[0:06] Okay. So I call the May 27th special meeting of NECOG to order. Thank you everyone for joining us today. We'll start with the previous meeting minutes approval.

[0:28] Do we have a motion or?

[0:31] I'll make a motion for you.

[0:33] It's pouring.

[0:34] I'll make a second or a motion whatever you need.

[0:37] So we have a motion by Rick in a second for morning to approve the minutes of the last meeting.

[0:42] Is there any discussion on those minutes?

[0:46] Okay.

[0:46] Hearing none.

[0:47] All in favor of approving the minutes of the last meeting.

[0:50] Say aye.

[0:54] Opposed.

[0:56] Obstained.

[0:58] Okay.

[0:58] They're approved.

[1:00] Public participation at this time, anyone that would like to speak from the audience will have a couple of minutes to share with us.

[1:11] If you can raise your hand or put in chat that you want to talk, we'll know.

[1:21] Brian, David, David, hi, Brianna from Senator Murphy's office. I meant to raise my hands that I

[1:29] collapsed, so I'll just open up and I'm just happening again. Anyway, so thank you for letting me

[1:36] have a few moments to check today. What I wanted to just give a little brief on is just letting you know

[1:42] that the Senate is moving forward

[1:46] with congressional directed spending requests.

[1:50] So that is formerly known as earmarks in the past,

[1:53] but also known as community project funding

[1:56] in the House of Representatives,

[1:58] so I'm sure that you've heard

[2:00] implement that in the last month or two

[2:03] from Congressman Courtney's office,

[2:06] but I wanted to make sure you knew

[2:07] about Senator Murphy's process.

[2:09] So, there are about 30 plus spending accounts that the Senate can submit requests for, so these are projects that your town might be sitting on the shelf ready to get down.

[2:35] Not

[2:38] a problem. Not a problem at all it happens all the time. So things that are sitting on the shelf ready to get done and then for towns but then also for community organization. So if you have, you know, a nonprofit in your town that is in need of funding for certain program.

[2:59] Um, um, but are doing way to get some fun for some fun for that. Then, um, that is something that they would be able to put forth a request for. Um, there's no guarantee that it will be requested. And then finally, when the bill is there, um, that will even receive funding wants to get to the final bill. But this is something that, you know, we're soliciting requests for. And I wanted to make sure that you knew because the senator wants to prioritize.

[3:30] You know, underserved communities, which I, you know, consider the quiet corner to be.

[3:35] So if there's any specific questions, you know, feel free to let me know, open my email in the chat.

[3:41] And I'll also drop the file, but send it to Mickey as well.

[3:44] Oh, I sent it to Mickey and John yesterday, but I'll plot the file in the chat if you don't already have it and put my email there as well.

[3:54] So so that's sort of a quick and dirty rundown of

[3:58] of our process.

[4:02] Thank you.

[4:04] Next I call on a caffeine rider from access.

[4:10] Hello, everyone. Good morning.

[4:13] So two pieces of information.

[4:14] One of them moving very, very quickly and one of them moving a bit slower.

[4:17] So the very first quick one is that access community action agency is working with

[4:22] three of the most local health districts, eastern highlands, north central and northeast health districts

[4:27] on vaccination education outreach. So we are accesses working as if you will the boots on the ground,

[4:34] not that there aren't lots of boots on the ground, but yet again another agency. So if

[4:39] you have opportunities in your communities where we could show up to do some vaccination education,

[4:47] I'll put my contact in the chat as well. Please email me directly. We do have an outreach navigator,

[4:56] And so what I would be doing is passing that information or your contact to her and then she will be making that connection in your community.

[5:05] The other thing that's moving slower, but it is moving is that we are trying to increase our capacity in our mobile food bank food pantry distribution.

[5:15] I know I've talked to a couple of you specifically about your communities.

[5:20] And if you haven't heard anything back from me yet, I apologize it's not that we're not working on it, it is just moving a little slower.

[5:27] So I think the thing I would say here is that if you are a community that has a need for a mobile distribution event on a monthly, let's say twice a month basis, if there's a specific census track, if there's a group quarters sort of community like a senior.

[5:45] So Rick today, we are going to Salem village, for example, just to see what happens when we go there.

[5:54] Not a true pop-up, but almost a pop-up mobile pantry delivery.

[5:58] And we've been doing that in a couple of other communities.

[6:01] So if you know of a place that you'd like our van to show up, again, same contact, same information, just send me an email.

[6:08] And our mobile coordinator will be in touch with whomever you ask me to be in touch with to help set that up.

[6:13] And thank you so much.

[6:16] Thank you.

[6:17] Next I call on Ellen Graham.

[6:21] Great. Thank you. It's Ellen Graham from Senator Blumenthal's office. I just wanted to quickly

[6:27] piggyback on what Brianna said. Senator Blumenthal's office deadline for the

[6:35] Directed spending is June 7th.

[6:38] I emailed out the link to it last week to everyone,

[6:41] but what I'll do is I'll just put it in the chat along with my email.

[6:46] And you can let me know if you have any questions.

[6:48] Thanks.

[6:49] Thank you very much.

[6:51] Anyone else?

[6:53] Okay.

[6:54] Hearing none, we're moving on to the director's report.

[6:58] Okay.

[6:59] Thank you.

[6:59] I'll just share my screen and give me my usual slides, where is it?

[7:11] They're not working.

[7:17] Well,

[7:19] it's not working.

[7:21] So I'll just talk through it.

[7:23] With the transit district, we're considering we are continuing to see the rise.

[7:30] In ridership, despite the fact that we are still operating with social distancing within our buses. And as you probably know, our buses are quite small. So really the maximum we can have in the bus at any one time is five. So in April, we jumped up from to 1930 rides from about 1600 to month before and we're on track to beat that here in May. So that's what we're doing.

[8:00] That's a positive sign to keep trending upward.

[8:03] We still have to operate with the limited capacity.

[8:08] We will be with all of our runs on weekends.

[8:11] If you heard the governor's announcement yesterday,

[8:14] be operating for free.

[8:17] So there'll be no fairs on weekends during this summer.

[8:21] Our elderly disabled runs.

[8:24] Continue at a low number.

[8:25] But that again is related to social distancing and the pandemic.

[8:32] The bright spot in transit right now is the Plainfield bus service.

[8:37] April 2141 rides and if you go back to our first month of operation that's 125% increase over that time.

[8:48] And already for May, it looks like we will surpass the April numbers.

[8:55] So each month is trended quite well with that run.

[9:00] And so that pilot is going well.

[9:03] We've seen no bleeps in that.

[9:05] And that's 241 with the social distancing

[9:07] and those limitations on the ride.

[9:10] So I think there's reason to be optimistic that we're going

[9:15] to be able to solidify this run.

[9:18] But maybe I'm a little early on in the pilot on that.

[9:22] But it looks good to me as far as that goes.

[9:27] The animal service program, as we've said in the past,

[9:33] really the pandemic said, no impact on what we've done other

[9:37] than adoptions are very solid and the kennel population

[9:44] is quite low pretty consistently.

[9:47] And we haven't seen any change in that with things

[9:52] getting better with the pandemic, but we'll see how that goes. Nor would should be coming on

[9:59] in July so that will change our total numbers quite a bit and Scotland will also be joining us

[10:06] on July 1st as a member of the program.

[10:12] The paramedic numbers pretty consistent with how they've

[10:16] we spend we're up to now 747 total transports through April,

[10:25] the crumbling foundations.

[10:29] We've now through the Connecticut Foundation Solutions and Demnity Company,

[10:34] which Nikog is a part of, have completed 309 foundations and at an average cost of $155,000.

[10:45] We are trying very hard to get legislation through to move the sunset date, which is June 30th of 2022.

[10:56] Move that forward for another 10 or more years and get better and more access to funding because we have close to 550 pending claimants.

[11:08] So the need far exceeds the funds that are out there.

[11:15] As you all know, the legislature is coming into its home stretch, and they have a backlog

[11:22] of bills, which is not surprising, including the budget.

[11:29] And many of the pieces of legislation that we're waiting on are kind of being held up

[11:37] the budget, including the new funding formula for the cogs.

[11:45] Just a mention on housing since we've talked about that a lot.

[11:48] One of the housing bills, House Bill 61-07, in a very watered down fashion, was passed

[11:57] in the house and is now pending in the Senate.

[12:02] At the end of the day, I don't think it really changes the playing field all that much,

[12:06] But it's a little more involved than we can get into in this meeting

[12:12] and I'll send out a summary of that, whether it can pass or not in the Senate.

[12:17] I don't know.

[12:20] And I will be sending you document from the Office of Physical Analysis

[12:25] from the Legislature.

[12:27] They have been doing a running update on their interpretation of the American Rescue Plan.

[12:34] And it's impact on the state and towns and cities.

[12:41] And I'll send you this chart that I had pulled from there

[12:45] and isolated what they think is your funds.

[12:48] And just to go over them, the county payments share

[12:54] for our 16 towns equals about $18.5 million.

[12:59] or about a hundred and twenty or about a hundred and ninety-four dollars per capita.

[13:05] The town, the direct town money is about 9.4 million.

[13:09] So it's about 27.9 million dollars for the NECOG region under the American Rescue Plan.

[13:18] So a lot of money, as you know, and as many of you have asked me, what are the details?

[13:24] How do we spend the money?

[13:26] That's still kind of trickling out, so I don't have an answer for you on that, that goes.

[13:35] But we did discuss a little bit at the Executive Committee that we're looking at perhaps

[13:42] some regional programs.

[13:44] We do have the environmental depot that we've talked about in the recent past, a regional

[13:50] tree hazard program, do you have a need to update the animal shelter, GIS layers that we

[13:58] don't have now, for town boundaries, structures, trails and more land record modernization.

[14:08] That's my thing, so, and also, you know, we continue our work with, we're going to start

[14:15] with Chaplin's housing plan, Brooklyn's plan of development, including a house, a big housing

[14:21] element. Union's POCD is pretty much done. And Canterbury should be wrapping up soon for that work

[14:29] that we're doing.

[14:32] So that I conclude my report, unless there's any questions.

[14:40] Okay, does anyone have any questions for John regarding his report, Rick?

[14:45] Do you have a breakdown by town of the county money?

[14:51] Yes, that's what I had here that I wanted to show.

[14:54] Okay.

[14:54] Thanks for instance Brooklyn is 1.6 million.

[14:57] Thanks for getting to their best estimate.

[15:02] Again, they've got a lot of disclaimers on that. That's how they've calculated it based on their interpretation

[15:10] of the act and it could be plus or minus. So, you know, it's anybody's guess. But I will send that

[15:24] That sheet out because the county money is basically double what the town money is.

[15:38] Another question.

[15:39] Just to use Brooklin's example, you have a total total town funds.

[15:43] There's 2.4 million in round numbers.

[15:47] And you look at a plain field as 4.4 million.

[15:51] So it's real money,

[15:55] but again,

[15:58] the details of how to use it as a town, how to use it if you were to share it.

[16:04] I know I'm getting calls, you're probably getting calls from different groups saying, can I have 1% 2%.

[16:10] I'm not even sure folks are asking that question, no, 1% even equals.

[16:14] But this can't blame for trying.

[16:26] You know, there was guidance from the Treasury Department.

[16:29] It's a 151 pages of stuff.

[16:32] CCM is working on that as several of you know.

[16:35] I think they I've just told they have another meeting tomorrow on this.

[16:40] To try to watch out some more details so.

[16:44] Stay tuned.

[16:51] Any other questions?

[16:54] Okay.

[16:55] Moving on to discussion in action items.

[16:57] American Rescue Plan Act, which we're just talking about too.

[17:03] Yeah, I guess we kind of talked about that one.

[17:06] Okay, so we can move on and unless there's anything else on that, we can move on.

[17:10] There's no regional referrals. So we have step-and-momments.

[17:15] Yep, step-and-momments. Yeah, step-and-momments or actions.

[17:25] We have three, you can plot photo if you wish. Yep.

[17:28] So I'll make a motion. It's Nicholson. I'll make a motion that we approve the three stipenden says proposed.

[17:38] Okay, you'll also.

[17:40] Okay, so we have a motion in a second to approve the three stipendenments as proposed.

[17:48] Are there any discussion on these?

[17:51] No, okay. All in favor of approving the three stipendenments as proposed say aye.

[17:58] Okay, I guess or stained. Okay, so they're approved. Next, we have resolution 5121.

[18:14] Did we want to do all these separate or I just explain this one quickly. This is

[18:23] requirement from the Department of Transportation,

[18:26] as part of our upcoming work plan with them

[18:34] to delegation of authority for me to sign agreements with them.

[18:40] So it's pretty much a pro-forma but required action.

[18:49] And a copy was sent to all of you.

[18:51] Yeah.

[18:55] Do we want to vote on the resolution separately?

[18:58] The E can be withdrawn because we don't that was put there in error on my part.

[19:08] The environmental justice title six environmental justice plan is the same as we've had previously

[19:14] the changes in the numbers, which aren't a lot of change, and we have sent you last week a request

[19:29] on extending the KB ambulance paramedic agreement by another year with at a $10 increase per transport.

[19:43] And they've done a terrific job with us.

[19:47] And we just, with a pandemic, didn't have time to really go

[19:50] through the proper RFP process for all.

[19:55] Looking at a new vendor, but as I pointed out in the previous

[19:59] communication on this, the previous vendors were all 30

[20:06] plus dollars more than what this increase amounts to. So we're still at $10 increase. We're still

[20:16] at about the 1998 level and with the hospital subsidy, you'll be somewhere in the $80 per

[20:24] transport for those of you that have anything that the hospitals have money for. Tracy, if I could

[20:32] I have to certify the resolution 5121 on the vote, so I'd like to do that separately and not as a block.

[20:40] Okay. Okay.

[20:42] So we'll start with the resolution 5121.

[20:46] Motion to approve 5121.

[20:49] Second.

[20:50] Okay. So motion's been made in second into approve 5121.

[20:54] Is there any discussion?

[20:56] Okay. All in favor of approving resolution 5121 say aye.

[21:02] Hi. Hi. I opposed of stained. Okay. Resolution 521 passes. So we have five resolution 53221.

[21:17] Motion to approve. Second.

[21:19] Okay. So motion's been made and seconded to approve 53221 all in favor or any discussion.

[21:27] All in favor say aye.

[21:29] All right. Opposed of stained. Resolution 5321 passes. Resolution 5421 for the paramedic agreement.

[21:41] Oh, should that prove? Second. Okay, so motions been motion to approve has been made in seconded as any discussion.

[21:50] Okay, all in favor to approve resolution 5421 say aye.

[21:55] Hi.

[21:56] Hi.

[21:57] I'm opposed.

[21:58] Obstained.

[22:00] I have an H. I'd like to table and do it in June.

[22:06] Okay.

[22:08] So then we're on to item I.

[22:10] The unified plan.

[22:15] This is our two year work plan with the Department of Transportation that outlines what we'll be doing.

[22:22] in terms of transportation planning and project planning and assistance and working with.

[22:30] The department, and it's a renewal. If you will, and action is necessary here to move that forward so we can secure that with them and the funding that goes with it. You've been, you've received that previously and we've discussed it previously.

[22:56] Nicholson, I'll make the motion to approve.

[23:00] Okay, it'll second.

[23:02] Okay, so motion's been made in seconded to approve the 2021-23 unified planning work program.

[23:09] Is there any discussion?

[23:11] Okay. All in favor of approving say aye.

[23:15] All right.

[23:17] Opposed.

[23:20] Next,

[23:24] we move on to the 2021-22 work plan discussion.

[23:33] You've all received this as pretty much at this stage.

[23:37] We've not put the budget numbers in there just the programs projects we'll be working on in the coming year.

[23:46] There's several new ones in there and pretty much want to just...

[23:51] It doesn't need a motion, but solidify that, if folks have questions now, or they can ask me later,

[24:02] and modify that will be taking final action on it sometime in June,

[24:07] or when we know what the final disposition of the state budget is, which has a bunch of our funding in it,

[24:15] so that's where the number is going to get to eat.

[24:17] but as far as the narrative goes,

[24:21] it's an a fairly refined form of this stage.

[24:28] Certainly discussion on this there.

[24:32] No, okay.

[24:33] So moving on to executive session

[24:37] to discuss the executive directors

[24:40] and employment contract renewal.

[24:42] So I have a motion to move into executive session

[24:45] and second.

[24:50] Second.

[24:52] So, motion's been made in seconded to move into executive session. All in favor.

[25:00] Hi.

[25:02] A post.

[25:04] I'm staying.

[25:07] Now, we have to ask that we have to.

[25:10] I'm going to stop the recording.

[25:12] Move the people that are not members.

[25:15] Welcome.

[25:16] We didn't have it from before.

[25:18] Yeah.

[25:19] There you go.

[25:24] This state the time we came out looked like 859.

[25:27] It's $15.

[25:29] Yeah.

[25:30] That could be the shortest executive session.

[25:33] The quietest too.

[25:37] I'll make a motion that we extend the contract of the executive director as presented.

[25:44] Nicholson out second.

[25:46] Thanks.

[25:46] So, the motion's been made and seconded to accept the Appalignment Employment Contract for John Philcheck as the Executive Director for NECOC.

[25:58] So, is there any discussion?

[26:01] All right. All in favor of accepting the Employment Agreement say aye.

[26:05] Aye.

[26:07] Opposed.

[26:09] Abstentions.

[26:12] So, welcome back.

[26:13] I see that. I'm going to put up with you for three years John. I don't know if I'll be hit that long.

[26:20] Oh, it's four now. Oh, no. Oh, yeah, that's right.

[26:25] You didn't really define print.

[26:27] That's it.

[26:31] Usually everything burning.

[26:34] I don't think so.

[26:37] All right. So I guess we're on to the round table now.

[26:41] Yeah, I don't know where everybody, I, you get people back, but you know, like I said,

[26:47] that American Rescue Plan is turning into an absolute nightmare for some time, especially

[26:52] to smaller towns. I'm looking at what, at least we can use it for water and soar and some

[26:58] fiber optics that we brought over to the town hall, I hope. And, and last revenue, when we had

[27:04] So when is the off track betten up at the black dog for lost revenue and MS4 we're definitely going to use it for MS4 and nose items but other than that, there's no other things that I can read right now, I started reading at 153 page document and put me to sleep so.

[27:29] know. I don't know if anybody else has had any thoughts about it. Well, I mean, you've

[27:35] got $2.7 million dollars coming burning. Right. No, 2,2 million, 774,000. I think

[27:41] it, the bottom line. Yeah. It's phenomenal. I know. It's like, I could use it for bridges and

[27:48] roads. I can tell you that much, but use it for that, you know. So I can do some upgrades to

[27:56] water treatment facility? Yeah, we have a matter of fact we're open,

[28:01] Bids to staff to new generators and maintenance building. And we thought the

[28:10] Bids had come in at about 2.1.3 and 1.5. And I know it's going to come in two

[28:17] to 400,000 dollars more because of the rice and in just products, you know. So the

[28:25] One thing I did find out that I failed to mention before that fiscal analysis is saying now is that the

[28:35] The ones will be distributed 60 days from the state certifying to the federal Department of Treasury that

[28:43] How you're going to use the funds, but then they're only going to issue 50%

[28:50] from what I can read here and they're going to withhold the other 50% until they can then

[28:55] certify at the other end of the project that you did correctly.

[28:59] Right.

[29:00] So you may be voting some cash out there.

[29:05] I kind of read that too, John, and the thing is we still got to wait for a great

[29:10] But I just like it to even act upon the direct payment, you know, that that's before the

[29:18] legislature and that, well, the county one's going to come through OPM to it seems.

[29:23] Yeah, it's going to come through OPM.

[29:25] I don't know if it, yeah, that's the way I'm reading it.

[29:28] I was hoping it'd come right to us, so we don't have to worry about the OPM, but it looks

[29:32] like it's going through OPM.

[29:35] Would there be a way to do a regional cooperative thing?

[29:38] I mean, a lot of small towns like Jacqueline, I mean, I can think of a few public safety things that I can spend the money on, maybe they would qualify.

[29:46] I think it's clear, it's clear that you can do with do something regionally or to a third party.

[29:54] What my concern is on that is.

[30:00] The reporting requirements on this seem to be pretty, pretty onerous individually for the town. So say, just theoretically, you did something with knee cog and you 16 towns contribute that it appears to me when I read it that each town would have to do their individual reporting. And we're going to have to do it. And then so it becomes a kind of a bureaucratic morass. And if you're subcontractors, screws up, you're on the hook.

[30:31] So there's a lot of details there that need to be just flushed out before you know you give like I was saying earlier you know the 1% to the health department and 2% to the food bank and you know that are coming forward now which is the ones he Tuesday deals.

[30:50] Yeah. The reporting still comes back to you if I understand it, right? Not on the fact that you said,

[30:57] okay, Nikog or any D.A., your access or whoever you get, you go ahead and use part of our money.

[31:05] I'm kind of agreeing with you, John. I've been looking at it and trying to read and understand it.

[31:10] You know, I take what most people don't know to report and it's going to be

[31:20] small cities grant, the best I can tell.

[31:25] And you know what that involves.

[31:28] You probably have to hire two people to do the paperwork.

[31:32] Well that's the thing that is,

[31:36] depending on the town, you may not have the internal capacity to properly manage it.

[31:46] I think listed it on some of those telecon's talking about this, the most telling question

[31:52] I've heard is some municipalities have been asking is there a way they can refuse the

[31:56] money?

[31:58] Because it is going to be tremendously difficult, I think, to comply with all the mandates

[32:05] as they are now.

[32:06] Maybe they'll make it easier on us who knows.

[32:08] There's also the discussion nationally because the states are so flush almost to a state

[32:18] that they may take and load the amount of awards to the counties and towns switch it

[32:29] the infrastructure bill as a way to compromise on that nationally. So the 1.9 trillion or whatever

[32:38] this is and drop that number down and put it into part of it into the infrastructure bill.

[32:44] That would be much better for all our communities, I think, John, because we all got infrastructure

[32:49] problems that we could deal with. What they want you to deal with it and a lot of towns don't have

[32:56] water and soil plants you know that they can't spend some of the money they just don't have

[33:02] the personnel nor the whereabouts to do it, period.

[33:08] And also with that bill sort of floating

[33:11] out there in the future probably is a good idea that do update whatever capital improvement plans

[33:18] you have and maybe look beyond them because if you're going to get a I don't know if you want to

[33:26] a windfall on infrastructure, but when they start asking for a shelf, so-called shovel-ready projects,

[33:34] you don't want to be scrambling. I know you had to do that Kevin with that trail projects,

[33:39] you know, with the recent one, but the more you can kind of have those ideas a little more

[33:44] fleshed out and better estimates. I think the stronger the case is going to be when they say,

[33:49] Okay, what do you got, and, you know, what's your mountain, be ready to roll?

[33:58] Yeah, that's what I'm doing with bridges, John, design and bridges and repairs and everything

[34:04] to any bridges that we can identify, we're trying to identify and have shovel-ready projects.

[34:11] So, it's that simple, you know, and that was, you know, the item that I table, there was, the metro regions have what's called, they have their own transportation improvement plan, where they go through a formal process, where they're identifying projects, they're putting them through a kind of an initial review and then

[34:40] belonging those in so that when the opportunity comes up,

[34:43] they can move quicker on them.

[34:45] As a rural region, we're not, we don't have that requirement,

[34:49] we've never done it.

[34:51] And so it may be well to use our resources and your resources

[34:59] to start identifying everything from trails to bridges,

[35:04] whatever, into this whole thing,

[35:10] just in case,

[35:10] because if you go back to those that you were around

[35:14] when President Obama put the R.A.

[35:18] back in 08, most places weren't ready for.

[35:23] And a lot of that money just went back.

[35:26] I can tell you, the transit district gave back

[35:29] a quarter of a million dollars that we had

[35:30] because we simply weren't prepared to act as quickly

[35:34] as they wanted us to.

[35:44] So if they, you know, it'll probably take them a year

[35:46] before they figure it out.

[35:49] I hope it takes me a year that way we got a year to figure out what to do.

[36:00] Well, you know, right now, I don't, you know, do you think you guys currently could spend 27.9 million dollars?

[36:09] I know you could in downtown, you know, fund them, but, you know.

[36:15] We could spend if not within the constraints that this money is being given to us, it's like

[36:20] like the Pinocchio grain.

[36:22] It's got so many strings on it, huh?

[36:25] Whatever.

[36:26] I'll park it.

[36:26] I'll park it into the interest bearing account when it shows up and reap the benefits while

[36:31] I'm trying to figure out how to spend it.

[36:34] That's another question on it too, or you will allow to do that.

[36:39] Yeah, the answer on the I heard the answer on that was maybe so maybe to me. Is it me? It's sort of a yes

[36:46] With conditions

[36:48] I'll

[36:50] Measiness

[36:53] I'll make probably the most important thing Barney. I haven't cut my area. So oh my gosh, I oh, you look at better better every day

[37:04] Other important thing I think to look at is because you guys are being asked from a lot of

[37:09] groups for cash, we're getting a portion of it.

[37:13] When I send you the thing from OFA and if you look at the governor's plan which the legislature

[37:22] still has to act on and modify however they wish.

[37:30] Those groups are getting direct funding. It's not like they're being left out of it. So health districts are getting funding, for instance, for certain things. And a lot of the housing and human service areas are getting funding.

[37:54] So

[37:55] So I just want to make sure you're not somebody who's not doubling up on you.

[38:01] Well, I mean, if you look at the federal pay.org, if anybody goes there and sees what business

[38:07] has got in the first round, it'd be shot.

[38:11] I don't know if anybody has gone through that and look at the PPE payments, it's just unbelievable

[38:17] amount of money that in the town of Putnam, I think we got $8.000 million for restaurants

[38:25] and businesses throughout the towns for COVID-19.

[38:31] If you, it's amazing when you go to that federal pay.org and look up the new PPE payments.

[38:40] For your town, all you do is go down the scroll down a little bit and they'll give you the

[38:44] state and then you put it in a zip code and you go search and you'll find out what

[38:48] business is a paint of funding loan and grant. Just to give you an idea, I

[38:56] talked to one owner and he goes, money shows. I got so much money. I don't know what

[39:01] to do. So what I did is I took the M money and I can't justify it somewhere

[39:05] to take a 3% loan and I paid off my 8% loan with the bank. Now I'm paying

[39:12] three percent. He goes, you can't beat it. You know, that's how flush to some of this money is.

[39:21] It's, yeah.

[39:24] John, did you ever look at that federal pay dog?

[39:27] I haven't looked at that, but I know, you know, the lot of money flowed and a lot of money is going

[39:32] to flow through this thing through different, you know, different avenues. And I guess the other

[39:39] thing I'm concerned about with it is, this is three years of cash.

[39:46] At the end of the day,

[39:48] at the end of the fourth year, are you going to have to then find the money to carry on something?

[39:56] Does it end up resulting in an increase in some kind of commitment on your part? Maybe you want to

[40:02] do it, maybe you don't. So I think you got to be very careful with it, but there's certainly

[40:09] You know, we talked a bit about the environmental depot idea, which is a big ticket item, but it would be a big benefit to the region.

[40:22] Yes, for today.

[40:25] Thank you.

[40:25] You got to look for those that are going to have impacts.

[40:28] We've had meetings on, you know, the recycling crisis and those costs are going up.

[40:35] But it doesn't seem to be changing with China and if we can come up with a solution locally,

[40:40] I mean, all the better.

[40:44] So, I don't know.

[40:46] We got to be creative with it.

[40:51] Yeah, and hope we don't have to pay it back.

[40:55] I think you know, use it right, Barney.

[40:57] I know it.

[40:58] I think that's the thing.

[40:59] I mean, the strings that are being attached to read someone, you know, the paperwork that might be involved,

[41:06] It's just astronomical, so we gotta really take a hard look at it.

[41:10] I think it's going to be something that it's going to take us a year to figure out what to do.

[41:16] Well, you probably aren't going to have a year.

[41:19] And you know, it's going to trigger a federal single audit in the state single audit,

[41:23] which maybe you already have.

[41:25] But yeah, it's going to cost you, it will cost you something.

[41:31] Oh, yeah, absolutely.

[41:32] And they just went across, if you don't have that person, that's administering the

[41:36] use to like, you know, small cities, block grants to a net for you internally, or, you

[41:44] know, like, Section 8 housing, something that's already a complex program.

[41:49] Some of you have, you know, playing field, but them have those Thompson.

[41:54] But if you, you know, you have a little bit of that in Valentine, but you probably subcontract

[42:01] that all out. Yeah, and she just retired. Yeah. You know, if you're a union, David, I think

[42:08] you know, that this could be a real challenge even for a small amount of money. Or Ashford,

[42:15] or, you know, Eastford, Hampton. Yeah.

[42:22] So, you know, it's not, yeah, it's a lot of money

[42:25] and you go, oh, that's great.

[42:28] Details.

[42:30] Hey, John, when you're going to open your offices,

[42:32] have people come in.

[42:34] Soon, I'm working that out.

[42:36] I mean, one of the challenges I got is,

[42:39] I've got to see the eight or nine individuals

[42:44] who have not, and will not get vaccinated.

[42:48] And then they wear mask all the time.

[42:52] And so, you know, you've got,

[42:54] And then you've got the concerns of the people that are going into that situation.

[42:59] So we're just being deliberate and working that through, but I've got to get it back

[43:07] in place.

[43:09] I think for the foreseeable future, we're going to have to, our room is just too small in

[43:14] the back, because see if we can put a towns that we can, they have a big enough room.

[43:23] But our board meetings on the road because I'd like to get it back away from Zoom and in person.

[43:30] Well, we welcome here.

[43:32] Yeah, by mid August, I'll have a look at a fruit for everybody.

[43:36] Yeah, we got to be here in Canterbury, so.

[43:39] Yeah, you got a nice place to work.

[43:41] Yep.

[43:41] I will come down and let's get you haircut.

[43:44] Now I'm not getting my haircut, Barney.

[43:46] I think I can have a ponytail next time you're here.

[43:49] We got a big room up there in Union, but you got to spend the night up and start, you know,

[43:54] the servers make the trip.

[43:57] That's important.

[43:58] Barney, do you think we can all fit in your new office?

[44:02] What's that?

[44:03] I said, do you think we can all fit in your new office?

[44:05] My office is smaller now in the new place than I have now.

[44:10] But you're more than welcome to see come see the Taj Mahal.

[44:17] We've actually had pretty good. Actually, when we've done meetings on the road, I think it's been good for, you know, to see another town hall and all that.

[44:27] So moving around actually has some benefits. We'll probably, you know, still have to have a remote option with that.

[44:36] So what a couple of the cogs have used before the pandemic that seems like a good product

[44:42] is a thing called awal.

[44:44] Anybody familiar with that?

[44:46] That's a 60 camera that can enhance a, you know,

[44:50] we can play basically pop in the middle of the meeting and so we're not.

[44:56] People have more understanding of who's talking and better record.

[45:01] That's 800 bucks, which isn't bad. But yeah, we're moving to reopen soon.

[45:19] The masks will be there.

[45:24] Hopefully the transit thing can reopen too, because it's one thing to do that with a Connecticut transit bus that holds 60 some people.

[45:33] But when you're in a 15 pass in your bus and you know, you've got a hold of back you five is the max and any of our buses.

[45:46] And that does create some issues.

[45:55] Well, we almost write from motion to adjourn.

[46:02] Second.

[46:04] I'll check in that.

[46:06] All in favor of adjourning.

[46:10] Hi.

[46:11] I'm always abstained.

[46:13] All right.

[46:13] Have a good day.

[46:14] Thank you.

[46:18] Bye.

[46:20] Bye.

[46:26] Bye.

Untitled meeting

Transcript