> 01:03:26,136
It's about the quality of life of everyone living underneath this proposed flight

1085
01:03:26,226 --> 01:03:30,396
area. It's about noise, it's about privacy, it's about surveillance.

1086
01:03:30,816 --> 01:03:33,636
These drones use cameras and sensors to navigate.

1087
01:03:37,446 --> 01:03:40,986
Amazon says those cameras aren't being watched by live people.

1088
01:03:43,297 --> 01:03:43,626
Okay.

1089
01:03:45,156 --> 01:03:47,136
But what exactly is being collected?

1090
01:03:48,726 --> 01:03:49,986
How long is it retained?

1091
01:03:51,277 --> 01:03:56,646
Who owns it? Who can access it? Can law enforcement obtain it?

1092
01:03:57,906 --> 01:04:02,256
Can it be subpoenaed? Can it be used to improve Amazon's technology or artificial

1093
01:04:02,286 --> 01:04:06,277
intelligence? And what protection does a person underneath that drone have,

1094
01:04:06,666 --> 01:04:10,177
particularly when that person is not an Amazon customer?

1095
01:04:13,656 --> 01:04:18,186
The FAA position is clear. The FAA does not regulate privacy.

1096
01:04:19,807 --> 01:04:23,646
It says state and local privacy laws may apply.

1097
01:04:25,326 --> 01:04:29,946
But Connecticut law also says municipalities generally cannot regulate the use of

1098
01:04:30,036 --> 01:04:34,596
operation of commercial unmanned aircraft, except where otherwise authorized by

1099
01:04:34,686 --> 01:04:35,976
state or federal law.

1100
01:04:37,746 --> 01:04:39,036
So I have a very simple question.

1101
01:04:41,334 --> 01:04:41,785
Who does?

1102
01:04:43,794 --> 01:04:47,394
Who is responsible for the privacy? For the noise?

1103
01:04:48,535 --> 01:04:52,434
Who monitors the operations? Who receives complaints?

1104
01:04:52,944 --> 01:04:55,464
Who has the authority to make Amazon change something?

1105
01:04:56,484 --> 01:04:57,414
And most importantly,

1106
01:04:59,664 --> 01:05:01,704
what protections are in writing?

1107
01:05:03,174 --> 01:05:07,824
Not what Amazon says it will do, not what we're told at a meeting.

1108
01:05:09,054 --> 01:05:10,944
What is legally enforceable?

1109
01:05:12,504 --> 01:05:14,815
That is not an unreasonable question.

1110
01:05:17,454 --> 01:05:20,905
Connecticut is asking some of those same questions right now.

1111
01:05:21,864 --> 01:05:26,094
Governor Lamont called for statewide review of camera and surveillance technology,

1112
01:05:26,634 --> 01:05:31,824
including drones, asking what data is collected, how long it can be stored, who can

1113
01:05:31,944 --> 01:05:33,894
access it, and how it can be shared.

1114
01:05:35,844 --> 01:05:41,214
And that's a larger issue for me. This just isn't about whether Amazon can build a

1115
01:05:41,244 --> 01:05:42,655
facility in North Haven.

1116
01:05:44,214 --> 01:05:47,484
It's about whether we understand what we are actually approving.

1117
01:05:49,704 --> 01:05:53,994
Because once you establish the infrastructure, the technology can scale.

1118
01:05:55,464 --> 01:06:01,134
One company becomes several companies, one facility become multiple facilities,

1119
01:06:01,464 --> 01:06:05,334
and one flight path becomes a network of flight paths over communities.

1120
01:06:06,864 --> 01:06:09,625
I'm not asking North Haven to stop technology.

1121
01:06:11,155 --> 01:06:16,014
I'm asking North Haven to slow this down long enough to answer the questions before

1122
01:06:16,074 --> 01:06:17,544
the skies are filled with it.

1123
01:06:19,104 --> 01:06:20,544
Tell us where the drones will fly.

1124
01:06:21,834 --> 01:06:25,375
Tell us who is responsible. Tell us what the limits are.

1125
01:06:25,674 --> 01:06:28,254
Tell us what data is collected. Tell us who owns it.

1126
01:06:28,464 --> 01:06:32,035
Tell us how long it is retained. Tell us who can access it.

1127
01:06:34,315 --> 01:06:37,884
Tell us what residents can do when something goes wrong.

1128
01:06:41,184 --> 01:06:43,734
Put those protections in writing.

1129
01:06:45,054 --> 01:06:49,914
Because once we have 1,000 flights a day, and potentially multiple companies doing

1130
01:06:49,944 --> 01:06:54,234
the same thing, it becomes much harder to have a meaningful conversation about

1131
01:06:54,294 --> 01:06:56,815
whether we should have started at that scale.

1132
01:06:59,214 --> 01:07:04,405
Before you ask residents to accept the operation, can residents see the

1133
01:07:04,554 --> 01:07:05,514
operation?

1134
01:07:07,074 --> 01:07:07,405
Time.

1135
01:07:08,514 --> 01:07:09,054
Thank you.

1136
01:07:10,224 --> 01:07:11,964
You did a nice job here, Adam. Nice job.

1137
01:07:16,584 --> 01:07:16,644
Thank you.

1138
01:07:16,794 --> 01:07:22,674
Adam, thank you very much, and I would 100% read that exact speech

1139
01:07:22,764 --> 01:07:24,684
at the Amazon meeting that's going to be held.

1140
01:07:24,954 --> 01:07:25,614
Yes, I agree.

1141
01:07:25,674 --> 01:07:27,655
Those are all vital questions.

1142
01:07:28,044 --> 01:07:32,094
And Adam, thank you for the correspondence packet that you sent to Valerie.

1143
01:07:32,155 --> 01:07:32,964
That was very helpful.

1144
01:07:33,594 --> 01:07:34,554
Valerie, who-

1145
01:07:34,854 --> 01:07:35,035
Right

1146
01:07:35,035 --> 01:07:35,815
... Bill-

1147
01:07:36,054 --> 01:07:36,234
Right

1148
01:07:36,234 --> 01:07:37,014
... Dave-

1149
01:07:37,194 --> 01:07:37,644
Regarding the-

1150
01:07:37,674 --> 01:07:39,264
... Laura

1151
01:07:39,264 --> 01:07:42,535
... regarding the 188 number that you provided.

1152
01:07:42,984 --> 01:07:47,155
That was very important for us to know. Thank you.

1153
01:07:48,294 --> 01:07:49,375
Okay, anything else?

1154
01:07:51,294 --> 01:07:53,214
All right. Yes.

1155
01:07:53,244 --> 01:07:53,303
Yes.

1156
01:07:54,143 --> 01:07:59,424
Yes, Chris. Come on up, Chris. All right, Chris. Good.

1157
01:08:00,594 --> 01:08:03,864
Good evening. Christopher Hoffman, 25 Janet Drive.

1158
01:08:04,224 --> 01:08:04,434
Okay.

1159
01:08:05,184 --> 01:08:06,625
I'm not quite sure what to add here.

1160
01:08:06,714 --> 01:08:10,734
I think people have done a fantastic job, especially Adam.

1161
01:08:11,364 --> 01:08:11,694
Yes.

1162
01:08:11,754 --> 01:08:13,944
Yes, talking about these things.

1163
01:08:15,684 --> 01:08:19,764
Just a couple of other things that I would-- And I agree with everything everyone

1164
01:08:19,854 --> 01:08:20,094
said,

1165
01:08:21,474 --> 01:08:25,674
especially the Pandora's box that has been opened up by this.

1166
01:08:26,184 --> 01:08:30,655
Because we have a UPS facility, a large UPS facility, we have a large FedEx

1167
01:08:30,714 --> 01:08:35,275
facility, we have a Target, I don't see how they're not going to want the same

1168
01:08:35,364 --> 01:08:41,184
thing, and I don't see how that is viable, and we're going to look like wartime

1169
01:08:41,245 --> 01:08:46,405
Ukraine in no time at all. And just one perspective on these things,

1170
01:08:47,124 --> 01:08:49,735
when we talk about the size of them, they're five by five.

1171
01:08:49,824 --> 01:08:54,025
So essentially, what you have is a riding lawnmower in the sky,

1172
01:08:55,344 --> 01:08:58,554
200 feet above your-- What, 225 to 400 feet?

1173
01:08:58,914 --> 01:08:59,334
Mm-hmm.

1174
01:08:59,394 --> 01:09:01,914
So that's not that far above your roof.

1175
01:09:02,514 --> 01:09:06,864
Between 200 to 400. 200 in roof drop off, 400 on the way back.

1176
01:09:07,254 --> 01:09:12,174
400 on the way back. So that's still, most houses are what about, two-story house

1177
01:09:12,235 --> 01:09:14,304
is-- It's not that high.

1178
01:09:15,894 --> 01:09:16,104
So

1179
01:09:17,754 --> 01:09:20,124
one thing I wanted to talk about is the PCC.

1180
01:09:21,294 --> 01:09:25,285
And a very good point was made here about the agenda, because I look at the agenda.

1181
01:09:26,485 --> 01:09:29,874
I spent my career as a reporter. I've looked at more agendas than I even want to

1182
01:09:29,934 --> 01:09:33,354
talk about and think about. And that agenda was not clear.

1183
01:09:33,985 --> 01:09:38,094
No one would've ever looked at that agenda and said, "Oh, they're talking about a

1184
01:09:38,124 --> 01:09:39,714
drone facility." So

1185
01:09:41,394 --> 01:09:44,634
I don't know how that happened, but that should've been clearer.

1186
01:09:46,614 --> 01:09:50,544
I would also point out that the Amazon representative, I watched the tape,

1187
01:09:51,745 --> 01:09:52,464
misstated

1188
01:09:53,694 --> 01:09:59,424
the hours. He said an hour before sunrise and an hour after sunset.

1189
01:09:59,904 --> 01:10:03,414
That's what he told them. That's not what we're being told now.

1190
01:10:05,184 --> 01:10:09,834
I don't know. I'm not a lawyer. I would question, does that mean that perhaps the

1191
01:10:09,894 --> 01:10:13,884
approval could be set aside? Because it was based on incorrect

1192
01:10:13,944 --> 01:10:16,614
information.

1193
01:10:18,684 --> 01:10:22,044
I also want to point out, and I know you guys have no power over what they do.

1194
01:10:22,104 --> 01:10:25,074
I understand that they're an independent entity, and you can't tell them what to

1195
01:10:25,134 --> 01:10:25,404
do.

1196
01:10:26,754 --> 01:10:27,594
Having said that,

1197
01:10:29,304 --> 01:10:33,174
if you look online, you can see, particularly in Westborough, Massachusetts, the

1198
01:10:33,234 --> 01:10:35,364
planning commission slowed it down.

1199
01:10:36,174 --> 01:10:40,254
The planning commission immediately said, "Wait a minute. This is a very big deal.

1200
01:10:41,514 --> 01:10:44,094
We're not going to do this right away. We're going to take our time.

1201
01:10:45,084 --> 01:10:46,495
We're going to get more information.

1202
01:10:46,524 --> 01:10:48,414
We want you to come back with more."

1203
01:10:49,914 --> 01:10:54,084
I really don't understand why the PCC didn't do that.

1204
01:10:54,114 --> 01:10:57,774
This is a hugely consequential decision.

1205
01:11:00,204 --> 01:11:01,464
I understand that

1206
01:11:02,934 --> 01:11:06,713
the FAA ultimately has the jurisdiction over this, and I understand that this is

1207
01:11:06,774 --> 01:11:09,384
not an easy thing to push back against.

1208
01:11:09,474 --> 01:11:14,694
But I believe very strongly that if everybody got on the same page,

1209
01:11:16,854 --> 01:11:19,464
that we would have a real chance of stopping this.

1210
01:11:20,214 --> 01:11:20,634
Mm-hmm.

1211
01:11:21,204 --> 01:11:23,934
And I want to say, by the way, Mike, thank you very much here.

1212
01:11:24,024 --> 01:11:28,464
I think you're definitely-- I think these are great steps that you're talking about

1213
01:11:28,495 --> 01:11:28,764
here.

1214
01:11:30,474 --> 01:11:35,604
But if all the towns could get together, and if you could bring in the delegation.

1215
01:11:36,174 --> 01:11:39,714
You could bring in the federal elected official, the two senators, and the

1216
01:11:39,774 --> 01:11:45,324
congresswoman, and perhaps the governor, and perhaps AG Tong,

1217
01:11:46,014 --> 01:11:51,774
and everybody came out and said, "No, we don't want this." Or got

1218
01:11:51,864 --> 01:11:56,634
creative with some law that was passed in the upcoming session that somehow, I

1219
01:11:56,694 --> 01:11:59,664
think these ideas about privacy are also very, very relevant,

1220
01:12:00,864 --> 01:12:03,084
that there would be a chance to stop this.

1221
01:12:03,324 --> 01:12:04,285
I think you're right, Chris.

1222
01:12:04,374 --> 01:12:04,554
Okay.

1223
01:12:04,704 --> 01:12:08,364
Because the way the momentum's going right now, putting aside the P&Z issue, this

1224
01:12:08,394 --> 01:12:11,214
board doesn't put the agendas together. We have our own agendas.

1225
01:12:11,304 --> 01:12:14,874
But what I'm seeing here is, because I mentioned earlier about all the other

1226
01:12:14,934 --> 01:12:17,424
mayors, everybody's on board with this right now.

1227
01:12:17,785 --> 01:12:21,804
These are 15 mayors and first selectmen who I work very closely with.

1228
01:12:22,344 --> 01:12:27,684
The fact that the state is going to be involved with this Teams meeting or Zoom

1229
01:12:27,714 --> 01:12:30,864
meeting, there's going to be a lot of questions asked.

1230
01:12:31,194 --> 01:12:34,104
The fact that Rosa DeLaura called me up and said, "Mike, I want to support you on

1231
01:12:34,164 --> 01:12:36,504
this." And you see, she sent me a letter on this.

1232
01:12:37,074 --> 01:12:37,824
That's great news.

1233
01:12:39,564 --> 01:12:40,614
So we

1234
01:12:42,054 --> 01:12:45,714
are doing everything we can here, and I'm kind of leading the charge on this.

1235
01:12:46,285 --> 01:12:50,304
And I'll tell you what, because the facility is in North Haven, so a lot of the

1236
01:12:50,364 --> 01:12:52,914
mayors say to me, "Mike, what's your position on this?" Right?

1237
01:12:53,304 --> 01:12:58,824
So there are a lot of questions. My colleagues in East Haven, New Haven, Tweed

1238
01:12:58,884 --> 01:13:02,934
Airport, drones dropping in flight zones with the airplanes coming in.

1239
01:13:03,504 --> 01:13:06,174
The momentum now is shifting the other way.

1240
01:13:07,254 --> 01:13:10,164
But what we don't know is that--

1241
01:13:12,804 --> 01:13:17,454
It was almost like what Adam sent to us, okay, this information.

1242
01:13:17,904 --> 01:13:22,495
It was almost like the FAA basically flipped it back to the local municipalities.

1243
01:13:22,794 --> 01:13:23,004
Mm-hmm.

1244
01:13:23,035 --> 01:13:25,764
When I read that, Valerie read it, I read it.

1245
01:13:26,124 --> 01:13:29,154
It was a, I hate to say it, folks, it was like a cop-out.

1246
01:13:29,514 --> 01:13:29,634
Mm-hmm.

1247
01:13:30,324 --> 01:13:31,764
Instead of accepting responsibility-

1248
01:13:31,764 --> 01:13:32,214
Absolutely.

1249
01:13:32,274 --> 01:13:32,664
Yes.

1250
01:13:32,694 --> 01:13:33,594
What did they say?

1251
01:13:33,624 --> 01:13:37,164
Well, they basically said, "Well, we don't have jurisdictions over having

1252
01:13:37,224 --> 01:13:41,394
meetings," right? Instead of saying, "We have the jurisdiction over the airspace,

1253
01:13:41,844 --> 01:13:46,254
and we hope that there are meetings that are going to take place at the municipal

1254
01:13:46,314 --> 01:13:49,464
level." I look at that as a cop-out, Adam.

1255
01:13:49,524 --> 01:13:50,035
It was.

1256
01:13:50,124 --> 01:13:50,995
Total cop-out.

1257
01:13:51,594 --> 01:13:51,714
Mm-hmm.

1258
01:13:52,495 --> 01:13:54,714
So I think though, Chris, coming back to the issue here,

1259
01:13:56,035 --> 01:13:57,444
the momentum's going the other way now

1260
01:13:58,758 --> 01:13:59,088
Yeah.

1261
01:13:59,118 --> 01:14:01,338
We don't know, though, what the outcome's going to be. We don't know.

1262
01:14:01,698 --> 01:14:05,838
It may also be that the technology is ahead of the federal law.

1263
01:14:06,738 --> 01:14:10,427
And I think maybe, again, this is not unique to us, obviously.

1264
01:14:11,358 --> 01:14:14,688
So I think maybe something, again, that's where it's good that you've gotten our

1265
01:14:16,248 --> 01:14:18,198
congressional elected officials-

1266
01:14:18,258 --> 01:14:18,258
Yes

1267
01:14:18,258 --> 01:14:21,888
... involved, because it really affects everybody.

1268
01:14:21,948 --> 01:14:27,078
And maybe, again, the reason the FAA is copping out is because the law doesn't

1269
01:14:27,108 --> 01:14:29,748
provide guidance because it's not anticipated yet.

1270
01:14:30,168 --> 01:14:34,698
And all the things that have been brought up tonight, and everybody's concerns,

1271
01:14:34,788 --> 01:14:40,218
really, the law, I don't think properly-- The FAA doesn't really think about or has

1272
01:14:40,308 --> 01:14:45,858
the authority to even maybe address, because the technology is moving in a way that

1273
01:14:46,908 --> 01:14:50,508
the Congress at the national level hasn't done anything with yet.

1274
01:14:50,598 --> 01:14:50,808
Yeah.

1275
01:14:51,709 --> 01:14:54,138
That's true with data centers as well.

1276
01:14:54,918 --> 01:14:55,068
Yeah.

1277
01:14:55,128 --> 01:14:58,398
Yeah. I think this could end up being as big or bigger than data centers.

1278
01:14:58,549 --> 01:14:59,568
I think it could be-

1279
01:14:59,868 --> 01:15:00,018
Yeah

1280
01:15:00,018 --> 01:15:03,528
... equally problematic, similar issues. So, okay.

1281
01:15:03,588 --> 01:15:05,508
But again, thank you, and

1282
01:15:06,858 --> 01:15:10,578
anything that, I think I'm speaking for everyone here, anything we can do to help,

1283
01:15:10,968 --> 01:15:11,448
let us know.

1284
01:15:11,718 --> 01:15:12,978
Keep speaking.

1285
01:15:13,038 --> 01:15:13,608
Keep speaking.

1286
01:15:14,088 --> 01:15:14,268
Okay.

1287
01:15:14,478 --> 01:15:17,388
Thanks for the-- We exchanged emails together, so thank you for that.

1288
01:15:17,598 --> 01:15:17,598
Yeah.

1289
01:15:17,688 --> 01:15:23,418
Okay. But I hope that everyone sees that there are efforts being made

1290
01:15:24,108 --> 01:15:25,878
to change the momentum on this.

1291
01:15:26,178 --> 01:15:26,418
Yeah.

1292
01:15:27,348 --> 01:15:27,558
So.

1293
01:15:27,888 --> 01:15:29,388
Excellent. Thank you very much.

1294
01:15:29,418 --> 01:15:29,568
Okay.

1295
01:15:29,628 --> 01:15:29,868
Yeah.

1296
01:15:29,898 --> 01:15:30,858
Good seeing you. Thank you.

1297
01:15:30,918 --> 01:15:34,758
Chris, thank you very much. Some of the things that are interesting to me-- I'm

1298
01:15:34,818 --> 01:15:36,168
sorry. Does anyone else want to speak?

1299
01:15:37,188 --> 01:15:38,388
I just have one more thing.

1300
01:15:38,448 --> 01:15:38,748
Of course.

1301
01:15:38,748 --> 01:15:53,568
Sorry.

1302
01:15:53,628 --> 01:15:54,888
Mary White, Stillwater Lane.

1303
01:15:56,418 --> 01:15:58,758
I wanted to mention the

1304
01:16:00,318 --> 01:16:01,338
part about,

1305
01:16:02,718 --> 01:16:06,678
I'm just going to say drone wars. We're familiar with

1306
01:16:06,768 --> 01:16:12,438
the war in Ukraine, the non-war

1307
01:16:12,799 --> 01:16:17,988
in Iran. And so I don't know how many of you heard about it, but

1308
01:16:18,078 --> 01:16:23,058
earlier in the non-war, Iran war, a girl school was hit,

1309
01:16:23,598 --> 01:16:28,098
an all-girl school, was hit with more than 165 killed.

1310
01:16:28,728 --> 01:16:32,928
The facility or the school was

1311
01:16:35,748 --> 01:16:38,178
a military compound, from what I understand.

1312
01:16:38,688 --> 01:16:41,418
They moved out, and the girls' school moved in.

1313
01:16:41,898 --> 01:16:47,808
And from what I've read, it was a drone that calculated

1314
01:16:47,868 --> 01:16:51,858
that this was a site for attack, and that's what happened.

1315
01:16:52,338 --> 01:16:58,068
So why am I bringing that up? Because you hear about hacking all the time,

1316
01:16:58,398 --> 01:17:03,198
different federal agencies and local agencies, there's just hacking occurring all

1317
01:17:03,258 --> 01:17:08,508
over the place. So my concern is about, is there a

1318
01:17:08,568 --> 01:17:14,388
possibility that America's enemies, terrorists, that they could create,

1319
01:17:14,837 --> 01:17:20,478
copy an Amazon 80-pound drone in size and color,

1320
01:17:21,018 --> 01:17:24,348
and then load it up with explosives and then,

1321
01:17:25,578 --> 01:17:30,288
because they can operate it from seven miles from where its destination or

1322
01:17:30,318 --> 01:17:35,358
whatever, and then fly this thing over a school, fly this over the town green.

1323
01:17:35,868 --> 01:17:41,508
And so I think that there's a safety issue that I'm not hearing anybody talk

1324
01:17:41,598 --> 01:17:47,358
about. And I think if a drone in the wartime can

1325
01:17:47,478 --> 01:17:53,358
bomb a girls' school, how did we not know that there were red-- Oh, I'm sorry.

1326
01:17:54,528 --> 01:17:59,118
Red, what do you call those things? The highlight, when they show the body heat.

1327
01:17:59,358 --> 01:18:00,888
How did we not know that there

1328
01:18:02,268 --> 01:18:04,608
were little ones, that there were girls there?

1329
01:18:05,028 --> 01:18:08,658
So I'm just concerned that this is not even being spoken about.

1330
01:18:09,018 --> 01:18:13,938
And I think that there's a possibility of either hacking or duplication and that

1331
01:18:13,998 --> 01:18:14,568
we're really--

1332
01:18:16,338 --> 01:18:18,978
It's just something we should think about, and I wanted to bring that forth.

1333
01:18:19,338 --> 01:18:19,788
Thank you.

1334
01:18:19,848 --> 01:18:20,478
Thank you, Mary.

1335
01:18:21,138 --> 01:18:25,398
All right, seeing no other comment, I'd like to offer, do we have our town attorney

1336
01:18:25,428 --> 01:18:26,148
here who's been waiting-

1337
01:18:26,178 --> 01:18:26,268
Yes

1338
01:18:26,268 --> 01:18:28,098
... because we have the next issue with the town petition.

1339
01:18:28,158 --> 01:18:28,608
Yeah, of course.

1340
01:18:28,878 --> 01:18:32,268
So, we good, Preston? Yeah. I have a question. Yeah.

1341
01:18:32,598 --> 01:18:35,538
Is it a Zoom meeting with the FAA when this all comes to a head?

1342
01:18:36,138 --> 01:18:40,428
Is there a date for that meeting? Well, the meeting on October 5th, Preston, I'll

1343
01:18:41,148 --> 01:18:44,418
text you on this, okay? Sure. Whether it's going to be Teams or Zoom, whatever it

1344
01:18:44,448 --> 01:18:48,049
may be, okay? Awesome. I'll get back to you on this, okay? Absolutely. Thank you.

1345
01:18:48,049 --> 01:18:48,049
Thank you.

1346
01:18:48,078 --> 01:18:48,738
Thank you very much.

1347
01:18:49,278 --> 01:18:49,428
Okay.

1348
01:18:49,518 --> 01:18:52,248
What is the status of the pause that you asked for, Brandon?

1349
01:18:53,178 --> 01:18:56,358
Until all of the meetings take place, Adam, with the ma-

1350
01:18:56,388 --> 01:18:58,668
No, what is the status of what Amazon said?

1351
01:19:00,138 --> 01:19:02,718
It's a good question. It's kind of ambiguous right now.

1352
01:19:03,018 --> 01:19:03,228
That they-

1353
01:19:03,408 --> 01:19:05,538
Because you have asked, but they have not responded, correct?

1354
01:19:05,598 --> 01:19:10,278
They have not responded in terms of time frames when the public meetings will take

1355
01:19:10,308 --> 01:19:14,748
place. They did say, in general, there will be public meetings to take place.

1356
01:19:15,198 --> 01:19:19,008
They gave me the date of October 5th with the state senators and state reps.

1357
01:19:20,058 --> 01:19:24,408
We've got the meeting with the mayors on, I think it's October 22nd or 24th, that

1358
01:19:24,468 --> 01:19:26,688
last week in October, I think it is.

1359
01:19:27,198 --> 01:19:31,518
So my interpretation, although they didn't say it directly, is that they're going

1360
01:19:31,518 --> 01:19:35,568
to start the meetings after the meetings with the state and the meetings with the

1361
01:19:35,598 --> 01:19:35,928
mayors.

1362
01:19:36,078 --> 01:19:39,588
But they haven't paused anything. They are continuing on with their program.

1363
01:19:39,948 --> 01:19:40,338
I think-

1364
01:19:40,398 --> 01:19:42,978
Like the zoning meeting, they're like, "This is just the first step.

1365
01:19:43,038 --> 01:19:46,848
Now we have other steps." So I take that to be you've asked for a pause-

1366
01:19:46,938 --> 01:19:47,088
Yes

1367
01:19:47,088 --> 01:19:50,658
... they're not pausing. They're just simply giving us a crumb of something they

1368
01:19:50,718 --> 01:19:52,038
should have given us five months ago.

1369
01:19:52,068 --> 01:19:52,938
Right. They give-

1370
01:19:52,998 --> 01:19:54,768
Essentially saying, "We are going to proceed."

1371
01:19:55,038 --> 01:19:57,858
It's possibly the interpretation. You might be right about this, yes.

1372
01:19:58,338 --> 01:20:04,128
I wonder about the site plan that was approved by planning and zoning, and

1373
01:20:05,178 --> 01:20:07,728
how far along the construction is-

1374
01:20:08,209 --> 01:20:08,388
Oh, no

1375
01:20:08,418 --> 01:20:09,528
... at the Amazon facility.

1376
01:20:09,888 --> 01:20:10,728
There's no construction-

1377
01:20:10,758 --> 01:20:11,959
It doesn't have one yet

1378
01:20:12,138 --> 01:20:17,058
... there's no planned construction, from what I'm told, until there's a decision

1379
01:20:17,118 --> 01:20:21,678
made on the drones. So until the decision from-

1380
01:20:22,787 --> 01:20:22,938
The FAA

1381
01:20:22,938 --> 01:20:26,568
... from the FAA, which I believe the FAA has given them approval to fly.

1382
01:20:26,868 --> 01:20:27,318
Is that correct?

1383
01:20:27,408 --> 01:20:28,397
No, I've never heard that, no.

1384
01:20:29,057 --> 01:20:30,978
There's been no approval to fly?

1385
01:20:31,549 --> 01:20:33,108
No, that's the whole purpose of the whole thing.

1386
01:20:33,198 --> 01:20:36,049
Well, the thing ends October 1st-

1387
01:20:36,168 --> 01:20:36,258
Right

1388
01:20:36,258 --> 01:20:37,518
... was for public comment.

1389
01:20:37,638 --> 01:20:42,738
I thought the approval was subject to DEEP or the local regulator, the state level

1390
01:20:42,799 --> 01:20:48,468
regulator, approving the flight paths with respect to the coverage of DEEP.

1391
01:20:49,128 --> 01:20:51,709
I think it's an overall approval for the thing to happen here.

1392
01:20:51,709 --> 01:20:53,748
I don't know if DEEP has authority beyond

1393
01:20:55,098 --> 01:20:57,828
certain areas of the Quinnipiac and the marsh areas.

1394
01:20:58,608 --> 01:20:59,598
Okay.

1395
01:20:59,658 --> 01:21:00,709
That's what's not clear to me-

1396
01:21:01,008 --> 01:21:01,668
Okay

1397
01:21:01,668 --> 01:21:06,288
... where the authority rests, who has authority, how far DEEP can go to slow this

1398
01:21:06,348 --> 01:21:06,678
down.

1399
01:21:06,888 --> 01:21:07,308
Right.

1400
01:21:07,728 --> 01:21:11,178
And then if it does slow it down, does that mean Amazon says, "Fine, we're going to

1401
01:21:11,238 --> 01:21:13,968
carve out these particular areas and fly in these areas"?

1402
01:21:14,209 --> 01:21:14,478
Yeah.

1403
01:21:14,538 --> 01:21:16,908
I think the FAA has given,

1404
01:21:18,528 --> 01:21:21,978
my understanding is, it's provisional authority subject to DEEP confirming that it

1405
01:21:22,038 --> 01:21:24,648
complies with state environmental laws.

1406
01:21:25,428 --> 01:21:26,959
If that's true, that's not good news.

1407
01:21:27,198 --> 01:21:29,959
I'm not positive about that, and it's unclear to me.

1408
01:21:30,018 --> 01:21:30,258
Right.

1409
01:21:32,508 --> 01:21:35,628
So to the point that's been made about slowing this down,

1410
01:21:37,278 --> 01:21:40,278
and I know we want to get to Jeff, too, but to the point that was made about

1411
01:21:40,338 --> 01:21:44,748
slowing this down, and again, it's not entirely clear to me where this sits from a

1412
01:21:44,778 --> 01:21:47,778
legal perspective, like where the FAA comes in, where DEEP comes in.

1413
01:21:47,838 --> 01:21:49,068
But the letters that I've read

1414
01:21:50,478 --> 01:21:56,358
are specifically addressing DEEP, and DEEP's coverage of this

1415
01:21:56,448 --> 01:22:01,068
issue, and where DEEP sits in terms of its jurisdiction.

1416
01:22:01,968 --> 01:22:07,428
And that's a pathway to slowing this down, that DEEP can, as a state-level

1417
01:22:07,459 --> 01:22:12,018
regulator, slow this down because they can say, "Look, you're not complying with a

1418
01:22:12,108 --> 01:22:17,209
variety of state environmental codes and regulations." And then Amazon would have

1419
01:22:17,238 --> 01:22:21,318
to respond to that. The other thing I think might be interesting is where these

1420
01:22:21,348 --> 01:22:24,888
site plans sit and how far along that construction is, because maybe they've

1421
01:22:24,918 --> 01:22:26,688
started to do some stuff on site.

1422
01:22:26,748 --> 01:22:29,959
Well, we'll check that because that bears watching. I would agree with that.

1423
01:22:30,049 --> 01:22:30,318
Yeah.

1424
01:22:31,368 --> 01:22:32,598
We'll let everybody know on that, okay?

1425
01:22:32,959 --> 01:22:34,878
If there's any construction on the actual site.

1426
01:22:36,318 --> 01:22:36,468
But-

1427
01:22:37,218 --> 01:22:40,459
Because I think it was contingent on overall approval.

1428
01:22:41,178 --> 01:22:45,738
Yeah, I don't know how much more the FAA is going to be involved.

1429
01:22:45,768 --> 01:22:49,008
That is my question. I think they've now kind of handed over

1430
01:22:50,448 --> 01:22:50,959
to the

1431
01:22:52,278 --> 01:22:55,638
state level environmental authority, which in our case is DEEP, and said, "Hey,

1432
01:22:55,698 --> 01:22:59,748
does this comply with what you need it to comply with?" And then once that is

1433
01:22:59,808 --> 01:23:00,498
approved

1434
01:23:01,776 --> 01:23:05,346
These folks can build their site and start flying, is how I understand it.

1435
01:23:05,406 --> 01:23:10,026
So the way to push this back and to slow it down is to use our

1436
01:23:11,676 --> 01:23:16,566
friends at DEEP, is to use our local representatives, including Congressman

1437
01:23:16,596 --> 01:23:20,586
DeLauro, Congresswoman DeLauro, and also any other...

1438
01:23:20,676 --> 01:23:24,576
What's amazing to me that you've mentioned multiple times is the bipartisan

1439
01:23:24,636 --> 01:23:25,536
opposition to this.

1440
01:23:25,986 --> 01:23:26,136
Yes.

1441
01:23:26,196 --> 01:23:30,516
It's fascinating to me. How many times of recent note have we seen such bipartisan,

1442
01:23:30,636 --> 01:23:32,226
passionate opposition to something-

1443
01:23:32,586 --> 01:23:32,706
Right

1444
01:23:32,766 --> 01:23:33,456
... like this?

1445
01:23:33,516 --> 01:23:33,966
Right.

1446
01:23:33,996 --> 01:23:37,956
And so that to me tells us really everything we need to know, that

1447
01:23:38,016 --> 01:23:43,866
there's going to be a real push from every level,

1448
01:23:43,986 --> 01:23:48,726
every state apparatus, and also every local person, every local rep, and the people

1449
01:23:48,786 --> 01:23:50,856
in these towns to push back against this.

1450
01:23:50,886 --> 01:23:54,786
And I think that's a really good thing, and that's the way we need to approach it.

1451
01:23:54,846 --> 01:23:59,916
And I think, again, my point earlier was, I think maybe there's a lack of federal

1452
01:24:03,006 --> 01:24:07,656
legislation that needs to provide maybe more guidelines than exist.

1453
01:24:08,226 --> 01:24:13,326
Because I actually know drone operators, and they out west do things like

1454
01:24:14,856 --> 01:24:18,246
lay down insecticides and fertilizer. They track power lines.

1455
01:24:19,266 --> 01:24:24,186
They do all kinds of agricultural tasks now, that before, you'd have people on the

1456
01:24:24,216 --> 01:24:24,786
ground doing.

1457
01:24:25,147 --> 01:24:25,266
Yeah.

1458
01:24:26,016 --> 01:24:30,546
So I think other parts of the country are already seeing it in terms of they just

1459
01:24:30,606 --> 01:24:34,026
happen to be maybe less populated than we are.

1460
01:24:34,626 --> 01:24:39,816
Yeah. The Richardson case is instructive for us as a community because they clearly

1461
01:24:39,846 --> 01:24:44,406
have authority to fly there, because they're flying. Right? This is happening.

1462
01:24:44,736 --> 01:24:48,246
So the FAA clearly has already given them authority to fly in that community.

1463
01:24:49,147 --> 01:24:53,616
And whatever local and state-level ordinances in Texas they've had to comply with,

1464
01:24:53,676 --> 01:24:56,436
they have, and so they're currently operating.

1465
01:24:56,976 --> 01:25:02,316
And so I think that's what is probably happening here, right?

1466
01:25:02,376 --> 01:25:05,256
There's a sequence of events that needs to happen.

1467
01:25:05,647 --> 01:25:10,086
The first thing at the municipal level was the approval of the site plan for

1468
01:25:10,116 --> 01:25:14,766
construction, which as you discussed, was a very limited purview and a very limited

1469
01:25:14,826 --> 01:25:19,086
review. And then the next thing that needs to happen is DEEP needs to say whether

1470
01:25:19,116 --> 01:25:24,696
or not, as we've been discussing, where they are out of

1471
01:25:24,756 --> 01:25:30,126
step with local and state-level environmental controls and laws.

1472
01:25:30,696 --> 01:25:31,986
So I think that's where this sits.

1473
01:25:33,246 --> 01:25:38,316
And so using DEEP as a way to really slow the train here, I think is a good path.

1474
01:25:38,406 --> 01:25:41,766
Well, all of our state legislators, Republican and Democrat, have sent letters to

1475
01:25:41,826 --> 01:25:42,696
DEEP. So

1476
01:25:44,436 --> 01:25:50,136
our congresswoman has done so. And what this might explain, an

1477
01:25:50,226 --> 01:25:55,416
article I just read, that there's 15 states in litigation with the FAA.

1478
01:25:55,807 --> 01:25:57,696
I just read this earlier.

1479
01:25:57,786 --> 01:25:58,356
Yeah, because-

1480
01:25:58,386 --> 01:25:59,586
That's been going on for a couple of months.

1481
01:25:59,616 --> 01:26:00,426
Couple of months. Yeah.

1482
01:26:00,486 --> 01:26:05,436
Yeah. Because I think part of this is if we as a municipality

1483
01:26:06,336 --> 01:26:10,386
don't approve the site plan, Amazon will respond and say, "Well, why?

1484
01:26:10,807 --> 01:26:14,826
What's wrong with-- You have no legal reason to not approve our site plan."

1485
01:26:14,916 --> 01:26:15,456
Right.

1486
01:26:15,516 --> 01:26:20,436
And so that would create potentially friction with Amazon, and they may sue us, and

1487
01:26:20,496 --> 01:26:23,316
we may have to respond to that. Now, whether or not that actually happens, who

1488
01:26:23,346 --> 01:26:28,686
knows? But I think that threat is out there, that the limited purview of the

1489
01:26:28,746 --> 01:26:33,696
Planning and Zoning Commission is such that they had no rational or logical or

1490
01:26:33,726 --> 01:26:36,606
reasonable reason to say no to the site plan.

1491
01:26:37,476 --> 01:26:37,956
And so

1492
01:26:39,456 --> 01:26:44,976
now that Amazon has that approval, they can start building subject to the approval

1493
01:26:45,126 --> 01:26:48,307
of the state-level authority. I think that's where this sits.

1494
01:26:48,636 --> 01:26:48,936
Could be.

1495
01:26:49,476 --> 01:26:52,596
But the bipartisan opposition I think it's

1496
01:26:54,906 --> 01:26:59,406
great, and I think it really is one of our best halfways to slowing this down.

1497
01:27:01,116 --> 01:27:01,416
Can I just-

1498
01:27:01,476 --> 01:27:02,286
I know, but if I--

1499
01:27:06,156 --> 01:27:08,976
Oh, sorry. I feel like we're kind of speculating where things are at with the FAA.

1500
01:27:09,036 --> 01:27:09,876
Can we find that out?

1501
01:27:09,966 --> 01:27:10,506
Yeah, absolutely.

1502
01:27:10,506 --> 01:27:13,776
Instead of like, is there a way that you guys can find that out and report back?

1503
01:27:13,836 --> 01:27:15,307
Yeah, we can try to figure that out.

1504
01:27:15,756 --> 01:27:18,276
Because otherwise, we're just kind of bouncing it around what we think it is-

1505
01:27:18,307 --> 01:27:18,307
Yeah

1506
01:27:18,307 --> 01:27:19,296
... as opposed to what it is.

1507
01:27:19,416 --> 01:27:21,397
I don't think we can. I don't think they're going to respond to us.

1508
01:27:21,456 --> 01:27:21,966
Oh, okay.

1509
01:27:22,236 --> 01:27:26,826
That email that Adam shared with us, but I think we can engage our federal

1510
01:27:26,856 --> 01:27:27,906
delegation to find out.

1511
01:27:27,966 --> 01:27:29,496
I think that's great. Yeah. Good idea.

1512
01:27:29,496 --> 01:27:30,126
Yeah. I'll work on that.

1513
01:27:30,336 --> 01:27:31,956
Rose and just-- Yeah, exactly. Thanks.

1514
01:27:32,346 --> 01:27:32,346
Thanks.

1515
01:27:34,147 --> 01:27:34,506
Yes, Chris.

1516
01:27:34,897 --> 01:27:38,016
I'll make it quick. I know you guys want to move on to other things.

1517
01:27:38,076 --> 01:27:41,016
It just occurred to me, just talking about keeping people informed.

1518
01:27:43,416 --> 01:27:46,057
I don't know if you have someone who writes press releases for you or if you write

1519
01:27:46,086 --> 01:27:51,456
your own press releases, but maybe a press release every time, for example, when

1520
01:27:51,996 --> 01:27:54,786
you're going to have this meeting with Amazon. Here's what happened.

1521
01:27:55,986 --> 01:27:58,836
You could put it on the website. You could share it with the different

1522
01:28:00,066 --> 01:28:03,216
groups on Facebook, with like Know North Haven.

1523
01:28:04,386 --> 01:28:06,606
I know there's two that are called North Haven Community.

1524
01:28:06,636 --> 01:28:06,816
Yeah.

1525
01:28:06,996 --> 01:28:10,746
There's two different ones, and just make an arrangement with whoever is operating

1526
01:28:10,807 --> 01:28:13,716
those that you can send them this press release. You could send it to Channel 8.

1527
01:28:15,186 --> 01:28:19,866
So an idea just as far as keeping everyone informed as to what's going on and

1528
01:28:19,926 --> 01:28:23,946
particularly when these public forums are going to happen and so on. An idea, so.

1529
01:28:24,397 --> 01:28:25,566
Yeah, absolutely.

1530
01:28:26,766 --> 01:28:29,016
All right. So, thank you, ladies and gentlemen.

1531
01:28:29,286 --> 01:28:31,656
Thank you, Channel 8, Preston, for being here.

1532
01:28:32,586 --> 01:28:37,566
The idea here was with Preston and I that this gets pulsed out all over the Greater

1533
01:28:37,626 --> 01:28:39,726
New Haven County area. So thank you.

1534
01:28:40,536 --> 01:28:41,406
Yeah. Thank you.

1535
01:28:41,406 --> 01:28:41,466
Thanks.

1536
01:28:43,776 --> 01:28:45,066
We'll see you next time, Preston, okay?

1537
01:28:45,246 --> 01:28:45,246
Yeah.

1538
01:28:45,276 --> 01:28:46,147
We'll talk to you again.

1539
01:28:46,386 --> 01:28:48,336
Is tonight or tomorrow morning?

1540
01:28:48,397 --> 01:28:49,236
It's tonight at 11:00.

1541
01:28:49,266 --> 01:28:49,626
Thank you.

1542
01:28:49,656 --> 01:28:50,496
We have it on our website.

1543
01:28:50,647 --> 01:28:54,397
Thank you, North Haven Public TV, too, because they're still filming as well.

1544
01:28:54,426 --> 01:28:55,086
Yeah. Perfect.

1545
01:28:55,147 --> 01:28:57,936
So we got double filming with-- Thank you for coming.

1546
01:28:58,866 --> 01:29:02,046
Thanks. Good seeing you, Preston. Talk to you soon. All right.

1547
01:29:02,136 --> 01:29:03,246
So I think we can-

1548
01:29:03,636 --> 01:29:04,326
Absolutely.

1549
01:29:04,476 --> 01:29:04,686
Yes.

1550
01:29:04,776 --> 01:29:05,406
So sorry.

1551
01:29:06,906 --> 01:29:08,106
He's been very, very patient.

1552
01:29:08,166 --> 01:29:09,546
Yes. Which number is this?

1553
01:29:12,186 --> 01:29:13,176
This is number six, right?

1554
01:29:13,626 --> 01:29:13,776
Well-

1555
01:29:13,836 --> 01:29:15,096
There's no Yankee game on tonight

1556
01:29:15,096 --> 01:29:16,446
... I think it's going to be seven.

1557
01:29:17,106 --> 01:29:17,796
Seven.

1558
01:29:18,246 --> 01:29:19,926
Oh. Was former six and now?

1559
01:29:20,647 --> 01:29:21,486
The former six, yeah.

1560
01:29:21,546 --> 01:29:22,596
Former six. Okay.

1561
01:29:23,316 --> 01:29:24,096
That's where we are, yes.

1562
01:29:24,096 --> 01:29:24,846
The real problem is-

1563
01:29:24,936 --> 01:29:25,206
Okay.

1564
01:29:25,956 --> 01:29:27,307
Former six.

1565
01:29:27,397 --> 01:29:28,596
So Michael, I'm happy to read.

1566
01:29:29,046 --> 01:29:29,557
Please read.

1567
01:29:29,647 --> 01:29:32,945
Okay. So this is the former number six on the agenda.

1568
01:29:33,006 --> 01:29:37,296
Consider and act upon a petition filed with the town clerk on September 14th, 2026,

1569
01:29:37,807 --> 01:29:41,946
requesting the Board of Selectmen warn and convene a special town meeting pursuant

1570
01:29:42,006 --> 01:29:45,096
to Connecticut General Statutes 7-1.

1571
01:29:48,546 --> 01:29:51,216
I'd like to invite our town attorney, Jeff D'Onofrio.

1572
01:29:51,546 --> 01:29:54,276
Jeffrey, sorry to keep you waiting here, but thank you.

1573
01:29:54,486 --> 01:29:55,026
Hi, folks.

1574
01:29:55,506 --> 01:29:55,897
Council.

1575
01:29:56,226 --> 01:29:56,676
Hi, how are you?

1576
01:29:58,386 --> 01:30:04,086
So I was asked to come tonight to provide an opinion on a

1577
01:30:04,116 --> 01:30:10,057
petition that was filed with the town on September 14th that requests

1578
01:30:10,116 --> 01:30:15,876
that the board, under Connecticut General Statute 7-1 and under the town

1579
01:30:15,966 --> 01:30:21,066
charter, warn a special town meeting with respect to the three questions that are

1580
01:30:21,126 --> 01:30:22,446
presented in the petition.

1581
01:30:24,816 --> 01:30:29,647
We don't get a lot of petitions for special town meetings in North Haven.

1582
01:30:30,456 --> 01:30:34,926
I think this is probably the third in the last 20 years that we've had.

1583
01:30:36,606 --> 01:30:41,766
So just as a refresher, under the Home Rule Act in Connecticut,

1584
01:30:41,826 --> 01:30:47,196
municipalities have the power to adopt a charter to serve as the

1585
01:30:47,256 --> 01:30:51,366
organic law of the municipality. North Haven has a charter.

1586
01:30:52,176 --> 01:30:58,116
The extent of the town meeting's involvement and authority is set forth

1587
01:30:58,266 --> 01:31:03,307
in Section 901 of the charter. So whenever there's a petition

1588
01:31:04,296 --> 01:31:09,966
submitted asking the board to warn a special meeting of the town

1589
01:31:10,057 --> 01:31:14,256
meeting, we have to look at whether those questions are proper. Okay?

1590
01:31:14,316 --> 01:31:19,386
We have to determine if the proposed questions are within the purview of the town

1591
01:31:19,446 --> 01:31:25,356
meeting, because a special town meeting, any town meeting, pursuant to

1592
01:31:25,386 --> 01:31:30,606
Connecticut General Statute 7-1, which is cited in the petition, can only be held

1593
01:31:30,636 --> 01:31:35,466
for the transaction of proper business before that meeting.

1594
01:31:36,126 --> 01:31:39,456
So the petition at issue has three proposed questions.

1595
01:31:41,976 --> 01:31:46,596
I'm going to take them in inverse order because when I looked at it, they kind of

1596
01:31:48,366 --> 01:31:51,336
required that sort of analysis. Okay?

1597
01:31:52,176 --> 01:31:57,397
So item three asks that you warn a town meeting to

1598
01:31:57,486 --> 01:32:03,126
appropriate $1,251,797.49 by municipal bond

1599
01:32:03,756 --> 01:32:05,076
for the purchase of an item.

1600
01:32:06,522 --> 01:32:12,221
The Board of Finance under Section 709 would have to recommend any

1601
01:32:12,282 --> 01:32:17,472
borrowing or any bond issuance. So item three is not a proper purpose for a town

1602
01:32:17,502 --> 01:32:23,052
meeting. There's been no Board of Finance recommendation for an appropriation or

1603
01:32:23,082 --> 01:32:26,832
for issuance of bonds, because town meeting does not have authority to do that.

1604
01:32:27,312 --> 01:32:27,462
Okay?

1605
01:32:28,992 --> 01:32:34,662
Item number two seeks to direct the Board of Selectmen to deliver a full public

1606
01:32:34,752 --> 01:32:40,362
accounting and written report to the town within 30 days, detailing the

1607
01:32:40,452 --> 01:32:45,612
execution, terms, cancellation, and financial liabilities of the fire engine

1608
01:32:45,702 --> 01:32:49,002
contract signed without voter authorization.

1609
01:32:49,722 --> 01:32:53,442
The town meeting does not have authority under the charter over the Board of

1610
01:32:53,532 --> 01:32:57,762
Selectmen. Okay? It's a separation of powers issue. Okay?

1611
01:32:57,853 --> 01:33:03,222
The town meeting has certain authority under the charter, and the First Selectman

1612
01:33:03,312 --> 01:33:07,692
under the charter is responsible for all purchasing done in the name of the town,

1613
01:33:08,292 --> 01:33:12,343
and the First Selectman is responsible for making periodic reports to the Board of

1614
01:33:12,432 --> 01:33:16,482
Selectmen and the Board of Finance under charter Section 502.

1615
01:33:17,052 --> 01:33:21,492
The town meeting has no supervisory authority over the Board of Selectmen and has

1616
01:33:21,522 --> 01:33:24,462
no authority to compel the Board of Selectmen to perform

1617
01:33:25,962 --> 01:33:29,082
whatever is being requested here, a full public accounting.

1618
01:33:29,142 --> 01:33:30,042
I don't know if that means

1619
01:33:31,572 --> 01:33:37,093
from the outside auditors, from an investigation, but whatever it is, the town

1620
01:33:37,152 --> 01:33:40,422
meeting doesn't have jurisdiction to direct the Board of Selectmen to do that.

1621
01:33:41,742 --> 01:33:47,472
Item number one asks for a town meeting to adopt a resolution

1622
01:33:47,562 --> 01:33:53,262
prohibiting the expenditure or transfer of any municipal funds, including the sum

1623
01:33:53,322 --> 01:33:58,872
of $31,294.94, for penalties, fees, or

1624
01:33:58,962 --> 01:34:04,572
damages associated with the canceled fire engine contract, unless and until such

1625
01:34:04,633 --> 01:34:08,292
expenditure is explicitly approved by a vote of the town meeting.

1626
01:34:09,252 --> 01:34:14,742
So item number one essentially seeks to prevent a contract from being canceled.

1627
01:34:15,222 --> 01:34:19,512
The town meeting does not have authority under the charter to direct the town to

1628
01:34:19,603 --> 01:34:23,052
enter into contracts. That authority is granted to the First Selectman.

1629
01:34:23,742 --> 01:34:28,152
My understanding is that the $31,294.94

1630
01:34:29,532 --> 01:34:35,082
used to cancel that contract was appropriated from the

1631
01:34:35,172 --> 01:34:39,522
contingency line in the current fiscal year budget by the Board of Finance, which

1632
01:34:39,582 --> 01:34:44,892
is their purview. So there's no appropriation needed because the contingency line

1633
01:34:44,982 --> 01:34:48,402
is already appropriated in part of the budget, so transferring money out of the

1634
01:34:48,462 --> 01:34:53,262
contingency line does not require a town meeting approval.

1635
01:34:54,642 --> 01:34:59,262
So my opinion is that none of these questions are proper questions for the town

1636
01:34:59,322 --> 01:35:01,843
meeting. The town meeting doesn't have jurisdiction over these items.

1637
01:35:04,302 --> 01:35:05,112
Thank you, Jeff.

1638
01:35:06,432 --> 01:35:10,603
Jeff, thank you so much. Sorry that it was such a long time before you got a chance

1639
01:35:10,603 --> 01:35:10,843
to speak.

1640
01:35:10,843 --> 01:35:11,142
No problem.

1641
01:35:11,862 --> 01:35:17,322
Can you discuss what would be a proper purpose under general statutes here in

1642
01:35:17,353 --> 01:35:18,672
Connecticut and under our charter?

1643
01:35:19,722 --> 01:35:21,912
Well, if you look at Section

1644
01:35:26,292 --> 01:35:27,343
901 of the charter,

1645
01:35:27,372 --> 01:35:33,133
"The town

1646
01:35:33,192 --> 01:35:37,062
meeting shall have the power to enact ordinances not inconsistent with this

1647
01:35:37,122 --> 01:35:40,603
charter, or the Connecticut General Statutes shall have power to amend or repeal

1648
01:35:40,662 --> 01:35:45,343
such ordinances. The town meeting has authority to establish offices, boards,

1649
01:35:45,432 --> 01:35:49,362
commissions, set their powers, duties, numbers, terms of qualification, abolish,

1650
01:35:49,422 --> 01:35:54,432
consolidate, alter the powers, duties, numbers, terms of any board, commission, or

1651
01:35:54,492 --> 01:35:57,222
agency, except those specified elsewhere in the charter.

1652
01:35:58,152 --> 01:36:01,633
The town meeting also, except as otherwise provided in this charter, the

1653
01:36:01,662 --> 01:36:04,843
legislative power of the town shall be vested in the town meeting." So the town

1654
01:36:04,902 --> 01:36:06,552
meeting is the legislative body of the town.

1655
01:36:07,242 --> 01:36:10,902
"It shall exercise and perform all the rights, powers, duties, and obligations of

1656
01:36:10,962 --> 01:36:16,242
the town, except as the same may be assigned by this charter to some other office,

1657
01:36:16,362 --> 01:36:18,883
board, commission, or agency." Okay?

1658
01:36:19,843 --> 01:36:25,633
So, the law in Connecticut interpreting the jurisdiction of town meetings has

1659
01:36:25,722 --> 01:36:30,343
always been in towns that have a charter, you look to the charter to see what

1660
01:36:30,432 --> 01:36:35,562
power, what authority has been given to the town meeting, and if

1661
01:36:36,672 --> 01:36:37,482
a specific

1662
01:36:40,692 --> 01:36:46,452
role or a specific duty or responsibility or power is given to another

1663
01:36:46,633 --> 01:36:50,412
board or town official, then that's who has that role.

1664
01:36:53,052 --> 01:36:56,742
Obviously, the town meeting has a role in adopting a budget.

1665
01:36:58,512 --> 01:37:00,732
That's part and parcel of

1666
01:37:02,532 --> 01:37:06,612
the function of the legislative body in any town.

1667
01:37:07,152 --> 01:37:09,552
And in North Haven, it happens to be the town meeting.

1668
01:37:12,462 --> 01:37:14,502
There's also case law that

1669
01:37:15,853 --> 01:37:21,042
stands for the proposition that a charter's silence as to authority for a town

1670
01:37:21,133 --> 01:37:26,922
meeting to specifically act as to a matter is evidence of the town's intent not to

1671
01:37:26,982 --> 01:37:29,112
imbue the town meeting with such authority.

1672
01:37:30,402 --> 01:37:31,362
So in this case,

1673
01:37:33,343 --> 01:37:37,692
number three, item three, there can't be any debate about.

1674
01:37:38,472 --> 01:37:42,642
It would be completely illegal, and you would never get an opinion from Bond

1675
01:37:42,702 --> 01:37:47,292
Counsel saying otherwise, to go and borrow money without the Board of Finance

1676
01:37:47,353 --> 01:37:50,052
recommending it. It's not possible.

1677
01:37:50,502 --> 01:37:52,182
You would never even be able to issue

1678
01:37:53,562 --> 01:37:57,133
a public offering statement and go to the bond market with it because you wouldn't

1679
01:37:57,162 --> 01:38:00,492
get an opinion from me, and you wouldn't get an opinion from Bond Counsel, and you

1680
01:38:00,522 --> 01:38:03,912
wouldn't even have a resolution from the Board of Finance, okay?

1681
01:38:04,692 --> 01:38:07,782
So that one, don't even waste a second thinking about it.

1682
01:38:07,872 --> 01:38:08,082
Mm-hmm.

1683
01:38:09,942 --> 01:38:10,722
The first one,

1684
01:38:12,762 --> 01:38:18,343
about prohibiting the expenditure of funds until there's an

1685
01:38:18,402 --> 01:38:20,682
appropriation, there is an appropriation.

1686
01:38:20,742 --> 01:38:20,952
Mm-hmm.

1687
01:38:22,362 --> 01:38:26,922
It's the contingency line in the existing fiscal year budget.

1688
01:38:29,562 --> 01:38:34,032
And, if somebody thinks it's not an appropriate use of the contingency, then they

1689
01:38:34,062 --> 01:38:35,472
deal with that at the Board of Finance.

1690
01:38:35,532 --> 01:38:37,422
The town meeting doesn't have authority over that.

1691
01:38:38,652 --> 01:38:42,582
So what's an example, a kind of simple example of something that--

1692
01:38:43,782 --> 01:38:47,442
Just, I think, just to take a step back, I do not know if everyone is aware of the

1693
01:38:47,502 --> 01:38:53,442
fact that there is a petition that was signed by about 20 or so folks, maybe 20

1694
01:38:53,502 --> 01:38:58,932
to 30 people. And Jeff just read through the three items that the petition was

1695
01:38:58,992 --> 01:38:59,442
seeking.

1696
01:39:00,762 --> 01:39:05,412
And we as a board asked Jeff to give an opinion and render an opinion as to why,

1697
01:39:05,532 --> 01:39:07,362
whether or not this was a valid petition.

1698
01:39:08,022 --> 01:39:13,992
And Jeff is now explaining why, in his estimation, from a legal perspective, it

1699
01:39:14,022 --> 01:39:18,012
is not a valid petition, and why.

1700
01:39:18,312 --> 01:39:21,792
It's not that it's not a valid petition, it's that the purposes-

1701
01:39:21,792 --> 01:39:21,912
The petition itself is valid, yes

1702
01:39:21,942 --> 01:39:26,952
... for which the town meeting is being asked to convene are not within the purview

1703
01:39:26,982 --> 01:39:27,762
of the town meeting.

1704
01:39:28,062 --> 01:39:29,412
Thank you. That's an important clarification.

1705
01:39:29,412 --> 01:39:34,422
The petition itself, so under our general statutes, 20 people can create a petition

1706
01:39:34,872 --> 01:39:37,182
if they want. That's a completely valid thing to do.

1707
01:39:37,242 --> 01:39:41,712
It's whether or not the items on this petition are valid in and of themselves.

1708
01:39:42,642 --> 01:39:44,292
And that's what Jeff is explaining right now.

1709
01:39:45,072 --> 01:39:49,572
What's a simple

1710
01:39:50,832 --> 01:39:54,612
thing a town meeting could get 20 people and sign a petition and force the Board of

1711
01:39:54,672 --> 01:39:55,482
Selectmen to do?

1712
01:39:55,633 --> 01:39:56,082
Ordinance.

1713
01:39:56,622 --> 01:39:57,222
An ordinance.

1714
01:39:57,883 --> 01:40:03,372
Abolish an ordinance, repeal, amend, adopt an ordinance, create a

1715
01:40:03,432 --> 01:40:03,883
committee.

1716
01:40:05,472 --> 01:40:06,853
That kind of thing.

1717
01:40:06,942 --> 01:40:11,412
Again, assuming it doesn't conflict with anything else in the charter or the

1718
01:40:11,472 --> 01:40:13,692
general statutes. Okay?

1719
01:40:13,752 --> 01:40:13,992
Mm-hmm.

1720
01:40:14,232 --> 01:40:17,922
So let's say you wanted to create a, I'm going to pick on him because he's sitting

1721
01:40:17,922 --> 01:40:22,122
there looking at me. Let's say you want to create a fire commission oversight

1722
01:40:22,182 --> 01:40:22,542
committee,

1723
01:40:23,832 --> 01:40:25,812
somebody to keep an eye on the fire commission.

1724
01:40:25,962 --> 01:40:26,082
Mm-hmm.

1725
01:40:26,082 --> 01:40:29,022
My opinion would be that's not proper because there's a statute.

1726
01:40:30,552 --> 01:40:31,843
Same thing with the police commission.

1727
01:40:31,872 --> 01:40:32,412
Mm-hmm.

1728
01:40:32,502 --> 01:40:36,942
Okay? There are other boards and commissions that are not creatures of statute,

1729
01:40:37,572 --> 01:40:38,172
right? A

1730
01:40:39,972 --> 01:40:45,672
lot of towns have more, unfortunately for me, in the towns that I represent, a lot

1731
01:40:45,732 --> 01:40:49,152
of towns have more boards, commissions, and committees than North Haven,

1732
01:40:49,452 --> 01:40:54,192
significantly more. Architectural review boards, downtown beautification

1733
01:40:54,252 --> 01:40:58,272
committees, standing building committees, permanent project building committees.

1734
01:40:58,603 --> 01:41:03,912
If the town meeting wanted to present, we don't have it under the charter, it's not

1735
01:41:03,972 --> 01:41:08,472
somebody else's role. If the town meeting wants to call a special town meeting to

1736
01:41:08,502 --> 01:41:12,672
talk about that Take action on it. It's perfectly within their purview under the

1737
01:41:12,732 --> 01:41:13,032
charter.

1738
01:41:13,212 --> 01:41:17,562
And if they had 20 people sign a petition saying, "We want to create a

1739
01:41:17,922 --> 01:41:22,572
beautification commission for the green," they could present that to us, it would

1740
01:41:22,603 --> 01:41:26,022
be a valid purpose, and we would have no choice but to call a town meeting for that

1741
01:41:26,082 --> 01:41:26,412
purpose.

1742
01:41:26,502 --> 01:41:26,922
Correct.

1743
01:41:28,122 --> 01:41:34,031
So anything having to do with the spending of money, appropriation of money, where

1744
01:41:34,061 --> 01:41:37,572
does that sit? Where does the authority to spend the dollars of this town sit?

1745
01:41:37,752 --> 01:41:40,452
I think you've already said that in terms of starting with the board of finance.

1746
01:41:40,962 --> 01:41:45,312
I just said, yes, I just want you to speak on it one more time.

1747
01:41:49,512 --> 01:41:55,422
If the idea is you want an answer about whether the town meeting in

1748
01:41:55,512 --> 01:42:00,072
a vacuum and without the participation of the board of finance can just spend

1749
01:42:00,103 --> 01:42:01,392
money, the answer is no.

1750
01:42:02,502 --> 01:42:05,292
So let's, so Bill, there was a reason why I was asking.

1751
01:42:05,353 --> 01:42:06,462
Go ahead. Sorry.

1752
01:42:07,302 --> 01:42:12,252
No, it's totally fine. What would happen if 20 people could get together and force

1753
01:42:12,312 --> 01:42:14,772
the board of selectmen to call a town meeting to spend money?

1754
01:42:14,862 --> 01:42:16,662
What would be the result of that?

1755
01:42:19,182 --> 01:42:24,822
Well, the problem becomes, where are we getting the money from?

1756
01:42:27,553 --> 01:42:30,372
There's only a couple places that we get money from.

1757
01:42:30,642 --> 01:42:34,002
One is the unappropriated fund balance, one is the budget.

1758
01:42:35,053 --> 01:42:35,322
Right.

1759
01:42:35,412 --> 01:42:38,772
Right? So depending on how much money you're talking about,

1760
01:42:41,053 --> 01:42:43,692
and whether, are we going to try to borrow it?

1761
01:42:45,792 --> 01:42:46,662
Where's it coming from?

1762
01:42:46,843 --> 01:42:46,962
Right.

1763
01:42:47,292 --> 01:42:48,732
If it's not in the budget.

1764
01:42:50,322 --> 01:42:54,012
The town meeting gets a machine vote on the budget,

1765
01:42:55,242 --> 01:42:57,192
and it's been that way for 25 years now.

1766
01:42:57,282 --> 01:43:03,192
It used to be just in the gym or in the auditorium at the

1767
01:43:03,222 --> 01:43:06,792
high school. But it's been going on machine vote for about 25 years now.

1768
01:43:07,002 --> 01:43:07,212
Right.

1769
01:43:07,632 --> 01:43:11,173
So that's the budget, right? Once the budget's adopted, you can't-

1770
01:43:11,863 --> 01:43:12,192
Spend money

1771
01:43:12,192 --> 01:43:15,792
... petition for, "Okay, I want to change the budget."

1772
01:43:16,272 --> 01:43:18,042
Or, "I want to spend beyond the four corners of it."

1773
01:43:18,072 --> 01:43:21,822
Well, that's a special appropriation. You go to the board of finance for that.

1774
01:43:22,152 --> 01:43:25,392
Right. The reason I'm asking is I think it would be chaos.

1775
01:43:25,632 --> 01:43:29,442
If you could have 20 people who could prepare a petition-

1776
01:43:29,532 --> 01:43:30,613
How do you set a mill rate?

1777
01:43:30,912 --> 01:43:32,292
Not only how do you set a mill rate, but

1778
01:43:34,002 --> 01:43:37,782
if you could have 20 people prepare a petition and force the board of selectmen to

1779
01:43:37,812 --> 01:43:41,502
call a town meeting to spend funds outside of the budget that haven't been

1780
01:43:41,562 --> 01:43:42,402
appropriated.

1781
01:43:44,232 --> 01:43:46,032
Chaos would ensue, right? You would have-

1782
01:43:46,093 --> 01:43:47,142
There's no authority in the charter to do that.

1783
01:43:47,142 --> 01:43:51,972
There's no authority, but it would also create terrible situations.

1784
01:43:52,272 --> 01:43:56,173
Somebody could say, "I want to spend $3 million on this pet project of mine.

1785
01:43:56,262 --> 01:43:58,122
I have 20 people who signed this petition."

1786
01:43:58,182 --> 01:43:58,482
Yeah.

1787
01:43:58,512 --> 01:43:59,502
"I want you to call a town meeting."

1788
01:43:59,532 --> 01:44:01,782
Well, if you're asking me the practical import of it-

1789
01:44:01,962 --> 01:44:02,082
Yes

1790
01:44:02,082 --> 01:44:05,772
... your bond rating would go to junk bond status.

1791
01:44:05,832 --> 01:44:05,982
Right.

1792
01:44:06,553 --> 01:44:10,303
Because there's no reliability, predictability, or stability in your budget.

1793
01:44:12,012 --> 01:44:14,113
I'm sorry to monopolize. I just want to drive the point home here.

1794
01:44:14,532 --> 01:44:19,632
And that's what we're doing today with the resolutions that we've, the one we've

1795
01:44:19,692 --> 01:44:21,162
read and the other ones we're going to read.

1796
01:44:21,761 --> 01:44:25,032
They were actually sent to the board of selectmen by the board of finance.

1797
01:44:26,772 --> 01:44:29,022
They were sent from finance to us.

1798
01:44:29,113 --> 01:44:29,292
Right.

1799
01:44:29,532 --> 01:44:29,682
Yeah.

1800
01:44:29,982 --> 01:44:32,982
They were sent by board of finance, approved them at the la-- we were both there at

1801
01:44:33,012 --> 01:44:33,432
the last-

1802
01:44:33,613 --> 01:44:33,673
Yeah

1803
01:44:33,673 --> 01:44:38,322
... board of finance meeting, and we already read one of the resolutions in terms

1804
01:44:38,382 --> 01:44:42,582
of funding. And as it indicates at the very end there, we're going to approve the

1805
01:44:42,642 --> 01:44:46,812
recommendations concerning those appropriations and send that to the town meeting

1806
01:44:46,872 --> 01:44:47,923
for bonding.

1807
01:44:48,192 --> 01:44:53,202
Right. And that's the path of how something gets done in town.

1808
01:44:53,262 --> 01:44:57,012
Right. You could have bond counsel come in and tell you what...

1809
01:44:57,732 --> 01:44:58,843
I review the packet

1810
01:45:00,282 --> 01:45:04,692
before it goes to the town meeting to make sure the right resolutions are in there.

1811
01:45:05,472 --> 01:45:09,402
If there's no board of finance resolution, it never gets to this point.

1812
01:45:09,492 --> 01:45:11,232
Right. Because the board of finance has the-

1813
01:45:11,292 --> 01:45:13,242
Bond counsel won't even draft it for you.

1814
01:45:13,452 --> 01:45:13,572
Right.

1815
01:45:13,843 --> 01:45:15,792
Because it's DOA with the bond market.

1816
01:45:16,722 --> 01:45:20,803
And the point is, we elect folks on the board of finance to make principal choices

1817
01:45:20,863 --> 01:45:25,572
about how we spend our dollars. The town meeting approves the budget, and if

1818
01:45:25,603 --> 01:45:30,012
there's expenditures beyond the budget that need to be made, the board of finance

1819
01:45:30,072 --> 01:45:34,512
has to appropriate those funds either from the contingency fund or the surplus

1820
01:45:34,572 --> 01:45:34,722
fund.

1821
01:45:35,053 --> 01:45:38,353
Or they recommend to the town meeting a special appropriation.

1822
01:45:38,412 --> 01:45:40,032
We've had plenty of those over the years.

1823
01:45:40,093 --> 01:45:40,242
Right.

1824
01:45:40,303 --> 01:45:43,332
If the school needs a capital item like a new boiler or something-

1825
01:45:43,423 --> 01:45:44,472
Which is happening right now, actually

1826
01:45:44,652 --> 01:45:46,662
... the board of finance recommends a capital item.

1827
01:45:46,752 --> 01:45:47,082
Right.

1828
01:45:47,142 --> 01:45:51,673
We've had it with, in my 35 years, we've had it with fire apparatus before,

1829
01:45:53,382 --> 01:45:59,292
where the board of finance rec-- there's a presentation made by a department head,

1830
01:45:59,682 --> 01:46:04,722
and a request is made for a special appropriation, either because it didn't make it

1831
01:46:04,782 --> 01:46:08,382
into the budget that was approved, or it's interim.

1832
01:46:08,712 --> 01:46:11,863
It's in between when the budgets were approved.

1833
01:46:11,923 --> 01:46:15,522
And there's a need, it goes to the board of finance, they recommend it to the town

1834
01:46:15,582 --> 01:46:17,832
meeting, and then you call the town meeting because the board of finance

1835
01:46:17,892 --> 01:46:18,882
recommended it to you.

1836
01:46:18,972 --> 01:46:19,182
Right.

1837
01:46:19,992 --> 01:46:20,622
And it's-

1838
01:46:21,012 --> 01:46:23,472
And if the board of finance recommended it to you

1839
01:46:24,942 --> 01:46:29,173
and you said, "You know what? We don't want to call the town meeting.

1840
01:46:29,652 --> 01:46:35,532
We don't want to do it." And then 20 people signed a petition saying, "The board of

1841
01:46:35,593 --> 01:46:38,892
finance recommended this, you have to call this town meeting," then I'd be here

1842
01:46:39,192 --> 01:46:40,272
telling you to call a town meeting.

1843
01:46:40,722 --> 01:46:46,363
Because we cannot disobey, or we cannot say no to that

1844
01:46:46,423 --> 01:46:48,072
request from the board of finance.

1845
01:46:48,642 --> 01:46:52,242
If they're appropriating funds, our obligation is to call a town meeting.

1846
01:46:52,272 --> 01:46:53,952
It's a proper purpose for the town meeting.

1847
01:46:54,042 --> 01:46:54,312
Right.

1848
01:46:54,613 --> 01:46:54,732
Yeah.

1849
01:46:56,742 --> 01:46:57,492
So this is all-

1850
01:46:57,522 --> 01:47:00,642
That's also why we have for smaller items, the contingency is just-

1851
01:47:00,642 --> 01:47:00,882
Of course

1852
01:47:01,272 --> 01:47:06,343
... as Jeff said earlier, for not having to go through those steps because there

1853
01:47:06,372 --> 01:47:10,603
could be smaller items or, that we can't plan for.

1854
01:47:10,662 --> 01:47:16,272
And, the $300,000 contingency I think that we had this year is just a very

1855
01:47:16,423 --> 01:47:21,072
extremely small infinitesimal amount compared to the entire budget.

1856
01:47:21,103 --> 01:47:23,803
It's been $300,000 for a long time, folks.

1857
01:47:24,042 --> 01:47:24,372
Yeah.

1858
01:47:24,402 --> 01:47:25,272
For a long time.

1859
01:47:25,363 --> 01:47:25,512
Yeah.

1860
01:47:25,662 --> 01:47:25,992
Just for

1861
01:47:27,222 --> 01:47:30,673
unforeseen things that we didn't appropriate that needed to be done.

1862
01:47:31,872 --> 01:47:35,593
And just to speak to the where this was all coming from.

1863
01:47:36,132 --> 01:47:41,923
It was coming from a group of concerned citizens who believe that the

1864
01:47:42,012 --> 01:47:47,082
fire engine that was canceled should not have been canceled, and it should have

1865
01:47:47,142 --> 01:47:50,472
been made a priority by the board of finance.

1866
01:47:50,593 --> 01:47:53,803
Money should have been appropriated, and we should have not canceled that contract,

1867
01:47:53,863 --> 01:47:58,332
and we should have an engine coming. So I think it comes from a good place.

1868
01:47:58,392 --> 01:48:00,222
It comes from a fine place-

1869
01:48:00,462 --> 01:48:00,882
I'm sure it does

1870
01:48:00,882 --> 01:48:02,173
... and a place that we can absolutely discuss.

1871
01:48:02,232 --> 01:48:03,582
I don't question that for one minute.

1872
01:48:03,642 --> 01:48:07,782
Correct. And I want to make that clear that this comes from people who are

1873
01:48:07,812 --> 01:48:11,022
concerned about our fire department and the equipment they have and whether or not

1874
01:48:11,053 --> 01:48:12,582
it meets the needs of the department.

1875
01:48:13,512 --> 01:48:13,843
I mean, yeah-

1876
01:48:13,843 --> 01:48:16,843
But this petition is invalid for the reasons you laid out.

1877
01:48:17,202 --> 01:48:22,603
Right. The other concern that I have, when this was brought to me about,

1878
01:48:23,173 --> 01:48:27,942
I've got to read my own writing, September 15th, okay, when this was sent to me.

1879
01:48:29,142 --> 01:48:34,872
And I asked some questions of the finance director about what

1880
01:48:34,962 --> 01:48:40,932
exactly transpired. There was never a purchase order that was requested or issued.

1881
01:48:42,103 --> 01:48:47,022
So immediately, my concern as the town's counsel was

1882
01:48:48,012 --> 01:48:52,272
how are you going to pay the bill? There's no encumbrance.

1883
01:48:52,332 --> 01:48:55,482
There's no funds that have been encumbered anywhere for this.

1884
01:48:57,132 --> 01:48:57,462
So,

1885
01:49:00,042 --> 01:49:02,173
basically, the town has three choices.

1886
01:49:02,232 --> 01:49:05,472
This goes a little bit beyond the petition, but you brought up the underlying

1887
01:49:05,532 --> 01:49:06,402
circumstances.

1888
01:49:06,432 --> 01:49:06,522
Mm-hmm.

1889
01:49:06,553 --> 01:49:09,042
And I talked to Commissioner Criscuolo about this last week.

1890
01:49:10,212 --> 01:49:13,002
Basically, the town in this situation has three choices.

1891
01:49:14,652 --> 01:49:18,613
You don't cancel the contract, and

1892
01:49:20,952 --> 01:49:26,022
you get notified the apparatus is ready for delivery. We need your $1,251,000.

1893
01:49:26,923 --> 01:49:27,942
Where's that money coming from?

1894
01:49:29,952 --> 01:49:33,613
Under the charter and under Connecticut General Statute 7-348,

1895
01:49:34,872 --> 01:49:40,512
no town official has authority to cut that check, okay?

1896
01:49:41,022 --> 01:49:45,732
Because there's not been an appropriation of $1,251,000. All right?

1897
01:49:46,423 --> 01:49:47,532
So in that situation,

1898
01:49:48,853 --> 01:49:49,902
town's going to get sued.

1899
01:49:51,132 --> 01:49:55,542
Okay? And I understand the market for,

1900
01:49:56,803 --> 01:50:02,712
I represent 23 towns, okay? I understand the shortage of this

1901
01:50:02,772 --> 01:50:06,012
equipment, and I understand the wait list and the wait time.

1902
01:50:06,942 --> 01:50:11,353
And if I'm here, not as a lawyer, but just as a

1903
01:50:12,618 --> 01:50:17,838
... regular person who's familiar with the municipal equipment market and the

1904
01:50:17,868 --> 01:50:21,528
supply chain, I'm thinking, "Oh, we'll be able to sell it," right?

1905
01:50:21,678 --> 01:50:26,208
If we don't get the money up. But as a lawyer, I can't stand here and say, "Don't

1906
01:50:26,238 --> 01:50:29,388
worry about 7-348. Don't worry about the charter.

1907
01:50:29,958 --> 01:50:34,578
If the Board of Finance doesn't come around and recommend the appropriation, and

1908
01:50:34,608 --> 01:50:38,448
the town meeting doesn't approve it, you'll be able to sell it." Okay?

1909
01:50:39,258 --> 01:50:41,898
Because first of all, I don't know that you're going to be able to take delivery of

1910
01:50:41,928 --> 01:50:43,098
it, so how are you going to sell it?

1911
01:50:44,358 --> 01:50:50,238
Okay? And for all I know, the market changes by the time it gets

1912
01:50:50,299 --> 01:50:55,158
sold, and they sell it for less and come to you for the difference.

1913
01:50:55,249 --> 01:50:58,249
I can't speculate about what the outcome's going to be.

1914
01:50:58,338 --> 01:51:03,799
All I know is what the law says. So scenario number one is not at all attractive to

1915
01:51:03,828 --> 01:51:08,538
the town because it exposes the town to 1,251,000 that hasn't been appropriated.

1916
01:51:08,598 --> 01:51:08,778
Mm-hmm.

1917
01:51:08,868 --> 01:51:10,008
Okay? So doing nothing

1918
01:51:11,868 --> 01:51:17,478
is not very prudent. Okay? Scenario number two is the Board of Finance recommending

1919
01:51:17,508 --> 01:51:20,898
the appropriation and the town meeting appropriating the money.

1920
01:51:21,948 --> 01:51:26,538
I don't have any concern or objection to that. That's not a legal issue.

1921
01:51:26,809 --> 01:51:29,299
That's a how-you-want-to-spend-your-money issue, right?

1922
01:51:30,168 --> 01:51:35,569
And then scenario number three is to cancel it to mitigate the exposure. Okay?

1923
01:51:35,958 --> 01:51:40,518
And that's what was done here. So in terms of...

1924
01:51:44,809 --> 01:51:47,928
The chief, the fire commission, they all do a great job.

1925
01:51:48,468 --> 01:51:52,999
I don't question their judgment. I don't know. I'm not privy.

1926
01:51:53,088 --> 01:51:57,468
I'm not in the meetings where the discussion with the Board of Finance, if there

1927
01:51:57,499 --> 01:52:01,518
was one, happened about why they're not recommending an appropriation.

1928
01:52:01,879 --> 01:52:03,228
All I know is they didn't.

1929
01:52:04,968 --> 01:52:08,208
So the town, in those three scenarios,

1930
01:52:10,069 --> 01:52:15,828
there's not a fourth scenario where we wait it out, and if we change our

1931
01:52:15,918 --> 01:52:17,749
mind, we don't have to pay anything.

1932
01:52:19,488 --> 01:52:24,198
Right. And I believe, and can you tell me if this is correct, did we call the

1933
01:52:24,258 --> 01:52:29,358
manufacturer and ask the question, "Can we continue to hold this until our town

1934
01:52:29,418 --> 01:52:31,428
meeting and budget referendum next year?

1935
01:52:31,938 --> 01:52:35,478
What would be the outcome if we did?" Would that have meant the cancellation fee

1936
01:52:35,508 --> 01:52:37,249
would've been more? What was the answer to that question?

1937
01:52:37,278 --> 01:52:40,038
Well, they said absolutely not. They wanted the money by September 30th.

1938
01:52:40,668 --> 01:52:43,038
They wanted a firm commitment and the money by September 30th.

1939
01:52:43,098 --> 01:52:44,358
Well, the number was going to go up.

1940
01:52:44,658 --> 01:52:46,668
The cancellation fee was going to go up. Okay.

1941
01:52:47,148 --> 01:52:47,749
Right.

1942
01:52:47,838 --> 01:52:52,968
So the decision from Rich Monaco's perspective, the prudent decision was to cancel

1943
01:52:52,999 --> 01:52:58,278
the contract, stop the bleeding, and that was the third option that you just laid

1944
01:52:58,338 --> 01:52:58,549
out.

1945
01:52:59,508 --> 01:53:01,008
Yeah. Again,

1946
01:53:04,788 --> 01:53:05,718
doing nothing

1947
01:53:07,098 --> 01:53:12,528
and hoping that by the time it's ready for delivery, the

1948
01:53:12,588 --> 01:53:14,388
appropriation has happened,

1949
01:53:15,918 --> 01:53:21,768
is a big concern to me because the charter and 7-348

1950
01:53:22,278 --> 01:53:24,618
say that we shouldn't have even gotten this far.

1951
01:53:24,678 --> 01:53:24,977
Right.

1952
01:53:25,608 --> 01:53:31,488
Okay? Nobody has authority to obligate the town to pay that money unless

1953
01:53:31,549 --> 01:53:36,379
it's been appropriated. And then when I found out there was no PO requested and no

1954
01:53:36,438 --> 01:53:37,309
PO issued,

1955
01:53:40,038 --> 01:53:45,768
I don't know how it got this far. But the reality of it is, that's not my-- Just

1956
01:53:45,799 --> 01:53:49,278
like the town meeting has its limitations, I have my limitations.

1957
01:53:49,819 --> 01:53:52,428
I don't get involved in your business decisions.

1958
01:53:52,518 --> 01:53:57,438
I get asked for a legal opinion about what's appropriate under the law, not, "Hey,

1959
01:53:57,528 --> 01:54:00,499
do you think we should have this fire engine or not?" Nobody's asked my opinion,

1960
01:54:00,528 --> 01:54:01,608
nor should they because I don't have-

1961
01:54:01,638 --> 01:54:01,968
Yeah

1962
01:54:01,968 --> 01:54:03,198
... the expertise they do.

1963
01:54:05,028 --> 01:54:09,799
And we have discussed a number of times about how this happened, and that there was

1964
01:54:09,858 --> 01:54:15,198
miscommunications. You've acknowledged that these things were not done properly

1965
01:54:15,438 --> 01:54:20,778
when it happened, and we addressed it and remedied the last situation

1966
01:54:21,348 --> 01:54:24,588
with an appropriation from the Board of Finance because there was an emergency

1967
01:54:24,618 --> 01:54:26,478
situation with the breakdown of the ladder truck.

1968
01:54:26,688 --> 01:54:27,559
That was a lease, right?

1969
01:54:27,588 --> 01:54:28,518
That was a lease.

1970
01:54:28,578 --> 01:54:28,728
Yep.

1971
01:54:28,788 --> 01:54:30,379
You were permitted to sign the lease.

1972
01:54:30,768 --> 01:54:34,549
So we went through the proper process there to remedy the same situation.

1973
01:54:35,178 --> 01:54:39,828
And in this case, the Board of Finance did not determine that there was a need for

1974
01:54:39,888 --> 01:54:43,158
another appropriation here. So that's the answer.

1975
01:54:43,698 --> 01:54:48,228
There's a disagreement between the fiscal authority of the town and the commission

1976
01:54:48,258 --> 01:54:52,398
responsible for managing the fire department about whether that's necessary.

1977
01:54:52,458 --> 01:54:53,118
And to resolve that-

1978
01:54:53,118 --> 01:54:54,258
It's their disagreement.

1979
01:54:54,348 --> 01:54:54,768
Right.

1980
01:54:55,188 --> 01:54:59,958
It's not the Board of Selectmen being able to circumvent the Board of Finance.

1981
01:55:00,018 --> 01:55:01,188
That's not an option here.

1982
01:55:01,398 --> 01:55:04,278
That's right. And I think to address the larger issue is

1983
01:55:05,778 --> 01:55:09,258
the need of the truck. Do we need this engine? And that's a subjective question.

1984
01:55:10,038 --> 01:55:15,168
And those types of questions should be answered by the town during a referendum

1985
01:55:15,499 --> 01:55:20,658
process. Understanding, and this is my personal opinion, understanding that the

1986
01:55:20,718 --> 01:55:25,728
engines will increase in cost most likely, and they may be delayed getting here

1987
01:55:26,059 --> 01:55:28,249
because of the current market conditions.

1988
01:55:29,718 --> 01:55:35,208
The subjective question, do we need an engine, I think should be asked and answered

1989
01:55:35,238 --> 01:55:36,858
by the town during the referendum process.

1990
01:55:36,888 --> 01:55:38,208
Well, that's an appropriation.

1991
01:55:41,598 --> 01:55:45,018
Still, the Board of Finance has to make that recommendation in order for it to end

1992
01:55:45,078 --> 01:55:45,828
up on a ballot.

1993
01:55:46,368 --> 01:55:49,608
Well, what I'm saying is it would come through the chief's request for a new

1994
01:55:49,668 --> 01:55:50,028
engine.

1995
01:55:50,088 --> 01:55:50,478
Yeah.

1996
01:55:50,508 --> 01:55:52,549
The Board of Finance would say yes to his request.

1997
01:55:52,638 --> 01:55:56,749
It would go to the town and with the aggregate of the budget request, and so I

1998
01:55:56,778 --> 01:55:58,638
think that's the proper place to answer this.

1999
01:55:58,819 --> 01:56:02,629
Yeah, it can be a separate... You can certainly, a lot of towns do that.

2000
01:56:02,718 --> 01:56:07,819
A lot of towns do it with a lot of capital items, whether it's fields or

2001
01:56:08,868 --> 01:56:14,208
equipment, a lot of towns do it. Open space money, you make it a separate question.

2002
01:56:14,238 --> 01:56:15,258
Right. There's no-

2003
01:56:15,319 --> 01:56:17,178
Because that way, if people want to vote for the budget-

2004
01:56:17,208 --> 01:56:18,348
There's no appetite for that right now.

2005
01:56:18,379 --> 01:56:18,559
You know?

2006
01:56:18,618 --> 01:56:18,799
Right.

2007
01:56:19,999 --> 01:56:21,678
There's no appetite in town to do that right now.

2008
01:56:21,738 --> 01:56:22,309
I don't know.

2009
01:56:22,368 --> 01:56:24,678
Yeah. That's been the decision of the Board of Finance.

2010
01:56:25,488 --> 01:56:25,638
Yeah.

2011
01:56:25,668 --> 01:56:25,698
So-

2012
01:56:25,938 --> 01:56:29,268
It's their call. That's the reality of it.

2013
01:56:32,208 --> 01:56:36,138
Bill, anything more? Forgive me. I wanted to make sure we had a full discussion on

2014
01:56:36,168 --> 01:56:36,258
it.

2015
01:56:36,288 --> 01:56:36,347
Mm-hmm.

2016
01:56:36,379 --> 01:56:39,678
It's been a hot topic for a long time here.

2017
01:56:40,968 --> 01:56:42,527
Thank you so much to all of you for-

2018
01:56:42,559 --> 01:56:45,288
Well, I liked Jeff's approach where he went through the

2019
01:56:46,549 --> 01:56:52,249
three items and worked our way through that logically in terms of the petition

2020
01:56:52,309 --> 01:56:56,809
versus the charter, and the respective responsibilities of the Board of Selectmen

2021
01:56:56,838 --> 01:56:59,749
and the Board of Finance under the charter.

2022
01:56:59,988 --> 01:57:01,458
Yeah. It's a great reminder.

2023
01:57:01,488 --> 01:57:02,868
I think it was a good way to explain it.

2024
01:57:04,819 --> 01:57:06,559
Yeah. Good job, Jeff, as always.

2025
01:57:06,888 --> 01:57:07,458
Thank you.

2026
01:57:07,518 --> 01:57:08,088
Thank you, Jeff.

2027
01:57:08,148 --> 01:57:08,538
Are we good?

2028
01:57:08,898 --> 01:57:09,108
We're good.

2029
01:57:09,168 --> 01:57:09,888
Any other questions?

2030
01:57:11,328 --> 01:57:11,448
No.

2031
01:57:12,198 --> 01:57:12,288
Yeah.

2032
01:57:12,438 --> 01:57:15,108
Jeff, we're allowing public comment to this issue now.

2033
01:57:15,168 --> 01:57:15,799
Do you want me to stay?

2034
01:57:15,888 --> 01:57:16,638
That'd be great.

2035
01:57:16,698 --> 01:57:16,938
Okay.

2036
01:57:16,968 --> 01:57:17,958
That'd be great. Thank you.

2037
01:57:18,049 --> 01:57:23,508
I just want to go on the record that you're asking me to stay because my dog is

2038
01:57:23,538 --> 01:57:24,018
home alone.

2039
01:57:24,078 --> 01:57:24,228
Oh.

2040
01:57:24,918 --> 01:57:28,968
My wife is, my daughter's got a medical issue, so my wife is in DC with her.

2041
01:57:28,999 --> 01:57:29,569
I mean, this-

2042
01:57:29,658 --> 01:57:34,488
So when I get home and my dog's been home alone for 13 hours-

2043
01:57:34,638 --> 01:57:34,999
Oh, boy

2044
01:57:34,999 --> 01:57:36,198
... and my house is a mess-

2045
01:57:36,319 --> 01:57:36,708
Go home

2046
01:57:36,918 --> 01:57:39,738
... I just want it to be on the record that you're asking me to stay.

2047
01:57:39,858 --> 01:57:41,418
I think, we'll give you-

2048
01:57:41,508 --> 01:57:42,168
I'll stay, but-

2049
01:57:42,168 --> 01:57:43,129
... 10 minutes.

2050
01:57:43,398 --> 01:57:44,358
In case you need it, Jeff-

2051
01:57:44,448 --> 01:57:44,749
10 minutes

2052
01:57:44,778 --> 01:57:45,319
... you can have

2053
01:57:46,788 --> 01:57:47,448
my dog bag.

2054
01:57:47,958 --> 01:57:49,129
I think we're past that.

2055
01:57:49,938 --> 01:57:51,499
Yeah. All right. Let's, yeah.

2056
01:57:51,588 --> 01:57:53,569
Like everyone always says, "In memory of my dog."

2057
01:57:56,148 --> 01:57:58,278
Peter Criscuolo, 54, Fields Lane Court.

2058
01:57:58,938 --> 01:58:02,148
And trust me, I have the utmost respect for counselor.

2059
01:58:02,418 --> 01:58:07,728
What he says, I believe 1,000%. And if you go back to the meetings, I said, "If

2060
01:58:07,819 --> 01:58:12,678
anyone could help us with this, get ahold of Jeff Demario." That's on the record.

2061
01:58:14,088 --> 01:58:16,249
I'm going to direct this partly to what you call the council.

2062
01:58:16,278 --> 01:58:16,398
Yeah.

2063
01:58:17,088 --> 01:58:21,588
Is there a way that you could go back to the vendor

2064
01:58:23,478 --> 01:58:28,338
in, I don't know how much time it would take for, I know we can't do the petition,

2065
01:58:28,368 --> 01:58:32,208
everything else. Maybe go back to the Board of Finance

2066
01:58:33,828 --> 01:58:34,488
some way

2067
01:58:35,688 --> 01:58:39,408
to prolong this maybe 90 or 120 days.

2068
01:58:40,668 --> 01:58:44,898
Even if they say we paid what? 31,000, $32,000, whatever we paid.

2069
01:58:45,559 --> 01:58:51,348
Somebody mentioned about a 2% increase per month if we stall it, okay?

2070
01:58:52,309 --> 01:58:56,658
Is it possible where we can get another 120 days?

2071
01:58:56,718 --> 01:59:00,228
Let's say it costs us 2% a month, 8%.

2072
01:59:00,588 --> 01:59:05,418
Let's say 10% is $3,200, not the end of the world, okay?

2073
01:59:05,778 --> 01:59:08,658
I'm sure we can find that in appropriated funds somewhere.

2074
01:59:09,468 --> 01:59:13,872
Last week we talked about how much money that we have Coming in over our

2075
01:59:13,962 --> 01:59:19,902
anticipated budget, $150,000 a month, half a million dollars we got extra back from

2076
01:59:20,682 --> 01:59:25,242
Board of Ed. That pays for the entire engine just with that on a 12-month basis.

2077
01:59:25,512 --> 01:59:30,702
But let's go beyond that. First and foremost, why did

2078
01:59:31,572 --> 01:59:37,062
someone call from the town, the vendor, and cancel if there was no communication

2079
01:59:37,782 --> 01:59:42,822
from the vendor to us? The vendor, from what I understand, never called the town

2080
01:59:42,882 --> 01:59:47,232
and said, "Hey, your apparatus is coming August the 27th.

2081
01:59:48,162 --> 01:59:50,593
Do you still want it? Do you still want to pay for it, or do you want to get

2082
01:59:50,652 --> 01:59:55,572
penalized?" I don't think anyone called from the vendor, and I may be wrong.

2083
01:59:56,022 --> 01:59:57,642
I don't know that. That's why I'm asking.

2084
01:59:57,942 --> 01:59:59,022
I have no idea.

2085
01:59:59,142 --> 02:00:01,932
I've asked that question at a couple of meetings.

2086
02:00:01,962 --> 02:00:05,472
You can go back on the tapes, and you'll check it. I can't get an answer.

2087
02:00:06,222 --> 02:00:12,072
I understand that September, our finance director poked the bear and said, "We

2088
02:00:12,132 --> 02:00:16,722
can't take it," and that's it. Opened this up for the penalty.

2089
02:00:17,622 --> 02:00:23,022
Took us off the vendors list. It's a 42 to 48-month wait. Okay?

2090
02:00:24,312 --> 02:00:29,022
And I want to stand corrected, last week, the finance director asked me if we can

2091
02:00:29,082 --> 02:00:33,343
get four pieces of apparatus out all at once. I was not sure, so I checked.

2092
02:00:33,642 --> 02:00:38,562
Yes, we can. If we have to get them out, we can get out four because we'll take one

2093
02:00:38,622 --> 02:00:44,022
out of Northeast with a minimum of three volunteers on the engine, the Ridge, three

2094
02:00:44,082 --> 02:00:48,522
on the engine. We'll have three at headquarters, and we'll have three at Mountain

2095
02:00:48,582 --> 02:00:53,712
Lakes. So that would work. And if it was really bad, we could get other volunteers

2096
02:00:53,772 --> 02:00:57,042
to come in, another group of three, and take out a fifth engine.

2097
02:00:57,312 --> 02:01:01,363
So it is possible, okay? We do have a lot of breakdown.

2098
02:01:01,452 --> 02:01:06,372
Even with the engines that are 12, eight years old, we still get breakdowns with

2099
02:01:06,402 --> 02:01:09,162
those. We had them just last week with our ladder.

2100
02:01:09,432 --> 02:01:13,272
Seven weeks old, it was tied up for a month. A month, okay?

2101
02:01:13,812 --> 02:01:17,113
We have apparatus now that is out of shelf time.

2102
02:01:17,502 --> 02:01:23,472
NFPA says 20 years, five years for backup. They're responsible. They run.

2103
02:01:23,863 --> 02:01:27,103
If they're at Selectmen as a volunteer, he said he's been on them, they run.

2104
02:01:27,792 --> 02:01:32,442
Are they dependable? We have brand new ones that aren't dependable, that they break

2105
02:01:32,502 --> 02:01:35,382
down. Now you have something that's already out of date.

2106
02:01:35,652 --> 02:01:38,712
I don't know if our insurance even covers that, that they're out of date, and we're

2107
02:01:38,772 --> 02:01:41,562
still using them. I don't even know if that works, okay?

2108
02:01:41,863 --> 02:01:43,062
So between

2109
02:01:44,472 --> 02:01:48,732
you and I, listen, utmost respect for you. If anybody can do it, it's you.

2110
02:01:49,212 --> 02:01:53,772
Trust me. If we can get this prolonged with the vendor,

2111
02:01:55,423 --> 02:01:58,992
give us 120 days, maybe we could get a special meeting somehow.

2112
02:01:59,292 --> 02:02:03,252
Some way, somehow, through the Board of Finance, we can get some kind of a meeting

2113
02:02:03,582 --> 02:02:05,173
to open this back up again.

2114
02:02:06,462 --> 02:02:11,622
Push comes to shove, I'm sure that after the first of the year, we'll be able to

2115
02:02:11,652 --> 02:02:15,522
put this in a budget for a capital for emergency spending.

2116
02:02:16,242 --> 02:02:20,472
We did an emergency spending because the motor blew on truck one.

2117
02:02:21,372 --> 02:02:24,853
On truck two rather, it blew, and we had to get an emergency spend, and we got the

2118
02:02:24,911 --> 02:02:30,792
Quint. Now we have two engines right now that are out of shelf life,

2119
02:02:30,882 --> 02:02:35,803
two already. We have a third one that's going to come up very shortly, okay?

2120
02:02:36,343 --> 02:02:41,892
If we have to postpone this, and we lose this, and we order it next

2121
02:02:41,982 --> 02:02:44,382
year, we have a four-year wait.

2122
02:02:45,673 --> 02:02:48,762
70% of our fleet's out of time. We're out of time.

2123
02:02:48,792 --> 02:02:50,803
We're out of shelf life because of the four-year wait.

2124
02:02:51,072 --> 02:02:53,113
It's not like, and I use a police cruiser-

2125
02:02:53,353 --> 02:02:56,232
Pete, I'm so sorry to interrupt. Remember, there's a five-minute limit here.

2126
02:02:56,562 --> 02:02:57,103
Thank you.

2127
02:02:57,192 --> 02:02:58,752
Okay. Keep going.

2128
02:02:58,812 --> 02:03:00,072
The answer to your question-

2129
02:03:00,222 --> 02:03:00,762
It's not five minutes

2130
02:03:00,853 --> 02:03:04,303
... is in an attorney-client relationship, I'm an attorney.

2131
02:03:05,113 --> 02:03:10,303
So if my client wants me to contact, the town wants me to contact the vendor

2132
02:03:10,992 --> 02:03:16,902
and see what they'd be willing to do by way of holding off, I'll certainly

2133
02:03:16,962 --> 02:03:19,452
do it. But somebody's got to direct me to do that.

2134
02:03:19,542 --> 02:03:21,942
I don't have any contact info for the vendor.

2135
02:03:22,002 --> 02:03:23,892
I haven't had any communications with the vendor.

2136
02:03:24,012 --> 02:03:29,532
I've asked that question from the first meeting I stood up here, and I said to

2137
02:03:29,562 --> 02:03:33,222
everyone up here at both meetings, "Give it to Jeff Donofrio."

2138
02:03:33,582 --> 02:03:36,162
But Pete, to answer, stay.

2139
02:03:38,832 --> 02:03:41,292
I believe I asked the question a moment ago.

2140
02:03:41,652 --> 02:03:46,272
The manufacturer was contacted, and we asked what the options were, and the

2141
02:03:46,303 --> 02:03:50,502
response was, "You got to pay me by the end of the month, and if you don't, the

2142
02:03:50,562 --> 02:03:52,272
cancellation fee continues to tick."

2143
02:03:52,482 --> 02:03:58,303
They wanted a 100% commitment from the town that it will accept and pay for the

2144
02:03:58,363 --> 02:04:00,192
truck once it's produced.

2145
02:04:01,152 --> 02:04:07,093
And if we ask, can we continue to hold it and

2146
02:04:07,122 --> 02:04:11,982
pay you an interest fee or a ticking fee or something, and the response was it'll

2147
02:04:12,042 --> 02:04:12,492
keep getting-

2148
02:04:12,553 --> 02:04:15,912
Pete, I'm telling you, they said we needed to say by September 30th.

2149
02:04:15,972 --> 02:04:16,572
They wanted a

2150
02:04:17,952 --> 02:04:23,142
100% commitment by September 30th that we would take-

2151
02:04:23,292 --> 02:04:27,853
Originally, it was said that we would have to pay a percentage of interest for

2152
02:04:27,942 --> 02:04:32,742
every month after that. It wasn't in full until after we poked the bear again.

2153
02:04:33,372 --> 02:04:36,312
So poking the bear caused this whole problem.

2154
02:04:36,613 --> 02:04:41,712
The point I make it also, if we continue to hold this off, if council can hold this

2155
02:04:41,832 --> 02:04:47,772
off by direction of whatever board, finance or selectmen, if we could hold this

2156
02:04:47,863 --> 02:04:53,652
off for a while, maybe we could get this through an emergency grant like we did

2157
02:04:53,682 --> 02:04:58,752
with the ladder, based on the fact that we don't have equipment that's certified by

2158
02:04:58,843 --> 02:04:59,562
NFPA.

2159
02:05:00,192 --> 02:05:05,322
Pete, so I'll try to address it. Listen, to be clear, your dedication to the

2160
02:05:05,353 --> 02:05:09,372
department is unquestioned. I think what we're saying up here, what the Board of

2161
02:05:09,432 --> 02:05:14,532
Finance is saying, is the need for this engine right now, that's a subjective

2162
02:05:14,622 --> 02:05:18,132
question. They did not believe there's a need for this engine, so they did not

2163
02:05:18,192 --> 02:05:19,812
appropriate the money. Therefore,

2164
02:05:21,853 --> 02:05:24,252
there's no town meeting to call to appropriate additional funds.

2165
02:05:24,252 --> 02:05:28,722
I understand that. If we get an extension, and we could do it under an emergency

2166
02:05:28,843 --> 02:05:33,582
purchase, and you say the Board of Finance didn't think that there's an immediate

2167
02:05:33,673 --> 02:05:37,242
need. How could they say there's not an immediate need

2168
02:05:38,531 --> 02:05:43,843
if we have vehicles, apparatus, that's four, five, and six years old that is out

2169
02:05:44,682 --> 02:05:50,353
of commission for a month at a time because of the work? There's problems.

2170
02:05:51,072 --> 02:05:55,363
There's a new system with diesels. We have to get it.

2171
02:05:57,312 --> 02:06:02,382
Trust me, it's great for the environmental, it's bogging down our equipment, okay?

2172
02:06:02,742 --> 02:06:04,843
Plus the use that we're constantly running.

2173
02:06:05,082 --> 02:06:09,372
Again, we have a ladder truck that at this juncture, that ladder truck should have

2174
02:06:09,642 --> 02:06:15,372
30 to 32,000 miles on it. Same truck, we're at 60,000 miles.

2175
02:06:15,613 --> 02:06:19,992
We've doubled the use because we're running a piece of apparatus we shouldn't be,

2176
02:06:20,262 --> 02:06:22,512
but it's covering another piece of apparatus.

2177
02:06:23,772 --> 02:06:24,222
Okay, so-

2178
02:06:25,152 --> 02:06:27,582
So Chief will put it in his budget in January.

2179
02:06:27,732 --> 02:06:31,722
The Board of Finance will decide whether or not it's an appropriate expenditure of

2180
02:06:31,812 --> 02:06:32,593
capital funds.

2181
02:06:32,622 --> 02:06:37,122
Exactly. But if we could hold this off till January, we are in October.

2182
02:06:37,212 --> 02:06:38,322
If we could hold this off-

2183
02:06:38,412 --> 02:06:39,312
But we can't.

2184
02:06:42,103 --> 02:06:42,553
We can't.

2185
02:06:42,642 --> 02:06:44,472
January doesn't help us because-

2186
02:06:44,622 --> 02:06:45,103
I would-

2187
02:06:45,103 --> 02:06:48,673
... the money won't be available till after the beginning of the next business.

2188
02:06:48,702 --> 02:06:49,662
But originally, the vendor-

2189
02:06:49,692 --> 02:06:50,262
That's July

2190
02:06:50,502 --> 02:06:54,072
... originally, the vendor never called us. We called the vendor. Why?

2191
02:06:54,162 --> 02:06:56,712
I don't know yet. I still don't know why we called the vendor.

2192
02:06:56,742 --> 02:06:57,492
Because we didn't have a purchase order.

2193
02:06:57,882 --> 02:07:02,292
I understand that, but we didn't have a purchase order for the Quint.

2194
02:07:02,593 --> 02:07:02,593
Right.

2195
02:07:02,622 --> 02:07:04,002
But we didn't call the vendor.

2196
02:07:05,832 --> 02:07:10,062
We called the vendor. No one seems to know why the finance director called the

2197
02:07:10,122 --> 02:07:12,462
vendor. He called the vendor on his own.

2198
02:07:12,732 --> 02:07:13,182
And then we-

2199
02:07:13,242 --> 02:07:13,512
Well, that's-

2200
02:07:13,662 --> 02:07:15,372
Once you opened up that can of worms-

2201
02:07:15,432 --> 02:07:15,822
That's not accurate

2202
02:07:15,882 --> 02:07:18,522
... this is what happened. So it's too late. I mean, it's already done.

2203
02:07:18,553 --> 02:07:20,502
But Pete, that's not an accurate statement.

2204
02:07:20,562 --> 02:07:24,792
The finance director called the vendor because we didn't have the appropriation

2205
02:07:24,822 --> 02:07:26,053
necessary for the engine.

2206
02:07:26,622 --> 02:07:30,072
Well, he could've waited to find out if we could've got it by the first of the year

2207
02:07:30,252 --> 02:07:31,093
instead of calling now.

2208
02:07:31,122 --> 02:07:33,252
I think that was asked and answered of the manufacturer.

2209
02:07:33,642 --> 02:07:36,522
And they said you need a firm commitment for a million two, and the board declined.

2210
02:07:36,613 --> 02:07:41,712
Only after he called them. Had he not called them first, they never would've called

2211
02:07:41,803 --> 02:07:41,982
us.

2212
02:07:42,072 --> 02:07:44,142
Then they would've delivered the truck and we didn't have the money.

2213
02:07:44,142 --> 02:07:44,712
But we had no-

2214
02:07:45,282 --> 02:07:47,382
Now hold on a second. We're past the five minutes.

2215
02:07:47,532 --> 02:07:49,752
We could've waited till August the 27th.

2216
02:07:50,412 --> 02:07:52,062
Pete, just listen. I-

2217
02:07:52,363 --> 02:07:52,662
Go on

2218
02:07:52,872 --> 02:07:56,053
... the decision has been made by the Board of Finance not to appropriate funds for

2219
02:07:56,053 --> 02:07:56,053
this period.

2220
02:07:56,082 --> 02:08:01,332
And you know that it's another $271,000 to buy the same engine tomorrow.

2221
02:08:01,722 --> 02:08:01,722
I-

2222
02:08:01,752 --> 02:08:06,613
If we order it tomorrow for an emergency purchase, it's $271,000 more.

2223
02:08:06,673 --> 02:08:09,642
All right. So those numbers, we have no idea how much.

2224
02:08:09,792 --> 02:08:12,642
At all. We already told you.

2225
02:08:12,673 --> 02:08:16,692
When we order it, we will get a quote, and there'll be a purchase order issued if

2226
02:08:16,722 --> 02:08:21,078
it's approved by the town meeting Sally Breemy, please. Yes, Pete. Thank you.

2227
02:08:21,108 --> 02:08:22,698
Yeah, thank you. Thank you, Jeff.

2228
02:08:22,848 --> 02:08:28,069
Sally Breemy, five Blossom Drive. Mr. Criscuolo spoke for 12 minutes. I timed him.

2229
02:08:29,299 --> 02:08:30,018
You don't want me taking-

2230
02:08:30,168 --> 02:08:32,538
No, I want 12 minutes.

2231
02:08:32,598 --> 02:08:34,309
Yeah. We're trying.

2232
02:08:36,438 --> 02:08:40,129
I wasn't going to get involved in this, but I just can't help myself, I'm telling

2233
02:08:40,218 --> 02:08:41,988
you. I just can't.

2234
02:08:45,948 --> 02:08:51,168
The circulator came to my house with this petition, and I signed it

2235
02:08:51,738 --> 02:08:54,588
because I believe in the town meeting form of government.

2236
02:08:54,918 --> 02:09:00,799
Third Selectman Cohen wrote in a column about six months ago, he wrote

2237
02:09:00,828 --> 02:09:05,688
very eloquently, how lucky we are to live in a municipality with a town meeting

2238
02:09:05,749 --> 02:09:10,098
form of government where the people make all the big decisions.

2239
02:09:10,158 --> 02:09:16,069
Those were his exact words. So I told her, the circulator

2240
02:09:16,158 --> 02:09:21,168
of this current petition now before this board, 7-1 petition, I will sign it

2241
02:09:21,258 --> 02:09:23,749
because I believe in the town meeting form of government.

2242
02:09:24,408 --> 02:09:30,319
But unlike the quint, which I supported, I supported the need for the quint.

2243
02:09:30,408 --> 02:09:35,988
I didn't support how it was purchased because of 7-348 and the town charter.

2244
02:09:37,488 --> 02:09:39,018
We should have had a town meeting for that.

2245
02:09:39,499 --> 02:09:39,799
But,

2246
02:09:41,448 --> 02:09:45,559
I supported the quint because we needed another ladder truck. We only had one.

2247
02:09:45,618 --> 02:09:48,618
We needed another ladder truck. This is an engine.

2248
02:09:49,309 --> 02:09:52,398
A lot of people don't know the difference between a truck and an engine. I do.

2249
02:09:52,668 --> 02:09:53,718
This is an engine.

2250
02:09:54,978 --> 02:09:56,777
And I told her, "I'll sign your petition.

2251
02:09:56,838 --> 02:10:00,438
I believe in the town meeting form of government, but if there's a town meeting,

2252
02:10:00,618 --> 02:10:01,638
I'm going to

2253
02:10:02,838 --> 02:10:06,559
speak against the purchase." But here's what I want to tell you.

2254
02:10:07,488 --> 02:10:12,618
I don't decide whether I want a town meeting based on whether I'm in favor of

2255
02:10:12,648 --> 02:10:17,749
what's on the agenda or not. I'm always going to support a town meeting because

2256
02:10:17,809 --> 02:10:19,758
that's what our form of government is like.

2257
02:10:20,178 --> 02:10:25,038
And until we have charter revision and we abandon the town meeting form of

2258
02:10:25,098 --> 02:10:28,698
government, I am always going to vote for a town meeting,

2259
02:10:30,588 --> 02:10:36,408
whether I am in favor of the end result of that meeting or not.

2260
02:10:38,088 --> 02:10:43,338
One thing I learned in my 12 years is sometimes the rules are bent a little bit if

2261
02:10:43,398 --> 02:10:45,528
you don't like what's going to be coming up.

2262
02:10:45,588 --> 02:10:50,028
And sometimes the rules are followed to a T if you want the result.

2263
02:10:50,538 --> 02:10:55,398
I don't bend the rules, I follow the rules, or I want to follow the rules all the

2264
02:10:55,488 --> 02:11:00,108
time. So let's talk about 7-1. This is the third

2265
02:11:00,738 --> 02:11:06,319
petition that I am familiar with. The first one that I am very familiar with was in

2266
02:11:06,528 --> 02:11:12,258
2009. A 7-1 came before the Board of Selectmen on May 4th,

2267
02:11:12,468 --> 02:11:16,069
2009. Mr. Freda was the third selectman.

2268
02:11:16,638 --> 02:11:22,158
That was a petition by a town employee, and the question was,

2269
02:11:22,698 --> 02:11:27,948
shall the position of engineer two in the Department of Public Works be retained or

2270
02:11:28,008 --> 02:11:30,948
restored to the fiscal year budget?

2271
02:11:31,578 --> 02:11:37,549
It was to restore one position worth maybe $50,000 back then in salary, who knows?

2272
02:11:39,559 --> 02:11:44,538
The Board of Selectmen, again, Mike Freda was the third selectman at the time to

2273
02:11:44,598 --> 02:11:50,538
vote. Board of Selectmen voted to reject the petition. Hold on a second.

2274
02:11:53,118 --> 02:11:57,348
It was a two to one vote. Mr. Freda voted in favor of calling the town meeting.

2275
02:11:57,379 --> 02:12:01,218
He was a good third selectman. And here's what he said. Mr.

2276
02:12:01,488 --> 02:12:07,278
Freda cited case law that he had studied, Morris versus Cogdin,

2277
02:12:08,059 --> 02:12:12,948
where the Supreme Court required the Board of Selectmen to call a town meeting.

2278
02:12:13,038 --> 02:12:17,059
I wonder who gave him the cite of Morris versus Cogdin.

2279
02:12:17,418 --> 02:12:17,958
You did.

2280
02:12:18,108 --> 02:12:21,828
I did not. I was not involved in town government at that time.

2281
02:12:22,848 --> 02:12:24,708
But someone gave him that cite.

2282
02:12:24,918 --> 02:12:25,069
Sorry.

2283
02:12:25,098 --> 02:12:30,948
And it has some companion cases, like Lyon versus Rice, which said,

2284
02:12:31,008 --> 02:12:36,078
and I quote, "As long as the requested hearing is for any legitimate and proper

2285
02:12:36,168 --> 02:12:42,018
purpose, the selectmen must warn the meeting and have no discretion to refuse."

2286
02:12:42,648 --> 02:12:46,968
So what happened in 2009 when despite Mr.

2287
02:12:47,028 --> 02:12:52,368
Freda's vote to hold the town meeting, the Board of Selectmen, the two Democrats,

2288
02:12:52,638 --> 02:12:56,898
the first and second selectmen, voted no town meeting. What happened?

2289
02:12:57,438 --> 02:13:02,958
It went to court on a writ of mandamus, and the town tried to get rid of that.

2290
02:13:03,228 --> 02:13:07,999
A writ of mandamus is something that's filed to compel a public entity or public

2291
02:13:08,148 --> 02:13:11,598
officials to do something, which was to hold the town meeting.

2292
02:13:11,658 --> 02:13:13,608
That was what the writ of mandamus was.

2293
02:13:13,908 --> 02:13:19,578
The town fought that, and the town lost.

2294
02:13:19,668 --> 02:13:23,208
A very esteemed Judge Berdon

2295
02:13:24,468 --> 02:13:29,569
said he quoted Mr. Freda's case. He quoted in his decision,

2296
02:13:30,108 --> 02:13:33,468
Morris v. Cogdin, which was the exact case Mr.

2297
02:13:33,528 --> 02:13:39,379
Freda quoted and is referenced in the minutes where he supported the town meeting.

2298
02:13:40,249 --> 02:13:45,468
And so the judge said, here, 20 people

2299
02:13:47,268 --> 02:13:52,578
have provided for a purpose. Is it for a legitimate, proper purpose?

2300
02:13:52,848 --> 02:13:57,738
And he said, and I quote, this is the judge, "It is obvious that the appointment of

2301
02:13:57,799 --> 02:14:01,788
an engineer two is such a purpose." I think

2302
02:14:06,168 --> 02:14:09,858
a counsel for the town might say, "That's for the board of finance to

2303
02:14:11,749 --> 02:14:17,148
decide." Well, the board of finance took it out of the budget, and this judge said

2304
02:14:17,208 --> 02:14:22,488
that a town meeting could decide whether to put it back in.

2305
02:14:22,999 --> 02:14:24,678
That's what happened. It's right here.

2306
02:14:24,768 --> 02:14:29,178
Have you read Roberts Burns versus Town of North Haven in your-

2307
02:14:29,718 --> 02:14:30,468
Please continue.

2308
02:14:30,618 --> 02:14:30,708
No.

2309
02:14:32,569 --> 02:14:37,788
I don't know how you could hear a 7-1 petition without reading this case, because

2310
02:14:37,879 --> 02:14:40,458
it happened while Mr. Freda was on the board.

2311
02:14:42,499 --> 02:14:44,867
So I think that if

2312
02:14:46,069 --> 02:14:52,008
restoring a position that the board of finance took out of the budget, if a

2313
02:14:52,098 --> 02:14:57,918
judge says restoring it is a legitimate legislative purpose, and so

2314
02:14:57,978 --> 02:15:03,648
the Board of Selectmen should have granted that town meeting, certainly the

2315
02:15:03,738 --> 02:15:09,648
purchase of a $1.2 million fire engine is within the purview

2316
02:15:09,738 --> 02:15:12,348
of a legitimate legislative purpose.

2317
02:15:12,978 --> 02:15:17,569
But town counsel says, number one, says the

2318
02:15:20,088 --> 02:15:25,428
first item in the petition, the town needing to adopt a resolution prohibiting

2319
02:15:25,549 --> 02:15:31,069
funds of 31,000 to cancel the contract. Well, we all know what that means.

2320
02:15:31,129 --> 02:15:35,268
That means that the petitioner wants the contract to stay in force.

2321
02:15:36,168 --> 02:15:38,658
That is a legitimate legislative purpose.

2322
02:15:39,319 --> 02:15:44,418
That's why I signed the petition, even though I do not support the purchase of this

2323
02:15:44,508 --> 02:15:49,038
engine. I believe Mr. Monaco described it correctly.

2324
02:15:50,208 --> 02:15:52,608
I don't always agree with him, but I agreed when he said,

2325
02:15:54,468 --> 02:15:58,249
we can't buy a lot of fire apparatus at the same time.

2326
02:15:58,278 --> 02:15:58,819
We have to

2327
02:16:00,198 --> 02:16:04,458
spread them out. And in 2019, we had a town meeting,

2328
02:16:05,658 --> 02:16:10,638
we bought an engine. 2020, we bought ladder one.

2329
02:16:10,968 --> 02:16:14,028
A couple of years ago, we took delivery of two more new engines.

2330
02:16:14,118 --> 02:16:17,118
Now we bought a new quint. So I believe Mr.

2331
02:16:18,258 --> 02:16:23,328
Monaco actually convinced me that we have to stagger our purchases of fire

2332
02:16:23,418 --> 02:16:26,838
apparatus. We have bought a lot of them in the past six years.

2333
02:16:27,559 --> 02:16:31,278
You don't want them all reaching an old age at the same time.

2334
02:16:31,638 --> 02:16:37,549
So that's the only reason why I don't support this engine, but I did support the,

2335
02:16:38,388 --> 02:16:40,638
I'm one person. There's a lot of people in town.

2336
02:16:40,758 --> 02:16:46,158
I will always support a town meeting and the wisdom of the

2337
02:16:46,638 --> 02:16:47,088
group.

2338
02:16:48,498 --> 02:16:52,398
So I guess what I'm really trying to say is

2339
02:16:53,688 --> 02:16:59,478
maybe it wasn't worded exactly right, but that first item in the petition is really

2340
02:16:59,598 --> 02:17:04,608
saying, let's keep that engine contract going.

2341
02:17:04,969 --> 02:17:10,728
And that to me, if restoring a $50,000 engineer

2342
02:17:10,819 --> 02:17:16,398
position is a legitimate legislative purpose, then restoring a $1.2 million

2343
02:17:16,969 --> 02:17:22,008
purchase of a fire engine is also a legitimate legislative purpose.

2344
02:17:22,428 --> 02:17:25,908
And for that reason, this petition should be granted.

2345
02:17:28,752 --> 02:17:33,462
I also wanna say that the contingency that

2346
02:17:34,572 --> 02:17:38,622
was used, the 31 came from the contingency.

2347
02:17:38,982 --> 02:17:44,652
The Board of Finance did not vote to use the contingency until after this

2348
02:17:44,712 --> 02:17:46,603
petition was filed.

2349
02:17:47,892 --> 02:17:49,392
I found that very interesting.

2350
02:17:50,652 --> 02:17:52,843
It was done after the fact to

2351
02:17:56,082 --> 02:17:58,932
reduce the effectiveness of this petition.

2352
02:18:00,702 --> 02:18:05,622
And everyone on the Board of Finance knew that the petition had been filed.

2353
02:18:06,132 --> 02:18:11,322
The contingency fund was authorized by the Board of Finance after the fact.

2354
02:18:12,942 --> 02:18:17,952
So that's my position. I think that Burns versus

2355
02:18:19,122 --> 02:18:22,812
the Town of North Haven is very clear that

2356
02:18:24,252 --> 02:18:25,902
the 7-1 should be

2357
02:18:27,523 --> 02:18:29,082
granted as,

2358
02:18:30,312 --> 02:18:35,502
again, as he says here, let me get the exact court language.

2359
02:18:35,593 --> 02:18:40,932
Here it is. "As long as the requested hearing is for any legitimate and proper

2360
02:18:40,992 --> 02:18:46,032
purpose, the selectmen must," which was highlighted, "warn the meeting and have no

2361
02:18:46,122 --> 02:18:51,882
discretion to refuse." I support our town meeting form of government, and that's

2362
02:18:51,942 --> 02:18:54,523
why I signed the petition. And

2363
02:18:56,502 --> 02:19:01,992
also, there was a 7-1 in 2017. I was the only member of the Board of

2364
02:19:02,052 --> 02:19:06,523
Selectmen that voted to hold the town meeting, and now we have this petition.

2365
02:19:06,912 --> 02:19:12,462
So in 2009, Third Selectman Freda fought hard for the town

2366
02:19:12,523 --> 02:19:18,432
meeting. In 2017, Third Selectman Buemi fought even harder

2367
02:19:19,182 --> 02:19:23,113
for the town meeting. Both times, those third selectmen lost.

2368
02:19:24,822 --> 02:19:28,872
I paid a price. I had my house vandalized because of that.

2369
02:19:28,932 --> 02:19:34,423
The turf field was the issue. The chrome rubber turf field was the issue, but I

2370
02:19:34,452 --> 02:19:38,082
didn't care about vandalism. I didn't care about threats.

2371
02:19:38,442 --> 02:19:41,293
I believed in the town meeting form of government, just as Mr.

2372
02:19:41,353 --> 02:19:46,902
Freda, as Third Selectman in 2009, believed in the town meeting form of government.

2373
02:19:47,173 --> 02:19:49,062
And that's all I'd like to say. Thank you.

2374
02:19:51,072 --> 02:19:51,793
Okay.

2375
02:19:51,852 --> 02:19:53,113
Just real quick, three things.

2376
02:19:53,322 --> 02:19:53,712
Okay.

2377
02:19:54,252 --> 02:19:59,712
First of all, Morris versus Cogden, that involved the town of Preston, which had no

2378
02:19:59,802 --> 02:20:00,252
charter.

2379
02:20:01,722 --> 02:20:05,532
No charter, unlike North Haven. Okay?

2380
02:20:06,552 --> 02:20:11,682
The whole premise here is the town meeting is granted the authority by the charter.

2381
02:20:12,522 --> 02:20:17,412
Notice how Attorney Buemi didn't tell you where in the charter the town meeting

2382
02:20:17,472 --> 02:20:20,232
gets any of the authority that she thinks they have.

2383
02:20:20,262 --> 02:20:24,132
And I also noticed she didn't bring up item number three. Okay?

2384
02:20:25,632 --> 02:20:26,502
Item number three,

2385
02:20:28,002 --> 02:20:33,942
the notion that the town meeting can bond without Board of Finance

2386
02:20:34,002 --> 02:20:39,372
approval, 1,250,000 is outrageous. Okay? Outrageous.

2387
02:20:40,302 --> 02:20:45,162
So Morris versus Cogden, Town of Preston, unlike North Haven, no charter.

2388
02:20:45,942 --> 02:20:51,132
Secondly, we do have a charter, and you didn't hear any citation to where the town

2389
02:20:51,192 --> 02:20:55,032
meeting supposedly gets the authority to do the things that are requested by the

2390
02:20:55,062 --> 02:20:57,912
petition because it doesn't have the authority. Okay?

2391
02:20:59,382 --> 02:21:03,282
And the last comment that I would make is,

2392
02:21:06,372 --> 02:21:12,102
I'm not opposed. The idea about bending rules, I take great

2393
02:21:12,162 --> 02:21:15,462
exception to that. Okay? That's outrageous to me.

2394
02:21:15,522 --> 02:21:18,972
I've been doing work for the town of North Haven since 1991, okay?

2395
02:21:19,722 --> 02:21:24,012
I've donated personal funds to the fire department. Okay?

2396
02:21:24,762 --> 02:21:29,982
The idea that I'm opposed to this and that somehow taints my opinion, you know

2397
02:21:30,043 --> 02:21:34,122
what? I shouldn't have even stayed because it's ridiculous. Honestly.

2398
02:21:34,962 --> 02:21:39,252
I don't appreciate it one bit. I'm very surprised that somebody who served on the

2399
02:21:39,312 --> 02:21:39,942
Board of Finance-

2400
02:21:40,032 --> 02:21:40,152
Jeff

2401
02:21:40,182 --> 02:21:43,692
... and the Board of Selectmen would sign a petition calling for the town meeting

2402
02:21:43,752 --> 02:21:47,832
to bond funds knowing full well they have no authority under the charter to do

2403
02:21:47,922 --> 02:21:48,102
that.

2404
02:21:48,432 --> 02:21:50,202
Jeff, you have our unanimous support.

2405
02:21:50,262 --> 02:21:50,952
Yeah. So if you want-

2406
02:21:50,952 --> 02:21:51,672
And you can go home

2407
02:21:51,672 --> 02:21:53,922
... if you wanna have the town meeting, have the town meeting.

2408
02:21:53,952 --> 02:21:54,942
But if I'm asked for an opinion-

2409
02:21:54,942 --> 02:21:55,032
We're gonna-

2410
02:21:55,062 --> 02:21:56,202
... about the legality of it-

2411
02:21:56,293 --> 02:21:56,532
Yep

2412
02:21:56,532 --> 02:22:00,222
... my opinion will be that any outcome from that town meeting is illegal and not

2413
02:22:00,252 --> 02:22:00,852
enforceable.

2414
02:22:01,332 --> 02:22:05,142
We're gonna end the conversation here. Jeff, you have our unanimous support.

2415
02:22:05,232 --> 02:22:05,772
It sounds like I'm-

2416
02:22:05,863 --> 02:22:07,062
I'm not. It's not about me. It's about the petition.

2417
02:22:07,062 --> 02:22:11,293
No, but we're talking about your assistance and support of this town.

2418
02:22:11,352 --> 02:22:12,072
No, I appreciate it.

2419
02:22:12,342 --> 02:22:16,422
You gave us an opinion, and we appreciate it, and you should go home and take care

2420
02:22:16,452 --> 02:22:16,932
of your dog.

2421
02:22:16,992 --> 02:22:17,652
That's what I'm gonna do.

2422
02:22:17,682 --> 02:22:17,922
Thank you.

2423
02:22:19,092 --> 02:22:19,692
Counsel.

2424
02:22:20,172 --> 02:22:20,682
Thank you.

2425
02:22:20,712 --> 02:22:23,052
You have my 100%.

2426
02:22:23,293 --> 02:22:23,712
All right. Let's-

2427
02:22:23,863 --> 02:22:28,512
I only addressed the first issue because that was the only one that I thought was

2428
02:22:28,572 --> 02:22:34,122
appropriate. I agree with town attorney that two and three are not appropriate, but

2429
02:22:34,272 --> 02:22:35,232
one, I thought was.

2430
02:22:35,592 --> 02:22:40,482
Okay. Sally, cherry-picking the petition, I think that doesn't win the day here.

2431
02:22:40,543 --> 02:22:41,412
So we're done with this conversation.

2432
02:22:41,412 --> 02:22:43,662
All you need is one legitimate reason for the petition to be valid.

2433
02:22:43,662 --> 02:22:45,882
We're done with this conversation. Does anyone else have anything?

2434
02:22:45,942 --> 02:22:47,322
I think we've exhausted this conversation.

2435
02:22:47,412 --> 02:22:48,822
I agree with you. Let's move on.

2436
02:22:49,482 --> 02:22:50,262
It's not about the petition.

2437
02:22:51,402 --> 02:22:52,752
We have to move on to our agenda.

2438
02:22:52,752 --> 02:22:53,352
It's not about this.

2439
02:22:53,442 --> 02:22:55,062
I understand. There's time for public comment-

2440
02:22:55,092 --> 02:22:55,482
It's not about this

2441
02:22:55,482 --> 02:22:57,072
... there's public comment later. Okay.

2442
02:22:58,692 --> 02:22:59,952
Okay. So we're gonna move forward.

2443
02:23:00,012 --> 02:23:00,522
Mary.

2444
02:23:01,092 --> 02:23:01,272
Yeah.

2445
02:23:01,302 --> 02:23:02,472
Can I talk about public comment?

2446
02:23:02,532 --> 02:23:03,282
You know where.

2447
02:23:03,342 --> 02:23:06,582
If you want to make a comment.

2448
02:23:06,642 --> 02:23:08,652
Mary, we're trying to-- Thank you, Mary.

2449
02:23:08,682 --> 02:23:09,432
I know this is a-

2450
02:23:09,702 --> 02:23:13,122
This has been 10 months of this discussion.

2451
02:23:13,572 --> 02:23:15,192
We need to move on here.

2452
02:23:15,342 --> 02:23:19,962
I just had some clarification because I've been trying to understand this.

2453
02:23:20,352 --> 02:23:25,452
Mary White, Summer Lane. So it's about getting on the Board of Finance's agenda.

2454
02:23:25,543 --> 02:23:29,832
The agenda's done by the Board of Finance's chairman, okay?

2455
02:23:30,252 --> 02:23:32,592
How do you get on the Board of Finance's agenda?

2456
02:23:32,952 --> 02:23:37,602
The item is put in the department head's budget at the workshop.

2457
02:23:37,872 --> 02:23:40,632
The budget goes to the Board of Finance.

2458
02:23:40,692 --> 02:23:46,392
The Board of Finance decides whether or not that item stays in the budget, yes or

2459
02:23:46,482 --> 02:23:52,452
no. Also, what we heard tonight is there could be a presentation

2460
02:23:52,543 --> 02:23:57,911
or an event that the Board of Finance and the finance director see,

2461
02:23:58,422 --> 02:24:04,272
and they determine that the use of the contingency fund needs to happen,

2462
02:24:04,662 --> 02:24:09,672
and then therefore, the Board of Finance chairman puts it on the

2463
02:24:09,732 --> 02:24:15,192
agenda as a form of a resolution, and then the resolution goes to the Board of

2464
02:24:15,252 --> 02:24:15,942
Selectmen,

2465
02:24:17,172 --> 02:24:22,452
and then it gets called for a town meeting. I think I got it. Is that right?

2466
02:24:23,592 --> 02:24:24,132
Sounds right.

2467
02:24:24,222 --> 02:24:24,492
Yeah.

2468
02:24:24,522 --> 02:24:25,062
Sounds right.

2469
02:24:25,662 --> 02:24:26,052
That's okay. Yeah.

2470
02:24:26,142 --> 02:24:28,842
Okay, because an event could be a truck blowing up or something like that.

2471
02:24:29,322 --> 02:24:29,832
We've got to move on.

2472
02:24:29,863 --> 02:24:30,192
I think I got it.

2473
02:24:30,252 --> 02:24:32,682
Okay, we've got to move on to finish this business here, okay?

2474
02:24:33,342 --> 02:24:34,212
Thank you, Mary.

2475
02:24:34,272 --> 02:24:34,932
Let's go back to the bonding.

2476
02:24:34,992 --> 02:24:36,552
Yeah, let's quickly do the bonding here.

2477
02:24:37,302 --> 02:24:40,422
So the seven million for Sackett Point was seconded-

2478
02:24:40,452 --> 02:24:40,543
Seconded.

2479
02:24:41,022 --> 02:24:42,282
They didn't vote on the petition.

2480
02:24:43,842 --> 02:24:43,962
Oh.

2481
02:24:45,342 --> 02:24:46,122
Thank you, Sally.

2482
02:24:46,152 --> 02:24:47,052
Thanks. Okay, so-

2483
02:24:47,532 --> 02:24:47,652
All right. We need to vote on the petition

2484
02:24:47,652 --> 02:24:52,062
... I would like to make a motion to reject the petition for a special town

2485
02:24:52,092 --> 02:24:54,702
meeting. Do I have a motion, is there a second?

2486
02:24:55,302 --> 02:24:56,113
I'll second.

2487
02:24:56,142 --> 02:24:57,012
Any other discussion?

2488
02:24:58,363 --> 02:24:59,502
Hearing none, all those in favor?

2489
02:24:59,892 --> 02:25:00,072
Aye.

2490
02:25:00,162 --> 02:25:00,432
Aye.

2491
02:25:00,492 --> 02:25:00,582
Aye.

2492
02:25:00,642 --> 02:25:05,982
Let's move on. Okay. All right, so the old number seven, we finished, right?

2493
02:25:06,012 --> 02:25:07,152
We had a second, and we had a-

2494
02:25:07,452 --> 02:25:07,572
Yeah.

2495
02:25:07,572 --> 02:25:08,202
Yes, is that right, though?

2496
02:25:08,472 --> 02:25:08,592
Yes.

2497
02:25:08,652 --> 02:25:09,012
Okay. Great.

2498
02:25:09,043 --> 02:25:10,392
So we're going to old number eight.

2499
02:25:10,752 --> 02:25:13,212
Old number eight. Okay, terrific.

2500
02:25:13,782 --> 02:25:16,512
Consider-- I'm sorry, Bill, would you like to-

2501
02:25:16,692 --> 02:25:17,022
Sure.

2502
02:25:17,142 --> 02:25:17,322
Okay.

2503
02:25:17,412 --> 02:25:18,552
Give you a break.

2504
02:25:22,332 --> 02:25:27,762
Next item on the agenda is consider and act upon a resolution recommending a $2

2505
02:25:27,793 --> 02:25:33,162
million appropriation in bond authorization for pedestrian and safety

2506
02:25:33,222 --> 02:25:38,472
improvements on Church Street. The project shall consist of upgrades to roadway and

2507
02:25:38,562 --> 02:25:43,932
sidewalk conditions, crosswalks, traffic controls, lighting,

2508
02:25:44,232 --> 02:25:49,482
signage, handicap access, and other related improvements and repairs.

2509
02:25:51,402 --> 02:25:55,422
Resolved that the Board of Selectmen recommends that the Town of North Haven

2510
02:25:56,172 --> 02:26:01,302
appropriate $2 million for pedestrian and safety improvements on Church Street.

2511
02:26:01,962 --> 02:26:06,312
The project shall consist of upgrades to roadway and sidewalk conditions,

2512
02:26:07,002 --> 02:26:12,462
crosswalks, traffic controls, lighting, signage, handicap

2513
02:26:12,582 --> 02:26:16,092
access, and other related improvements and repairs.

2514
02:26:16,842 --> 02:26:21,942
The appropriation may be spent for design, construction, demolition, and removal

2515
02:26:22,062 --> 02:26:27,702
costs, materials, installation, easements, equipment, engineering fees,

2516
02:26:28,302 --> 02:26:33,882
other consultant's fees, legal fees, net temporary interest and other financing

2517
02:26:33,942 --> 02:26:39,552
costs, and other expenses related to the project, and that the town issue bonds or

2518
02:26:41,652 --> 02:26:47,562
notes and temporary notes in an amount not to exceed $2 million to finance

2519
02:26:47,592 --> 02:26:52,746
the appropriation. The total amount of bonds issued shall be reduced by the amounts

2520
02:26:52,806 --> 02:26:58,356
of grants or other funds received and not separately appropriated

2521
02:26:58,806 --> 02:27:02,196
for the project. So I'll make a motion for that resolution.

2522
02:27:02,706 --> 02:27:03,306
I'll second.

2523
02:27:03,636 --> 02:27:05,796
All right, motion, second. Any other discussion?

2524
02:27:07,026 --> 02:27:08,167
Hearing none. All those in favor?

2525
02:27:08,676 --> 02:27:08,826
Aye.

2526
02:27:08,886 --> 02:27:09,097
Aye.

2527
02:27:09,576 --> 02:27:09,847
Next.

2528
02:27:10,266 --> 02:27:13,686
Okay, number nine, consider an act upon a resolution recommending a $3 million

2529
02:27:13,956 --> 02:27:18,306
appropriation and bond authorization for construction of drainage improvements on

2530
02:27:18,366 --> 02:27:22,296
Poole Road. The project shall consist of improvements too, including replacements

2531
02:27:22,326 --> 02:27:26,946
of storm trains, sewer pipes, curbs, and runoff pavement repairs, and other related

2532
02:27:26,976 --> 02:27:30,726
improvements and repairs. Resolve that the Board of Selectmen recommends that the

2533
02:27:30,756 --> 02:27:33,816
Town of North Haven appropriate $3 million for construction of drainage

2534
02:27:33,847 --> 02:27:37,446
improvements on Poole Road. The project shall consist of the improvements too,

2535
02:27:37,536 --> 02:27:41,376
including replacements of storm drains, sewer pipes, curbs, and runoff, pavement

2536
02:27:41,406 --> 02:27:43,446
repairs, and other related improvements and repairs.

2537
02:27:44,136 --> 02:27:47,676
The appropriation may be spent for design, construction, demolition, removal costs,

2538
02:27:47,736 --> 02:27:51,606
materials, installation, easements, equipment, engineering fees, other consultants'

2539
02:27:51,667 --> 02:27:55,386
fees, legal fees, net temporary interest and other financing costs, and other

2540
02:27:55,446 --> 02:27:59,046
expenses related to the project. And that the town issue bonds or notes and

2541
02:27:59,106 --> 02:28:02,076
temporary notes in the amount not to exceed three million to finance the

2542
02:28:02,136 --> 02:28:05,646
appropriation. The total amount of bonds issued shall be reduced by the amount of

2543
02:28:05,706 --> 02:28:09,936
grants or other funds received and not separately appropriated for the project.

2544
02:28:12,456 --> 02:28:13,597
Okay. Is there a motion?

2545
02:28:13,926 --> 02:28:14,136
There's-

2546
02:28:15,426 --> 02:28:16,776
Motion on the floor. Is there a second?

2547
02:28:16,806 --> 02:28:18,276
I'll second that motion.

2548
02:28:18,576 --> 02:28:21,126
All right, we have a motion and a second. Any other discussion?

2549
02:28:21,546 --> 02:28:22,926
Hearing none, all those in favor?

2550
02:28:23,406 --> 02:28:23,616
Aye.

2551
02:28:23,616 --> 02:28:23,856
Aye.

2552
02:28:23,917 --> 02:28:24,156
Next.

2553
02:28:25,325 --> 02:28:30,426
Next is consider an act upon a resolution recommending a $7 million appropriation

2554
02:28:31,176 --> 02:28:35,526
bond authorization for the milling and paving of town roadways and drainage

2555
02:28:35,586 --> 02:28:40,236
improvements. The project shall consist of milling and removal of waste materials,

2556
02:28:40,776 --> 02:28:45,546
paving and materials, installation of manholes and drainage risers, traffic

2557
02:28:45,636 --> 02:28:50,167
protection, including signage and police and flag personnel, and other

2558
02:28:50,586 --> 02:28:55,326
related improvements and repairs.

2559
02:28:57,006 --> 02:29:00,306
Resolve that the Board of Selectmen recommends that the Town of North Haven

2560
02:29:00,516 --> 02:29:06,126
appropriate $7 million for the milling and paving of town roadways and drainage

2561
02:29:06,156 --> 02:29:11,046
improvements. The project shall consist of milling and removal of waste materials,

2562
02:29:11,616 --> 02:29:17,076
paving and materials, installation of manholes and drainage risers, traffic

2563
02:29:17,136 --> 02:29:22,086
protection, including signage and police and flag personnel, and other related

2564
02:29:22,146 --> 02:29:27,756
improvement and repairs. The appropriation may be spent for design, demolition,

2565
02:29:28,236 --> 02:29:33,966
and construction costs, equipment, furnishings, materials, site

2566
02:29:34,026 --> 02:29:39,246
improvements, survey costs, architectural fees, engineering fees,

2567
02:29:39,876 --> 02:29:45,306
other consultants' fees, legal fees, net temporary interest and other financing

2568
02:29:45,396 --> 02:29:50,676
costs, and other expenses related to the project, and that the town issue bonds or

2569
02:29:50,736 --> 02:29:56,466
notes and temporary notes in an amount not to exceed $7 million to finance the

2570
02:29:56,526 --> 02:30:01,296
appropriation. The total amount of bonds issued shall be reduced by the amount of

2571
02:30:01,385 --> 02:30:06,876
grants or other funds received and not separately appropriated for the project.

2572
02:30:07,506 --> 02:30:09,156
So I'll make a motion for that resolution.

2573
02:30:09,667 --> 02:30:10,206
I'll second.

2574
02:30:10,417 --> 02:30:12,816
All right. A motion, second. Any other discussion?

2575
02:30:13,236 --> 02:30:15,996
So this is the one bond that is on our books.

2576
02:30:16,176 --> 02:30:16,746
On our books.

2577
02:30:16,806 --> 02:30:17,076
Yep.

2578
02:30:17,136 --> 02:30:17,286
Yes.

2579
02:30:17,676 --> 02:30:17,856
Got it.

2580
02:30:17,886 --> 02:30:18,396
For the roads.

2581
02:30:18,906 --> 02:30:19,566
All those in favor?

2582
02:30:19,956 --> 02:30:20,106
Aye.

2583
02:30:20,196 --> 02:30:20,286
Aye.

2584
02:30:20,496 --> 02:30:21,486
Thank you. Next.

2585
02:30:22,236 --> 02:30:26,376
Consider an act upon a resolution recommending $800,000 appropriation of bond

2586
02:30:26,436 --> 02:30:28,536
authorization for the Connectivity Project.

2587
02:30:28,956 --> 02:30:32,076
The project shall consist of the installation, repair of improvements to sidewalks,

2588
02:30:32,167 --> 02:30:34,776
roads, and other infrastructure in order to make conditions safer and more

2589
02:30:34,806 --> 02:30:39,126
accommodating for pedestrians and bicyclists, improve safety and other related

2590
02:30:39,156 --> 02:30:42,966
improvements and repairs. Resolve that the Board of Selectmen recommends that the

2591
02:30:43,056 --> 02:30:46,326
Town of North Haven appropriate $800,000 for the Connectivity Project.

2592
02:30:46,686 --> 02:30:49,956
The project shall consist of the installation, repair of improvements to sidewalks,

2593
02:30:50,046 --> 02:30:53,586
roads, and other infrastructure in order to make conditions safer and more

2594
02:30:53,616 --> 02:30:57,516
accommodating for pedestrians and bicyclists, improve safety and other related

2595
02:30:57,576 --> 02:31:02,046
improvements and repairs. The appropriation may be spent for design, construction,

2596
02:31:02,106 --> 02:31:05,917
demolition, and removal costs, materials, construction, installation, easements,

2597
02:31:05,976 --> 02:31:09,246
equipment, engineering fees, other consultants' fees, legal fees, net temporary

2598
02:31:09,276 --> 02:31:13,476
interest and other financing costs, and other expenses related to the project, and

2599
02:31:13,506 --> 02:31:16,566
that the town issue bonds or notes and temporary notes in amount not to exceed

2600
02:31:16,597 --> 02:31:19,836
$800,000 to finance the appropriation.

2601
02:31:20,316 --> 02:31:23,496
The total amount of bonds issued shall be reduced by the amount of grants or other

2602
02:31:23,556 --> 02:31:27,126
funds received and not separately appropriated for the project.

2603
02:31:28,176 --> 02:31:30,126
So let's make a motion there.

2604
02:31:31,206 --> 02:31:32,826
I will second that motion.

2605
02:31:32,917 --> 02:31:37,446
All right, motion, second. Any other discussion? Hearing none, all those in favor?

2606
02:31:38,016 --> 02:31:38,016
Aye.

2607
02:31:38,016 --> 02:31:38,286
Aye.

2608
02:31:39,906 --> 02:31:45,366
Okay, so this is the omnibus resolution

2609
02:31:45,426 --> 02:31:49,686
for all of the things that we will be discussing and voting on at the next town

2610
02:31:49,746 --> 02:31:52,326
meeting scheduled for October 20th.

2611
02:31:52,417 --> 02:31:52,597
Yes.

2612
02:31:53,016 --> 02:31:53,316
Yeah?

2613
02:31:53,347 --> 02:31:53,826
That's it, yes.

2614
02:31:54,246 --> 02:31:54,576
That is.

2615
02:31:54,696 --> 02:31:55,296
Bill, go for it.

2616
02:31:55,597 --> 02:31:55,896
Thank you.

2617
02:31:57,336 --> 02:32:02,167
Consider an act upon a resolution calling for the annual town meeting to be held

2618
02:32:02,256 --> 02:32:08,136
Tuesday, October 20th, 2026, at 6:30 PM in the

2619
02:32:08,167 --> 02:32:13,146
auditorium of the North Haven High School, 221 Elm Street in North Haven,

2620
02:32:13,236 --> 02:32:18,606
Connecticut, to consider, discuss, and act upon the aforesaid resolutions.

2621
02:32:19,597 --> 02:32:25,056
Resolve that the annual town meeting be held Tuesday, October 20th, 2026,

2622
02:32:25,597 --> 02:32:31,417
at 6:30 PM in the auditorium of the North Haven High School, 221

2623
02:32:31,506 --> 02:32:37,326
Elm Street in North Haven, Connecticut, to act upon the following resolutions in

2624
02:32:37,386 --> 02:32:41,526
accordance with the recommendation of the Board of Finance concerning the

2625
02:32:41,586 --> 02:32:47,226
adjustment of appropriations, certain line items among the various departments in

2626
02:32:47,256 --> 02:32:52,866
the fiscal year 2025 to 2026 budget, transferring

2627
02:32:52,926 --> 02:32:56,856
amounts over $20,000 in the total sum of

2628
02:32:56,886 --> 02:33:04,506
$994,382.29.

2629
02:33:04,597 --> 02:33:09,696
To consider and vote upon whether to adopt Article 13,

2630
02:33:10,536 --> 02:33:15,516
exemptions for veterans with total service-connected disability and surviving

2631
02:33:15,606 --> 02:33:21,216
spouses of residents killed in action of the taxation ordinance in

2632
02:33:21,275 --> 02:33:25,296
Chapter 184 of the ordinances of the Town of North Haven.

2633
02:33:26,316 --> 02:33:31,686
In item number C, to consider and vote upon the above recommendations concerning

2634
02:33:31,746 --> 02:33:37,326
the aforesaid appropriations and bond authorizations, and that the notice for the

2635
02:33:37,386 --> 02:33:41,526
annual town meeting presented at this meeting be approved and signed.

2636
02:33:42,816 --> 02:33:46,506
I'll make a resolution for those items.

2637
02:33:46,986 --> 02:33:47,347
All right.

2638
02:33:47,886 --> 02:33:48,366
I'll second.

2639
02:33:48,426 --> 02:33:48,756
Second?

2640
02:33:48,816 --> 02:33:48,906
Yep.

2641
02:33:49,566 --> 02:33:54,097
Okay. Motion and a second. Any other discussion? Hearing none, all those in favor?

2642
02:33:54,246 --> 02:33:54,396
Aye.

2643
02:33:54,456 --> 02:33:55,146
Aye. Thank you.

2644
02:33:56,046 --> 02:33:56,856
Aye. Sorry.

2645
02:33:57,126 --> 02:33:58,476
Okay. Bond releases.

2646
02:33:58,956 --> 02:34:00,876
Bond releases, individually.

2647
02:34:01,176 --> 02:34:01,597
Yes.

2648
02:34:02,347 --> 02:34:04,236
Number 13, bond releases and reductions.

2649
02:34:04,326 --> 02:34:08,796
Bond number P24-10, Edible Arrangements, 101 Washington Avenue.

2650
02:34:09,276 --> 02:34:12,576
Amount of original bond, $3,000. Current balance of bond, $3,000.

2651
02:34:12,636 --> 02:34:16,417
Release the entire bond balance of $3,000 with the recommendation of Planning and

2652
02:34:16,536 --> 02:34:17,406
Zoning Commission.

2653
02:34:19,386 --> 02:34:23,256
Make a motion to release bond number P24-10.

2654
02:34:24,396 --> 02:34:25,146
Is there a second?

2655
02:34:26,106 --> 02:34:26,646
I'll second.

2656
02:34:26,976 --> 02:34:32,556
Okay. Motion, second. Any other discussion? Hearing none, all those in favor? Aye.

2657
02:34:32,556 --> 02:34:33,036
Aye.

2658
02:34:33,156 --> 02:34:33,426
Aye.

2659
02:34:34,656 --> 02:34:39,726
I'll continue. Bond number P14-26, Central Plan Construction Company, Half Mile and

2660
02:34:39,786 --> 02:34:43,656
Benedict Drive. Amount of original bond, $3,730,000.

2661
02:34:44,676 --> 02:34:49,056
Current balance of bond, $3,730,000.

2662
02:34:49,626 --> 02:34:53,616
Release the entire bond balance of $3,730,000 with the recommendation of the

2663
02:34:53,676 --> 02:34:58,806
Planning and Zoning Commission. Make a motion to release bond number P14-26.

2664
02:35:01,806 --> 02:35:02,976
I'll second that motion.

2665
02:35:03,936 --> 02:35:06,546
Okay, motion, second. Any other discussion? Hearing none.

2666
02:35:06,576 --> 02:35:10,506
A little bit higher than normal amount in terms of a $3 million bond.

2667
02:35:11,136 --> 02:35:12,696
All the backups in there, I think it's all right.

2668
02:35:12,756 --> 02:35:13,776
That's what I was just looking at.

2669
02:35:13,896 --> 02:35:15,786
Okay. All those in favor?

2670
02:35:16,176 --> 02:35:16,386
Aye.

2671
02:35:16,386 --> 02:35:16,536
Aye.

2672
02:35:16,746 --> 02:35:18,186
Okay. David?

2673
02:35:18,246 --> 02:35:22,266
All right. Property tax refunds. We'll do this in one go.

2674
02:35:22,356 --> 02:35:24,847
We have a list of property tax refunds in here,

2675
02:35:26,136 --> 02:35:29,226
very immaterial dollars here across the board.

2676
02:35:30,216 --> 02:35:33,126
I'll make a motion to accept all property tax refunds.

2677
02:35:34,146 --> 02:35:35,826
Okay. Is there a second?

2678
02:35:36,606 --> 02:35:38,796
Don't see anything that I have an issue with.

2679
02:35:38,856 --> 02:35:41,556
I'll second those property tax refunds.

2680
02:35:41,946 --> 02:35:46,536
All right. Motion, second. Any other discussion? Hearing none, all those in favor?

2681
02:35:47,256 --> 02:35:47,586
Aye.

2682
02:35:48,097 --> 02:35:48,097
Aye.

2683
02:35:48,126 --> 02:35:52,476
Thank you. Item 15, the next regular scheduled meeting of this Board of Selectmen

2684
02:35:52,536 --> 02:35:57,576
is Thursday, November 5th, at 6:30 here in the upstairs conference room at the

2685
02:35:57,636 --> 02:35:58,896
Memorial Town Hall.

2686
02:36:00,132 --> 02:36:04,872
Now we're up for the point of other public comment. Peter?

2687
02:36:09,972 --> 02:36:12,192
Peter Criscuolo, 54 Fieldstone Court.

2688
02:36:12,642 --> 02:36:18,132
Mike, I know you're leaving in January, and sadly missed, and I know all these

2689
02:36:18,162 --> 02:36:20,922
years you were gracious enough

2690
02:36:22,452 --> 02:36:27,882
and unselfish to put yourself in economic development director's role for no pay.

2691
02:36:28,452 --> 02:36:34,422
Nothing. Zero. Okay? I would like, you have a couple more months to think

2692
02:36:34,512 --> 02:36:40,452
about it, if you would stay on after the first of the year as head of economic

2693
02:36:40,482 --> 02:36:43,602
development, president, chair, whatever.

2694
02:36:43,992 --> 02:36:46,902
Because no one's going to do it like you, okay?

2695
02:36:47,652 --> 02:36:51,793
And I don't want to see the infrastructure of this town collapse.

2696
02:36:53,952 --> 02:36:57,942
I will consider it. Not to be the head, but I'm already a member of the commission,

2697
02:36:58,182 --> 02:37:04,062
okay? So I might be able to work this out, because any new

2698
02:37:04,092 --> 02:37:07,782
development that I'm directly involved with bringing in is going to be additional

2699
02:37:07,962 --> 02:37:10,422
customers for the water authorities.

2700
02:37:11,772 --> 02:37:13,602
Oh, okay.

2701
02:37:13,662 --> 02:37:16,632
So I'm going to consider this, okay?

2702
02:37:16,692 --> 02:37:17,442
Thank you very much.

2703
02:37:17,502 --> 02:37:18,162
Interesting.

2704
02:37:18,192 --> 02:37:19,512
I don't mean to put you on the spot, but-

2705
02:37:19,632 --> 02:37:20,202
That's okay.

2706
02:37:20,262 --> 02:37:20,412
Yeah.

2707
02:37:20,472 --> 02:37:21,102
That's okay. Thank you.

2708
02:37:21,162 --> 02:37:22,002
But we need you there.

2709
02:37:22,572 --> 02:37:22,812
Thank you.

2710
02:37:22,842 --> 02:37:23,802
Thank you very much.

2711
02:37:25,302 --> 02:37:29,742
Mary White. Yes.

2712
02:37:29,802 --> 02:37:30,372
Thanks, Pete.

2713
02:37:38,592 --> 02:37:42,793
Mary White, Summer Lane. Just very briefly, the next scheduled Board of Selectmen

2714
02:37:42,852 --> 02:37:48,522
meeting we heard is Thursday, November 5th. Election day is Tuesday, November 3rd.

2715
02:37:48,942 --> 02:37:54,912
I encourage everybody to get out and vote, and I say you can't complain unless

2716
02:37:54,942 --> 02:37:55,482
you get out and vote.

2717
02:37:55,543 --> 02:37:56,502
Absolutely. Thank you, Mary.

2718
02:37:56,562 --> 02:37:57,882
Don't forget, vote.

2719
02:37:57,942 --> 02:38:01,512
Thank you. Mary, I'm serious. You should start a town newspaper.

2720
02:38:01,572 --> 02:38:01,572
Okay.

2721
02:38:01,632 --> 02:38:05,592
You know more than anybody, and you go to these meetings.

2722
02:38:06,282 --> 02:38:10,752
You're incredibly diligent, you're capable, you're articulate, you're thoughtful.

2723
02:38:11,293 --> 02:38:14,863
You should start writing this down. You would have a lot of people who read it.

2724
02:38:14,922 --> 02:38:15,822
I'm totally serious.

2725
02:38:16,452 --> 02:38:16,992
I'll think about it.

2726
02:38:17,052 --> 02:38:21,162
And people would read you, and people would start to learn about what happens at

2727
02:38:21,192 --> 02:38:25,062
these meetings, and I think you'll find a lot of interested parties. Yeah.

2728
02:38:25,212 --> 02:38:28,392
There's plenty of opportunities, Mary, as you say, not only to vote on Election

2729
02:38:28,482 --> 02:38:29,742
Day, but for early voting.

2730
02:38:30,372 --> 02:38:30,522
Right.

2731
02:38:30,613 --> 02:38:32,232
And for-

2732
02:38:32,982 --> 02:38:36,793
You can also request your absentee ballot, I think, as of yesterday.

2733
02:38:36,852 --> 02:38:38,232
Yes. Absolutely.

2734
02:38:38,293 --> 02:38:39,312
And there's actually no-

2735
02:38:40,032 --> 02:38:40,302
No excuse

2736
02:38:40,332 --> 02:38:43,602
... for the first time, I think there's no-excuse absentee ballots as well.

2737
02:38:43,662 --> 02:38:47,772
So, there were reasons that you could get absentee ballots.

2738
02:38:47,863 --> 02:38:52,152
Now you can just request one. So those are all good points by Mary. Thank you.

2739
02:38:53,352 --> 02:38:57,702
I agree about Mary. I used to think of her as the fourth selectman.

2740
02:38:58,872 --> 02:39:03,342
She should be the town scribe. Absolutely. She'd have her own newspaper.

2741
02:39:03,402 --> 02:39:03,672
I love

2742
02:39:05,022 --> 02:39:05,082
it.

2743
02:39:05,142 --> 02:39:06,702
Sally Blamey, Five Blossom Drive.

2744
02:39:06,793 --> 02:39:10,512
I just wanted to give an update on the Revolutionary War plaque.

2745
02:39:10,962 --> 02:39:16,271
I wanted to thank Mr. Piper, who, when I was here last month, gave me the

2746
02:39:16,332 --> 02:39:21,462
suggestion of meeting with the Post 76, which I did meet with.

2747
02:39:21,672 --> 02:39:27,552
I was with you September 17th, and as a result of that meeting, we have a change

2748
02:39:27,613 --> 02:39:29,022
in the time of the

2749
02:39:30,732 --> 02:39:36,282
ceremony because the Post 76 guys, we were talking at last month's meeting

2750
02:39:36,793 --> 02:39:39,972
about it starting at 11:00, but the Post 76

2751
02:39:41,863 --> 02:39:46,363
members couldn't make it that early because they're tied up at the pancake

2752
02:39:46,422 --> 02:39:48,702
breakfast over at the middle school that morning.

2753
02:39:49,182 --> 02:39:55,092
So we are moving the Revolutionary War plaque to noon with the

2754
02:39:57,702 --> 02:40:00,942
regular veterans ceremony immediately thereafter.

2755
02:40:01,363 --> 02:40:04,092
So I wanted everyone to know about the one-hour change.

2756
02:40:04,332 --> 02:40:05,172
This is still on the second Sunday?

2757
02:40:05,202 --> 02:40:06,852
It's still on Sunday-

2758
02:40:07,002 --> 02:40:08,113
The 8th.

2759
02:40:08,172 --> 02:40:08,952
November 8th.

2760
02:40:09,012 --> 02:40:09,672
Yes. Okay.

2761
02:40:09,793 --> 02:40:13,272
On the green, but not at 11:00, at noon.

2762
02:40:13,302 --> 02:40:13,302
Mm-hmm.

2763
02:40:13,363 --> 02:40:19,212
And so, we definitely wanted to accommodate the veterans at

2764
02:40:19,722 --> 02:40:25,242
Murray Reynolds Post 76. So again, I thank Second Selectman Piper for suggesting

2765
02:40:25,632 --> 02:40:30,192
that I meet with them, and we had a great meeting. And again, great donuts.

2766
02:40:30,402 --> 02:40:30,972
So it was great.

2767
02:40:31,002 --> 02:40:33,222
Well, you've done a great job getting this

2768
02:40:35,262 --> 02:40:35,652
plaque-

2769
02:40:36,252 --> 02:40:37,752
Sorry, I don't understand.

2770
02:40:38,202 --> 02:40:40,032
Somebody's AI is taking over.

2771
02:40:40,752 --> 02:40:45,582
This plaque done. Completed, but also the movement of the other two plaques.

2772
02:40:46,302 --> 02:40:46,543
Yes.

2773
02:40:46,812 --> 02:40:49,392
And actually, I think what we did at the veterans meeting is,

2774
02:40:50,772 --> 02:40:55,092
or at the American Legion meeting, is the Veterans Day ceremony is really one

2775
02:40:55,182 --> 02:40:57,522
ceremony, and it starts off with the

2776
02:40:59,922 --> 02:41:03,793
plaque, but it's also part of the normal ceremony.

2777
02:41:04,152 --> 02:41:05,052
It's just really one-

2778
02:41:05,562 --> 02:41:05,652
Yes.

2779
02:41:05,712 --> 02:41:07,602
It's not two separate ceremonies. It's one big one.

2780
02:41:07,632 --> 02:41:08,832
We're going to do it as one-

2781
02:41:08,952 --> 02:41:09,043
As one

2782
02:41:09,043 --> 02:41:14,502
... with the regular, very poignant, we have it every year, the Veterans Day

2783
02:41:14,592 --> 02:41:19,092
ceremony led by commander of the Post 76.

2784
02:41:19,512 --> 02:41:24,102
So it'll start at noon. I just wanted to report that change.

2785
02:41:24,132 --> 02:41:29,832
And my final fundraising was $10,405, which,

2786
02:41:29,952 --> 02:41:35,652
after talking at, meeting at length with Finance Director Monaco, was

2787
02:41:35,712 --> 02:41:41,113
certainly enough to pay the $7,600 for the bronze plaque, as well as the

2788
02:41:41,142 --> 02:41:46,182
installation of not just the new Revolutionary War plaque, but the other two that

2789
02:41:46,242 --> 02:41:50,412
you already alluded to, the Civil War plaque and the World War I plaque, which will

2790
02:41:50,832 --> 02:41:56,412
join the Revolutionary War plaque on the back of the existing World War II

2791
02:41:56,442 --> 02:42:01,032
monument. So I was very happy to have been able to raise enough funds for the

2792
02:42:01,092 --> 02:42:05,952
installation of all three. And again, I thank all of the donors who I will be

2793
02:42:06,012 --> 02:42:08,322
thanking individually

2794
02:42:10,422 --> 02:42:14,382
in a list form at the ceremony. So, thank you.

2795
02:42:14,502 --> 02:42:17,442
Noon on Sunday, November 8th. Thank you.

2796
02:42:17,472 --> 02:42:17,982
Thank you, Sally.

2797
02:42:17,982 --> 02:42:20,502
Thank you. Thank you for all you accomplished for-

2798
02:42:20,652 --> 02:42:20,982
Yes.

2799
02:42:22,782 --> 02:42:24,102
And that's a major, I think,

2800
02:42:25,692 --> 02:42:29,863
a great addition to the town green based on what you're doing in terms of

2801
02:42:29,921 --> 02:42:30,491
remembering

2802
02:42:32,532 --> 02:42:38,113
residents of New Haven that were in the Revolution, and also now the Civil War and

2803
02:42:38,142 --> 02:42:38,802
World War I.

2804
02:42:39,492 --> 02:42:42,222
Yeah, there's a very old plaque, but now they'll be seen.

2805
02:42:43,002 --> 02:42:44,202
Where we actually know they're there.

2806
02:42:45,132 --> 02:42:45,222
Yes.

2807
02:42:45,252 --> 02:42:46,872
Great. Thank you. Thank you, Sally.

2808
02:42:46,932 --> 02:42:51,372
Good job. Okay, ladies and gentlemen, seeing no other public comment, the motion to

2809
02:42:51,432 --> 02:42:51,732
adjourn.

2810
02:42:53,172 --> 02:42:53,562
Second?

2811
02:42:54,432 --> 02:42:54,613
No.

2812
02:42:56,532 --> 02:42:57,072
I'll second.

2813
02:42:58,392 --> 02:42:59,712
All right. All those in favor?

2814
02:42:59,982 --> 02:43:00,222
Aye.

2815
02:43:00,252 --> 02:43:01,363
Aye. Thank you very much. Thank you.

2816
02:43:01,392 --> 02:43:02,232
Thank you, everybody.

2817
02:43:04,482 --> 02:43:07,632
The preceding program is brought to you in part through a grant from

2818
02:43:10,363 --> 02:43:11,742
the Town of North Haven.

2819
02:43:19,002 --> 02:43:20,142
Watch town meetings or

2820
02:43:20,202 --> 02:43:39,432
other

2821
02:43:39,522 --> 02:43:42,492
videos on demand at

2822
02:43:44,562 --> 02:43:45,132
nhtv.com.