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Educating, informing, serving. Fact TV, keeping government honest.

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Well, I believe I'm sitting in. All right.

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Can Glenn call you, Elijah, and discuss this with his friends? Sure.

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Directly, rather than- Yeah ... go through us and just you talking.

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If we had a couple of light poles get struck by vehicles, and the

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engineer drawing originally where it was going to go originally, I think

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Glenn looked at it and said, "That's just going to get hit by a car,"

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and I just had to make some adjustments.

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I think you need to talk to Glenn directly and see what he's doing.

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Yeah, I just, I wanted to get it on public record-

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Yeah

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... because sometimes things get brushed aside.

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I just, I don't want to have that happen.

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Thank you. Nice. And duly noted. Pat.

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Yeah. I just wanted to remind everyone that, as a justice of the peace,

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we have a vote coming up in November, and we all should've received ballots.

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They were mailed out. I know I got mine a couple of days ago.

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So, um, please use that ballot either by dropping it off at the town

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clerk or in the ballot box outside the building, or bring it with you to the polls.

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Because when we mail the ballots, we don't have a lot of ballots usually

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at the Masonic Temple. So, like last time, I think we had to get some

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printed over at the library because we ran out of ballots.

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Hmm. It's okay.

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Use the ballot that you were mailed, bring it back with you when you go to turn it

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in. And if you do mail it in, make sure, I think you have to sign things inside,

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and make sure you do that, follow the procedure so that the ballot is good.

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Now, that's only for state offices. It's not the presidential ballot. No.

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What?

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This ballot we got.

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Yeah.

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It's not for the-

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I know, but that's the upcoming election.

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All right. Well, I'm just asking you, is that the way it's supposed to be?

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Yes.

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Okay.

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All of the ballots were sent out to make sure that they were-

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All the state ballots. I understand.

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All the ballots were sent out. The Secretary of State wants to make sure that-

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Right

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... we have our ballots and that people use mail-in and other

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options. And if someone needs to have their ballot picked up by the

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JPs, they should contact the town clerk, and she'll make arrangements for two JPs

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to go out and pick up their ballot.

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So who mails out the presidential and national ballot? This is...

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I don't think this is the- This has nothing to do with it. Okay. Sorry.

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I have a question related to, I've had my hand up for a bit.

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Oh, sorry. Go ahead, Delilah.

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Back on what Elijah was speaking about.

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I think it's all well and good that he reached out to Glenn to get the information

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directly from Glenn. As a new select board member,

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I would appreciate an update on that project from Glenn when he's back from

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vacation and to understand how things have changed and where it

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stands now as far as the timeline and the budget and the design

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questions that Elijah had.

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So Glenn returns on Thursday, this coming Thursday? Glenn returns. Oh, sorry.

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Glenn. Oh, Glenn returns on Thursday? That's what I know. Okay.

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So would you be willing to

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tweak the issue- We're supposed to get together to organize budgets, so I'll

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ask him. Okay. All right, so there's some follow-up on that.

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Okay. And returning, I think we wrapped up the ballot question.

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Yeah, I just wanted to make sure that people got their ballots.

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They should have gotten it in the mail, and to use those ballots for voting and

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bring them in if they go to the Masonic Temple or mail them or whatever.

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Excellent.

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Aaron, managers report. Yes, I have one thing to make. Mm-hmm.

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It's actually

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work progress. So for the one Center Street

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issue that's been ongoing, this is the superior court's

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contempt proceeding that

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was completed, and the motion was signed and ordered.

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So he has 30 days, and then after that,

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we'll have an opportunity to go in if we deem that the proper course.

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Yes. So one of the key things we talk about in department meetings for things like

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this is do we have a budget and should we have a budget.

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So when we go into the budget cycle later on in the meeting,

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a couple of these things we should earmark in terms of

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brush trimming is something that the

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trustees are very interested in for their budget. Mm-hmm.

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You might take note of that. And also,

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addressing these kinds of things, either through legal means or through

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actual cleanup, using a contractor to come in and clean things up, that will

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continue to be a conversation item. Has Mr. Benchwick been informed of this decree?

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Well, it came out on the 2nd,

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and we've all received it and passed it around.

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So the court has said the clock is ticking, and we're just waiting now.

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I can't speak for Mr. Benchwick.

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All right. So, you have further items for your report? No, sir.

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We have quite a few other things to go through, so I'm keeping it short for you.

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All right. I've got a quick question for you. Yeah.

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The Atkinson Street-School Street intersection project has been delayed for multi

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years. We got a pretty good-sized grant for it, or we were about to.

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It's been scaled back. I don't want to get into the details right now, but if you

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could find out what's up with that. Atkinson and School Street? Yeah.

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Gary knows about the grant funding.

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And again, I will bring up the question of the town report.

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In the past, I remember Megan

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spent hours and hours and hours on it. It's a process that has to begin about now.

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And I know you're in the process of some hiring.

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Would that fall under the purview of the new employee?

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Well, we have Alyssa online. She's back from vacation. She was two weeks away.

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Okay. And she and I put together the budget cycle before she left, and we've mapped

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out all the dates for when everything is due.

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So it's going to be a collaborative team effort.

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All the department heads are going to send their information in with

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all the budget work we'll have to get done. Mm-hmm.

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And then probably myself and two or three of the other staff will work on

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the report itself. Okay, because it was a lot of chasing people down who don't turn

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their stuff in, one has to. Thank you. All right, sure.

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Any other questions for the manager about his report or any other issues that would

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involve the manager?

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Okay, thank you. The consent agenda.

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And Delilah, you had raised some questions by email about the consent agenda.

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Do you mind if I read what you have? Or has everyone seen it? Well, I updated it.

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Oh, good. So that's something that could be of interest.

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And Amy's not here to give us her expertise, so we may have to table

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some of that, but-

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Did another packet come out or?

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I was just explaining.

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Where was-

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I think it was handed out. Was it- I'm just explaining now. Mm-hmm.

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So we have the agenda up. The agenda's online.

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And because the consent agenda is broken out from the actual

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agenda,

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and Delilah had some questions about could we itemize which minutes were getting

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corrected. Mm-hmm. I included those on updated consent agenda and posted that-

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Yeah ... to the website, and you can see both are there. I see it.

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So the public can, if they're on Zoom, they can all go through the website and pull

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that up and take a look.

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Okay.

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And I have some questions on the warrant.

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Okay. Which, yes, there's the payroll warrant or the AP warrant?

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I just go by date because nobody has explained to me the difference between which

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is which. So-

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Okay. Well, it's not 9/24, 10/08

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I had the, I'm trying to get it up on my email here. Sorry.

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I'm working with just one screen right now, so

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go trying to find out that thread where I had the question. It's okay.

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I can read it for you if you want,

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your email. Sure.

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Oh, here it is. Okay. Yeah. So,

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thank you for reposting that, Aaron.

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And I thought I delineated it in here, but

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there was an item on the, I believe, the

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October dated warrant. Laura Sierra received $187 payment for

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an overcharge at the transfer station, and I was just curious about

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how that occurred.

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So, she came in, and I worked with her in Alyssa's absence.

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She had gone through the weight scale with her vehicle, and

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her ticket was for $78.

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When she went to

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process the payment, they charged her $266.

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So

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the woman in the booth, and I apologize, I've forgotten her name. Yeah. What is it?

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She tried to reverse that charge,

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and

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was unable to reverse the car charge, so she came into the office and we did the

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research and we talked to

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the recycling center, and we sent her back there because

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we had figured out how to reverse the charge.

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The system would not allow them to reverse the charge. Yeah.

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So she came back to the office and we had the

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AP warrant, which is all the checks to all the vendors and all the payments,

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still open and hadn't been finalized.

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So we did all the paperwork to include her check on that AP warrant, and when it

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was done and processed and signed off by the town clerk, we called her back in

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and she came and picked up the difference for what she was owed.

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But that's how that was resolved. Okay, great.

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And then I had two other questions related to

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on the 9/30/2026 warrant, there was a listing of

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fall cleanup for the cemeteries.

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It broke it out by the five cemeteries totaling cost of

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$36,000.

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And I just wanted to know how much is of that 36K is part of the to--

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what part does it make up of the total for cemetery maintenance budget, and what

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all does the fall cleanup entail?

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Those are all great questions. I did look at that in individual payment in Alyssa's

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absence, and it was a contract that Scott Pickup had signed, and it was

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very clear that the $36,000 fall cleanup was itemized as a separate payment.

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The contract, which I don't have in front of me, so I really can't speak to it,

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was very clear about when the payments would be presented to the

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town or when the invoices would be presented, and how they would be paid.

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Unfortunately, again, I don't have it in front of me, so I can't speak to the total

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off the top of my head. But I do remember going through and then,

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because it was so well-documented, I signed off on the

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payment

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for Melissa to run for that particular warrant.

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But if you would like more information, I'm happy to either send it to yourself or

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all the board, a copy of that particular contract.

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It's all in order, and we can pull that together for you. Okay.

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And then the last one was just, it looked like in the 9/23 warrant that

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Russlyn Cemetery was mowed twice, and there was no mowing at Meeting House.

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I just wondered if that was a typo or if indeed Russlyn was mowed twice and Meeting

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House wasn't mowed.

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We happen to have the chair of the cemetery committee with us.

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The past chair, but-

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Past chair, sorry.

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I am unaware of why that would be unless it has to do with the schedule of people

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being at the Meeting House. I don't know why Russlyn would need it twice, except

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there was an enormous tree that fell there, and so it may have just meant that

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there were two trips, or it needed it twice to get cleaned up.

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Mm-hmm.

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The question that I would have about the payment is that fall cleanup isn't

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scheduled until October, and

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if anything, it should be late, so are we pre-paying for the fall cleanup?

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I don't remember off the top of my head. I looked it over very carefully.

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Scott and the vendor had outlined a very clear

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payment process. It is October. It is underway.

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And it did say exactly when he was going to present the payment with invoice

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render. So unfortunately, again, not a perfect memory here, but-

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No, that's-

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It was part of the process that we went through.

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So the committee would love the opportunity to look at the new contract before it's

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signed off for the committee. So if that's possible, that would be fine.

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I haven't met the gentleman, and don't know how that process yet works.

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Okay.

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So I do have a real interest in it after having gone through that.

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But I'm not there yet myself, so.

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Okay.

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Okay. Thank you. Well, thank you. That's good. Okay.

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So, we have the updated consent agenda, and that includes four

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sets of minutes, and I should just mention those now. Boom. Yeah.

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Two of them are for executive sessions. Yeah.

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So they're simply the motions to go into an executive session and then the

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adjournment. They're brief one-pagers, and they are posted online.

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Good. And I see the

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agendas for September 22nd and the agenda for our retreat, held last Sunday,

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September 27th. So those are all part of the consent agenda can be voted upon as

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one. They were all posted in a timely on the website, so that anybody could

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go in and read the draft ahead of time.

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So I think the consent agenda stands as its own thing.

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So, it's consistent with the original consent agenda- Yes ...

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that was posted last Thursday evening.

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So I would accept a motion to approve the consent agenda.

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I move that we approve the consent agenda.

235
00:16:32,545 --> 00:16:32,904
Second.

236
00:16:33,504 --> 00:16:38,034
Motion made and seconded to approve the updated consent agenda.

237
00:16:38,754 --> 00:16:42,804
Is there any further discussion? Hearing none, all in favor, please say aye.

238
00:16:42,894 --> 00:16:43,464
Aye.

239
00:16:43,524 --> 00:16:43,614
Aye.

240
00:16:43,614 --> 00:16:48,474
Aye. 21 aye. Okay, and any opposed or abstentions?

241
00:16:49,134 --> 00:16:51,114
Seeing, hearing none, the motion passes.

242
00:16:54,654 --> 00:17:00,534
Okay, so that brings us to the business of the meeting under

243
00:17:00,594 --> 00:17:02,004
the business headings here.

244
00:17:04,194 --> 00:17:10,164
And we want to start with the social service agency appropriation policy.

245
00:17:11,424 --> 00:17:11,484
Do

246
00:17:12,924 --> 00:17:15,354
you want to give a little background on that, Aaron? You want me to- Sure.

247
00:17:15,384 --> 00:17:16,374
Happy to. Thanks, Roy.

248
00:17:20,394 --> 00:17:21,924
There was a conversation

249
00:17:23,214 --> 00:17:28,674
in May primarily about visiting

250
00:17:28,734 --> 00:17:29,244
nurses

251
00:17:30,475 --> 00:17:36,354
and about the process that the select board goes through to determine

252
00:17:39,684 --> 00:17:44,484
which agencies the town will include in the town meeting warrant.

253
00:17:49,524 --> 00:17:53,334
And they get posted. It's based on a five-year schedule.

254
00:17:53,424 --> 00:17:58,164
So they get posted it for the anniversary of the five years in the town

255
00:17:59,004 --> 00:18:04,194
warrant, and yet they get voted on in subsequent years rather than listing them all

256
00:18:04,314 --> 00:18:08,094
out with their individual contributions to those agencies.

257
00:18:08,424 --> 00:18:12,504
It's a lump sum that carries for the remaining four years.

258
00:18:13,422 --> 00:18:16,932
And this is a policy that's been in place.

259
00:18:17,772 --> 00:18:22,872
You can see this was filed at town clerk's office in 2018, so it's been

260
00:18:23,622 --> 00:18:24,702
approximately eight years-

261
00:18:24,972 --> 00:18:25,242
Mm-hmm

262
00:18:25,242 --> 00:18:25,962
... or nine years.

263
00:18:31,062 --> 00:18:34,542
As with all policies of the select board

264
00:18:36,192 --> 00:18:39,732
or trustees, if you're sharing them,

265
00:18:42,732 --> 00:18:46,513
especially when it comes to purchasing and budgeting,

266
00:18:47,922 --> 00:18:48,912
they can be waived.

267
00:18:50,322 --> 00:18:56,232
They're the board's best practice to manage the process by, so that

268
00:18:56,292 --> 00:18:58,932
everybody knows what the process will be.

269
00:18:59,172 --> 00:19:03,792
But it is something that you can waive, you can change, you can vote to amend.

270
00:19:04,422 --> 00:19:09,942
And I believe that based on some of the discussion about,

271
00:19:12,312 --> 00:19:18,222
basically, the question is: What do you do when a social service agency that

272
00:19:18,282 --> 00:19:21,912
you've been working with for a long time either closes its doors,

273
00:19:23,142 --> 00:19:27,672
is bought by a much larger company, and really stands on its own now, it doesn't

274
00:19:27,732 --> 00:19:30,972
need the local support as much, or

275
00:19:32,532 --> 00:19:33,462
changes its mission,

276
00:19:34,722 --> 00:19:40,632
and no longer really works in the Rockingham footprint, or has

277
00:19:40,722 --> 00:19:45,282
inconsistent guidelines compared to when it first came through.

278
00:19:45,372 --> 00:19:49,392
So those are a number of different scenarios under which a select board might

279
00:19:49,451 --> 00:19:50,562
choose to review

280
00:19:51,942 --> 00:19:55,962
and update the social service agency list.

281
00:19:57,162 --> 00:19:57,402
And,

282
00:19:59,263 --> 00:20:03,222
I also think I remember that there was some parts of that discussion

283
00:20:04,062 --> 00:20:09,852
where I think the board felt that it might be cumbersome to

284
00:20:09,912 --> 00:20:14,832
go through a process like this, and then have one of those four or more

285
00:20:15,612 --> 00:20:20,562
instances, and then not be able to make a change because you were locked into a

286
00:20:20,622 --> 00:20:26,592
five-year cycle, or it was unclear how to amend or

287
00:20:26,652 --> 00:20:28,482
suspend, or waive the policy.

288
00:20:29,742 --> 00:20:33,642
So my understanding is, is that the board wants to explore

289
00:20:35,082 --> 00:20:40,482
how to amend this policy or waive it, or how to better use

290
00:20:41,772 --> 00:20:43,002
the schedule.

291
00:20:43,782 --> 00:20:48,792
Thank you for that summary. I would also note that five years is such a long chunk

292
00:20:48,822 --> 00:20:52,992
of time, and lots of new needs can emerge, COVID, whatever.

293
00:20:53,202 --> 00:20:56,652
Things come up, and if you're locked into five years, you really have no

294
00:20:56,712 --> 00:21:00,732
flexibility in how to address the changing social needs of our community.

295
00:21:01,513 --> 00:21:06,732
So the first step then would be to waive the current policy and then come up with a

296
00:21:06,792 --> 00:21:08,832
plan of how we will create a new policy?

297
00:21:09,942 --> 00:21:15,882
I think when you waive a policy, you're better off to waive a portion for a

298
00:21:16,242 --> 00:21:18,792
specific instance or reason.

299
00:21:18,912 --> 00:21:19,242
Mm-hmm.

300
00:21:20,142 --> 00:21:24,252
I think if you're interested in amending this policy, then you should probably do a

301
00:21:24,312 --> 00:21:30,162
work session and determine with the other board members, how best

302
00:21:30,222 --> 00:21:35,352
to address the five-year schedule, the current list of applicants.

303
00:21:36,013 --> 00:21:41,892
Do you need to have them send in their pro formas or their marketing materials

304
00:21:41,952 --> 00:21:47,742
to explain or to see that they're still on the same trajectory that aligns

305
00:21:47,832 --> 00:21:49,332
with the town's needs?

306
00:21:49,452 --> 00:21:49,722
Mm-hmm.

307
00:21:50,832 --> 00:21:52,362
Can we do something like

308
00:21:54,432 --> 00:21:56,562
just insert a clause that says,

309
00:21:58,092 --> 00:22:03,522
we want every agency to submit, like you said, a pro forma

310
00:22:03,942 --> 00:22:09,492
every year, and we reserve the right to rescind or adjust

311
00:22:09,612 --> 00:22:09,942
their

312
00:22:12,342 --> 00:22:14,592
appropriation accordingly.

313
00:22:14,652 --> 00:22:19,752
Yeah. So it's one, two, three, four, five, the sixth paragraph, it says,

314
00:22:20,352 --> 00:22:25,332
"Those social service agencies that had an appropriation request approved at the

315
00:22:25,392 --> 00:22:30,042
most recent annual town meeting are not required to submit a petition if the amount

316
00:22:30,102 --> 00:22:34,303
requested is the same or less than the amount approved by the voters in the

317
00:22:34,332 --> 00:22:35,562
previous year." And so

318
00:22:36,792 --> 00:22:40,782
that was meant probably to streamline the process for-

319
00:22:40,902 --> 00:22:44,352
Right. So that they don't need a petition or anything, but we would just like to

320
00:22:44,412 --> 00:22:47,502
see a report every year on what they've done with the money.

321
00:22:47,532 --> 00:22:49,362
It does say that they do have to submit a letter.

322
00:22:49,422 --> 00:22:54,432
They don't have to get a petition, but they do have to submit a letter every year.

323
00:22:54,732 --> 00:22:57,822
I think what Bonnie is saying has more to do with their financials.

324
00:22:58,632 --> 00:22:58,842
Yeah.

325
00:22:58,932 --> 00:23:04,062
Yeah, their financials. And we reserve the right to adjust the appropriation

326
00:23:05,082 --> 00:23:06,792
accordingly if it's needed.

327
00:23:07,182 --> 00:23:07,303
Yeah.

328
00:23:07,452 --> 00:23:08,142
Something like that.

329
00:23:08,202 --> 00:23:11,532
I think that's a great discussion to have with the other board members.

330
00:23:11,742 --> 00:23:12,013
Yeah.

331
00:23:12,372 --> 00:23:18,312
So if Danny returns on the 20th, would we want to dig into this topic then, or do

332
00:23:18,342 --> 00:23:20,892
you want to do something tonight, Erin? What's your preference?

333
00:23:22,513 --> 00:23:27,822
Well, I think the intention of the board, as I understood it back in

334
00:23:28,722 --> 00:23:32,112
from May, was to address this particular policy

335
00:23:33,672 --> 00:23:36,642
in time so that you could address your budget cycle.

336
00:23:36,702 --> 00:23:36,972
Mm-hmm.

337
00:23:37,122 --> 00:23:39,192
Which we're going to talk about a little bit later on tonight.

338
00:23:39,282 --> 00:23:39,432
So

339
00:23:42,132 --> 00:23:45,402
Elissa has December 22nd as the general fund

340
00:23:46,662 --> 00:23:52,182
discussion. There's probably also some date on this list where we

341
00:23:52,842 --> 00:23:56,892
talk about the Rockingham budget.

342
00:23:57,132 --> 00:24:01,932
That's not an actual department, it's more about the administration,

343
00:24:03,282 --> 00:24:05,292
and this will be part of that discussion.

344
00:24:05,742 --> 00:24:11,472
So we will have enough time if we're in the December or January

345
00:24:11,592 --> 00:24:17,352
range for that conversation coming at the end of all the other departments to

346
00:24:17,412 --> 00:24:19,272
address this policy well before then.

347
00:24:19,932 --> 00:24:23,922
Good. I would note that Deb Wright led a committee about, what is it?

348
00:24:23,952 --> 00:24:28,482
Three years ago? That studied all these agencies and tried to come up with some

349
00:24:28,542 --> 00:24:33,642
kind of a metric, because there's so many good causes out there, and we only have

350
00:24:33,672 --> 00:24:36,763
99,500 is what we gave at last year's town meeting.

351
00:24:36,882 --> 00:24:40,871
So it's a kind of a three-dimensional chess game, trying to figure out who gets

352
00:24:40,992 --> 00:24:44,382
what, and this committee tried to bring some order to that process.

353
00:24:45,402 --> 00:24:49,092
Whether we want to take an approach like that, or whether we want to just decide

354
00:24:49,152 --> 00:24:52,092
among us on the select board how we want to do that.

355
00:24:52,182 --> 00:24:54,912
So you would suggest we bring that up then?

356
00:24:55,152 --> 00:24:59,292
Well, I was actually speaking more about the construction and the outline and

357
00:24:59,412 --> 00:25:01,303
structure of the policy itself.

358
00:25:01,332 --> 00:25:01,452
Yep.

359
00:25:01,842 --> 00:25:05,952
And not necessarily about the list of agencies.

360
00:25:06,612 --> 00:25:12,072
So the five-year thing stood out as the thing for me, but if

361
00:25:12,912 --> 00:25:18,162
the list of actual agencies is what also stands out to the board, then maybe some

362
00:25:18,432 --> 00:25:21,102
discussion about how to go through that process would be good.

363
00:25:21,492 --> 00:25:23,022
Okay. Should that happen on the 20th?

364
00:25:24,162 --> 00:25:25,752
We can put it on the

365
00:25:27,372 --> 00:25:28,272
agenda for the 20th.

366
00:25:28,542 --> 00:25:30,222
So colleagues, what do you feel?

367
00:25:31,692 --> 00:25:32,832
Eleanor, Bonnie, John?

368
00:25:33,252 --> 00:25:35,472
I think we should talk about it, yeah.

369
00:25:37,152 --> 00:25:37,453
Okay.

370
00:25:37,992 --> 00:25:39,252
I agree that we should talk about it.

371
00:25:39,342 --> 00:25:44,533
I would say in addition to evaluating some of the

372
00:25:44,563 --> 00:25:47,712
particulars of the existing policy,

373
00:25:48,942 --> 00:25:52,632
I think the reason it came up in discussion back in May,

374
00:25:54,013 --> 00:25:54,492
was that

375
00:25:59,203 --> 00:26:00,462
should there be a change,

376
00:26:02,382 --> 00:26:05,412
what happens to those funds? Because I think we spend a lot of time trying to

377
00:26:05,472 --> 00:26:08,953
figure out, well, who gets these funds? Does anybody get the funds?

378
00:26:09,013 --> 00:26:11,022
Do they just go back into the pot unspent?

379
00:26:12,582 --> 00:26:14,502
And what does that process look like?

380
00:26:15,703 --> 00:26:16,182
Does it get

381
00:26:19,122 --> 00:26:20,953
handed to the next agency or something?

382
00:26:21,013 --> 00:26:26,082
But that was, I think, what initiated this entire discussion, and so having some

383
00:26:26,143 --> 00:26:26,533
sort of

384
00:26:29,412 --> 00:26:35,322
statement in that policy about what happens to funds if an entity goes

385
00:26:35,382 --> 00:26:37,272
out of business or

386
00:26:39,252 --> 00:26:41,772
we no longer deem as a viable recipient,

387
00:26:43,152 --> 00:26:46,842
how do we handle the reallocation of the funds? Or do they reallocate?

388
00:26:46,842 --> 00:26:48,703
So I think we just need to say,

389
00:26:51,643 --> 00:26:56,893
we reserve the right to rescind the appropriation and

390
00:26:56,982 --> 00:26:57,852
reallocate it,

391
00:27:00,042 --> 00:27:03,402
as the select board chooses at that time.

392
00:27:05,112 --> 00:27:07,152
Something like that. Because remember when-

393
00:27:08,143 --> 00:27:09,222
Well, I don't want to solve it right now.

394
00:27:09,283 --> 00:27:13,063
I'm just saying that we need to know that that's one of the things that we should

395
00:27:13,092 --> 00:27:15,252
discuss at the upcoming meeting. Right.

396
00:27:15,582 --> 00:27:16,092
Okay.

397
00:27:16,152 --> 00:27:17,352
Yeah, that's what we're talking about.

398
00:27:17,953 --> 00:27:22,272
I corresponded with Alyssa today, and the VNA has not billed us for their amount,

399
00:27:22,482 --> 00:27:26,143
which is the largest amount of any organization this year, and we can't pay

400
00:27:26,143 --> 00:27:31,422
anything without an invoice. And there was much debate about how appropriate, VNA

401
00:27:31,482 --> 00:27:34,513
having been absorbed by a two billion dollar entity,

402
00:27:36,102 --> 00:27:40,572
and how appropriate it was for us to contribute our little money to this giant

403
00:27:40,632 --> 00:27:44,502
thing. Anyway, so let's get back to this on the 20th then.

404
00:27:45,882 --> 00:27:46,122
All right.

405
00:27:48,342 --> 00:27:51,732
I think there was also a question that they were no longer serving our area.

406
00:27:52,242 --> 00:27:52,422
Right.

407
00:27:52,513 --> 00:27:56,322
That was a major issue with the community.

408
00:27:56,412 --> 00:28:00,732
Yeah. This Abeda company, the one that we talked to-

409
00:28:00,852 --> 00:28:03,792
Whatever, they were not going to be taking care of us.

410
00:28:04,092 --> 00:28:06,372
Yeah. Good point. Okay.

411
00:28:07,662 --> 00:28:10,063
Are we ready to move on to the next item on the agenda?

412
00:28:12,042 --> 00:28:12,042
Yep.

413
00:28:12,162 --> 00:28:14,533
Okay, so that brings us to the

414
00:28:18,432 --> 00:28:21,972
trustees of public funds. We have three representatives of that entity with us

415
00:28:22,002 --> 00:28:23,292
tonight. Thank you for being here.

416
00:28:24,432 --> 00:28:28,813
And policy revisions are under discussion.

417
00:28:29,172 --> 00:28:29,802
Mm-hmm.

418
00:28:29,922 --> 00:28:32,922
And you have proposed them to us.

419
00:28:33,402 --> 00:28:39,192
Yes. So the policy came from a template, there's no surprise, we got from the

420
00:28:39,582 --> 00:28:41,893
Vermont League of Cities and Towns.

421
00:28:42,042 --> 00:28:42,192
Mm-hmm.

422
00:28:42,492 --> 00:28:48,013
The document that you have is now color-coded and lined through in the things that

423
00:28:48,042 --> 00:28:52,061
we've changed. So anything that is lined through, we took out.

424
00:28:52,391 --> 00:28:56,382
Things that are new or changed are in green.

425
00:28:56,982 --> 00:29:00,252
And our goal tonight is to have the select board

426
00:29:01,632 --> 00:29:05,022
authorize us to move forward with this as the policy.

427
00:29:05,802 --> 00:29:11,772
And then, we'd like to quickly go down the five items that we submitted

428
00:29:11,802 --> 00:29:16,393
when we came the first time, not for the discussion, but just to say why we're not

429
00:29:16,453 --> 00:29:19,092
dealing with all of them until we get the policy set.

430
00:29:20,172 --> 00:29:21,522
Thank you. I see the document with the

431
00:29:23,442 --> 00:29:28,002
crossouts and the green new text. So do you want to walk through that now?

432
00:29:29,143 --> 00:29:29,742
We can.

433
00:29:29,893 --> 00:29:30,703
Just the changes.

434
00:29:30,852 --> 00:29:35,922
Just to bring us back to where we were before, the only change that was brought up

435
00:29:35,982 --> 00:29:40,902
at the last meeting as a question had to do with the collateralization, and Aaron

436
00:29:40,932 --> 00:29:42,462
was asking questions about that.

437
00:29:42,672 --> 00:29:42,822
Okay.

438
00:29:42,882 --> 00:29:44,832
And that's where we realized, "Hey, wait a minute.

439
00:29:44,893 --> 00:29:48,132
That's actually something that we had cut." He was suggesting it should be

440
00:29:48,732 --> 00:29:54,432
discussed for possible elimination, and the trustees had already cut that section.

441
00:29:55,212 --> 00:29:59,322
So I don't know if there are other areas that the select board members wish to

442
00:29:59,382 --> 00:30:00,402
discuss. We can

443
00:30:01,662 --> 00:30:03,132
walk through it together if you'd like.

444
00:30:07,002 --> 00:30:10,602
I just had one question. Underneath that section that was

445
00:30:12,582 --> 00:30:16,662
cut out, the collateralization section, there's the safekeeping and custody.

446
00:30:17,652 --> 00:30:17,982
Mm-hmm.

447
00:30:18,432 --> 00:30:23,292
And, in that, there's one little addition in green,

448
00:30:23,893 --> 00:30:28,871
"Securities will be held by an independent third party custodian selected by the

449
00:30:28,902 --> 00:30:32,412
town treasurer." Who is the town treasurer?

450
00:30:35,022 --> 00:30:35,622
Kathleen.

451
00:30:35,832 --> 00:30:36,162
Kathleen Kelly.

452
00:30:36,192 --> 00:30:38,563
Kathleen. Okay. All right.

453
00:30:39,792 --> 00:30:40,962
I just wanted to clear that.

454
00:30:41,622 --> 00:30:45,342
Is Kathleen the most appropriate person? Would Alyssa have had a role there or not?

455
00:30:46,393 --> 00:30:51,763
Oh, it's interesting. In the state that I came from, the trustees of

456
00:30:52,242 --> 00:30:55,362
public funds would be similar to the trustees of trust funds.

457
00:30:55,602 --> 00:30:55,783
Mm-hmm.

458
00:30:55,962 --> 00:31:00,283
And the whole point of having a trustee of trust funds is so that you don't have

459
00:31:00,313 --> 00:31:05,652
the treasurer holding their funds, that there's a separation between what the

460
00:31:05,712 --> 00:31:06,942
treasurer is doing and what the-

461
00:31:07,902 --> 00:31:09,222
So it's a check and balance.

462
00:31:09,763 --> 00:31:09,972
Well,

463
00:31:11,203 --> 00:31:12,732
these are all trust funds.

464
00:31:13,063 --> 00:31:13,272
Mm-hmm.

465
00:31:13,393 --> 00:31:18,432
And so the trust fund trustees are responsible for, and they're

466
00:31:19,932 --> 00:31:22,362
in New Hampshire, you report to the Attorney General's office.

467
00:31:22,752 --> 00:31:24,072
Mm-hmm.

468
00:31:26,742 --> 00:31:31,813
But both of them come to the select board, both the treasurer on one hand for all

469
00:31:31,872 --> 00:31:36,792
of the general funded accounts, and then the trustee of trust funds, they both come

470
00:31:36,822 --> 00:31:39,102
to the select board for the

471
00:31:42,222 --> 00:31:42,852
expenditure.

472
00:31:43,272 --> 00:31:43,513
Yes.

473
00:31:44,622 --> 00:31:46,063
The approval of the expenditure.

474
00:31:47,263 --> 00:31:52,902
At the time that we picked up the old policy, which you have the 2008

475
00:31:52,962 --> 00:31:57,042
policy in there, it actually had the three trustees sign the policy.

476
00:31:57,582 --> 00:31:57,822
So-

477
00:31:58,992 --> 00:31:59,292
You did

478
00:31:59,322 --> 00:32:03,732
... we explored that, and we believe no, the policy is actually supposed to be

479
00:32:04,362 --> 00:32:05,712
approved by the select board.

480
00:32:06,732 --> 00:32:06,763
Okay.

481
00:32:06,852 --> 00:32:12,462
So on the flip side, and we don't know the date when this started,

482
00:32:12,822 --> 00:32:18,162
at this time, the three people who sign to make any changes in the accounts are the

483
00:32:18,222 --> 00:32:22,632
town manager, the finance director, and the town treasurer.

484
00:32:22,722 --> 00:32:27,912
So three people who work within the town offices and not any of the trustees.

485
00:32:28,513 --> 00:32:33,222
So one of our requests in the five points that we made is to have at least one of

486
00:32:33,283 --> 00:32:39,252
the trustees take the place of one of the current three, and we

487
00:32:39,283 --> 00:32:44,352
would look to Aaron to decide whether that was the treasurer or someone else.

488
00:32:45,192 --> 00:32:49,692
It takes two of the three to make any change with Bill Stevens' office, and it

489
00:32:49,752 --> 00:32:54,042
needs to happen anyway because at this point, it's still listed as previous town

490
00:32:54,102 --> 00:32:57,072
manager. So it's time to go there and make this change.

491
00:32:57,132 --> 00:33:02,172
We just need the direction from the select board to Aaron or

492
00:33:02,802 --> 00:33:07,752
from the select board directly for what comes next as far as who should sign and

493
00:33:07,813 --> 00:33:09,402
who's going to approve this policy.

494
00:33:09,732 --> 00:33:12,972
Alyssa has spent so much time on this, her knowledge is very deep of it.

495
00:33:13,033 --> 00:33:15,792
I don't know whether Kathleen's been aware of it or not.

496
00:33:15,882 --> 00:33:20,172
So my thought would be that Alyssa would make the most logical person.

497
00:33:20,232 --> 00:33:23,922
She's on top of the whole accounting and all that stuff.

498
00:33:24,013 --> 00:33:26,292
So I'll look to what my colleagues think about that.

499
00:33:26,382 --> 00:33:27,192
I agree with you.

500
00:33:32,052 --> 00:33:32,862
I'm fine with it. I'm fine with it.

501
00:33:33,432 --> 00:33:33,643
Hello?

502
00:33:33,732 --> 00:33:34,332
I'm fine with it.

503
00:33:34,783 --> 00:33:35,592
Okay. So-

504
00:33:35,652 --> 00:33:38,771
Do you have a preference which of the three of us would

505
00:33:40,181 --> 00:33:43,242
be the other one to sign? So we're all three trustees.

506
00:33:43,302 --> 00:33:47,501
There's not one of us that's the chair. We serve in three-year terms.

507
00:33:47,652 --> 00:33:51,013
So Pat, she's in the last of her years.

508
00:33:55,122 --> 00:33:55,332
I'm good.

509
00:33:55,393 --> 00:33:58,992
Dave is in the middle, and then I'm in my first year.

510
00:33:59,082 --> 00:34:04,722
So, we just need to make a decision about, I would put it not as the person.

511
00:34:04,932 --> 00:34:10,212
I would say either it's always the person who's in their last year, so it changes

512
00:34:10,332 --> 00:34:13,932
often, or it's always the person in their first year, so it doesn't change often,

513
00:34:14,322 --> 00:34:18,703
is how I would set it up if I were. Or should it be somebody that the trustees

514
00:34:18,763 --> 00:34:21,432
decide? That's up to you guys.

515
00:34:21,882 --> 00:34:26,592
Is it ever the case that one of you is not available, like if somebody's on

516
00:34:26,682 --> 00:34:28,902
vacation or something, and something needs to be signed?

517
00:34:29,232 --> 00:34:31,812
Or is it so infrequent that it can be worked around that?

518
00:34:32,172 --> 00:34:35,893
It only requires two of the three people to sign.

519
00:34:36,222 --> 00:34:36,402
I see.

520
00:34:36,432 --> 00:34:39,852
And so it would be really infrequent that you wouldn't be able to achieve any

521
00:34:40,243 --> 00:34:41,322
emergency activity.

522
00:34:41,832 --> 00:34:41,832
Okay.

523
00:34:41,953 --> 00:34:44,862
Mr. Chair, can I ask a couple questions about this?

524
00:34:45,373 --> 00:34:45,462
Sure, go ahead.

525
00:34:45,462 --> 00:34:45,522
So

526
00:34:49,393 --> 00:34:54,792
when you compare and contrast your intention for the new

527
00:34:56,352 --> 00:34:57,282
green line policy-

528
00:34:57,312 --> 00:34:57,552
Mm-hmm

529
00:34:58,242 --> 00:35:04,002
... versus this is the older policy that's been in effect, and I

530
00:35:04,062 --> 00:35:09,342
think my take on what you've described to the board so far is that you're

531
00:35:09,432 --> 00:35:15,402
interested in not only the investment side, but also ensuring that

532
00:35:16,212 --> 00:35:21,582
the income that comes in gets allocated and that the spending

533
00:35:22,422 --> 00:35:25,752
through the town is earmarked appropriately and so on.

534
00:35:26,592 --> 00:35:29,232
And at the same time as that's

535
00:35:30,522 --> 00:35:35,832
extremely altruistic and good, this former policy

536
00:35:36,102 --> 00:35:36,852
functioned

537
00:35:39,072 --> 00:35:44,562
strictly as the investment policy, and it provided a format

538
00:35:44,652 --> 00:35:50,352
for how investments will be handled and how the

539
00:35:50,472 --> 00:35:53,832
funds in these trusts are allocated.

540
00:35:55,002 --> 00:36:00,852
So if I could, the policy was developed in 2008, and there is no evidence that it's

541
00:36:00,882 --> 00:36:02,652
been used responsibly since then.

542
00:36:03,132 --> 00:36:03,192
Okay.

543
00:36:05,082 --> 00:36:08,172
And as a trustee, I never had anybody else with me.

544
00:36:08,832 --> 00:36:13,812
And when I tried to get information on the investments, I was kind of stonewalled.

545
00:36:14,292 --> 00:36:17,292
So that's good commentary. So that's good background.

546
00:36:18,462 --> 00:36:19,332
However, the

547
00:36:20,952 --> 00:36:23,562
funds and the way that you're requesting-

548
00:36:26,010 --> 00:36:28,380
To be included in the spending,

549
00:36:29,790 --> 00:36:34,741
decision-making is fundamentally different from what this

550
00:36:35,580 --> 00:36:41,491
was a vehicle for. And this vehicle, which

551
00:36:41,610 --> 00:36:47,460
carried the format for and the guidelines and the guardrails

552
00:36:47,580 --> 00:36:52,590
over the investments themselves, was all signed by the trustees, because that is in

553
00:36:52,741 --> 00:36:58,020
fact their actual job. And then similarly, they come to the select board, and the

554
00:36:58,080 --> 00:37:02,221
select board says, "Here's what we need to use these funds for," and sign off on

555
00:37:02,250 --> 00:37:04,770
the release of the funds. It goes back to the checks and balance.

556
00:37:05,580 --> 00:37:07,530
This is getting to be a little bit different.

557
00:37:08,040 --> 00:37:13,680
When the trustee becomes on the spending side and has a

558
00:37:13,979 --> 00:37:19,920
role in allocating the funds, that's fundamentally different in terms of the

559
00:37:20,010 --> 00:37:20,670
policy

560
00:37:22,410 --> 00:37:27,991
objective than this was. Now, doesn't mean that this was being done effectively.

561
00:37:28,020 --> 00:37:29,400
It doesn't mean that it was done well.

562
00:37:30,180 --> 00:37:34,980
It's just at a higher level, apart from in the weeds about

563
00:37:36,241 --> 00:37:41,101
how it was allocated, how much cash was here, how much was invested in these kinds

564
00:37:41,130 --> 00:37:46,860
of securities and so on. This is two very different situations that you're

565
00:37:46,890 --> 00:37:51,120
contemplating, and I think the board might want to take a look at that-

566
00:37:51,540 --> 00:37:51,690
So-

567
00:37:51,721 --> 00:37:52,830
... is my suggestion

568
00:37:53,070 --> 00:37:58,050
I agree. But the implication in the way that you're saying it is that we wish to be

569
00:37:58,110 --> 00:38:02,880
involved in the spending, and we do not. We specifically do not wish to be.

570
00:38:03,480 --> 00:38:08,971
We wish to make sure that spending happens, because for the last 18 years in this

571
00:38:09,030 --> 00:38:14,790
town, it did not. And so the select boards, the auditors, everyone

572
00:38:14,851 --> 00:38:19,170
involved has just missed over, just skipped spending this money.

573
00:38:19,200 --> 00:38:19,471
Yeah.

574
00:38:19,530 --> 00:38:25,110
And I think it will be easily two cycles before we're able to spend the money

575
00:38:25,140 --> 00:38:26,700
because we've got to straighten things out.

576
00:38:26,760 --> 00:38:32,221
So we are stepping forward to say if we have the title of trustee,

577
00:38:32,670 --> 00:38:36,900
we're being asked not only to make sure that the money's invested wisely, but the

578
00:38:37,920 --> 00:38:41,340
town lives up to using it for its intended purpose.

579
00:38:42,000 --> 00:38:43,590
We're not going to say what to spend it for.

580
00:38:43,650 --> 00:38:48,900
We're just going to keep showing up to select work meetings and town meetings to

581
00:38:48,930 --> 00:38:49,920
make sure it gets spent.

582
00:38:51,090 --> 00:38:51,570
Sure.

583
00:38:51,630 --> 00:38:52,320
Yes, go ahead, John.

584
00:38:52,351 --> 00:38:54,900
So who makes the recommendation of what to spend the money on?

585
00:38:56,340 --> 00:39:01,080
That's unresolved. That is not included in the policy.

586
00:39:01,290 --> 00:39:04,440
And that may likely be why no money has been spent, because-

587
00:39:04,860 --> 00:39:05,130
It can take years

588
00:39:05,130 --> 00:39:09,210
... there's been nobody to say, "Here's a need.

589
00:39:09,601 --> 00:39:11,460
We have these funds that support that need.

590
00:39:11,910 --> 00:39:17,101
Here's what we believe the $20,000 that was earned in the last fiscal year should

591
00:39:17,130 --> 00:39:17,280
go for."

592
00:39:17,280 --> 00:39:20,370
Right. And it seems that they just lost track that they even had the money.

593
00:39:21,780 --> 00:39:24,660
So this is what I would characterize as a stewardship-

594
00:39:25,110 --> 00:39:25,290
Right

595
00:39:25,410 --> 00:39:29,790
... policy, and this is getting to be a little bit of a hybrid.

596
00:39:30,780 --> 00:39:32,971
Not for all, and not for any negative reasons.

597
00:39:33,030 --> 00:39:38,609
It's just, it's a significant change between one type of activity, which as

598
00:39:38,880 --> 00:39:40,710
the testimony

599
00:39:42,510 --> 00:39:46,320
comes across, saying that it got broken somewhere along the way.

600
00:39:46,800 --> 00:39:48,241
But it had a particular function.

601
00:39:49,351 --> 00:39:54,510
It did. The hybrid thing that-- A lot of work that the current trustees have done,

602
00:39:55,680 --> 00:40:00,180
and what they've developed encourages me to support the hybrid approach, noting

603
00:40:00,270 --> 00:40:06,000
your difference and the fact that almost $800,000, is that what it was,

604
00:40:06,210 --> 00:40:07,650
this accumulated debt to hand?

605
00:40:08,400 --> 00:40:11,580
Yeah. It's not quite 800. It comes and it goes.

606
00:40:11,910 --> 00:40:12,060
Right.

607
00:40:12,120 --> 00:40:17,880
It was 200,000 back in 2008, so it's been significant that it's had a chance

608
00:40:17,940 --> 00:40:18,120
to-

609
00:40:18,450 --> 00:40:24,060
Well, it sounds like we need to incorporate into the policy

610
00:40:24,721 --> 00:40:26,430
some kind of designation

611
00:40:27,810 --> 00:40:32,851
of who or what agency or what committee has

612
00:40:32,880 --> 00:40:34,020
responsibility.

613
00:40:34,770 --> 00:40:39,330
And that's on the fund. Some of the funds describe what they're supposed to be used

614
00:40:39,420 --> 00:40:44,280
for. It was just ignored, and funds were taken out of the regular coffers instead

615
00:40:44,370 --> 00:40:45,960
of using these funds.

616
00:40:46,680 --> 00:40:46,800
Right.

617
00:40:46,830 --> 00:40:51,120
The only thing that was actually charged to these funds were the flowers for

618
00:40:51,180 --> 00:40:51,991
certain graves.

619
00:40:52,770 --> 00:40:54,870
Right. I understand that part.

620
00:40:54,930 --> 00:40:58,800
But it seems like they still didn't need either, but they were at least allocated.

621
00:40:59,221 --> 00:41:00,690
At least the flowers were done.

622
00:41:00,991 --> 00:41:01,200
Right.

623
00:41:01,980 --> 00:41:06,540
But few of those funds are the care for cemeteries.

624
00:41:06,870 --> 00:41:07,080
Right.

625
00:41:07,650 --> 00:41:10,410
And the town has a cemetery committee.

626
00:41:10,800 --> 00:41:11,101
Mm-hmm.

627
00:41:11,160 --> 00:41:16,560
So I would imagine the cemetery committee would be the one that would spend

628
00:41:18,120 --> 00:41:23,670
funds designated for care of the cemeteries with the trustees' approval.

629
00:41:24,390 --> 00:41:25,710
But there are funds-

630
00:41:26,040 --> 00:41:26,160
Mm-hmm

631
00:41:26,340 --> 00:41:32,160
... the Hildreth Hospital Fund, for instance, we have no earthly idea what that was

632
00:41:32,250 --> 00:41:36,030
for, and there's no such thing as a Hildreth Hospital.

633
00:41:36,690 --> 00:41:42,480
So that has to be researched, and then the trustees, I imagine,

634
00:41:43,050 --> 00:41:48,510
would make a recommendation maybe to the select board of what the appropriate use

635
00:41:48,601 --> 00:41:54,180
of those funds would be, or to discontinue them and fold them into other funds.

636
00:41:54,840 --> 00:41:57,030
That makes sense to me.

637
00:41:57,060 --> 00:41:59,730
Well, I think the policy needs to sort of say that.

638
00:42:00,120 --> 00:42:05,880
Who's going to make recommendations on the disbursement of- Well- ... the income?

639
00:42:06,480 --> 00:42:12,360
I would argue against that because it is our understanding that this tells

640
00:42:12,420 --> 00:42:18,330
the trustees how to behave and that the how to spend it is at the

641
00:42:18,390 --> 00:42:19,920
discretion of the select board.

642
00:42:21,480 --> 00:42:23,700
All right. Well, the main policy will have to say that too.

643
00:42:25,650 --> 00:42:28,110
But it just seems like it needs to be stated somewhere.

644
00:42:28,140 --> 00:42:29,070
These are very different.

645
00:42:29,130 --> 00:42:34,230
I agree with Anne and the trustees' sort of view,

646
00:42:35,130 --> 00:42:38,730
is that they're functioning as stewards. They're making sure it gets spent.

647
00:42:38,971 --> 00:42:43,830
They're going to be coming to these meetings when we get requests or moving

648
00:42:43,860 --> 00:42:49,560
forward, how under the guidelines, how we update things that are no

649
00:42:49,590 --> 00:42:53,579
longer clear, how we move forward to make sure the monies get spent in the way that

650
00:42:53,610 --> 00:42:59,040
they should be. I think that this

651
00:42:59,790 --> 00:43:03,750
updated approach, from 2000, what is it?

652
00:43:03,900 --> 00:43:06,030
2008 or I forget what the state's from,

653
00:43:07,590 --> 00:43:08,580
to now is

654
00:43:09,991 --> 00:43:14,160
a good first step in the direction to make sure that this keeps going.

655
00:43:14,190 --> 00:43:19,560
And as Anne said, it's probably going to be a couple of cycles before the wheels

656
00:43:19,620 --> 00:43:20,820
get turning again on this.

657
00:43:22,500 --> 00:43:25,380
Thank you, Delilah. Alyssa, your hand was up.

658
00:43:26,160 --> 00:43:26,430
Alyssa-

659
00:43:26,460 --> 00:43:29,640
Yeah. My hand was up. Sorry, my camera isn't working.

660
00:43:31,770 --> 00:43:37,260
I just wanted to just touch base on what was commented on about the

661
00:43:37,741 --> 00:43:38,880
hospital fund.

662
00:43:41,130 --> 00:43:47,040
So I brought that up and a while ago, and have been unable to figure

663
00:43:47,130 --> 00:43:49,950
out exactly. And I thought that

664
00:43:51,210 --> 00:43:54,900
Marty was going to investigate that further,

665
00:43:56,400 --> 00:44:00,810
just because it seemed like if that money was intended for

666
00:44:02,370 --> 00:44:03,030
the hospital-

667
00:44:03,270 --> 00:44:03,450
Invested

668
00:44:03,510 --> 00:44:04,351
... building that-

669
00:44:04,650 --> 00:44:05,910
Yeah

670
00:44:05,910 --> 00:44:05,910
...

671
00:44:07,500 --> 00:44:11,310
but we also have to research how that money got put there and if we legally can

672
00:44:11,400 --> 00:44:16,920
change it without... We might have to put an ad in the paper to say if somebody has

673
00:44:16,980 --> 00:44:17,250
any-

674
00:44:19,230 --> 00:44:20,280
Yeah

675
00:44:20,280 --> 00:44:23,520
... interest in these funds, they need to come forward.

676
00:44:23,580 --> 00:44:27,601
There's like a certain process that has to happen before you can just decide to do

677
00:44:27,660 --> 00:44:28,980
something different with that money.

678
00:44:30,450 --> 00:44:30,690
Okay.

679
00:44:30,750 --> 00:44:31,980
I just want to throw that out there.

680
00:44:33,360 --> 00:44:35,130
Thank you very much, Alyssa.

681
00:44:35,250 --> 00:44:35,460
Yeah.

682
00:44:35,491 --> 00:44:41,340
And in addition to the Hildreth Fund, the itemized, five itemized lists that

683
00:44:41,400 --> 00:44:45,721
we gave you break down many other details about these funds that have to be sorted

684
00:44:45,840 --> 00:44:50,130
out, and the high likelihood that it will require some legal advice.

685
00:44:50,190 --> 00:44:55,680
Because the trustees can have an opinion and offer it, as far as what we would hope

686
00:44:55,710 --> 00:45:00,060
would happen with it, but we do not have the legal expertise to tell you the steps

687
00:45:00,120 --> 00:45:02,610
that you'll need to go through to carry that out.

688
00:45:03,030 --> 00:45:03,390
Thank you.

689
00:45:03,480 --> 00:45:04,920
Or something like that through the court system.

690
00:45:05,160 --> 00:45:06,360
And John wanted to say something?

691
00:45:06,750 --> 00:45:07,230
Yeah. The

692
00:45:09,000 --> 00:45:10,500
document that was in our packet

693
00:45:11,880 --> 00:45:15,210
that had Dorney Aldrich as the contact,

694
00:45:16,890 --> 00:45:22,050
was pretty specific about how the asset allocations are and all of that.

695
00:45:22,140 --> 00:45:26,370
So it's pretty detailed about the funds themselves and how we,

696
00:45:26,491 --> 00:45:31,200
where they're allocated. It does-

697
00:45:32,430 --> 00:45:35,370
Talk a little bit about funding of withdrawals and distribution.

698
00:45:35,640 --> 00:45:39,870
Fiduciary funds have requirements and expectations for periodic withdrawals for

699
00:45:39,930 --> 00:45:44,610
programs and expenses. And so to me, it seems like there's a portion of this

700
00:45:44,670 --> 00:45:50,400
that's good in that it has very detailed instruction about how the investments are

701
00:45:50,460 --> 00:45:51,030
to be made.

702
00:45:52,471 --> 00:45:57,840
But where we lacked was knowing what's the amount that it

703
00:45:59,070 --> 00:46:04,950
grew- Mm-hmm ... and what portion of that growth do we allow to be spent,

704
00:46:06,270 --> 00:46:09,810
and what should it be spent on. And since that was so

705
00:46:11,400 --> 00:46:15,480
unclear- Mm-hmm ... I guess maybe that's why it hasn't really happened.

706
00:46:15,540 --> 00:46:20,429
So I guess I feel like it's the withdrawal and distribution of funds that

707
00:46:21,780 --> 00:46:25,530
seems to be critical- Mm-hmm ... now and should get cleaned up.

708
00:46:25,680 --> 00:46:26,640
I like

709
00:46:28,920 --> 00:46:33,300
this document. It's concise. Mm-hmm. It's easy to read.

710
00:46:33,360 --> 00:46:35,101
This gets into a little more detail.

711
00:46:36,540 --> 00:46:41,880
So I think we do need to be aware whether if we're replacing one with the other-

712
00:46:42,300 --> 00:46:47,010
Yeah ... are we losing some of the detailed information about the asset

713
00:46:47,101 --> 00:46:48,480
allocations? Mm-hmm.

714
00:46:50,010 --> 00:46:54,480
Unless we don't want, unless we or the trustees

715
00:46:56,460 --> 00:47:00,991
aren't concerned about the asset allocation piece of it. But- Okay ...

716
00:47:01,050 --> 00:47:04,020
I think I agree with the manager that they're pretty different documents. Mm-hmm.

717
00:47:04,890 --> 00:47:06,241
One serves a better purpose

718
00:47:07,590 --> 00:47:11,790
from a spending standpoint, the other has a greater purpose in this.

719
00:47:12,241 --> 00:47:17,760
Investment allocation. And so maybe there's a better mesh of those two, or just

720
00:47:17,910 --> 00:47:22,440
adding more of the spending part- To the old policy ... to the old policy. Okay.

721
00:47:22,890 --> 00:47:23,910
Aaron, and then Anne.

722
00:47:25,140 --> 00:47:29,310
So, in a former life, I was a trustee in another state for a long time.

723
00:47:29,491 --> 00:47:29,580
Mm-hmm.

724
00:47:30,090 --> 00:47:32,370
And did this role for many years.

725
00:47:34,890 --> 00:47:36,000
So the

726
00:47:37,260 --> 00:47:42,900
original policy was geared to help the trustees work with fund managers,

727
00:47:43,860 --> 00:47:45,300
and it's an investment policy.

728
00:47:45,360 --> 00:47:45,510
Right.

729
00:47:45,630 --> 00:47:47,520
So what types of

730
00:47:49,290 --> 00:47:52,890
securities and what are your cash and what allocations and so on.

731
00:47:53,101 --> 00:47:54,150
Yeah, the risk levels.

732
00:47:54,210 --> 00:47:57,360
And it's a very narrowly defined document.

733
00:47:57,540 --> 00:47:57,810
Mm-hmm.

734
00:47:58,110 --> 00:48:02,460
And there was a really key phrase that this gentleman, I apologize, said.

735
00:48:02,550 --> 00:48:05,190
He said, "With trustee approval," and that's never been

736
00:48:06,690 --> 00:48:09,991
a thing in my experience where I worked.

737
00:48:11,370 --> 00:48:16,200
It was always the select board. So there's a fundamental difference that you need

738
00:48:16,230 --> 00:48:20,221
to be aware of, I think, in this case, and at least look at.

739
00:48:21,030 --> 00:48:26,040
That moving from a fundamentally very narrowly defined

740
00:48:28,290 --> 00:48:29,670
program that is--

741
00:48:32,700 --> 00:48:37,440
You can talk to your auditor as well, but your investment policy is a required

742
00:48:37,500 --> 00:48:40,710
policy from their standpoint as well.

743
00:48:41,580 --> 00:48:45,420
And it's not the same thing as this.

744
00:48:46,680 --> 00:48:48,120
Not to say that this is wrong or

745
00:48:49,351 --> 00:48:50,730
it's not correcting something-

746
00:48:50,971 --> 00:48:51,090
Mm-hmm

747
00:48:52,380 --> 00:48:52,741
... but

748
00:48:54,930 --> 00:48:56,851
that trustee

749
00:48:58,530 --> 00:49:01,080
permission, that's something very different.

750
00:49:02,040 --> 00:49:06,450
And typically, it's not something in my experience, again, not in Vermont, but in

751
00:49:06,480 --> 00:49:10,080
another state, I would look very closely at that.

752
00:49:11,700 --> 00:49:16,440
Okay. So is there any way we can hybridize these documents?

753
00:49:17,101 --> 00:49:19,590
I still have some-- I've got a hand up.

754
00:49:19,680 --> 00:49:22,260
I'm sorry. No, go ahead. Go ahead.

755
00:49:22,650 --> 00:49:25,440
So I think from our initial...

756
00:49:27,601 --> 00:49:29,760
This is the third time the trustees have come to us.

757
00:49:30,210 --> 00:49:35,760
They discussed why it wasn't as detailed when they first came through.

758
00:49:35,910 --> 00:49:38,610
We didn't have the materials before us at that time.

759
00:49:38,670 --> 00:49:39,960
It didn't make it into the packet then.

760
00:49:40,380 --> 00:49:46,200
But they discussed the philosophy of it not being that prescriptive in this

761
00:49:46,230 --> 00:49:46,830
document

762
00:49:48,241 --> 00:49:51,120
that we're seeing, that they're presenting to us.

763
00:49:52,890 --> 00:49:58,020
And that's because the philosophy is broadly stated in this document that we're

764
00:49:58,110 --> 00:50:03,810
seeing that will guide them. But they can have sort of separate guidance principles

765
00:50:04,020 --> 00:50:06,810
as the trustees that will help them.

766
00:50:06,840 --> 00:50:07,770
But I believe that

767
00:50:10,830 --> 00:50:13,440
being that prescriptive also ties people's hands.

768
00:50:15,150 --> 00:50:17,760
And I see Anne shaking her head, so I'll let her speak.

769
00:50:17,820 --> 00:50:21,690
I mean, I will go to the chair and allow the chair to recognize someone.

770
00:50:21,750 --> 00:50:23,221
Okay. Yeah.

771
00:50:23,491 --> 00:50:28,830
So I would remind the group that the reason we went to the Vermont League of Cities

772
00:50:28,860 --> 00:50:34,800
and Towns for a policy template is that we were told by our advisor, Bill Stevens,

773
00:50:35,280 --> 00:50:39,210
that the 2008 policy was literally no longer actionable.

774
00:50:39,510 --> 00:50:43,140
He could not function under that policy. It is too strict.

775
00:50:43,560 --> 00:50:47,730
Things about it are self-contradictory and contradictory to current best practice

776
00:50:47,790 --> 00:50:52,950
for him. And he said, "So if I have to use this, Edward Jones is going to tell me I

777
00:50:53,010 --> 00:50:58,110
cannot. We need a new policy." He recommended we pick up the template from Vermont

778
00:50:58,200 --> 00:51:00,210
League of Cities and Towns, and we did.

779
00:51:00,270 --> 00:51:01,950
So that's why it is so much

780
00:51:03,180 --> 00:51:03,660
similar.

781
00:51:03,870 --> 00:51:04,080
Mm-hmm.

782
00:51:04,200 --> 00:51:09,960
I did want to ask Aaron, when you're saying that there was a mention of trustee

783
00:51:10,170 --> 00:51:14,490
permission or trustee approval, regarding what specifically?

784
00:51:14,550 --> 00:51:17,130
The staff mentioned it in the context

785
00:51:18,481 --> 00:51:18,690
of

786
00:51:20,070 --> 00:51:21,240
allowing payments.

787
00:51:22,830 --> 00:51:28,320
And I don't think that we are saying we do anything

788
00:51:28,530 --> 00:51:32,040
other than watch the payments happen, which-

789
00:51:32,340 --> 00:51:33,990
Let's be real clear. I'm not pointing fingers.

790
00:51:34,080 --> 00:51:39,451
I'm simply telling the board in an advisory capacity about a significant change

791
00:51:39,481 --> 00:51:45,120
that they need to be aware of as the critical aspect of the difference between

792
00:51:45,601 --> 00:51:50,731
going from a prescriptive-- And even if you've been told that this is not

793
00:51:50,820 --> 00:51:55,981
actionable, that's fine. But at a higher level, this is

794
00:51:57,960 --> 00:52:03,750
a document that describes a fundamentally different approach, and it has

795
00:52:04,050 --> 00:52:09,780
a function as an investment policy that is, in other

796
00:52:09,870 --> 00:52:11,310
states, as a requirement

797
00:52:13,770 --> 00:52:17,460
for the auditor to go through the books with, right?

798
00:52:17,520 --> 00:52:23,370
We're a policy driven organization and those policies for purchasing,

799
00:52:24,721 --> 00:52:26,430
and then so investment is very similar.

800
00:52:26,550 --> 00:52:30,780
So what they do when they do their audit is they go through and they look, are you

801
00:52:30,840 --> 00:52:32,010
following your policy?

802
00:52:32,370 --> 00:52:32,490
Right.

803
00:52:32,580 --> 00:52:34,650
And that's what the whole process is about.

804
00:52:35,010 --> 00:52:37,380
What you're being told is, hey, the

805
00:52:41,310 --> 00:52:45,840
weeds of this policy are not actionable.

806
00:52:45,900 --> 00:52:50,040
They can't do some of these things now. The world has changed and so on.

807
00:52:50,820 --> 00:52:51,210
But at a

808
00:52:52,560 --> 00:52:58,500
higher level, the policy itself is a vehicle, but it's a very narrowly defined

809
00:52:58,560 --> 00:53:03,870
vehicle. So I'm describing to the board in my advisory capacity that this previous

810
00:53:03,900 --> 00:53:06,481
policy was very narrowly defined and allowed for

811
00:53:08,130 --> 00:53:10,860
the trustees to work specifically with the fund management.

812
00:53:11,130 --> 00:53:14,190
And this other thing that you're talking about, which has been a failure,

813
00:53:17,460 --> 00:53:22,110
is a failure because this would've led them to believe that they got very silent

814
00:53:22,170 --> 00:53:24,960
about what their actual job was, right?

815
00:53:25,500 --> 00:53:29,851
They didn't actually go to the next step and say, "Okay, this policy is how we deal

816
00:53:29,940 --> 00:53:34,380
with the fund managers so that the auditor can look over our shoulder and make sure

817
00:53:34,440 --> 00:53:37,530
that we are practicing good risk management."

818
00:53:37,891 --> 00:53:38,160
So

819
00:53:39,721 --> 00:53:41,010
yes, I

820
00:53:42,780 --> 00:53:44,310
agree with everything you just said.

821
00:53:44,490 --> 00:53:46,740
So it's no longer-

822
00:53:46,981 --> 00:53:47,221
That's good

823
00:53:47,250 --> 00:53:52,380
... but going back to the permission or approval, there's nowhere in here that we

824
00:53:52,440 --> 00:53:54,391
give ourselves permission or approval.

825
00:53:54,481 --> 00:54:00,000
The closest that it comes to it is on page three, standardized spending request

826
00:54:00,060 --> 00:54:05,851
procedure. We say in the concert with the town, the trustees shall

827
00:54:05,880 --> 00:54:10,380
maintain a standardized procedure for spending allocation requests on the public

828
00:54:10,440 --> 00:54:16,260
funds. If you prefer to say, we will monitor that procedure that is devised

829
00:54:16,320 --> 00:54:21,210
by others, we're fine with that. There just needs to be a procedure because nobody

830
00:54:21,240 --> 00:54:22,770
knows how to spend this money.

831
00:54:23,010 --> 00:54:27,420
Yeah. All I'm saying to the board is that the crux of the

832
00:54:30,240 --> 00:54:35,370
potential change, that's a very important

833
00:54:35,971 --> 00:54:40,860
aspect that when you get back to Anne's discussion about

834
00:54:42,000 --> 00:54:46,680
Um, checks and balances. It was set up originally a certain way.

835
00:54:47,130 --> 00:54:52,830
So when you start changing a fundamental thing, like starting to allocate,

836
00:54:53,971 --> 00:54:59,940
um, permission to the trustees for how the money is spent, that's very--

837
00:55:00,300 --> 00:55:01,590
So I'm not saying that's what you're doing.

838
00:55:01,920 --> 00:55:07,231
I'm saying to the board, "Hey, pay attention." This is the key here that you have

839
00:55:07,260 --> 00:55:09,270
to keep track of as you're going through.

840
00:55:09,570 --> 00:55:13,351
We have policy, we're changing the policy, here's a new policy.

841
00:55:13,800 --> 00:55:14,040
Mm-hmm.

842
00:55:14,160 --> 00:55:16,141
That's a critical aspect of

843
00:55:17,490 --> 00:55:19,141
the checks and balance on either side.

844
00:55:19,290 --> 00:55:22,231
And, sorry, I want to say a word here.

845
00:55:23,400 --> 00:55:29,221
The VLCT policies tend to be very well-researched, and I'm a big fan of

846
00:55:29,280 --> 00:55:33,391
them. Second thing is, we, the select board, still retain control over the

847
00:55:33,451 --> 00:55:37,620
spending. For me, that's the critical piece in terms of checks and balances, so I

848
00:55:37,650 --> 00:55:40,860
don't see why they're recommending things to us as any change.

849
00:55:40,891 --> 00:55:42,750
That's the key. That is the key right there.

850
00:55:42,810 --> 00:55:45,030
You're explaining exactly what I'm saying.

851
00:55:45,120 --> 00:55:47,520
So in your mind, you're already all done. That's great.

852
00:55:47,910 --> 00:55:52,080
I'm just saying, hey, for the record, the key thing here is the

853
00:55:53,550 --> 00:55:55,471
permission base stays on your side.

854
00:55:55,530 --> 00:55:57,300
Exactly. That's what I see.

855
00:55:57,360 --> 00:55:59,010
Does that say that here somewhere?

856
00:55:59,610 --> 00:56:04,440
If you want to go to that line that I'm talking about and instead of saying "shall

857
00:56:04,530 --> 00:56:07,170
maintain," we can say "shall recommend."

858
00:56:08,880 --> 00:56:10,290
No, this is on page three.

859
00:56:10,530 --> 00:56:14,310
It's on page three under Standardized Spending Request Procedure.

860
00:56:15,810 --> 00:56:17,910
Well, I read that as

861
00:56:19,141 --> 00:56:21,660
you're recommending a procedure for spending.

862
00:56:21,660 --> 00:56:22,351
So you're not actually-

863
00:56:22,440 --> 00:56:26,490
You're not actually telling us what the needs.

864
00:56:26,820 --> 00:56:26,971
Right.

865
00:56:27,000 --> 00:56:28,020
And I think that's where

866
00:56:30,120 --> 00:56:34,770
I feel like there isn't a procedure yet for

867
00:56:35,851 --> 00:56:41,701
someone telling the select board, "Here are the needs that these funds can

868
00:56:42,090 --> 00:56:42,420
help

869
00:56:44,010 --> 00:56:45,030
fund those needs."

870
00:56:46,740 --> 00:56:49,351
I think that's separate and apart from this policy.

871
00:56:51,090 --> 00:56:51,270
Mm-hmm.

872
00:56:51,330 --> 00:56:55,141
I think that's a separate task that needs to, that doesn't need to be

873
00:56:58,620 --> 00:57:02,760
sort of fleshed out more, but I don't think the procedure needs to be part of this

874
00:57:02,790 --> 00:57:03,360
policy.

875
00:57:04,410 --> 00:57:10,290
So in terms of the spending objectives, if the policy just says, "You need to spend

876
00:57:10,351 --> 00:57:10,650
money

877
00:57:12,060 --> 00:57:16,020
and nothing else," but there's no way for the board, we're going into budget

878
00:57:16,080 --> 00:57:21,990
cycles, we don't even have a good sense of what those funds

879
00:57:23,130 --> 00:57:27,721
can fund, what we can spend the money on from those funds.

880
00:57:27,780 --> 00:57:30,420
I don't think that there's a really clear

881
00:57:31,951 --> 00:57:36,690
and easy-to-understand document that says, "Here are the funds.

882
00:57:37,231 --> 00:57:39,360
Here are the things you can spend the money on."

883
00:57:39,750 --> 00:57:40,020
Mm-hmm.

884
00:57:40,170 --> 00:57:40,410
Yes.

885
00:57:40,471 --> 00:57:45,840
And then when we get to the budget, we can say, "Okay, fire department, there is a

886
00:57:45,930 --> 00:57:50,880
fund that you can spend money on the fire department from, and here's the

887
00:57:51,000 --> 00:57:55,709
allocation of the money. In this fiscal year, you have this much money that you

888
00:57:55,770 --> 00:57:56,340
could spend."

889
00:57:57,750 --> 00:58:00,240
And I think that's probably why the money hasn't been spent.

890
00:58:00,330 --> 00:58:02,250
It's just been sitting there, but nobody-

891
00:58:04,020 --> 00:58:09,840
Yeah, I agree. And I think Alyssa was very clear that there needs to be more

892
00:58:09,930 --> 00:58:14,731
investigation in that realm, and there might even need to be, like she said, public

893
00:58:14,790 --> 00:58:20,190
noticing and to really clarify what those funds can do because it's

894
00:58:21,000 --> 00:58:26,641
still a little murky. But I don't think that we need to have that part solved in

895
00:58:26,701 --> 00:58:30,120
order to approve this part, this policy.

896
00:58:30,690 --> 00:58:30,960
And then-

897
00:58:30,990 --> 00:58:31,320
But can

898
00:58:33,000 --> 00:58:37,590
this policy state what the role of the trustees are in informing?

899
00:58:40,500 --> 00:58:41,940
The recommendations.

900
00:58:42,000 --> 00:58:46,590
Like, it should say, I feel like it should say that,

901
00:58:46,620 --> 00:58:49,981
"We have this fund.

902
00:58:51,391 --> 00:58:52,770
It was donated for this purpose."

903
00:58:52,951 --> 00:58:53,250
Yep.

904
00:58:53,250 --> 00:58:54,150
"Here's what it can be used for."

905
00:58:54,391 --> 00:58:57,810
I know that, well, we have this, but I don't know that we need to state that in

906
00:58:57,870 --> 00:59:03,570
this document, in this policy. I think we can have a separate document that says,

907
00:59:03,750 --> 00:59:06,960
that outlines what the funds are that this policy pertains to.

908
00:59:07,380 --> 00:59:12,960
Otherwise, we're going to stay where we've been at with nothing, with our investor

909
00:59:13,050 --> 00:59:17,820
not being able to make investments because he's unable to proceed under the current

910
00:59:18,360 --> 00:59:18,870
policy.

911
00:59:18,900 --> 00:59:22,141
I guess I would vote for if we could have as much information on one document

912
00:59:22,201 --> 00:59:26,070
rather than three different documents that all pertain to similar things.

913
00:59:26,160 --> 00:59:28,530
It's just much more straightforward.

914
00:59:28,650 --> 00:59:29,520
I also love that.

915
00:59:29,910 --> 00:59:31,770
I'm not going to let the perfect get in the way of the good.

916
00:59:32,641 --> 00:59:32,790
Yeah.

917
00:59:33,391 --> 00:59:35,010
Okay. All right. So

918
00:59:36,540 --> 00:59:40,080
Ann, and then Alyssa, did you want-- I think you almost... Okay.

919
00:59:40,380 --> 00:59:41,280
Anyway, Ann, go ahead.

920
00:59:42,030 --> 00:59:46,590
So glad to have this wordsmith, but the intent of that

921
00:59:48,240 --> 00:59:53,070
section there is that the work that you're talking about actually happens within

922
00:59:53,101 --> 00:59:59,010
the town. We're the trustees that watch the funds be invested, watch

923
00:59:59,070 --> 01:00:05,040
that they get moved around to best save them from risk and raise as much money as

924
01:00:05,070 --> 01:00:05,580
they can.

925
01:00:06,810 --> 01:00:12,750
What we are adding is, and we watch the town and make sure the town is doing

926
01:00:12,810 --> 01:00:15,690
the work that is required to then spend the money.

927
01:00:16,351 --> 01:00:20,221
So that's why this begins in concert with the town.

928
01:00:21,330 --> 01:00:26,490
And the only reason that the word "maintain" was chosen is because maintaining a

929
01:00:26,550 --> 01:00:30,660
standardized procedure, it's going to change, like who with the town does exactly

930
01:00:30,721 --> 01:00:34,800
what. We just watch it and make sure that pop that procedure-

931
01:00:35,250 --> 01:00:36,360
It exists

932
01:00:36,391 --> 01:00:40,351
... that it exists and that it is being used and that it's being updated when it

933
01:00:40,410 --> 01:00:46,110
needs to be. We're trying to be a backstop in service to the select board.

934
01:00:46,500 --> 01:00:51,270
We're not trying to take on the role of deciding how the money gets spent.

935
01:00:51,630 --> 01:00:56,580
We specifically do not want any responsibility for people saying, "Hey, I need the

936
01:00:56,610 --> 01:00:59,641
money." "No, I need the money." "No, I need the money." That is not what the

937
01:00:59,851 --> 01:01:00,210
trustees-

938
01:01:00,300 --> 01:01:02,370
That's our fund duty, yes.

939
01:01:02,820 --> 01:01:05,250
So maybe what you need to say here is,

940
01:01:07,109 --> 01:01:07,891
request-

941
01:01:09,391 --> 01:01:09,780
For sure

942
01:01:10,320 --> 01:01:14,670
... to the select board for the use of public funds or something.

943
01:01:14,940 --> 01:01:20,040
You need to say somewhere clearly here that the select board

944
01:01:22,981 --> 01:01:24,780
is going to be the one deciding.

945
01:01:25,080 --> 01:01:27,120
To recommend to the select board, right?

946
01:01:27,180 --> 01:01:27,810
Recommend.

947
01:01:29,580 --> 01:01:34,020
So where I would put that is under required full reporting from the town,

948
01:01:35,130 --> 01:01:40,770
on the last third bullet, as decided by the select board.

949
01:01:40,920 --> 01:01:43,981
Alyssa still has her hand up. Oh, sorry, Alyssa.

950
01:01:45,270 --> 01:01:46,141
I just want to say,

951
01:01:47,520 --> 01:01:52,920
that it seems like we're trying to create a new policy when we're not really sure

952
01:01:52,981 --> 01:01:58,290
that a new policy is what we need, but we need something right away, so

953
01:01:59,430 --> 01:02:02,221
that we're not going against the policy that we have.

954
01:02:03,451 --> 01:02:08,370
But do we have to rewrite the whole thing, or can we take out the restrictive

955
01:02:08,460 --> 01:02:14,280
wording right now so that Bill can do what he needs to do, and then

956
01:02:15,150 --> 01:02:15,540
we can

957
01:02:18,391 --> 01:02:24,330
try to get it more specific, after we get it to where it

958
01:02:24,420 --> 01:02:29,130
says what we need it to say, so we can use the document, and then we can tailor it

959
01:02:29,190 --> 01:02:34,231
to be more specific in the other ways that you guys are trying to figure out on the

960
01:02:34,290 --> 01:02:34,620
fly?

961
01:02:36,090 --> 01:02:41,221
Well, John brought up a point that we, the select board, need-- Everyone else comes

962
01:02:41,250 --> 01:02:44,250
to us and makes recommendations. We need recommendations.

963
01:02:44,310 --> 01:02:47,340
We can't do a deep dive into the weeds of the Hildreth Hospital fund.

964
01:02:47,670 --> 01:02:51,451
We require the expertise of others to tell us what to recommend.

965
01:02:51,721 --> 01:02:53,310
We decide finally, but I think that-

966
01:02:53,310 --> 01:02:55,110
It sounds like that's not their role.

967
01:02:55,500 --> 01:02:56,520
Yeah. That's not their-

968
01:02:56,550 --> 01:02:56,971
So-

969
01:02:57,030 --> 01:02:59,310
So who would make those recommendations then?

970
01:02:59,370 --> 01:03:04,530
But I hear what they're saying, that money hasn't been spent,

971
01:03:05,280 --> 01:03:09,870
and as trustees, they want to make sure that we are spending the money.

972
01:03:10,080 --> 01:03:11,370
That's what it's intended for.

973
01:03:11,670 --> 01:03:11,820
Yeah.

974
01:03:12,210 --> 01:03:12,960
But they're also saying-

975
01:03:12,990 --> 01:03:16,500
I hear that money hasn't been spent, but money, the investment, it's getting hard

976
01:03:16,530 --> 01:03:20,460
to even just make the investments, which means that the funds aren't being well

977
01:03:20,520 --> 01:03:21,150
managed.

978
01:03:22,260 --> 01:03:23,790
Well, they were in American-

979
01:03:23,880 --> 01:03:25,710
I'm not saying that they're not being ill managed.

980
01:03:25,770 --> 01:03:29,940
I'm just saying they're not being managed to the best of the way that they could be

981
01:03:30,000 --> 01:03:30,420
managed.

982
01:03:31,110 --> 01:03:31,500
So they're

983
01:03:33,810 --> 01:03:35,280
overseeing these funds.

984
01:03:35,340 --> 01:03:35,641
Mm-hmm.

985
01:03:36,330 --> 01:03:40,891
And they want to see that not only is it invested properly, but that we're also

986
01:03:40,951 --> 01:03:44,790
using it to benefit the community by spending the money on useful things.

987
01:03:44,851 --> 01:03:45,060
Right.

988
01:03:45,240 --> 01:03:46,050
But they're not-

989
01:03:47,562 --> 01:03:50,082
They are not tasked with telling us what to spend it on.

990
01:03:50,442 --> 01:03:50,742
Yeah.

991
01:03:50,922 --> 01:03:54,642
I'm hearing that loud and clear, and that we need to figure out a process for how

992
01:03:54,672 --> 01:03:55,212
do we know-

993
01:03:55,542 --> 01:03:55,722
Mm-hmm

994
01:03:55,722 --> 01:03:58,962
... what the needs are and what we can spend it on. That's fine.

995
01:03:59,022 --> 01:03:59,082
I think-

996
01:03:59,202 --> 01:04:04,932
But it sounds like this other piece is, and we want to be able to oversee

997
01:04:05,052 --> 01:04:09,672
how you are spending it. So we're overseeing

998
01:04:10,932 --> 01:04:15,103
the investment portion, and we're creating a policy that you spend it.

999
01:04:15,373 --> 01:04:15,582
Mm-hmm.

1000
01:04:15,732 --> 01:04:18,012
And we want to oversee how you spend it.

1001
01:04:18,072 --> 01:04:19,482
That's the piece that I'm sort of-

1002
01:04:19,962 --> 01:04:20,922
Is that accurate?

1003
01:04:21,072 --> 01:04:25,452
Yes. But we list it not as oversee, but as reporting from the town.

1004
01:04:25,902 --> 01:04:30,853
Because to date, in the years that Pat's been involved, because I'm new-

1005
01:04:31,032 --> 01:04:31,092
Right

1006
01:04:31,092 --> 01:04:37,062
... it's been difficult to get a routine of, we get the investment reports, and we

1007
01:04:37,092 --> 01:04:39,762
get the spending reports. Partially because there wasn't spending.

1008
01:04:39,822 --> 01:04:44,982
So while we're at it, we're saying, "You know what the spending is, just give us

1009
01:04:45,042 --> 01:04:47,623
the whole paper trail." We invested it.

1010
01:04:47,712 --> 01:04:52,092
If we said you could take this much of it, you took this much of it, you decided to

1011
01:04:52,152 --> 01:04:55,302
spend that, so that the whole process is complete.

1012
01:04:55,392 --> 01:04:56,832
Each time that

1013
01:04:58,512 --> 01:05:03,163
a spending allocation is made or just an annual report to say, "You guys-"

1014
01:05:03,222 --> 01:05:03,522
That's today.

1015
01:05:03,522 --> 01:05:05,532
"Please give us an annual report on what's being..."

1016
01:05:06,103 --> 01:05:09,913
We ask for it monthly, but that is up for debate.

1017
01:05:10,003 --> 01:05:14,472
If you feel that it's on us to try to do it monthly, we would be open to a lot of

1018
01:05:14,532 --> 01:05:16,332
conversations, enforcement.

1019
01:05:16,392 --> 01:05:16,692
Okay. So I-

1020
01:05:16,722 --> 01:05:17,712
Can I-

1021
01:05:17,742 --> 01:05:18,642
... recognize Alyssa.

1022
01:05:19,212 --> 01:05:19,482
Can I...

1023
01:05:21,492 --> 01:05:23,142
Darn it, I just lost my train of thought.

1024
01:05:24,103 --> 01:05:25,003
That's quarterly.

1025
01:05:25,392 --> 01:05:25,992
Mr. Chairman.

1026
01:05:26,082 --> 01:05:29,082
Yes, come back to us when the train comes back, whatever.

1027
01:05:29,112 --> 01:05:32,082
I think you're very close, and the only thing that I was saying was don't lose

1028
01:05:32,112 --> 01:05:36,072
sight of who's responsible for what ultimately at the end.

1029
01:05:36,312 --> 01:05:36,552
Yep.

1030
01:05:36,582 --> 01:05:42,282
But a couple of quick changes here will probably capture this easily

1031
01:05:42,972 --> 01:05:44,892
and make it a little bit more clear.

1032
01:05:45,072 --> 01:05:50,022
And I'm happy to work with the trustees and come up with one sentence or a change

1033
01:05:50,052 --> 01:05:52,812
to one of the sentences and bring it back to you.

1034
01:05:53,322 --> 01:05:55,302
We're going to come back to it in two weeks?

1035
01:05:56,652 --> 01:06:00,642
Well, or unless you want to authorize me to sign off on it with them, then we can

1036
01:06:00,672 --> 01:06:01,663
do that too. So.

1037
01:06:02,712 --> 01:06:03,552
I would certainly-

1038
01:06:03,883 --> 01:06:05,532
I think at the end of the day, it's

1039
01:06:08,413 --> 01:06:11,832
the select board that's supposed to sign the, you know.

1040
01:06:13,332 --> 01:06:17,472
I would just like to be on the record that I don't support going back to the 2008

1041
01:06:17,503 --> 01:06:20,383
policy and just scratching things out of that because I don't believe that it

1042
01:06:20,472 --> 01:06:26,202
captures the full scope that this newer one that's based on the template from the

1043
01:06:26,262 --> 01:06:28,123
VLCT encompasses.

1044
01:06:29,802 --> 01:06:34,633
And so I think that maybe with some changes to this,

1045
01:06:36,282 --> 01:06:41,383
the VLCT template, if we could get to where we need to be.

1046
01:06:41,442 --> 01:06:45,222
But I don't agree with just scratching out some things from the 2008 policy.

1047
01:06:46,062 --> 01:06:49,452
But we're talking about just making a minor change here or there in this one.

1048
01:06:50,292 --> 01:06:50,832
And that's-

1049
01:06:50,892 --> 01:06:53,442
That's where I would stand. I don't know where others stand.

1050
01:06:54,822 --> 01:06:57,133
So why don't you just work with them and-

1051
01:06:57,582 --> 01:06:58,242
Come back to us

1052
01:06:58,302 --> 01:07:01,212
... it seems like you have some real concerns.

1053
01:07:01,663 --> 01:07:05,802
No, I'm just sharing with you what I think is the crux of the check and balance

1054
01:07:05,832 --> 01:07:06,492
between the select-

1055
01:07:06,642 --> 01:07:06,853
Right

1056
01:07:06,853 --> 01:07:08,413
... and public trustees.

1057
01:07:08,922 --> 01:07:14,082
So if you'd like to work with them, and then at the next select board meeting,

1058
01:07:14,772 --> 01:07:20,623
after we've spent all this time being the source of that, it gives me a

1059
01:07:20,682 --> 01:07:23,353
real quick decision to say, "There we go.

1060
01:07:23,413 --> 01:07:24,402
We got compromise."

1061
01:07:24,913 --> 01:07:27,883
Send it around, and then you can put it on the consent agenda, and it'll probably

1062
01:07:27,942 --> 01:07:28,992
be something-

1063
01:07:29,112 --> 01:07:31,873
Right. That everyone seems to be okay with that approach.

1064
01:07:32,353 --> 01:07:33,432
Okay with that, Delia?

1065
01:07:36,312 --> 01:07:36,552
Okay.

1066
01:07:36,822 --> 01:07:37,842
How about Don, you okay?

1067
01:07:39,312 --> 01:07:39,552
Yeah.

1068
01:07:41,142 --> 01:07:42,853
There are still some things I have questions on, but.

1069
01:07:43,152 --> 01:07:44,592
Well, then talk with Erin.

1070
01:07:44,652 --> 01:07:47,142
Yeah. We'll work with everybody and get it all done.

1071
01:07:47,562 --> 01:07:51,282
Okay. Thank you. Given our, we've got a lot of agenda to get through, so we've got

1072
01:07:51,312 --> 01:07:52,003
to move on. Yep.

1073
01:07:52,092 --> 01:07:56,592
If I could just make one point, I don't want to review it in detail or discuss, but

1074
01:07:56,682 --> 01:08:00,822
I did want to bring the select board members back because these five bullets that

1075
01:08:00,853 --> 01:08:04,302
were submitted way back on August 24th-

1076
01:08:04,603 --> 01:08:04,692
Mm-hmm

1077
01:08:04,812 --> 01:08:09,792
... those really outline the full work that lays ahead of the trustees, and it is

1078
01:08:09,853 --> 01:08:12,133
substantial, and we need select board

1079
01:08:13,812 --> 01:08:18,522
enforcement that does get handled in a timely fashion, or we won't be spending

1080
01:08:18,583 --> 01:08:22,422
money out of these accounts for a long time. There's a lot to be figured out.

1081
01:08:22,663 --> 01:08:25,542
Okay. So do you need a motion to that effect, to set those points, or just

1082
01:08:25,603 --> 01:08:26,142
consensus?

1083
01:08:26,172 --> 01:08:31,962
It's not even a consensus. If you are not familiar with what those

1084
01:08:32,022 --> 01:08:37,093
five points are, I would ask that you review them again and make sure that we're

1085
01:08:37,152 --> 01:08:42,103
really clear, and that maybe it's just a directive to Erin, work on these five

1086
01:08:42,163 --> 01:08:46,422
points. So for the most part, they're all things that happen at the town level,

1087
01:08:46,873 --> 01:08:52,452
changing signatories, researching the funds, moving funds that are in the wrong

1088
01:08:52,512 --> 01:08:55,722
accounts. There's just a lot of cleanup that needs to happen.

1089
01:08:55,962 --> 01:08:58,062
So you don't need our permission to proceed with that, do you?

1090
01:08:58,422 --> 01:09:01,722
We don't proceed. We need to tell Iris to proceed.

1091
01:09:02,712 --> 01:09:02,952
After-

1092
01:09:04,212 --> 01:09:07,962
There's probably some legal research that needs to be done about

1093
01:09:09,282 --> 01:09:13,482
who donated how much and what it was for, so that we know what donor intent is, so

1094
01:09:13,542 --> 01:09:14,142
that we can-

1095
01:09:14,593 --> 01:09:14,772
Yep

1096
01:09:15,522 --> 01:09:17,922
... make sure that we're doing everything legal.

1097
01:09:18,012 --> 01:09:19,542
Thank you for all the work you guys have done.

1098
01:09:19,633 --> 01:09:19,873
Yes.

1099
01:09:20,442 --> 01:09:24,253
It's clearly been a lot of work. You've made more sense of it, which I'm

1100
01:09:24,883 --> 01:09:25,633
appreciative of.

1101
01:09:25,663 --> 01:09:27,192
Well, Alyssa got it started.

1102
01:09:27,282 --> 01:09:27,373
Good.

1103
01:09:27,402 --> 01:09:28,753
We'll give her where credit was due.

1104
01:09:28,812 --> 01:09:30,913
For everybody who's been involved, thank you very much.

1105
01:09:31,182 --> 01:09:31,542
Thank you.

1106
01:09:31,572 --> 01:09:34,182
Absolutely. Yep. All right. Thank you.

1107
01:09:34,422 --> 01:09:39,913
We're going to move on now to item C of the schedule for the 2027 budget

1108
01:09:40,003 --> 01:09:40,422
cycle.

1109
01:09:41,232 --> 01:09:42,133
Thank you all. Bye.

1110
01:09:42,133 --> 01:09:46,333
Thank you. Bye. And Erin, there's a handout that you provided for us.

1111
01:09:46,333 --> 01:09:50,742
Yes, I did. If you don't have a copy there, you need a copy?

1112
01:09:52,062 --> 01:09:55,002
I have one over there for you, sir. It's right behind your laptop.

1113
01:09:55,093 --> 01:09:56,082
Oh, there we go. Yep, got it.

1114
01:09:56,412 --> 01:09:58,212
Is there a way to show this on the screen?

1115
01:10:02,112 --> 01:10:06,462
Unfortunately, no. I just typed it up at 4:30. I apologize.

1116
01:10:07,392 --> 01:10:08,652
But that was in writing anyways.

1117
01:10:09,133 --> 01:10:09,372
Okay.

1118
01:10:09,972 --> 01:10:11,472
You're good. Scan it.

1119
01:10:11,922 --> 01:10:13,541
We're going to scan it and send it to you right now.

1120
01:10:15,343 --> 01:10:17,442
But we're going to send it right through.

1121
01:10:20,353 --> 01:10:25,212
Okay. Thanks, John. Okay. So Erin, what would you have us note here?

1122
01:10:25,302 --> 01:10:25,843
Well, we're just

1123
01:10:28,962 --> 01:10:30,103
showing you what

1124
01:10:33,402 --> 01:10:34,122
the meetings

1125
01:10:35,532 --> 01:10:38,322
schedule is until we get to town meeting.

1126
01:10:38,383 --> 01:10:40,362
And so there's a couple of key dates there.

1127
01:10:41,142 --> 01:10:46,932
But essentially, we have letters from both unions, Local 98 and the

1128
01:10:47,022 --> 01:10:52,452
police union for the village indicating that they want to start talking.

1129
01:10:53,502 --> 01:10:58,722
And so we have to fit that in. I believe you're going to be working with me on

1130
01:10:58,782 --> 01:11:04,302
Local 98. And then in terms of you wanted to work with the

1131
01:11:04,843 --> 01:11:08,652
opera house and cinema, I threw in recycling that night.

1132
01:11:08,862 --> 01:11:09,072
Mm-hmm.

1133
01:11:09,642 --> 01:11:15,582
And then we have some other major departments, fire department, and highway to

1134
01:11:15,642 --> 01:11:16,362
go through.

1135
01:11:18,042 --> 01:11:20,322
And then you do your administrative budget.

1136
01:11:21,072 --> 01:11:23,383
But you need to be all done and

1137
01:11:25,422 --> 01:11:26,832
as outlined on the schedule there.

1138
01:11:28,332 --> 01:11:29,892
By January 19th, it looks like?

1139
01:11:30,192 --> 01:11:30,282
Yeah.

1140
01:11:30,792 --> 01:11:31,032
Okay.

1141
01:11:32,412 --> 01:11:34,482
All right. This makes sense to me.

1142
01:11:35,952 --> 01:11:41,922
Glenn and Sean, key players in some of these departments will be speaking with us

1143
01:11:41,982 --> 01:11:42,642
face to face.

1144
01:11:42,792 --> 01:11:42,912
Yeah.

1145
01:11:43,212 --> 01:11:44,412
Okay. I think that's important.

1146
01:11:44,472 --> 01:11:49,212
So Alyssa and I are going through the budgets with them now, and then we get it to

1147
01:11:49,272 --> 01:11:49,722
a point

1148
01:11:51,042 --> 01:11:54,972
where their projects are set, and then when we do

1149
01:11:56,622 --> 01:11:59,892
wages with the unions, then we'll have a better sense of-

1150
01:12:02,082 --> 01:12:02,292
Okay

1151
01:12:02,322 --> 01:12:03,042
... how to fill in.

1152
01:12:03,822 --> 01:12:04,002
So,

1153
01:12:06,012 --> 01:12:11,532
I'm a library trustee, so our deadline would be November 24th.

1154
01:12:12,552 --> 01:12:13,542
Department budgets-

1155
01:12:14,442 --> 01:12:15,402
Sean has my copy.

1156
01:12:15,883 --> 01:12:16,032
Right.

1157
01:12:16,093 --> 01:12:16,633
No, you're good.

1158
01:12:19,962 --> 01:12:23,502
He generally comes in to see us by himself and-

1159
01:12:23,562 --> 01:12:23,982
Yeah, I know

1160
01:12:24,072 --> 01:12:25,093
... explains that to us.

1161
01:12:25,182 --> 01:12:28,542
But our date would be the 24th of November.

1162
01:12:29,353 --> 01:12:31,512
I think you're a different governing body, Bonnie.

1163
01:12:31,633 --> 01:12:31,843
So-

1164
01:12:32,172 --> 01:12:33,282
Oh, we're not a department

1165
01:12:33,282 --> 01:12:35,142
... when we say that, we're talking about our departments.

1166
01:12:35,472 --> 01:12:35,862
Oh, okay.

1167
01:12:35,952 --> 01:12:38,052
We're just internal to town of Rocky Hill.

1168
01:12:38,082 --> 01:12:39,552
So you don't know when we would do it?

1169
01:12:39,642 --> 01:12:41,952
Yeah. Ian will help you work through that.

1170
01:12:42,222 --> 01:12:44,922
Good. Well, we just met last night, and we weren't sure.

1171
01:12:45,192 --> 01:12:45,432
Right.

1172
01:12:45,582 --> 01:12:46,572
That's why I thought I'd ask.

1173
01:12:46,603 --> 01:12:47,952
We'll talk about it. We'll figure it out.

1174
01:12:48,042 --> 01:12:48,343
Okay.

1175
01:12:48,402 --> 01:12:49,182
It'll be all good.

1176
01:12:49,452 --> 01:12:52,812
Okay. So I think that covers it for the budget cycle.

1177
01:12:53,172 --> 01:12:53,172
Yeah.

1178
01:12:53,202 --> 01:12:57,762
All right. That moves us to item D, the tri-board follow-up

1179
01:13:00,049 --> 01:13:00,378
And

1180
01:13:02,268 --> 01:13:04,308
I had one too about the retreat follow-up.

1181
01:13:04,368 --> 01:13:05,898
I don't have much on the Tri-Board follow-up.

1182
01:13:05,959 --> 01:13:06,799
Is there anything you would-

1183
01:13:06,888 --> 01:13:08,118
Well, we had a conveyance.

1184
01:13:08,778 --> 01:13:09,288
Yeah.

1185
01:13:09,348 --> 01:13:13,968
And we happen to have a star witness in the room who could tell us that that's been

1186
01:13:15,468 --> 01:13:18,948
finalized, but I don't think it's been recorded upstairs just yet.

1187
01:13:19,578 --> 01:13:20,328
But it's on its way.

1188
01:13:20,778 --> 01:13:23,148
It's been, yeah, it's been finalized and sent down.

1189
01:13:23,178 --> 01:13:28,338
We need to have a transfer tax form with it for themselves. But it's final.

1190
01:13:29,148 --> 01:13:31,038
Yes. We're waiting for it to show up.

1191
01:13:31,608 --> 01:13:34,848
Good. So thank you for your action on that, Steve.

1192
01:13:35,148 --> 01:13:37,128
You're welcome.

1193
01:13:37,218 --> 01:13:38,058
That's exciting.

1194
01:13:39,498 --> 01:13:42,738
So can we then move on to the police pilot agreement?

1195
01:13:43,158 --> 01:13:44,238
I have that here.

1196
01:13:44,538 --> 01:13:45,049
I've seen it.

1197
01:13:45,078 --> 01:13:46,998
In the folder. This is

1198
01:13:49,068 --> 01:13:51,438
We can make copies. I've got a lot of copies here that we made.

1199
01:13:52,098 --> 01:13:56,328
That's just the overview that the chief wrote-

1200
01:13:56,628 --> 01:13:57,049
Oh, okay

1201
01:13:57,049 --> 01:14:02,508
... for the Tri-Board session. But this has that in it, but it also has an upfront

1202
01:14:02,538 --> 01:14:06,618
agreement, which we had handed out at the micro meeting.

1203
01:14:06,648 --> 01:14:06,858
Mm-hmm.

1204
01:14:07,368 --> 01:14:10,218
But it's now ready for you. Dave and I went through it together.

1205
01:14:11,538 --> 01:14:15,198
And so the pilot agreement is here for you to take a look at.

1206
01:14:15,738 --> 01:14:19,549
Okay. And will the village trustees look at it at their next meeting, or have they

1207
01:14:19,608 --> 01:14:19,968
already?

1208
01:14:20,088 --> 01:14:24,438
Well, if you're ready to sign it tonight, they'll sign it on the 13th.

1209
01:14:25,728 --> 01:14:25,758
Okay.

1210
01:14:25,758 --> 01:14:30,408
Chad, I know there's some question from, in the Village of Saxon River and their

1211
01:14:30,468 --> 01:14:33,588
trustees about how this applies to them.

1212
01:14:33,678 --> 01:14:36,768
I think we should clear up any

1213
01:14:38,028 --> 01:14:42,768
confusion as to whether this affects the Village of Saxon River or not.

1214
01:14:43,068 --> 01:14:47,358
My understanding from our Tri-Board meeting was Saxon River Village is part of

1215
01:14:47,568 --> 01:14:48,228
Rockingham-

1216
01:14:48,558 --> 01:14:48,738
Yeah

1217
01:14:48,738 --> 01:14:49,818
... and it is included.

1218
01:14:50,148 --> 01:14:50,299
Right.

1219
01:14:50,358 --> 01:14:54,558
We should make sure that there's communication to the Village, sector of Village

1220
01:14:54,618 --> 01:14:56,808
trustees that they are included in that.

1221
01:14:57,588 --> 01:14:57,709
Okay.

1222
01:14:58,459 --> 01:15:02,748
So I would like to amend John's statement just a little bit because,

1223
01:15:04,938 --> 01:15:09,198
the chief did go and officially see them in their meeting last night.

1224
01:15:09,348 --> 01:15:09,648
Okay.

1225
01:15:10,068 --> 01:15:15,738
And provided a chance for them to ask questions and get answers, and it's really a

1226
01:15:15,768 --> 01:15:21,709
village thing. So it's up to the police chief and the village trustees to

1227
01:15:22,368 --> 01:15:25,459
work with Saxons River on this going forward.

1228
01:15:25,758 --> 01:15:27,799
But essentially, it boils down to a couple of points.

1229
01:15:28,668 --> 01:15:32,808
And one is that as part of Rockingham, they will get services.

1230
01:15:33,258 --> 01:15:33,438
Okay.

1231
01:15:33,528 --> 01:15:36,918
And the police department will answer calls for services.

1232
01:15:37,578 --> 01:15:41,358
And I specifically spoke to the trustees at the Tri-Board meeting if they had the

1233
01:15:41,418 --> 01:15:42,168
question about,

1234
01:15:43,638 --> 01:15:45,738
why wouldn't we just piggyback on Rockingham?

1235
01:15:46,038 --> 01:15:50,028
And I said, "Well, if you're really interested, and you have all been right along

1236
01:15:50,718 --> 01:15:56,478
in speed enforcement, and you want to ensure that you have a

1237
01:15:56,538 --> 01:16:02,418
considerable amount of time devoted to speed enforcement, very likely that you

1238
01:16:02,478 --> 01:16:08,209
would want to enter into a contract for that particular service to ensure that you

1239
01:16:08,238 --> 01:16:12,617
get enough speed enforcement activity in your area."

1240
01:16:15,197 --> 01:16:18,858
And would that be part of this intermunicipal agreement or a separate and

1241
01:16:18,978 --> 01:16:19,938
standalone agreement?

1242
01:16:20,268 --> 01:16:24,528
This intermunicipal agreement is simply for a 90-day pilot for them to collect data

1243
01:16:24,648 --> 01:16:30,378
on, and isn't really set up to handle this level of

1244
01:16:30,468 --> 01:16:35,238
question. I think we need to get on the other side of the 90 days, and then when we

1245
01:16:35,268 --> 01:16:40,459
have some data about calls for service, different types of service, how active was

1246
01:16:40,518 --> 01:16:45,258
it out in outer Rockingham, then we'll start looking at the difference between a

1247
01:16:45,318 --> 01:16:51,228
more settled area like Saxons River versus a more rural area like the outer part of

1248
01:16:51,438 --> 01:16:52,338
rural Rockingham.

1249
01:16:52,908 --> 01:16:53,058
Okay.

1250
01:16:53,299 --> 01:16:54,049
But this

1251
01:16:56,268 --> 01:17:01,308
90-day trial will have some speed enforcement as part of it in other areas of

1252
01:17:01,338 --> 01:17:01,758
Rockingham.

1253
01:17:01,788 --> 01:17:03,408
And that's up to the chief's discretion.

1254
01:17:03,768 --> 01:17:08,148
Okay. But it will not include any speed enforcement in-

1255
01:17:08,448 --> 01:17:10,518
No. I disagree with that. I think it could.

1256
01:17:11,118 --> 01:17:15,138
It could very well have a speed enforcement in Saxons River.

1257
01:17:15,648 --> 01:17:15,799
Okay.

1258
01:17:16,038 --> 01:17:19,278
He's treating them as part of Rockingham.

1259
01:17:19,938 --> 01:17:25,549
The concern that I tried to address with the trustee is they have always wanted,

1260
01:17:26,118 --> 01:17:31,338
and they have contracted with the sheriff to do specific speed

1261
01:17:31,398 --> 01:17:33,828
patrols in their footprint.

1262
01:17:34,008 --> 01:17:35,628
Which Lower Parkersville has done.

1263
01:17:36,108 --> 01:17:38,718
We're paying the Windham County sheriffs

1264
01:17:40,428 --> 01:17:41,328
to do that-

1265
01:17:41,388 --> 01:17:41,478
That as well

1266
01:17:41,508 --> 01:17:43,248
... in Parkersville. Isn't that the same?

1267
01:17:43,428 --> 01:17:47,118
I'm just keeping it in a different bucket.

1268
01:17:47,448 --> 01:17:49,998
Saxons River has their own contract with the sheriff.

1269
01:17:50,299 --> 01:17:50,508
Yeah.

1270
01:17:50,658 --> 01:17:53,928
Their opportunity, if they want very specific

1271
01:17:55,368 --> 01:17:59,628
patrols that are

1272
01:18:01,308 --> 01:18:05,088
sufficient in their eyes, and they can work that out with the chief of police.

1273
01:18:07,068 --> 01:18:11,959
It's less expensive for them to go with Bells Falls PD than it is to go with the

1274
01:18:12,018 --> 01:18:15,709
sheriff. And the sheriff came in and stood up here and said, "Listen, you should

1275
01:18:15,738 --> 01:18:17,238
contract with the Bells Falls PD."

1276
01:18:17,838 --> 01:18:18,198
Okay.

1277
01:18:18,258 --> 01:18:22,668
Not both for his program, and he's happy to do the things, but he was very

1278
01:18:22,758 --> 01:18:23,988
forthright about that whole-

1279
01:18:24,288 --> 01:18:24,709
I remember

1280
01:18:24,738 --> 01:18:28,338
... the whole process. He said, "Work with your police department to create a

1281
01:18:28,368 --> 01:18:29,058
police department."

1282
01:18:29,148 --> 01:18:34,608
So the unique solution, John, is that Ellen talked with the chief and made sure

1283
01:18:34,668 --> 01:18:34,818
that

1284
01:18:36,318 --> 01:18:40,698
Saxons River's needs are brought into consideration when they assign this 90-day

1285
01:18:40,728 --> 01:18:41,538
patrol schedule.

1286
01:18:41,838 --> 01:18:43,848
I guess I would just ask is, are we

1287
01:18:48,528 --> 01:18:49,638
wanting data

1288
01:18:51,348 --> 01:18:52,578
from that area

1289
01:18:54,948 --> 01:18:59,148
so that we can make an informed decision about the needs of that, or are we just

1290
01:18:59,209 --> 01:19:02,478
saying, "Saxons River, if you want to find out

1291
01:19:03,888 --> 01:19:06,678
anything, you need to figure..." Just-

1292
01:19:07,848 --> 01:19:08,868
I'm feeling less clear now

1293
01:19:08,868 --> 01:19:09,588
... you need to include them.

1294
01:19:09,978 --> 01:19:12,498
This gets to my question about this agreement.

1295
01:19:12,588 --> 01:19:17,568
No, I would like to include them, but it doesn't sound to me like they are being

1296
01:19:17,628 --> 01:19:18,078
included.

1297
01:19:18,108 --> 01:19:18,768
They are included.

1298
01:19:19,248 --> 01:19:19,488
Yeah.

1299
01:19:19,788 --> 01:19:25,158
Yes, they are included. But it's up to them if they want specific speed

1300
01:19:25,218 --> 01:19:30,108
enforcement in the future, similar to the way they've contracted with the Windham

1301
01:19:30,198 --> 01:19:34,908
County Sheriff's Department. They can contract with that separately on their own as

1302
01:19:34,938 --> 01:19:35,328
they have.

1303
01:19:35,538 --> 01:19:41,178
I'm asking whether we want to know whether speed enforcement in Saxons River is a

1304
01:19:41,268 --> 01:19:47,178
real concern because this 90-day trial ends up saying, "Boy,

1305
01:19:47,268 --> 01:19:51,558
there's a real speeding problem." But we're saying, "Saxons River, if you want to

1306
01:19:51,588 --> 01:19:57,348
know there's a speeding problem, you need to hire separately outside of this

1307
01:19:57,528 --> 01:20:01,578
90-day trial." I was under the impression this 90-day trial was all of Rockingham.

1308
01:20:02,178 --> 01:20:03,678
It is. It is. I'm sure Saxons River-

1309
01:20:03,799 --> 01:20:07,098
And we're doing speed enforcement as part of that-

1310
01:20:07,428 --> 01:20:07,518
Yeah

1311
01:20:07,518 --> 01:20:08,688
... in certain areas.

1312
01:20:08,898 --> 01:20:10,549
Mm-hmm. Including Saxons River.

1313
01:20:11,299 --> 01:20:12,978
Could be. That's our idea.

1314
01:20:14,658 --> 01:20:14,808
Yes.

1315
01:20:15,858 --> 01:20:19,428
It's 90 days. You have a limited amount of funds, and you're

1316
01:20:20,718 --> 01:20:21,799
getting data collection.

1317
01:20:22,038 --> 01:20:22,788
So as long as-

1318
01:20:22,998 --> 01:20:25,248
Well, and that's where my question is

1319
01:20:25,398 --> 01:20:30,318
... speed enforcement in other areas of Rockingham, also

1320
01:20:32,238 --> 01:20:37,728
Saxons River is included in that sort of equally so that we get a good picture and

1321
01:20:37,788 --> 01:20:43,128
not, "Well, we did a bunch of speed enforcement on 103, but we didn't do any in

1322
01:20:43,728 --> 01:20:44,448
Saxons River-"

1323
01:20:44,688 --> 01:20:44,868
We didn't do any in Saxons River.

1324
01:20:44,868 --> 01:20:45,888
And I have to... Yeah.

1325
01:20:45,918 --> 01:20:46,728
"... Windham County."

1326
01:20:47,028 --> 01:20:49,459
Delilah is desperate to speak. Go, Delilah.

1327
01:20:50,418 --> 01:20:53,238
Look, I would like, and

1328
01:20:55,098 --> 01:20:57,168
I don't think it's fully

1329
01:20:58,818 --> 01:21:03,318
spelled out in the concept paper, which is a good first outline.

1330
01:21:04,008 --> 01:21:09,978
I think as part of this pilot, we need to be more specific in what we are

1331
01:21:10,068 --> 01:21:15,618
expecting along the lines of what John is suggesting, which is we need

1332
01:21:17,538 --> 01:21:23,478
every 30 days a report that tells us about how many hours have been

1333
01:21:23,538 --> 01:21:27,348
put towards this pilot, what the call logs look like,

1334
01:21:29,088 --> 01:21:31,278
and were they seeing any

1335
01:21:33,168 --> 01:21:36,588
issues in deploying people as calls came in.

1336
01:21:38,028 --> 01:21:43,998
So that's 30 days in. Sixty days, how is it looking financially?

1337
01:21:44,058 --> 01:21:45,318
How much has been spent?

1338
01:21:47,148 --> 01:21:51,198
Do we have some mapping of the call density? Where are the calls coming from?

1339
01:21:51,528 --> 01:21:55,098
What kinds of calls are they? What is the traffic enforcement information?

1340
01:21:55,368 --> 01:21:58,459
Towards John's question, is there a lot of speeding here, not a lot of speeding

1341
01:21:58,518 --> 01:21:58,788
there?

1342
01:22:00,228 --> 01:22:01,098
And at the end-

1343
01:22:02,802 --> 01:22:07,482
So basically, we're getting a report every 30 days on how the pilot's working, so

1344
01:22:08,772 --> 01:22:11,052
we don't just get a data dump at the end of 90 days.

1345
01:22:11,082 --> 01:22:15,042
We're sort of seeing it and able to maybe work some things through as it's going

1346
01:22:15,252 --> 01:22:19,572
on. At the end of 90 days, getting a comprehensive report

1347
01:22:20,832 --> 01:22:25,572
summarizing all of the things that they've been telling us, and maybe including

1348
01:22:26,712 --> 01:22:32,442
some feedback from the officers who were working, who were out on these calls, how

1349
01:22:32,472 --> 01:22:38,442
it worked for them. Just some information that fleshes it out so

1350
01:22:38,502 --> 01:22:43,872
that we get a picture of what it's looking like out there and how far that money

1351
01:22:43,932 --> 01:22:47,472
went, what sorts of calls there are, things like that.

1352
01:22:47,652 --> 01:22:51,732
I think that's what's missing. The agreement doesn't need to have a formal

1353
01:22:51,792 --> 01:22:55,212
inter-municipal agreement, but I think the expectation to have some sort of

1354
01:22:55,242 --> 01:22:58,782
reporting and data is important for us to evaluate this.

1355
01:22:59,832 --> 01:23:00,762
So can the chief be--

1356
01:23:02,562 --> 01:23:05,712
He, at our last meeting, pretty much promised to give us the feedback.

1357
01:23:05,982 --> 01:23:11,712
We can be more specific in our request for feedback, but I think we've got to leave

1358
01:23:11,772 --> 01:23:16,182
some of this in the chief's realm. Yes? Isn't it his department?

1359
01:23:17,022 --> 01:23:20,472
I think every 30 days coming to tell us how it's going is at least a minimum that

1360
01:23:20,502 --> 01:23:22,962
we can ask instead of waiting until the very end.

1361
01:23:23,892 --> 01:23:25,002
Okay, fine.

1362
01:23:26,922 --> 01:23:32,802
Isn't there a substantial difference between responding to calls and

1363
01:23:32,922 --> 01:23:35,922
patrolling for traffic?

1364
01:23:37,152 --> 01:23:37,542
There's really-

1365
01:23:37,572 --> 01:23:38,682
They're going to be doing all that

1366
01:23:38,711 --> 01:23:44,593
... Right. But they're really two different things, and there's only so many

1367
01:23:44,862 --> 01:23:49,932
cars. They can't be constantly patrolling all of Rockingham.

1368
01:23:50,322 --> 01:23:56,172
That's why these different areas get a contract with the county

1369
01:23:56,232 --> 01:23:59,562
sheriff to do that kind of patrolling,

1370
01:24:00,883 --> 01:24:06,853
and where they think it's really needed, where the local police cars

1371
01:24:06,883 --> 01:24:10,512
are just not out on these rural roads that frequently.

1372
01:24:12,012 --> 01:24:17,082
My feeling is the thing that we really need help with are calls.

1373
01:24:17,622 --> 01:24:23,172
People that live at Saxons River and out where Rick lives or at Bardville,

1374
01:24:23,802 --> 01:24:29,082
there's no one they can call if they need the police for an emergency

1375
01:24:29,802 --> 01:24:34,872
or something like that. And that's the thing that we really need to start figuring

1376
01:24:34,902 --> 01:24:36,072
out how to provide.

1377
01:24:37,662 --> 01:24:43,452
Worrying about speeders, I think if they're really concerned about that, it's a

1378
01:24:43,512 --> 01:24:48,372
good idea to have a contract with the county sheriff because he does that.

1379
01:24:48,432 --> 01:24:52,752
He's sending his guys out on patrols looking for speeders. So I don't know.

1380
01:24:52,812 --> 01:24:55,002
That's just my input here.

1381
01:24:55,572 --> 01:25:00,942
Okay. As a resident of rural Rockingham, we haven't had police coverage for

1382
01:25:01,992 --> 01:25:06,042
20 years maybe. When the state police began to fade away.

1383
01:25:06,792 --> 01:25:10,512
So we're in the position now, our people out there don't even know that there-- We

1384
01:25:10,542 --> 01:25:14,232
have to publicize this service for us to see, to get calls.

1385
01:25:14,292 --> 01:25:17,802
So depending on how this shakes out tonight, he was planning on putting it on

1386
01:25:17,832 --> 01:25:18,281
Facebook.

1387
01:25:18,521 --> 01:25:23,922
Yeah. Okay, so I'm hoping that we can take-- I agree with you about 30-day

1388
01:25:23,982 --> 01:25:27,853
reporting along the way. That will enable us to get the data we need, Delilah.

1389
01:25:28,662 --> 01:25:33,343
And I agree with John that we, I think, have to be specific that Saxons River is

1390
01:25:33,372 --> 01:25:35,682
included. I'm pretty sure the chief made that-

1391
01:25:35,952 --> 01:25:37,542
He made that abundantly clear.

1392
01:25:38,292 --> 01:25:38,532
Okay.

1393
01:25:39,072 --> 01:25:39,792
That's why I think some-

1394
01:25:40,182 --> 01:25:41,202
Make sure he gets it done.

1395
01:25:41,262 --> 01:25:42,432
The mapping is important.

1396
01:25:43,662 --> 01:25:48,192
The 30-day reporting may be showing mapping of where they went, what their coverage

1397
01:25:48,252 --> 01:25:48,822
is looking like.

1398
01:25:49,902 --> 01:25:52,182
Yep. Okay. Will you convey that to the chief?

1399
01:25:52,812 --> 01:25:53,682
Absolutely. All right.

1400
01:25:54,402 --> 01:25:57,792
All right, are we ready to move on then to approve or disapprove this agreement, is

1401
01:25:57,822 --> 01:25:58,122
that right?

1402
01:26:00,103 --> 01:26:05,353
If you want to get started and have, like, an October 15th start date so that you

1403
01:26:05,383 --> 01:26:09,343
can get done in time to still be in budget season.

1404
01:26:10,122 --> 01:26:11,172
And I think Delilah's

1405
01:26:12,642 --> 01:26:18,462
very insightful request is an excellent way to get data well before it ends

1406
01:26:18,552 --> 01:26:20,862
in case you're running up to the end of budget season.

1407
01:26:21,282 --> 01:26:21,462
Yep.

1408
01:26:21,582 --> 01:26:27,492
So yes. I think if you are comfortable with the document, then

1409
01:26:28,332 --> 01:26:32,682
we would start entering in as of the 13th on the trustees.

1410
01:26:33,642 --> 01:26:35,502
But I'd like to bring that, too, that it be signed.

1411
01:26:35,652 --> 01:26:39,582
All right. I would accept a motion to approve the inter-municipal police agreement

1412
01:26:39,582 --> 01:26:41,562
between town of Rockingham and village of Wells Falls.

1413
01:26:42,552 --> 01:26:44,982
I move that we approve that document.

1414
01:26:45,942 --> 01:26:49,422
Also stipulate that we do request 30-day reports.

1415
01:26:49,902 --> 01:26:50,112
Okay.

1416
01:26:50,562 --> 01:26:51,312
I'll second that.

1417
01:26:51,702 --> 01:26:55,962
Okay. All right. Motion made and seconded to approve the agreement we've been

1418
01:26:55,992 --> 01:27:00,192
discussing. Are there any further comment or conversation?

1419
01:27:00,732 --> 01:27:02,802
Hearing then, all in favor, please say aye.

1420
01:27:03,072 --> 01:27:03,222
Aye.

1421
01:27:03,343 --> 01:27:03,462
Aye.

1422
01:27:03,462 --> 01:27:03,912
Aye.

1423
01:27:03,942 --> 01:27:08,082
Any opposed, we abstain. Motion is unanimous. The agreement is approved.

1424
01:27:09,552 --> 01:27:15,133
Okay. Select board retreat. I can be brief on this because we have

1425
01:27:15,343 --> 01:27:17,982
Attorney Ancuda, being someone to respect his time.

1426
01:27:22,093 --> 01:27:26,562
I sent you a summary of what Susan still-- First of all, I think Susan did a

1427
01:27:26,622 --> 01:27:31,932
tremendous job. I think there's a very rich menu of options for us to pursue.

1428
01:27:34,662 --> 01:27:40,212
The one that I would like to, and we will have to decide which and how we want to

1429
01:27:40,242 --> 01:27:44,262
pursue. The one thing that I want to think about tonight is that we thought of

1430
01:27:44,322 --> 01:27:50,292
having a once-a-month strategic discussion, and that is where we

1431
01:27:50,353 --> 01:27:53,142
begin discussing implementation of her recommendations.

1432
01:27:54,072 --> 01:27:59,022
So, I would put that out to my colleague select board members, as something that

1433
01:27:59,052 --> 01:28:01,992
would begin on October 20th at our next meeting.

1434
01:28:07,122 --> 01:28:10,242
And this would just be an item on the agenda or-

1435
01:28:10,542 --> 01:28:12,282
An item every once a month.

1436
01:28:13,633 --> 01:28:13,992
Once a month.

1437
01:28:14,052 --> 01:28:16,182
We would devote time to strategic planning.

1438
01:28:18,582 --> 01:28:19,603
I like that idea.

1439
01:28:21,222 --> 01:28:21,432
Yeah.

1440
01:28:22,812 --> 01:28:28,512
I'd like for the focus to be on the conversation amongst the members of the

1441
01:28:28,542 --> 01:28:30,942
board for those strategy sessions.

1442
01:28:31,633 --> 01:28:31,751
Mm-hmm.

1443
01:28:33,552 --> 01:28:38,712
Just so that we can make sure that we give each, whatever the topic of discussion

1444
01:28:38,802 --> 01:28:40,062
is, our full attention.

1445
01:28:41,652 --> 01:28:44,862
Okay. So that is my recommendation as to how we should proceed.

1446
01:28:45,343 --> 01:28:48,612
And also, I'm hoping everyone has studied the document that Susan sent around.

1447
01:28:48,672 --> 01:28:53,562
It's very detailed and some great suggestions that I hope we can pursue.

1448
01:28:53,593 --> 01:28:56,832
But tonight, I just want to get that first piece of here's how we're going to

1449
01:28:56,892 --> 01:28:58,962
approach it, and it looks like there's consensus.

1450
01:28:59,862 --> 01:29:04,182
So it was John's suggestion in that meeting that the board

1451
01:29:05,562 --> 01:29:10,242
work on strategy. That was the-- and strategic planning is like,

1452
01:29:11,772 --> 01:29:13,272
certainly falls underneath that.

1453
01:29:13,302 --> 01:29:15,343
But I think

1454
01:29:16,782 --> 01:29:20,742
at some point on the 20th, if John could spend some more time talking about what

1455
01:29:20,802 --> 01:29:25,512
his thought was on that, because it was a really pregnant conversation, and it'd be

1456
01:29:25,572 --> 01:29:29,862
really interesting to kind of drill down on how the board actually works.

1457
01:29:30,402 --> 01:29:33,133
And that was what I think he was driving at, if you don't mind me-

1458
01:29:33,312 --> 01:29:33,462
Yep

1459
01:29:33,462 --> 01:29:35,982
... I don't think I'm putting words in your mouth, Matt.

1460
01:29:37,482 --> 01:29:40,512
And I think that was the kind of the key takeaway

1461
01:29:42,402 --> 01:29:43,872
for most of that meeting for me.

1462
01:29:44,772 --> 01:29:50,232
Good. And I just want to stress that, and why my question was, is it an item on the

1463
01:29:50,262 --> 01:29:55,032
agenda? I think that we will be very challenged

1464
01:29:57,252 --> 01:30:02,952
to think strategically and act strategically if it's an item on a

1465
01:30:03,012 --> 01:30:03,942
busy agenda.

1466
01:30:04,452 --> 01:30:04,603
Right.

1467
01:30:04,603 --> 01:30:04,902
We will.

1468
01:30:06,522 --> 01:30:08,502
I think it should be a standalone

1469
01:30:09,912 --> 01:30:12,222
meeting. That's the sole purpose-

1470
01:30:12,282 --> 01:30:12,642
Especially

1471
01:30:12,672 --> 01:30:14,862
... strategy. There is nothing else.

1472
01:30:15,343 --> 01:30:20,622
So we show up tonight, if on the agenda tonight was a strategy discussion, it's

1473
01:30:20,652 --> 01:30:21,372
going to get squeezed.

1474
01:30:21,522 --> 01:30:21,642
Right.

1475
01:30:21,672 --> 01:30:23,172
It's going to get squeezed. It's going to get lost.

1476
01:30:24,343 --> 01:30:25,603
We're not going to get the benefit of it.

1477
01:30:25,812 --> 01:30:27,492
I think that's a superb suggestion.

1478
01:30:27,522 --> 01:30:29,472
So you want to have a special meeting every month?

1479
01:30:29,712 --> 01:30:33,072
Well, no. I think we can talk about it on the 20th to have further conversation

1480
01:30:33,162 --> 01:30:37,843
about how do we organize strategy sessions on the board.

1481
01:30:38,472 --> 01:30:42,103
I'm just saying I don't support it being an item on an agenda once a month.

1482
01:30:43,002 --> 01:30:46,662
It should be a standalone thing. How we decide we're going to do that, whether it's

1483
01:30:46,722 --> 01:30:50,682
monthly, whether it's quarterly, whether it's whatever, but it should be the only

1484
01:30:50,742 --> 01:30:53,532
thing on the agenda for that meeting is the discussion.

1485
01:30:53,652 --> 01:30:53,952
Yeah.

1486
01:30:53,982 --> 01:30:57,312
Good point. Good point. The urgent dries up important.

1487
01:30:57,432 --> 01:30:57,582
Yeah.

1488
01:30:58,002 --> 01:30:58,122
Yeah.

1489
01:30:58,182 --> 01:30:59,172
It's exactly the case.

1490
01:30:59,922 --> 01:31:02,232
So the work session is what I prescribe.

1491
01:31:02,412 --> 01:31:05,652
Yeah. Okay. So that wraps up our discussion of this then.

1492
01:31:05,712 --> 01:31:11,593
Everyone agrees that we will plan on the 20th how we will set these, whether these

1493
01:31:11,892 --> 01:31:14,832
become early to a meeting or we have a special meeting on a separate day.

1494
01:31:14,952 --> 01:31:15,072
Yeah.

1495
01:31:15,343 --> 01:31:19,104
Okay, great. Thank you. Other business?

1496
01:31:22,224 --> 01:31:22,554
Okay.

1497
01:31:23,785 --> 01:31:25,734
We talked about a lot of things that are happening on the 20th.

1498
01:31:25,974 --> 01:31:27,684
Anything else that folks want to add?

1499
01:31:28,854 --> 01:31:34,285
No. On other business, I will be attending the BLCT Town Fair tomorrow, so I'll

1500
01:31:34,344 --> 01:31:35,484
report back anything that-

1501
01:31:35,964 --> 01:31:36,474
Oh, good.

1502
01:31:36,654 --> 01:31:37,554
Delilah, I'll be there.

1503
01:31:38,394 --> 01:31:42,984
Okay, great. So if there are topics that you guys see on the agenda that you would

1504
01:31:43,074 --> 01:31:47,004
like some information about, I think because they're all concurring, so Delilah and

1505
01:31:47,124 --> 01:31:47,814
I can try to

1506
01:31:50,035 --> 01:31:51,864
divvy up on who goes to what-

1507
01:31:51,864 --> 01:31:52,074
We can

1508
01:31:52,104 --> 01:31:56,814
... make sure we can capture the things that this group feels are most needed.

1509
01:31:57,024 --> 01:32:02,785
Beautiful. And as you know, I attended the VLCT annual meeting this afternoon for

1510
01:32:03,264 --> 01:32:05,004
close to three hours. And,

1511
01:32:06,414 --> 01:32:10,734
the most interesting part is what I sent you by email, and that is the policy items

1512
01:32:10,794 --> 01:32:14,394
that VLCT will advocate for, the policies, and they get down to some pretty

1513
01:32:14,454 --> 01:32:16,285
specific issues, and I won't go into detail.

1514
01:32:17,035 --> 01:32:19,224
But I would love to have you look at the document I sent around-

1515
01:32:19,285 --> 01:32:19,464
Yeah

1516
01:32:19,704 --> 01:32:23,245
... and get back to me. Okay. So,

1517
01:32:24,684 --> 01:32:28,914
the tri-board meeting agenda, that's pretty far, off December 29th.

1518
01:32:30,174 --> 01:32:33,414
I don't think we need to discuss that tonight. Do we? Anything? No.

1519
01:32:34,404 --> 01:32:35,995
Okay, so executive session.

1520
01:32:38,694 --> 01:32:40,495
Well, we don't have Amy's wording here.

1521
01:32:40,524 --> 01:32:40,914
Do we need-

1522
01:32:41,334 --> 01:32:43,074
I believe I have it.

1523
01:32:43,104 --> 01:32:43,495
Thank you.

1524
01:32:46,734 --> 01:32:48,384
Am I able to stay in this?

1525
01:32:49,314 --> 01:32:49,464
Yeah.

1526
01:32:49,524 --> 01:32:49,794
Yes.

1527
01:32:50,214 --> 01:32:52,404
Yeah. Oh, in terms of the-

1528
01:32:53,874 --> 01:32:54,054
Yeah, what-

1529
01:32:54,084 --> 01:32:58,285
... those recording type thing. Oh, I have it somewhere here.

1530
01:33:01,734 --> 01:33:03,594
I don't know if there's anything recording.

1531
01:33:04,314 --> 01:33:05,064
And we have it.

1532
01:33:11,995 --> 01:33:13,164
Administrative area.

1533
01:33:21,504 --> 01:33:22,224
Also same thing.

1534
01:33:28,884 --> 01:33:30,084
Moving to make that move.

1535
01:33:30,144 --> 01:33:31,495
That's great. Thank you. Mm-hmm.

1536
01:33:34,314 --> 01:33:37,285
I move that we go into executive session

1537
01:33:41,604 --> 01:33:47,334
concerning negotiating or securing real estate purchase or

1538
01:33:47,424 --> 01:33:48,474
lease options.

1539
01:33:50,964 --> 01:33:55,404
The appointment or employment or evaluation... No, well, I say all that. No.

1540
01:33:56,664 --> 01:33:57,954
There's no legal, isn't it?

1541
01:33:58,914 --> 01:34:01,495
Also, make sure to name who's joining us in it.

1542
01:34:05,634 --> 01:34:07,434
We're going to discuss

1543
01:34:11,274 --> 01:34:14,514
contracts and grievances, tax grievances.

1544
01:34:15,084 --> 01:34:17,995
And we invite the town manager and-

1545
01:34:19,434 --> 01:34:20,094
Let me help you.

1546
01:34:20,454 --> 01:34:22,374
Yeah. I don't know what to say.

1547
01:34:25,224 --> 01:34:25,944
So you're in...

1548
01:34:32,694 --> 01:34:38,424
It's the pending or probable civil litigation or prosecution to which a public

1549
01:34:38,484 --> 01:34:40,884
body is or may be a party.

1550
01:34:41,934 --> 01:34:47,604
Okay. I move that we go into executive session to discuss pending or probable

1551
01:34:47,724 --> 01:34:53,245
civil litigation or a prosecution to which the public body is or may be

1552
01:34:53,424 --> 01:34:54,024
party.

1553
01:34:55,704 --> 01:35:01,224
And I move to find that premature general public knowledge of stated

1554
01:35:01,344 --> 01:35:07,134
above reason will clearly place the municipality at a substantial disadvantage.

1555
01:35:09,114 --> 01:35:09,294
Okay.

1556
01:35:09,414 --> 01:35:15,384
And I move that we invite town manager, Alan Pratt, and town attorney, Steven

1557
01:35:15,444 --> 01:35:19,074
Ankuda, to join us in executive session, please.

1558
01:35:19,134 --> 01:35:19,464
Second.

1559
01:35:19,794 --> 01:35:22,824
Okay. Motion to go into executive session has been made and seconded.

1560
01:35:23,334 --> 01:35:28,134
At this point, I would ask those on screen to, except for Delilah,

1561
01:35:29,814 --> 01:35:30,384
to depart.

1562
01:35:30,834 --> 01:35:33,535
Thank you for watching this Fact TV presentation.

1563
01:35:33,804 --> 01:35:38,634
If you would like a digital or DVD copy of the meeting, please contact us by phone

1564
01:35:38,694 --> 01:35:44,394
or email. Our phone number is 802-463-1613,

1565
01:35:44,604 --> 01:35:47,754
or email us at fact810@gmail.com.

1566
01:35:48,204 --> 01:35:51,924
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