[0:00] I'm going to call the advisory committee
meeting to order this August the 5th at
[0:06] 7:39. Uh all members are present looks
like except for Howard
[0:11] believe. Uh Howard may not be joining us
tonight because he's actually on
[0:15] vacation. Um
so the first order of business tonight
[0:20] is
Tim. We're recording, right? Okay.
[0:26] » Yep.
>> We are we are recording.
[0:31] All right. Did I hear Howard or who was
Okay. All right. Um, first order of
[0:36] business is to review the minutes. We
had four meeting minutes uh to review
[0:43] starting with March the 10th, which is a
joint select board meeting.
[0:50] Um, does anybody have any edits or
comments on the March 10th meeting
[0:54] minutes?
[1:04] All right.
If not, uh, I'm going to we can approve
[1:08] let's try to approve them all at once,
but we'll move on to anyone have any
[1:12] edits for the March 16th meeting?
[1:20] No. Okay.
I take silence is is [snorts]
[1:25] uh concurrent. Okay. Anyone have any
edits for the March 25th meeting
[1:32] minutes?
[1:37] No.
And last but not least,
[1:41] uh, April 6th. Any meeting minute edits
at April 6? No.
[1:51] All right. If not, do we have a motion
to approve the meeting minutes from
[1:56] March 10th, March 25th, March 16th, and
April 6th?
[2:03] » So moved.
>> All right. Second.
[2:07] » Second.
>> Thank you. Well, roll call vote.
[2:12] Tim
>> I
[2:16] » L
>> I'm going to abstain because I wasn't
[2:20] there.
>> All right. I thought you might uh Eric.
[2:23] » Hi. [clears throat]
>> Larry.
[2:26] » Hi.
>> And Barry.
[2:29] » Hi.
>> And Marcy is I. All right. Let's say
[2:34] here unanimous. No edits.
Okay. Thank you guys. All right. Moving
[2:41] on to the second item on our agenda
tonight is the town policies. Um I did
[2:48] speak with the slug board chair earlier
today and we will be receiving
[2:53] additional time. I know that everybody
spent some time working on these this
[2:57] past week which is good and we will go
over that. Um but we will have a few
[3:01] more weeks uh for additional edits,
additional feedback,
[3:06] etc. if needed. And um we expect that
they the budget policy at least will re
[3:13] be reviewed at an upcoming meeting in
September by the select board u but not
[3:18] next week uh as was originally planned.
Any questions, concerns or comments
[3:24] about that
thoughts?
[3:27] » Marcy was just curious I mean great
[clears throat] to have the additional
[3:30] time but what was the basis for the
extension?
[3:32] » [snorts]
>> Well, last week we talked about um we
[3:36] may need more time. Yeah. [laughter]
>> And the select board chair and vice
[3:40] chair agreed that you know advisory
plays a big role in these budget
[3:44] policies. So they wanted to give enough
time. Got it.
[3:46] » Um yeah. So we were asked uh sort of on
short notice to turn it around. As
[3:51] pointed out there's se there's been a
trickle through of several budget sorry
[3:55] several policies. So there, you know, we
were happy to hear that this wasn't as
[4:00] urgent as we may have thought in terms
of for next week.
[4:04] » Thank you.
>> You're welcome.
[4:07] All right. So, moving on then to
the budget um documents. Let me see
[4:15] here. I did pull up the budget
documents.
[4:18] One second. I'll see if I can share my
screen.
[4:23] We were thinking that Claire would be
here for this, but I don't think she's
[4:27] going to be. So,
>> she might be in the audience. Give me a
[4:30] minute.
>> Okay,
[4:32] » looks like she is.
She's got somebody named Hannah Sro has
[4:37] their hand raised.
[laughter]
[4:41] » Okay, that is probably clear.
>> There she comes.
[4:47] » Thank you, Tim.
[4:52] Hey guys.
>> Hello Claire.
[4:55] » Hi. I don't know what happened. So Tim,
you kind of figured this out.
[5:02] » God bless you.
>> Yeah, we'll we'll figure it out for next
[5:05] time. Claire.
>> Yeah, I was I was Andrew's backup when
[5:08] he when he was
>> Oh, that makes sense.
[5:11] » Yeah.
>> He was Andrew's backup.
[5:17] » I gotcha. Okay. Um, so I have the the
document pulled up that you're talking
[5:22] about. Um, you want
>> you want me to share it if I get um
[5:30] um I can share it.
>> This is the version that Al had sent to
[5:33] all of us that had feedback from
multiple people. I believe I'll let you
[5:37] speak.
>> First off, thank you so much for the
[5:40] work on this. I I have comments and it
it looks very good. Thank you.
[5:45] Um, yeah. Actually, silly question.
Claire, if I send something to the
[5:49] advisory committee, do you get a copy?
>> Yes.
[5:53] » Okay.
>> Oh, somebody um
[5:56] » I'm not sure I get a copy, but
>> yeah. Or
[5:59] » we figured that out today, Al.
>> Okay.
[6:01] » So, [laughter] you should be able to see
your copy on the screen.
[6:04] » Yep.
>> Okay.
[6:07] » So, we will we will fix the issue of the
advisory email committee group. Uh we
[6:12] learned today. Thank you, Claire, for
your keen eye that Al is not listed yet
[6:17] in our group. So, um I don't think
you've missed that many emails, Al, but
[6:21] that was one of the reasons you might
not have received some things. But I did
[6:24] forward you anything for this meeting
today.
[6:28] Oh, no. I think something's showing up
here. Claire. Okay.
[6:39] Maybe you could just pull it off the
screen. I don't know. Um,
[6:43] I I have it up and it says that I'm
sharing it, but I'm just wondering if
[6:48] I'm sharing.
>> You are you are sharing, but the little
[6:50] box with the Microsoft is is blocking
some of it at least.
[6:55] » Can you see that?
>> Okay. So, it's doing something wonky.
[7:00] How's that?
>> All right.
[7:03] » It's going to keep bothering you until
you log in with your town credentials.
[7:07] » Oh, okay.
>> All right. Maybe maybe not. Okay. We
[7:11] look pretty good for now. Okay. All
right. So, I think um Al, I'll turn it
[7:17] over to you quickly.
>> Oh, [laughter]
[7:20] » well, if you want to comment, I mean,
you just want to set up the stage like
[7:23] what what's happen?
>> Yeah. So, um I I had taken uh the the
[7:28] the document that Andrew drafted and um
then I tried to uh incorporate um the
[7:37] comments from uh
[clears throat and cough]
[7:41] Larry and um
[7:46] and Barry. Larry and Barry. I should
remember that. and um
[7:52] » and then sort of put my own edits in
there as well to to really I took out
[7:58] some of the what I would describe as
sort of u
[8:05] let's all be nice and play together
>> and sort of said you know look this is
[8:11] the process and then you know the
process documents should describe who's
[8:16] responsible and what they're supposed to
do so I sort
[8:21] took some of that out. I made a couple
of substantial
[8:25] edits, particularly uh when it comes to
uh free cash and the the uses of um
[8:34] surpluses,
>> which I think we need to chat about.
[8:40] But um you know, maybe we should just
sort of walk through
[8:45] » uh part by part. The first thing I did,
[8:51] » it just does not like you, Claire.
>> I know. Let me see if I can share it,
[8:54] Claire. Hold on.
Let me try.
[8:58] » I do have it up here on the screen.
[9:05] Oh, actually, so the trick thing I did
was um
[9:09] » I said, well, if this is really our
policy, then one of then we ought to be
[9:14] at least one of the adopting entities.
The select board, I think, should be the
[9:18] other adopting entity because they have
resources that are under their control
[9:24] that are critical to provide critical
administrative support.
[9:30] And so that that was the first one. Um
then
[9:38] » can you guys see that?
>> Yes.
[9:41] » Okay. Is that helpful?
Maybe just
[9:46] » um I think uh I I don't remember who
suggested we put in the words priority
[9:51] under purpose. Um
>> the next one is to sort of talk about
[9:56] roles and responsibilities. I mean, I
think our goal here should be to have a
[10:02] budget process that incorporates all of
the uh the entities that that
[10:11] participate in the budget and that
includes the school committee
[10:17] » school committees because after all, you
know, that's twothirds of the money we
[10:21] spent on an operating basis. Um, so I
said, you know, the select board is the
[10:27] town's executive body responsible with
setting policy and establishing budget
[10:30] priorities within the domains under its
control. The select board has no
[10:34] authority to set budget policies or
goals for the schools or for that matter
[10:40] the library um because those are
independently elected executives.
[10:47] » [clears throat]
>> They do however uh supervise the town's
[10:50] finance team and which provides critical
technical and financial services and
[10:55] developing the town's budget. Then
>> do you want do you want to make edits as
[11:00] we're going through or do you just want
to talk?
[11:02] » Um well let's see here. Claire, can you
edit while we go?
[11:06] » Yeah, I just wanted to add an apostrophe
in towns. That's all.
[11:10] » Oh,
>> I'm editing [clears throat] right now.
[11:12] Actually, I think my screen I can't see
you guys.
[11:14] » Accents to edit it.
>> Yeah, hold on. Hold on a second.
[11:20] » I apologize. Who is
Are you guys looking at my screen? Yeah,
[11:25] you should be. Okay. It's me, uh,
Claire, not you, right? Okay. Just
[11:29] making sure because you're talking about
Claire sharing the screen, but I'm
[11:32] sharing now. So, I'm going to edit as we
go. So,
[11:35] » uh, Larry Towns,
>> no. And the third in the third line.
[11:39] » End of the third line. And the third
line with a capital T.
[11:42] » Yep.
Okay.
[11:46] Yep.
>> And I'll throw in the last line.
[11:53] » Yep. Thank you. And I can correct that.
I mean, I think it Okay. Town budget.
[11:59] Yep. All right. Keep going.
>> Okay. So then the adi the advisory is
[12:04] the town's independent and I think Barry
was the one who insisted on on that word
[12:09] which I think is good
>> is responsible for reviewing analyzing
[12:13] and modifying as appropriate and
recommending
[12:18] a budget.
>> Al may I
[12:21] » Yes. Um, just a just a note I think for
the advisory team since since our our
[12:28] our our chair is showing her screen, she
may not see hands raised.
[12:33] » So, you'll just have you'll just have to
butt in.
[12:36] » Oh. All right. Um, yeah, that that's
fine by me.
[12:42] » All right. We'll we'll uh keep an eye on
that or just say we've got a hand up.
[12:47] Thank you guys. Sorry, I'm Yeah, I can't
see everybody now that I'm sharing.
[12:53] » Okay,
>> keep going.
[12:57] » I I think that's very good what you say
here about the advisory. The budget
[13:00] presented to you and read and read onto
the floor to town meeting is the
[13:04] advisor's recommended
meeting.
[13:08] » I agree. I I agree with it too, Al. I I
I I've always felt that there was a a
[13:12] weird disconnect though that advisory is
not somehow plugged in at the beginning
[13:17] when the policy when the initial
policies are being decided for the year.
[13:26] » So,
okay,
[13:29] » that may be a discussion point with the,
you know, when we review this with the
[13:33] select board. Yeah, I I do agree that
it's the select board's area, but I do
[13:36] like
if they decide that from the beginning
[13:40] that they want a level service budget
and then later on advisory disagrees,
[13:45] like a whole lot of work's potentially
been wasted.
[13:51] » I think we would need concurrence up
front, right?
[13:54] » Yeah. I'm not saying I want to take
anything away from them. I just I I feel
[13:57] that advisory needs to be
>> officially like in the past the chair of
[14:03] advisory has been informally invited
>> to all of these meetings and I I think
[14:08] it needs to be more formal.
[14:15] » I'm going to uh notate other comments
that aren't really about you know in the
[14:19] document but that we want to raise.
Okay.
[14:26] So,
>> it's a great point, Tim. Thank you.
[14:28] » So, then
a quick one. So, a question about sort
[14:33] of contextualizing the rest of the
edits. Um, and again, I'm probably
[14:38] coming at this because my my more um
shorter tenure on advisory does advisory
[14:44] there. There seems to be that the
language as I'm interpreting some of the
[14:48] later um passages is about we own the
budget and develop it, I think is a
[14:52] specific word. My my understanding was
we advise on the budget and review but
[14:57] we're not responsible for creating it.
Correct.
[15:01] » No, I disagree. I think we are.
>> So we we create the actual budget or
[15:05] does it come from the finance team and
we review it at
[15:08] » well [clears throat] the the the
technical work which is to say you know
[15:13] the adding up of the numbers and
tracking the numbers that's done by the
[15:18] finance team.
>> But but at the end of the day
[15:22] the budget the one that goes to town
meeting is the budget that we approve.
[15:31] Uh, does everybody agree with that?
>> But we are a formal approving mechanism
[15:35] for the go to town meeting. Is that
right? I guess that's the point I'm
[15:37] getting at.
>> Yes,
[15:38] » that's Yeah, that's right. That's what
I'm trying to remember.
[15:42] » Yeah. Is that you know, well, let's put
it this way. And and what that may mean
[15:46] is
that there will be a budget printed in
[15:51] the warrant that may not be the budget.
And so we would have to have a separate
[15:57] budget document which would be the
budget that's read onto the floor of
[16:01] town meeting.
>> Got it. So the only thing I think where
[16:04] I was confused was the notion of how it
gets created and then when it gets
[16:08] handed to us to review the debate and
then make it you know make the approval
[16:14] part of it but we can talk about but
contextual that contextualizes the rest
[16:17] of your feedback for me. So thank you.
>> Yeah. Yeah. I think you know the various
[16:25] uh elected executives and the
departments under their control make
[16:29] budget requests
[16:33] of various amounts and
and both operating and capital and at
[16:41] the end of the day it's our job to sift
through those and come up with a un a
[16:48] balanced budget. Yeah, that part I was
clear on. You'll see on the next
[16:52] [clears throat] word develop is where I
get confused because that implies that
[16:55] we're involved in the creation of it. I
think that's my interpretation, but we
[16:58] can talk through that some more when we
get to that next page.
[17:01] » All right.
So then going on to the key
[17:05] distinctions, the select board
establishes
[17:10] priorities within its domain and
establishes overall financial direction.
[17:16] So you know the site board is
responsible for setting the priorities
[17:19] of the DPW, the police department, the
fire department and all of the other
[17:23] departments that are under its main
domain and providing
[17:29] financial direction. I think but the
town administrator and the finance
[17:33] director develop a proposed budget
consistent with those priorities. The
[17:37] advisory committee independently reviews
that proposal and makes such changes as
[17:42] it deems appropriate and submits its
budget.
[17:46] Did I its budget recommendation to town
meeting?
[17:53] » Yep.
>> Can you spelling error and I'm not sure
[17:56] the apostrophe on the but
>> the apostrophe has to come out. We can
[18:01] always do uh word smithing too later
[laughter] give you that feedback
[18:06] because I think obviously it'll get
scrubbed before
[18:09] » I [clears throat] would say maybe the
budget or instead but anyway I'll fix
[18:13] that.
>> I would yeah I
[18:17] » Al you're saying that that the
individual line item numbers are ours?
[18:24] » Yeah.
>> Well the line Well, let's let's be clear
[18:28] about that. the line. So, you know, in
say the uh police budget, you know that
[18:36] they have
great detail underneath the number
[18:42] that's in the budget for the police
department,
[18:45] right? I mean, they've got salaries.
They've got
[18:48] » Yeah. I'm talking about the rollup that
goes to town meeting.
[18:51] » Yeah, the rollup. Yes.
>> Okay. Okay. So, I think we should remove
[18:54] the word recommendation because that
could be construed as in advisory
[19:00] approves or doesn't approve, right?
>> Okay. Yeah.
[19:05] » So, we can say just submits to budget
>> or submitted submitted to town meeting.
[19:11] » Submission to town meeting. Budget
submission to town meeting.
[19:14] » I think it's submit submits the budget
to town meeting.
[19:17] » Yeah.
>> Okay.
[19:21] » Marcy. Yes.
>> Could I suggest that you turn line
[19:25] numbers on to facilitate us making
comments?
[19:29] » Hold on.
>> If you go up to the layout in the ribbon
[19:36] » and just click line numbers continuous
[19:42] » magic.
>> Yay. [laughter]
[19:45] » Every day. There you go. I love that.
>> Woohoo. Okay. Thank you.
[19:50] » Hey. Hey guys. I just got a quick
question.
[19:54] I think I'm looking at a different It
says I'm screen sharing and I'm making
[19:58] edits, but it's not the same thing.
Should I just stop screen sharing?
[20:05] [clears throat]
>> You should stop.
[20:07] » Oh, okay. All right. Because I I think I
took over Claire somehow, but maybe you
[20:13] maybe it looks like you are. Okay.
>> Um
[20:17] » All right.
>> All right. So I I think those roles and
[20:20] responsibilities look good and you know
we'll do a final document with without
[20:24] track changes and send it along to
everybody but I think this looks good.
[20:29] » All right. So then under the policy uh
town officials
[20:33] » Oh, hold on. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Go
back up.
[20:36] » Oh, okay.
>> Line is that just a typo on line 30
[20:41] after budget
>> recommendations.
[20:44] The creation of the budget ID.
[20:50] » Yeah. Oh, sorry. Line 30. Sorry. Um, the
creation is okay.
[20:54] » Is is is
>> Yeah, that's that's my bad.
[20:57] » Okay.
>> Yep.
[20:59] » Sorry.
>> Oh, good.
[21:01] » I thought you were getting technical,
Al. I was getting concerned. [laughter]
[21:05] » No, no, it was fumble fingers.
[21:10] » Okay.
>> Okay. Okay. So, town officials work
[21:12] collaboratively to prepare a balanced
budget for the approval of the voters at
[21:18] the annual town meeting. Uh the annual
town meeting should be capitalized. I
[21:22] believe that's we're
>> um the creation of the budget.
[21:30] » You can keep going out.
>> Yeah. Sorry. The creation of the sorry
[21:35] you just [laughter]
[21:38] the creation of the budget
is guided by and reflects all of the
[21:43] other financial planning policies
adopted by the town and contained in its
[21:48] policy manual. I'm okay with that. The
town meeting has the sole authority to
[21:53] appropriate funds for the budget except
for specific instances where
[21:58] appropriations are not required by
statute such as grants, gifts, overlay
[22:02] reserve, offset receipts.
>> I think this would also be capital laws
[22:07] here.
>> Yeah.
[22:10] Okay.
Then uh it is the responsibility of the
[22:15] advisory committee to develop, present
and defend a balanced budget to town
[22:20] meeting. In doing so, the advisory
committee will work with the executive
[22:24] boards and officials and their staffs to
review the proposed operating and
[22:29] capital budgets for the purposes of
developing a budget to be presented to
[22:33] town meeting.
>> Yeah. And now that's where so that the
[22:37] the word develop in there that guy was
getting at what I was asking about
[22:39] earlier. So
>> um we will receive a deliverable that is
[22:44] comes from the finance team and then we
begin to review it. So I guess the
[22:47] question is that your your intention of
develop what what is that what's your
[22:50] intention by putting it there?
[clears throat]
[22:53] » Um that's a good question.
Um,
[23:00] let's see.
[23:04] » I'm only asking because if we're
involved with finance to create the
[23:07] initial deliverable, that that's my
interpretation of it. If that's not how
[23:10] it works, then yeah, I don't want to get
too hung up on the words, but that that
[23:14] word to me implies that we we're
involved in creating the initial
[23:17] deliverable versus reviewing it and then
providing feedback and making
[23:22] adjustments after we receive it.
>> Yeah. No, I I I get what you're saying.
[23:27] Um and and I think I agree with it which
is you know this it's it's the
[23:33] responsibility of
the various elected boards and officials
[23:40] to prepare an initial budget request
>> which is coordinated through the finance
[23:48] department.
[23:51] » Could we
>> and that handed over to us at some
[23:53] point? Yeah.
>> Yeah. I [clears throat] mean, could we
[23:56] say it's the responsibility of the
committee to evaluate and modify as
[24:01] appropriate, present and defend a
balanced budget to town meeting?
[24:07] » Yeah, I think that would work.
>> Barry, just repeat what you said again.
[24:12] » Writing develop and just say evaluate.
>> Yep.
[24:18] » And
>> take out develop and and present. Just
[24:21] put evaluate.
>> That's appropriate.
[24:23] » Okay. I think that's helpful. Yeah.
>> Yeah. I think the other thing we can do
[24:27] is we can add uh in in the next
paragraph
[24:31] um to the responsibilities of the the
finance team the uh assembling of the
[24:37] initial budget requests.
>> Yeah, there you go. That'll make it
[24:40] clear.
>> Yeah.
[24:43] » I'm making sure I'm taking out the right
parts here, but
[24:49] » evaluate and defend a balanced budget.
So evaluate and modify
[24:57] as appropriate.
[25:02] » Okay.
>> Um
[25:05] present and defend.
[25:13] All right.
[25:19] Okay.
[25:23] I think it would be and right and
present and defend balance budget detail
[25:27] meeting. Is that right?
>> Yep.
[25:30] » Okay. In doing so, advisory committee
will work with elected executive boards
[25:34] officials. Everybody good with that?
>> Yep.
[25:38] » Okay.
>> All right.
[25:39] » So then the the next paragraph really
sort of talks about the town's finance
[25:43] team.
>> A couple of quick typographical things
[25:46] before you go.
>> Sure.
[25:48] » You go back to line 34. I think it was.
>> Okay.
[25:52] » Uh yeah. So um I think uh annual,
special, and meeting need to be
[25:59] capitalized in that line.
[26:05] [clears throat and cough]
[26:11] And in the next paragraph that we're
going to talk about on line 42
[26:16] um above you changed towns uh with an
apostrophe to town with a capital T and
[26:23] I think it should be the same way in
both places.
[26:25] » Yeah.
>> Um
[26:26] » I agree,
>> but I don't know which way you prefer.
[26:30] Okay.
>> I think it's town finance team.
[26:33] » I just wanted them to be the same.
Thanks.
[26:35] » All right. Perfect. Thank you.
All right.
[26:41] supervised shouldn't be capitalized in
43.
[26:47] » Okay.
>> Okay. So, critical to this process is
[26:52] the support provided by the town's town
finance team. The finance team is
[26:57] supervised by the town administrator and
led by the finance director with other
[27:02] town employees responsible for
accounting and the management of
[27:06] revenues.
The finance [clears throat] team will
[27:08] work with the advisory committee and the
elected executive boards and their staff
[27:13] and is responsible for
[27:17] um I think actually the first maybe the
first thing we ought to say is they're
[27:20] they are responsible for assembling
the initial
[27:25] um
budget requests but both operating and
[27:30] and capital budget requests from the
various uh departments.
[27:36] You have you have that as line three,
right?
[27:38] » Oh, do I did I
>> Okay.
[27:42] » Yeah.
>> Yeah. Okay. Yeah. All right. Never mind.
[27:43] » You do. You do. Okay. But good point.
>> Way ahead of myself. [laughter]
[27:48] » Line line 44. You should change is will
work to just works.
[27:58] » Works. Yeah. Okay. Keep going.
Yep.
[28:05] Okay. So then uh developing with the
support of the select board and the
[28:09] advisory committee the budget calendar
um assembling and tracking the operating
[28:15] and capital budget requests from each
department and organization with a line
[28:19] item in the budget
[clears throat] coordinating with the
[28:22] capital budget committee and their
recommendations.
[28:26] » I think it should be its
recommendations.
[28:29] » Okay.
[28:39] Um, [clears throat]
sorry,
[28:41] » sorry, typo here. Okay. All right.
>> Estimating sources of revenue from
[28:48] sources other than the levy.
>> Oops.
[28:52] » Is that what just happened?
>> Z
[28:57] undo and
>> Sorry. [laughter]
[29:00] » I don't know what's going on. You know
what? On a mind of his own,
[29:03] » Marcy, this would be a good time to
>> save occasionally. [laughter]
[29:07] » I will save. I can save. Okay, keep
talking. Now,
[29:10] » Al, for number four, are you including
state aid as well as nonprofits?
[29:16] » Um,
[29:19] yeah, you know, I mean, we we we've got
to, you know, estimate this state aid.
[29:25] Um, you know, we get um new growth, for
example.
[29:29] um
the uh
[29:34] money we we get from the not nonprofits.
Um you know there's there's a consider
[29:39] that
>> excise taxes um
[29:42] » uh
lodging taxes you know there there's a
[29:45] there's a whole paniply of
>> then do you have a better word
[29:51] » revenue?
>> Yeah revenue like that's not revenue
[29:54] right?
>> Pardon?
[29:55] » That's not revenue right? the gifts from
um
[30:01] from the schools for example.
>> Yeah,
[30:04] » I don't think so. I think those are in
the past
[30:10] they've been for specific purposes, but
I don't know. I'd have to go back. We'd
[30:14] have to go and look at that.
>> Yeah, because that's always been like
[30:17] their their thing like dealing with the
nonprofits and dealing with state aid
[30:21] and
>> Yeah, that you know, we we don't have
[30:25] the wherewithal to do that. That's
something that the finance department
[30:29] finance team really has to be on top of
because
[30:32] » you know I think we'd be useless in that
process.
[30:36] » Yeah.
>> Um okay. So
[30:41] let's see. U then number five is
tracking the current estimated levy
[30:46] based on the requests and the advisory
recommendations
[30:51] including the impact on of the levy on
the median assessed home.
[30:59] me talking property tax
>> be home value. Would it be home value?
[31:02] Sorry, Eric.
>> Okay.
[31:05] » The it would be the uh
[31:10] it should be uh on the tax bill of
>> Yeah.
[31:14] » on the median that SS
>> property tax. Yeah. Sting.
[31:24] Does that make sense? The property tax
[31:30] » impact on the median assessed home
>> or property tax due on the median
[31:35] assessed home.
[31:44] Um then there is uh number six is
maintain the long-term forecast of
[31:49] revenues and expenses as well as
monitoring economic trends which may
[31:53] impact future operations
[31:58] » and somebody account operations. Yeah, I
I don't need to get that specific but
[32:09] Yeah,
>> I'm sorry.
[32:12] [laughter] Somebody was messaging me
too. Okay.
[32:17] » Can you just repeat what you just said?
>> Oh, I think for number six, that's
[32:21] broadly the entire town operations, not
would encompass DPW and and all the
[32:26] other folks within the town. Is that
needed for clarity or you think it's
[32:30] clear enough for number six?
[clears throat]
[32:35] maintaining.
>> I can go either way on that.
[32:41] » I I think it makes sense the way it is
probably.
[32:43] » All right. Good.
>> Then number seven
[32:46] » should operate. Would it make more sense
to say instead of saying future
[32:50] operations say future town finances?
>> Yeah, actually that would be better I
[32:56] think.
[33:11] All right.
>> Um, so number seven, provide financial
[33:15] guidance with respect to expected
sources of income, financing costs and
[33:20] options.
And then sort of a catch all
[33:24] » should there should there be a comma
after income?
[33:28] » Yeah. Yes, there should.
[33:34] » Okay.
>> Okay.
[33:38] » And then number eight is just sort of a
providing financial analysis and guiding
[33:43] guidance.
>> Can I ask when you say options like
[33:47] options for what?
Um well so for example um
[33:53] if we were to take a position with
respect
[33:58] all right I'm reading f financing cost
sins options together are are lumped
[34:02] together in the concept of financing
considerations
[34:06] » okay now now I get it now now it's clear
to me I [clears throat] missed that
[34:10] » okay then uh starting on 61 all parties
are expected to work collaboratively and
[34:16] provide the required information in a
timely fashion
[34:19] While it is desirable for all of the
parties to arrive at a consensus budget
[34:23] that is presented to the to town
meeting, there is no requirement for the
[34:28] presented bud for presenting such a
budget in the event that the elective
[34:33] executive disagrees with some portion of
the budget adopted by the advisory
[34:37] committee.
>> Yeah, you got
[34:41] » that was a duplicate.
>> No. Okay. Yeah.
[34:43] » Yeah, I'll take that.
>> In the event that Yeah, that's my my
[34:46] bad.
>> It's okay. I had that on my list of
[34:49] edits and I didn't put them in yet.
>> All right.
[34:53] » In the event there's such a budget
disagreement
[34:56] of of such a budget disagreement,
>> the advisory recommendation shall be
[35:00] read onto the floor of the town meeting
in the normal process and then advocates
[35:05] for a different sum may make motions
related
[35:08] to the amount in the normal process.
[35:14] That's kind of the hub of what we're
talking about.
[35:22] I think that gets to your point you were
asking Eric
[35:26] like we can come forward with a budget
and perhaps if others don't agree with
[35:30] it they have the chance to change it on
the floor of town meeting.
[35:34] » Yeah. Now that part that that Yeah. And
then so now I think the the the
[35:38] sequence or the cadence of steps when we
get involved I think is now it's clear
[35:43] to me that we'll receive it review it
recommend submit and then people can
[35:48] agree or not or disagree that's fine but
we have our view and that's our view.
[35:54] » Yeah. [clears throat]
>> Okay. All right. So then I deleted a
[35:59] whole bunch of stuff. saw that
>> is the word some appropriate there at
[36:06] » advocates for
>> advocates for a different
[36:09] » you could probably say advocates for
changes uh or something like that
[36:15] » or advocates for an alternative budget
or something like that.
[36:21] I mean some some just seems a little bit
>> ambiguous. Well, we are talking about
[36:28] money and
>> yeah, I I I think it is a sum,
[36:34] » but yeah, a different amount would be
just as fine.
[36:39] » That may make more sense. Okay.
Yeah, different amount. Okay.
[36:49] » All right. [clears throat]
>> Then on to 86.
[36:52] » Yep.
>> Okay. So all parties under this policy
[36:57] are expected to comply with the annual
budget calendar's milestones deadlines
[37:02] when they are set each year. As part of
the part of this, department heads and
[37:06] other budget proposers must
must in a timely fashion provide the
[37:13] finance director with all of the
information needed for the creation of
[37:18] an informative budget document which
will be made available to the voters at
[37:22] least 7 days prior to town meeting.
>> Does um does the term department heads
[37:29] include the schools?
>> It does. Um
[37:35] it up in the U if you go scroll up to
the top.
[37:39] » I believe you. I believe you up.
>> Yeah. [laughter]
[37:44] Yeah, it was there in the preamble
that that was Brian's work, not mine.
[37:50] » I think it's also in the sequence of
events, the
[37:53] » Yeah.
>> sample calendar.
[37:55] » Yeah. Okay.
>> And you can delete the word be in 89.
[38:03] near the end.
>> Oh,
[38:06] made available to voters needed for
>> which is which is made available.
[38:11] » Oh, sorry. Yeah, it was hiding there on
me. Okay. Yep.
[38:18] I think this is very good because I I it
seems as if in the past we've, you know,
[38:25] had budgets that went to the town meet.
you know, if you pick up the the
[38:29] documents at town meeting, it may be the
first you're seeing of this. So, um I'm
[38:35] aware that other towns actually do a
mailer to voters like
[38:39] » weeks in advance. So, I think this is a
minimum good a good time frame.
[38:45] » And town meetingings should probably be
capitalized in 90.
[38:50] » Yes.
>> Yep.
[38:53] If we miss any of these, I'll tweak
them.
[38:57] Um, all right.
>> All right. So then the budget goals,
[39:01] this gets a little soft, but and um at a
minimum each year, the town's budget
[39:08] goals include the following from the
general fund. The goals for the general
[39:13] fund include assuring that the funds are
efficiently and effectively utilized.
[39:18] That was I think that was uh Barry
preserving core services, fulfilling
[39:24] required mandates and maintaining and
enhancing local quality of life while
[39:30] ensuring reserve levels that allow
flexibility to respond to changes in the
[39:34] economy and other unanticipated
issues that could potentially affect the
[39:39] town's physical health.
>> That's
[39:45] » Yep.
>> Okay. Okay. So then capital
[39:49] » Oh, I'm sorry.
I didn't change anything there.
[39:53] » Yeah.
>> Nor did I change anything under the
[39:56] water enterprise funds.
>> Yeah.
[39:59] » Um so then uh the principles for
sustained budgets.
[40:07] Um I deleted the first line
because yeah. And um assuring that the
[40:15] creation of a budget is structurally
balanced and sustainable for future
[40:18] years requires the town to support
recurring expenditures in each annual
[40:22] operating budget using only recurring or
current revenues. Current revenues are
[40:28] those revenues that the town brings in
during the budget budgeted fiscal year
[40:34] and they taxes excise fees yacht and so
forth and free c and I added in and free
[40:41] cash. Mhm.
>> Um that's kind of that
[40:47] that's that's a this is going to be I
think a substantial debate
[40:52] which is good. I I have my own view on
free cash which is it's was money we
[40:59] raised in the prior year that we told
the voters was absolutely necessary for
[41:05] the town to operate that turned out not
to be so. And so I'm adamantly opposed
[41:11] to sort of trying to stick that into
little slush funds.
[41:15] » Mhm.
>> Um but other people may feel I think you
[41:19] know it ought to be used as quickly as
possible because we took it from the
[41:23] taxpayers because we said we absolutely
needed it so we better we should use it.
[41:28] That's that's my two cents.
>> I mean free free cash went up when town
[41:34] meeting voted to reduce the reserve.
Right. That that's that's what it is,
[41:41] right?
>> Well, yes, it um it's gone up because
[41:48] we've had some good news uh on a few
items and we haven't necessar and uh in
[41:55] a couple of years it was because um we
had turnover and you know there were
[42:00] budgets turned back budget money turned
back.
[42:04] » So it comes from a variety of sources. I
I guess what I'm saying, Al, is if you
[42:09] want, there's always a way to increase
your free cash year-over-year.
[42:13] » Yes.
>> And and ways were found to offset
[42:20] the lowering of the reserve is is all
I'm saying, right? There's a there's a
[42:25] strong desire within certain segments of
the town to have this reserve
[42:31] available, which is why Al, you're in
for a fight.
[42:36] Yes. And and you know for that matter
this body may not agree with me. um you
[42:42] know uh there. So
I guess my observation and I I I'm not
[42:49] trying to be uncharitable here is
>> the town officials and employees would
[42:57] like to see a bigger reserve fund
because it provides them with additional
[43:02] security
and
[43:05] » Right.
>> And and now who who controls the reserve
[43:08] fund?
Uh uh I'm sorry uh the state it's it's
[43:14] not reserve it's stabilization st
>> okay yeah okay you use the word right
[43:19] word here
>> stabilization yes
[43:21] » yeah we control the reserve fund but
it's the stabilization fund and the
[43:25] desire to put
>> to to to take the free cash and put it
[43:30] into the stabilization fund
>> other words move it from operations to
[43:34] the balance sheet
>> yes
[43:36] » right
>> and you
[43:40] Yeah, but you know using free cash for
that. I mean my my personal opinion is
[43:44] is I mean if if we want to have a
stabilization fund, we should create a
[43:48] stabilization fund and fund it to the
level that we agree it should be. But
[43:53] using free cash
>> stabilization fund strikes me as being a
[43:57] little bit misleading. But that's the
point, Larry, is like
[44:07] the the lowering of the of of our
reserves
[44:11] resulted in this new policy.
Right.
[44:16] » Mhm.
>> Yes.
[44:18] » Right. And so
[44:22] um we need to decide
if we want to collectively fight this
[44:28] battle or not. Um
[44:34] you know town meeting voted to lower the
reserves.
[44:38] Um the town does not want to lower the
reserves. So this something that I think
[44:43] people should think about and how they
feel about it.
[44:46] » Yeah.
Yeah,
[44:49] » line 121. You should get rid of those
commas around or current.
[45:04] » All right.
>> Yeah. I mean, this is a substantial
[45:08] » Yeah.
>> question. You know, I have my my view,
[45:10] which is that, you know, I'm not I'm not
a big fan of stabilization funds.
[45:17] Uh, I mean, you have to admit, Al, that
they're handy. In certain years, the
[45:22] stabilization fund has helped us avoid
>> Prop 2 and a half overrides.
[45:27] » Yeah.
>> Yes. Well, we used
[45:30] » I think even just last year.
>> Yeah.
[45:33] Yeah. [clears throat]
>> But
[45:35] » so,
right, I mean, on the one hand, you're
[45:38] taxing people now for a benefit to
people in the future, right, which isn't
[45:42] fair. On the other hand,
it does give you flexibility.
[45:48] » Although I mean the the the normal use
of a stabilization fund is is
[45:55] stabilization. That is to deal with
situations where there are potentially
[46:00] large year-to-year changes in a
particular area. So for example, special
[46:05] education strikes me as being, you know,
a perfect area for a stabilization fund.
[46:10] It's very hard to forecast from year to
year and it changes a lot. Um, but you
[46:15] know, most of the things that we budget,
you know, salaries for the fire
[46:19] department, you know, we should know
what they are. We should be able to
[46:23] budget them. Um, and mo I think most of
our line items fall into that category
[46:28] that that we're we're we're smart enough
after many years of budgeting to know
[46:33] what the value should be and shouldn't
need a large reserve to cover unexpected
[46:38] changes. But there are clearly things
like special special education that I
[46:43] believe it makes sense for.
>> What order of magnitude of dollars are
[46:48] we talking about? Typically
>> couple million.
[46:51] » No, I think the stabilization fund I
think has like the last time I looked,
[46:55] which was a while back, was like
$600,000,
[46:58] » right? But free cash out.
>> Oh, free cash. Yeah, it it typically
[47:02] runs somewhere between one and a half
and three million. I mean, it's not it's
[47:07] not chicken feed. No, I say that's not
trivial.
[47:10] » Yeah. And stabilization used to be
bigger.
[47:12] » Yeah. Several million at one point.
>> Yeah. So you guys can piece together
[47:18] like the story of what happened here.
>> Uh
[47:21] » so Tim, are you saying that we used to
have an official stabilization fund?
[47:25] » We still do. It just used to be fun.
>> Okay. But now it's just called free
[47:30] cash.
>> Yes. There was a there was a large
[47:32] debate a long time ago
to lower the stabilization because
[47:38] you're basically holding citizens money
>> instead of letting citizens have their
[47:42] money.
>> Right.
[47:44] » Right.
>> And the citizens chose citizens that
[47:47] town meeting chose to take their money
back.
[47:50] » Okay.
>> Yeah.
[47:52] » But the finance process I mean like any
company you have some level I mean I I
[47:56] use the term contingency is what I'm
used to for from finance. did some
[47:59] contingency is a good thing just to your
point the flexibility but I guess the
[48:05] quantum tam as you say people didn't
they wanted their money back but at some
[48:08] point you have to have some money for
for unknowns of course. Yeah.
[48:13] » Yeah.
>> Well we so we do have the reserve fund
[48:17] and and most years we don't spend
the majority of that.
[48:24] » Yeah.
You know, I think in the last couple
[48:28] years we've done a little better or
worse depending on on your point of
[48:32] view, but you know, where where did the
reserve fund end up this year?
[48:40] Do you do you recall?
>> Yeah, I think we had two I think Tim was
[48:44] right. Like $2 million. Oh, the reserve
fund. I'm sorry. Um I had it written
[48:50] down from last meeting. One second.
[clears throat]
[48:53] » Did we say 180? I think it's
>> I think it was 180.
[48:57] » We have 180. And how much do we actually
spend out of that?
[49:01] » Uh I think it was 72.
>> Yeah. And that that's that's pretty
[49:06] normal.
>> Yeah. I mean,
[49:08] » we could certainly argue about the
reserve fund and whether that's an
[49:12] appropriate amount. I think that's, you
know, that's that's that's
[49:18] a debate that should happen within the
budget process.
[49:24] It it's I think it's true that last year
having free cash did prevent us from
[49:31] laying people off.
>> Yeah.
[49:34] » Yeah.
>> Yeah.
[49:38] » But that's not I mean, you know, I'm not
advocating laying people off, but using
[49:44] free cash to prevent it simply pushes
the problem to the following year.
[49:51] Um, and This is your free cash uh in
doing so. So it it if if you
[50:00] if if you don't treat it in in a
reasonable way, all you're doing is
[50:05] pushing it off and avoiding the
eventually you're going to have to do
[50:09] the thing that you're trying to avoid
anyway.
[50:12] » Yes. Eventually you're going to have to
either lay people off or cut capital.
[50:18] » Well, or or have a two and a half
override.
[50:20] » Or two and a half override, right? which
has never
[50:23] » you know well yeah and you know we're
knocking on that door this year
[50:28] » or next year um
>> right
[50:32] » but you know yes I think it would be
proper to say that the use of free cash
[50:36] allowed us to delay
requesting a two and a half override by
[50:41] by a year
>> and
[50:49] all right um well let's let's Let's
press onward and
[50:54] » yeah, this is obviously
>> one
[50:57] » a big one. Let's see then. Um I didn't
change much other than sort of changing
[51:05] the the tents which Larry provided us in
in the next section.
[51:11] » Yep.
[51:15] with the exception of um you know when
the forecast predicts that annual
[51:21] revenues will exceed annual expenditures
which as near as I can tell is never
[51:26] going to happen. [laughter]
[51:31] We could explore uh levy reductions.
Just tax relief was
[51:37] » um
>> I think it would be it would be more
[51:40] helpful if we did the opposite exercise.
[51:49] I mean when uh the forecast predicts the
revenues will will will fall short of
[51:55] expected expenditures.
[52:01] Yeah. What's our what's is is should we
have a policy about
[52:06] the priorities of
>> right
[52:11] » where
>> right because because there are options
[52:13] right you can you can abandon a level
service model
[52:19] you can purs you know pursue layoffs you
can abandon capital like there are you
[52:26] can you can say screw it let's just have
an override right Yeah.
[52:32] » Are you suggesting we should add a line
like another number here with the
[52:37] opposite or no?
>> I just I just have a feeling that the
[52:41] town like the the near the near future
advisory and select boards are going and
[52:46] school boards are going to have to talk
about this anyway.
[52:49] » And I think it's a great idea. I think
adding it in there for complete
[52:53] visibility I think will be there would
be very helpful.
[52:57] » Yeah.
And this is partly why I feel so
[53:01] strongly that advisory should be on the
call when the initial financial policies
[53:07] are being set for the year.
>> Mhm.
[53:11] » Yep.
>> So we would uh have a section
[53:16] six.
>> Yeah. Exactly.
[53:20] » Yeah. I think that's important. I mean
number number five basically tells you
[53:25] all the things that you should do in a
very low probability event and we don't
[53:29] say what you should do in a high
probability event. [laughter]
[53:33] » So how do we want to phrase this guys
like when a a forecast predicts annual
[53:36] revenues to
>> fall short
[53:39] » fall short or I'll come up with a better
word later but fall short
[53:43] » just reverse the words from the previous
line annual expenses to exceed annual
[53:48] revenues. Yeah, just
>> okay.
[53:50] » Just reverse the two items from the
previous one.
[53:53] » Copy paste it and just move a couple
words around.
[53:58] » Revenue
>> expenses
[54:00] » annual expend annual expenditures to
exceed annual revenues
[54:08] or or expected annual revenues or or
with Yeah, that's probably fine.
[54:14] » We can tweak it a little bit.
>> Yes.
[54:18] Yeah,
[54:21] » I heard uh
>> uh
[54:24] » abandoned level service.
>> So consider cuts in service levels
[54:31] » of reductions in service levels.
[54:38] » Something like that.
>> Cut back on capital plans. Yeah. Yeah.
[54:45] um
[54:50] layoffs.
>> Oh, you could say uh tableabling new
[54:54] initiatives.
>> Mhm.
[55:01] » You could say hiring free slash
>> just placements.
[55:08] » Yeah, I think we're going to talk about
that a little more later as well, but
[55:11] » yeah, I agree. Hiring freeze. And what
else did you say, Tim? Sorry.
[55:15] » Lash displacements.
>> Are payraises generally contractually
[55:19] obligated?
>> Yep.
[55:21] » Generally,
>> they're [clears throat] not going to
[55:23] touch that.
>> Most of our most of our employees are
[55:26] unionized and
>> Yeah.
[55:28] » Yeah. So, there's
>> Yep. You're not going to touch that.
[55:32] » And then you should add override as a
bullet.
[55:38] » What? Tax increases and overrides.
>> Yeah.
[55:46] And in the headerline six, I would add
um just like five um after the word
[55:54] revenues, I'd say, comma, the following
options should be considered
[55:59] um to address the shortfall or something
like that.
[56:06] » Should Sorry, not me.
been doing a better job at typing than I
[56:11] ever would in real time. [laughter]
>> Considered to address
[56:16] » I don't know the short call.
>> Yeah.
[56:19] » Yeah. We're having a short callus.
[56:26] » I don't mind typing. It's hard not to
see anybody. [laughter]
[56:31] Um, so hopefully I'm not
>> The other thing I think we might want to
[56:34] say is um
[56:38] financing versus uh
expendit expend what's the right word
[56:48] fin for capital items. Uh
>> you mean
[56:52] » expensing for for reductions of capital
plan and financing options.
[56:58] » Okay. Would sell assets ever be
seriously considered for a budget
[57:03] shortfall?
>> Yeah.
[57:04] » Yeah.
>> Yes.
[57:07] » Okay.
>> We're going to sell Main Street between
[57:10] Levama and um [laughter]
[57:18] » I mean just for clarity obviously town
owned assets. Yeah.
[57:21] » Yeah.
[57:28] All right.
[57:32] » Yeah, that's a good point.
>> Uh, you know, the other one is would be
[57:35] uh transfers from stabilization
[57:41] » or free cash.
>> Sorry,
[57:44] » I'm going to put that down here.
Transfers from stabilization.
[57:49] That's
>> pretty fun.
[57:52] » Okay.
[58:03] Yeah, that's helpful. That
>> any others? Yeah, this is very helpful.
[58:06] » Yeah. Um,
what do you think of regionalization?
[58:11] » Uh, we can certainly talk about
alternative uh forms of organization.
[58:19] » Yeah.
Should
[58:26] I say organizational structure or
something like that or
[58:29] » Sure.
[58:35] » Yep.
[58:38] » Okay. So then number seven,
>> okay,
[58:42] » is board of assessors will vote to
authorize a contribution to the overlay
[58:49] account to offset the town's liability
for unpaid property taxes caused by
[58:54] abatements and exemptions. This amount
should be based on the these those three
[58:59] factors. That's kind of that's up to the
board of assessors.
[59:06] Then, um, the budget calendar, I really
didn't change much of anything in this,
[59:13] » except for I misspelled publish.
>> Publishes
[59:19] » line 179. Yeah.
>> Yeah.
[59:22] » Yep. I think that's already fixed when
we do the direct changes. We'll get rid
[59:26] of that.
All right.
[59:30] sample calendar I
[59:35] » and um
that that was the end of my you know I
[59:40] propo I would propose that we delete the
appendix although I think it was very
[59:45] helpful
>> I um that was my biggest comment Al um
[59:50] on my document is this required I feel
like it creates confusion I think it's
[59:56] helpful for the review process but I
don't think we would want it in the
[59:59] final document. It's just my two cents.
>> Yeah, I agree. We've got the citations
[1:00:05] to all the authorities are there. We
don't need to
[1:00:08] » just lay all this out there.
>> Yeah. Okay. It's advised we agree that
[1:00:14] collectively the maybe remove the
appendix what we were referring to as
[1:00:19] appendix. Okay.
>> You got the citations as
[1:00:24] » was mentioned.
>> It would end here then at at six.
[1:00:26] » Yeah.
>> Yeah. I think that's better. It's the
[1:00:30] rest was just a lot of stuff.
>> Okay.
[1:00:35] All right. I'm going to stop sharing for
a second. Well, any final Does anyone
[1:00:39] want to look at this again? Any final?
We'll get a
[1:00:44] » I I draft over, but go ahead.
>> On the the calendar that's there.
[1:00:49] » Yeah. Um, I didn't scrutinize it, but is
that the calendar from the old days or
[1:00:54] is that the calendar from when we when
we meet
[1:00:58] collectively
on Saturday on a Saturday to review to
[1:01:03] to talk to department heads.
I feel like it's an all well here it is
[1:01:09] like the 28th of February advisory meet
with department heads but I didn't see
[1:01:14] unless someone else did like the
Saturday
[1:01:19] » as we call it I think it's an old
version Tim probably
[1:01:22] » this is just a sample I think I don't we
treat this as
[1:01:28] » what does it do we say this is a sample
>> yeah I think it does it says that
[1:01:34] Yeah.
>> Okay. Thank you.
[1:01:38] » Yep.
Any other
[1:01:43] clarifying uh questions or comments?
[1:01:50] All right, I'm going to stop sharing
this one.
[1:02:03] Let's see.
I'm back. Um,
[1:02:08] thank you guys for that. Uh, the next
one,
[1:02:11] where are we at on time board? 8:41.
So, the next one will not uh be
[1:02:17] discussed, you know, anytime soon I
think at the uh select board and it's
[1:02:23] also our policy. So, but it's also very
much uh a shorter document. So, does
[1:02:28] everybody agree to push ahead? You want
to review the reserve fund tonight?
[1:02:34] thoughts.
I couldn't hear anybody say anything.
[1:02:39] [laughter]
Okay. All right. Hold on a second. Let
[1:02:42] me find the document.
[1:02:46] Let's see here.
[1:02:51] The
[1:03:00] actually I don't think I have the review
document with one second let me find it.
[1:03:12] I think you mailed it out just a little
while ago. So
[1:03:16] » I have the original but not the edits
pulled up. I did. I had the edits. I
[1:03:20] didn't have the edits pulled up. One
second. All right. Now I found it.
[1:03:27] Larry, I'm gonna let you talk some about
this if you don't mind since you
[1:03:31] » since you provided some uh helpful edits
here. Think I have the right screen.
[1:03:37] » Put the line
number on.
[1:03:39] » Yeah, we'll put the line on again. Okay.
[1:03:47] Actually, do we need the Let me see.
I'll try to do that.
[1:03:59] All right.
>> Back of a cursor you got there.
[1:04:04] [laughter]
>> I know. Don't ask me why it's like that.
[1:04:08] It's a long story, but I'll tell you
later.
[1:04:10] » It changes the meaning of the term
Ibeam.
[1:04:12] » I know it. I know it. Um, so again, I'll
uh Yeah, I'll tell you guys later. next
[1:04:17] week in in person. All right. Uh Larry,
you wanna
[1:04:23] » help lead the discussion on this one?
>> So, um in the first section here, you
[1:04:27] know, again, this was the first time I
read this and it could just be, you
[1:04:31] know, that I don't have a lot of
context, but I just thought that this
[1:04:36] seemed to just be a lot of disconnected
pieces with terms
[1:04:40] um that, you know, referred to things
that I wasn't quite sure of. So, um, you
[1:04:47] know, for example, number two, it says a
copy of meeting agendas. The the
[1:04:52] advisory committee sends the town
administrator a copy of meeting agendas.
[1:04:56] What meetings are we talking about um
there? Um,
[1:05:04] » I mean, it would it would be our our
schedule, right?
[1:05:12] » I agree with you. I'm not even sure what
that means, but
[1:05:16] um
>> I mean I'm I'm this is in the context of
[1:05:19] somebody requesting a reserve fund
transfer.
[1:05:22] » Um
>> I think it means like after we vote
[1:05:26] um we would send a copy of the we we
would have it on the agenda. We would
[1:05:30] send a copy of the agenda and then I
think we have to send a copy of the
[1:05:35] minutes. the the the process I think is
that
[1:05:40] we inform the the the town administrator
when we will act on the request
[1:05:48] which is typically via the agenda
>> agenda.
[1:05:53] » So it would be a copy of the meeting
agenda addressing the request
[1:06:02] and p
[1:06:07] should be agenda.
>> Yeah.
[1:06:12] » Okay. All right. Thank you.
>> The ne the next one I I just thought it
[1:06:17] should say uh when the request is
scheduled to be discussed.
[1:06:22] We're we're not scheduling the request.
We're scheduling the discussion I think.
[1:06:27] Right.
>> So is scheduled for discussion.
[1:06:32] » Yeah.
>> Yeah.
[1:06:36] Okay.
>> Um then the next one
[1:06:41] um
what I Okay. Does not identify other
[1:06:46] sources for the requested funds. Oh,
instead of saying identifies no other
[1:06:50] sources for the funds requested, which
seems like somewhat tortured wording, I
[1:06:56] think something like does not identify
other sources for the requested funds.
[1:07:02] Yeah.
[1:07:05] Okay.
[1:07:14] » If the town administrator does not
identify other sources for the requested
[1:07:18] funds,
>> I'm I'm sort of baffled by that whole
[1:07:22] sentence.
>> He only comes to us if he hasn't
[1:07:25] identified.
>> Yeah, that's that's a good point.
[1:07:28] » Yeah. I said I would say the town
administrators expected to explore other
[1:07:33] sources of funds prior to the making
this request.
[1:07:37] » I mean we we've had we've had people
come to us with requests and then they
[1:07:43] got it somewhere else
like it's it's kind of like a push back
[1:07:49] make it's kind of a you know you sure
are you sure you don't have the money in
[1:07:54] your budget? Are you sure there isn't an
inter departmental transfer you can do?
[1:07:58] Um, do you really need advisories
reserve?
[1:08:02] That's what that's what that is, I
think.
[1:08:08] » Well, so um,
>> should we leave it like that or do you
[1:08:11] want more of a declarative statement?
I'd make it more declarative which is
[1:08:15] the town administrator is responsible
for identifying if other sources of
[1:08:20] funding are available
>> or or that there are no other sources of
[1:08:25] funding available prior to making this
request.
[1:08:29] » I mean it would not be number four then
right? would
[1:08:33] » well I would delete number four and say
and and replace it with the town
[1:08:39] administrator is res responsible for
making sure that no other sources of
[1:08:44] funding are available for this request.
>> Yeah. I mean it seems to me it should be
[1:08:50] between one and two,
[1:08:54] » right? you it
>> we shouldn't get the request until the
[1:09:00] town administrator has done this
>> right
[1:09:02] » yes yeah you're right
>> right so it should be after one it
[1:09:08] should be number two I guess
>> right
[1:09:13] » advisory committee so after say should
be number two basically
[1:09:30] Yeah. So I think it should say if if if
the town administrator cannot identify
[1:09:37] other sources for the requested funds,
it notifies
[1:09:43] the advisory he notifi or he she it
notifies the advisory committee. um and
[1:09:50] somehow combine it with number number
four about comments. I'm not sure how
[1:09:55] that plays into the whole thing. Um
[1:10:01] » okay. So the town administrator is
responsible for identifying no other
[1:10:06] sources of
>> No. Well,
[1:10:08] » that doesn't make sense. that. No.
>> If if the [laughter] if the town if the
[1:10:12] town identifier if the town
administrator cannot identify other
[1:10:17] sources
[1:10:23] cannot identify other sources for the
requested funds.
[1:10:40] other sources for the requested funds.
Uh the town administrator forwards the
[1:10:46] request to the advisory committee
with comments if appropriate.
[1:10:53] » Supportment.
>> Yeah. I mean I would
[1:10:56] » supporting documentation, right?
>> Yeah. I would take advisory committee
[1:11:00] out of number one,
>> right? It goes to the town
[1:11:04] administrator. He determines whether
there's no other available funds and
[1:11:09] only then does he send it to advisory.
>> Yes.
[1:11:13] » But that's good call.
>> Yes.
[1:11:20] » And supporting documentation.
>> Yes. to the advisory committee.
[1:11:27] Um
and then
[1:11:31] um number four can go away completely
now I think.
[1:11:36] » Yeah.
>> I'm sorry my computer's up here.
[1:11:43] » And then we can say um actually the
current number four I think can also go
[1:11:50] away.
[1:11:57] And number three probably makes sense to
say the advisory committee notifies the
[1:12:02] town administrator.
Um
[1:12:06] » I think we just notify the town
administrator and let him
[1:12:10] » notifies the town administrator of the
meeting of of the meeting at which the
[1:12:15] request will be discussed or something
like that.
[1:12:18] » Yeah.
[1:12:23] notifies the town administrator of the
date of the meeting that the request
[1:12:29] will be discussed.
[1:12:37] » Well, let's see at the meeting
uh
[1:12:43] when discussed.
>> Yeah. At which at which the request is
[1:12:47] will be discussed.
[1:12:53] Okay. So, I think this this sequence now
makes sense
[1:13:00] » and and the only change I had to number
four was I think affirmative is better
[1:13:05] than positive there. But it's a minor.
I think it's just a following vote.
[1:13:17] » Following an affirmative vote. That
would be the only time we would sign the
[1:13:21] form, right? Or or
>> Okay.
[1:13:27] » And it doesn't require unanimous. It's
just simple majority.
[1:13:31] » Yes.
>> Majority.
[1:13:35] And I would send it just to the town
administrator and let him distribute it,
[1:13:39] you know, rather than putting the
administrator. We should not don't put
[1:13:44] the administrative burden on us.
>> Mhm.
[1:13:48] » Okay.
>> Yeah.
[1:13:50] » Just say sends
a copy to the town administrator.
[1:13:57] » Yep.
[1:14:01] for
I don't know distribution or Yeah.
[1:14:13] » Okay. And I'll I'll let you worry about
all of the bold letters in number two
[1:14:17] later. Yeah, I'll take I'll [laughter]
take
[1:14:21] » um I didn't
>> I didn't have anything in the paragraph
[1:14:26] at 17 or 22.
Um on 29 I suggested that you put after
[1:14:33] uh Department of Revenue uh put do in
parentheses because you use that later.
[1:14:40] » Yeah.
>> Uh in the document.
[1:14:47] Oh, sorry. Did we need typos here?
>> Um, and then another minor issue in 37.
[1:14:58] In all of the other places, you had 40
section six without spaces between them.
[1:15:03] And here you put spaces in.
>> Okay.
[1:15:07] » And
[1:15:13] I think it's out without. Okay.
>> Yep. Um,
[1:15:17] another minor thing, uh, I would in 43 I
would set off in essence, [snorts]
[1:15:23] uh, with commas,
um,
[1:15:32] since it's it's
descriptive. And then in
[1:15:38] 54 I thought it was ambiguous the way it
was written and it said and should not
[1:15:44] be used for any other purpose or be
transferred to the reserve back into the
[1:15:48] reserve fund. I could easily read that
as also saying and should not be
[1:15:52] transferred back into the reserve fund.
>> Yeah, we need a comma. So, uh, I
[1:15:57] suggested that we,
um, if you click on my comment to see
[1:16:03] the suggested wording, I think,
um, yeah, so I suggested that we break
[1:16:10] it into two sentences. Um, any
unexpected balance should should be
[1:16:14] earmarked or transferred back into the
reserve fund. Period. They should not be
[1:16:18] used for another purpose. And that gets
rid of the ambiguity.
[1:16:23] Let's
copy that over.
[1:16:30] Sorry
[1:16:35] all the way back to any at the beginning
of that line.
[1:16:47] Um,
>> of course I command Z. We're out.
[1:16:52] » And well, do a command Z.
[1:16:57] » Oh,
now you can't do a command Z. Okay.
[1:17:01] » Sorry. Sorry.
>> Control.
[1:17:04] » You're trying to do an undo.
>> Well, I wanted to undo it and do a paste
[1:17:08] and match style so that you didn't get
the strange font.
[1:17:16] » I don't think it's gonna let me do it
now. Well, do I'll do it.
[1:17:27] didn't work. Okay.
>> Well, I can do want later. I'll do it
[1:17:31] later. It's fine.
>> Okay. Um
[1:17:35] and then in 60 you want to capitalize
reserve fund.
[1:17:40] » Can we go to 56?
>> Sure.
[1:17:44] » I would make it stronger.
I wouldn't say should always be worded
[1:17:49] to request funds. I would say requests
should always be for unpaid or future
[1:17:54] expenses.
[1:18:08] » Is that right? What you were asking,
Tim?
[1:18:10] » Yeah. Like don't buy a car and then come
back to us asking for us to pay for it.
[1:18:16] Yeah.
[1:18:20] » Sorry.
[1:18:23] » All right.
>> All right.
[1:18:25] » Okay.
>> Actually, uh let's go back to that one
[1:18:28] again.
It shouldn't even be for unpaid.
[1:18:33] You should not be making a commitment.
Unpaid means that you've already bought
[1:18:37] it.
>> Yeah, that's true.
[1:18:40] should be for should always be for
future expenses not reimbursed
[1:18:47] versing an account for expenses that
have already been paid or otherwise
[1:18:51] encumbered.
>> Yes.
[1:19:05] » I think that's a good change.
>> That makes sense.
[1:19:08] Yeah.
[1:19:12] » All right.
>> Okay. Um
[1:19:21] 64
>> you capitalize the G and 63.
[1:19:28] » Oh yeah.
>> Or do you or or do you leave it lower
[1:19:30] case?
>> No, I think it's
[1:19:32] » it's a title still. Sure.
>> Title.
[1:19:35] Um, request for transfer from the
reserve should be completed and full
[1:19:40] signed. And I asked what prepared meant
>> seems like an extra word that didn't
[1:19:45] really add much,
[1:19:49] » right? Presented to the advisory maybe
would be a better way of saying it, but
[1:19:55] » um, yeah, that would work. Should be
completed in full, signed and present.
[1:20:01] No, it's presented to the town
administrator. administrator. Sorry,
[1:20:07] [laughter]
>> that was number that was number one at
[1:20:09] the top.
[1:20:22] » All right.
>> And then I had a comment on 72. Just a
[1:20:28] little wording thing. I thought at which
it was better than where where the
[1:20:33] request is scheduled.
Uh it I think at which the request is
[1:20:38] the meeting at which the request is
scheduled.
[1:20:42] » I I don't like lines 74 and 75.
[1:20:48] » Okay. If the advisory committee has
major questions that cannot be answered
[1:20:51] is very likely that the request will be
deferred or rejected.
[1:20:54] » That's fine.
>> Okay. If being present is a hardship.
[1:21:00] » Yeah, I feel like someone has to be
there.
[1:21:03] » Yeah,
>> I would just get rid of that.
[1:21:06] » I mean, the distinction between major
versus any other question. I mean, I
[1:21:09] guess it's probably nit, but what
defines a major question versus not?
[1:21:16] » We can get rid of the word major, too.
>> So, take this out. Correct.
[1:21:22] » Yeah.
>> Yeah. I mean there there certainly have
[1:21:25] been cases where you know uh
[1:21:31] it was a fairly minor request and it was
you know the documentation was more than
[1:21:35] sufficient.
>> So there's no hard and fast rule
[1:21:38] somebody has to attend or
>> and with Zoom it's made it an awful lot
[1:21:44] easier.
>> Right.
[1:21:48] » Also occasionally this has been
presented multiple times in different
[1:21:52] meetings. So, we had the information
um in advance. We were aware of the
[1:21:57] request like you said. It didn't we
didn't need somebody to there. But
[1:22:01] taking it out makes sense. That way you
don't have to
[1:22:04] » Yeah. And we and we've by by putting the
word suggest in line 71, we've we've
[1:22:09] left it open. You know, we basically
said exactly
[1:22:11] » this would be a really good idea, right?
But if you can't do it, you know, you
[1:22:15] just run the risk of us rejecting or
deferring,
[1:22:18] » right?
>> Yep.
[1:22:22] Um
>> and then 77 special town meeting should
[1:22:31] » um and then the same thing in 80 for
annual town meeting.
[1:22:38] » Oops.
[1:22:44] All right.
>> And
[1:22:53] I can't see my next comment, but it's
>> it's it's on that line. It's on line 82
[1:22:59] with what did it say?
Uh this is worded funny. Um after
[1:23:05] several years of additional funds
needed. Um yeah. So I would say
[1:23:11] something like after several years of
requests for the same or similar
[1:23:16] purposes.
>> Yeah.
[1:23:25] It would f you'd be in danger of failing
the uh unexpected or unusual standard
[1:23:32] for requests.
[1:23:37] » It say purposes.
>> Yeah. Yeah. It may be difficult for the
[1:23:42] advisor to consider
um the request as extraordinary or
[1:23:48] unforeseen. You can get rid of now the
line another request for the same reason
[1:23:53] in 83 and just change that uh to
consider the request
[1:24:00] as extraordinary or unforeseen.
[1:24:08] » Okay. And then the last one I think you
can strike may or may not in 87
[1:24:15] um whether the reserve funds
[1:24:21] are available.
>> Yeah.
[1:24:25] » Okay. That's all I had.
>> Yeah, I looked I liked all of your
[1:24:30] comments, Larry. So, um I had sent this
out to everyone as is. I I didn't
[1:24:35] receive any other feedback on this one
yet, but we we do have time. So,
[1:24:39] » the only other thing that I would do, I
think I noted was in the first two
[1:24:43] titles, you have a colon at the end, and
that's just a strange place for a colon.
[1:24:48] » Yeah, I agree. Yeah,
>> this isn't my document, but [laughter]
[1:24:53] » I have a I have a potential suggestion
to consider.
[1:24:57] » Okay. Um, if the request is for a
capital item, then we should at least
[1:25:03] invite CIPC.
[1:25:09] » Sorry, that was screwing up. I'll take
that out. Um,
[1:25:15] we always do that. Are you suggesting it
should be listed here somewhere?
[1:25:18] » Yeah, I think that's probably
reasonable.
[1:25:23] And in that case, it should probably be
up in that initial part under the
[1:25:27] process.
>> Yeah,
[1:25:30] you could put it here. Maybe
like
[1:25:34] » um
>> capital request may trigger a joint
[1:25:37] meeting with capital CIPC.
[1:25:42] Well, you could just put a parentheses
after the town administrator
[1:25:48] and [clears throat] say and capital uh
in cases of requests for capital items.
[1:25:58] » Are you talking here? Just put a bullet
number four
[1:26:02] » or number three in between said in the
event that the request is for a capital
[1:26:07] item, the town administrator shall also
notify the CIP, the capital planning
[1:26:13] committee.
[1:26:19] Not there. I think it goes. Okay.
>> I think I think it's a new number three.
[1:26:24] So we now
[1:26:29] Does the town administrator Does the
town administrator notify the capital
[1:26:33] committee or do we
>> I I let the town administrator
[1:26:38] do the work. He gets paid.
>> So we
[1:26:43] » So
>> do you want it between two and three as
[1:26:46] a new number three or between?
>> That was what I was suggesting.
[1:26:49] » Okay.
>> I think
[1:26:53] um if the request
is a capital item.
[1:27:00] The town
administrator
[1:27:05] notifies
[1:27:09] capital
sorry
[1:27:16] improvement. It's improvement right?
[1:27:21] » I think so.
>> Okay. [laughter]
[1:27:24] » Thank Would it make sense rather than
saying notifies
[1:27:28] also forwards the request to so it's
sort of parallel to what's in line two?
[1:27:35] » It's it's CIPC.
>> I'm sorry.
[1:27:39] » Right. Right.
[1:27:44] » I'll double check the exact
>> It's a capital improvement.
[1:27:49] » Improvement and planning. Okay.
>> I think
[1:27:52] » capital improvement. I always call it
capital planning. So I'm probably um
[1:27:56] » So they used to call themselves CPC.
>> I know.
[1:27:59] » That's why, right?
>> That's why I'm so confused. Okay.
[1:28:02] » Yeah.
>> All right. I'll I'll double check that.
[1:28:05] But I think that makes sense to be here.
Should I say capital expenditure or
[1:28:10] capital instead of item? Capital
expenditure.
[1:28:16] » I think that's fine.
>> Capital item. Leave it as. Well, how
[1:28:20] about if the request is for a capital
item,
[1:28:24] » right?
>> All right.
[1:28:27] » So, the request isn't a capital item.
It's
[1:28:31] » Thanks, Larry.
>> All right.
[1:28:37] » All right. That looks good.
>> We'll have to We'll have to make certain
[1:28:39] CIPC doesn't think that they're the ones
approving it,
[1:28:43] » right? But, you know, just like the the
um
[1:28:48] the truck that we approved, it it was
vetted through capital first. They they
[1:28:53] voted on it, then it came to us. So,
this is the process that I think we've
[1:28:57] normally been following as well. But it
just I agree like ultimately
[1:29:02] » to the capital improvement committee for
their review.
[1:29:06] » Yeah. Okay.
>> Yeah. I don't see I don't I don't think
[1:29:09] CIPC should do any work until we've at
least indicated that we're
[1:29:15] potentially going to approve it.
[1:29:21] » I think that's one where the chairs talk
speak to each other and
[1:29:25] » yeah,
it could it could make sense to do it
[1:29:30] either way depending on the request. I
think
[1:29:36] um
[1:29:39] Tim, are you suggesting we move four up
to three and three down to four? If
[1:29:44] that's the case, if that's No, no, no.
Sorry.
[1:29:47] » Okay. Okay.
>> I I don't know if I would put the, you
[1:29:51] know, the sequence here. It doesn't, you
know, it could
[1:29:56] » it could happen different ways for
different things.
[1:30:03] Okay,
I will
[1:30:08] I think stop sharing for now.
Go back.
[1:30:16] Can see you guys again. Thank you for
your patience with my typing and my big
[1:30:20] mouse and shaky keyboard here. We got a
lot done. Um, I'll get out the um,
[1:30:29] revised what I will call drafts to
everybody
[1:30:33] and
pass those along for sort of a final
[1:30:38] review before we vote maybe at our next
meeting.
[1:30:42] Also, there's members missing, so we'll
give them a chance to weigh in. Everyone
[1:30:46] agrees that next step. Okay. All right.
All right. Moving on then to number four
[1:30:54] on our list of items tonight is the FY28
budget proposed override. U just a quick
[1:31:01] recap. Uh select board had a a very high
level discussion on this on July 7th. Uh
[1:31:08] Brian Balentine is working on projected
budgets for 28 293032 according to the
[1:31:14] minutes of that meeting or the the
recording of that meeting. Uh we are
[1:31:18] invited to attend the select board
meeting joint have a joint meeting with
[1:31:22] select board next week uh on the 11th to
discuss a few things. um as I understand
[1:31:30] them and after discussing them as well
with the chair of select board um the
[1:31:36] sort of the idea of that meeting is sort
of providing some more info on the
[1:31:41] process uh and advisory to have input
into and an get questions answered if
[1:31:48] there's um sort of a way of doing that
within the group also what each
[1:31:52] department will need to put together or
what would be the expectations and the
[1:31:57] overall philosophy
uh and is there any concurrence on that
[1:32:01] in terms of either if there is an
override what does that look like? Um so
[1:32:07] in summary of our last meeting um feel
free to chime in if anyone has other
[1:32:12] things they wanted to add but I have
written down our recommendations or our
[1:32:16] thoughts so far in general terms were um
advisory would uh like to have a set of
[1:32:23] expectations for increased efficiency
from every department. Uh we want to
[1:32:28] review the possibilities of combining
combining any departments possible which
[1:32:35] has been thought about and talked about
but not really uh tackled and we would
[1:32:40] like to look more at how to deliver the
same set of services for level service
[1:32:47] or less um things like payroll
automation etc.
[1:32:52] And we did discuss potential um our
thoughts on whether or not we would be
[1:32:59] in support of a shorter duration such as
one year versus a five-year sort of um
[1:33:06] $10 million override that would occur
over five years upfront in terms of the
[1:33:11] proposal and vote upfront uh versus um a
shorter duration. uh and we would like
[1:33:17] to see options
if that's the case.
[1:33:22] So
I I don't know if that's helpful. Does
[1:33:26] anyone have any other things to add? Did
I miss anything from last time just in
[1:33:30] terms of setting the stage for tonight's
sort of initial thoughts?
[1:33:35] » How?
>> Um so I think you know one of the things
[1:33:40] I think
we need to give serious consideration to
[1:33:44] is a hiring freeze.
Yeah.
[1:33:47] » Um, you know, I I I I I'm reluctant to
extend offers to people with the
[1:33:56] knowledge that
the sources of revenue to support those
[1:34:02] those payrolls
are um unclear.
[1:34:08] And so the other thing that a hiring
freeze does is it provides
[1:34:14] um [snorts] flexibility
in the event that an override did not
[1:34:20] pass.
Um in terms of you know essentially pro
[1:34:27] it provides a measure of protection for
the our existing employees if we are
[1:34:33] operating at less than our
full staffing levels we get a degree of
[1:34:40] uh flexibility
then um and the other thing I think
[1:34:47] we are that sort of a companion to that
is
[1:34:52] Every open position ought to be reviewed
and approved by an executive by the
[1:34:58] relevant executive
prior to posting. And particularly this
[1:35:05] is particularly true for people who are
administrators
[1:35:11] or department heads because those are
opportunities for departmental
[1:35:15] consolidation. I think we had one of
those a few la last year and we did not
[1:35:20] take advantage of that.
>> And so, um, I think we need to be,
[1:35:26] » you know, I I don't want to be the guy
that that hires somebody and then six
[1:35:31] months later lays them off. That's that
that's not being a responsible employer
[1:35:36] in in my mind.
So to piggyback on that, El, I agree
[1:35:42] with you. Um
on on the premise of this, it's one of
[1:35:48] the items that I have had listed here in
my notes to discuss on the 11th. Um and
[1:35:54] particularly when it comes to
backfilling if someone leaves um you
[1:36:00] know I think there should be some sort
of process for vetting the need of that
[1:36:04] resource uh redistribution of those
functions to others if possible or
[1:36:10] consolidation and I had raised this in a
public comment on a select board meeting
[1:36:15] uh relative I think to the position you
were mentioning Al um that's pretty
[1:36:19] standard issue it in many places. Uh,
and I would agree if we're looking at
[1:36:24] overrides, I think we should be doing
more of that. Um, if somebody is
[1:36:29] promoted, is their back fill needed, uh,
as an example. So, and and sort of the
[1:36:34] the case, not just a automatic we we've
always had this, we're always going to
[1:36:40] have it kind of thing. Um, so I I concur
with that as an initial thought. I don't
[1:36:47] know if others want to chime in. I I
would I would suggest that maybe
[1:36:53] we we spent some time on our policy
tonight talking about things that we
[1:36:56] should consider when times are bad.
>> Yep, we did.
[1:37:00] » Yeah. And so that we should we should
roll the conversation back to that
[1:37:04] because instead of just proceeding with
an override conversation, right, we
[1:37:08] listed how many things that should be
considered.
[1:37:12] » I think it was six.
>> Yeah.
[1:37:14] » Six or seven.
>> Yeah. And so I don't I don't know that
[1:37:17] we should proceed with just the override
solution at this time. I think we should
[1:37:22] really dig into which of those six or
what combination makes the most sense.
[1:37:30] » Yeah.
>> And I think the framework is helpful. So
[1:37:32] I'm glad that we
put that down on paper at least in the
[1:37:36] draft.
>> Go ahead. curiosity since you know I'm
[1:37:39] I'm relatively I mean this is I think my
third year on advisory but I'm
[1:37:44] relatively new to the process um just in
terms of identifying where the issues
[1:37:53] really are do we ever
I mean looking at it analytically um it
[1:38:00] seems to me that you know the first
thing I would do is say okay you know
[1:38:04] these six line items
are, you know, 90% of the budget. I
[1:38:10] don't know how whether it's six or 10 or
four, but there's probably, you know, a
[1:38:15] relatively small number of line items
that constitute a large portion of the
[1:38:20] budget. Do we ever sort of take those
and say, okay, we're going to go back
[1:38:24] five years and figure out what the
growth trend is for that budget to
[1:38:30] identify which ones really are the
problem. You know, if we if we look at
[1:38:34] the police department, for example, and
say, well, it's grown pretty steadily at
[1:38:37] 1% a year. I know that's not the case,
but then, you know, we can see, well,
[1:38:42] that's probably not the problem. You
know, the school budgets been growing
[1:38:47] exponentially. It's been going up, you
know, 26% a year. And, um, you know,
[1:38:52] using past data to try to foresee where
the problems really are rather than just
[1:38:58] ri pushing back on everything
necessarily. Um,
[1:39:03] I don't know if we if we do things like
that or not or whether we're just
[1:39:07] looking at it in the moment, which is
>> all I've seen to date other than for
[1:39:13] capital.
>> Yeah. Well, I think there's a potential
[1:39:17] to do both. Um,
>> you know, certainly
[1:39:21] where I work, that's what we do, but we
do both at the same time.
[1:39:25] » Yeah. I think your point is like I think
Al's point around and the higher that's
[1:39:30] a process consideration around which I
think is a good process to use I
[1:39:33] completely agree do you need to backfill
if somebody departs that's and then
[1:39:37] you're getting at sort of understanding
trends which like I agree is probably a
[1:39:41] separate point very valuable but not a
process consideration per se but I I
[1:39:46] very much agree that those are very two
and I think it will be very well
[1:39:50] received by the public for to have that
put out there explicitly in addition to
[1:39:55] the point we just put in our proposal
that section six. I think it will be
[1:39:59] very helpful for people to see that this
is that that component is getting
[1:40:04] attention [snorts] versus just thinking
about the revenue side as the cost side.
[1:40:08] » Yeah.
Y
[1:40:11] » I I did also um I think this was
actually Tim's idea of um potentially
[1:40:17] looking at at a at a debt exclusion
borrowing
[1:40:22] um for our pension liabilities and I I
just a few minutes before we started
[1:40:28] sent you some information Sam Styver had
sent me. Um it is possible to do a
[1:40:36] borrowing to cover our uh unfunded
pension liabilities. It does require a
[1:40:42] special act of um
the legislature and a certain amount of
[1:40:48] supervision. And the other sort of
really interesting thing is the debt
[1:40:52] that's issued for this purpose
uh is not taxexempt. Oh,
[1:40:59] » so it does it
the the I I would recommend reading the
[1:41:03] document. It's actually quite good. Um
it it it does say that there is still an
[1:41:08] arbitrage opportunity
but it's um and it it it also provides a
[1:41:15] cautionary tale which I I mean I said I
I thought it was very instructive but I
[1:41:19] think it's worth a serious consideration
because I think that's an alternative to
[1:41:25] you know a two and a half exclusion
maybe not forever but for some period of
[1:41:30] time since it would free up um
levy capacity.
[1:41:38] All right, I'm pinning this down in
terms of our thoughts. I'm going to add
[1:41:41] I'm going to create a document I believe
for us um going into the meeting
[1:41:46] » for next week.
>> Dr. Brian just asking what that number
[1:41:51] is and what it looks like and I haven't
re I haven't heard back from him yet.
[1:41:55] » I I saw that. Thank you for that.
>> Everybody see that email?
[1:42:04] All right. Any other items to add to our
thoughts that we want to capture for the
[1:42:09] meeting on the 11th?
>> We can add them uh later as well. But
[1:42:16] I mean, I think that's a pretty good
start because this is going to be the
[1:42:18] preliminary meeting, preliminary
discussion. Um we spent time talking
[1:42:23] about it over two meetings.
I think particularly revising the policy
[1:42:27] tonight was helpful uh in terms of the
draft and the thoughts on the number
[1:42:32] six.
[1:42:36] Anyone have any other thoughts,
comments?
[1:42:42] All right, one more to come next week. I
would like to get if you guys could just
[1:42:46] let me know who's going to attend in
person or who's going to attend in Zoom.
[1:42:50] Um you don't have to do it now, but just
uh just some ideas. I but I I would like
[1:42:55] to make sure we have a at least a group
of us there in person. I will plan to go
[1:43:00] in person.
>> Yeah, I plan to go in person.
[1:43:02] » Yeah, I'll try to go in person also.
>> Okay.
[1:43:05] » All right. All right. So, I think Howard
said he's coming in person, too. Um so,
[1:43:11] we'll we'll see everyone there, but
there will be a Zoom remote option if uh
[1:43:15] that's not possible.
All right. Uh any other comments on this
[1:43:22] tonight?
[1:43:27] Thank you for the u thoughts and work on
that. Uh number five on our agenda
[1:43:32] tonight is to
uh consider add a liaison to the
[1:43:37] elementary school uh building committee.
[snorts]
[1:43:41] Um I did put that on the agenda at the
request of uh some of our thoughts last
[1:43:47] week about things we needed to look at.
Um I did make sure I fully understood. I
[1:43:53] went back um Andrew FAF as a member of
advisory was not um we've had
[1:44:00] representatives from advisory on the
various committees uh for the Ner
[1:44:04] School. Um, but he actually applied uh
through this select board interview
[1:44:10] process to be I I guess you would call
it a member at large or a member uh and
[1:44:16] was interviewed by I think the school
committee and select board uh for that
[1:44:21] and then his the vote here was simply um
us granting permission for an advisory
[1:44:26] member to be on an ad hoc committee. So
we didn't send him to that committee but
[1:44:31] he was partic or he he will remain I
guess on that committee for now. So just
[1:44:35] to clarify that we're not replacing
Andrew there. We are simply trying to
[1:44:40] set up a liaison who will track uh the
progress um and sort of review the
[1:44:47] financials etc and keep this board
committee up to speed uh with with that
[1:44:53] information. Um I want to you know
clarify Al is that that was your intent
[1:44:58] in raising this I believe. Yeah. And I
don't know what the current practice is
[1:45:03] for
uh you know the
[1:45:07] for for liaison whether you the
committee is currently doing it or not.
[1:45:12] But um I I think we need to stay on top
of this and probably
[1:45:19] um maybe chime in from time to time if
we think
[1:45:23] » you know
the direction is is is teetering in one
[1:45:29] one one way or another that we're
unhappy with or concerned about
[1:45:35] » for sure and have you know meetings we
could invite the representatives from
[1:45:39] that committee to our meeting etc. So,
somebody monitoring, keeping an eye on
[1:45:43] it, chiming in would be helpful. Um,
does anyone have any uh interest or who
[1:45:50] would like to maybe be the liaison to
this committee?
[1:45:58] » I have an opinion of I'm happy to share
it.
[1:46:01] » Sure. I mean, Al, and I'm not trying to
create work for you, but I thank like I
[1:46:05] was involved with the first round
getting to the options, which was very
[1:46:09] informative, and it came out of my my
desire to be close to that given my my
[1:46:14] own views. But I think the more recent
discussions on keeping the committee
[1:46:19] honest, if you want to call it that, or
in in ensuring that they're being
[1:46:23] inclusive of the options that were
agreed through the warrant at approved
[1:46:28] at town meeting, if you're willing to do
that, I think your continued voice, I
[1:46:33] think, will be as strong as anyone's to
ensure that the town's interests are
[1:46:38] being met, right? to have options that
are true options versus trying to and
[1:46:44] I'm not suggesting anybody do anything
nefarious, but if you're willing to do
[1:46:47] it, um otherwise, you know, I be if it's
just a matter of attending meetings and
[1:46:52] listening in, I'd be happy to raise my
hand, but I would put Al um ahead of me
[1:46:56] because again, I think his voice is
going to be crisper than mine just
[1:47:01] because I have that that prior
experience. But Al, I'd welcome to hear
[1:47:04] your thoughts if that's something you'd
be willing to do.
[1:47:08] Um,
[1:47:14] » I'm willing, but I'm not sure I'm the
best person.
[1:47:17] » Only because uh I have a pretty clear
view, but um we can't really send two
[1:47:24] people, can we?
[1:47:30] » Anyone have any thoughts? I don't know
why we couldn't have two liaison. I
[1:47:34] mean, it may make sense to have one so
that we're not spread too thin, maybe
[1:47:39] focused effort.
>> Yeah, I I would do it, but um you know,
[1:47:45] I would actually have suggested Derrick
was the right right person only because
[1:47:50] » I'm I'm sort of Johnny one note and I
have
[1:47:58] » Eric, would you be willing would you be
willing to
[1:48:01] » Yeah. Again, the time commitment is just
it's going to be very different. So, in
[1:48:04] that sense, yes, I'd be willing to do it
because I think it'll just be a
[1:48:07] different experience. But, no point out
point taken, but like I I respected your
[1:48:12] position to ensure that the option would
be it would be included as an option
[1:48:17] regardless of whatever the town votes.
The whole point is to give people the
[1:48:20] option to make a choice versus just
having one thing rammed down their
[1:48:24] throat again, which I don't think is
going to happen because we all learned
[1:48:27] our lesson and [clears throat] I know
Andrew is is in I think close to that
[1:48:30] thinking as well. So yeah, I'd be I'm
happy to do it. If if that's the extent
[1:48:34] of it is really just reporting back,
then I'm fine doing it.
[1:48:37] » Well, I also think
maybe every other month just asking for
[1:48:43] somebody to come and give us a briefing.
>> That might be an opportunity to read
[1:48:50] messages.
>> Yes, I think that's a great idea.
[1:48:55] » I I've been critical of the select board
for not doing that with committees.
[1:48:59] Okay.
Do we want to pursue both or that in lie
[1:49:04] of a liaison?
>> Both.
[1:49:07] » Both.
>> This is a this is a major
[1:49:11] » chunk of debt.
>> Yeah.
[1:49:14] » Just just bear in mind that if if the
select board agrees with the policies
[1:49:18] that we've we've talked about tonight,
right, then our work on the budget's
[1:49:23] going up a lot.
>> Yeah.
[1:49:26] » Yeah. So, you know, don't burn
yourselves out is what I'm saying.
[1:49:31] » Yeah. Which is my point, Tim, is really
if it's just a matter of attending the
[1:49:34] meetings, then then I'm fine with that.
And, you know, I followed it a little
[1:49:38] bit more closely, just paying, you know,
watching the stuff on Zoom. But that's
[1:49:42] the extent of it. If it were more than
that, I would agree with you. I would uh
[1:49:45] I'd probably just do it as have them
show up every other month or something
[1:49:49] like that.
But I'm I'm fine for now. I'll raise my
[1:49:53] hand if it ends up being too much.
>> Okay. So, we could start with that and
[1:49:59] um Eric can sort of monitor the
progress,
[1:50:03] ask questions as needed and we'll have
an opportunity we'll we'll we'll book
[1:50:08] the we'll speak with the chair of the
committee and have a rep um brief us
[1:50:13] every
at regular intervals. I'm going to say
[1:50:17] um
[1:50:23] so we have a motion to uh appoint
>> Eric as our liaison.
[1:50:28] » I move that we appoint Eric Glitter as
our um
[1:50:34] our liaison with the Ner building
committee.
[1:50:38] » Second.
>> All right. All those in favor? Tim
[1:50:43] » I. L
>> Hi,
[1:50:49] » Eric.
>> Hi,
[1:50:51] » Larry.
>> Hi,
[1:50:53] » Barry.
>> Hi,
[1:50:55] » Marcy. Is I
>> the Marcy is a process matter formality.
[1:51:01] Will they get informed and then I'll get
the invite list or the mechanics of
[1:51:04] that? How does it actually work?
>> Um, we well to Al's point like we don't
[1:51:10] we haven't done this as much as or often
as probably we should. We do it around
[1:51:13] the budget season. Usually we have a
liaison. So I'm happy to draft an email
[1:51:20] uh with you on it to the committee just
saying
[1:51:25] » it's [clears throat] here's what we're
asking.
[1:51:26] » Yeah.
>> At the meetings or if I get the however
[1:51:30] whatever is easiest but just more
curious.
[1:51:34] » Sure.
>> All right.
[1:51:35] » I'll I'll follow up with you offline.
>> Thank you.
[1:51:38] » All right. Um
meeting schedule. We have a meeting for
[1:51:43] next week with the select board. Um so
everyone I think everyone knows that. Um
[1:51:52] beyond that we don't have any dates set
up yet. Um
[1:51:58] I would be in favor of
talking next week when we're at the
[1:52:03] meeting in person and coming up with
more dates for our calendar if that
[1:52:06] works.
>> Sure. we'll have a better idea, I think,
[1:52:12] of, you know, where are we heading next?
What we what do we need to work on? Um,
[1:52:21] any other thoughts on that or
preferences?
[1:52:24] » That works. Yeah.
>> Okay. We will we will take care of that.
[1:52:28] But 8:11,
I'm assuming at the regular time, 6:30,
[1:52:32] we'll look and see where we're at on the
agenda with the joint discussion. I know
[1:52:37] it's a very packed meeting uh according
to um some feedback I've heard. All
[1:52:43] right. Uh number seven on the agenda
tonight is other businesses um other
[1:52:49] business brought forth to the committee.
I do have one item here to share
[1:52:57] uh for awareness.
Uh we don't have it on the agenda so we
[1:53:01] won't talk about it but just an
announcement. Uh the ZBA is holding a
[1:53:04] meeting next week, August the 12th,
public hearing, uh to talk about um
[1:53:11] making making it easier for
discretionary permits uh for two
[1:53:15] families in most zoning districts. So,
this is definitely something that um if
[1:53:21] this is headed to, you know, potential
warrant at town meeting, uh we should
[1:53:26] definitely
start getting informed now. So that is a
[1:53:31] hybrid meeting both at the townhouse and
on Zoom. So um probably not
[1:53:40] we have to be careful not to have a
quorum there but um it's a public forum
[1:53:43] so folks want to join if you can.
[1:53:49] All right just another reminder uh
Saturday October 17th and March 20th is
[1:53:54] a tenative upcoming dates of town
meetings. um just for your calendars.
[1:54:03] Any other business?
[1:54:07] » If not, moving on to public comment. Any
public comment this evening?
[1:54:14] » You got anything to say? Sam,
[laughter]
[1:54:17] » any hands up? Okay. One panel, one
participant there. All right. Yes. Nice
[1:54:23] to see you, Sam. Um
if no other uh comments for tonight,
[1:54:28] thank you everyone so much. Uh big help.
A lot of work got done and um do we have
[1:54:33] a motion to adjurnn?
>> So moved.
[1:54:36] » Second.
>> Second. All right. Roll call vote. Tim
[1:54:40] » I
>> Eric.
[1:54:43] » Hi.
>> Larry.
[1:54:45] » Hi.
>> Barry.
[1:54:47] » Hi.
>> And Marcy is I. Thank you. I'll see you
[1:54:50] Tuesday.
>> Thank you. Bye.
[1:54:52] » Bye.
Night.
[1:54:55] » Good night.