[0:59] The date is March 20, 2024, time is 6.30 p.m., the West Bridgewater Board of Selectment meeting. Before we stand for the pledge, please be aware that this meeting is being recorded for you, on the internet and our local cable station.

[1:12] I

[1:19] pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic in which

[1:25] it stands one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

[1:34] Two public hearings to kick off tonight's meeting.

[1:38] The first is an application for an alteration of premise for the West Bridgewater Country

[1:44] Club, aka Johnston Gulf Management, located at two of five East Santa Street.

[1:49] We will read the hearing pursuant to Chapter 138 and Chapter 140, the Massachusetts General Laws.

[1:57] A public hearing will be conducted on Wednesday, March 20th, at 6.30 p.m. in the Elden,

[2:04] F. Murr, Board of Selectment Meeting Room, Town Hall, 65 North Main Street, Westbridge,

[2:09] Water, Massachusetts on the application for an alteration of license premise for all alcohol

[2:15] Hall License for Westbridge Water Country Club, Johnson Golf Management and Corporated

[2:20] located at 250 East Center Street, Westbridge Water Mass, interested parties are invited to

[2:25] be present and heard.

[2:27] This time I could look for a motion to open the public hearing.

[2:31] I make a motion to open the public hearing.

[2:33] And I will second that.

[2:35] Mr. Chairman, they have decided to rescind their request.

[2:39] It came in after everything had been out and posted.

[2:41] That's why we're having a hearing.

[2:42] so if you have any questions I'll be more than happy to answer them and if not

[2:46] all I would ask you to do is to take a vote to take no action on the request

[2:50] in front of you and then vote to close the hearing about

[2:55] make a motion to

[2:57] make a motion to take a vote to take no action I will second vote in favor we need

[3:05] a motion to close the hearing make a motion to close the vote hearing thank you

[3:09] when I second that now we can open the second one so our next public hearing is a

[3:16] The vote to remove the current yield signs to be replaced by stop signs, a total of three stop signs at the intersection of Scotland Street and

[3:22] self-amma street are being recommended.

[3:25] The notice is posted, was notices here by given pursuant to a match journal law.

[3:30] Chapter 89, section 9, designation of highways and throughways, traffic control signs and devices,

[3:36] the Westbridge order board of selectman, hold the public hearing at 6.40 p.m.

[3:40] on March 20th, 2024, in the Elden F. Marrera Board of Selectman Meeting Room,

[3:47] Town Hall, 65 North Main Street, Westbridge, Wardermass, where they're

[3:51] a vote to remove the current yield signs and replace by stop signs, a total of

[3:55] three stop signs at the intersection of Scotland Street and South Elm Street will

[3:59] be installed and I've really put the time 630 so we can't do this shit.

[4:04] So that's okay we read the hearing notice. We can conduct other business or whatever

[4:09] you prefer in that 640 will take a vote to open it and if there is anybody else that comes in

[4:14] and one week and we read the posting if we need to. Okay well first up from our budget perspective

[4:20] was the police department we can probably chief if you want to if you want to get that in.

[4:25] You want to jump here?

[4:27] What's that?

[4:28] Oh.

[4:34] How about take a seat?

[4:36] I'm going to charge you.

[4:38] My apologies.

[4:40] Okay.

[4:42] Sure.

[4:43] First up, vote to approve the Common Victory License for Frontline Bakering Cafe.

[4:47] Located at 450 East Center Street.

[4:51] How are we doing?

[4:52] Good.

[4:53] Do you want to come up real quick and just introduce yourselves and

[4:56] Tell us a little bit about what's going down.

[5:08] Hi, my name's Heather.

[5:09] This is John.

[5:18] I was working in Weymouth.

[5:20] And then when

[5:23] COVID happened, I became really depressed at

[5:28] that time.

[5:32] I started creating my own recipes.

[5:33] And then it turned into something great.

[5:35] It turned into my business.

[5:37] And I would bring them to hospitals, fire stations.

[5:40] And everyone was like, you're a great firefighter.

[5:42] But like you're in the wrong field if you can bake like this.

[5:45] So I turned into a business.

[5:47] I quit forever, moved back home, settled by my family as here, and then I found 4, 5,

[5:56] 0, we sent a street. So we bought the former two gals grilled, we've redone

[6:01] everything in there. Yeah, pretty close. Yeah, we go from alternate, so being

[6:09] read that out, read that already from the retail side, into the kitchen, into the bakery side,

[6:17] a pit with all the new electric and the bakery, and the countertop to the front,

[6:22] new retail counter to shoot me.

[6:25] FRP board in the kitchen area, flooring in the kitchen, painted throughout some new appliances,

[6:32] is somewhat theoretical, but it's all new, it's clean.

[6:41] It's been a work in progress, but as the final stage is now, so there will be, it'll be

[6:46] mainly counter-style service, grab-and-go-style, with just full degree as well.

[6:51] I do do custom orders for weddings, bridal showers, all different types of events.

[6:57] But then we're going to add the cafe side to it too.

[6:59] so that we break the sandwiches, paninis, salads,

[7:03] a couple of other things on the menu as well.

[7:05] So I was definitely going to go to the place to come by

[7:07] and check out one of the things.

[7:09] Super.

[7:10] And what did you just, you said, rough time to open?

[7:13] We have final instructions in the alumni day.

[7:16] So.

[7:17] Even for like a partial opening on Friday and then, you know,

[7:20] full-long, like, everybody come in on Saturday.

[7:23] Awesome.

[7:24] And I have a lot of like, like, back-end stuff

[7:28] that I would like to do as well with like mental health and

[7:34] mental health and

[7:37] first responders as well so I plan on doing a lot of stuff for like especially

[7:42] geared towards first responders and veterans like on the back and I want to be able to do

[7:46] a monthly meetings and stuff like that's kind of decreased like to a side

[7:55] That's super exciting stuff. I'm glad you're here on a couple levels.

[8:00] Yeah definitely. So we're excited. I'm sorry, I might get stepped on you.

[8:04] No, you're good. I have I have read the menu and now I'm hungry.

[8:10] And the meeting's got a couple hours to go here. So thank you for that.

[8:17] We've already hired seven people so

[8:19] Well, I'm five part time, so it's a really good snack that I put together.

[8:23] So I want to say I have a set of, I think, four of those are West Bridgewater, by the way.

[8:29] So when the rest are, you know, within, most of them within a mile, so.

[8:33] Yeah.

[8:34] They're like, well, so it's like, it's not even.

[8:36] Yeah?

[8:36] It's super.

[8:37] Any questions, Mike?

[8:38] No.

[8:39] I'm actually super excited.

[8:42] I'm like, especially not after hearing your story, I'm actually really even more excited

[8:45] for what you're doing.

[8:47] Thank you.

[8:48] I mean, I've already chat with you.

[8:50] I'm excited.

[8:51] You will see me visiting at this point.

[8:56] At this point, I make a motion to approve the comment.

[9:00] Help me with this word somebody.

[9:02] You know what I mean?

[9:03] I'll comment for short.

[9:04] We'll also just make it subject to final inspections.

[9:07] Vote to approve the comment.

[9:09] Vic license for frontline bakery and cafe located at 450 East Street.

[9:14] East Center Street.

[9:16] subject to final inspection.

[9:19] I'll second vote in favor.

[9:21] I vote in favor as well.

[9:22] Congratulations.

[9:23] Best of luck.

[9:24] Thank you.

[9:24] We'll see you soon.

[9:27] All right.

[9:28] The time is now 639.

[9:32] So we will move on to the antique license.

[9:37] Next on the agenda is a vote to approve an antique license

[9:39] for West Bridgewater Antiques.

[9:41] Located at 320 West Center Street, 2nd floor.

[9:45] That would be, uh, hello, hello.

[9:55] Support.

[9:55] It's been

[10:01] six, seven years ago.

[10:03] It's, uh, 20,000 square foot antiques placed there.

[10:07] Um, we found this place, and we did like to open it here too.

[10:11] So it's roughly 10,000 square feet.

[10:14] Um, we had our inspections yesterday.

[10:17] We have everything on site that we were told to get.

[10:20] We have an electrician scheduled for tomorrow.

[10:22] And then we'll have our second inspection.

[10:32] I imagine the fire is up to snuff.

[10:36] There's something to go past me and we're achievers there.

[10:40] He wanted a couple of something out.

[10:43] He was just checking with the state with it.

[10:45] But it seems that it's already been approved from the previous tenant.

[10:51] So, awesome.

[10:53] A little retake, but kind of take now.

[10:56] They wanted a bunch of extra fire signs in different areas, so we have all of that.

[11:03] And what are you looking to open as soon as this is approved by the final inspection?

[11:09] I would, please.

[11:11] This point will make a motion to approve antique license for West Bridgewater Antiques located at 320 West Center Streak.

[11:17] Second floor, and I'm sorry, did you have anything else?

[11:19] No, no, no, you're barring any final inspections.

[11:23] And second that vote in favor.

[11:26] Thank you, congratulations, best of luck.

[11:31] Okay, at this point we have already read the notice for

[11:35] the public hearing and I take a motion might to open the public hearing to discuss

[11:42] replacing yield signs with stop signs in cell thumb street.

[11:45] I make a motion to open the public hearing.

[11:51] So this was something that the board discussed a handful of months ago.

[11:56] We have done our homework in our research and I went out, visited the site with the

[12:02] police chief and also the DPW director as well.

[12:06] So what we're going to do is we're going to propose, we're going to put stop signs for

[12:10] those three dots are currently there are no stop signs in any direction.

[12:15] So right now if you are bigger and faster you get to go first and obviously it's dangerous and if you check with the police we have too many

[12:23] incidences there so at this point there is one yield sign there so what I'm asking the board to do if it's if it's okay with the board is

[12:32] that to place those three stop signs we've already ordered them because I know based on our last conversation you seem to be in favor of doing

[12:39] something so they're ready and ordered and in stock so when if you want to take

[12:45] the vote tonight you want to do it a later date whatever your choice is we can

[12:48] get them installed pretty fast and I assume we put some electronic sign or

[12:53] something prior to it. That's correct so we're gonna have a couple of

[12:58] warning signs in each direction notify traffic in advance so we can do one of

[13:03] two things is that we can put those reader boards up say two or three weeks

[13:07] So that's how we can educate the public and then put the stop signs up or we could put the stop signs up

[13:12] It still have the reader board. So it's whatever the board prefers

[13:30] Yeah, so I just need clarification. Do you want the reader boards for a couple of weeks and then put the stop signs up or put the bolt in the same time

[13:37] same time, put the stop signs up and then, or we could refer back to the police.

[13:42] I agree with you guys. I'm agreeing with you. I think you go, throw them up, notify them,

[13:47] we'll enhance patrols, when they start to make, just like we do with the taxi, we'll make it educational

[13:51] for us, but the notification plus the sign plus the stopping and then after two, two weeks or so,

[13:58] they can all go and then we'll go back to just force them. I think that's probably get everything

[14:05] He said it better than I could.

[14:06] Thank you.

[14:08] I'll second the chief.

[14:09] All right.

[14:11] We need a motion.

[14:13] Yep.

[14:13] So what I would ask you to do, then, is to approve

[14:14] Faye's stop signs as presented.

[14:17] Or the stop sign layout as presented.

[14:22] Make a motion to approve the stop sign layout

[14:24] at the intersection of Scotland Street and South Elm Street

[14:27] as presented.

[14:28] I'll second that motion on the face.

[14:32] All right.

[14:33] This time, I need a motion to close the public hearing.

[14:35] and make a motion to close the public here.

[14:37] Second that in one favor.

[14:39] All right.

[14:40] Thank you.

[14:42] Chief, would you like to join us now?

[14:46] I promise.

[14:47] No, wait.

[14:49] Sorry.

[14:50] That was my skip to spot in the agenda of my apologies.

[14:56] So traditionally, what we do here

[14:57] is we look at the items where

[15:00] There's change. Yes, sir. I'm the line item. So if you just want to kind of go down and make your way through. So there's going to be, there's going to be some changes up, some changes down. I've received a place in chief. That's going to be a down. The only significant actually, really, the only change I made at all are all contractual. That was voted upon by the bargaining unit. Other than that, I had to make any changes to any of the lines that I can see.

[15:30] and really the only one of note would be the salary line that was it was increased

[15:34] for the primary salary line due to the contract and

[15:45] the overtime and vacation

[15:46] holiday that's all those because because they're overtime lines I raise them at

[15:52] six because it was what I have yeah and

[16:00] at this time we're not in need of any new

[16:01] vehicles or anything what we put it for the war article so that not nothing not

[16:07] anything in the budget, but those were still waiting on our cruise from last

[16:10] time meeting and then I am putting forth a cruiser in this time meeting for a new

[16:15] vehicle. We have that later on the capital budget. Okay, we'll hit that but there

[16:19] is a cruiser in there. I

[16:24] haven't heard a cruiser somewhere, maybe I saw it. Yeah, no

[16:27] you're entirely correct. So this is just the operating budget and then for all

[16:30] capital budget expenses, we'll see that later in the budget and the capital

[16:34] budget report.

[16:41] I've got nothing else. I don't know. I know neither. Thank you.

[16:44] All right, and then the K-9, again due to the contract we have with J-MK, everything is

[16:51] zero.

[16:52] So I kept them in the same, just to hear the contract.

[16:56] No, but I'm familiar with this, the previous chief has spoken.

[17:00] He liked this.

[17:01] He did.

[17:02] I thought it was a very good deal.

[17:04] Sorry.

[17:05] Do you have any questions?

[17:06] I do not know.

[17:07] Okay.

[17:07] No.

[17:08] All right.

[17:09] I think that was it.

[17:10] Thank you very much.

[17:11] Thank you.

[17:21] So normally the chair of the committee comes, she's not here yet, so if she does for whatever

[17:26] reason if she doesn't come out, he'll handle it, but if you want to move on to the school.

[17:30] Yeah, sure.

[17:31] Hello, Voila.

[17:32] Southeast and regional.

[17:39] I'm not not that no.

[17:41] We have numbers.

[17:43] Perfect.

[17:44] Thank you.

[17:55] Hello.

[17:56] So please to be here to present our budget, I'm Holly McLean and Superintendent and Mrs. Mark Morris, our assistant superintendent of finance.

[18:06] So our budget presentation this year, a budget recommendation is 6.2% higher than last year.

[18:13] But I want to make it very clear that we continue to operate at next school spending.

[18:17] Meaning we're at the minimum required to be spent on our schools through the foundation budget,

[18:22] transportation and other expenditures that are carried outside of the foundation budget.

[18:28] As you know, the foundation budget is primarily driven by enrollment and our October 1st numbers

[18:34] were up 40 students this year.

[18:38] In addition, one of our largest contributing factors to the increased budget this year is

[18:44] our transportation costs.

[18:45] We are very lucky that our last contract was bid right around the time that fuel escalation

[18:51] and cost went through the roof.

[18:53] So we were in before that,

[18:55] so now we're sort of seeing that escalation.

[18:59] So our regional transportation is up about 25% this year.

[19:04] As you know, we are supposed to receive 100% reimbursement

[19:08] for regional transportation.

[19:10] The legislature has not provided that level

[19:12] of transportation in a long time.

[19:15] So we use the actual reimbursement we received

[19:18] in the previous fiscal year

[19:20] to sort of guesstimate where we're going to be this year, so you'll see that that's

[19:25] a very significant increase there. Also in the budget we have capital acquisitions

[19:31] and improvements, our MSBA, payments we have for at least 15 years offset that with

[19:38] E&D, so that we are always charging our 9 communities at total of $192,000 and then you'll

[19:45] We also see 493,000 in bond payments primarily related to our performing arts center.

[19:52] So that brings a total local assessments to 15,232,041.

[19:58] And if you look at the next page, you can see sort of the enrollment by members of the

[20:05] year town.

[20:06] You go down to the very bottom.

[20:07] You'll see that your enrollment this year was up by 10 students so that your total enrollment

[20:12] is about 4.5% of our student population.

[20:16] I'm just curious, applications,

[20:18] like how many were there, how many students get?

[20:20] Not West Bridgewater, just overall.

[20:22] So last year or this year?

[20:24] So last year, there were about just under 1200 applications,

[20:28] and we accepted 415 students.

[20:31] Similar this year, I assume.

[20:33] We're at about 1,300 applications.

[20:35] This year, I have 31 from West Bridgewater.

[20:41] And West Bridgewater students

[20:43] tended to do very well in the application process.

[20:45] So even though it's a smaller number of applicants, a fairly high percentage due to get in.

[20:52] So obviously we have our local assessments of just over $15 million, and you can see

[20:58] there at the bottom of the top chart how Westbridge Waters assessment is broken down between

[21:03] the minimum contribution for foundation aid, the bond payment, transportation and capital

[21:08] costs for a total of $1,001,000,000,000,000,000,000, and that is an increase of $158,000 over your

[21:16] last year's assessment, again, driven by the increase in, primarily increasing.

[21:23] The next page is provided just because our students, every student that comes to South Eastern

[21:29] excuse me, cost about $23,000 to educate and the amount that each community pays towards

[21:38] that student is really based on the foundation age formula.

[21:41] So you can see that West Bridgewater is kind of right in the middle.

[21:44] You pay a little more per student than some communities, but less than others.

[21:49] And then the last few pages are just for your information, just demonstrating again that

[21:54] We're operating it, net school spending, and there's some more detail in there about your budget and my foundation in calculation.

[22:03] So happy to answer any questions that you might have.

[22:11] I don't, like I said, I've been lucky enough to be over there a couple of times in the last year.

[22:17] I know students who have graduated and I know students who are in there, and I think, just in general,

[22:23] a student in West Bridgewater has, you know, two great choices to make when it comes

[22:27] to high school and we're fortunate that you are there and that it is as close as it is.

[22:35] I don't really have another question. I see young professionals, if you will, coming out

[22:42] of that school going into the trade more than anything and they're all out and they're all

[22:53] I'm happy to see that enrollment keeps climbing.

[22:57] It is. I mean, I think we're at a place

[22:58] unless we find a way to add on.

[23:01] Where our enrollment is going to start to stabilize a little bit.

[23:04] There's always so much bigger we can get in the space that we have.

[23:07] But yeah, we have good demand for our enrollment.

[23:12] I'm going to echo what Joseph said.

[23:14] I see the excitement that students get when they get accepted into the program.

[23:20] in their and how proud they are being in that school and they walk around you

[23:25] know heads held high. I'm going to only graduate from the routing

[23:28] right there so thank you for everything you guys are doing over there.

[23:32] Okay, we appreciate your support in my school.

[23:34] Thank you.

[23:36] Keep it up.

[23:37] I root for you for everything but sports.

[23:40] Sorry.

[23:42] Well that's okay.

[23:43] You have to draw the line.

[23:46] Thank you very much.

[23:50] Have a good night.

[23:51] All

[23:57] right.

[24:00] Assuming nobody on the hallways lacks school.

[24:06] Do

[24:09] you want to see who's in the hall?

[24:18] I did text the scoots. No, I think I text the superintendent to see where it has taken more work on the command.

[24:28] The school here.

[25:16] Good evening, go wherever you want.

[25:19] Well, just as long as you get picked up on the microphone, I think it's fine.

[26:00] Yes we are.

[26:00] Whenever you're ready. I'm sorry. I'm trying to keep up with what's on what's on that screen on this screen. Thank you very much for having us

[26:08] Happy presents a school committee budget to you tonight. We did fly the slides and then we'll go through them

[26:14] But you know the question is just stop me anytime and after the end of the question

[26:19] And detail super

[26:23] We're a mission driven school district

[26:26] We live by our mission

[26:28] So we're always looking to make sure everything we do is related back to the mission of the West Brewer of the school.

[26:36] When we create a budget, really we look at priorities, we look at our goals, we look at our social-emotional needs, our students, and the academic needs for our students.

[26:48] You know, it was really a circle that works around everything we do within the district when we're building the budget.

[26:56] We want to make sure it works for everyone and all the pieces that we've put together.

[27:01] We've been fortunate, we're moving in our budget more towards strategic.

[27:08] First few years, when I superintendent, I felt we were more essential, we were getting back to what we needed to.

[27:13] So now we're trying to look ahead and you proactive in terms of getting our needs met.

[27:18] Big thank you to the committee and the town and all of our board to this board over the years supporting our budget.

[27:27] We've made some great strides and unfortunately we're showing that within the school system.

[27:34] There's a couple of raps, our high needs continue to go up.

[27:37] They do not increase as much of this cashier as they cut in the past.

[27:41] Let's see over the past five years, we've got a pretty

[27:45] dramatic increase in our high-need students.

[27:48] We talk about high needs, that's our special education.

[27:52] Our EL students and our low-income students have continued

[27:55] to come up.

[27:56] Our population also has increased, although not as dramatically.

[28:00] I think in the future, when the building projects

[28:03] really come into town, they're started.

[28:06] We had a plus 25 in our West Bridgewater student population, but only a smaller growth overall.

[28:14] To decrease in our school choice, along with some additional West Bridgewater students.

[28:20] One of our biggest factors in our budget is our special education.

[28:25] These really meet the needs of our media students.

[28:28] And if they are placed outside of the West Bridgewater public schools, they're properly placed.

[28:33] and there's a place that they need to be.

[28:36] But over one percent of our student population

[28:38] is placed in a district that represents about 14%

[28:42] of our overall project budget.

[28:44] We've talked about before the transportation

[28:46] is a huge cost.

[28:48] Not only to West Bridgewater, but to one of the communities,

[28:51] it is not unusual to have a transportation run

[28:55] for the year of the 35,000 to up to almost 100,000,

[29:00] depending on where they're going,

[29:01] to find the needs of the students, and also, you'll see the prices are cost under different

[29:06] programs, public school programs, collaborative programs, and I know I'm a couple of private

[29:12] school programs.

[29:13] The good news is, last year I came to you saying that the OSD rate was at 14%, it's back

[29:20] down to a little 5% increase, so we didn't see that dramatic increase in the registered

[29:25] of placements for the private placements last this year.

[29:32] This just shows you a graphic of all our school's population.

[29:37] It is trending down due to the use of our West Reef Water

[29:41] population. Unfortunately for our applicants, we have the most

[29:45] applicants ever this year. We had over 220 applicants and the reality is we're

[29:51] probably not going to be able to open up any elementary grades.

[29:54] are six, going to seven, it's 98 students, so there we may be able to add to you in high school.

[30:03] We're not planning to open kindergarten this year because we're only one to four sections this year. The census data is a little bit down, so we feel we're content. We can stick with board this year. But obviously it's a decrease in our school contribution, really, except less due to the spread choice. This talks about our school contributions on the right-hand side, what half of our school contributions come from our school choice program.

[30:30] The other half is made up of circuit breaker, which is when we get back from the state.

[30:35] Once we meet a certain threshold, our revolving accounts, which are surround care, our athletic

[30:41] revolving, things like that, and then special education grants and programs, we get some additional

[30:46] money.

[30:47] That's my idea.

[30:48] We're able to put into the budget so the town does not have to assume the whole amount of

[30:53] making school contributions that go with what the town does for our overall budget meeting.

[31:01] Just a little bit of inflation on Chapter 70.

[31:04] Chapter 70 is the main funding source that comes to the

[31:07] Italian West Bridgewater.

[31:09] This year we were increased a little bit over 400,000.

[31:13] We continue to go up our overall amount.

[31:15] We get through Chapter 70, about 6.9 million dollars.

[31:20] We had a very dramatic increase here before about 1.2 million.

[31:23] So we're still above the state minimum.

[31:27] State minimum is $30 per student, which we've

[31:30] for a state minimum, we'll be talking about increase of 34,000.

[31:34] So still, about 10 times that amount of chapter 7.

[31:40] This slide just showed you over the past 40 years,

[31:44] how our school contributions to the school budget

[31:46] are made up of the town contributions in the yellow,

[31:50] the school contributions in blue and chapter 7.

[31:53] We just digital historical data on where

[31:56] those figures are over the past 40 years.

[32:01] Always there are some unexpected expenses, budget blusters,

[32:06] move-ins can be huge depending on which grade level

[32:09] and the other needs of our students.

[32:12] Once a student moves into West Bridgewater,

[32:14] or when they turn through,

[32:15] we become responsible for their education.

[32:19] And it has happened in the past,

[32:22] we got students moving with a placement

[32:24] that is the best place for them,

[32:26] and we've got to abide by that place,

[32:28] and we still would meet with them,

[32:34] If I can add real quick, do we have a revolving account set up at one point for, to handle

[32:39] that stabilization?

[32:42] Yeah.

[32:43] Is that still in place?

[32:44] It is.

[32:45] It's not much.

[32:46] I think it's around 30,000.

[32:48] I think there's 30,000.

[32:50] I think we had 60,000.

[32:51] It took out my, or at least we earmarked money for potentially a van.

[32:55] Okay.

[32:56] Yeah, so the original investment in tow is just under $50,000 and last year we did earmark

[33:03] about $30,000 to go towards the dam.

[33:05] It hasn't been spent yet, so the full amount is still there, but it's been earmarked.

[33:10] Yeah, I continue to look for opportunities to have from collaborators or other school districts

[33:14] that may be looking to sell off some of the dam.

[33:17] School of Choice, we had to be pleasing with our members, so we're trying to go over the

[33:21] years potentially deficit amount to $200,000 depending on the number of students that we budget for

[33:28] and are able to fit into our schools. Our multilingual lawyers, our EL students,

[33:35] depending on when they come in and what their level is. We need to serve the Senate properly.

[33:41] It would certain time amounts to our student depending on their level.

[33:45] and obviously we've got three old-el and then

[33:47] push for the building, we're moving through

[33:50] with the building project, but again, we're years away.

[33:52] It's over 250,000 square feet of space that we need

[33:56] to maintain in HBAC systems and so forth.

[34:00] So those are some things that we are always cautious

[34:03] of those who use home with our project.

[34:05] Just want to quickly share some positive effects

[34:07] of the position we've added over years.

[34:09] Again, very thankful to add these positions

[34:13] and where we've gotten, I think,

[34:14] we're doing really well.

[34:15] At the middle school, we had an investment college

[34:18] out on the part of high school,

[34:19] some colleges, more kids are being sent.

[34:21] Fewer students are being sent out for services,

[34:25] mental health needs, a few, they've been waiting less

[34:29] to see people, they're getting more classrooms,

[34:32] they're running groups, they've been very successful.

[34:35] Our ESL staff, four years ago, we were one and a half

[34:38] from the 3.7 staff with a 32% increase

[34:42] in our number of EL students, I'm opening new learners.

[34:45] Again, the time that they need to be educated is set.

[34:49] We're properly staffed there.

[34:51] We're adding staff, but it's really working

[34:55] and meeting new students who've had

[34:57] to have initial classroom teachers.

[34:59] This year, one college school, I was

[35:01] rather some of the rural, she gets it from four

[35:05] to our no longer bubbles, but our standard of five classrooms

[35:09] maintaining relatively small class size, that we've added steps up to, sorry, what is

[35:15] that class size that you're? We are at most grades around 22 to 23 maybe, you know,

[35:23] probably 21 to 20 degrees on average. Yes, so at the kindergarten level you're

[35:26] talking 22 students? A little bit less this year, we have five sections, we have 104 kids,

[35:32] so we're right around 20. So that's still a pretty big number. For kindergarten it's

[35:36] a decent number. We did add 12 students into a school choice this year. That's why we're

[35:42] open with four. We've got number at or below that number. Our sub separate programs,

[35:51] we have three programs and we have seen a decrease in our students in the collaborative programs

[35:57] because we've been able to keep them in house. So we've added staff which costs us money. We save

[36:03] money out of district placements. Interrelated services, we've added some old

[36:08] teeth issue, we've added speech, which is an increase from years past. Our students

[36:16] are being serviced at a higher rate than they have in the past, which is very positive.

[36:23] So as sort of the federal funding has run out, so we've run dry, when we knew we'd be getting

[36:29] the funding is new that this would happen. So it's total of $184,000 of funding that we have

[36:37] added through ESSA. That is the two top positions that we'll see in high school. So I'm separating

[36:43] the Howard and we're 0.5 originally and they went full time using ESSA funds. We had a 1.0 ESL teacher

[36:52] and a 0.5 speech in line with the dollars. So again, positions that were absolutely needed.

[36:57] You never like to spend grant money for staff because you know that they're you know eventually

[37:03] that you want to keep your staff hopefully is in need for it and that money goes away

[37:08] but we needed it and we're very thankful for the grants and then some areas of need and include in this budget

[37:17] on the how-to-school classroom teacher next year we will have five sections of grades four and grade six

[37:25] grade five, we'll still have a quarter of sections.

[37:28] It's a potential ad for next year, fingers crossed,

[37:32] we don't get a lot of kids coming into that grade next year.

[37:36] The elementary school adjustment counselor

[37:38] was paid for on her grant this year,

[37:40] a behavioral health friend, but it's definitely needed

[37:43] in the elementary schools.

[37:45] We're here at the point of one to speak in language

[37:47] to go through two and a half to three days a week,

[37:50] a point for our occupational therapist.

[37:52] to do two days a week, a key position for us,

[37:55] because we have only one hope team in the whole district.

[37:58] This point for allow us to bring in someone two days a week

[38:01] to commute testing and see students.

[38:03] So very beneficial, because we've decreased

[38:06] the case from the current hope team.

[38:10] And we currently have a point, we have 2.5 preschool teachers.

[38:15] Now we're looking at a point five preschool teacher

[38:18] to go on a sub-separate preschool program,

[38:20] which is needed by numbers and dictated by the state.

[38:25] And we have to do that.

[38:26] So that'd equal about 207,000.

[38:29] And we do some of the statements to the future.

[38:32] Again, additional classroom teachers.

[38:34] Right now, there's no special education coordinator.

[38:37] We have our director of student services,

[38:39] and we have our classroom teachers.

[38:41] And there's no one in between.

[38:43] Most districts have one or more coordinators

[38:46] that work in between or with the staff.

[38:49] I can also see students, a future meeting for us.

[38:53] And maybe some additional increase

[38:54] to our related services, increase our speech and language

[38:57] up from 0.6 to maybe 0.8 next year, things like that.

[39:03] So the needs aren't as great as they have been.

[39:05] We've been able to add some for the staff over the years.

[39:09] This just showed you where our increases come from when

[39:13] makes up our overall increase of 6.93% breaks it down by staffing about it. Teaching service

[39:23] is a special education and the PESR cliff and adults on the school choice increase in

[39:30] a number of students be added.

[39:34] And this just showed you the overall student budget, just

[39:37] over $20,000. It shows the school contributions and then again shows the increase. We increase

[39:45] is against 6.93% last year, we're at 7.78% if you take out the S or in the school choice,

[39:54] it's 209,000, then the 5.66% increase.

[40:00] We'll be trending in the right direction, we're trending from 7.78 to 6.93,

[40:06] removing, although it's still all there, but you move the S or down to 5.66%.

[40:13] I mean, if that just shows you the overall budget lines, but you have almost certain

[40:19] little free questions.

[40:24] I have, we talked briefly about it to the committee.

[40:29] We talked yesterday, but my concern is the 7.78 last year, the 6.93 this year, the 7.78

[40:41] last year contributed was not the sole purpose, it was not the sole reason, you know, but contributed

[40:46] We did to an average tax increase in the rounding numbers as we do this, but you know, to $500 per, you know, $500,000, the assess value, I think, was $450, $500,000.

[40:57] This year, with the increase, I can't give you math, but I can't anticipate it to be less, if not possibly more, without the level of state funding that was present last year.

[41:08] So we're looking at another increase, just call it $500.

[41:12] And again, this is just estimated numbers, but we're doing that, we're doing that.

[41:17] I don't think the town can sustain that.

[41:21] So if we truly are going to slow down, I think we need to.

[41:29] And I think A for the expense that it is to the taxpayer and B to come back,

[41:36] In fact, to continue to increase like this in theory and in four years you've increased $2,000 to the median size house in town and then to come back and look for money for a school that could be another 1,000 to 1,500 all of a sudden, it's a very significant tax increase to be at $3,000, $3,500.

[41:56] dollars, you know, whenever the school four or five years

[41:59] from now, if not longer.

[42:01] But so my biggest concern is like we can't keep moving.

[42:08] We can't keep staying staying in the sevens and eights.

[42:10] And I support the need to reduce cold choice.

[42:14] And I understand that's going to cause, you know, it looks

[42:16] like it's 100 and I had numbers on the screen, but $155,000.

[42:21] One year could be 165 the next year to reduce.

[42:24] And I get that and that's something we've lived with and we've benefited from greatly and now you're going to wean off it and we've got to make adjustments for that.

[42:35] But I'm just particularly concerned that supporting this year over year over year for me isn't a possibility.

[42:43] I understand, you know, that the 5% in here, you know, in terms of, you know, sort of a net for lack of a better is in the right direction and I'm happy with that and the S or funds is of one time adjustment and it goes.

[42:57] But, you know, I can't sit here and say I'm going to endlessly support, you know, 7%, 8%, the town needs other things too and I'm not trying to go.

[43:09] But like there's a my mind there's a max that we can increase somebody's taxes on an interval basis and

[43:15] and still provide fire and DPW and and every other service that needs

[43:20] So at the same time though Jeff this this group that's here does not

[43:24] Control the size in the increase of what's happening in town in the population of the students

[43:29] Nor do they control the salary or the number of teachers they need

[43:34] And as I look at this a lot of it

[43:36] some of it is to do with salary increases

[43:40] on some of these budget lines.

[43:43] So I do understand, I see where you're coming from

[43:44] and I also see where the school does need

[43:48] where their increases are also coming from.

[43:52] And I appreciate the perspective

[43:55] and I think we are hopefully trending in that direction.

[43:58] I think we have unfortunate to add positions

[44:00] over the years and we're thankful for it

[44:02] and they've been needed.

[44:04] I think we'll get to a point where we're adding these positions

[44:06] and then they're in there

[44:07] And then it's more of the maintenance days of maintaining it and something pops up over here

[44:12] We're going to address that and I understand like to Mike's point some of it's adding because there's more students

[44:17] That should need more tax revenue, you know new houses that kind of stuff

[44:20] So some of that will fall in place. It's just I'm going back to the the calculation of how much the taxpayer gets hit

[44:27] As a whole not just because of the school to be clear

[44:30] But as a whole what they get hit on an annual basis

[44:34] You know it's five hundred bucks last year

[44:37] We don't really know where it's going to go this coming year, but safe to assume it's

[44:41] probably somewhere around there to repeat that, repeat that, repeat that, will be difficult.

[44:46] I think there is some pretty good concerns, but one metric that you can check on that will

[44:53] give you an idea of the way the state view is our district is that our chapter 70 funding

[44:57] has increased more than most other districts.

[45:00] They recognize that our needs are changing in a different way than other towns are. So it's not an increase each year that we expect to continue, but it is something that's changed recently. And the chapter 70 funding really shows that a huge increase last year, we're about one and a half times the average increase this year in chapter 70 funding. So it shows that really you have some needs that other towns may not necessarily be dealing with.

[45:26] So it's not any place that we want to continue, but for right now it seems like you do need a little bit more.

[45:38] Requirements from the state are like added.

[45:43] I mean, it's special.

[45:45] Yeah, for sure.

[45:46] And I think a lot of it is trying to keep students in with some separate programs.

[45:49] It is beneficial to our students to keep them in district.

[45:53] Our multilingual doors, those are part of them for time.

[45:57] I mean, again, to point you to the dog road of the class size, trying to maintain good, reasonable class sizes.

[46:03] Yeah, and I still personally think they're pretty large considering, I personally think they're pretty large

[46:09] and makes things a little bit more difficult.

[46:12] Question, answer your question, too.

[46:14] If you really look at the positions that have been added over the years,

[46:17] the bulk of a cycle of classroom teachers who do the numbers appropriate are in special ed.

[46:22] So, to the point of the three in front of me, those are requirements, they're federal requirements, which means that you do need it.

[46:30] And so we need the staff to be able to do it.

[46:33] And I want to make it very clear, we're all on the same side.

[46:37] We're all on the same side.

[46:39] We want to see the best for both the students, the educators, and the residents as well of the town.

[46:47] So we're everybody on the same side.

[46:48] So we know we're at the part of the town, we want to work with the town to give our kids and our families the best education possible, but also be a nature responsible.

[47:02] I have a more of a procedural question, but just a question on where the school contribution numbers I see them dropped into the budget.

[47:14] But are they like what's I guess or what's the logic or it makes it hard not to

[47:20] that which just makes it hard to for me to understand what the true increases on that right so well the true increase

[47:27] is a budget budget from the town what we ask you for what we totally expect to spend this year

[47:36] include contributions so we're looking at a 20.2 million dollar budget

[47:40] to run the school department appropriately.

[47:44] You know, all of that will be looking to you

[47:45] to find 17.6 million.

[47:49] So that's how it plays in.

[47:52] Yeah, I was just, no, I'm, well, sorry.

[47:56] No, I know.

[47:57] I just like go back and forth.

[47:59] Like the first budget that popped up was the 3910, right?

[48:03] And like the very first line item collaborative tuition,

[48:06] the town contribution shows down 132,000,

[48:09] But the school contribution is is it a hundred right now the town is up

[48:13] hundred and thirty thousand if you look like three nine one oh yeah town

[48:21] contribution last year was about one point five million and we're looking at

[48:27] one point six million three hundred oh I'm sorry the very first line just the

[48:32] collaborative tuition oh you're on you're in the I'm in the I'm sorry I'm in the

[48:37] detail. Yeah, so the collaborative tuition actually decreased $132,000. A lot of

[48:44] that is due to the fact that we were able to add the self-separate classroom and keep the

[48:49] kids in so we did not need to pay as much tuition out for collaborative learning.

[48:58] The additional pieces that last year we, the school contribution was 370,000 on that

[49:07] line.

[49:08] Fishery added another 100,000 really in the non-public tuition because they had increased.

[49:17] So there is difficult, if you're not looking at last year's as well, to understand the

[49:22] contribution fluctuates where we can apply it the amount of money we get

[49:28] through grants we're building the amount of school choice it does tend to go

[49:33] on different lines although I have tried to be pretty consistent in the lines

[49:37] I apply it to. Okay I'll look at last year so that was kind of like it's hard to

[49:42] see. I don't

[49:52] know I mean looking at the increases there was nothing

[49:56] and just put some sort of the lines.

[50:01] All that I was able to get down to,

[50:03] really the special education service.

[50:07] The McKinney Ventile was state never funded that.

[50:11] They may fund very little bit of any,

[50:14] and that's always a complete guess

[50:17] on the King Ventile because you just don't know

[50:19] how many homes children are going to do in your district,

[50:23] each year.

[50:23] I went through

[50:30] my notes, but I think, you know, my bigger concern was the one that was

[50:34] expressed just in terms of, you know, being able to do that, being able to get a new

[50:38] school in the process and not driving everybody out of their homes.

[50:41] It's a hard, hard balance to strive for, and this is still a high number.

[50:46] I get it.

[50:47] I'm not saying I'm not supporting it, but it's a high number, and that comes back next

[50:51] year.

[50:53] I'm not making any statements, but it's going to be harder to support.

[50:57] I don't want to make it self-threatening by any means.

[50:59] No, no, no, no. We understand. We understand and we'll consider to fight for the needs of our kids, but also work to be as responsible as school as possible.

[51:12] Your budget includes a $250 for school choice, which is 10 last year over year.

[51:17] So it's a school committee voting voted on that and supported that, or is that just part of the budget at this point?

[51:23] It's part of our budget, so that's some test.

[51:33] Do you have an obligation for siblings or are they just top of the list?

[51:38] But not an obligation to add them unless we open the space.

[51:42] And next year I'll be honest when we do put out school choice, when you open the open up the district, but then you still have two different grade levels, I think if we're in a position where we're not going to be able to add elementary, then we'll probably make that very clear.

[51:54] We weren't in 100% sure we opened it this year, but I think for full disclosure and transparency with other families from our district,

[52:02] they want to get their hopes out, their apply, and go into the process of being in that.

[52:07] Yeah, that could be to transportation routes for family, to get to kids to school.

[52:11] And we have, last year, we did that a couple, at the elementary level, I think,

[52:36] I'm looking at the pictures came up next as I was scrolling and I don't want to pick one from the other.

[52:42] Thank you all.

[52:43] No, thank you very much. Thank you

[53:02] Please

[53:04] Should we just read Charles? Sure. I texted. I've not received a message back. So, okay

[53:12] I got a scroll back up

[53:17] We're jumping back up to

[53:18] Community Preservation age 24 age 24 I like the page numbers here. Thank you very much. She does a good job with great job

[53:29] So CPC is an additional tranche of tax dollars that comes in above and beyond the traditional tax bill.

[53:38] That was approved a town meeting about 12 to 13 years ago and so they received somewhere around

[53:45] $250 to $300,000 a year based on the taxes and also the revenue that is provided from the registry of deeds.

[53:54] So with that said, they are only looking to fund two expenditures this year.

[53:59] One is $5,000 for, I assume it's probably, Mike, it's probably your committee that

[54:04] probably requested this through the Veterans Committee.

[54:07] But this is to allow $5,000 to put the veteran plaques on the gravestones of all the veterans.

[54:13] And not every single gravestone is actually marked, so that's why they have to do some research

[54:16] as well.

[54:17] The addition to that is that we are under a state requirement that we have to re-engineer

[54:24] our fish ladder at one Memorial Park in the town river.

[54:27] The positive to this in Tracy alluded to this at her last meeting, which she said that

[54:32] she secured $3.50 to $4,000 of grants, is that she secured about $280,000 of grants for

[54:42] the state towards this.

[54:43] So we had to come up with it. See there are 10 or 15% match. So we're going to come up with $84,000 through CPC and

[54:51] The state will pay the difference

[54:52] So those are the only two that they're looking to fund. You will see that as of right now is that there is still

[54:59] $996 left in the open space we call this bucket because the money can't be spent for any purpose when it comes in

[55:06] It can only be spent in three different categories and then there is a general area that the difference will roll over into

[55:12] So you could see the three, but $1,000 left over in open space, $34,000 left in historic,

[55:19] and $128,000 left in housing.

[55:23] So that's her report.

[55:25] If you have any questions, I'll do my best to answer them.

[55:30] I'm good at this point.

[55:47] So if you're okay, then I'm going to go through all the budgets, but with your permission,

[55:53] I would like to skip the bullet of selectments budget from moment into the others fairly quick.

[55:58] So the moderator budget, budget 1140, it will be level funded, meaning it'll be the same budget we

[56:04] request to year over year, and that's just under $800 as a small budget.

[56:08] The Finance Committee will level fund that at $3,100.

[56:13] The Finance Committee will reserve, we will level fund that one at $67,000.

[56:19] Insurance is, we're looking at about a 5% increase in that.

[56:25] Sealer and weights, right now, you'll see that it's a level funded, however, I am going to add 3% to 51-11.

[56:33] You'll normally vote on that in either April or May, but we've been giving a 3% raise to all of our officials.

[56:40] And so, Dave and Maul, who is our appointed person, he should be receiving the same raise,

[56:45] commencing it with everybody else.

[56:47] Historical commission is being level funded at $1775.

[56:51] five dollars and then benefits is one of our largest benefits, one of our largest budgets

[56:58] in town.

[56:59] You'll see it's about a 6% increase that is really driven by the contributory retirement

[57:05] that is funded through plummet, that is through the county.

[57:09] We have no discretion over that.

[57:11] The same with health insurance, you'll see we're only going up 4.5% pretty small increase

[57:16] for health.

[57:17] I think we do a pretty good job trying to control that line.

[57:24] And then obviously with pay well going up, you have a Medicare increase as well.

[57:27] Other than that, we're not looking to make any other adjustments.

[57:30] The work has been very, very low over the last handful of years.

[57:35] So with that said, we'll be, we'll be looking to level fund it.

[57:38] So the overall budget is up 6% for really driven by a retirement line that we have no control over.

[57:45] Any questions about those? I'll answer them and if not, I'll talk you about the Board of

[57:49] Select and Budget.

[57:53] Good to hear mine going to that.

[57:55] So on

[57:59] the Board of Select and Budget, there aren't a lot of increases in here.

[58:08] There's two

[58:09] items that I need to discuss. One is in 51-11 appointed official, which is my salary. It's

[58:16] embarrassing to say this, and I want to make sure that it's caught on camera, but there

[58:22] was an error in last year's meeting.

[58:24] We caught it a couple of weeks ago when we put in the budget together.

[58:27] My salary this year was 170, it says 165, I have no idea where that number came from, it

[58:33] was already approved before town meeting.

[58:36] And so I'm receiving a 3% increase like everybody else.

[58:40] So it looks like it's a larger increase, it's just a 100% error.

[58:44] It's clearly on my part, I apologize that it was made.

[58:49] I have no idea where that number came from, just mistakes happen.

[58:53] So quite frankly, the entire budget should have only been up 2.49% instead of 3.71.

[59:00] But I'm capturing in here exactly what was approved last year.

[59:04] So that way it's not a true reflection on reality, but

[59:08] it's a true reflection of what was approved year over year.

[59:11] I've already discussed this with the Chair of the Finance Committee.

[59:15] I spoke to her earlier in the week when it was disclosed.

[59:18] So I'll disclose it at the Finance Committee meeting tomorrow as well.

[59:21] I'll leave it to them as to what they want to do.

[59:24] The town meeting approved FY24 line is not voted on.

[59:29] It's only the FY25 line.

[59:31] So if they want to show a real year-on-year comparison,

[59:34] God bless you.

[59:35] If they want to show a real year-on-year comparison,

[59:37] we'll change that number.

[59:38] If they want to keep it the way they want to keep it,

[59:40] It's entirely up to them since it's the finance committee's handbook that goes to town meeting, but again

[59:45] I want to disclose the error and again apologize for it.

[59:49] The second item that I like to make a recommendation is that in 5730 dues and meetings, to me this is pretty exciting because this is to allow both my

[1:00:00] I, myself, our staff in the selectman to be able to go to do a good to go to meetings and for all of our professional development. And the reason I'm excited is because in years past, although we always had really good board members, they didn't always take advantage of going to some of those meetings in both of you to get advantage of that in January. And I think both of you got some benefits out of it. And obviously we'll have a third person coming on. And so we have, you can see, we've already spent $3,100 into through December.

[1:00:29] and that did not include because the confidence was in January that has not

[1:00:33] come at the cost yet of that. So my personal opinion and my recommendation is

[1:00:39] that I would like to increase that line by at least $1,500 because I want to

[1:00:43] make sure all three of you or two of you plus the third have an opportunity to

[1:00:47] continue to go to those meetings in the future. We've not spent this entire line

[1:00:51] the past because board numbers haven't always taken advantage of it but I think it's

[1:00:56] It's a good idea that we are, and so I'd like to increase that line, but I didn't want

[1:01:01] to do it without talking to you first since it's really your budget before I bring it

[1:01:06] to finance.

[1:01:07] No, on Facebook, of course, when Marcia announced she was running, there was a comment

[1:01:15] in your piece from somebody saying, good, the board needs some, I'm going to probably quote

[1:01:21] it wrong, but paraphrase it anyhow, needs some fresh people.

[1:01:25] Well, I was trying not to, fresh blood, and I thought about it, and honestly, we've

[1:01:31] turned three seats in one year.

[1:01:34] I guess I'm, you know, it can't get much fresher than that.

[1:01:37] But with that, attending the conference in January, well, first let me back up and say, with

[1:01:43] David's leadership, I think this board's continued to run and continued to run well with his

[1:01:48] depth of knowledge and being able to provide that and share that with us.

[1:01:52] But in addition, Mike and I were able to attend a conference in January, a state conference

[1:01:58] and many different topics and we kind of went and divide and conquer and I don't think

[1:02:02] we're in the same room at the same time.

[1:02:07] But very informational, very informative as we are all young at this.

[1:02:15] Last time I probably get to call myself young.

[1:02:17] But as we're all young at this, I mean I think there's value in that and I think that value

[1:02:22] We will seek back into the town and more than the dollar amount that we would pay.

[1:02:30] I agree.

[1:02:31] The ability to network with other towns and people doing the same thing.

[1:02:36] And meeting them face-to-face was pretty awesome.

[1:02:39] So I'd have to agree that I think that the $1500 is a small amount of money to pay in order

[1:02:44] to get the experience that we received.

[1:02:47] So yes.

[1:02:48] So with your permission and what I will do is I will amend this budget to add the $1500.

[1:02:53] dollars, I will be presenting it to the Finance Committee tomorrow night and I'll bring

[1:02:57] along those thoughts.

[1:02:59] Thank you.

[1:03:01] And then Capital Budget Report.

[1:03:03] So normally, we present the Capital Budget Report to you in April and at that time, you

[1:03:11] would then vote to place these on the warrant.

[1:03:13] But because this is the first time that you're seeing a Capital Budget Report as a select

[1:03:18] minute, I thought it was wise that we should vote on it yesterday.

[1:03:20] Jeff is on that committee, I'm on that committee, and so I thought it would be wise that I would bring it to this meeting.

[1:03:28] There is no vote required, all you I'm doing is I'm providing you information so that way in two weeks you're not seeing it for the first time when you have to actually take a vote.

[1:03:38] And so real quickly and I will answer any questions that you may have and again, Jeff was on that committee so he is well versed on these items as well.

[1:03:47] is that the town clerk will be looking for a digital sign which quite frankly

[1:03:51] really came more out of this board because we need to do a better job of

[1:03:55] communicating. And so the thought process is to put a digital sign directly in

[1:03:59] front of the town hall like many other municipal buildings have not just in

[1:04:03] this town but throughout the state so that way it is an election or there's an

[1:04:06] important meeting or something else that we want to be able to communicate we can

[1:04:10] do it right here at the town hall. The DPW is looking for a handful of items, all

[1:04:16] of them that are needed. Again, I will answer any questions about those that you may have.

[1:04:21] The fire department will be looking for two items. The police department, this is to

[1:04:26] answer your question from earlier Mike. So in the operational budgets, year over year,

[1:04:30] we just fund operations. And then any one time expenses that are capital projects are through

[1:04:36] this process. So that's why you didn't see a cruiser in this budget. You'll see it here.

[1:04:40] No, I knew I had saw it somewhere. Yeah. And that's why I was like, where's this cruiser?

[1:04:45] The Council on Aging, all of their flooring in the main space in the hallways, they're

[1:04:51] looking to replace the existing tile, which is old, some of it is cracked, and as you

[1:04:55] know, when tile gets wet, it's slippery.

[1:04:58] So they'll be looking to replace this with vinyl flooring, which they had done in the conference

[1:05:02] room they have outbacks at a long match, and again, they did a nice job on that.

[1:05:07] The wide department's looking for four items.

[1:05:10] One of the obvious of the big item is that they have to replace it or add or create an iron and

[1:05:17] mega-neese water treatment plant.

[1:05:19] They are hoping to be able to secure some if not most of that funding through the state

[1:05:24] revolving fund.

[1:05:25] However, you do have to get financing and advance to be able to at least start the project and then attempt

[1:05:30] to try to get any grants in return.

[1:05:33] And the school will be looking for two items as well.

[1:05:35] So from the total on the town side you're looking at a little over a million dollars and on the water side

[1:05:40] You're looking at obviously 10,700 most almost all of that is from that water treatment plant on the town side

[1:05:48] We'll be looking to take that money out of free cash

[1:05:50] Meaning that there would be no borrowing in this when I came here 11 years ago

[1:05:54] We used to borrow for everything literally you bought a police car

[1:05:58] You borrowed on that you were paying interest on it, which is really just a waste of money. So

[1:06:02] So we've been able to structure our budgets.

[1:06:06] So now we're able to pay cash.

[1:06:08] So there is no impact on the tax rate.

[1:06:10] This does not increase taxes one penny and we'll be able to pay cash and not incur a debt.

[1:06:16] The water department for three out of their four items would be looking to pay cash as well.

[1:06:21] So we'll have no impact on the water rates, we have any interest on those, we see the large

[1:06:26] one, they don't have $10 million extra to be able to do that with.

[1:06:29] I mean, I'll take any questions that you have and Jeff, if I missed anything, I apologize.

[1:06:34] So with the exception of the water, that big ticket, with the exception of the water,

[1:06:40] everything else is going to, we're not going to have a required to take out a loan or anything

[1:06:44] already having funds for that.

[1:06:45] That is correct.

[1:06:46] That will be your decision to make as a recommendation to town meeting when you place it on the warrant.

[1:06:53] Right now, the capital budget committee approved it under those terms.

[1:06:58] I'm going to go over in my report where we are in the capital or where we are in the budget

[1:07:03] process, but skipping ahead a little bit, I will present to you a balanced budget.

[1:07:09] Now all budgets have come in, I'll present to you a balanced budget.

[1:07:12] In my mantra, since I have been here, is to pay cash for as much as we possibly can.

[1:07:18] So I foresee that I'll be making that recommendation to you at your next meeting.

[1:07:21] But I also want to make sure that you are clear, Mike, it is not my decision.

[1:07:25] It's your decision because you will vote on it at your next meeting and then obviously

[1:07:31] has to go to town meeting and they have to agree but most people would prefer to pay cash

[1:07:36] than to borrow and incur additional costs.

[1:07:39] Do we currently just look into the DPW ticket?

[1:07:42] Do we currently have a street sweeper?

[1:07:43] We do.

[1:07:44] It is 21 years old.

[1:07:47] It's rusted pretty, you know, it's used, it's life is over.

[1:07:53] And so we do have one, we use it, but obviously it's in tough shape at this point, 22 years old.

[1:08:02] Is there any benefit on voting on this now, as opposed to next week or next meeting, excuse me?

[1:08:10] There's no benefit.

[1:08:12] Yeah, it was no benefit.

[1:08:18] Thank you.

[1:08:20] Mike, it's time to talk pictures.

[1:08:23] I couldn't submit one.

[1:08:24] Oh, yeah, I couldn't submit a picture in there.

[1:08:27] Nobody asked me for pictures.

[1:08:28] Just kidding.

[1:08:30] Look, so by law and by state law and by our town by law,

[1:08:36] which may or is state law, the board of select minutes

[1:08:40] required to turn in a report to town meeting

[1:08:43] every single year, which is that little handbook.

[1:08:46] Many, many years ago, everybody read that.

[1:08:49] That would literally be the Bible in a municipality.

[1:08:52] value. Nobody beats it anymore. But it's still a legal requirement. We have to do it.

[1:08:56] And so this town is a culture of always placing a picture on the front. And the board of

[1:09:02] selectmen, because they're required by a lot of playout, you vote on the picture. So we've

[1:09:07] always provide a handful of options. However, because of your book and your vote, if you

[1:09:13] had something else that you want to do, you're more than welcome to do so.

[1:09:21] They all have snow at home. I know. I don't know how cold pictures. They're beautiful pictures. I just want to think of one.

[1:09:29] Oh, yeah, I guess so. Yeah, you're a preference.

[1:09:33] I'm just going to show you a picture.

[1:09:48] But I can't propose to you says, do you, are you aware we have time?

[1:09:53] Yes. If anyone has any emotions, like certainly.

[1:09:57] So if you like one of these, it would help us because quite frankly, over the next 30 days, we're in turbo mode

[1:10:03] Everything has to get printed done. Voter on it. It's the next 30 days is the toughest 30 days

[1:10:08] In municipal government for all of us if you like one of these

[1:10:12] Please vote on it and then we will be afforded to the printer if you believe that there's something else

[1:10:19] If you would like or you have any other thoughts or maybe you don't like these it's your book

[1:10:24] We can table this, and we can present it at your next meeting.

[1:10:35] I can, but I don't know if you want to make a decision right now based on that or this.

[1:10:40] I could certainly go, I think the first picture is, would work for me.

[1:10:46] But if you're strong about that, those also speak to the town.

[1:10:51] Maybe a little more.

[1:10:55] Yeah, that one of the first ones.

[1:11:00] Do we need to put post this put in a packet for next week to vote on it?

[1:11:05] Yes, we will.

[1:11:05] It needs to be on the packet.

[1:11:07] Yes.

[1:11:07] Okay.

[1:11:08] Yeah, I guess.

[1:11:08] Is that really measure up on the printer?

[1:11:11] No.

[1:11:11] No, we'll be okay.

[1:11:12] Would, um, yeah.

[1:11:14] That will miss it up if we wait till next year.

[1:11:16] We'll be okay.

[1:11:16] We'll figure it out.

[1:11:17] Okay.

[1:11:19] Nothing against these pictures, but that's farming.

[1:11:21] It's tractor, color, town, not that more or more a park isn't as well, but it's your

[1:11:29] So what we can do then is this is that we'll take no action on this this evening.

[1:11:34] Mike, I would ask you to forward that picture to Christine.

[1:11:36] We'll put it in the packet next week for the next meeting.

[1:11:39] And then we'll vote on that.

[1:11:41] It's super. Sorry.

[1:11:43] All right.

[1:11:50] So the next item.

[1:11:52] You not done this before.

[1:11:54] So the next item.

[1:11:56] Again, we have a culture encounter that we dedicate that annual town book or report.

[1:12:02] And to somebody or somebody that has passed away during the pre-seeding year that either

[1:12:10] served for the town or had some type of capacity serving the town.

[1:12:15] So what the town clerk does is that she takes her 2023 deaths and she takes all the people

[1:12:21] who have either served on committees or when noteworthy in town because again what they've done for

[1:12:25] the town and they provide these names.

[1:12:28] and then usually you can pick one or two or all multiple whatever you choose

[1:12:34] to do and you'll see on the inside of that book there is a dedication to last

[1:12:39] years so

[1:12:44] again because we will not be voting on the picture this evening we'll do

[1:12:48] that next meeting if you want to make a decision you can but at the

[1:12:54] same time if you want to just take some thought we can place this on the next

[1:12:57] meetings agenda as well and then you'll take a vote as to who you want to be

[1:13:03] or to dedicate the book to. Yes I know nobody on this list unfortunately so my

[1:13:11] recommendation to would be I know there are people that watch this if anybody can

[1:13:15] tell me anything about any of the people that are listed here I'd be happy to

[1:13:20] hear either through an email or just communication with the Slackman's office

[1:13:26] Otherwise, I'm picking blind, which I prefer not to do.

[1:13:30] I think differently, I think we should, I don't think it's a huge list.

[1:13:35] And I think that I'd like to see all these people's neighbors in the book.

[1:13:40] Just that respect for you.

[1:13:44] We can do that.

[1:13:45] We can do that right now.

[1:13:48] Sure.

[1:13:49] You need a motion?

[1:13:50] Please.

[1:13:51] I make a motion for the 2023.

[1:13:56] Excuse me.

[1:13:57] the

[1:13:59] annual town report, I make a motion for the annual town report to include the names

[1:14:08] of all the notable deaths for 2023 that are presented.

[1:14:12] My second vote of favor.

[1:14:15] I had a tongue twister, I'm sorry.

[1:14:17] It's okay.

[1:14:43] Dean, you second there, you're good.

[1:14:44] The vote towards Sergei D. B. W. Contracts from March 1st, 2024 through February 28th, 2025.

[1:14:51] So again, this is part of our, we're part of 27 towns, we do municipal bidding in bulk so we can

[1:15:00] We drive down the price and the vice chair of that organization. We meet once a month and then we bid everything out during the course of the year. So I would be looking to the board to be able to, I'm looking for a vote to award the service contracts to the DPW vendors that bid as presented.

[1:15:19] I have no questions. Okay, I make a motion to award the search DPW service contracts from March 1, 2024 to February 28, 2025 as presented.

[1:15:31] Let's second that and vote in favor.

[1:15:37] All right, moving along, vote on New England,

[1:15:39] novelty's transient vendor application.

[1:15:42] March 3rd, 2024 to March 31st, 2024.

[1:15:46] Another for April 5th, 2024 through April 8th, 2024.

[1:15:51] And one additional for May 11th, 2024 through May 12th, 2024.

[1:15:57] So a handful of years ago, the Board of Selecting

[1:15:59] created a transient vendor application and process and that before that people

[1:16:06] would literally just show up and sell flowers or sell some other type of

[1:16:10] little spinners and there was no regulation and quite frankly part of the

[1:16:13] challenge was that if somebody is selling flowers on a street corner saying

[1:16:18] in Mother's Day that's great is we all sometimes take advantage of it but there's

[1:16:22] a flour shop right down the street that is paying taxes and is trying to sell

[1:16:27] flowers as well. So the selectman I thought showed a lot of leadership where they tried to create an

[1:16:33] opportunity so that way a transient vendor can come in no more than six times per year. They do pay

[1:16:39] a fee to the office. They're able to set up. They get pre-approved through the police department so

[1:16:44] we know it's in a safe spot and they get approved by this board as well. In New England novelty comes in

[1:16:50] every single year. They're well versed with the rules. They always follow the process. They pay their

[1:16:54] and so this is their annual request.

[1:16:57] Now, where do they send them?

[1:16:59] They normally, I believe, is this set up over in front

[1:17:01] of the center of town district?

[1:17:03] The V in the center of town, correct.

[1:17:05] So do you directly across from CVS

[1:17:07] in that parking lot area where the ATM machine is?

[1:17:13] I have no issues.

[1:17:15] No

[1:17:18] issues.

[1:17:19] They make a motion to, you need a motion here, right?

[1:17:24] Yes, so the motion would be just to approve

[1:17:25] the New England Novelties Transient Venter application

[1:17:28] has presented.

[1:17:29] I make a motion to approve the New England Novelty's transient vendor application as presented in a second roll of the favor

[1:17:37] Moving along looking to approve the meeting minutes of February 7th and February 21st

[1:17:42] I make a motion to approve the meeting minutes of February 7th in 2024

[1:17:47] And my second vote in favor and then next is accept the meeting minutes for March 7th for review

[1:17:55] Make a motion except the meeting minutes from March 7, 2020 for review.

[1:18:00] A nice second vote for you.

[1:18:03] Next to be communication reports from boards, commissions, and town officials.

[1:18:08] And in this we've got several by-law study committee proposed zoning amendments.

[1:18:16] So, first I want to say thank you to Tracy.

[1:18:20] One of the best hires we've had because not only is she an excellent person in her role,

[1:18:26] we now we created this by lust at a committee a handful of years ago because we were looking

[1:18:30] for advice to the board so that way they can vet requests that come in.

[1:18:35] Some are legitimate, some aren't always legitimate, but it also gives residents an opportunity

[1:18:39] to have somewhere to go.

[1:18:42] A handful of years ago, a resident was complaining saying, I want someone to go to be able

[1:18:47] to propose a by-law or talk to them and so that was part of why we created this in response.

[1:18:53] And now Tracy has been able to professionalize this process and will continue to professionalize

[1:18:58] it moving forward.

[1:18:59] So there are two different types of by-laws.

[1:19:02] There are general by-laws that require a 50% approval at town meeting.

[1:19:06] They basically refer to governance of how your town is managed and what rules and regulations

[1:19:11] the town is run by and managed by that is not already set through statute or through statutory

[1:19:16] inventory boards such as the board of select me.

[1:19:19] You then have zoning amendment bylaws where you can

[1:19:22] put a business, where you can put your home,

[1:19:26] what size some of those areas will be,

[1:19:29] and those are usually regulated through permit approvals,

[1:19:32] through either the building inspector,

[1:19:35] the planning board, or the zoning board of appeals.

[1:19:38] And right now, those will require two-thirds approval

[1:19:42] at town meeting.

[1:19:43] It's a high threshold.

[1:19:44] Because it's meant, originally, to allow towns to have more self-determination is to

[1:19:50] how they want their town to look.

[1:19:53] I say right now because, based on the current housing crisis that the governor and administration

[1:19:59] is consistently discussing, there is legislation pending that will change future zoning to

[1:20:07] only be a majority vote, thereby allowing zoning to be changed easier.

[1:20:13] That is not past yet, I'm giving you a heads up that most likely we'll see that in future

[1:20:18] town meetings.

[1:20:20] So with it's okay, I think the easiest and best thing for me to do is to take this one

[1:20:24] by one and then I will ask for a couple of votes at the end.

[1:20:27] Is that okay?

[1:20:28] Yes.

[1:20:28] All right.

[1:20:29] So first, we'll look at the General Biola.

[1:20:30] Article one is mobile food, vendors, and trucks.

[1:20:34] Currently, we have had, or in the past handful of years, we have had people petition the town,

[1:20:39] wanting to be able to sell food out of a truck that is not

[1:20:44] allowed use. Our bylaws are written that if something is

[1:20:48] silent, it is not allowed by right. I mean that you are not

[1:20:53] permanent for it. So if somebody wanted to come in today and I'll

[1:20:55] make up a silly thing, there's somebody came in today and they

[1:20:58] said, I want to put a flying car manufacturing plant. It is

[1:21:04] nowhere mentioned in our bylaws. The afford is not in a

[1:21:07] allowed use. This is not mentioned in our current by-law. So, passage of this will allow

[1:21:15] mobile food trucks to be allowed use in the town moving forward. The second one is in

[1:21:22] reference to ten storage at a mobile home park. Right now, our current shed that are allowed

[1:21:28] as an accessory unit is five feet by eight feet in the looking to expand the size to allow

[1:21:36] for more storage. Next page. Now we'll move into zoning bylaws. So the first one is

[1:21:44] a contractor storage yard. One of the frustrations of many of our residents and the source of

[1:21:49] a lot of the complaints is that our contractor storage yards are currently allowed in

[1:21:54] all zoning. So anybody who lives in a residential area can wake up the next day and have a commercial

[1:22:01] contractor's yard right next to them. And so that's been the source of most of the complaint.

[1:22:05] So what this will do is that this will limit it will not be allowed in residential areas.

[1:22:13] Number four is in reference to signs in the town center and digital messaging boards in general.

[1:22:21] I'm going to, I want to talk about this a little bit more in detail so I'm going to skip it, but it's okay.

[1:22:27] Mixed use, we do not allow right now in our business area and

[1:22:32] and also in our town center district

[1:22:34] for somebody to have a business on the bottom

[1:22:36] and an apartment on top.

[1:22:39] Very common in more like city center areas.

[1:22:42] We don't have a traditional walking center.

[1:22:46] However, it will allow people to be able

[1:22:49] to make better use of their buildings

[1:22:51] and to be able to have a commercial entity

[1:22:53] on the bottom and a residential one on top.

[1:22:57] I totally, my opinion doesn't matter in any of this.

[1:23:00] This is the only one here by frankly that I am a little bit concerned about and the reason

[1:23:06] being this is because we will feel the complaints.

[1:23:09] I worked in another town that was much larger that did allow this and somebody moves in

[1:23:15] and the bottom is a barbershop that has opened 7 to 5, cuts hair, not a big deal, three years

[1:23:22] later the barbershop moves out and a bar moves in and now it's 11 o'clock tonight you can't

[1:23:28] sleep.

[1:23:29] That's an allowed use under mixed use.

[1:23:32] And now that person that is calling us or calling the police saying to quiet down what's

[1:23:37] hard to quiet down a bar.

[1:23:39] So again, I understand the premise behind it, not necessarily against it, but please

[1:23:44] understand that that is going to create some future headaches and problems.

[1:23:49] Accessory dwelling unit to ADUs for short, this again is being pushed really hard by the

[1:23:54] administration, the governor's administration is the one I'm referring to.

[1:23:57] And the reason being is because we are seeing our senior citizens live longer.

[1:24:04] And there's not enough nursing home and I could personally attest to not all fantastic.

[1:24:10] So this will allow single family homes by right to be able to add an accessory drawing unit

[1:24:19] for an in-law apartment onto their current building.

[1:24:23] There is limitations no more than 900 square feet, it's not to be rented out, it's not to

[1:24:28] be able to make future apartment rental income, but it is to provide flexibility so

[1:24:34] that way if you want to have family members be able to move in, there is additional

[1:24:38] space there. That is not allowed right right now, and that's what they're looking to

[1:24:41] amend.

[1:24:43] This is not allowed right for what?

[1:24:46] To add a single family, to add an accessory dwelling such an in-law apartment.

[1:24:50] Without going through like zoning is correct or a big headache, right? That is correct and then on the water resource protection district

[1:24:58] We have something funky in our bylaws that have for the most part not been an issue until recently

[1:25:05] So if you need to get a special permit

[1:25:08] You almost always go to the zoning board of appeals

[1:25:14] Our if you have a need a permit in the water resource district you go to the planning board

[1:25:21] the intent of the original language was, you need a special permit, you go the zoning board.

[1:25:27] If it's in the water, if it's in the water resource district, you go to the planning board,

[1:25:32] ZBA planning board. It's come to our attention because we tried to permit

[1:25:37] in a business and legal looked at it and it doesn't necessarily say what we want to say.

[1:25:45] So right now, if somebody wants to do by special permit a business in the water resource

[1:25:51] district area, they have to get an approval of the ZBA in the planning board. It's definitely not

[1:25:57] efficient. It also means that one board could have veto power over the other, which is willing

[1:26:03] not fear to the applicant who might spend thousands or tens of thousands of dollars in engineering

[1:26:09] costs. Please, the ZBA in the planning board might want something entirely different and they will

[1:26:15] know it until they get to that level. So what we're looking to do is we're looking to try to clarify

[1:26:20] this that will be consolidated all just to the plain board if it's in the water resource

[1:26:25] district. A couple of other items. These were not recommended from the Biola Study Committee.

[1:26:36] Jeff in the Board of Selectment had proposed that we would change our current zoning or our

[1:26:42] current conforming lot for single-family home which is a 30,000 square feet to change

[1:26:48] it to amend it to allow for one acre. They did not approve that. They did not

[1:26:55] recommend it, I should say. They did not recommend it. And one of the concerns was

[1:26:59] that the multi-dwelling, which is 60,000 would be too close to the single

[1:27:05] family dwelling. So I think that one of the ways that we could fix that and address

[1:27:10] that is that right now the same percentage is a 30,000 square feet for single

[1:27:15] family and 60,000 square feet for multi-dwelling, you could have meant to one acre in two

[1:27:21] acres. Clearly, the town has a culture that believes that we should use that same difference

[1:27:30] between one to the other. So I think if we make that to one acre in two acres, then it

[1:27:34] would fit in the culture of this town, assuming that you're in favor of that. There was also

[1:27:39] a request that was going to mandate a curbside trash and recycling. Again, I placed it

[1:27:45] In the air, if you have questions, we can look at it, but there was not a recommendation

[1:27:49] from them.

[1:27:50] And the last was a proposal that going forward that special permits were not going to

[1:27:56] be needed, and people would be able to do most of their items as by right versus going through

[1:28:04] a permitting process.

[1:28:07] I can tell you that I think that our founding fathers would be pretty frustrated that we

[1:28:11] have special permits.

[1:28:12] And if you have land, you should just be able to do what you want to do.

[1:28:14] But we recognize now that there are impacts on our neighbors.

[1:28:19] There are impacts around us and that we should make sure that even some of the basics

[1:28:24] of what that, for example, do you have enough parking?

[1:28:27] Do you have an entrance and an egress?

[1:28:29] You know, some silly things that we all take for granted now that 30, 40, 50 years ago,

[1:28:34] or really 50 years ago and more, never existed.

[1:28:37] So this continual special permits really would be in the flavor of today's environment.

[1:28:43] So they did not recommend those.

[1:28:45] So I will answer any questions that you have on these and then the board on anything that

[1:28:52] you want to see move forward.

[1:28:54] You would then take a vote to forward zoning by law requests to the planning board because

[1:29:00] by mass general law they must then have a public hearing.

[1:29:04] They must vote on it and then they will opine on it as the planning board or the regulatory

[1:29:09] board for zoning at town meeting.

[1:29:11] You ultimately will see these back on your agenda in the future because you have to take

[1:29:16] a vote to place them on the warrant.

[1:29:19] If the planning board does or does not recommend, if the by-laws to the committee does or does

[1:29:25] not recommend, those are all basically advisory to the board, but it is your decision and your

[1:29:31] exclusive decision to be able to place it on the warrant for the time to be able to vote

[1:29:37] on, minus a couple of exceptions.

[1:29:39] questions. And if okay, I can answer any of those questions because I know I threw a lot

[1:29:43] at you. I can answer any of those questions and then move on to the town senate district

[1:29:48] sign, or I can just move on to that now, whatever the board prefers.

[1:29:54] You're looking for a vote on this today? I will be eventually yes. And again, your vote

[1:29:59] will not-

[1:30:00] I'd like to be placed on the warrant, and your vote is not to say, I like it, or I dislike it. When it comes to zoning, it will only be a vote to go the planning board so that way they can review it. Now, in reality, if the two of you hate something that's up there, like all those ones that have been, say, hey, I don't want to do anything with the water resource protection. I don't like it. I don't want to make any changes. You could choose not to vote to send to the planning board.

[1:30:29] board. In a list of plain board or citizens petition overrides you, that one dies.

[1:30:38] So

[1:30:41] going through what you spoke, I am still committed to pushing the acre through, I can

[1:30:48] speak for myself and what my thanks agreed. I am just doing some math. We increased, we

[1:30:53] increased, we went from what, three quarters of an acre to an acre, right? So taking that same

[1:30:59] math, taking the 60,000 square feet for the multi-unit dwelling up to 75,000 square feet

[1:31:08] is the same percentage.

[1:31:09] Feel free to check my math, but I believe it to be accurate.

[1:31:14] And so I would like to pass that forward.

[1:31:23] The mixed use,

[1:31:27] bad analogy here, but the people that move in the Fenway Park and complain

[1:31:32] about the noise.

[1:31:33] Yes. Well, Fenway Park's been there longer than anybody's been alive.

[1:31:36] Correct.

[1:31:36] So I don't have sympathy for people there that complain about the noise.

[1:31:40] The makes use, the concern I have is if somebody's living somewhere now and we put commercial

[1:31:47] below them, and they've been there for a long time, then I'm not in favor of that, right?

[1:31:53] They didn't choose to move into, they were already in that spot before we'll just say the

[1:31:58] noise came.

[1:31:58] And when I say noise, it can be trucks backing up for dumpsters.

[1:32:02] There's a lot of different things like that, but I think this is for commercial buildings

[1:32:10] that are currently in existence that have the space above them, could be either way,

[1:32:16] could be either way.

[1:32:17] So they don't have it or they, no, if this, as I understand it, if this article were to

[1:32:24] pass, if you had a business unit right now, they would have the flexibility to go through

[1:32:29] permitting process and add a residential unit above and then be able to use

[1:32:34] as a residential unit in the future. Right now we do not know. So it's already a

[1:32:39] business so the people moving in there know that there's businesses underneath

[1:32:42] them. That would be correct yes. But for example I won't name any names but we

[1:32:49] have a resident who used to live next to a gym that closed and that gym turned

[1:32:54] into a much different type of business afterwards that had different

[1:32:58] an impact from what the gym had in obviously has created some complications there.

[1:33:03] So that's a real-world example.

[1:33:05] But you are correct is that if you move into an apartment, regardless of whether it's

[1:33:10] a barbershop or a bar, you do know that sooner or later things change, that entity may become

[1:33:17] something of a different commercial entity.

[1:33:23] And those are rental units of both?

[1:33:27] It just says residential, but I would assume that would be rental, but again, the

[1:33:34] We can look at this from a very positive standpoint.

[1:33:37] I could be the barber and choose to live upstairs.

[1:33:39] I could be the bar owner and now choose to live upstairs.

[1:33:42] You know, I'm just thinking if it's like for us,

[1:33:45] like I'm just thinking all right,

[1:33:46] because it could be a rental unit

[1:33:48] or they can sell it as a condo, right?

[1:33:51] Does it give them the option to both of us?

[1:33:52] I don't know it in that, in depth,

[1:33:54] but I don't see any reason why not,

[1:33:56] because again, I think it's just defining

[1:33:58] that you can have a residential

[1:33:59] and commercial in the same footprint.

[1:34:01] And at the end of the day, I think I'm okay with it.

[1:34:07] And I think, you know, articles like this are best presented to the town and the town

[1:34:12] votes, and it goes from there.

[1:34:15] If I would think it would be our obligation, if something was outrageous to stop it, it's

[1:34:21] not waste time at town meeting, but I don't see anything particularly outrageous.

[1:34:27] Other than, like I said, we need to talk about the decision of message board, because in

[1:34:31] one breath we said we want to put a sign out front in the next breath we said we didn't want

[1:34:36] any signs in this area so with everything else with those changes to the single family

[1:34:44] dwelling that's fine and they don't I don't feel the need to move forward the curve side or

[1:34:49] the the letter requesting special permit.

[1:34:54] All right so why don't we do this could you do me

[1:34:55] can you just move to the actual language for the town center district?

[1:35:03] So

[1:35:13] you'll see in principle use, I don't know what page it would be.

[1:35:18] 119.

[1:35:20] So you'll see in digital, on the principle use digital message boards, GRF stands for

[1:35:28] residential and farming, that's a combined residential zoning in West Bridgewater.

[1:35:35] And then you'll see, at the far end is TSC, which is town-centered district, which the town hall falls into.

[1:35:41] So right now, an SA means special permit normally through the zoning board of appeals.

[1:35:49] So you can see in this proposal right here, it would be proposed that it would be not allowed.

[1:35:54] And if this amendment were to be passed a town meeting in either the residential area

[1:36:00] or the town center district.

[1:36:02] I think most people would agree that they probably don't want a digital board and a residential

[1:36:07] area.

[1:36:08] So that one seems a little straightforward and simple.

[1:36:12] The complication is that during capital budget we talked about it's important to make sure

[1:36:18] that we have messaging in front of the town hall and to install a digital board.

[1:36:23] and I think there's probably a lot of support for that.

[1:36:29] But if we were to do that in this word of pass,

[1:36:32] then we can't put the digital vote up from

[1:36:34] because it's not allowed use.

[1:36:36] Be sure.

[1:36:38] It's not allowed use in the town center district.

[1:36:41] So we have a choice.

[1:36:44] We either have to say, hey, let's allow this

[1:36:47] to go through as presented.

[1:36:49] And then we're not gonna do a digital vote

[1:36:51] in front of the town hall, right?

[1:36:53] Because it wouldn't be allowed.

[1:36:54] Well, we'd have to make some tweaks to this

[1:36:57] so that we can still try to put forth the spirit

[1:37:01] of what the intent is of this by-law,

[1:37:03] but allow the town hall to be able to have a sign

[1:37:06] to be able to adequately communicate.

[1:37:09] We can do that fairly simple.

[1:37:11] What we can do is, is that under town center,

[1:37:15] we can retain it as SA, meaning you just get a permit for it.

[1:37:19] and then if we were to do that if you want to go one more page and then blow

[1:37:25] that up a little bit in 654 where it says prohibit and count center we would

[1:37:30] just delete that and everything else then is presented we mean the same so it

[1:37:35] would still be there would still be some type of regulation and oversight on

[1:37:40] digital boards in the center of town so if CVS wants to expand its sign or

[1:37:46] somebody else, a crystal kitchen was to put in a sign, there's still a process, it would

[1:37:51] be an allowed use, they would just go through the permitting process like anybody else would

[1:37:54] and the same thing with the town hall.

[1:37:57] And at the same time, really get at the intent, which was to make sure that we did not allow

[1:38:03] digital board signs in residential areas.

[1:38:08] I'm a little confused, so forgive me.

[1:38:10] It's okay.

[1:38:11] It's not easy item.

[1:38:12] So I'm a little confused and I'll rewind to the articles because I was under the impression

[1:38:19] that article four was talking about town center district signs and digital message boards,

[1:38:25] the intent of this article is to assign regulations in the town so we're basically just assigning

[1:38:29] regulations in the town to where we could put these digital boards, right, or adding a permitting.

[1:38:37] Yes. Right. And then in 119,

[1:38:45] what's the difference in the two? There's 119, the previous

[1:38:50] page. Is that what you're referring to? Yeah. And is this, is this what the current

[1:38:56] bylaw? Yeah. So everything that you see in black is the current bylaw. Yep. So we do nothing.

[1:39:02] This is exactly what you have. Okay. Which wouldn't allow it. No, it would allow the right

[1:39:08] Right now it does allow the digital sign in the town center.

[1:39:13] So when that first couple that it talks about just realigning the regulatory aspect of

[1:39:18] it, it is just talking about how will we regulate digital message boards going forward.

[1:39:23] And I think the real spirit behind this is that we want one, we want to make sure that there

[1:39:30] are no digital board signs in a residential area.

[1:39:33] And then two is that initially they were looking to try to prevent digital signs going forward in the town center district.

[1:39:42] The town center district, for the most part, is pretty commercial.

[1:39:46] And although nobody wants to see it become Las Vegas, is that I do think that they should have some type of ability to be able to communicate

[1:39:54] under the regulatory framework of what this says, like everybody else in town has to.

[1:39:59] Notice that the business in industrial area, the sign is still out and there are no changes to that.

[1:40:07] So, we would not want to harm a business in the town center district and

[1:40:13] allow a business 35 feet down the road to have a different regulation in reference to the digital board sign.

[1:40:20] So that's what, by keeping it under a special permit, I think that we are being fair across the board.

[1:40:29] And I'm just bringing it to your attention that if the board sees value in putting a digital

[1:40:36] sign out front, which I think we do, if we don't make a change to this initial proposal,

[1:40:41] you will not have that ability to do so.

[1:40:44] You agree?

[1:40:45] Now I understand what you were trying to say.

[1:40:48] Sorry.

[1:40:49] The zoning is not easy.

[1:40:51] Zoning is a very, it's tedious and, quite frankly, I'll do respect to all planners.

[1:40:57] It's boring.

[1:41:01] I would like to, you know, adjust this to allow a sign, you know, to adjust it as necessary so that we can move forward and present the town with the opportunity for a sign up front.

[1:41:16] So if the board is in favor of that, then what I would be looking for is a vote specifically to this by-law initially to amend this by-law request as follows,

[1:41:27] which is to allow in the town centre district to still be allowed through special permit and there will be no other changes except we have to clean up the language in order to make that possible.

[1:41:40] Like I said in the second page page 120, I will delete reference to town centre district.

[1:41:47] So that makes that motion.

[1:41:49] Yeah, I'll make a motion to do what Mr. Yagby said and I'll second that and both yes.

[1:41:57] Okay.

[1:41:57] Thank you.

[1:41:59] So then what we will do then is we'll go back to the cover page and

[1:42:06] go one more please.

[1:42:12] Yep.

[1:42:13] So on zoning bylaws these here in order for them to be able to go to town meeting and follow

[1:42:19] the tedious nature of the law. The planning board has to receive a request from the Board of

[1:42:25] Selectment to review them, hold the public hearing, throw them back to you so you can place them

[1:42:30] on the warrant. So with that said, it sounded like you had no objections to Article 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7.

[1:42:40] And then also adding the single family dwelling, I would ask for a motion to forward all of those to

[1:42:48] the planning board for their review.

[1:42:53] I make a motion to forward, for review,

[1:42:59] the zoning bylaws for Article three, four, five, six,

[1:43:02] and seven, as well as the change to the dwelling.

[1:43:08] Second that, vote in favor.

[1:43:10] And to be clear, the change and the single family dwelling,

[1:43:14] it will be one acre for a single family home

[1:43:17] in 75,000 for a multi-growing home.

[1:43:20] That is correct, okay.

[1:43:21] And that's what we will do.

[1:43:23] And if I can comment real quick because I did have the opportunity and I want to thank them

[1:43:28] We didn't agree but I did spend some time with the planning board

[1:43:32] And they gave me time, you know towards the end of one of their meetings to really sit and discuss this and we went back and forth and

[1:43:38] I'm sitting here not in agreement. I believe this this is important and should move forward

[1:43:43] But I don't want that to make it sound like in value their opinion or their time that they gave me on this so

[1:43:47] While we disagree, and I'm guessing that we'll probably disagree again as we forward this I still want to say thanks to them for their time.

[1:43:56] It was appreciated.

[1:43:58] And then we'll go to page one.

[1:44:00] Now these are general bylaws and the planning board does not have to review these.

[1:44:04] So if you have no issues with either one of these, they will be placed on a future meeting of which you will vote on to place on the warrant.

[1:44:14] If you have any objections to them, I won't place them and if you want to take no action on it tonight, you don't have to

[1:44:20] I'll just place it on the next meeting when you vote on your warrant articles and you could spend the next couple of weeks just reviewing it

[1:44:26] It's all your choice

[1:44:28] I'm ready to make a decision on this it's same here. Yes

[1:44:32] We were ready to make a decision. I make a motion for the general by law amendment recommendations for Article 1 and Article 2 to be placed in town meeting

[1:44:40] Okay, so what I will do is is that knowing that at your next meeting we will be giving you

[1:44:47] At this point we're at 40 warrant articles, which is a lot for our town

[1:44:51] So we will be placing all of those warrants in front of you

[1:44:54] You will then go one by one or we might group them depending on what the board wants to do and you will vote

[1:45:00] to place those on the warrant, but knowing that you're in favor of these two, those two will now be on that document that is presented to you at your next meeting.

[1:45:09] Thank you for your assistance.

[1:45:11] Welcome.

[1:45:26] Next is the town administrator or I'm skipping public comment.

[1:45:30] Or see how are you?

[1:45:32] All right and actually we jump back maybe to Cheryl.

[1:45:34] I was going to say that so she's here.

[1:45:36] Yeah.

[1:45:37] You know, we'll find out what I said wrong.

[1:45:42] Cheryl, David went through it.

[1:45:43] I don't think we knew for sure if you were going to attend.

[1:45:46] But thank you for being here.

[1:45:47] I have a very long birthday and I want to go home.

[1:45:50] So, thank you for the reminder, and I'll be quick.

[1:45:57] Please, take your time.

[1:46:00] You should have my memo in your paperwork, and as I stated, we have two projects this

[1:46:07] year.

[1:46:08] Last year, we didn't have any projects.

[1:46:10] This year, we have the Veterans Affairs is going for $5,000 to continue their work with

[1:46:16] plaques and identifying about trends in town and the more work for the permitting and engineering

[1:46:25] of the fish ladder.

[1:46:26] So I saw some of the plans that looks pretty cool when they have the plan going on over

[1:46:31] there.

[1:46:32] So I know that Chris Ayantelli is getting some extra money so he's asking for 84,200 from

[1:46:41] the CPA.

[1:46:44] If you look to the next paragraph, I'd have some general balances going into

[1:46:52] this year. So about $309, $884 to play with for this year.

[1:47:04] I don't know if you guys have

[1:47:05] any questions? I feel like I should ask a bunch because you've spent a lot of effort

[1:47:11] getting here right now, but I also feel like I should let you go. No, I'm very familiar

[1:47:17] with, at this point, I'm very familiar with the CPC, where I was going to say to you when

[1:47:20] you were done, I'll say to you now, you've been at this for a very long time because I've

[1:47:24] interacted with you for a long, long time through various committees and way back even I think

[1:47:30] going back to Tom Planning and Nancy Maloney and the whole nine yards and you've been there so

[1:47:37] first and foremost, thanks for your continued efforts on behalf of the town when it comes to CPC.

[1:47:44] I do understand it from those and like some of the planning and priority meetings that you've had.

[1:47:52] Yeah, yeah, it's nice to see a couple of projects this year.

[1:47:55] there.

[1:48:01] Thank you on the Veterans Committee. Oh, good. Yeah, so the work that's being done,

[1:48:05] we're trying to identify some of the headstones for people that more properly marked as veterans.

[1:48:14] So thank you. Good, good. This goes, you know, this is the residents. The CDC is really,

[1:48:21] you know, we just make sure when the applications come in that they are eligible and they can

[1:48:26] you presented to town residents, so but that's definitely something that I think

[1:48:31] everybody was a baby girl. I think it was two years ago. I think there's a

[1:48:38] little bit of money left over from that, so there's an extra money this year.

[1:48:45] Do we know when the fish ladder would be done? I know that's not your project.

[1:48:48] Yeah, I do know that because they're still working on permitting and

[1:48:52] engineering, but hopefully I have seen some plans. So it's still progressing, and still have a big chunk of money this year.

[1:49:05] Fantastic.

[1:49:06] Yeah.

[1:49:07] Super. Thank you for running over after a lot of time.

[1:49:09] Well, thank you. Yes.

[1:49:11] Thank you for, I don't know how many years can I ask?

[1:49:14] I think since 2010.

[1:49:16] Okay.

[1:49:17] So that's a lot of time.

[1:49:18] Well, 2008, actually, sorry.

[1:49:21] But thank you.

[1:49:22] I have a great group, so.

[1:49:24] No, we appreciate it.

[1:49:26] Well, thank you for letting me squeeze in.

[1:49:28] Thank you.

[1:49:29] All right.

[1:49:30] Thanks.

[1:49:32] I said public comment period.

[1:49:34] Was there any public comment?

[1:49:36] Just a comment.

[1:49:37] All right.

[1:49:38] Well, we're moving on to a topic

[1:49:39] that might be near and dear to your heart.

[1:49:41] The town administrator, the first item

[1:49:43] in the town administrator's report.

[1:49:45] So this is just an FYI.

[1:49:47] So this is just to let you know and let anybody else

[1:49:49] know that's watching is that we'll have a debate on Monday evening on March 25th.

[1:49:54] Most of the races are uncontested.

[1:49:56] The uncontested candidates, we have put the rules out where they'll speak for a couple

[1:50:00] of minutes and tell people who they are and why they're running.

[1:50:04] And there's one contested race, which is the housing authority.

[1:50:07] They have two candidates for one position.

[1:50:10] The debate will start somewhere around 6.45, the doors will open at 6.

[1:50:15] the moderator should be there, he does have a minor conflict he's trying to

[1:50:20] change, but the moderator should be there as he has done in the past and to be

[1:50:24] able to moderate it and the town clerk and I will both be there as well. I will

[1:50:29] say this, we do this because there is no other town that I'm aware of that the

[1:50:34] town administrator's Board of Selectman's Office runs this. It's usually run from

[1:50:38] either a political party, you know, Democratic Republican, or it's run by the

[1:50:44] newspaper, but when I got here in 2013, we didn't have any debates and I thought that

[1:50:48] we need to provide some opportunity for people to be able to see who is running and give

[1:50:54] people, especially who have not been involved before, a forum to be able to talk about themselves

[1:50:58] and why they thought it was important for them to run. So, that's what this is. It will

[1:51:02] be at the middle school, high school, as it traditionally is, and sort of gets just an

[1:51:09] the next item is the tree warden. So our tree warden has been held by our either forestry

[1:51:16] superintendent which merged into our DPW director for 30 something years. As we know Chris

[1:51:22] is retired and so his position as tree warden is up. We through the years where that position

[1:51:31] is elected, but really it's really the responsibility of the DPW director and this statutes and all

[1:51:37] those. So with that said, it is best for us to be able to appoint the tree warden versus

[1:51:45] have an elected tree warden. Because the last thing we want to have is that I don't want to see

[1:51:50] somebody that's elected as a tree warden with no budget. Then say I want the DPW to take down

[1:51:56] on these 18 trees and a DPW directed disagrees

[1:52:00] who takes direction from me and from this board

[1:52:02] and then we have conflict.

[1:52:04] So we don't want to see that.

[1:52:06] And we've been very fortunate for the past 30 years

[1:52:09] that we've had one person that's been able to do both.

[1:52:12] Your, the tree warning is actually

[1:52:15] in a pointed position by law,

[1:52:17] unless you have a local by law that says otherwise.

[1:52:21] And for whatever reason, probably 200 years ago,

[1:52:23] So we chose to have that as an elected position.

[1:52:27] What's interesting is that in 2009, the Board of Select and Recognized that it should

[1:52:32] be appointed and they brought it to town meeting in a past.

[1:52:38] So for whatever reason at that time, it was also brought to referendum and it failed.

[1:52:45] Failed by 50 votes out of 1,000.

[1:52:48] There is no legal requirement that it has to go to referendum.

[1:52:52] There was no need for it to go to referendum and why the town but the referendum at that

[1:52:57] point I cannot answer that question.

[1:53:00] So I have a conversation with town council as to whether or not we can accept the original

[1:53:05] 2009 vote at town meeting and just enforce it or if we are better off going back to town

[1:53:12] meeting to be able to get that vote.

[1:53:14] So we'll see how that plays out.

[1:53:17] But I want to bring it to your attention because again, it's an expected article at your

[1:53:21] next meeting as to whether or not you would want to place it or not. And I want to have a discussion

[1:53:26] in case you have any questions thoughts or concerns. I am fine with it, I'm voting to a point

[1:53:32] to make

[1:53:38] a decision on this. So you will make a decision at your next meeting as to whether or not you

[1:53:43] want to place it on the warrant.

[1:53:46] Okay,

[1:53:49] next. So a handful of years ago we were looking for a way that we

[1:53:53] would be able to save residents money. And so we aggregated, went through the process through the

[1:53:59] Department of Public Utilities, DPU for short and we allow our residents the

[1:54:03] opportunity to be able to aggregate their electricity and therefore drive the

[1:54:07] cost down. Right now with National Grid it's been a big home run. You can see

[1:54:12] that over the last handful of years residents in this town have been able to

[1:54:17] save literally $2 million by advocating their electricity. Now they don't have

[1:54:22] to they can opt out they don't have to participate if they don't want to but a

[1:54:25] high majority of ours do.

[1:54:27] The nice thing is, is that they can opt in and out every six months.

[1:54:31] There's a 1-800 number that they can call.

[1:54:32] It's on our website.

[1:54:33] They can call our office.

[1:54:34] We can give it to them.

[1:54:35] And I hear it full of people sometimes do.

[1:54:38] But usually we're able to drive the cost down.

[1:54:41] That contract ends at the end of November.

[1:54:44] So I have to start the process of deciding whether or not we

[1:54:48] re-enroll, go out to bid, and present it to the board

[1:54:51] as to what you would like to do.

[1:54:53] And obviously, it's just not my decision alone.

[1:54:54] It was a lot of work in our part and a couple of years ago I almost made a

[1:54:59] recommendation not to do it because what it's been a lot it's a lot of work and

[1:55:04] two there are some people that when they receive the fly in the mail and they

[1:55:07] say I can't believe you did this to my electricity and I have to opt out they're

[1:55:11] just mad and you know there's a tough phone calls to have to always handle so but at

[1:55:17] that time we thought about it and I don't know how we turn a blind eye to an

[1:55:22] opportunity for the town to save a couple of million dollars. So I'm glad that we re-enrolled.

[1:55:29] I would be making a recommendation potentially to re-enroll in November and when I say potentially

[1:55:34] it's only because I want to put out the bid in no for sure whether or not we're going to save money.

[1:55:40] So right now you can see if you blow it up just a little bit please up top.

[1:55:44] You will see that the direct energy price is, it says .0, but it's really 11 cents, 11.36 cents, is what we have for an aggregated rate.

[1:55:58] In national grid, this past year was at 33 cents. So people, they stay with national grid, literally paid three times as much.

[1:56:04] They go out to bid every single year in May in November, and they only go out to bid for one day.

[1:56:12] It is by statute. Everybody knows it, and the God's honest truth is, if I sent to you, you have to buy a card today.

[1:56:19] You cannot buy it any other day, and I know you're coming in. I'm increasing your cost, right? It's kind of silly.

[1:56:26] Because national grid by statute cannot mark up that rate.

[1:56:30] If they literally just go out to bid, it's $0.33, they sell it to you at $0.33, they don't

[1:56:35] care.

[1:56:36] So this gives us a really good opportunity to save people money.

[1:56:40] The reason I'm putting on the agenda tonight is that when we go out to bid, we literally

[1:56:45] price this on the commodities market the way you would buying a stock or buying any other

[1:56:50] commodity.

[1:56:51] And when we put it out there, we have to make a decision.

[1:56:55] So if the price comes in at, and I'm going to get this up, if the price comes in at $0.19

[1:56:59] sense, the answer would be no. But if the price comes in again anywhere near $11.12, the answer

[1:57:06] would be yes. And I don't have time to call a meeting, make a decision that price is long gone,

[1:57:11] you'd have to read better. So whenever the contract comes up, I ask the board for authorization to

[1:57:18] allow me to place it out the bid. If it's an acceptable price, I execute it, and then I bring it back

[1:57:23] to the board to actually sign the contract. If you don't want to aggregate it all, and just tell me

[1:57:29] know, I won't put it back out to bid. But based on these savings, I think it's probably worth it for us to do it.

[1:57:35] Agreed. Yes.

[1:57:37] So with that said, I would ask you just to take a vote to appoint me the ability to be able to execute pricing.

[1:57:44] I make a motion to appoint David Gagney, the ability to execute pricing.

[1:57:51] I'll second vote in favor.

[1:57:53] Thank you.

[1:57:55] Next is really just an FYP because this is your first budget season and you don't know

[1:57:59] it but you are now done listening to all of your budgets.

[1:58:03] Every single budget in the entire town has been presented to you either from the department

[1:58:08] head or from myself.

[1:58:10] So you have heard and seen every single budget that's going to go to town meeting.

[1:58:15] I will spend the next week condensing all of that information, putting it together and

[1:58:22] making sure that I'm balanced. What I mean by that is how much revenue do we have coming in based on

[1:58:27] receipts and proposition two and a half and compare that is to what we're all of our departments are

[1:58:33] looking for. I also meet with most of them so I have a really good idea as to whether or not

[1:58:39] there's fudge in the budgets or if it's a real the genuine budget. And I can tell you the

[1:58:43] God's honest truth is is that these departments have kept coming with pretty lean budgets this year.

[1:58:48] There's not a lot there.

[1:58:50] I'll also make some additional tweaks to it.

[1:58:53] For example, I told you last time we signed a new

[1:58:56] cleaning contract, so I have to increase those lines.

[1:59:00] DPW came in and I forget what a solid waste removal

[1:59:05] that goes up 2.5% every single year.

[1:59:08] Mike was new, he didn't have access to the contract.

[1:59:11] So I'll make those adjustments that I usually do.

[1:59:14] And then you'll remember when the water department made

[1:59:16] their presentation, there are certain lines

[1:59:18] that we provide for them. Insurance workers come all those types. So I got to back those in.

[1:59:24] So I'll back all of that information in and then I will present to you a balanced budget at your

[1:59:30] next meeting and make a recommendation to you on that budget. You will then vote whether or not

[1:59:37] you like that budget. You want to amend it up or you want to amend it down.

[1:59:43] This is just like at the state level, the governor presents a balanced budget to the House

[1:59:49] Ways and Means Committee.

[1:59:51] In the House Ways and Means Committee votes on it and then brings it to the full legislative

[1:59:56] body.

[1:59:56] At the count level, you represent the government.

[2:00:00] Governor, or the executive branch, so you will vote on that budget. Our House Ways and Means Committee is our Finance Committee. So, the following night, the Finance Committee will then vote on that budget. It is their recommendation that then goes to Town Meeting. And the Town Meeting is our legislative body, and they vote on it at that point. They have the right to be able to amend it, keep it the same and amend it up or amend it down.

[2:00:28] Your budget and the Finance Committee's budget both are in the Finance Committee handbook

[2:00:34] for transparency sake.

[2:00:36] So the entire town knows what the department had requested, what the Board of Selectment

[2:00:42] approved, and what the Finance Committee is recommending to the town, which is the budget

[2:00:47] the moderator reads to town meeting.

[2:00:49] And the town meeting makes the ultimate decision.

[2:00:53] So with your next meeting, you will be voting on your budgets.

[2:00:55] And in addition to that, you will also be voting on which warrant articles to place

[2:01:02] at the warrant for term meeting.

[2:01:05] Most of them are usually pretty simple and easy.

[2:01:08] One of them is the budget.

[2:01:10] But the other ones are like, I know with your very sensitive to the exemptions for seniors

[2:01:16] and for veterans.

[2:01:17] So that's always one of the articles that we placed on there as well.

[2:01:19] That's an annual article.

[2:01:21] So all of those you'll vote to place on the warrant.

[2:01:24] Get capital budget items that you saw tonight.

[2:01:27] You will vote whether to place those on the warrant or not.

[2:01:30] And then at the same time, you'll be voting on whether or not you want to place the

[2:01:34] general bylaw and the zoning bylaws that you saw this evening.

[2:01:38] You'll be voting to place those on the warrant.

[2:01:40] You are not making a recommendation although you can.

[2:01:43] You are not making a recommendation whether you're in favor or not.

[2:01:47] You're making a decision whether or not you want to allow the town to vote on those articles.

[2:01:52] That will be your next meeting on April 3rd, your following meeting on April 17th.

[2:01:58] You will then vote on whether or not you in favor of all of those articles.

[2:02:03] In your recommendation, in the finance committee's recommendation, is in that same handbook

[2:02:08] that goes to town meeting.

[2:02:10] So that meeting on April 17th will happen.

[2:02:12] In next night, April 18th, the finance committee will do it.

[2:02:16] I will compress all of that data.

[2:02:17] and within a couple of days, Linda and I will be sending that to the printer.

[2:02:22] It gets printed and it must be posted a period of time because right around the corner is May 6th.

[2:02:27] So it happens pretty fast, but I want to let you know that you've already done and looked

[2:02:32] at all of your budgets and that will be the road map going forward.

[2:02:36] Again, I know I went through a lot and it's your first time, so I apologize for that, but do

[2:02:41] you have any questions about that process?

[2:02:46] I'm good.

[2:02:46] Kind of gone through it with finance.

[2:02:48] Correct.

[2:02:48] you had the correct. Okay, good.

[2:02:52] All right, OCPC, which is our regional planning organization, Eldon Marrera is our rep and

[2:02:58] then as of last meeting, Mike is now our alternate rep. A subsidiary of OCPC is a metropolitan

[2:03:07] planning organization or MPO for short. This MPO is the steering committee at the local

[2:03:14] level as to applying for funds for what they call the TIP tip money through mass DOT.

[2:03:23] A handful of state officials sit on it, along with other local communities.

[2:03:28] And they make recommendations that ultimately DOT or the legislature has to approve.

[2:03:33] So for example, it was through the MPO process that the center of town received those funds.

[2:03:40] The MPO meets, these are the dates, it actually meets once a month, at 10 o'clock in the morning.

[2:03:48] And it is my understanding that almost all of them now are done through Zoom.

[2:03:54] Mary Anderson was our MPO, and it serves for a two-year term.

[2:04:02] Again, this gets a little complicated so bear with me.

[2:04:04] Out of the 20 plus communities, it is broken up into two tranches.

[2:04:09] large communities, so with 10,000 and communities under 10,000,

[2:04:13] whereas bridge water fits in the seminary communities that are under 10,000,

[2:04:18] and under 10,000 gets one MPL rep.

[2:04:23] So each community recommends a person in an OCPC votes on that one person,

[2:04:29] and marry one that vote last time.

[2:04:32] Marries term was two years and was good until November of this year.

[2:04:37] The only caveat is that that MPO member must be a selector.

[2:04:44] So where Mary is no longer a selector, she can no longer fit in that capacity.

[2:04:50] It was my understanding from talking OCPC, not what I thought, they would have just reelected

[2:04:55] somebody else.

[2:04:56] But they never did.

[2:04:57] They just left the position vacant.

[2:04:59] And they have taken the position that since West Ridgewater was elected, that it wasn't

[2:05:05] and married that was elected, it was West Bridgewater that was elected.

[2:05:09] And as a result, in my communications with them over the past two weeks, they're saying

[2:05:14] that if West Bridgewater would like to be able to designate a person for that is to get

[2:05:20] a vote from this board, OCPC would then vote, and that would be the means that you'll go

[2:05:24] and forward for that person to sit on.

[2:05:27] And then after November, we would re-duplicate this entire process.

[2:05:34] So your options before you is that you can vote for somebody as a recommendation to fill

[2:05:40] Mary's seat and it sounds like, again, there's a caveat that OCPC has to rubber stamp up

[2:05:46] and it sounds like they will, or you can take no action and OCPC could just find somebody

[2:05:52] else or allow the position to remain vacant until that term expires in the fall.

[2:05:57] Well,

[2:06:02] my immediate thought on this is that, you know, we'll have another Selecman in a month and we traditionally record the board and reassign some stuff then.

[2:06:14] Like unless you feel strongly my suggestion would be we push this to that re-orc.

[2:06:20] We have three people and we can better understand the balance of the board and who wants to do what.

[2:06:27] I was just looking at my watch because I was just looking at the date.

[2:06:31] Is this email was from last week?

[2:06:34] 19th was yesterday.

[2:06:35] And there will be somebody in the seat

[2:06:37] and there probably will be a meeting before April 6th, right?

[2:06:40] Yes, you do not have a meeting before the next meeting.

[2:06:45] So your April 3rd meeting, you'll be two.

[2:06:48] The election is April 13th.

[2:06:51] Yeah, we'll miss it again.

[2:06:52] And then April 17th is your next selection.

[2:06:55] I think we need to, unfortunately, I think we need to just fill it now give them

[2:07:01] opportunity because it's been vacant. I don't mind doing it. I could make room

[2:07:06] my schedule to do this at 10 a.m., okay?

[2:07:11] Then I will make a motion to appoint you to

[2:07:15] the MPO.

[2:07:20] Thank you. We will contact OCPC and inform them. Yeah, I just think if the

[2:07:26] the timeline would have been different.

[2:07:27] Yeah, sure.

[2:07:29] This year was pretty neat.

[2:07:31] I don't remember what I put in the picture.

[2:07:33] Did I put a picture of the screen?

[2:07:39] I did not, okay.

[2:07:40] So, Bridgewater State University,

[2:07:43] we see the grant from the state

[2:07:45] and spend almost $4 million

[2:07:47] pretty literally when they say a state-of-the-art,

[2:07:49] they really mean it.

[2:07:50] A state-of-the-art cybersecurity room

[2:07:54] where you can have instruction and learning and teaching.

[2:07:57] They have created from the ground up a cybersecurity bachelor's program and the next semester they will start with a cybersecurity master's program.

[2:08:07] And the very neat thing about this room is that it literally looks like you're on TV.

[2:08:13] Like when you watch TV and you see like DOD or military or whatever and they're sitting in front of a big computer screen and they have monitors and they're combating, that's exactly what it looks like.

[2:08:23] it's excellent. They've done a fantastic job with this. All of us at the 27 communities

[2:08:31] in Plummouth County have partnered with Bridgewater State University where each municipality

[2:08:36] can send one person, one employee, and they could participate in a certificate program.

[2:08:45] So we could fast forward to keep it going one more one more and

[2:08:52] So there are three different programs a networking security and then a high-end cyber security program

[2:08:58] These are the dates that they meet they're going to be every Friday's the first two and the Thursday's at the end

[2:09:04] They'll meet 8 30 to 6 30 to 2 30 each one of those days. It's in person. It's not remote

[2:09:10] What we are doing is that we are subsidizing this to Plymouth County as part of their

[2:09:15] upper funds and as part of what Bridgewater State University is also doing is to allow us

[2:09:20] for the both the network schedule and for the security schedule that we would, it would

[2:09:24] only cost us $500 for a person, we only have one spot, the $500 to send a person and then

[2:09:30] $750 to send that final person.

[2:09:34] We don't have a full-time IT department.

[2:09:38] that's one of our areas that we need to work on in the future.

[2:09:42] So many of the municipalities that either have a full-time IT person or most of them

[2:09:46] that have a full-time and then an assistant, they're sending that assistant.

[2:09:50] We don't have that. We rely on a third-party outside consultant firm

[2:09:55] that does do a really good job, but they are the ones that really handle

[2:09:59] our cybersecurity and are responsible for that.

[2:10:02] So I placed this on the agenda for two things because one, I think it's pretty neat.

[2:10:07] The second is that if there is anybody that is listening to this and has any interests

[2:10:12] that's an employee of the town, they can reach out to me and if it works, we'll fit that

[2:10:18] person in.

[2:10:19] And when I say if it works, I didn't want to send this out as an email because for example,

[2:10:24] if a teacher wants to participate, Mark might say, well, I can't lose a teacher every

[2:10:28] Friday.

[2:10:29] And that's legit, right?

[2:10:30] And if a DPW employee wants to do it, I can't lose a DPW person every single week.

[2:10:35] So maybe there's a, you know, administrative person or a clerical person that is looking

[2:10:41] at this in the future would like to be able to secure a certificate program to better themselves

[2:10:46] in for self-development.

[2:10:47] So I put this on the agenda, valuating information is out there, the first meeting, the first

[2:10:53] classes this week, like they gave us no time, we just met with them last week on this.

[2:10:57] I toured the facility last Thursday, so it's a pretty fast turnaround, but I put this

[2:11:03] out there because I thought it would be a missed opportunity if I didn't at least inform

[2:11:07] the public and inform our employees of this opportunity.

[2:11:10] Is this something that the school has seen?

[2:11:11] Like, my first thought of the electron called, not speaking for them, but...

[2:11:16] So if nobody else jumps on it, then I would offer it to Mark, for John, but John is a teacher

[2:11:23] at this point.

[2:11:24] So I'm literally taking them out of the classroom which is going to have an impact on students at one time

[2:11:31] You know, maybe that have been different. But that is what that's my fear. I don't want to make an impact to somebody's operations. Yep, understood

[2:11:39] So again, there's nothing to vote on it's really just an FYI alliance or any questions that you may have in the last item is is said I attended a

[2:11:48] a municipal manchist budget session last week on Friday.

[2:11:55] And this really just goes over the timeline for how the budgets

[2:11:59] have voted on at the state level, which, again,

[2:12:01] mirrors what we do, which is what I just, you'll see

[2:12:04] the governor makes a proposal.

[2:12:06] She's the executive branch, the way you're the executive branch

[2:12:08] that goes in to the Senate, into the House.

[2:12:12] And what's very interesting is that the legislation puts out

[2:12:16] end of session timeline on July 31st. Two items of note on that, one, they never make

[2:12:22] their deadline. And two, by mass constitution, it's supposed to be July 1st. So it's interesting

[2:12:29] that they violate the law and they still don't even comply with their extended time frame.

[2:12:35] In any event, I only place this out there because I want to let you know where they are in

[2:12:40] the timeline, which is similar to ours. In the next screen, is that there potentially

[2:12:45] are some issues going forward at the state level.

[2:12:48] The state has already recognized that there is about a billion dollar shortfall in revenue

[2:12:52] in this current fiscal year.

[2:12:55] So those have to somehow be plugged in.

[2:12:58] If we had less revenue coming in in this fiscal year, we'd have to make some changes too.

[2:13:03] So they're currently making those changes that has been in the newspaper.

[2:13:07] I can't speak to every single one of them.

[2:13:08] Some of them are a little bit nuanced in some of them are real cuts.

[2:13:14] Obviously that has an impact on next year's budget because if you say I'm going to go

[2:13:18] up 3% based on last year's budget and you're already down, you're really going up more

[2:13:23] than 3%. So right now there is a consensus estimate that they're hoping to try to keep the

[2:13:29] budget at a 2% increase year over year versus the revised downward budget. But if that's

[2:13:36] the case, that means they could have to make further cuts. Now they make cuts throughout

[2:13:40] about their, through the departments, which is what the Healey Administration has mostly

[2:13:45] done at this point, then it has no impact on us.

[2:13:49] But I can tell you in the early 2010-2011 period, DeVal Patrick, our Constitution doesn't

[2:13:56] really see Constitution, does not really provide for a strong governor, except in a couple

[2:14:00] of areas.

[2:14:01] And one of them is, is that they can make unilateral cuts to aid.

[2:14:06] And I can tell you that at that time, that's what DeVal Patrick had done.

[2:14:10] So hopefully next year we are not facing that, but that created a lot of pain if the municipal

[2:14:15] level and your balance your budget based on we talked about chapter 70 funds earlier

[2:14:20] or other local AP seats and also in the middle of the year you'll lose that income.

[2:14:24] So I'm just giving you a heads up to it.

[2:14:26] Now last line is it does not include the anticipated surtax revenue, that is the millionaires

[2:14:31] tax.

[2:14:33] And the reason they haven't included it yet is because it always sounds good on paper, but

[2:14:37] We have already seen wealthy people have one huge benefit of most other people they can

[2:14:43] move, especially if they own businesses, they move.

[2:14:50] I know this is anecdotal but if you listen to sports radio there are sports players that

[2:14:55] are making decisions now saying I'm going to go to non-tax income

[2:15:00] State's versus Massachusetts, oh, you got a pain anymore, you know, it'll come. So we'll

[2:15:05] see if to whether or not that $1.3 billion really comes to fruition. That would surely help

[2:15:09] to plug some of the gap, but we won't know that until the next 12 months. So again, just

[2:15:14] giving you an FYI that there is some slowing in the economy and it is impacting revenue.

[2:15:24] The extent to the report.

[2:15:28] Hearing nothing else, I'll entertain a motion

[2:15:36] Thank you, and thank you Tim for the long night,

[2:15:43] I think that's our second long night.

WB Board of Selectmen Mtg: - March 20th, 2024

Transcript