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Good evening and welcome to

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Yarmouth Town Council meeting of Thursday, September 3rd, 2026.

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We have a short special meeting first,

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and that is to act on the warrants for the bond issue.

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And that will be followed by our regularly scheduled workshop meeting.

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And, at our workshop meetings, we don't take any votes.

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We schedule future agenda items.

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We hear reports, we,

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we schedule things for operations, meeting, etc.

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but,

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we will be doing a vote at the special meeting,

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and then we'll roll right into the workshop meeting.

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And, as I said, there'll be, there won't be any votes though, on that.

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We will have public comment during the special meeting.

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We will also have public comment during the workshop meeting.

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There will be, a session at the beginning for general topic of topics

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if it's not on the agenda,

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and then if it's on a agenda item, we ask you to save your public comments

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for them.

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I'm just gonna do a little check here.

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I see, some people online.

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I'm not sure it is Councilor Tang. Okay.

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I want to make sure we, I didn't want to, miss that.

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We had him here. Okay. So,

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we will,

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start with a roll call, then of the members,

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and I'll start online so we can make sure we can hear your voices.

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Heather, other, Councilor rabbit, are you here?

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Here. Okay.

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And Councilor Tang, I'm here.

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All right. Great. Councilor Monti here.

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Councilor Casey here, councilor Cooper here.

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And I am here. That's six of us.

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Councilor Wolf is not feeling well and will not be here tonight.

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Okay, so, this is special

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meeting number two, dash 2627.

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And, it is item 11

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to act upon a warrant for referendum to be held November 3rd, 2026,

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seeking appropriation of funds and authorization for bond issuance

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of $2,050,000 for Yarmouth High School turf

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field and track project voted on August 20th, 2026.

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Is there a motion?

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Yes. Councilor Casey,

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I just read the orange part.

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Right, just to just kick it, be it ordered that a warrant for a referendum

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to be held on November 3rd, 2026, as per a draft

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presented at this meeting, is hereby approved to be executed by the member,

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the members of the Town Council, a copy of said warrant

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draft to be set forth in full in the minutes of this meeting.

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I. Second motion has been made and seconded.

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So this is, a bit of a formality, given that we've we've taken a vote

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on putting this bond forward, but we have to actually,

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you know, authorize the warrants or whatever,

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but it's, when I'm signing the law, give us more information on that.

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Or is that pretty much it?

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It's pretty much it.

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The, the warrant basically calls the voters to

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to the polls for November 3rd to vote on the article.

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The article is rather long, and it says exactly what you think it says.

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Shall we vote $2,050,000 for,

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for the turf field improvements,

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as well as two projects involving

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school playgrounds?

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And then it, lays out a financial statement,

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which is just an estimate of what the, interest cost will be

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and how much our total outstanding debt is.

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And then from that we develop

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and publish, basically an identical looking, ballot to,

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to be provided to the voters at the polls or in advance by, absentee ballot.

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So the questions themselves have already been resolved and voted on.

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And it's really is you could have done it the other night when you voted, but,

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for whatever reason, that decided we'll come back and approve the warrants.

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Okay. Great.

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Any questions, from the council about, this

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this motion.

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Consultation? Yes.

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I see your hand up. Go ahead.

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I have a question.

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That.

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Can you tell me why the, the

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the the time was changed?

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From when we voted on it.

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It initially showed a payback of 11 years to the tune, about 2.6 million.

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And this current one reads 13 years to the tune of 2.7 plus 2.7 for,

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well, there

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are various iterations that were out, so I'm not sure what the draft was looking

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like at that particular time, but,

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both of both of them are really estimations

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provided to folks in to the council for anticipation of

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what the bond issue would likely look like and how long it would be,

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and what the anticipated interest rate might be.

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But it then reserves, as it must,

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the right to maneuver that around a bit based on certain circumstances.

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So both are adequate.

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Estimations.

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I don't recall why we went from 11 to 13, but my guess is because we were trying

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to find room for additional funding to come outside of the,

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the debt service program to pre fund a reserve in the future

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for future replacement, knowing that these have a limited lifespan.

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So we may have,

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looked at, rebalancing it a little bit in order to shave the peak a little bit

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in the early years and get more money reserved in a supplemental,

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school budget appropriation process that would occur over the following

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ten, 12 years.

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So this was the request from the school district that met

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the the the finance office from from the schools?

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No, no, again, I'm I'm not,

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I'm not going to able to recall for you all the draft process.

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But but but the one but the draft that we voted on

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showed 11 years to the tune of 2.6.

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And now today we're voting one.

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That's 2.74

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to, taking over a period of 13 years.

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So the one we voted on was 2.6, 11 years.

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And now tonight we're done.

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We voted five two.

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Tonight we're voting on a warrant

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that has different, this just has different parameters.

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That's that's what I'm asking.

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I didn't know that these changed.

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And I was wondering for that if that change came from.

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Yeah. No, that would have come from me.

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And trying to prepare for the the meetings in advance

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and listening to you and the others talking about how you wanted to

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try to figure out how if you had to fund this project through debt service,

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you wanted to prepare for the one that will come ten,

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12 years from now and try to create some more room.

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So yes, it's a little bit more expensive to finance it over a longer time

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period, but more affordable.

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And that's all I was trying to do, balance off so that it wouldn't have

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a higher impact on your taxes

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in the five years I get that, but this is not our

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our job is to agree to set

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forth a want a bond, want to the voters.

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I thought this was something that's managed by the school committee

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and the school side of things. Right.

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They, supposedly telling us what

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we what they need to put forth to the voters,

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and we decide whether or not we want to put a forth to the voters or not.

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Right. That's that's our mechanism.

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It was not my understanding that we were the ones trying to save money.

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In fact, that's not our role at all.

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I, I have not yet seen anything from the school

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committee seeing that they're actually going to

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actually assume

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ownership, meaning pay for it all.

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I have not seen a resolution come across emails,

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and now all of a sudden we're changing the parameters that we're voting on

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and.

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That's not cool.

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Say the least.

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I just want to,

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that's where we go in order.

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Okay.

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First of all, I was not.

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Did you have any response other than that?

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Well, it's

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not exactly, but it is not and never has been

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the school's responsibility to manage the debt service or to issue it.

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Only the treasurer is is allowed to do that with approvals of the voters.

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And in this case, it is every case that I can recall.

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We provide an estimate knowing that debt

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service won't be issued for several months,

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sometimes up to a year or two later,

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and we can't know what the interest rate is going to be

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or what makes the most sense in terms of structuring it.

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So the language says, here's what we think it might be,

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and you have the authority, if this is approved, to work with the

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the council chair to figure out what's makes the most sense at that time,

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if the interest rates are different, if interest rates in the short term

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go high and long term go low, or vice versa, you want to rethink this thing.

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So, and I agree, you haven't seen anything from the schools.

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I know they're working on a proposal that would fund,

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the future or major portion at least of of a future project.

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And I know they plan to bring that forward, but they're not ready yet.

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That much has been shared with me,

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and that's basically all that's been shared with me so far.

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So the school department is not,

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is not responsible for this.

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That would have fallen to me basically trying to draft things

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mostly in response to comments and inquiries and advocacy

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from you and others who felt the same way, that you wanted to create more room

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for the schools to be able to save money without raising taxes.

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Further, for the the next iteration.

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So, okay, you're not locking yourself

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into this, I well, yeah, I understand it's just

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the more we lengthen out, the more expenses this becomes.

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I understand that we don't have that idea of the interest rates,

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so maybe if the interest rate drops, I doubt it.

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But maybe if the interest drops over the next few months,

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then then maybe extending it out,

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for an additional 11 to now, 13 years,

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maybe it won't be, it'll be less than 2.74.

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That's fine.

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I, I will speak to colleagues on the school committee side and

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have them figure things out.

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I just thought it was that the terms changed since we voted on it

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a few weeks ago. Thank you.

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Council?

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Yeah, I have a couple questions.

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Is there any other way?

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I'm interested in the statement in here,

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about the recommendation that we recommend approval of the article.

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Can an article get get submitted through

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without us recommending approval?

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It's an odd statement, I think, like, is there any other way for it to happen?

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So, the, the law requires that the town council

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and the school committee both include their recommendations.

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The council's recommendation is in the resolution that you adopted.

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It's subject to council recommendation.

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You move this forward for approval.

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The school committee had to vote separately because they're not a party

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to calling the warrant and put on the record, which we included.

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The school committee recommends approval.

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If you're asking, do you have to

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recommend approval in order for this to happen?

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No. Intuitively, you would say, well, you you're bringing it to the voters.

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But you could and, say the town

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council voted 5 to 2 to recommend approval,

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but you can't take out a recommendation statement altogether.

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I mean, I wouldn't be there if we didn't recognize you.

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Council recommendation is already in the vote, right.

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And the school committee recommendation, whatever it is.

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Right.

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Is required by law because the council speaks as one voice

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I'm not inclined to advocate for, like, posting the vote.

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I actually am inclined to just take out a recommendation statement altogether.

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But I think what I'm hearing is you can't do that.

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I don't know if the council's recommendation

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needs to be separately itemized.

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It always has been.

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But I do know the school committee has to be

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because they're not in the motion itself.

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Can we can we fully understand that, or is this already sort of baked in?

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This is a language moving on that we have an opportunity to to do that.

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Well, it's

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it's baked into to in two ways.

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One, you're just about out of time, right.

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If we're going to order ballots

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again, we need to do it tomorrow morning.

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I think and we have to do it and pay for another whole set.

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I gotcha.

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The my next question is related that I can understand that

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the thing I'm interested in is a line that talks

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about the annual cost.

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You mean financial statements?

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Yeah, right.

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The financial year kind of okay, matures in 13 years.

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It's 2.7.

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So it's roughly

251
00:14:03,166 --> 00:14:07,266
$250,000 a year for a turf, right.

252
00:14:07,266 --> 00:14:10,266
If it's going to be gone in 13 years,

253
00:14:10,567 --> 00:14:12,333
well, 13 is more than

254
00:14:12,333 --> 00:14:15,233
you would want given right and normal expected life.

255
00:14:15,233 --> 00:14:17,033
But we've drawn I was trying to stretch it.

256
00:14:17,033 --> 00:14:20,300
No I gotcha I'm wondering if there's an opportunity to add another line

257
00:14:20,300 --> 00:14:25,066
here to point two that just says estimated annual cost,

258
00:14:26,100 --> 00:14:28,100
because it's hard to really understand the numbers.

259
00:14:28,100 --> 00:14:28,300
Right.

260
00:14:28,300 --> 00:14:31,166
As a voter, when I've been in there previously, I kind of looking at it,

261
00:14:31,166 --> 00:14:33,000
see what's the numbers at the end of the day.

262
00:14:33,000 --> 00:14:34,667
And like, what is what does this mean

263
00:14:34,667 --> 00:14:38,333
practically on an annual basis for something that doesn't appreciate?

264
00:14:38,867 --> 00:14:40,867
And I have to buy another 1 in 12 years.

265
00:14:40,867 --> 00:14:41,734
It's kind of like a timeshare.

266
00:14:41,734 --> 00:14:45,100
When I think about turf, I think about timeshares like I want the problem solved.

267
00:14:45,100 --> 00:14:47,033
But I also wonder if this is

268
00:14:47,033 --> 00:14:49,033
if this is the right way to get the best judgment

269
00:14:49,033 --> 00:14:52,367
from our voters in the absence of a kind of annual breakdown.

270
00:14:52,367 --> 00:14:56,033
Took my ask is another line here that's not just total debt service,

271
00:14:56,033 --> 00:14:59,433
but anticipated annual sort of town debt.

272
00:15:00,266 --> 00:15:01,100
Does that make sense?

273
00:15:01,100 --> 00:15:04,166
I'm trying to get a, I don't know if can I said I'm done.

274
00:15:04,166 --> 00:15:09,000
That's kind of what I'm just a yes, but I want to see if the manager

275
00:15:09,667 --> 00:15:13,100
has a response to that or I have a response to, you know, but yeah,

276
00:15:13,533 --> 00:15:17,266
you're you're talking specifically about in the financial statement,

277
00:15:17,266 --> 00:15:21,033
which just a note, an informational note that goes, yeah.

278
00:15:21,734 --> 00:15:25,500
And you're talking about under part two where it says maturities 13 years

279
00:15:26,533 --> 00:15:29,066
and principal is $2,050,000.

280
00:15:29,066 --> 00:15:31,000
And estimating.

281
00:15:31,000 --> 00:15:33,500
So you basically are asking

282
00:15:33,500 --> 00:15:37,100
that's specific to this bond issue not the entirety of.

283
00:15:37,100 --> 00:15:37,834
All right.

284
00:15:37,834 --> 00:15:41,066
Because we're on this is the one that's in front of us okay I just want to clarify.

285
00:15:41,066 --> 00:15:42,300
That's what you're asking.

286
00:15:42,300 --> 00:15:46,266
So you basically want me to try to divide by 13

287
00:15:46,734 --> 00:15:49,100
when I when I think about this as a voter and someone who lives in town,

288
00:15:49,100 --> 00:15:51,467
who loves sports, coaches, teams, I want the best field ever.

289
00:15:51,467 --> 00:15:53,000
I look at this and I go,

290
00:15:53,000 --> 00:15:55,734
okay, a quarter of a million bucks, that's $20,000 a month.

291
00:15:55,734 --> 00:15:58,634
That's $5,000 a week.

292
00:15:58,634 --> 00:16:00,066
Do we want to do that?

293
00:16:00,066 --> 00:16:01,533
When I think of it that way, I go, yeah,

294
00:16:01,533 --> 00:16:04,433
I might when I look at the whole number, I'm like, Jesus, no.

295
00:16:04,433 --> 00:16:06,000
So I'm trying to give more information to the voter

296
00:16:06,000 --> 00:16:07,033
because they're not going to know

297
00:16:07,033 --> 00:16:08,834
anything about this until they get into the booth.

298
00:16:10,000 --> 00:16:12,033
That's what I'm interested in, because I

299
00:16:12,033 --> 00:16:15,033
that's what I'm interested in for new playgrounds and all that.

300
00:16:16,066 --> 00:16:19,467
I, I don't know

301
00:16:19,500 --> 00:16:24,000
how to answer that question other than to say this isn't the only way

302
00:16:24,000 --> 00:16:27,367
that you can inform voters, and we are running out of time.

303
00:16:27,900 --> 00:16:30,467
But we certainly could put together a fact sheet

304
00:16:30,467 --> 00:16:33,467
for other people and say, here's what all the debts are,

305
00:16:33,700 --> 00:16:36,900
here's what we as estimate, and we can only estimate

306
00:16:37,133 --> 00:16:39,333
what we're going to issue and how we're going to structure

307
00:16:39,333 --> 00:16:41,033
and what the interest rates will be.

308
00:16:41,033 --> 00:16:44,033
And this is what that will be on an annual basis.

309
00:16:44,033 --> 00:16:48,667
Those were provided to you in those, graphs that I provided with all the know.

310
00:16:48,667 --> 00:16:51,000
I feel like I know it. Does this go on the ballot?

311
00:16:51,000 --> 00:16:52,066
Maybe is what I'm not understanding.

312
00:16:52,066 --> 00:16:54,767
It will be attached to the ballot, yes or no.

313
00:16:54,767 --> 00:16:57,667
That's where I'm really interested in just having a little bit more

314
00:16:57,667 --> 00:17:01,066
of a practical understanding besides just a big number.

315
00:17:05,266 --> 00:17:08,066
I don't know how to answer your question.

316
00:17:08,066 --> 00:17:09,367
Education. I'm sorry.

317
00:17:09,367 --> 00:17:11,500
I want to speak to that, if that's okay.

318
00:17:11,500 --> 00:17:12,867
I hear what you're saying,

319
00:17:12,867 --> 00:17:15,867
and I understand you want to have a more practical.

320
00:17:15,867 --> 00:17:18,300
I'm not sure that knowing the cost for the town

321
00:17:18,300 --> 00:17:21,300
each year is.

322
00:17:21,734 --> 00:17:23,433
I think we have to be very careful

323
00:17:23,433 --> 00:17:26,700
to write the warrant and not to try to sway the vote.

324
00:17:27,367 --> 00:17:30,467
And but but yet to inform voters as much as possible.

325
00:17:30,467 --> 00:17:32,634
So I hear you saying you want to inform voters.

326
00:17:32,634 --> 00:17:35,100
There's a lot of things we could put there.

327
00:17:35,100 --> 00:17:38,100
We could put the, the, the

328
00:17:38,500 --> 00:17:40,533
estimated mill rate increase.

329
00:17:40,533 --> 00:17:43,367
We could put it that would result from this one thing.

330
00:17:43,367 --> 00:17:47,100
We could put an estimated,

331
00:17:48,100 --> 00:17:48,700
you know,

332
00:17:48,700 --> 00:17:52,667
amount, like I said, two weeks ago, you know, $56

333
00:17:52,667 --> 00:17:56,533
for the average household in Yarmouth, we could put a variety of things,

334
00:17:56,734 --> 00:17:59,133
all of which might sway people one way or the other.

335
00:17:59,133 --> 00:18:01,100
But I don't think that's our job.

336
00:18:01,100 --> 00:18:05,000
So I just want to be careful that anything we're doing isn't trying to sway it,

337
00:18:05,000 --> 00:18:09,133
but rather just giving information that is typical and needed for bonds.

338
00:18:09,133 --> 00:18:12,166
We've done a lot of bonds and other towns do bonds all the time.

339
00:18:12,166 --> 00:18:16,000
I don't know if that's what is typically there in the financial statement

340
00:18:16,300 --> 00:18:17,934
or the costs area.

341
00:18:17,934 --> 00:18:20,433
Whatever the section called.

342
00:18:20,433 --> 00:18:22,133
So anyway, makes sense.

343
00:18:22,133 --> 00:18:24,934
I don't want to I don't want to sway trying to sway people with the wording.

344
00:18:24,934 --> 00:18:26,467
I understand what you're asking.

345
00:18:26,467 --> 00:18:28,066
I unfortunately, I'm not confident

346
00:18:28,066 --> 00:18:31,500
in my verbatim understanding of what we can come back.

347
00:18:32,100 --> 00:18:34,867
I know these these are the things that the law says.

348
00:18:34,867 --> 00:18:36,834
You need to put that in there.

349
00:18:36,834 --> 00:18:39,333
What your total outstanding debt is going to be.

350
00:18:39,333 --> 00:18:44,266
What the interest trust is going to be estimated, and the term you anticipate,

351
00:18:47,066 --> 00:18:48,133
and I and I

352
00:18:48,133 --> 00:18:51,000
that's, I think I have the same reservations that.

353
00:18:51,000 --> 00:18:54,133
Yeah, in addition to the practical one of three printing things,

354
00:18:54,467 --> 00:18:57,900
that if I can put that in

355
00:18:57,900 --> 00:19:00,900
and make it sound better or worse, depending on what my motive is,

356
00:19:01,300 --> 00:19:04,834
then can I also put in why we think it's a good idea?

357
00:19:05,133 --> 00:19:05,734
Right.

358
00:19:05,734 --> 00:19:07,367
Why the kids needed that as a balance.

359
00:19:07,367 --> 00:19:08,900
Yeah. So.

360
00:19:08,900 --> 00:19:12,000
So that's why I'm struggling to figure out how to answer your question.

361
00:19:12,000 --> 00:19:16,367
Because I don't think there's anything that stops us from providing

362
00:19:16,367 --> 00:19:19,900
additional voter information and offering

363
00:19:20,000 --> 00:19:23,100
more detail or analysis

364
00:19:23,667 --> 00:19:26,333
or straight out advocacy, one way or the other are both ways,

365
00:19:26,333 --> 00:19:30,166
if you like, outside of the ballot box, when I think, you know,

366
00:19:30,166 --> 00:19:33,266
it's like when you go to the ballot box, you have a choice of candidates

367
00:19:34,066 --> 00:19:37,133
and you don't have campaign information in there.

368
00:19:37,166 --> 00:19:38,300
So this is just

369
00:19:38,300 --> 00:19:42,100
this is the bare minimum legally required stuff that goes into this.

370
00:19:42,100 --> 00:19:44,934
I haven't done this for years, so I'm just getting educated as well.

371
00:19:44,934 --> 00:19:45,467
Correct.

372
00:19:45,467 --> 00:19:49,567
This is pretty much and provided to us by the bond Council.

373
00:19:50,100 --> 00:19:52,734
Not not the not the financial statement.

374
00:19:52,734 --> 00:19:54,700
He gave me the form. But yeah, okay.

375
00:19:54,700 --> 00:19:55,834
We had to fill in the numbers.

376
00:19:57,767 --> 00:20:00,233
Any questions?

377
00:20:00,233 --> 00:20:02,734
Anyone else?

378
00:20:02,734 --> 00:20:05,133
Okay. So

379
00:20:05,133 --> 00:20:07,066
we've had quite a bit of discussion.

380
00:20:07,066 --> 00:20:10,533
I haven't heard any amendments suggested, however.

381
00:20:10,533 --> 00:20:12,000
So are we.

382
00:20:12,000 --> 00:20:14,100
Actually, we do need to open this for public comment.

383
00:20:14,100 --> 00:20:16,000
First off, my mistake.

384
00:20:16,000 --> 00:20:16,634
Sorry about that.

385
00:20:16,634 --> 00:20:19,333
So we'll now open a public comment period.

386
00:20:19,333 --> 00:20:23,934
If you would like to speak to this item, and your online, please raise your hand

387
00:20:23,934 --> 00:20:25,066
if you are here in the audience,

388
00:20:25,066 --> 00:20:28,033
you must speak to a come to the podium, introduce yourself where you live.

389
00:20:28,500 --> 00:20:31,500
Let us know what your thoughts are.

390
00:20:32,367 --> 00:20:34,000
Not seeing any takers?

391
00:20:34,000 --> 00:20:34,333
We will.

392
00:20:34,333 --> 00:20:37,133
We'll close the public comment period.

393
00:20:37,133 --> 00:20:38,000
Bring it back to the council.

394
00:20:38,000 --> 00:20:40,100
So now I'll, kind of where I was going before.

395
00:20:40,100 --> 00:20:43,033
Are we ready for a vote on this?

396
00:20:43,033 --> 00:20:44,133
Mike, do you have your hand up?

397
00:20:45,066 --> 00:20:47,066
Yes, I have another question.

398
00:20:47,066 --> 00:20:47,133
Yeah.

399
00:20:47,133 --> 00:20:51,100
So how, how can we make amendments if these things are already

400
00:20:51,133 --> 00:20:52,634
to the printers?

401
00:20:52,634 --> 00:20:54,634
Well, it there'd be complications.

402
00:20:54,634 --> 00:20:55,767
But you.

403
00:20:55,767 --> 00:20:58,734
I mean, you're you have a right to make an amendment.

404
00:20:58,734 --> 00:21:03,100
And, you know, we'll just have to figure out the logistics if it if it passes.

405
00:21:09,433 --> 00:21:12,433
Okay.

406
00:21:13,634 --> 00:21:16,634
So shall we move the question?

407
00:21:17,233 --> 00:21:17,667
All right.

408
00:21:17,667 --> 00:21:20,333
I'm going to, councilor, we'll start on line.

409
00:21:20,333 --> 00:21:21,934
Councilor rabbit.

410
00:21:21,934 --> 00:21:24,033
Yes, councilor Tang.

411
00:21:24,033 --> 00:21:27,100
No. Councilor Monti.

412
00:21:27,100 --> 00:21:28,233
Yes, councilor.

413
00:21:28,233 --> 00:21:30,033
Casey. Yes.

414
00:21:30,033 --> 00:21:31,700
Yes, and I am.

415
00:21:31,700 --> 00:21:34,300
Yes. Also, motion passes.

416
00:21:34,300 --> 00:21:37,300
And that is the conclusion of our special meeting.

417
01:17:21,433 --> 01:17:24,433
And we'll move right into the workshop.

418
01:17:27,567 --> 01:17:32,133
So the first item on the workshop is announcements and information exchange.

419
01:17:32,133 --> 01:17:32,533
This is not

420
01:17:33,667 --> 01:17:34,767
committee liaison reports.

421
01:17:34,767 --> 01:17:38,700
This is just if there's any like there's a planned festival showing up

422
01:17:38,700 --> 01:17:42,634
in a few weeks or something, which there isn't, anything from anyone.

423
01:17:43,166 --> 01:17:44,233
General information.

424
01:17:44,233 --> 01:17:47,133
Okay.

425
01:17:47,133 --> 01:17:49,133
We will then we'll now move to

426
01:17:49,133 --> 01:17:52,133
a general public comment period.

427
01:17:52,033 --> 01:17:53,767
This is if you want to speak to

428
01:17:53,767 --> 01:17:56,934
the council about anything that is not on tonight's agenda.

429
01:17:58,066 --> 01:18:00,667
And just to remind everyone of our, rules

430
01:18:00,667 --> 01:18:04,900
around public comment, we first of all, we strongly encourage it.

431
01:18:05,500 --> 01:18:06,100
It helps us.

432
01:18:06,100 --> 01:18:07,033
We want to hear it.

433
01:18:07,033 --> 01:18:11,567
It's, And but we expect

434
01:18:11,567 --> 01:18:15,934
people to, come to the podium or identify on line.

435
01:18:15,934 --> 01:18:18,000
Let us know who you are. We live.

436
01:18:18,000 --> 01:18:21,000
Address your comments to us, not to the audience.

437
01:18:21,900 --> 01:18:25,867
And we are not going to, get in a question

438
01:18:25,867 --> 01:18:29,133
and answer period, because no one councilor speaks for the council.

439
01:18:29,367 --> 01:18:33,500
We will take questions, consider, and we may get back to you

440
01:18:33,500 --> 01:18:34,834
if it's something like, when's the next time

441
01:18:34,834 --> 01:18:36,000
you're meeting or something we can answer,

442
01:18:36,000 --> 01:18:39,533
but we're not going to get into, who's opinion on what?

443
01:18:40,000 --> 01:18:42,300
That's not that's not what the public comment period is for.

444
01:18:42,300 --> 01:18:44,000
It's for your public comment.

445
01:18:44,000 --> 01:18:47,066
And, I think that's pretty much it.

446
01:18:47,066 --> 01:18:49,700
We don't have a time limit, but we would ask you to be respectful

447
01:18:49,700 --> 01:18:53,467
of everyone's time in the room and, try to avoid repetition, etc..

448
01:18:53,900 --> 01:18:54,900
Okay.

449
01:18:54,900 --> 01:18:57,634
So with that, we'll open it for anything that's not on the agenda.

450
01:19:00,100 --> 01:19:02,066
Looks like we have someone.

451
01:19:02,066 --> 01:19:05,066
Oh, unstable.

452
01:19:05,634 --> 01:19:10,000
Richards tower, 136 Portland Street.

453
01:19:10,834 --> 01:19:15,734
In, August of 2019,

454
01:19:16,433 --> 01:19:19,634
the town council, approved a c,

455
01:19:20,000 --> 01:19:23,000
street scape plan.

456
01:19:23,567 --> 01:19:28,433
Phase one has been completed, up by,

457
01:19:29,667 --> 01:19:32,634
East, East Elm and Main Street.

458
01:19:33,066 --> 01:19:36,467
Phase two is not completed.

459
01:19:36,667 --> 01:19:39,667
Phase three. And for our

460
01:19:40,133 --> 01:19:44,266
not even really mentioned,

461
01:19:44,266 --> 01:19:49,233
during the summer, I many times I would be walking up

462
01:19:49,233 --> 01:19:53,333
and down Main Street, for the clam Festival.

463
01:19:54,100 --> 01:19:58,367
And I was reminded and looking down at the state of the sidewalks,

464
01:19:59,233 --> 01:20:01,634
they are a problem.

465
01:20:01,634 --> 01:20:04,734
And, it's certainly not welcoming or,

466
01:20:05,033 --> 01:20:07,767
an esthetic to visitors.

467
01:20:07,767 --> 01:20:11,500
Coming into town because, the,

468
01:20:11,700 --> 01:20:15,300
seascape streetscape, plan noticed that

469
01:20:16,767 --> 01:20:20,233
a major objective of the study was to unify

470
01:20:20,266 --> 01:20:24,133
Yarmouth's Main Street with a consistent treatment of the street,

471
01:20:24,133 --> 01:20:27,300
sidewalks, lighting and pedestrian amenities.

472
01:20:28,133 --> 01:20:32,066
There has not been a comprehensive evaluation of the streetscape

473
01:20:32,333 --> 01:20:36,867
since 1998, and this is reporting in 2019.

474
01:20:37,367 --> 01:20:41,634
And the current condition of the sidewalks speaks to the need for improvements.

475
01:20:42,133 --> 01:20:45,533
There are several areas along Main Street where expanded

476
01:20:45,533 --> 01:20:48,567
pavement area on the sidewalk would be conductive,

477
01:20:49,467 --> 01:20:52,166
conducive to enhanced

478
01:20:52,166 --> 01:20:55,166
activity gathering and outdoor dining.

479
01:20:55,433 --> 01:20:58,000
Much of the concrete has cracked.

480
01:20:58,000 --> 01:21:01,533
It is cracked from, the route one bridge

481
01:21:02,367 --> 01:21:06,567
up to or down to depending, Portland Street,

482
01:21:07,133 --> 01:21:10,634
on both sides of the street, by the NYU campus.

483
01:21:11,266 --> 01:21:14,100
So, the, concrete

484
01:21:14,100 --> 01:21:17,100
is, been cracked and settled over the years

485
01:21:17,033 --> 01:21:22,100
creating tripping hazards and a generally unkempt appearance.

486
01:21:22,900 --> 01:21:25,166
I urge the town council

487
01:21:25,166 --> 01:21:29,033
and the town manager to work on this

488
01:21:29,333 --> 01:21:32,066
because the the nine.

489
01:21:32,066 --> 01:21:36,000
Well, the seven year delay of the completion of that streetscape

490
01:21:36,567 --> 01:21:42,634
plan, I think has implications for an item that's going to be discussed later.

491
01:21:43,033 --> 01:21:44,100
Thank you.

492
01:21:44,100 --> 01:21:46,233
Thank you, Mr. Styler. Good to see you, Richard.

493
01:21:48,000 --> 01:21:50,867
Anyone else?

494
01:21:50,867 --> 01:21:52,567
Come to the podium?

495
01:21:52,567 --> 01:21:55,567
You just pass it down for.

496
01:21:55,734 --> 01:21:58,100
Hi, I'm Diane Nichols, 44 Bowmore Lane.

497
01:21:58,100 --> 01:22:02,100
I was just wondering if the town is going to form a committee to study

498
01:22:02,100 --> 01:22:06,133
the problem with, motorized vehicles that are going through the town

499
01:22:06,634 --> 01:22:11,467
and perhaps also, form some kind of subgroup

500
01:22:11,467 --> 01:22:15,166
that can educate kids at the schools as well as their parents,

501
01:22:15,700 --> 01:22:18,367
because I think it's a real problem in the community,

502
01:22:18,367 --> 01:22:22,634
and somebody's going to get hurt, whether it be a kid on the scooter

503
01:22:22,634 --> 01:22:25,634
or whatever, or somebody walking or running or whatever.

504
01:22:25,767 --> 01:22:28,667
So I hope the town will look into that,

505
01:22:28,667 --> 01:22:31,667
as soon as possible, because I think it's a big problem.

506
01:22:31,867 --> 01:22:34,867
Thank you for your comments.

507
01:22:37,834 --> 01:22:38,734
Anyone else?

508
01:22:41,867 --> 01:22:42,867
Okay, we'll

509
01:22:42,867 --> 01:22:46,000
close the public comment period and move on to item number one,

510
01:22:46,767 --> 01:22:49,133
which is to hear the reports of the council chair,

511
01:22:49,133 --> 01:22:52,133
committees, delegates, liaisons and the town manager.

512
01:22:52,133 --> 01:22:56,333
I checked here, I don't know, consulting or Counselor Abbott,

513
01:22:56,333 --> 01:23:01,066
if you've had any committees, any any liaison reports.

514
01:23:02,100 --> 01:23:03,634
All right.

515
01:23:03,634 --> 01:23:04,233
Okay. Nothing.

516
01:23:04,233 --> 01:23:07,066
And, here, I think the only only one is counselor.

517
01:23:07,066 --> 01:23:10,533
Yes. Just briefly, I attended the,

518
01:23:10,533 --> 01:23:13,533
shellfish.

519
01:23:14,133 --> 01:23:16,767
I've forgotten the name conservation.

520
01:23:16,767 --> 01:23:19,700
Conservation. Commission.

521
01:23:19,700 --> 01:23:22,700
Two points.

522
01:23:23,000 --> 01:23:25,567
Two points were raised by members of the public.

523
01:23:25,567 --> 01:23:29,066
A digger, longtime digger, clams.

524
01:23:29,166 --> 01:23:32,734
That I think,

525
01:23:32,734 --> 01:23:35,700
should be reported so that some action be taken.

526
01:23:36,100 --> 01:23:41,834
One is the, lack of coordination and, effort

527
01:23:42,133 --> 01:23:47,033
to, enforce rules against poaching.

528
01:23:47,266 --> 01:23:51,500
We are now finding ourselves,

529
01:23:51,500 --> 01:23:55,233
as a result of surveys that the town undertook.

530
01:23:57,000 --> 01:23:58,300
We now find that we

531
01:23:58,300 --> 01:24:02,033
have, a fair amount of, clams out there.

532
01:24:02,266 --> 01:24:07,166
And so it's bringing in, people without licenses to dig

533
01:24:07,834 --> 01:24:10,233
and,

534
01:24:10,233 --> 01:24:13,300
the harbormaster was able to, catch

535
01:24:13,934 --> 01:24:17,867
one group, doing this and issued a summons,

536
01:24:18,166 --> 01:24:22,467
but generally, even if, someone calls a dispatcher,

537
01:24:22,934 --> 01:24:28,166
it does not go to the police or to Will owns the harbormaster.

538
01:24:28,166 --> 01:24:31,133
So it just, isn't being enforced.

539
01:24:31,133 --> 01:24:34,300
And that is money out of the pockets of the people

540
01:24:34,300 --> 01:24:37,567
who are licensed, who depend on,

541
01:24:37,567 --> 01:24:40,567
the abundance of of these, shellfish.

542
01:24:40,934 --> 01:24:44,066
The second issue is, that there's,

543
01:24:45,033 --> 01:24:49,567
continuing problem with water quality,

544
01:24:49,767 --> 01:24:54,367
in the areas, where these beds are found and elsewhere,

545
01:24:54,867 --> 01:24:57,567
probably from,

546
01:24:57,567 --> 01:25:02,500
defective septic systems, and other sources.

547
01:25:02,500 --> 01:25:06,333
So, I also bring that to the attention

548
01:25:06,333 --> 01:25:11,300
of the council so that we can keep an eye on that

549
01:25:11,300 --> 01:25:15,634
and make sure whoever should be monitoring that is doing it.

550
01:25:15,867 --> 01:25:17,000
Thank you.

551
01:25:17,000 --> 01:25:18,867
Thank you, Councilor Cooper.

552
01:25:18,867 --> 01:25:21,133
Anything from the West Wing?

553
01:25:21,133 --> 01:25:22,834
Nothing. Okay.

554
01:25:22,834 --> 01:25:25,133
That's the end of item number one, then.

555
01:25:26,567 --> 01:25:28,066
Item number two,

556
01:25:28,066 --> 01:25:31,066
to receive report and recommendation of the bike ped committee

557
01:25:31,467 --> 01:25:35,166
on a draft active transportation plan to schedule action thereon.

558
01:25:37,033 --> 01:25:38,133
Would you like to introduce this?

559
01:25:38,133 --> 01:25:42,467
I'm sure we have someone from the staff to speak as Juliana is here.

560
01:25:43,467 --> 01:25:45,333
I'll.

561
01:25:45,333 --> 01:25:47,767
I'll let them do their own introductions. Heather.

562
01:25:47,767 --> 01:25:48,900
Yes? Good evening. Hi.

563
01:25:48,900 --> 01:25:53,634
Julie de, system planner and liaison to the fabulous by compared committee.

564
01:25:53,900 --> 01:25:57,467
I'm not actually going to do the whole presentation because we have hard working,

565
01:25:57,567 --> 01:26:01,300
members of the community who have, helped to lead this project.

566
01:26:01,300 --> 01:26:04,934
Colin Durant, our chair, and Mike Tremblay as well.

567
01:26:04,934 --> 01:26:07,133
So they're actually going to give the presentation.

568
01:26:07,133 --> 01:26:10,133
So, Colin, I'd like to invite you up.

569
01:26:13,333 --> 01:26:14,734
Oh, brilliant.

570
01:26:14,734 --> 01:26:15,900
All right.

571
01:26:15,900 --> 01:26:18,066
So good to see you again.

572
01:26:18,066 --> 01:26:21,133
I'm going to, I'm Colin Durant. I live on Tenney.

573
01:26:21,133 --> 01:26:25,834
Lucky enough to be chair of the bike ped committee with a fabulous group,

574
01:26:25,834 --> 01:26:30,033
of residents that I think is really representative.

575
01:26:30,066 --> 01:26:34,066
Both sort of young parents, like myself.

576
01:26:34,066 --> 01:26:35,233
Well, I'm not so young anymore.

577
01:26:35,233 --> 01:26:38,300
I turn 50 younger parents than myself.

578
01:26:38,533 --> 01:26:43,033
Middle aged people like me, and then some older residents,

579
01:26:43,066 --> 01:26:46,567
that walk and there's a real, mix of walking and biking.

580
01:26:46,867 --> 01:26:48,166
So we wanted to talk.

581
01:26:48,166 --> 01:26:52,066
We're really excited about, the active transportation plan,

582
01:26:52,233 --> 01:26:56,634
that was developed and that we've worked on over the past year or so.

583
01:26:56,634 --> 01:27:00,066
So next slide, these are

584
01:27:00,133 --> 01:27:04,567
this is just a quick overview of what, myself and Mike Tremblay,

585
01:27:04,567 --> 01:27:09,867
who is also, on the committee, and we're lucky enough to have him

586
01:27:09,867 --> 01:27:14,100
his traffic engineer expertise, which always helps.

587
01:27:14,100 --> 01:27:17,266
This is just some of the main points we're going to touch on.

588
01:27:17,266 --> 01:27:19,734
What, you know, why even do this?

589
01:27:19,734 --> 01:27:22,233
How does it relate to the larger plans that have been developed?

590
01:27:22,233 --> 01:27:23,634
What was the process?

591
01:27:23,634 --> 01:27:25,934
What is the plan include?

592
01:27:25,934 --> 01:27:29,066
The key principles, how it's sort of

593
01:27:29,066 --> 01:27:33,033
set up on and off road, some supportive strategies.

594
01:27:33,033 --> 01:27:34,233
And then, of course, what's next?

595
01:27:34,233 --> 01:27:38,166
Because we're all excited about it now and want to want to get some things done.

596
01:27:38,166 --> 01:27:39,133
So next slide

597
01:27:40,667 --> 01:27:41,166
next slide.

598
01:27:41,166 --> 01:27:43,133
We're going to go I'm going to start with some background.

599
01:27:43,133 --> 01:27:45,433
That's my job. Mike gets into the details.

600
01:27:45,433 --> 01:27:49,367
So I gave a quick introduction of the bike ped committee when I was here

601
01:27:49,367 --> 01:27:51,867
a couple weeks ago about the Casco Bay trail.

602
01:27:51,867 --> 01:27:56,700
But, we worked a couple of years ago to rework our mission, and our vision.

603
01:27:56,700 --> 01:28:00,433
And this is our mission to create a safe, connected, active mobility networks

604
01:28:00,734 --> 01:28:04,900
throughout Yarmouth that support a healthy, eco friendly lifestyle.

605
01:28:04,900 --> 01:28:08,000
I also mentioned, I know our committee also thinks

606
01:28:08,000 --> 01:28:11,000
about that for all ages and abilities across town.

607
01:28:11,166 --> 01:28:12,634
That's a really important thing.

608
01:28:12,634 --> 01:28:14,500
That's always top of people's mind.

609
01:28:14,500 --> 01:28:19,567
Our roles include education and outreach, including on things like e-bikes

610
01:28:19,567 --> 01:28:23,533
and e motos, planning for pedestrian and bicycle friendly

611
01:28:23,767 --> 01:28:26,834
communities, seeking funding and implementation improvements.

612
01:28:27,000 --> 01:28:28,767
We were established back in 2020.

613
01:28:28,767 --> 01:28:31,066
And one thing I just want to recognize

614
01:28:31,066 --> 01:28:34,867
that I think a lot about is the amazing work that the people

615
01:28:34,867 --> 01:28:38,934
before our committee that that that were previously on the committee,

616
01:28:39,033 --> 01:28:42,533
that we're working, in town, like Dan who's here,

617
01:28:42,767 --> 01:28:47,100
that I mean, we are really beneficiaries of their hard work and vision.

618
01:28:47,100 --> 01:28:50,266
And I think I sort of think about, okay, how can we maintain that?

619
01:28:50,266 --> 01:28:54,934
And then how can we build on that for like my children and grandchildren.

620
01:28:54,934 --> 01:28:58,266
So, next, next slide.

621
01:28:58,266 --> 01:29:01,266
And I also just say, well, we're going to the next slide.

622
01:29:01,567 --> 01:29:05,834
We're also really lucky here in town to have such supportive,

623
01:29:06,033 --> 01:29:11,266
town staff that understand the importance of safe streets and implementation.

624
01:29:11,266 --> 01:29:17,000
Julian Aaron DPW, the the engineer, they're all really great partners for us.

625
01:29:17,000 --> 01:29:21,667
And I think we're really sort of like outstandingly lucky to have them.

626
01:29:21,934 --> 01:29:26,233
Because while we can sort of advise, they're the ones that have

627
01:29:26,233 --> 01:29:29,233
to figure out how to implement it and they're all really committed to it.

628
01:29:29,300 --> 01:29:33,834
Every year the committee sets, we try to set priorities to keep us organized.

629
01:29:33,834 --> 01:29:37,133
So we're not just sort of as you would imagine, we get a lot of,

630
01:29:37,100 --> 01:29:39,567
complaints about speeding, dangerous driving and stuff.

631
01:29:39,567 --> 01:29:42,233
We want to try to really focus our energy as a committee.

632
01:29:42,233 --> 01:29:47,100
So our priorities, this year, where to develop this active transportation plan.

633
01:29:47,066 --> 01:29:50,100
Parallel to that,

634
01:29:50,100 --> 01:29:53,634
work with the school department to create a safe routes to school plan.

635
01:29:54,033 --> 01:29:56,734
Another priority, which I'm sure a lot of people are familiar with our

636
01:29:56,734 --> 01:29:58,467
our traffic calming projects, again,

637
01:29:58,467 --> 01:30:02,166
to respond to concerns about dangerous driving and speeding.

638
01:30:02,433 --> 01:30:06,767
And creating as safe as possible spaces for people,

639
01:30:07,133 --> 01:30:12,100
advising and recommending on, infrastructure funding and projects.

640
01:30:12,100 --> 01:30:15,500
So if there's a if project before the planning board that that might

641
01:30:15,500 --> 01:30:20,100
relate to bike or ped infrastructure, we advise on that outreach and engagement.

642
01:30:21,000 --> 01:30:22,533
I alluded to this earlier.

643
01:30:22,533 --> 01:30:23,867
We've been working a lot this year.

644
01:30:23,867 --> 01:30:28,100
Alex, on our committee and others on in particular, micromobility e-bikes

645
01:30:28,100 --> 01:30:28,834
and e motos,

646
01:30:28,834 --> 01:30:30,000
and really working

647
01:30:30,000 --> 01:30:33,567
with the Police Services Advisory Committee to put out some great materials.

648
01:30:33,934 --> 01:30:37,667
About that so we can educate parents, and youth

649
01:30:37,667 --> 01:30:40,667
about youth, about the safe use and then also,

650
01:30:40,867 --> 01:30:43,867
working on our trail,

651
01:30:43,900 --> 01:30:46,133
in sidewalk network keeping that maintained.

652
01:30:46,133 --> 01:30:48,266
All right, next slide.

653
01:30:48,266 --> 01:30:49,300
I'm trying to be quick.

654
01:30:49,300 --> 01:30:51,133
So what is active transportation?

655
01:30:51,133 --> 01:30:53,266
It's like one of those wonky words, right?

656
01:30:53,266 --> 01:30:55,300
Like not a normal person uses

657
01:30:55,300 --> 01:30:58,166
I do because I'm obsessed with bikes, biking and walking.

658
01:30:58,166 --> 01:31:01,500
But basically it's that use of human

659
01:31:01,500 --> 01:31:05,433
powered physical activity like walking but biking, rolling.

660
01:31:05,433 --> 01:31:08,500
It's like all the great things that people like to do around here, right?

661
01:31:08,500 --> 01:31:10,500
Walk if they're not in a car.

662
01:31:10,500 --> 01:31:14,333
I think it's also important to recognize that this includes

663
01:31:14,467 --> 01:31:18,500
people in mobility devices, assisted mobility devices, or wheelchairs.

664
01:31:18,634 --> 01:31:23,033
We have to think about, accessibility for them, just like we have to think about

665
01:31:23,033 --> 01:31:26,467
safety for, for, you know, the kids who are using or

666
01:31:26,567 --> 01:31:29,567
an older resident who's using the sidewalk.

667
01:31:29,634 --> 01:31:30,033
Next slide.

668
01:31:32,066 --> 01:31:34,033
So why now?

669
01:31:34,033 --> 01:31:36,567
I mean, it's been a long time since the last one. That's why.

670
01:31:36,567 --> 01:31:42,100
And so, the, the landscape has changed how people think about streets

671
01:31:42,233 --> 01:31:43,133
have changed.

672
01:31:43,133 --> 01:31:45,667
Growth in the town has changed.

673
01:31:45,667 --> 01:31:49,000
The look of our town has changed just in terms of where people live.

674
01:31:49,300 --> 01:31:54,667
And so, and most importantly, there's been a lot of change

675
01:31:54,667 --> 01:31:58,667
in standards, how traffic planners and engineers think about our roads.

676
01:31:58,667 --> 01:32:02,033
And so let's take advantage of that with our new new plan.

677
01:32:02,166 --> 01:32:05,700
Like it's been over ten years since our last plan.

678
01:32:06,300 --> 01:32:08,900
Next slide.

679
01:32:08,900 --> 01:32:10,734
So what was the planning process?

680
01:32:10,734 --> 01:32:13,100
We released an RFP in July.

681
01:32:13,100 --> 01:32:16,133
We were really lucky to get a broad range of responses

682
01:32:16,133 --> 01:32:20,467
from really qualified consultants, which is I think speaks to Yarmouth's,

683
01:32:21,634 --> 01:32:24,133
how much Yarmouth is seen as kind of a leader in this.

684
01:32:24,133 --> 01:32:25,767
We're very lucky in that respect.

685
01:32:25,767 --> 01:32:27,533
Tool design Group was selected.

686
01:32:27,533 --> 01:32:32,300
They're an amazing firm that works across the nation on projects like this.

687
01:32:32,300 --> 01:32:36,700
So I was excited about that because we can tap into their nationwide expertise, but

688
01:32:36,700 --> 01:32:40,767
they also have experience here in Maine, which is Maine can be unique in some ways.

689
01:32:40,767 --> 01:32:42,634
So it's good to have that experience.

690
01:32:42,634 --> 01:32:43,500
Kicked it off.

691
01:32:43,500 --> 01:32:46,166
In November, we did an online survey.

692
01:32:46,166 --> 01:32:49,700
We also targeted a few key audiences,

693
01:32:49,700 --> 01:32:52,700
senior focus groups, high schoolers.

694
01:32:52,700 --> 01:32:56,066
And then we had a public comment period where we got some great comments.

695
01:32:56,066 --> 01:32:58,900
So next slide.

696
01:32:58,900 --> 01:33:02,066
So the the plan components, next slide.

697
01:33:04,000 --> 01:33:07,567
So the one thing I just want to mention this is built on past work.

698
01:33:07,567 --> 01:33:11,133
It's all connected to the comp plan, the climate Action plan,

699
01:33:11,433 --> 01:33:14,367
the Vision Zero plan, all of which have been adopted.

700
01:33:14,433 --> 01:33:19,033
The the creation of an active transportation plan is really a next step.

701
01:33:19,033 --> 01:33:20,867
It's included in some of those plans.

702
01:33:20,867 --> 01:33:24,533
And so it's all part of these shared themes of like public health,

703
01:33:24,734 --> 01:33:27,767
quality of life across town that we all care

704
01:33:27,767 --> 01:33:30,767
about, neighborhood connections, building connections with each other,

705
01:33:31,033 --> 01:33:35,166
efficient land use and transportation, and of course, protecting our environment.

706
01:33:35,166 --> 01:33:36,133
Next slide.

707
01:33:37,934 --> 01:33:40,433
So the plan starts with a vision statement.

708
01:33:40,433 --> 01:33:42,700
It's long. I'm not going to read the whole thing.

709
01:33:42,700 --> 01:33:44,367
You can read it in the document.

710
01:33:44,367 --> 01:33:46,133
But it's really as you'll see, it's focused

711
01:33:46,133 --> 01:33:50,066
on creating a safe and welcoming environment for everyone.

712
01:33:50,066 --> 01:33:53,500
Like I said, that all ages and abilities network,

713
01:33:53,700 --> 01:33:56,734
network was another key goal here.

714
01:33:56,734 --> 01:34:01,033
So building more connected networks, I'm sure if you walk around town on a site

715
01:34:01,066 --> 01:34:05,667
like a sidewalk drops or like a path, and so trying to make it easier

716
01:34:05,667 --> 01:34:10,467
to get around without a car by connecting those networks, that's also safer.

717
01:34:10,467 --> 01:34:11,767
Let's, key part of

718
01:34:11,767 --> 01:34:15,500
this is also calm our streets to sort of, like, slow everybody down.

719
01:34:16,100 --> 01:34:19,066
We also sort of developed some guiding principles

720
01:34:19,333 --> 01:34:21,266
that, again, underpin the whole plan.

721
01:34:21,266 --> 01:34:23,667
Safety, of course, is the first one.

722
01:34:23,667 --> 01:34:28,133
And prioritize the safety of all users on the road.

723
01:34:28,133 --> 01:34:30,133
So that's anybody who's traveling often.

724
01:34:30,133 --> 01:34:35,834
I'll note that often street improvements, will improve safety for everyone

725
01:34:35,834 --> 01:34:39,667
traveling on the road, including drivers, because it helps slow people down,

726
01:34:39,667 --> 01:34:40,700
connected network.

727
01:34:40,700 --> 01:34:43,166
So we want this cohesive, intuitive system.

728
01:34:43,166 --> 01:34:46,467
We want to close gaps that can be some of the most dangerous.

729
01:34:46,767 --> 01:34:50,333
I think one of the most exciting projects that has happened in recent memory

730
01:34:50,333 --> 01:34:54,367
is the crosswalk at the ice cream store, where maples used to be, right?

731
01:34:54,367 --> 01:34:56,433
That that's a great example of a gap.

732
01:34:56,433 --> 01:34:58,667
If you before that was in there,

733
01:34:58,667 --> 01:35:01,634
there was literally like you would put your sort of life in danger

734
01:35:01,634 --> 01:35:06,767
trying to scramble across from the Beth Condon pathway to get coffee

735
01:35:06,767 --> 01:35:11,433
or your sweet at maples while VIP's walking to working on your car.

736
01:35:11,734 --> 01:35:14,567
I can talk about that from my experience, but there was no

737
01:35:14,567 --> 01:35:16,500
there was no like walk signal or anything.

738
01:35:16,500 --> 01:35:17,700
And now we have that.

739
01:35:17,700 --> 01:35:20,700
And that's really so that goes to how this also supports

740
01:35:21,000 --> 01:35:23,300
economic development in our local businesses.

741
01:35:23,300 --> 01:35:24,266
And then,

742
01:35:24,266 --> 01:35:28,500
what we were really focused on is we want this to be practical and implementable.

743
01:35:28,500 --> 01:35:30,266
Right. So this is a vision.

744
01:35:30,266 --> 01:35:31,734
We can't do it all at once.

745
01:35:31,734 --> 01:35:36,000
But we wanted to provide the council, our planners and others

746
01:35:36,033 --> 01:35:39,533
the tools to make decisions about, okay, what investment makes sense.

747
01:35:39,533 --> 01:35:44,133
Maybe in the near future what we can do in the, in long term future.

748
01:35:44,367 --> 01:35:47,934
And with that, we've got sort of a flexible toolkit of designs.

749
01:35:48,066 --> 01:35:52,433
And the goal is just to like, maintain what we have because

750
01:35:52,700 --> 01:35:56,667
as was mentioned earlier in the comments, that that's really important.

751
01:35:56,667 --> 01:35:58,834
We're lucky to have this network.

752
01:35:58,834 --> 01:36:02,133
Some of it is old and needs to be rebuilt and maintained.

753
01:36:02,467 --> 01:36:04,333
But we want to continue that progress.

754
01:36:04,333 --> 01:36:06,233
Like I said, we are beneficiaries.

755
01:36:06,233 --> 01:36:08,700
I think we I think a lot about like I said,

756
01:36:08,700 --> 01:36:12,100
we're beneficiaries of the great vision of people before us.

757
01:36:12,100 --> 01:36:13,166
Right. The sidewalk.

758
01:36:13,166 --> 01:36:15,133
I, I took a walk today

759
01:36:15,133 --> 01:36:19,000
and it was all on sidewalks, which we're very lucky to have that.

760
01:36:19,000 --> 01:36:23,166
And I think it part of our part of our job is to continue that.

761
01:36:23,467 --> 01:36:26,667
So we continue especially, you know, big project

762
01:36:26,667 --> 01:36:30,333
that youth have talked to us about is extending the sidewalk down North Road.

763
01:36:30,333 --> 01:36:33,667
That's a great example of a necessary safety improvement

764
01:36:33,867 --> 01:36:36,367
based on growth in the town where people now live.

765
01:36:36,367 --> 01:36:38,467
They're looking for a safe route to get to school.

766
01:36:38,467 --> 01:36:40,634
So that's a great example of how we extend that.

767
01:36:40,634 --> 01:36:42,100
But we have to figure out that balance

768
01:36:42,100 --> 01:36:45,100
of maintaining our system and growing our system, too.

769
01:36:45,066 --> 01:36:50,433
So like I said, I as you can tell, I like to talk a lot about high level stuff.

770
01:36:50,433 --> 01:36:52,066
I'm going to pass it over to Mike,

771
01:36:52,066 --> 01:36:55,634
who's the traffic engineer and can talk about, like, the details,

772
01:36:55,634 --> 01:36:59,700
how the plan is structured and some of the details around implementation.

773
01:36:59,700 --> 01:37:00,333
So thank you.

774
01:37:01,467 --> 01:37:03,166
Thanks, Tom. Yep.

775
01:37:03,166 --> 01:37:05,066
So Colin, give me a good introduction.

776
01:37:05,066 --> 01:37:07,133
I'm I'll repeat a little bit about myself.

777
01:37:07,133 --> 01:37:11,700
Mike Tremblay I am I've been on the bike and back to me since 2021.

778
01:37:11,700 --> 01:37:16,033
I think, I took a, I had to fill some pretty large shoes and, Sue Ellen Boyd.

779
01:37:16,033 --> 01:37:19,567
Well, so I'm doing my best to live up to her, her reputation.

780
01:37:21,066 --> 01:37:23,934
When I moved to Yarmouth in 2019,

781
01:37:23,934 --> 01:37:25,533
you know, there's a lot of great places to live in Maine.

782
01:37:25,533 --> 01:37:27,300
And we were, you know, driving around window shopping

783
01:37:27,300 --> 01:37:29,000
for, you know, what towns we want to live in.

784
01:37:29,000 --> 01:37:32,367
And, there are a lot of places I kind of vetoed right off the bat.

785
01:37:32,367 --> 01:37:35,333
And then when we visited Yarmouth, I was instantly attracted to it.

786
01:37:35,333 --> 01:37:39,133
And a big reason was the fact that you could see people walking around.

787
01:37:39,133 --> 01:37:41,100
You can see kids riding their bikes to school.

788
01:37:41,100 --> 01:37:43,467
The one of the slides earlier showed the road school, you know,

789
01:37:43,467 --> 01:37:46,233
first and first graders and kindergartners riding their bikes to school.

790
01:37:46,233 --> 01:37:47,567
And that's that's just fantastic.

791
01:37:47,567 --> 01:37:49,433
And there's not a lot of places in Maine.

792
01:37:49,433 --> 01:37:50,300
That have that.

793
01:37:50,300 --> 01:37:53,634
And so I think this is this is personal to me, this, that, this type of work.

794
01:37:53,634 --> 01:37:57,867
And I'm honored to be able to work on it in the town I live in and and the town

795
01:37:57,867 --> 01:37:58,700
I love.

796
01:37:58,700 --> 01:38:03,533
And, I think a big part of it is, independence for for everybody

797
01:38:03,567 --> 01:38:07,300
young and old and everywhere in between, you know, all ages and abilities,

798
01:38:07,300 --> 01:38:10,100
as Colin said. So a bit more about myself.

799
01:38:10,100 --> 01:38:13,166
I've been working on, pedestrian and bicycle and traffic safety

800
01:38:13,233 --> 01:38:16,767
my whole career, since I graduated from northeastern in 2011.

801
01:38:17,133 --> 01:38:19,467
Right now, I'm the, planning director at Greater Portland Metro.

802
01:38:19,467 --> 01:38:22,000
So I'm. I'm in the community working on on transit stuff.

803
01:38:22,000 --> 01:38:24,734
But, you know, you can't have transit without walking

804
01:38:24,734 --> 01:38:26,033
and biking network to get to the bus stops.

805
01:38:26,033 --> 01:38:28,066
And so I think it's all interconnected.

806
01:38:28,066 --> 01:38:31,433
So I'm going to talk a little bit about what's in the plan specifically.

807
01:38:32,133 --> 01:38:34,133
If you can go to the next slide,

808
01:38:35,667 --> 01:38:37,000
a little bit of what

809
01:38:37,000 --> 01:38:39,900
Colin mentioned already, but there's three major categories in the plan.

810
01:38:39,900 --> 01:38:43,166
There's the network vision, there's infrastructure toolkit,

811
01:38:43,166 --> 01:38:46,166
which is sort of how you implement the things in the network vision

812
01:38:46,533 --> 01:38:47,867
and then supportive strategies.

813
01:38:47,867 --> 01:38:51,867
So what kind of policy changes or policy, highlights can we have to support

814
01:38:51,867 --> 01:38:52,700
the plan?

815
01:38:52,700 --> 01:38:54,867
It's one thing to build a project, but it's another thing

816
01:38:54,867 --> 01:38:57,100
to continually support that project going forward.

817
01:38:57,100 --> 01:39:00,100
So I'll get into each of these next slide please.

818
01:39:01,033 --> 01:39:02,734
The first one, the action plan.

819
01:39:02,734 --> 01:39:06,700
The, the, you know, obviously the meat of the project

820
01:39:06,700 --> 01:39:09,700
is getting into what projects should be pursued.

821
01:39:10,066 --> 01:39:11,834
Kind of the the network vision here.

822
01:39:11,834 --> 01:39:14,266
You know, it.

823
01:39:14,266 --> 01:39:17,233
Colin talked a bit about barriers and how removing barriers can be

824
01:39:17,233 --> 01:39:20,066
a significant improvement to, an experience,

825
01:39:20,066 --> 01:39:24,700
a network is how you ensure that folks don't get stuck between point A and B,

826
01:39:25,066 --> 01:39:27,166
you can have a mile of sidewalks around your house,

827
01:39:27,166 --> 01:39:29,166
you can have a mile sidewalks around your destination.

828
01:39:29,166 --> 01:39:32,433
But if there's one block that doesn't have a sidewalk or a crosswalk,

829
01:39:32,734 --> 01:39:36,100
then that could prevent you from walking safely to your destination or riding.

830
01:39:36,100 --> 01:39:37,767
If you're talking about a safe.

831
01:39:37,767 --> 01:39:40,433
Safe infrastructure, same thing for crosswalks

832
01:39:40,433 --> 01:39:43,433
or other kind of, you know, critical pieces there.

833
01:39:43,467 --> 01:39:47,500
So really the plan focuses on filling in those gaps, where needed.

834
01:39:48,066 --> 01:39:50,100
And it's also important to note that, you know,

835
01:39:50,100 --> 01:39:53,767
while often the gold standard is a sidewalk or a wide shoulder for bikes

836
01:39:53,767 --> 01:39:58,266
or even a bike lane or, or a separate facility, it's not, one size fits all.

837
01:39:58,266 --> 01:40:01,266
If you live in a residential street with 100 cars a day,

838
01:40:01,300 --> 01:40:02,734
people probably feel pretty comfortable

839
01:40:02,734 --> 01:40:05,066
walking in the street or riding in mixed traffic.

840
01:40:05,066 --> 01:40:07,100
But if you're on route one, a little bit of a different story.

841
01:40:07,100 --> 01:40:10,333
And so the plan does not prescribe a specific treatment

842
01:40:10,333 --> 01:40:13,834
throughout the town, it's very, you know, descriptive based on where you are.

843
01:40:13,867 --> 01:40:15,467
I think that's very important

844
01:40:15,467 --> 01:40:17,333
for a plan like this, because obviously different treatments

845
01:40:17,333 --> 01:40:19,467
have different costs and different maintenance responsibilities.

846
01:40:20,533 --> 01:40:23,533
Next slide please.

847
01:40:23,867 --> 01:40:25,667
So what projects are in the plan?

848
01:40:25,667 --> 01:40:29,066
The you made a list on the on street projects.

849
01:40:29,100 --> 01:40:31,634
Then there's 80. That sounds about right.

850
01:40:31,634 --> 01:40:34,066
And so I encourage everybody to look through the plan.

851
01:40:34,066 --> 01:40:37,033
There's 80, 80 projects, you know, typically it's,

852
01:40:37,433 --> 01:40:41,000
you know, Main Street from Portland to,

853
01:40:41,000 --> 01:40:44,700
you know, to East Elm or something like that, like a range of, of blocks.

854
01:40:45,266 --> 01:40:49,934
And they'll call out a specific, a I'll call it a quasi specific plan.

855
01:40:49,934 --> 01:40:53,033
So, implement traffic traffic calming on these blocks.

856
01:40:53,033 --> 01:40:55,367
Right. There's a little bit of wiggle room.

857
01:40:55,367 --> 01:40:57,900
They don't prescribe specific treatments. In most cases.

858
01:40:57,900 --> 01:40:58,934
It's mostly,

859
01:40:58,934 --> 01:41:01,133
you know, how we've identified a gap in the network

860
01:41:01,133 --> 01:41:04,066
or we've identified an issue with speeding in this network.

861
01:41:04,066 --> 01:41:06,467
We recommend proceeding with this type of a treatment.

862
01:41:06,467 --> 01:41:11,634
And so there's 80 of those products that deal with on street, improvements.

863
01:41:11,667 --> 01:41:15,100
And that could be anything from sidewalk, a building, a sidewalk

864
01:41:15,100 --> 01:41:18,634
or calming traffic or an intersection improvement.

865
01:41:18,634 --> 01:41:20,734
So if you have an intersection that requires you

866
01:41:20,734 --> 01:41:24,100
to cross 110ft of travel lanes because it's skewed

867
01:41:24,367 --> 01:41:27,133
and there's lots of lanes, tightening up that intersection

868
01:41:27,133 --> 01:41:29,166
can be a significant improvement, not just for pedestrian

869
01:41:29,166 --> 01:41:32,133
safety or bicycle safety, but for, for driver safety as well.

870
01:41:33,133 --> 01:41:35,033
So those are the types of products in the street section.

871
01:41:35,033 --> 01:41:38,433
I again, I encourage you all to read, what's in there if you haven't already?

872
01:41:38,767 --> 01:41:40,133
Because again, it's too many to list.

873
01:41:40,133 --> 01:41:42,700
But, this is the type of thing that when we, you know,

874
01:41:42,700 --> 01:41:45,166
we field complaints or comments from the public about,

875
01:41:45,166 --> 01:41:48,133
you know, cars going too fast down the street, it's usually going to be

876
01:41:48,133 --> 01:41:51,133
a street project that will, improve that

877
01:41:51,867 --> 01:41:54,867
next slide.

878
01:41:55,100 --> 01:41:57,567
The next one, our off street projects, Colin

879
01:41:57,567 --> 01:42:01,700
mentioned the Casco Bay trail, a significant regional, trail project.

880
01:42:02,066 --> 01:42:06,700
The primary projects here, you can read on on the slide are,

881
01:42:06,700 --> 01:42:11,000
you know, these priority page paving projects off street,

882
01:42:11,000 --> 01:42:14,700
as well as the Beth Condon Trail extension, over to the Freeport line,

883
01:42:15,133 --> 01:42:17,000
and then the Casco Bay trail.

884
01:42:17,000 --> 01:42:20,266
So these, these major, I call them kind of bike and ped highways.

885
01:42:20,266 --> 01:42:21,433
The the most direct way

886
01:42:21,433 --> 01:42:24,467
to get from point A to point B on a, on a continuous facility.

887
01:42:24,900 --> 01:42:26,767
But these are also the regional connectors as well.

888
01:42:26,767 --> 01:42:27,500
So if you want to get up

889
01:42:27,500 --> 01:42:30,934
to L.L.Bean and Freeport or if you want to get down to, down

890
01:42:30,934 --> 01:42:34,567
to Falmouth on Route one, these for these facilities will help you do that.

891
01:42:35,266 --> 01:42:38,634
On a, on a safe facility and often, these are the

892
01:42:38,634 --> 01:42:40,900
these are the types of facilities that will be all,

893
01:42:40,900 --> 01:42:42,567
you know, truly, all ages and all abilities.

894
01:42:42,567 --> 01:42:44,567
There outside of mixed traffic there.

895
01:42:44,567 --> 01:42:48,100
You know, you're on a ten foot wide path that's separated from traffic.

896
01:42:48,100 --> 01:42:51,500
And, you know, hopefully the intersections with side streets are safe as well.

897
01:42:51,900 --> 01:42:53,667
And that's what these types of projects are looking to do.

898
01:42:53,667 --> 01:42:56,734
So, oftentimes when you think about recreational trails

899
01:42:56,734 --> 01:42:59,100
or even commuter trails, these what you're talking about.

900
01:42:59,100 --> 01:43:02,333
And I think, you know, Colin mentioned a bit about e-bikes

901
01:43:02,367 --> 01:43:05,767
and other, you know, kind of these, new mobility devices that are out there.

902
01:43:06,133 --> 01:43:08,433
These are the types of facilities that you kind of want

903
01:43:08,433 --> 01:43:10,000
to see that kind of activity on.

904
01:43:10,000 --> 01:43:11,467
So you can imagine

905
01:43:11,467 --> 01:43:14,767
commuting to Portland on a, on a facility like this because, you know, suddenly

906
01:43:14,767 --> 01:43:18,033
a 11 mile bike ride with if that doesn't seem

907
01:43:18,033 --> 01:43:21,066
appealing to you, 11 mile e-bike ride is really, you know, much easier.

908
01:43:21,066 --> 01:43:25,133
So, that's the sort of thing that we want to point folks to, for

909
01:43:25,133 --> 01:43:26,000
that kind of a facility.

910
01:43:27,333 --> 01:43:30,333
Finally, next slide, please.

911
01:43:30,567 --> 01:43:31,433
Partnership projects.

912
01:43:31,433 --> 01:43:36,333
So, there's a lot of facilities in town that are not 100% under the town's

913
01:43:36,333 --> 01:43:40,066
control, typically, you know, state aid, roadways like route one,

914
01:43:40,567 --> 01:43:44,567
as well as bridges will typically be working with Maine Dot

915
01:43:45,266 --> 01:43:49,333
on, or other entities, statewide entities on, these improvements.

916
01:43:49,333 --> 01:43:54,233
And so I think, including projects in this plan will help us.

917
01:43:54,900 --> 01:43:57,133
Show them that when they advance these types of projects

918
01:43:57,133 --> 01:43:59,000
that, hey, we have a plan for this road, we'd love

919
01:43:59,000 --> 01:44:02,000
if you could incorporate this plan into your construction project.

920
01:44:02,300 --> 01:44:04,133
And I think that's an important point here as well.

921
01:44:04,133 --> 01:44:08,100
These projects are not necessarily, you know, a list of things that the town

922
01:44:08,100 --> 01:44:10,000
must self-fund on their own.

923
01:44:10,000 --> 01:44:13,900
Oftentimes it's just showing, a regional or statewide entity that we

924
01:44:13,900 --> 01:44:16,700
we have a plan for the street and we have a plan for this intersection,

925
01:44:16,700 --> 01:44:18,367
and we'd love help to get there.

926
01:44:18,367 --> 01:44:22,500
So, these projects will obviously be, pretty large in scope.

927
01:44:22,567 --> 01:44:25,133
For example, Maine dot sorry, GP cog.

928
01:44:25,133 --> 01:44:27,000
The Greater Portland Council of Governments

929
01:44:27,000 --> 01:44:29,834
has been working on our Reimagining Route one project.

930
01:44:29,834 --> 01:44:34,734
So they, from Saco through Freeport, they identified a couple dozen locations

931
01:44:34,734 --> 01:44:38,300
to, improve on that corridor to try and make the whole corridor a bit more,

932
01:44:38,567 --> 01:44:42,767
you know, have a similar feel, from town to town and from mile to mile

933
01:44:43,000 --> 01:44:44,033
and so that's a

934
01:44:44,033 --> 01:44:45,033
that's an example of a project

935
01:44:45,033 --> 01:44:48,000
that our plan would like to kind of compliment their plans on.

936
01:44:49,166 --> 01:44:52,166
Next slide, please.

937
01:44:52,500 --> 01:44:55,634
So the next, aspect of this and this is a bit less lengthy.

938
01:44:55,634 --> 01:44:58,700
So I appreciate you bearing with me is the Infrastructure Toolbox toolkit.

939
01:44:59,000 --> 01:45:00,700
So how do you implement all these things. Right.

940
01:45:00,700 --> 01:45:02,333
So if you read all those plans you'll read,

941
01:45:02,333 --> 01:45:05,333
you know, 80 or 80 5 or 90 different projects.

942
01:45:05,367 --> 01:45:07,533
So but how do you actually implement these?

943
01:45:07,533 --> 01:45:09,333
I think this tool toolkit,

944
01:45:09,333 --> 01:45:12,266
sort of builds on the traffic coming to the toolkit that that Julie

945
01:45:12,266 --> 01:45:14,934
and the planning department, help advance a couple of years ago.

946
01:45:14,934 --> 01:45:18,300
And also identifies ways you can implement projects both short

947
01:45:18,300 --> 01:45:21,300
term, kind of as a pilot, you can test them out for a year.

948
01:45:21,667 --> 01:45:24,300
You can build you can have a quick build project

949
01:45:24,300 --> 01:45:27,533
that lasts, you know, 1 to 3 years as you wait for additional funding.

950
01:45:28,266 --> 01:45:32,000
And then all the way up to capital projects, and maintaining,

951
01:45:32,000 --> 01:45:33,133
maintaining those kinds of projects.

952
01:45:33,133 --> 01:45:35,100
So, this toolkit is essentially

953
01:45:35,100 --> 01:45:39,100
the how to the, to the, after the, the action plans.

954
01:45:39,100 --> 01:45:41,367
What, how do you build these things?

955
01:45:41,367 --> 01:45:43,767
How do you maintain these things after you build them?

956
01:45:43,767 --> 01:45:47,100
And so this plan is includes a great toolkit on how to do that.

957
01:45:47,567 --> 01:45:50,700
And it really helps make the plan, not just a list of projects,

958
01:45:50,700 --> 01:45:52,734
because I think anybody can come up with a list of projects,

959
01:45:52,734 --> 01:45:54,133
but also how you how do you implement them.

960
01:45:55,333 --> 01:45:58,333
Next slide please.

961
01:45:59,667 --> 01:46:01,133
And finally, the supportive strategies.

962
01:46:01,133 --> 01:46:01,166
Right.

963
01:46:01,166 --> 01:46:05,734
So we can lay out a list of projects.

964
01:46:05,734 --> 01:46:06,900
We can tell you how to build them.

965
01:46:06,900 --> 01:46:11,000
But I think there's also always going to be a policy aspect to any plan like this.

966
01:46:11,000 --> 01:46:14,834
And so I said the bike ped committee working with staff

967
01:46:14,834 --> 01:46:16,900
and other committees as well, I've been working on,

968
01:46:16,900 --> 01:46:19,066
a number of different kind of policy goals,

969
01:46:19,066 --> 01:46:21,667
and a lot of them are listed in the active transportation plan,

970
01:46:21,667 --> 01:46:24,834
one of which that we've been working on is, you know, how do we crack

971
01:46:24,834 --> 01:46:28,066
the nut of, of, tackling speed limits in town?

972
01:46:28,500 --> 01:46:29,367
For, for

973
01:46:29,367 --> 01:46:33,000
and for as long as I think most people can remember, dot is set the speed limit.

974
01:46:33,166 --> 01:46:34,500
There's an incidence in the past

975
01:46:34,500 --> 01:46:36,467
where we've asked Dot to lower the speed limit,

976
01:46:36,467 --> 01:46:38,734
and they come back and raise the speed limit.

977
01:46:38,734 --> 01:46:41,166
And so I think one of the major aspects

978
01:46:41,166 --> 01:46:44,734
of any kind of plan like this is how do we, take ownership of that?

979
01:46:45,133 --> 01:46:47,834
You know, we can implement a roadway improvement project,

980
01:46:47,834 --> 01:46:49,500
but if Dot says the road has to be designed

981
01:46:49,500 --> 01:46:52,000
for 35 miles an hour, then there's not be a whole lot we can do.

982
01:46:52,000 --> 01:46:56,433
And so, being able to take control of that for ourselves

983
01:46:56,433 --> 01:46:58,100
one way or the other, I think is really important.

984
01:46:58,100 --> 01:47:03,000
And I think, we've been advancing a, initiative to try and,

985
01:47:03,166 --> 01:47:08,066
get to a town wide 25 mile an hour speed limit, except where otherwise posted.

986
01:47:08,066 --> 01:47:08,300
Right.

987
01:47:08,300 --> 01:47:11,900
So that might be a way to create a more uniform expectation throughout town

988
01:47:11,900 --> 01:47:14,000
that if you're in Yarmouth, unless you see a big sign

989
01:47:14,000 --> 01:47:17,166
that says 35 miles an hour, you should be going 25 miles an hour.

990
01:47:17,166 --> 01:47:19,000
You know, there's not a street that's 30 miles

991
01:47:19,000 --> 01:47:20,433
an hour or a street that's 20 somewhere else.

992
01:47:20,433 --> 01:47:23,867
So, that's the one aspect of this of this plan.

993
01:47:24,166 --> 01:47:25,934
Collin mentioned the Safe Routes to school plan.

994
01:47:25,934 --> 01:47:29,533
So a lot of, you know, obviously we want people to continue

995
01:47:29,533 --> 01:47:31,934
to be able to ride and where I can walk and roll to school,

996
01:47:31,934 --> 01:47:32,667
safe Routes to School

997
01:47:32,667 --> 01:47:34,533
plan is sort of a nationally accepted way of,

998
01:47:34,533 --> 01:47:36,767
of of identifying that around school campuses.

999
01:47:36,767 --> 01:47:38,433
So we hope to advance that as well.

1000
01:47:38,433 --> 01:47:40,867
And then any number of other, policies as well.

1001
01:47:40,867 --> 01:47:43,500
And then I'll mention the very last bullet is, is,

1002
01:47:43,500 --> 01:47:46,300
you know, personal to me as a, as the Metro Breeze guy,

1003
01:47:46,300 --> 01:47:50,133
improving the, access to transit stops and improving,

1004
01:47:50,133 --> 01:47:52,233
the utility of our transit route, the breeze

1005
01:47:52,233 --> 01:47:55,266
for folks who might live further than, you know, the typical

1006
01:47:55,266 --> 01:47:58,266
one quarter to one half mile walk from a transit station.

1007
01:47:58,700 --> 01:48:00,500
You know, how do we get people who live all over town

1008
01:48:00,500 --> 01:48:02,300
to be able to have access to that breeze resource?

1009
01:48:02,300 --> 01:48:05,033
So, again, it's pretty holistic.

1010
01:48:05,033 --> 01:48:06,133
It's pretty comprehensive.

1011
01:48:06,133 --> 01:48:09,133
I really encourage folks in the room to read the plan, if you haven't already.

1012
01:48:09,300 --> 01:48:13,100
And, we really hope that the council, adopts it.

1013
01:48:13,066 --> 01:48:15,300
Once it's once it's finalized.

1014
01:48:15,300 --> 01:48:18,634
So I'm going to pass it off to Julie, who's going to talk a bit more about the,

1015
01:48:18,634 --> 01:48:19,467
next steps.

1016
01:48:19,467 --> 01:48:22,367
And, I'm happy to answer any questions if you haven't. Thank you.

1017
01:48:26,266 --> 01:48:29,266
Next slide please, Sean.

1018
01:48:29,867 --> 01:48:30,300
All right.

1019
01:48:30,300 --> 01:48:33,634
So one of the other elements of this plan is looking at,

1020
01:48:33,700 --> 01:48:36,667
funding and having future discussions about what

1021
01:48:36,667 --> 01:48:40,700
what it would take down the line many, many years to implement this.

1022
01:48:40,700 --> 01:48:45,367
So currently we have the CIP, the competitive process of grants,

1023
01:48:45,367 --> 01:48:50,467
partnerships, where we have a local match that's needed and the, the plan

1024
01:48:50,467 --> 01:48:52,266
and the community engagement basically found

1025
01:48:52,266 --> 01:48:56,533
that it can be a little restrictive in terms of implementation, in hindering

1026
01:48:56,533 --> 01:49:00,066
reacting to, requests for traffic calming projects

1027
01:49:00,066 --> 01:49:04,166
or specific, changes that affect, the operating budgets.

1028
01:49:04,467 --> 01:49:09,233
So the aspiration is that in the future, we can have discussions about dedicated

1029
01:49:09,233 --> 01:49:14,066
funding, and how to maintain existing resources better, like Mr.

1030
01:49:14,066 --> 01:49:15,900
Styler was talking about with the sidewalk.

1031
01:49:15,900 --> 01:49:18,900
So these are conversation that are for the future.

1032
01:49:18,900 --> 01:49:24,066
But we want to make sure that that is part of the, the, I would say

1033
01:49:24,066 --> 01:49:24,934
the next steps

1034
01:49:24,934 --> 01:49:29,033
that come out of the active transportation plan is in in the near future.

1035
01:49:29,433 --> 01:49:31,166
Next slide please. Sean.

1036
01:49:31,166 --> 01:49:34,567
So our immediate action plan, the bike ped

1037
01:49:34,567 --> 01:49:38,734
every year, has been working on budget advocacy and,

1038
01:49:39,066 --> 01:49:43,667
CIP recommendations that were submitted to the town manager and Steve Johnson

1039
01:49:43,667 --> 01:49:47,700
for inclusion in those budget process discussions that happen in the fall.

1040
01:49:48,000 --> 01:49:50,634
And, soon with the town council into the winter.

1041
01:49:50,634 --> 01:49:54,367
So, the next steps, because September is somehow here,

1042
01:49:54,700 --> 01:49:58,266
is to have those discussions with the relevant town departments

1043
01:49:58,500 --> 01:50:02,300
about these parts of the project, whether it's moving the safe routes

1044
01:50:02,300 --> 01:50:07,033
to school plan and developing an ad hoc, task force with the school department,

1045
01:50:07,033 --> 01:50:10,900
PTO and other stakeholders starting to look at those off street

1046
01:50:10,900 --> 01:50:13,500
network expansions with the Parks Department

1047
01:50:13,500 --> 01:50:16,266
and the Parks and Lands Committee policy updates.

1048
01:50:16,266 --> 01:50:19,867
The legislature is not sleeping right now, but there's you know,

1049
01:50:19,867 --> 01:50:20,734
they're slumbering.

1050
01:50:20,734 --> 01:50:25,233
So thinking about having those policy conversations that are beyond Yarmouth.

1051
01:50:25,533 --> 01:50:26,700
And then, of course,

1052
01:50:26,700 --> 01:50:29,734
coordinating with the town budget process and department updates

1053
01:50:29,734 --> 01:50:33,300
so that our colleagues are aware of what this plan entails.

1054
01:50:33,667 --> 01:50:37,333
And then in the winter, once the legislature is back in, sessions,

1055
01:50:37,433 --> 01:50:41,100
loop back in with those key stakeholders on supportive strategy and,

1056
01:50:41,500 --> 01:50:44,500
soft organized community organizing.

1057
01:50:45,033 --> 01:50:48,300
And then, of course, the federal landscape is a little unstable

1058
01:50:48,300 --> 01:50:51,734
right now in terms of funding for transportation.

1059
01:50:51,734 --> 01:50:56,133
The federal Surface Transportation Act expires in September.

1060
01:50:56,166 --> 01:51:00,433
And right now there are a lot of cuts that affect pedestrian, street

1061
01:51:00,433 --> 01:51:01,533
safety, bicyclists.

1062
01:51:01,533 --> 01:51:03,000
You can't even have the word bicycle

1063
01:51:03,000 --> 01:51:05,767
in many plans, at the federal level right now.

1064
01:51:05,767 --> 01:51:10,033
So seeing how that all shakes out and then looking at what can we move

1065
01:51:10,033 --> 01:51:13,033
forward in terms of federal grants and how to shape that?

1066
01:51:13,133 --> 01:51:15,300
So a lot of these are the near-term.

1067
01:51:15,300 --> 01:51:20,333
But the long term, ask, I guess, to the council is to consider,

1068
01:51:21,100 --> 01:51:24,900
endorsing the plan in general, and moving it forward,

1069
01:51:25,133 --> 01:51:28,433
later in the month for a vote in support of it.

1070
01:51:28,634 --> 01:51:31,634
So, do you have any questions?

1071
01:51:31,834 --> 01:51:33,734
But we'll get to that in a second. Thank you very much.

1072
01:51:33,734 --> 01:51:35,700
Julie and Mike and Colin.

1073
01:51:35,700 --> 01:51:36,767
Great presentation.

1074
01:51:36,767 --> 01:51:39,900
And and make yourselves available for questions.

1075
01:51:39,900 --> 01:51:42,033
So I'm going to see if there's any from the council.

1076
01:51:42,033 --> 01:51:45,734
And Sean, could we get, the screen up so that I can see

1077
01:51:45,734 --> 01:51:47,166
the other councils are online?

1078
01:51:47,166 --> 01:51:49,900
Oh, I guess oh, I'm sorry, it's on the smaller screen.

1079
01:51:49,900 --> 01:51:52,100
No worries. I was, I was I can see it.

1080
01:51:54,166 --> 01:51:54,533
Okay.

1081
01:51:54,533 --> 01:51:57,166
So, any questions from the council?

1082
01:51:57,166 --> 01:51:59,300
Council. Casey, I have one.

1083
01:51:59,300 --> 01:52:00,834
I don't know who it's for.

1084
01:52:00,834 --> 01:52:02,533
Thank you for this. First of all, this is amazing.

1085
01:52:02,533 --> 01:52:05,166
It's a lot of stuff, and it's very comprehensive.

1086
01:52:05,166 --> 01:52:07,834
I have not read the whole plan.

1087
01:52:07,834 --> 01:52:09,066
I know it's very big.

1088
01:52:09,066 --> 01:52:10,433
I would like to.

1089
01:52:10,433 --> 01:52:13,133
And I will say the appendices. It's 92 pages.

1090
01:52:13,133 --> 01:52:13,834
Thank you. Yes.

1091
01:52:13,834 --> 01:52:16,767
Well, it's the first week of school, so I haven't had time for that.

1092
01:52:16,767 --> 01:52:18,567
But I will.

1093
01:52:18,567 --> 01:52:20,634
But I do have a question and it may be in there,

1094
01:52:20,634 --> 01:52:23,233
so that's why I prefaced it with that.

1095
01:52:23,233 --> 01:52:24,133
Oh, this is awesome.

1096
01:52:24,133 --> 01:52:28,133
And, you know, if if funding was no issue, this would be a wonderful all of it,

1097
01:52:28,367 --> 01:52:30,133
in my bucket list.

1098
01:52:30,133 --> 01:52:32,066
But, I'm,

1099
01:52:33,100 --> 01:52:36,100
harking back to what Richard said earlier because,

1100
01:52:36,500 --> 01:52:39,066
like, the Safe Schools initiative, I don't know what that means,

1101
01:52:39,066 --> 01:52:42,700
but I assume it means getting to school safely without busses or cars.

1102
01:52:43,000 --> 01:52:45,467
I mean, some students will ride busses, I'm sure.

1103
01:52:45,467 --> 01:52:49,033
So the sidewalks in town are really not in good shape.

1104
01:52:49,033 --> 01:52:50,133
A lot of them.

1105
01:52:50,133 --> 01:52:53,033
And a lot of the almost all the students

1106
01:52:53,033 --> 01:52:57,900
who commute to schools by bike or walking go on the sidewalks.

1107
01:52:58,033 --> 01:53:05,166
We want all of them to and so adding to their like expanding the network,

1108
01:53:05,266 --> 01:53:09,734
making it more connected to other towns and things like that is all great.

1109
01:53:10,033 --> 01:53:14,133
But if when you walk down Main Street or East or West Elm Street,

1110
01:53:14,934 --> 01:53:18,100
it's you trip, you fall, you ride a bike and

1111
01:53:18,100 --> 01:53:21,300
and you get pushed into the street because the sidewalk is has a buffer.

1112
01:53:22,066 --> 01:53:23,700
Those are the main routes.

1113
01:53:23,700 --> 01:53:27,700
And before anything is done to extend, it seems like we should fix that.

1114
01:53:27,700 --> 01:53:31,567
And I know that it's not the bike and ped committee's job to to fix those.

1115
01:53:32,100 --> 01:53:35,333
And I know that I know the budget constraints are under as a council.

1116
01:53:35,700 --> 01:53:37,333
But,

1117
01:53:37,333 --> 01:53:40,100
I wonder how much you're going to you you would advocate

1118
01:53:40,100 --> 01:53:44,066
for those to be a priority, since they are by far the most used parts

1119
01:53:44,066 --> 01:53:47,233
of the transportation network other than roads.

1120
01:53:47,433 --> 01:53:47,700
Yeah.

1121
01:53:47,700 --> 01:53:50,333
So, one quick thing and I want to pass it to Collins.

1122
01:53:50,333 --> 01:53:55,767
So in 2018 and I believe so the bike ped before it was bike

1123
01:53:55,767 --> 01:54:01,066
ped work with Georgia Tech, to assess sidewalk conditions all over town.

1124
01:54:01,066 --> 01:54:04,533
So there's an incredible research which is on the bike ped committee webpage.

1125
01:54:04,867 --> 01:54:08,266
And so that is actually a priority also that the committee has been trying

1126
01:54:08,266 --> 01:54:10,367
to get the people power to do that.

1127
01:54:10,367 --> 01:54:14,000
Again, to look at the Ada and sidewalk conditions,

1128
01:54:14,000 --> 01:54:17,634
because there's definitely the qualitative information coming from people.

1129
01:54:17,634 --> 01:54:20,166
But to get that and assess those priorities.

1130
01:54:20,166 --> 01:54:25,133
So and safe routes to school, that is a federal program.

1131
01:54:25,133 --> 01:54:29,467
That's part of the safe streets for all federal funding package.

1132
01:54:29,700 --> 01:54:33,667
So that having that sort of plan would enable the town

1133
01:54:33,667 --> 01:54:37,033
to submit it to the U.S, VDot for competitive grants.

1134
01:54:37,033 --> 01:54:40,533
So it's a national grant program that that you need to have that plan there

1135
01:54:40,533 --> 01:54:43,066
to get funding for it. So I'm going to pass it to thank you.

1136
01:54:43,066 --> 01:54:45,900
Yeah. The sidewalks are just like I live on a main street.

1137
01:54:45,900 --> 01:54:49,300
I can walk fine on them, but I watch people going into church every Sunday

1138
01:54:49,634 --> 01:54:53,233
and some people are in walkers and things like that, and they it's very hard

1139
01:54:53,233 --> 01:54:56,233
for them to get just that short strip of sidewalk.

1140
01:54:56,333 --> 01:54:59,533
So I would say we completely agree with you.

1141
01:54:59,533 --> 01:55:04,467
And I think, just a couple of different thoughts come to mind.

1142
01:55:04,467 --> 01:55:07,767
I would say, since we started, again,

1143
01:55:07,767 --> 01:55:11,500
thanks to Dan's leadership, sort of thinking about bike and ped projects

1144
01:55:11,767 --> 01:55:15,433
and prioritizing them for town staff as part of the CIP process.

1145
01:55:16,033 --> 01:55:18,700
As part of that, we have always advocated for

1146
01:55:18,700 --> 01:55:22,734
ongoing maintenance of our existing network.

1147
01:55:22,734 --> 01:55:26,100
I would say in in the latest letter, I think we noted that,

1148
01:55:26,333 --> 01:55:29,367
unfortunately, I think last year the sidewalk reserve was not funded.

1149
01:55:29,367 --> 01:55:32,700
So we're encouraging that that happened this year, and we seek

1150
01:55:32,700 --> 01:55:36,233
additional resources to be able to continue to do that.

1151
01:55:36,233 --> 01:55:40,266
So I think we we wouldn't disagree for sure that maintenance is,

1152
01:55:40,266 --> 01:55:41,567
is is really important.

1153
01:55:41,567 --> 01:55:45,033
I think we we have to plan for, for both.

1154
01:55:45,066 --> 01:55:49,767
Part of I'm glad you brought this up because part of what I did not mention

1155
01:55:49,767 --> 01:55:54,100
that I'm so excited about is plans like the Active Transportation plan,

1156
01:55:54,100 --> 01:55:58,934
or as Julie mentioned, the Safe Routes to School plan allow us to access

1157
01:55:58,934 --> 01:56:02,834
additional sources of funding that we might not have otherwise.

1158
01:56:02,934 --> 01:56:05,900
So often you will hear from like, often

1159
01:56:05,900 --> 01:56:08,900
you can't like we could not apply for safe routes.

1160
01:56:09,066 --> 01:56:10,033
Correct me if I'm wrong.

1161
01:56:10,033 --> 01:56:12,133
I'm a fake engineer and planner.

1162
01:56:12,133 --> 01:56:15,634
We could not apply for certain, sources

1163
01:56:15,634 --> 01:56:19,100
of funding for safe routes to school without a plan.

1164
01:56:19,166 --> 01:56:21,867
So often the first thing they look for is.

1165
01:56:21,867 --> 01:56:26,033
Do you have a plan that residents provided input on that your committee

1166
01:56:26,033 --> 01:56:29,467
signed off on that your town leadership signed off on? Great.

1167
01:56:30,000 --> 01:56:31,767
Then it won't get us it.

1168
01:56:31,767 --> 01:56:34,767
Then you can then you can apply for these sources of funding

1169
01:56:35,133 --> 01:56:39,033
and and I would say that the Safe Routes to school plan

1170
01:56:39,033 --> 01:56:42,300
that we've noted is, is actually filling a gap because

1171
01:56:42,767 --> 01:56:45,333
we're we're working with the school department

1172
01:56:45,333 --> 01:56:49,533
now to basically apply the same principles

1173
01:56:49,834 --> 01:56:53,367
to the spaces that the school department is responsible for.

1174
01:56:53,700 --> 01:56:57,533
So, you know, the path to, from West

1175
01:56:57,533 --> 01:57:01,734
Elm to why, yes, for example, is going to need paving soon

1176
01:57:02,033 --> 01:57:06,300
if you if that is part of a bigger project that we could apply for funds for.

1177
01:57:06,734 --> 01:57:10,467
Then they, they would look to have that identified in a safe routes

1178
01:57:10,500 --> 01:57:11,100
to school plan.

1179
01:57:11,100 --> 01:57:13,634
The second thing I'll just note is

1180
01:57:13,634 --> 01:57:19,033
this is the reality of transportation funding, unfortunately sometimes is

1181
01:57:19,033 --> 01:57:23,166
that the resources are provided for new new projects.

1182
01:57:24,133 --> 01:57:27,100
So there's funding for one of this things I've talked

1183
01:57:27,100 --> 01:57:30,567
to some dot people about all the time that drives me nuts

1184
01:57:30,934 --> 01:57:34,266
is there is funding and support to repave roads,

1185
01:57:35,066 --> 01:57:40,467
but everyone should know often they are not providing resources

1186
01:57:40,467 --> 01:57:44,934
to provide enhancements to the sidewalk that's right next to it.

1187
01:57:45,133 --> 01:57:48,367
And so that's part of the challenge that town staff face.

1188
01:57:48,567 --> 01:57:52,767
That's part of the challenge that planners face is that,

1189
01:57:52,767 --> 01:57:54,333
those resources sometimes are.

1190
01:57:54,333 --> 01:57:57,300
And now, of course, in a constricted federal environment.

1191
01:57:57,300 --> 01:58:00,133
So I would say, totally agree with you.

1192
01:58:00,133 --> 01:58:03,500
I think the sidewalk reserve continuing to commit

1193
01:58:03,500 --> 01:58:06,500
to that, will help with that maintenance piece.

1194
01:58:06,533 --> 01:58:12,266
And then, having this plan helps us continue that progress and again,

1195
01:58:12,467 --> 01:58:18,166
on unlock additional sources of funding that, would allow us to take,

1196
01:58:18,467 --> 01:58:22,100
you know, we're the the extension of the Beth Condon pathway.

1197
01:58:22,100 --> 01:58:23,734
It's soon going to go all the way to Freeport.

1198
01:58:23,734 --> 01:58:28,133
We're able to do that because the the state had funds to do that.

1199
01:58:28,266 --> 01:58:31,266
They wouldn't have taken those funds to unfortunately,

1200
01:58:31,567 --> 01:58:35,467
they wouldn't have been like, okay, you can redo your sidewalk instead.

1201
01:58:35,467 --> 01:58:39,533
So that's it's like, I don't know, Mike, if you have anything else to add to that.

1202
01:58:39,533 --> 01:58:42,500
But the other thing I'll note is that the plan purposely doesn't,

1203
01:58:42,634 --> 01:58:45,934
it provides prioritization for each project.

1204
01:58:45,934 --> 01:58:48,033
There's low, medium and high priority projects,

1205
01:58:48,033 --> 01:58:50,333
and they also rank them by, well, how much it's going to cost.

1206
01:58:50,333 --> 01:58:52,567
So any given year staff

1207
01:58:52,567 --> 01:58:56,567
can look at the list and say, okay, we have $15,000 to do a project.

1208
01:58:56,567 --> 01:58:59,734
Let's look at the highest priority low cost project list, right.

1209
01:59:00,066 --> 01:59:03,066
It also doesn't prescribe that, you know, you need to do all these projects

1210
01:59:03,066 --> 01:59:04,300
by a certain date.

1211
01:59:04,300 --> 01:59:05,900
And it certainly doesn't say

1212
01:59:05,900 --> 01:59:08,166
you should do these projects ahead of any kind of ongoing maintenance.

1213
01:59:08,166 --> 01:59:09,834
There's a lot of leeway for staff.

1214
01:59:09,834 --> 01:59:12,834
And, obviously under the council's guidance,

1215
01:59:13,100 --> 01:59:17,367
to, jump around the list and also, you know, if you want to prioritize

1216
01:59:17,634 --> 01:59:21,634
maintaining your existing infrastructure, then you're certainly able to do that.

1217
01:59:21,634 --> 01:59:24,066
And we encourage and encourage that. Certainly. Okay.

1218
01:59:24,066 --> 01:59:25,634
Thank you. This is both of those are very helpful.

1219
01:59:25,634 --> 01:59:28,100
I didn't know about the fact that you had to have the plan to get the grants.

1220
01:59:28,100 --> 01:59:30,033
So that's really important information.

1221
01:59:30,033 --> 01:59:33,066
Also, I do recognize that part of this is on us because we are

1222
01:59:33,066 --> 01:59:35,467
the ones who fund the sidewalk reserve or not.

1223
01:59:35,467 --> 01:59:38,867
And so I do we do I do own that part of it.

1224
01:59:38,867 --> 01:59:41,266
So I don't mean to say it's like someone else's fault,

1225
01:59:41,266 --> 01:59:43,900
but I just wanted to explore how it fit into your plan. So thank you.

1226
01:59:44,934 --> 01:59:46,634
I see Councilor Tang's hand up.

1227
01:59:46,634 --> 01:59:48,533
I'm going to go to him. Consulting.

1228
01:59:48,533 --> 01:59:51,433
You have a question or comment?

1229
01:59:51,433 --> 01:59:52,166
Where's your hand?

1230
01:59:52,166 --> 01:59:53,100
Oh, yep.

1231
01:59:53,100 --> 01:59:55,100
I'm trying to lower my hand. Oh, there you go.

1232
01:59:55,100 --> 01:59:58,333
First of all, thanks, everyone, for the hard work

1233
01:59:58,333 --> 02:00:02,533
in getting the active transportation plan to, at least this point.

1234
02:00:02,567 --> 02:00:03,834
Two questions.

1235
02:00:03,834 --> 02:00:08,000
The first one is there was a slide on the network.

1236
02:00:08,567 --> 02:00:13,367
I guess the, the vision of what the network would be

1237
02:00:14,033 --> 02:00:16,467
and then the slide following that.

1238
02:00:16,467 --> 02:00:22,233
So, I believe the best condom Parkway, the Casco Bay trail

1239
02:00:22,667 --> 02:00:25,867
and, other extensions, of sidewalks.

1240
02:00:26,767 --> 02:00:31,567
But I can't transpose those two pictures, but, it looks like,

1241
02:00:32,000 --> 02:00:35,000
some of it's different.

1242
02:00:35,333 --> 02:00:40,033
So, for example, the the can someone explain that?

1243
02:00:40,100 --> 02:00:43,100
Because the the for example, in that first one of what

1244
02:00:43,367 --> 02:00:47,700
the network vision, is supposed to be the Casco Bay

1245
02:00:47,700 --> 02:00:51,233
trail is not marked on there, so it might be mistaken.

1246
02:00:52,000 --> 02:00:52,367
Yeah.

1247
02:00:52,367 --> 02:00:57,567
So the the graphics you're mentioning in the plan, the first one

1248
02:00:57,567 --> 02:01:00,734
refers to the two, I would say,

1249
02:01:01,066 --> 02:01:04,700
overarching themes of the action plan.

1250
02:01:05,033 --> 02:01:08,033
The first network is all ages and ability.

1251
02:01:08,333 --> 02:01:13,300
The second is baseline all ages and ability, as Colin mentioned,

1252
02:01:13,300 --> 02:01:17,000
is the idea of really focusing on comfort

1253
02:01:17,000 --> 02:01:22,634
for all ages and abilities of pedestrians and walkers, with the understanding

1254
02:01:22,634 --> 02:01:26,867
that, safety is paramount and that separating spaces

1255
02:01:26,867 --> 02:01:29,133
and calming down traffic is integral to that.

1256
02:01:29,133 --> 02:01:30,900
Thank you, Shawn, for posting that.

1257
02:01:30,900 --> 02:01:35,066
The second is the baseline bike network, and this is for more confident,

1258
02:01:35,367 --> 02:01:38,934
riders, we would say, or people who are confident, particularly

1259
02:01:38,934 --> 02:01:43,233
on some of those larger streets, where the connections

1260
02:01:43,233 --> 02:01:48,100
be even beyond town into more rural areas and those are often higher speeds.

1261
02:01:48,100 --> 02:01:53,500
So that's still is about working to, improve the roadway conditions.

1262
02:01:53,700 --> 02:01:56,433
So it's a lot of it's speed management as well.

1263
02:01:56,433 --> 02:02:00,100
But you can kind of see that that's it breaks it down.

1264
02:02:00,100 --> 02:02:03,834
Then into on street, off street and planned

1265
02:02:04,066 --> 02:02:06,233
like those are the partnership projects as well.

1266
02:02:06,233 --> 02:02:09,233
So the the two dots which you can't see so well on this,

1267
02:02:09,467 --> 02:02:13,166
those planned off street include the Casco Bay trail.

1268
02:02:13,166 --> 02:02:16,767
So it doesn't it's a it's this is a blow up of a larger map.

1269
02:02:17,066 --> 02:02:18,934
But that's why it doesn't read so well.

1270
02:02:18,934 --> 02:02:23,100
But even then when you break it down on the next slides, those on street

1271
02:02:23,100 --> 02:02:27,533
projects are then further divided by corridor projects and intersections.

1272
02:02:27,700 --> 02:02:30,533
So those are those 80 plus specific projects

1273
02:02:30,533 --> 02:02:33,533
that are in that huge table of recommendations.

1274
02:02:34,000 --> 02:02:36,333
And then the off street project

1275
02:02:36,333 --> 02:02:40,100
recommendations focuses on those key projects.

1276
02:02:40,367 --> 02:02:45,066
The so that includes the, extension of the Beth Condon Memorial Pathway,

1277
02:02:45,066 --> 02:02:49,333
the Casco Bay trail, those, priority paving projects

1278
02:02:49,333 --> 02:02:53,834
that will improve Ada connections and enable, community connections

1279
02:02:53,834 --> 02:02:58,066
physically and socially in the the fall and the winter months as well.

1280
02:02:58,300 --> 02:03:03,066
And then what isn't even on this map is all those amazing trails that we have,

1281
02:03:03,066 --> 02:03:08,100
those wonderful networks, further out and exploring those and helping people

1282
02:03:08,100 --> 02:03:11,166
have, also safe off street projects

1283
02:03:11,166 --> 02:03:14,266
that can get cut through parks and, and beyond to get

1284
02:03:14,433 --> 02:03:19,033
maybe then even further into a bike path or, route 88, for example.

1285
02:03:19,634 --> 02:03:21,934
And then the last one are those partnership projects.

1286
02:03:21,934 --> 02:03:26,066
So many of them are the bridges projects that are already underway

1287
02:03:26,000 --> 02:03:29,033
or that are coming down the pipeline in the next 5 to 10 years

1288
02:03:29,233 --> 02:03:32,233
and are really opportunities to optimize

1289
02:03:32,367 --> 02:03:36,934
and efficiently work in the ground on construction projects.

1290
02:03:37,700 --> 02:03:38,900
Does that clarify it?

1291
02:03:38,900 --> 02:03:45,000
Councilor Ting, a a bit of, I'm sorry, I don't have, the

1292
02:03:45,433 --> 02:03:48,066
the active transportation plan available

1293
02:03:48,066 --> 02:03:51,066
for me to look on it, but I'll, I'll look at them again.

1294
02:03:51,333 --> 02:03:54,567
Two other questions, if that's okay for me to proceed.

1295
02:03:54,567 --> 02:03:56,000
Councilor Greg. Oh, yeah. Please.

1296
02:03:56,000 --> 02:03:58,066
The floor is yours. Thank you.

1297
02:03:58,066 --> 02:04:01,033
So, the second question was,

1298
02:04:01,300 --> 02:04:04,834
is that the active transportation plan?

1299
02:04:04,834 --> 02:04:09,867
That was, back in 2015, and now that's been revised.

1300
02:04:09,867 --> 02:04:13,700
Now, ten years later, how does how does the,

1301
02:04:13,700 --> 02:04:17,867
proposed, actions,

1302
02:04:17,867 --> 02:04:22,033
that were proposed back in 2015, how many did we accomplish?

1303
02:04:22,000 --> 02:04:23,066
A good amount.

1304
02:04:23,066 --> 02:04:26,066
That was actually an exercise that the bike ped committee did

1305
02:04:26,066 --> 02:04:29,667
well before the RFP was even put forward, when they were working on

1306
02:04:29,667 --> 02:04:33,667
the scope was to go through each of those pages of projects.

1307
02:04:33,667 --> 02:04:38,300
In the 2015 and see what was adopted, what wasn't, and why.

1308
02:04:38,300 --> 02:04:42,467
So, for example, in 2015, one of the recommendations was to have,

1309
02:04:43,066 --> 02:04:47,033
which are, a bike symbol with chevrons above it

1310
02:04:47,033 --> 02:04:52,066
that indicate that this is a shared space for drivers, and bicyclists

1311
02:04:52,166 --> 02:04:57,033
and in those ten years since, it's become kind of common understanding

1312
02:04:57,033 --> 02:05:02,000
that it is not the most effective use of, of markings to separate,

1313
02:05:02,066 --> 02:05:05,066
spaces for people walking and biking in the street,

1314
02:05:05,066 --> 02:05:09,000
whereas advisory lanes or edge line roads or however you want to call them

1315
02:05:09,033 --> 02:05:13,700
is a more effective, strategy of both traffic calming and sharing spaces.

1316
02:05:13,700 --> 02:05:17,834
So that is why you don't see all over town, for example.

1317
02:05:17,834 --> 02:05:21,000
So things have changed, but, many of them were accomplished.

1318
02:05:21,000 --> 02:05:25,166
I think, to Colin's point, all of the work done in route one,

1319
02:05:25,166 --> 02:05:29,333
that is, that came out of that plan, but then also the north of Portland,

1320
02:05:29,333 --> 02:05:34,433
the Napo plan, that is all coming to fruition, ten years later. So,

1321
02:05:36,033 --> 02:05:37,700
and, one last question.

1322
02:05:37,700 --> 02:05:41,433
You know, I appreciate how,

1323
02:05:41,433 --> 02:05:45,567
the active transportation plan does break things down by priority,

1324
02:05:46,000 --> 02:05:50,066
but then also break things down by bike sort of cost categories.

1325
02:05:50,567 --> 02:05:55,066
You know, and and for sure, I like the idea of, you know,

1326
02:05:55,066 --> 02:05:58,266
we got a budget for this if we're going to move things through,

1327
02:05:58,266 --> 02:06:02,066
not only, say, for the projects we want to, we want to implement,

1328
02:06:02,066 --> 02:06:07,133
but also obviously, preserve the and, and, restore

1329
02:06:07,100 --> 02:06:11,033
whatever, resources that we already own.

1330
02:06:12,467 --> 02:06:18,100
So if you had all those, get someone to do the elementary.

1331
02:06:18,100 --> 02:06:21,867
I did not do an elementary calculation of how much

1332
02:06:21,934 --> 02:06:24,934
if we were going to do all of this, how much we would have to say.

1333
02:06:25,567 --> 02:06:29,100
And it's and decide the more practical side

1334
02:06:29,100 --> 02:06:32,166
part of that, because I know that that's probably not going to be possible to

1335
02:06:32,467 --> 02:06:36,266
to do all 80 project is some of the higher priority ones.

1336
02:06:36,734 --> 02:06:40,700
It's a very generic, cost category.

1337
02:06:40,700 --> 02:06:41,000
Right.

1338
02:06:41,000 --> 02:06:45,300
So, you know, for the high cost item, the, the,

1339
02:06:45,533 --> 02:06:48,533
the category starts at 150 K plus.

1340
02:06:48,867 --> 02:06:51,367
I have no idea, but

1341
02:06:51,367 --> 02:06:55,667
I think it's like, doing some of the recommendations on Sligo,

1342
02:06:56,033 --> 02:07:00,133
is going to cost tremendously more than 150 K.

1343
02:07:00,500 --> 02:07:02,166
So are there

1344
02:07:03,133 --> 02:07:06,300
it did you get any indications from the consulting company,

1345
02:07:06,567 --> 02:07:10,533
do they have, a better estimate on some of these things?

1346
02:07:10,867 --> 02:07:15,100
Rather than just breaking them down into those very generic categories and,

1347
02:07:15,300 --> 02:07:20,133
you know, sort of do they have, some points

1348
02:07:20,133 --> 02:07:24,834
that they don't share with us sort of back at the napkin costs for these projects?

1349
02:07:25,133 --> 02:07:25,934
Thank you. Nope.

1350
02:07:25,934 --> 02:07:28,166
Everything that they shared with us is in the plan.

1351
02:07:28,166 --> 02:07:33,166
I would say the traffic calming toolbox that we did a couple of years ago

1352
02:07:33,367 --> 02:07:36,367
also has cost estimates for different tools.

1353
02:07:37,000 --> 02:07:41,066
And, that is why the infrastructure toolkit

1354
02:07:41,066 --> 02:07:45,667
has phased degrees of implementation, because the price point

1355
02:07:45,667 --> 02:07:49,100
for markings of edge line roads are advisory lanes

1356
02:07:49,467 --> 02:07:54,133
is very different from installing, a concrete curb extension.

1357
02:07:54,367 --> 02:07:58,033
So which I, you know, is why the Main Street streetscape project

1358
02:07:58,033 --> 02:08:02,700
is so ambitious and incredible, but it has taken time to fund

1359
02:08:03,066 --> 02:08:06,333
so that if you look at the infrastructure toolkit section,

1360
02:08:06,333 --> 02:08:10,700
it does have, not just, cost ranges for each of the different tools

1361
02:08:10,700 --> 02:08:15,100
that are part of the larger menu, but it also has additional resources.

1362
02:08:15,100 --> 02:08:19,834
I will say that, as you mentioned, with interest rates in your earlier point,

1363
02:08:20,100 --> 02:08:22,900
inflation and the change of,

1364
02:08:22,900 --> 02:08:26,634
pricing and construction materials is also a moving target right now.

1365
02:08:26,634 --> 02:08:30,734
But I think the materials and resources that are provided that are in the report

1366
02:08:31,000 --> 02:08:35,734
present a good spectrum, I will say, of what cost could be to implement this

1367
02:08:36,066 --> 02:08:40,133
and a phased approach over, you know, the next 20 years.

1368
02:08:41,100 --> 02:08:43,734
Oh, sorry.

1369
02:08:43,734 --> 02:08:46,100
The other thing I'll, I'll note Councilor Tang and thank you for these questions.

1370
02:08:46,100 --> 02:08:47,266
I think they're super productive.

1371
02:08:47,266 --> 02:08:51,834
For I think as you go up in cost in the tables in the active

1372
02:08:51,834 --> 02:08:55,934
transportation plan, the more likely it will be that you'll need

1373
02:08:55,934 --> 02:08:59,900
to have a designer of that project can have an engineer going through

1374
02:08:59,900 --> 02:09:01,033
and actually designing the project.

1375
02:09:01,033 --> 02:09:02,934
If you're talking about an intersection

1376
02:09:02,934 --> 02:09:06,000
realignment project, for example, that's not something we might lead.

1377
02:09:06,300 --> 02:09:08,367
That's probably not something we'd be able to do.

1378
02:09:08,367 --> 02:09:12,000
We being the town, without some sort of,

1379
02:09:12,066 --> 02:09:15,066
more formal design that, you know,

1380
02:09:15,433 --> 02:09:18,467
considers how drainage works and considers how traffic moves and things like that.

1381
02:09:18,467 --> 02:09:22,300
And so, I think the idea of the cost category is not to provide

1382
02:09:22,300 --> 02:09:25,500
a precise amount of money for each of these projects,

1383
02:09:25,500 --> 02:09:28,233
but to kind of just indicate to a crowd like this one,

1384
02:09:28,233 --> 02:09:31,233
you know, the council and to the public how much a project, you know,

1385
02:09:31,433 --> 02:09:33,667
whether it's a low, medium or high cost project.

1386
02:09:33,667 --> 02:09:35,100
And then from that point,

1387
02:09:35,100 --> 02:09:38,066
if a certain project is identified as a, as a top priority,

1388
02:09:38,367 --> 02:09:42,133
then certainly I, you know, staff could be directed to advance that.

1389
02:09:42,266 --> 02:09:46,133
I know that the engineering department is very good and has resources in-house to,

1390
02:09:46,133 --> 02:09:48,133
you know, to do that first level of estimation.

1391
02:09:48,133 --> 02:09:51,567
And then if it does have to go to a design process, then, a designer

1392
02:09:51,567 --> 02:09:54,634
would help flesh out all the different iterations of that.

1393
02:09:55,066 --> 02:09:58,133
This, this consultant was scoped to do a very broad,

1394
02:09:58,634 --> 02:10:00,934
active transportation plan that considered the whole town.

1395
02:10:00,934 --> 02:10:05,133
I think asking them to do kind of, specific cost

1396
02:10:05,133 --> 02:10:08,634
estimates for each project would have been a pretty significant add to their scope.

1397
02:10:08,634 --> 02:10:11,667
And, you know, in 5 or 7 years, as we've seen with the last active

1398
02:10:11,700 --> 02:10:15,100
transportation plan, you know, the assumptions and priorities might change.

1399
02:10:15,100 --> 02:10:18,634
And so I think the idea is just to provide that level of, high level guidance

1400
02:10:18,634 --> 02:10:23,033
so that the town knows what to expect for kind of the the next implementation step.

1401
02:10:23,133 --> 02:10:25,433
But you have to add, yeah, I would just say thanks. Yes.

1402
02:10:25,433 --> 02:10:26,834
Thanks again for the question.

1403
02:10:26,834 --> 02:10:30,266
And, I was going to say what Mike was going to say.

1404
02:10:30,266 --> 02:10:33,634
And in addition, I think the cost question

1405
02:10:33,634 --> 02:10:36,900
is so interesting because it, it's, it can be dynamics.

1406
02:10:36,900 --> 02:10:37,066
Right.

1407
02:10:37,066 --> 02:10:41,000
So if, if we get the opportunity to take advantage of a state grant

1408
02:10:41,000 --> 02:10:46,233
that has a certain local match, then that, that, that then

1409
02:10:46,867 --> 02:10:51,000
we might not have planned, like that's a different cost estimate than we might

1410
02:10:51,000 --> 02:10:55,867
have planning for if we were going to, take control of the whole project.

1411
02:10:55,867 --> 02:10:56,133
Right.

1412
02:10:56,133 --> 02:10:59,367
Using North Road as an example, we could cost out

1413
02:10:59,367 --> 02:11:02,367
how much it would cost the town to build that sidewalk.

1414
02:11:02,634 --> 02:11:04,734
But if we were able to get that D.O.T.

1415
02:11:04,734 --> 02:11:07,000
to help with that, that's a different that would cost the town

1416
02:11:07,000 --> 02:11:08,100
a different amount.

1417
02:11:08,100 --> 02:11:12,033
So I think I'll just say that's one, place where,

1418
02:11:12,033 --> 02:11:16,133
you know, the town's relationship with Dot is important and helpful.

1419
02:11:16,133 --> 02:11:20,834
I'll just contrast like the town, as I understand it, had to help pay

1420
02:11:20,834 --> 02:11:23,900
for part of the Beth Condon that went under exit 17.

1421
02:11:23,900 --> 02:11:25,700
Dan, correct me if I'm wrong.

1422
02:11:25,700 --> 02:11:29,734
But it's the cost of,

1423
02:11:29,834 --> 02:11:32,834
wide multi-use path on exit 15

1424
02:11:32,834 --> 02:11:35,834
is included in the Dot project.

1425
02:11:35,834 --> 02:11:40,133
So part of this is also advocating on the state level, which I think we

1426
02:11:40,133 --> 02:11:41,634
as a committee are interested in.

1427
02:11:41,634 --> 02:11:44,266
I've also talked to our legislators about that.

1428
02:11:44,266 --> 02:11:45,033
The legislature's

1429
02:11:45,033 --> 02:11:49,300
going to have to figure out transportation funding because it's a disaster soon.

1430
02:11:49,300 --> 02:11:53,433
And I think as part of that, let's make sure they're also providing

1431
02:11:53,433 --> 02:11:56,433
a commitment to bicycle and pedestrian

1432
02:11:56,700 --> 02:11:59,367
safe infrastructure, for everyone.

1433
02:11:59,367 --> 02:12:01,834
Because that's going to help reduce the burden on the town.

1434
02:12:01,834 --> 02:12:03,934
So it's it's kind of a it's a balance.

1435
02:12:03,934 --> 02:12:08,066
And I, Councilor Tang I, you get to the question that, like

1436
02:12:08,066 --> 02:12:12,100
everyone asks, that that's the trickiest is like, how much is going to cost?

1437
02:12:12,100 --> 02:12:15,233
And I think what what Mike and Julie said, it's hard to really know

1438
02:12:15,233 --> 02:12:18,767
until you know what what our goal with this plan was to help.

1439
02:12:18,834 --> 02:12:19,433
No, it's fine.

1440
02:12:19,433 --> 02:12:22,433
Leaders and staff prioritize and make decisions

1441
02:12:22,433 --> 02:12:25,433
about what to pursue based on what's in front of them.

1442
02:12:25,834 --> 02:12:28,066
Like it. Again, thanks for your comment.

1443
02:12:28,066 --> 02:12:29,000
Councilor Casey.

1444
02:12:29,000 --> 02:12:32,133
Balancing things like maintenance versus a new project.

1445
02:12:32,834 --> 02:12:34,834
Councilor Monti, thank you guys, a couple questions.

1446
02:12:34,834 --> 02:12:36,033
I did read this cover to cover.

1447
02:12:36,033 --> 02:12:37,767
It was riveting on an airplane.

1448
02:12:37,767 --> 02:12:40,100
Thank you for the prioritization.

1449
02:12:40,100 --> 02:12:42,367
It's really, really helpful. Three quick questions.

1450
02:12:42,367 --> 02:12:45,500
Thinking about budget season coming and how to be a good advocate.

1451
02:12:46,700 --> 02:12:49,100
Much of the discussion or the pathway to funding

1452
02:12:49,100 --> 02:12:52,333
has allowed it up through climate change or public safety.

1453
02:12:53,100 --> 02:12:55,066
How has it gone up till now?

1454
02:12:55,066 --> 02:12:57,634
And I don't know how I know that.

1455
02:12:57,634 --> 02:12:59,166
I don't know how long you've been here, but who would have

1456
02:12:59,166 --> 02:13:01,066
that institutional knowledge of how the council

1457
02:13:01,066 --> 02:13:04,066
has approached funding in the past?

1458
02:13:07,500 --> 02:13:08,433
I'm not sure.

1459
02:13:08,433 --> 02:13:09,233
Could you repeat the question?

1460
02:13:09,233 --> 02:13:11,000
I don't sorry, I meant to

1461
02:13:11,000 --> 02:13:13,767
that was we're looking for the resources to do this thing.

1462
02:13:13,767 --> 02:13:17,567
Where how has the council approached this conversation in the past?

1463
02:13:17,567 --> 02:13:21,333
Has bike and ped been views that bike and ped

1464
02:13:21,333 --> 02:13:25,066
been viewed as a climate change related issue or a public safety issue?

1465
02:13:25,266 --> 02:13:27,867
And how have we have a council approach to the funding?

1466
02:13:27,867 --> 02:13:32,066
I think I think it is my opinion is kind of dependent on the project.

1467
02:13:32,300 --> 02:13:35,867
So so it's been just something I think, I think

1468
02:13:36,233 --> 02:13:40,000
more generally it's safety, and just access and equity.

1469
02:13:40,000 --> 02:13:41,033
Equity of access and

1470
02:13:44,000 --> 02:13:46,467
you know, and resource and recreational resources for the town.

1471
02:13:46,467 --> 02:13:50,734
I don't know that it's been heavily weighted towards climate change,

1472
02:13:50,734 --> 02:13:53,734
but someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't.

1473
02:13:54,133 --> 02:13:56,100
It's it's obviously

1474
02:13:56,100 --> 02:13:59,667
related, but I don't think it's a driver.

1475
02:13:59,734 --> 02:14:01,634
Like a strategic.

1476
02:14:01,634 --> 02:14:04,567
Hi. Aaron work director of planning development.

1477
02:14:04,567 --> 02:14:08,500
I think, to get to a little bit of your question is that,

1478
02:14:08,900 --> 02:14:14,500
a lot of the funding, if if it's in the operating budget

1479
02:14:14,500 --> 02:14:20,934
or in the capital reserve budget has flowed through DPW, in the past.

1480
02:14:20,934 --> 02:14:24,367
So it hasn't necessarily been,

1481
02:14:24,367 --> 02:14:27,433
highlighted as a climate action element.

1482
02:14:27,433 --> 02:14:32,233
Although the Climate Action Plan speaks to improve the road networks

1483
02:14:32,266 --> 02:14:36,433
because it reduces vehicle miles traveled and then therefore it reduces

1484
02:14:36,433 --> 02:14:38,033
greenhouse gas emissions.

1485
02:14:38,033 --> 02:14:42,133
That is echoed in the comp plan as well, which is great stuff.

1486
02:14:42,300 --> 02:14:47,033
But I think historically and over the course of the several budget

1487
02:14:47,033 --> 02:14:50,100
budget cycles that I've been a part of,

1488
02:14:50,100 --> 02:14:53,500
that money flows through DPW primarily.

1489
02:14:54,100 --> 02:14:57,100
That being said, we have secured

1490
02:14:57,100 --> 02:15:00,133
grants that, speak to climate action.

1491
02:15:00,367 --> 02:15:05,900
The next extension of the Beth Condon that will be under construction from exit

1492
02:15:05,900 --> 02:15:08,900
17 to the Cozens River bridge,

1493
02:15:09,000 --> 02:15:12,500
received state carbon reduction funding.

1494
02:15:12,767 --> 02:15:18,567
So the it depends on the opportunity when we're going after discretionary grants.

1495
02:15:19,000 --> 02:15:22,000
But when we're looking at our internal budget

1496
02:15:22,000 --> 02:15:23,734
that has flowed through DPW.

1497
02:15:23,734 --> 02:15:24,100
Okay.

1498
02:15:24,100 --> 02:15:26,100
So no reason it couldn't you couldn't take a look at it

1499
02:15:26,100 --> 02:15:27,300
like a public safety budget.

1500
02:15:27,300 --> 02:15:28,433
Correct. To look at okay.

1501
02:15:28,433 --> 02:15:30,667
So that's super helpful.

1502
02:15:32,500 --> 02:15:32,934
I have

1503
02:15:32,934 --> 02:15:35,934
2 to 2 nerdy questions for our traffic engineer.

1504
02:15:35,934 --> 02:15:38,066
One is straight related to your daily work.

1505
02:15:38,066 --> 02:15:40,233
More information on bridges.

1506
02:15:40,233 --> 02:15:42,700
I have tried to find right when, particularly when I was running.

1507
02:15:42,700 --> 02:15:45,066
Like, what are the numbers? How much is this being used?

1508
02:15:45,066 --> 02:15:47,767
How updated, how real time are those numbers?

1509
02:15:47,767 --> 02:15:51,333
And can I just bother you personally to maybe send me a link or a link

1510
02:15:51,333 --> 02:15:54,533
about how we behave with respect to Breese and what the projected growth

1511
02:15:54,533 --> 02:15:55,433
is, all that?

1512
02:15:55,433 --> 02:15:56,266
Yes, absolutely.

1513
02:15:56,266 --> 02:15:58,467
I don't have the top of my head.

1514
02:15:58,467 --> 02:16:02,000
But Julie is our board member representing Yarmouth on the on the metro board.

1515
02:16:02,000 --> 02:16:06,133
Metro is a, quasi governmental organization that is governed

1516
02:16:06,133 --> 02:16:07,100
by a board of directors

1517
02:16:07,100 --> 02:16:11,000
made up of municipal elected officials, staff and advocates.

1518
02:16:11,133 --> 02:16:12,500
So we work for you.

1519
02:16:12,500 --> 02:16:15,367
And so I would happily provide any information you'd like.

1520
02:16:15,367 --> 02:16:18,367
My name is all over the website for contact information.

1521
02:16:19,066 --> 02:16:21,066
Planning at DPI match.org gets to me.

1522
02:16:21,066 --> 02:16:24,634
And then we're happy to meet with you or anybody else, especially if you

1523
02:16:25,066 --> 02:16:26,934
you're onboarding a new town manager soon, I hear.

1524
02:16:26,934 --> 02:16:29,100
So, I'm happy to meet with with council

1525
02:16:29,100 --> 02:16:32,000
and the manager or whoever was interested about about that about that.

1526
02:16:32,133 --> 02:16:33,000
Roxanne.

1527
02:16:33,000 --> 02:16:36,000
And my nerdy question is, is it true

1528
02:16:36,166 --> 02:16:40,133
that not striping a road naturally reduces the speed on the road?

1529
02:16:40,700 --> 02:16:42,100
That that's true?

1530
02:16:42,100 --> 02:16:43,533
I believe it's true.

1531
02:16:43,533 --> 02:16:45,700
Based on evidence that I've read. That's true.

1532
02:16:45,700 --> 02:16:48,133
That's so for me, it's the yellow lines.

1533
02:16:48,133 --> 02:16:49,000
Yeah. So? So

1534
02:16:50,000 --> 02:16:51,066
specifically on

1535
02:16:51,066 --> 02:16:54,433
a on a two way, you know, one lane intersection, road, residential street.

1536
02:16:54,734 --> 02:16:59,567
The evidence that I've read is that typically that does reduce speeds

1537
02:16:59,567 --> 02:17:03,433
because you have less, if you have less certainty about the car

1538
02:17:03,433 --> 02:17:06,500
coming at you being in your lane, you're going to be

1539
02:17:06,734 --> 02:17:08,166
both of you are going to act a little bit more cautiously.

1540
02:17:08,166 --> 02:17:10,700
And that's sort of the, the, the idea behind that.

1541
02:17:10,700 --> 02:17:13,033
So I think that's a little bit counterintuitive to folks

1542
02:17:13,033 --> 02:17:15,634
because people think more striping equals more safety.

1543
02:17:15,634 --> 02:17:18,266
And maybe that's true if you're going 35 miles an hour,

1544
02:17:18,266 --> 02:17:21,266
but if it's not true, we you know, if you're not going 35 miles an hour,

1545
02:17:21,667 --> 02:17:24,433
or sorry, if you don't think you're safe, you better slow down.

1546
02:17:24,433 --> 02:17:27,000
Yeah. That's sort of where the safety element comes in. Okay.

1547
02:17:27,000 --> 02:17:28,934
Awesome. Thanks. Thanks.

1548
02:17:28,934 --> 02:17:30,367
Anyone else on the council?

1549
02:17:30,367 --> 02:17:31,834
Before we go to public comment?

1550
02:17:35,066 --> 02:17:35,533
Okay.

1551
02:17:35,533 --> 02:17:38,900
We'll now open it up for, public comment.

1552
02:17:43,000 --> 02:17:46,000
You can.

1553
02:17:47,033 --> 02:17:49,533
Got a bit of this time.

1554
02:17:49,533 --> 02:17:52,533
Richard Styler, 136 Portland Street.

1555
02:17:54,133 --> 02:17:56,734
About, ten years ago,

1556
02:17:56,734 --> 02:18:01,433
there was a plan to reconfigure the route one Portland Street intersection.

1557
02:18:02,133 --> 02:18:07,300
Roads came and still do into the intersection from different angles.

1558
02:18:07,300 --> 02:18:10,166
And,

1559
02:18:10,166 --> 02:18:13,166
come into the intersection in an awkward way.

1560
02:18:13,433 --> 02:18:16,033
As I remember, the plan was to make the intersection

1561
02:18:16,033 --> 02:18:19,033
one with clear right angled turns.

1562
02:18:19,166 --> 02:18:22,834
Instead of coming off of route one traffic

1563
02:18:22,834 --> 02:18:26,033
and to Portland Street, traffic would come.

1564
02:18:26,567 --> 02:18:29,300
Instead of a curve turn,

1565
02:18:29,300 --> 02:18:32,300
right angle turn.

1566
02:18:32,300 --> 02:18:37,033
And that would in turn, caused traffic to slow down

1567
02:18:37,033 --> 02:18:40,266
instead of continuing its speed off of route one

1568
02:18:41,467 --> 02:18:44,066
when there was no hindrance of a red light.

1569
02:18:45,734 --> 02:18:48,734
Ten years ago, and a couple of weeks ago,

1570
02:18:49,100 --> 02:18:52,834
I spoke to the town council about the speeding

1571
02:18:52,834 --> 02:18:55,900
on Portland Street ten years ago, and a couple of weeks ago

1572
02:18:56,567 --> 02:18:59,734
I reported that cars, trucks, semi-trailers,

1573
02:19:00,100 --> 02:19:04,834
propane and gas tankers, Casella garbage trucks, motorcycles

1574
02:19:05,133 --> 02:19:08,100
were going over 25 miles

1575
02:19:08,100 --> 02:19:11,100
an hour in both directions.

1576
02:19:11,100 --> 02:19:15,300
Even the big bus rushes down the street in both directions.

1577
02:19:16,133 --> 02:19:18,033
Today, nothing has changed.

1578
02:19:18,033 --> 02:19:22,066
Cars, trucks, semi-trailers, propane and gas tanks.

1579
02:19:22,900 --> 02:19:25,300
Casella garbage trucks, motorcycles.

1580
02:19:25,300 --> 02:19:26,533
We're then going.

1581
02:19:26,533 --> 02:19:32,066
We're now going over the 25 mile an hour posted limit in both directions.

1582
02:19:32,667 --> 02:19:37,100
Even the big bus continues to rush down the street.

1583
02:19:38,133 --> 02:19:41,133
Even this morning and particularly this morning,

1584
02:19:41,533 --> 02:19:46,066
there seemed to be a real rush of traffic going up and down the street,

1585
02:19:46,300 --> 02:19:49,767
particularly, cars,

1586
02:19:49,867 --> 02:19:53,100
coming from route one down to Main Street.

1587
02:19:55,367 --> 02:19:56,100
Late yesterday

1588
02:19:56,100 --> 02:20:00,100
afternoon, asphalt road equipment came down Portland Street

1589
02:20:00,100 --> 02:20:03,033
with large dump trucks going over 25.

1590
02:20:04,300 --> 02:20:08,834
If there ever was a gateway to Yarmouth, it is Lower Portland Street

1591
02:20:09,300 --> 02:20:12,333
walkers, joggers, high school track teams,

1592
02:20:12,333 --> 02:20:16,467
packs of cyclists use the road and the sidewalk every day.

1593
02:20:17,066 --> 02:20:22,433
Now, as far as monitoring of speeding traffic goes over the past several weeks,

1594
02:20:22,767 --> 02:20:26,000
I have seen just a few, maybe

1595
02:20:26,133 --> 02:20:29,266
five at most, probably fewer.

1596
02:20:30,066 --> 02:20:33,567
Call us stopped and given speeding tickets

1597
02:20:34,100 --> 02:20:37,433
and occasional passenger vehicle is pulled over.

1598
02:20:37,667 --> 02:20:38,734
But I can't.

1599
02:20:38,734 --> 02:20:43,834
In the years that I've been in Yarmouth, I can't recall a single commercial

1600
02:20:43,834 --> 02:20:48,300
vehicle, truck, semi-trailer, gasoline or propane

1601
02:20:48,300 --> 02:20:52,500
tanker pulled over and cited not even this big bus.

1602
02:20:53,033 --> 02:20:55,033
Why not?

1603
02:20:55,033 --> 02:20:58,767
A speeding vehicle is a speeding vehicle no matter what class.

1604
02:20:59,266 --> 02:21:02,567
Now, this is not meant to criticize the Yarmouth police.

1605
02:21:02,567 --> 02:21:06,100
I know that there aren't enough officers to constantly monitor

1606
02:21:06,100 --> 02:21:10,533
the Yarmouth traffic, and handing out tickets will not solve the problem.

1607
02:21:10,867 --> 02:21:14,634
Despite, and least in my view, despite what other people think,

1608
02:21:15,066 --> 02:21:19,767
something structural and permanent needs to be done now.

1609
02:21:19,767 --> 02:21:24,367
I appreciate the work that produced the Yarmouth Active Transportation Plan,

1610
02:21:24,634 --> 02:21:27,533
and I've talked to Julie and Erin, appeared

1611
02:21:27,533 --> 02:21:30,867
before the planning subcommittee a couple of weeks ago.

1612
02:21:31,100 --> 02:21:35,033
But if this streetscape plan of seven years ago

1613
02:21:35,266 --> 02:21:38,100
has completed only one of its four phases,

1614
02:21:38,100 --> 02:21:42,033
I wonder how much of the ATP will come to fruition.

1615
02:21:43,066 --> 02:21:45,166
Implementation. Now,

1616
02:21:46,634 --> 02:21:48,133
bottom line is

1617
02:21:48,133 --> 02:21:51,133
this is a matter of public safety

1618
02:21:52,100 --> 02:21:55,100
and independent of the way ATP.

1619
02:21:55,433 --> 02:21:58,100
I think that we need to do

1620
02:21:58,100 --> 02:22:01,100
some implementation now.

1621
02:22:01,567 --> 02:22:05,700
Now, I particularly am in favor of speed tables.

1622
02:22:06,867 --> 02:22:10,700
I drive frequently on Stevens Avenue in Portland.

1623
02:22:11,100 --> 02:22:14,100
There were speed tables on Stephen Avenue in Portland.

1624
02:22:15,166 --> 02:22:15,867
Portland.

1625
02:22:15,867 --> 02:22:20,667
Just recently, installed speed tables at Pace and Park.

1626
02:22:22,000 --> 02:22:26,100
Well, if if there are giving giving

1627
02:22:26,133 --> 02:22:29,133
the Portland DPW every

1628
02:22:30,000 --> 02:22:35,033
consideration, why would they do that if it wasn't effective?

1629
02:22:35,033 --> 02:22:39,266
And in light of that, I did speak by way of email

1630
02:22:39,700 --> 02:22:43,867
to the Portland DPW when I asked them about speed tables.

1631
02:22:44,367 --> 02:22:47,367
Number one, their cost effective

1632
02:22:47,433 --> 02:22:50,333
speaking to, about the costs

1633
02:22:50,333 --> 02:22:55,133
either now or down the line, not knowing what the cost would be about,

1634
02:22:55,367 --> 02:22:59,834
curb improvements, speed tables would be more cost

1635
02:22:59,834 --> 02:23:04,533
efficient than redoing the sidewalks and the and the curbing.

1636
02:23:05,266 --> 02:23:08,000
It doesn't harm snowplows.

1637
02:23:08,000 --> 02:23:09,266
The DPW told me,

1638
02:23:10,934 --> 02:23:14,000
and they're long lasting.

1639
02:23:14,166 --> 02:23:15,300
And again, they're cheaper.

1640
02:23:15,300 --> 02:23:17,133
They're cheaper than curbing.

1641
02:23:17,133 --> 02:23:20,133
Now, I don't mean to be parochial,

1642
02:23:20,667 --> 02:23:25,367
but I'm concerned about Portland Street, and so are my neighbors.

1643
02:23:25,867 --> 02:23:31,333
I know, and, I know that their petition has presented, been presented to the,

1644
02:23:31,333 --> 02:23:36,033
planning committee, subcommittee about putting speed,

1645
02:23:36,166 --> 02:23:39,166
tables on Portland Street.

1646
02:23:39,367 --> 02:23:44,000
Now, there's even, among us on Portland Street.

1647
02:23:44,133 --> 02:23:47,900
The idea that we would contribute

1648
02:23:47,934 --> 02:23:51,900
the residents on Portland Street would contribute to the cost,

1649
02:23:52,066 --> 02:23:54,900
if not to pay in full,

1650
02:23:54,900 --> 02:23:57,467
the cost of speed tables.

1651
02:23:57,467 --> 02:24:02,000
Now, there may be red tape, but it's so simple.

1652
02:24:02,000 --> 02:24:05,000
If the town council will approve

1653
02:24:05,500 --> 02:24:08,100
that private

1654
02:24:08,100 --> 02:24:11,734
citizens, of a public, public community

1655
02:24:12,033 --> 02:24:16,066
will pay for the speed tables, then what's wrong with that?

1656
02:24:16,367 --> 02:24:20,433
And that could be a model for other streets

1657
02:24:20,433 --> 02:24:24,333
and other parts of Yarmouth that citizens

1658
02:24:24,333 --> 02:24:28,033
pay directly for safety.

1659
02:24:28,033 --> 02:24:31,033
Implementation of speed tables.

1660
02:24:31,066 --> 02:24:34,100
I urge the town council and the town manager

1661
02:24:34,100 --> 02:24:37,333
to move swiftly on the ATP,

1662
02:24:38,433 --> 02:24:40,634
and if the town doesn't accept all

1663
02:24:40,634 --> 02:24:44,700
or even part of the plan, at least let's have speed tables.

1664
02:24:45,066 --> 02:24:45,900
It's right.

1665
02:24:45,900 --> 02:24:47,467
It can be done right away.

1666
02:24:47,467 --> 02:24:50,467
No planning, no dealing with the dot.

1667
02:24:50,900 --> 02:24:54,834
We're talking about municipal roads, not state roads.

1668
02:24:55,100 --> 02:24:57,133
So we have control over that.

1669
02:24:57,133 --> 02:25:00,433
And also to have citizen input

1670
02:25:00,433 --> 02:25:04,100
and direct payment of speed tables.

1671
02:25:04,433 --> 02:25:07,133
I know it won't completely solve

1672
02:25:07,133 --> 02:25:10,300
Yarmouth's speeding problem, but it sure would mitigated.

1673
02:25:11,033 --> 02:25:15,333
And so I urge you to consider what I have proposed.

1674
02:25:15,634 --> 02:25:16,900
Thank you.

1675
02:25:16,900 --> 02:25:17,300
Thank you, Mr.

1676
02:25:17,300 --> 02:25:20,300
Styler.

1677
02:25:20,667 --> 02:25:23,667
Anyone else want to comment on this?

1678
02:25:25,033 --> 02:25:27,934
Yes, I can I

1679
02:25:27,934 --> 02:25:31,100
we want to go, to a public comment on this closed.

1680
02:25:31,100 --> 02:25:34,100
Yeah.

1681
02:25:38,033 --> 02:25:38,433
Good evening.

1682
02:25:38,433 --> 02:25:40,166
My name is Dan Austria.

1683
02:25:40,166 --> 02:25:42,233
I live at 22 Starting to Point Road.

1684
02:25:43,734 --> 02:25:45,467
I am the

1685
02:25:45,467 --> 02:25:49,634
former chair of the bike ped committee, for 12 years,

1686
02:25:50,133 --> 02:25:52,834
and, I, I couldn't be

1687
02:25:52,834 --> 02:25:55,834
prouder of the work that, this committee has done.

1688
02:25:56,233 --> 02:25:59,233
I think that I turned it over to very good hands.

1689
02:25:59,300 --> 02:26:03,166
They have skill sets that I don't have, and,

1690
02:26:03,166 --> 02:26:08,333
I didn't know that we did an active transportation plan in 2015.

1691
02:26:08,700 --> 02:26:10,834
In fact, there was no such thing.

1692
02:26:10,834 --> 02:26:16,734
It is a recent, I'll call it terminology.

1693
02:26:17,300 --> 02:26:22,066
But we started in 2009, with the idea

1694
02:26:22,066 --> 02:26:25,433
of making this a better connected and safer town.

1695
02:26:26,133 --> 02:26:29,133
And we did that with little steps,

1696
02:26:29,734 --> 02:26:32,133
and we found old plans

1697
02:26:32,133 --> 02:26:35,834
that had ideas in them, and we tried to implement them.

1698
02:26:36,100 --> 02:26:38,867
And, one of the things that I learned

1699
02:26:38,867 --> 02:26:42,233
is having those plans is one of the most important things.

1700
02:26:42,233 --> 02:26:45,467
I think that you've heard some of the reasons why you want those plans.

1701
02:26:46,000 --> 02:26:51,100
But I can tell you a story about a plan that was written in 1988,

1702
02:26:51,300 --> 02:26:54,467
called the Public Access and Recreation Plan.

1703
02:26:55,133 --> 02:26:58,100
It was about the closest thing we had to an active,

1704
02:26:58,533 --> 02:27:01,133
transportation plan back then.

1705
02:27:01,133 --> 02:27:05,367
And it had this idea about a trail that ran down the, corridor,

1706
02:27:05,767 --> 02:27:10,433
the CMP corridor, and, nobody figured out how to do it.

1707
02:27:10,433 --> 02:27:12,133
And we said, why not?

1708
02:27:12,133 --> 02:27:15,300
And I won't go into detail about what happened,

1709
02:27:15,634 --> 02:27:18,634
but the fact that there was a plan,

1710
02:27:18,734 --> 02:27:22,834
that the council had approved made a huge difference

1711
02:27:23,033 --> 02:27:26,734
in our ability to actually execute that plan.

1712
02:27:27,166 --> 02:27:29,734
And so I think that it's really important

1713
02:27:29,734 --> 02:27:32,834
to get this, this plan approved.

1714
02:27:33,166 --> 02:27:35,834
There will be changes.

1715
02:27:35,834 --> 02:27:38,066
It's a living document.

1716
02:27:38,066 --> 02:27:41,934
I think that that's one of the things that, I would encourage

1717
02:27:41,934 --> 02:27:46,767
the council to do is to make sure that this is treated as a living document.

1718
02:27:47,033 --> 02:27:51,567
And by that, I mean, you know, every year have some kind of report that said,

1719
02:27:51,567 --> 02:27:54,233
how do we do? Do we get anything done?

1720
02:27:54,233 --> 02:27:58,900
What do we want to do next year and every three, five years updated?

1721
02:27:59,467 --> 02:28:03,266
Because once you've checked all this stuff off, which I hope you will,

1722
02:28:04,567 --> 02:28:07,533
then you have an opportunity to say, what's next?

1723
02:28:07,533 --> 02:28:09,500
How do we do this? Better?

1724
02:28:09,500 --> 02:28:12,100
And I think that that's really important.

1725
02:28:12,100 --> 02:28:15,333
So, you guys did a great job.

1726
02:28:15,734 --> 02:28:17,000
Julie.

1727
02:28:17,000 --> 02:28:19,934
Erin, you also did a great job.

1728
02:28:19,934 --> 02:28:23,667
The other point that I would make is that having these plans

1729
02:28:23,667 --> 02:28:27,867
and seeing the cost of $150,000 is to do it.

1730
02:28:27,867 --> 02:28:30,367
I'll call it the formal engineered way.

1731
02:28:30,367 --> 02:28:33,867
And many times there are opportunities to do things,

1732
02:28:34,166 --> 02:28:36,834
much more efficiently than that.

1733
02:28:36,834 --> 02:28:41,033
And, one of the other documents that we, we wrote,

1734
02:28:41,033 --> 02:28:46,433
I think it was in 2018 was was a route one, complete streets plan.

1735
02:28:47,033 --> 02:28:51,634
And that included a number of ideas up and down the, route one,

1736
02:28:52,066 --> 02:28:57,133
the crossing, at the East Main Street spur to maples was one of them.

1737
02:28:57,133 --> 02:28:59,934
It also connected, to Bayview Street.

1738
02:28:59,934 --> 02:29:03,533
We also wanted a different sidewalk going into Hannaford's,

1739
02:29:04,100 --> 02:29:07,166
and that would have required shrinking the the entrance.

1740
02:29:07,166 --> 02:29:10,133
There would have been major controversy, major cost.

1741
02:29:10,300 --> 02:29:14,567
And, it was two years ago, TD Bank

1742
02:29:14,567 --> 02:29:18,300
came in for a, an application to do some improvements.

1743
02:29:18,934 --> 02:29:21,333
And our wily planner, managed

1744
02:29:21,333 --> 02:29:24,333
to get them to put a sidewalk in,

1745
02:29:24,433 --> 02:29:27,233
that leads into the parking lot.

1746
02:29:27,233 --> 02:29:31,066
I mean, we still don't have a sidewalk all the way to the building, but

1747
02:29:31,133 --> 02:29:36,066
that saves people from having to risk life and limb crossing five lanes of traffic.

1748
02:29:36,634 --> 02:29:41,133
With people turning right, coming south, it's a nightmare.

1749
02:29:41,433 --> 02:29:45,467
So just having a plan and a vision for something.

1750
02:29:45,767 --> 02:29:51,066
Many times you can get 80% of the benefit from 20% of the effort.

1751
02:29:51,500 --> 02:29:56,266
And I think I, I salute Aaron, for, being able to do that.

1752
02:29:56,700 --> 02:29:59,700
And that's the real benefit of having these plans.

1753
02:29:59,700 --> 02:30:03,233
They're going to they're going to change, you may find that

1754
02:30:03,233 --> 02:30:06,100
there's a different way to do it by the time you're done.

1755
02:30:06,100 --> 02:30:11,233
You see all these edge lane, stripes on the, on the roads here?

1756
02:30:11,433 --> 02:30:14,533
We couldn't afford to put sidewalks in, but those things come

1757
02:30:14,533 --> 02:30:17,934
very, very close to meeting all of those objectives.

1758
02:30:18,266 --> 02:30:24,033
And that wasn't around in 2015 when we wrote our active transportation plan.

1759
02:30:24,033 --> 02:30:27,233
I guess it was, but in 2016, it was.

1760
02:30:27,767 --> 02:30:31,433
And, you'd be you may be surprised to know that Yarmouth

1761
02:30:31,433 --> 02:30:34,734
has more roads with those striping on them

1762
02:30:34,734 --> 02:30:37,734
than any other town in the country.

1763
02:30:38,000 --> 02:30:39,166
So they work.

1764
02:30:39,166 --> 02:30:40,934
They're efficient.

1765
02:30:40,934 --> 02:30:46,133
They're, something that we should be considering more for traffic calming.

1766
02:30:46,567 --> 02:30:49,567
And there are opportunities to do that right now.

1767
02:30:49,767 --> 02:30:53,300
But I just I just wanted to to say that

1768
02:30:53,700 --> 02:30:57,333
the other thing that I hope we can do very soon,

1769
02:30:57,834 --> 02:31:03,033
because us warhorses are fading, is someplace capture

1770
02:31:03,033 --> 02:31:08,000
all of the ideas and plans that have been, generated

1771
02:31:08,567 --> 02:31:11,700
in the past 30 years for ideas

1772
02:31:11,700 --> 02:31:15,133
like the connection down at the marinas.

1773
02:31:15,367 --> 02:31:19,000
To get over the Royal River to Town Landing.

1774
02:31:19,433 --> 02:31:22,133
That was done in 2012.

1775
02:31:22,133 --> 02:31:27,867
In 2008, there was a plan to put a bridge over factories Island to connect,

1776
02:31:27,900 --> 02:31:32,433
the Melissa Drive area into, Royal River Park.

1777
02:31:32,900 --> 02:31:38,000
And then, you know, it would be, no stretch to get kids to the schools

1778
02:31:38,033 --> 02:31:43,100
getting on what will be the Casco Bay trail in five, maybe ten years.

1779
02:31:44,066 --> 02:31:46,133
But then you'd have completely off road.

1780
02:31:46,133 --> 02:31:48,734
Not on sidewalk connections.

1781
02:31:48,734 --> 02:31:53,066
I just hope that we can capture all of those someplace.

1782
02:31:53,700 --> 02:31:56,734
They're not immediate needs, but remember

1783
02:31:56,734 --> 02:32:00,166
I said it was 30 years before we built the West Side Trail? You.

1784
02:32:00,266 --> 02:32:03,300
We have to also have not just the immediate,

1785
02:32:03,834 --> 02:32:06,300
but the long term visions for this.

1786
02:32:06,300 --> 02:32:09,133
A lot of people have put a lot of time into that.

1787
02:32:09,133 --> 02:32:12,266
And I just ask that we do that before,

1788
02:32:12,700 --> 02:32:16,033
you know, all of us who are around for those, are gone

1789
02:32:16,033 --> 02:32:19,033
and they're just sitting on a shelf not being used.

1790
02:32:19,066 --> 02:32:21,000
So again, congratulations.

1791
02:32:21,000 --> 02:32:23,233
I think that this is a great step.

1792
02:32:23,233 --> 02:32:28,000
It's something that we, we've, we've been advocating for, for many years.

1793
02:32:28,166 --> 02:32:32,166
I think that the work that we did put us in a position to do this.

1794
02:32:32,166 --> 02:32:37,066
Now, and I'm fully in support and hope that you will support us, too.

1795
02:32:37,066 --> 02:32:37,467
Thank you.

1796
02:32:38,500 --> 02:32:39,133
Thank you, Mr.

1797
02:32:39,133 --> 02:32:41,700
Ostrom.

1798
02:32:41,700 --> 02:32:44,700
Anyone else for public comment?

1799
02:32:46,734 --> 02:32:47,166
If not.

1800
02:32:47,166 --> 02:32:49,567
Okay, I'm going to close the public comment, period.

1801
02:32:49,567 --> 02:32:50,767
Bring it back to the council.

1802
02:32:50,767 --> 02:32:55,734
Now, remember, it's we're here to decide if we advance this

1803
02:32:55,734 --> 02:32:59,700
to the voting meeting, so, that should be our most the bulk of our discussion.

1804
02:32:59,700 --> 02:33:01,700
Certainly at the voting meeting. We can discuss this more.

1805
02:33:01,700 --> 02:33:04,700
We can talk about it at the office meeting if we'd like to.

1806
02:33:05,000 --> 02:33:06,500
But, bring it back.

1807
02:33:06,500 --> 02:33:08,266
Any question? Discussion.

1808
02:33:08,266 --> 02:33:09,934
Council. Monty, did you have anything?

1809
02:33:09,934 --> 02:33:12,066
You're also okay clarifying.

1810
02:33:12,066 --> 02:33:15,100
Okay.

1811
02:33:15,667 --> 02:33:19,367
What are we exactly being asked to vote on in in two weeks?

1812
02:33:19,867 --> 02:33:21,634
We just endorsed this one.

1813
02:33:21,634 --> 02:33:23,667
It's not to fund it in any way, obviously.

1814
02:33:23,667 --> 02:33:26,667
Or to,

1815
02:33:28,000 --> 02:33:29,100
Is it just an endorsement saying.

1816
02:33:29,100 --> 02:33:30,033
Yeah, it's a good idea.

1817
02:33:30,033 --> 02:33:33,467
I believe that's what we're being asked to do is to endorse, the plan,

1818
02:33:33,634 --> 02:33:35,100
by moving it forward

1819
02:33:36,734 --> 02:33:39,133
in two weeks, we'll vote on whether to endorse the plan.

1820
02:33:39,133 --> 02:33:39,900
Okay.

1821
02:33:39,900 --> 02:33:42,900
Typically, we get plans to introduce,

1822
02:33:44,000 --> 02:33:46,266
Described to us, and then we

1823
02:33:46,266 --> 02:33:49,266
debate it, and then we either accept it or we don't.

1824
02:33:50,033 --> 02:33:52,433
We can always push back and say, we'd like you to change this

1825
02:33:52,433 --> 02:33:54,033
or that and then do it.

1826
02:33:54,033 --> 02:33:56,133
Any other,

1827
02:33:56,133 --> 02:33:56,667
Oh, yes.

1828
02:33:56,667 --> 02:33:59,667
Councilor Tang, I see your hand up.

1829
02:34:00,100 --> 02:34:00,233
Thanks.

1830
02:34:00,233 --> 02:34:02,734
Just curious.

1831
02:34:02,734 --> 02:34:04,667
I mean, shouldn't we all read the plan

1832
02:34:04,667 --> 02:34:07,667
before we decide to vote?

1833
02:34:07,700 --> 02:34:09,000
Should shut? Yes.

1834
02:34:09,000 --> 02:34:11,367
I mean, I think that's important, right?

1835
02:34:11,367 --> 02:34:15,000
So, I mean, I've, I've read once,

1836
02:34:15,066 --> 02:34:18,467
I could definitely read it again.

1837
02:34:19,734 --> 02:34:23,700
Now, with all this other input and some of my questions answered it,

1838
02:34:23,734 --> 02:34:29,700
it doesn't make sense to vote to put it on the agenda, to vote on it.

1839
02:34:29,700 --> 02:34:33,533
If some of us it was, you know, I mean, I need to refresh.

1840
02:34:33,567 --> 02:34:34,734
I won't speak for anybody else.

1841
02:34:34,734 --> 02:34:38,100
So I'm wondering

1842
02:34:39,700 --> 02:34:41,066
about that part of it.

1843
02:34:41,066 --> 02:34:42,100
Yeah, sure.

1844
02:34:42,100 --> 02:34:44,133
Well, there's a couple of things we can do here.

1845
02:34:44,133 --> 02:34:45,233
First of all, we've got a couple weeks.

1846
02:34:45,233 --> 02:34:49,166
So yes, I would assume and I would hope that everyone on the council would,

1847
02:34:49,266 --> 02:34:49,900
would read it.

1848
02:34:49,900 --> 02:34:53,900
Prior to that, we can also have this on the agenda for our next ops meeting,

1849
02:34:53,900 --> 02:34:58,367
those, you know, operations meeting next week if we want to,

1850
02:34:58,367 --> 02:35:01,367
talk about it amongst ourselves in that,

1851
02:35:02,333 --> 02:35:03,166
how do we feel about that?

1852
02:35:03,166 --> 02:35:06,166
We want to add on the ops agenda or.

1853
02:35:08,066 --> 02:35:11,000
Yeah, I think that's a good idea.

1854
02:35:11,000 --> 02:35:13,767
And if I could make a request,

1855
02:35:13,767 --> 02:35:19,533
other hard copies available, I can do a I sent them to you, but I can have you do?

1856
02:35:19,900 --> 02:35:24,533
Yes, but I can happily put one for you and and provided it as well.

1857
02:35:25,066 --> 02:35:25,533
That would be great.

1858
02:35:25,533 --> 02:35:26,100
Thank you.

1859
02:35:26,100 --> 02:35:30,233
Would be helpful if you could pick it up, I will post it will break any,

1860
02:35:30,734 --> 02:35:33,734
any objection to putting on the operations meeting next week?

1861
02:35:34,133 --> 02:35:35,567
Oh, okay. So let's do that.

1862
02:35:37,233 --> 02:35:41,000
And in terms of,

1863
02:35:42,133 --> 02:35:45,100
we still need to, schedule action there.

1864
02:35:45,100 --> 02:35:48,233
We're saying in this, we, we would schedule action thereon.

1865
02:35:48,333 --> 02:35:51,734
So, how are we feeling about

1866
02:35:52,867 --> 02:35:56,266
discussion at the ops meeting and then, about into weeks?

1867
02:35:57,033 --> 02:35:59,033
Good to move it.

1868
02:35:59,033 --> 02:36:00,734
We're seeing some thumbs up.

1869
02:36:00,734 --> 02:36:02,767
Council telling you, you just unmuted to.

1870
02:36:02,767 --> 02:36:03,834
You want to say anything?

1871
02:36:03,834 --> 02:36:06,033
Yes. I see your hand.

1872
02:36:06,033 --> 02:36:11,033
Why don't we discuss it at the ops meeting first and then advance it?

1873
02:36:11,867 --> 02:36:14,066
Because we have to make the decision at this meeting.

1874
02:36:14,066 --> 02:36:15,033
So that's what I'm saying.

1875
02:36:15,033 --> 02:36:16,433
How will we go about that?

1876
02:36:16,433 --> 02:36:18,000
Makes more logical sense to me.

1877
02:36:18,000 --> 02:36:22,533
So would it be me putting up as a motion to table it for now?

1878
02:36:22,533 --> 02:36:26,834
And then we talk about the ops meeting and then come back and and

1879
02:36:26,834 --> 02:36:28,567
and decide on the vote.

1880
02:36:28,567 --> 02:36:30,533
Now it wouldn't be the that wouldn't be the procedure

1881
02:36:30,533 --> 02:36:34,066
because we don't have those, formalities at the workshop.

1882
02:36:34,066 --> 02:36:37,133
However, what we would do is we say, look, if there's

1883
02:36:37,133 --> 02:36:40,934
if there's concern that two weeks is too soon, we can always,

1884
02:36:42,533 --> 02:36:44,233
bring up the ops meeting.

1885
02:36:44,233 --> 02:36:47,634
I mean, the council can kind of, you know, we get consensus around this.

1886
02:36:47,634 --> 02:36:51,066
We could put it on the ops meeting next week, and we could bring it back

1887
02:36:51,066 --> 02:36:54,100
for scheduling action at next month's workshop.

1888
02:36:54,133 --> 02:36:57,900
So we'd actually be voting on it in, October.

1889
02:36:58,133 --> 02:37:01,634
Would be would be the, the way we would do that.

1890
02:37:02,133 --> 02:37:03,266
Yeah.

1891
02:37:03,266 --> 02:37:06,433
So I guess, I mean, it sounds like you're advocating for that.

1892
02:37:06,433 --> 02:37:09,100
Is that am I correct in that or that's correct.

1893
02:37:09,100 --> 02:37:12,467
I mean, I, I, I'd ask my other fellow councilors

1894
02:37:12,500 --> 02:37:16,533
is, is, reading 90 pages of this.

1895
02:37:16,934 --> 02:37:19,333
Can you do it within a week?

1896
02:37:19,333 --> 02:37:20,300
Okay, okay.

1897
02:37:20,300 --> 02:37:21,133
You know what I mean?

1898
02:37:21,133 --> 02:37:26,100
Like, I don't know anybody else's agenda and how busy they are in their lives.

1899
02:37:26,100 --> 02:37:29,467
So, I mean, I know I'm going to be busy, but I've read it once

1900
02:37:29,467 --> 02:37:33,567
so I can go back and read the areas with tonight's

1901
02:37:33,567 --> 02:37:38,100
comments in mind to get a better idea, and I'm ready to discuss it.

1902
02:37:38,500 --> 02:37:39,367
But I don't want to.

1903
02:37:40,700 --> 02:37:43,667
I don't want to, you know, push that.

1904
02:37:43,667 --> 02:37:45,100
Yep. My timeline.

1905
02:37:45,100 --> 02:37:46,667
Well, let's hear from the councilors and see.

1906
02:37:46,667 --> 02:37:48,567
I see what you're saying. Councilor Monti.

1907
02:37:48,567 --> 02:37:51,467
Yeah. I think, this is the job of being a councilor.

1908
02:37:51,467 --> 02:37:52,667
We've had the materials.

1909
02:37:52,667 --> 02:37:55,667
We know that, I don't think we can move things

1910
02:37:57,033 --> 02:37:58,033
because we haven't.

1911
02:37:58,033 --> 02:38:00,900
We haven't taken the time to read that, that we have a process

1912
02:38:00,900 --> 02:38:03,767
and it should continue on the timeline of the process.

1913
02:38:03,767 --> 02:38:07,467
I'm sure there'll be weeks where I feel like I'm less prepared than I wish I was.

1914
02:38:07,467 --> 02:38:11,233
But the expectation is we do the work and that's when it happens.

1915
02:38:11,367 --> 02:38:12,000
Okay.

1916
02:38:12,000 --> 02:38:15,033
So you're advocating we move it for two weeks from now?

1917
02:38:15,000 --> 02:38:18,467
Yeah, it goes to ops, we can chat more, but we are ready to go in two weeks,

1918
02:38:18,467 --> 02:38:21,100
I'm sure. Sure. Councilor Abbott, I see your hand up.

1919
02:38:22,533 --> 02:38:24,133
I agree with Councilor Monti.

1920
02:38:24,133 --> 02:38:26,000
I'm ready to move this in.

1921
02:38:26,000 --> 02:38:28,166
You know, throw it.

1922
02:38:28,166 --> 02:38:28,667
Okay.

1923
02:38:28,667 --> 02:38:31,500
And how do we build some table?

1924
02:38:31,500 --> 02:38:34,300
Okay, so it looks like, I think the consensus

1925
02:38:34,300 --> 02:38:37,300
that I'm seeing here is that we put it on the ops meeting.

1926
02:38:37,567 --> 02:38:39,533
Next week for discussion.

1927
02:38:39,533 --> 02:38:43,266
We've got two weeks, where I believe, you know, everyone who anyone

1928
02:38:43,266 --> 02:38:46,834
who hasn't read it or wants to read it again should commit to doing that.

1929
02:38:46,834 --> 02:38:50,033
Within the next two weeks, I will we will move it to the voting meeting.

1930
02:38:50,033 --> 02:38:52,900
In two weeks.

1931
02:38:52,900 --> 02:38:55,734
Okay.

1932
02:38:55,734 --> 02:38:58,000
At ten minutes of nine, we move on to item

1933
02:38:58,000 --> 02:39:01,000
number three,

1934
02:39:01,066 --> 02:39:04,100
to consider requests of residents of Beaumont and Limerick Street.

1935
02:39:04,533 --> 02:39:09,734
Kearney village, regarding maintenance, ownership of a pedestrian bridge,

1936
02:39:11,033 --> 02:39:13,734
do you want to do do you want me to I mean, it's

1937
02:39:13,734 --> 02:39:16,166
I was you haven't been around for a whole lot of the history.

1938
02:39:16,166 --> 02:39:17,900
No, I wasn't in here.

1939
02:39:17,900 --> 02:39:20,100
But I got off by just reading a little bit of the files.

1940
02:39:20,100 --> 02:39:22,900
But I think, Dan, you're probably going to be the one introducing this.

1941
02:39:22,900 --> 02:39:24,867
So she's written to you.

1942
02:39:24,867 --> 02:39:28,033
The folks on Moore and Limerick,

1943
02:39:28,033 --> 02:39:31,033
have some,

1944
02:39:31,066 --> 02:39:32,700
private infrastructure

1945
02:39:32,700 --> 02:39:36,066
that has public rights in use and, and shared with the public.

1946
02:39:36,066 --> 02:39:40,867
And they have asked in the past, for relief or for the town

1947
02:39:40,867 --> 02:39:43,867
to assume their ownership,

1948
02:39:44,867 --> 02:39:48,333
position and responsibilities for them and turn it over to the town and,

1949
02:39:48,900 --> 02:39:53,000
they'd like to come forward and try to see if that can be answered now.

1950
02:39:53,000 --> 02:39:57,367
And, I know that they've narrowed the area of interest

1951
02:39:57,367 --> 02:40:00,934
and request considerably from the prior presentation.

1952
02:40:00,934 --> 02:40:03,000
So it's down to a, a smaller issue.

1953
02:40:03,000 --> 02:40:06,433
So I, I think unless you need me to say more of you,

1954
02:40:06,433 --> 02:40:09,100
turn it over to folks and let them tell their story.

1955
02:40:09,100 --> 02:40:10,233
But thank you.

1956
02:40:15,667 --> 02:40:18,133
I mean, just such as this.

1957
02:40:18,133 --> 02:40:20,133
Hello, everybody. I'm Diane Nichols.

1958
02:40:20,133 --> 02:40:25,500
I'm the president of Makani Village two HOA, and I want to thank the council

1959
02:40:25,500 --> 02:40:28,533
for giving us the opportunity to address this issue.

1960
02:40:28,767 --> 02:40:33,834
Before you, I hope everybody has had a chance to read my submission.

1961
02:40:33,834 --> 02:40:36,634
The second submission was the only change in

1962
02:40:36,634 --> 02:40:40,300
it was citing the legal citation to the area in question,

1963
02:40:40,900 --> 02:40:45,133
which is I'm going to refer to it as wetland Bridge slash.

1964
02:40:45,300 --> 02:40:49,567
You know, the path it's legal description is common area three,

1965
02:40:50,000 --> 02:40:54,066
which, most of the counselors have been out to the area to see it

1966
02:40:54,066 --> 02:40:59,266
firsthand and to walk it and get a general idea of the neighborhood

1967
02:40:59,266 --> 02:41:03,166
and how it intersects and connects with other

1968
02:41:03,300 --> 02:41:06,066
with Makani village one, which is kindred,

1969
02:41:07,367 --> 02:41:09,100
Kindred Road,

1970
02:41:09,100 --> 02:41:14,000
which is a public street, and fieldstone drive where there is also a path.

1971
02:41:14,266 --> 02:41:16,000
But I want to go back a little bit.

1972
02:41:16,000 --> 02:41:21,433
And I know, Nate, you were around for this when the subdivision was approved.

1973
02:41:21,433 --> 02:41:24,433
Many, many years ago, almost ten years ago.

1974
02:41:25,066 --> 02:41:27,333
Part of the approval process was

1975
02:41:27,333 --> 02:41:32,367
that the town wanted a connection between the two neighborhoods

1976
02:41:32,734 --> 02:41:36,533
that would be a pedestrian and bike connection

1977
02:41:36,734 --> 02:41:40,634
as a conduit to get to Makani one public street,

1978
02:41:40,867 --> 02:41:43,834
which in turn would go to the schools,

1979
02:41:43,834 --> 02:41:46,767
the three schools over in that area.

1980
02:41:47,033 --> 02:41:49,834
So there was a compromise with the developer

1981
02:41:49,834 --> 02:41:53,834
to build a gravel walkway and a pedestrian bridge

1982
02:41:53,834 --> 02:41:58,433
that would allow that connection while also protecting the wetlands.

1983
02:41:59,000 --> 02:42:04,233
And so the builder constructed the bridge according to that standard,

1984
02:42:04,233 --> 02:42:08,333
as well as the planning board had certain specifications

1985
02:42:08,333 --> 02:42:12,000
for the gravel path as well as the wetland bridge.

1986
02:42:12,300 --> 02:42:16,533
So the builder built that to the exact specifications.

1987
02:42:16,867 --> 02:42:19,867
And I don't know if Dan Oster, he's not here anymore, but

1988
02:42:20,100 --> 02:42:23,767
he was a little annoyed because he thought it was an ugly bridge

1989
02:42:24,000 --> 02:42:27,567
and that we should have consulted with the,

1990
02:42:28,500 --> 02:42:31,233
you know, the West Side Trail people and all that.

1991
02:42:31,233 --> 02:42:35,333
But the builder built it according to the specs approved by the town.

1992
02:42:35,900 --> 02:42:40,166
The town also at that time in 2017, required

1993
02:42:40,533 --> 02:42:45,100
Bowmore Lane and Limerick Drive to have white painted, segmented,

1994
02:42:45,433 --> 02:42:51,066
like like pedestrian lanes so that anybody driving down the street

1995
02:42:51,233 --> 02:42:57,000
would know that this was going to be used by bicyclists and walkers, pedestrians.

1996
02:42:57,333 --> 02:43:01,133
So those, among other conditions of the subdivision, were

1997
02:43:01,300 --> 02:43:05,133
the ones that the builder did comply with subsequent

1998
02:43:05,133 --> 02:43:08,266
to the the HOA being formed.

1999
02:43:08,266 --> 02:43:12,133
And part of the HOA is requirement for that common area

2000
02:43:12,133 --> 02:43:16,767
three was that we would maintain it, repair it,

2001
02:43:17,100 --> 02:43:21,033
replace it, and we have to assume liability for it,

2002
02:43:21,100 --> 02:43:26,300
which we've done for the last, basically, seven years.

2003
02:43:27,100 --> 02:43:31,867
So then subsequently, I think it was in 2020.

2004
02:43:31,867 --> 02:43:34,634
I don't exactly know the exact date.

2005
02:43:34,634 --> 02:43:37,867
But it was after the wetland bridge was put in

2006
02:43:38,100 --> 02:43:44,033
that the town built the fieldstone trail bridge, which intersects

2007
02:43:44,467 --> 02:43:48,233
fields, the fieldstone drive area, which is a public street

2008
02:43:48,667 --> 02:43:51,634
to our path.

2009
02:43:51,634 --> 02:43:53,100
There is a direct link.

2010
02:43:53,100 --> 02:43:58,333
And I think all those who came out, you saw that that greatly increase

2011
02:43:58,367 --> 02:44:02,867
the traffic that the pedestrian bicycle use off of the trail.

2012
02:44:03,000 --> 02:44:05,767
And it was intentional on the part of the town

2013
02:44:05,767 --> 02:44:09,567
because the town, again, the whole objective, which was a perfect segue

2014
02:44:09,634 --> 02:44:12,934
from the last discussion, was to increase

2015
02:44:13,467 --> 02:44:18,300
pedestrian and bicycle connectivity throughout the, the town of Yarmouth.

2016
02:44:19,000 --> 02:44:24,333
And so the fieldstone path came in, and that is a very long path.

2017
02:44:24,333 --> 02:44:25,867
It's mostly dirt.

2018
02:44:25,867 --> 02:44:27,533
And then there's a boardwalk,

2019
02:44:27,533 --> 02:44:30,500
and it's probably, I don't know the exact measurements of it,

2020
02:44:30,500 --> 02:44:34,066
but it's probably 2 to 3 times as long as ours.

2021
02:44:34,667 --> 02:44:37,367
And I will note that as a result

2022
02:44:37,367 --> 02:44:42,533
of that connection to Fieldstone Drive, all these other neighborhoods

2023
02:44:42,867 --> 02:44:47,500
across 115, including where you live, David and Rainbow Farms Village Run

2024
02:44:47,834 --> 02:44:51,100
and all these little, you know, areas over there are using it,

2025
02:44:51,166 --> 02:44:54,533
as well as the fact that all the people

2026
02:44:54,533 --> 02:44:57,533
from Makani and Applewood and so forth.

2027
02:44:57,834 --> 02:45:00,634
In addition, after that, the West Side

2028
02:45:00,634 --> 02:45:05,634
Trail, which was part which sort of a cooperative partnership

2029
02:45:05,634 --> 02:45:09,467
with the town, expanded out toward our area.

2030
02:45:09,867 --> 02:45:15,066
And part of it was they wanted to expand the trail network over by Applewood

2031
02:45:15,100 --> 02:45:20,000
and Oakwood, and if so, if our trail if our trail and path were there,

2032
02:45:20,333 --> 02:45:24,166
that gave them even more connectivity to other parts of the town.

2033
02:45:24,567 --> 02:45:28,500
So as a result of the West Side Trail coming in as well,

2034
02:45:28,533 --> 02:45:30,300
along with the fieldstone path,

2035
02:45:30,300 --> 02:45:34,467
we had greater use of our trail and it's only grown exponentially.

2036
02:45:35,133 --> 02:45:38,834
Also, the town, and I don't know when this happened,

2037
02:45:38,834 --> 02:45:42,867
put it on their trail network official website.

2038
02:45:43,300 --> 02:45:46,533
And they also I dropped it, but I have the little

2039
02:45:47,767 --> 02:45:49,000
printed thing,

2040
02:45:49,000 --> 02:45:52,700
and it's listed by name, Bowmore Lane,

2041
02:45:53,033 --> 02:45:58,133
as an unpaved trail as part of the school trail complex network.

2042
02:45:58,467 --> 02:46:02,934
So the town has had an intention, as we heard from Galen and Company

2043
02:46:03,133 --> 02:46:06,033
for many, many years, to increase

2044
02:46:06,033 --> 02:46:10,000
pedestrian and bicycle network throughout the town.

2045
02:46:10,066 --> 02:46:14,734
And so our trail currently serves that purpose as well.

2046
02:46:15,634 --> 02:46:19,166
Also, the town has informed us that they're going to cut a curb

2047
02:46:19,634 --> 02:46:24,467
and place a sidewalk on Hillside Street to increase connectivity.

2048
02:46:24,467 --> 02:46:28,433
And obviously safety, because there's so many kids that walk on the hillside

2049
02:46:29,133 --> 02:46:32,367
to get to the schools, you know, morning and afternoon,

2050
02:46:32,367 --> 02:46:37,000
as well as all the other people who are using the trail all day as well.

2051
02:46:37,467 --> 02:46:41,900
So those are clear indications that our trail is an important

2052
02:46:41,900 --> 02:46:43,300
component of the larger,

2053
02:46:44,934 --> 02:46:47,767
our bridge and trail are part of the

2054
02:46:47,767 --> 02:46:51,033
the town's efforts to increase connectivity in the area.

2055
02:46:51,333 --> 02:46:54,667
I want to note that in 2024, on November

2056
02:46:54,667 --> 02:46:57,867
7th, a memorandum was prepared by the town engineer

2057
02:46:58,133 --> 02:47:02,667
which relieved us of the obligation to, do snow

2058
02:47:02,667 --> 02:47:06,133
removal on the entire area.

2059
02:47:06,500 --> 02:47:09,500
And as a result, there is

2060
02:47:09,900 --> 02:47:14,033
people are just getting by when it snows, that gets packed down and everything.

2061
02:47:14,567 --> 02:47:15,433
So it's okay.

2062
02:47:15,433 --> 02:47:18,166
It's nobody's had any problems on it.

2063
02:47:18,166 --> 02:47:22,934
I want to note, though, that when that obligation was relieved,

2064
02:47:23,266 --> 02:47:26,333
the town engineer noted that it would be similar

2065
02:47:26,333 --> 02:47:29,867
to other adjacent paths,

2066
02:47:30,233 --> 02:47:34,033
which is basically the fieldstone trail

2067
02:47:34,066 --> 02:47:37,066
because the town doesn't do any maintenance on that at all.

2068
02:47:37,033 --> 02:47:38,634
They don't remove any snow.

2069
02:47:38,634 --> 02:47:40,133
They don't do anything.

2070
02:47:40,133 --> 02:47:45,000
So one of the things that was mentioned in the,

2071
02:47:46,100 --> 02:47:49,433
memorandum was that if the town were to take it over,

2072
02:47:49,700 --> 02:47:54,133
we would have to, at our expense, HOA expense,

2073
02:47:54,300 --> 02:47:59,467
bring it up to current town standards for a sidewalk, meaning

2074
02:47:59,467 --> 02:48:04,133
that it would have to be able to hold heavy equipment and provide snow removal.

2075
02:48:04,500 --> 02:48:07,634
It would require the bridge to be reconstructed,

2076
02:48:08,033 --> 02:48:12,000
as well as the path to be reconfigured and wider.

2077
02:48:12,133 --> 02:48:15,834
So my question to the town is why?

2078
02:48:16,000 --> 02:48:20,333
If it's not a requirement now, why would it be a requirement

2079
02:48:20,333 --> 02:48:21,567
for you all to take it over?

2080
02:48:21,567 --> 02:48:26,133
Because it's not being there's no obligation of snow removal now.

2081
02:48:26,467 --> 02:48:29,767
In addition, it would defeat the whole intention

2082
02:48:29,767 --> 02:48:33,567
of the town's trail network and increasing connectivity

2083
02:48:33,667 --> 02:48:39,767
throughout the town of having a bicycle and pedestrian path throughout the town.

2084
02:48:40,066 --> 02:48:44,100
Also, it would detrimentally impact the wetlands,

2085
02:48:44,300 --> 02:48:47,300
which the town is obviously want to protect.

2086
02:48:47,767 --> 02:48:51,300
So I wanted to bring that important distinction to bear,

2087
02:48:51,567 --> 02:48:56,066
because if the town is not requiring us to do it now,

2088
02:48:56,166 --> 02:48:59,867
they can't suddenly impose a standard and say, well, wait a minute, you can't

2089
02:49:00,333 --> 02:49:04,066
for us to take it over, you guys have to bring it up to to code,

2090
02:49:04,133 --> 02:49:05,734
and then we'll take it over.

2091
02:49:05,734 --> 02:49:09,100
And then they want a, a right of way

2092
02:49:09,100 --> 02:49:13,066
to bring trucks on the street to take the equipment off.

2093
02:49:13,300 --> 02:49:18,033
My point is that it's not necessary now, and it won't be necessary in the future.

2094
02:49:18,300 --> 02:49:20,300
However, we are still

2095
02:49:21,567 --> 02:49:24,567
bearing the costs and the responsibility

2096
02:49:24,634 --> 02:49:29,700
of the maintenance, repair, replacement and liability of this path,

2097
02:49:29,934 --> 02:49:34,533
which is serving as an integral part of the Yarmouth Greater Trail network.

2098
02:49:35,133 --> 02:49:37,634
And we believe that it's an undue burden

2099
02:49:37,634 --> 02:49:41,266
on our HOA, which no other HOA has.

2100
02:49:41,867 --> 02:49:44,467
So to the best of my knowledge,

2101
02:49:44,467 --> 02:49:47,000
there is no other HOA

2102
02:49:47,000 --> 02:49:50,300
in Yarmouth who has a similar situation

2103
02:49:50,567 --> 02:49:54,500
with a private infrastructure that connects

2104
02:49:54,867 --> 02:50:00,100
internally to other public streets and neighborhoods and

2105
02:50:00,233 --> 02:50:04,467
and is identified on the town's website in the material

2106
02:50:04,467 --> 02:50:08,133
as a unpaved trail.

2107
02:50:08,533 --> 02:50:12,266
And it just seems that this is an undue burden on us.

2108
02:50:13,000 --> 02:50:16,767
So there therefore, there's no precedent that would be set,

2109
02:50:17,500 --> 02:50:20,300
or any bad precedent or any precedent

2110
02:50:20,300 --> 02:50:24,100
for that matter at all, because there's no other subdivision

2111
02:50:24,367 --> 02:50:29,000
that is in this situation currently that that we are aware of.

2112
02:50:30,033 --> 02:50:32,100
In addition,

2113
02:50:32,100 --> 02:50:36,634
the character in use throughout these last seven years as a result

2114
02:50:36,634 --> 02:50:40,567
of all these factors that I just mentioned, has increased tremendously.

2115
02:50:41,100 --> 02:50:42,033
I have not.

2116
02:50:42,033 --> 02:50:45,166
My house is adjacent to the area,

2117
02:50:45,166 --> 02:50:49,100
so I see more than other neighbors do that are down the street.

2118
02:50:50,033 --> 02:50:53,000
I was the second owner in the neighborhood.

2119
02:50:53,333 --> 02:50:57,533
The amount of usage has dramatically increased

2120
02:50:57,533 --> 02:51:00,500
over the year, year after year after year,

2121
02:51:00,634 --> 02:51:04,500
and having it part of this trail map system

2122
02:51:04,667 --> 02:51:07,567
has obviously made it even more so.

2123
02:51:07,567 --> 02:51:11,333
And there was no way, when we bought into this neighborhood

2124
02:51:11,367 --> 02:51:17,100
that any of us could have foreseen the increased use of this area

2125
02:51:17,300 --> 02:51:18,567
that has happened.

2126
02:51:18,567 --> 02:51:21,300
And plus we had no control over it

2127
02:51:21,300 --> 02:51:25,834
because the town was actively pursuing it

2128
02:51:26,033 --> 02:51:30,066
as part of the greater trail network throughout the town.

2129
02:51:30,433 --> 02:51:34,166
So for those reasons and those reasons that I've outlined

2130
02:51:34,667 --> 02:51:37,667
in my submission to you all,

2131
02:51:37,834 --> 02:51:42,867
we believe that this trail, this bridge trail, serves

2132
02:51:42,867 --> 02:51:47,300
an important municipal public function in Yarmouth.

2133
02:51:47,667 --> 02:51:51,867
And therefore, we are requesting that the town

2134
02:51:52,333 --> 02:51:55,333
take over this common area three

2135
02:51:56,000 --> 02:51:58,500
and relieve us of this obligation.

2136
02:52:00,367 --> 02:52:02,066
Okay.

2137
02:52:02,066 --> 02:52:03,867
I just I just want checkmate.

2138
02:52:03,867 --> 02:52:05,266
I didn't know if you're done.

2139
02:52:05,266 --> 02:52:05,467
Yeah.

2140
02:52:05,467 --> 02:52:10,133
I mean, I will just say lastly that I just think that given the circumstances

2141
02:52:10,133 --> 02:52:15,667
and given the location and the importance of the of it being the conduit that it is

2142
02:52:16,834 --> 02:52:19,066
it it's more than justified for the town

2143
02:52:19,066 --> 02:52:23,133
to at least to consider assuming ownership of this.

2144
02:52:24,000 --> 02:52:26,000
Thank you.

2145
02:52:26,000 --> 02:52:29,000
I'm going to see if the councilors have any questions.

2146
02:52:29,000 --> 02:52:31,700
And they might be for you. Okay.

2147
02:52:31,700 --> 02:52:33,266
Do you want me to stay up here? Might be for town.

2148
02:52:33,266 --> 02:52:35,266
Said. Yeah. I mean, it shouldn't be available.

2149
02:52:35,266 --> 02:52:38,266
It could be for, I don't see any town stopping.

2150
02:52:38,500 --> 02:52:41,900
It might be for someone else to, Does any, council.

2151
02:52:42,133 --> 02:52:42,700
I see your hand up.

2152
02:52:44,133 --> 02:52:45,000
I missed that course.

2153
02:52:45,000 --> 02:52:46,533
Question for you all.

2154
02:52:46,533 --> 02:52:49,533
Can you just,

2155
02:52:50,000 --> 02:52:53,000
tell us how much the HOA has paid,

2156
02:52:53,000 --> 02:52:56,100
for liability insurance for that

2157
02:52:57,300 --> 02:52:58,100
bridge?

2158
02:52:58,100 --> 02:53:02,000
Currently it increases yearly.

2159
02:53:02,367 --> 02:53:05,000
Currently. Right now, it's about 600,

2160
02:53:05,000 --> 02:53:10,433
if I'm not mistaken, $685 per year at the current rate.

2161
02:53:11,100 --> 02:53:16,033
And that is, we have coverage up to I believe it's,

2162
02:53:16,300 --> 02:53:19,300
two incidents, up to $4 million.

2163
02:53:21,567 --> 02:53:22,934
Thank you.

2164
02:53:22,934 --> 02:53:23,333
Council.

2165
02:53:23,333 --> 02:53:25,867
I think it would be for that information to find out.

2166
02:53:25,867 --> 02:53:26,500
Is this,

2167
02:53:26,500 --> 02:53:30,133
in fact the case that there's no other HOA with a similar arrangement in town?

2168
02:53:30,233 --> 02:53:32,066
So we to know that,

2169
02:53:32,066 --> 02:53:35,033
I don't know, off top of my head, I'm not I'm not going to be able

2170
02:53:35,033 --> 02:53:36,634
to think of one off top it.

2171
02:53:36,634 --> 02:53:40,033
But we do have a number of private properties where there's

2172
02:53:40,033 --> 02:53:43,367
a public easement across their property, where there's no paper street,

2173
02:53:43,367 --> 02:53:46,867
or whether it's a subdivision plan where it was specifically laid out

2174
02:53:48,000 --> 02:53:51,166
in, more frequent, more current years,

2175
02:53:51,166 --> 02:53:55,100
I should say, frequently the requirement goes to the developer.

2176
02:53:55,100 --> 02:53:58,934
To put that trail in question of maintenance is usually less

2177
02:53:58,934 --> 02:54:01,934
because there's no bridge.

2178
02:54:03,000 --> 02:54:06,567
So it's not unheard of, certainly, that we have public easement,

2179
02:54:06,634 --> 02:54:10,433
public rights over private properties, whether they're condos

2180
02:54:10,467 --> 02:54:14,700
or regular developments or individual lots.

2181
02:54:15,233 --> 02:54:18,000
Sometimes we negotiate to acquire them.

2182
02:54:18,000 --> 02:54:22,066
So I think generally it's probably true.

2183
02:54:22,066 --> 02:54:23,300
I certainly wouldn't quibble with it.

2184
02:54:23,300 --> 02:54:25,734
I don't know any different facts.

2185
02:54:25,734 --> 02:54:27,100
Can I just interject?

2186
02:54:27,100 --> 02:54:32,300
Yeah, I think also, if I'm assuming what you're saying obviously is correct,

2187
02:54:32,667 --> 02:54:38,100
the difference here is that we are a conduit to the schools.

2188
02:54:38,100 --> 02:54:43,533
The West Side Trail, and it is being promoted on here.

2189
02:54:43,533 --> 02:54:46,567
I did not see any like I scoured this map.

2190
02:54:46,567 --> 02:54:51,700
I did not see any other areas on here that were an HOA,

2191
02:54:52,133 --> 02:54:54,867
part of the trail system.

2192
02:54:54,867 --> 02:55:00,634
So I do think that our neighborhood is uniquely different because of where

2193
02:55:00,634 --> 02:55:03,934
we're situated within the greater plan

2194
02:55:04,100 --> 02:55:07,867
of the, trail connectivity.

2195
02:55:07,867 --> 02:55:10,867
So just wondering if that's coming up for debate in terms of like precedent,

2196
02:55:10,867 --> 02:55:12,300
are we going to have to do this for so many others?

2197
02:55:12,300 --> 02:55:13,734
Like somebody must know that, right.

2198
02:55:13,734 --> 02:55:16,166
That's knowable information is, are there any.

2199
02:55:16,166 --> 02:55:18,033
Well, this is to the best of my knowledge.

2200
02:55:18,033 --> 02:55:19,066
So this is the guy, right?

2201
02:55:19,066 --> 02:55:21,700
This online outlet. Like, I'm so someone to ask.

2202
02:55:21,700 --> 02:55:23,300
I guess that's what I'm getting at before.

2203
02:55:23,300 --> 02:55:25,033
I think that would take a fair amount of research,

2204
02:55:25,033 --> 02:55:29,033
but it's certainly not common that would be in this position.

2205
02:55:29,033 --> 02:55:31,033
And I, I just wouldn't want to cite one.

2206
02:55:31,033 --> 02:55:35,100
We would have commercial establishments where we ask for trail connections.

2207
02:55:35,934 --> 02:55:40,166
And I don't want to quibble with her one bit about what she has to say, the fact

2208
02:55:40,166 --> 02:55:45,367
that it serves an essential public use and value and is promoted as such.

2209
02:55:46,100 --> 02:55:49,367
I can see why it would be a reason for her to say you.

2210
02:55:49,834 --> 02:55:51,834
Therefore you guys should take it over.

2211
02:55:51,834 --> 02:55:57,133
What I would, but it's not the only reason I, but it also saying

2212
02:55:57,433 --> 02:56:00,867
because it accomplished exactly what it was intended to do.

2213
02:56:01,467 --> 02:56:04,467
And so I don't think there's any,

2214
02:56:05,133 --> 02:56:09,033
the town walking back saying, oh, we're sorry we did that

2215
02:56:09,033 --> 02:56:12,233
because I don't think that would be a truthful statement that we wanted

2216
02:56:12,233 --> 02:56:16,066
that we we want connectivity to give a little bit of history.

2217
02:56:16,066 --> 02:56:19,433
And I'm a don't get involved with most subdivisions

2218
02:56:19,433 --> 02:56:23,266
or didn't I'm not going to start today.

2219
02:56:24,467 --> 02:56:27,033
Is at the time of that development,

2220
02:56:27,033 --> 02:56:30,066
it was shortly after the council looked at new comprehensive plans

2221
02:56:30,066 --> 02:56:34,133
and got very concerned and expressed

2222
02:56:34,133 --> 02:56:37,266
a strong, policy preference.

2223
02:56:37,266 --> 02:56:40,266
And I don't know if it was formalized or not

2224
02:56:40,734 --> 02:56:44,700
that we not approve subdivisions that create dead end streets

2225
02:56:44,900 --> 02:56:47,900
and cul de sacs, that everything be connected, and that there was a

2226
02:56:48,000 --> 02:56:51,700
sort of a new way to think about the old way, if you will.

2227
02:56:52,433 --> 02:56:56,000
Leaving out cul de sacs, which just leads to sprawl, traffic issues.

2228
02:56:56,000 --> 02:56:57,266
Busses can't get through,

2229
02:56:57,266 --> 02:57:01,033
you know, all that sort of stuff happens and it makes for a better community

2230
02:57:01,767 --> 02:57:04,100
and all that gets reflected in the, in the,

2231
02:57:04,100 --> 02:57:07,100
complete streets, plans, etc..

2232
02:57:07,166 --> 02:57:10,266
So in this case, the developer proposed

2233
02:57:10,266 --> 02:57:13,767
something that for good practical reasons, wouldn't

2234
02:57:14,333 --> 02:57:18,934
connect the wetland in particular, despite the fact that we had a policy

2235
02:57:18,934 --> 02:57:23,000
says you should and we're not going to waive that at least

2236
02:57:23,000 --> 02:57:27,033
without maybe negotiating a resolution, which is,

2237
02:57:27,033 --> 02:57:30,033
well, we can't get a Roadway Connect connectivity here,

2238
02:57:30,133 --> 02:57:34,100
but we could do a pedestrian connectivity and maybe accept that as a compromise.

2239
02:57:34,867 --> 02:57:37,867
And so that's what came forward as far as I can recall.

2240
02:57:38,500 --> 02:57:42,033
And then and I don't think that was really a problem,

2241
02:57:42,033 --> 02:57:45,266
but the intention was to create a network connection

2242
02:57:45,700 --> 02:57:48,100
with the understanding that you tie into the network.

2243
02:57:49,500 --> 02:57:51,033
And then subsequently,

2244
02:57:51,033 --> 02:57:54,834
the issue came up of the burden of winter maintenance in particular,

2245
02:57:55,433 --> 02:58:00,133
because you couldn't couldn't push anything over it with a heavy equipment,

2246
02:58:00,634 --> 02:58:03,634
couldn't really find people to want to go shovel anymore.

2247
02:58:05,133 --> 02:58:07,900
So I don't know the history

2248
02:58:07,900 --> 02:58:10,900
of who authorized what other them.

2249
02:58:11,767 --> 02:58:14,767
The memorandum which basically said.

2250
02:58:16,433 --> 02:58:18,066
When the obligation was made

2251
02:58:18,066 --> 02:58:21,266
to create maintain a trail, it was for winter use.

2252
02:58:21,266 --> 02:58:22,734
And we understand the problem.

2253
02:58:22,734 --> 02:58:24,700
And so

2254
02:58:24,700 --> 02:58:28,533
a compromise, another compromise was made or a relief was given saying

2255
02:58:28,533 --> 02:58:32,100
you're no longer going to hold you responsible for that part of it.

2256
02:58:32,433 --> 02:58:35,734
And it kind of makes sense because we're not maintaining the rest of that.

2257
02:58:35,734 --> 02:58:36,700
We're not plowing the rest of it.

2258
02:58:36,700 --> 02:58:42,166
All that I agree with in a slightly different way, you understand the history

2259
02:58:42,166 --> 02:58:46,033
and the motivations behind that, but not enough to to quibble about.

2260
02:58:46,667 --> 02:58:47,834
But that's the background.

2261
02:58:47,834 --> 02:58:52,500
So, you know, when you get relief from an obligation.

2262
02:58:54,867 --> 02:58:57,133
You're free to say, because you gave me relief,

2263
02:58:57,133 --> 02:58:59,266
you have to let me off the hook altogether.

2264
02:58:59,266 --> 02:59:03,100
I don't necessarily accept that, but the rest of the argument

2265
02:59:03,467 --> 02:59:08,266
that maybe it serves a sufficient enough successful

2266
02:59:08,266 --> 02:59:13,333
public interest here that we would say, let's take it over as a town.

2267
02:59:13,333 --> 02:59:15,834
And then really, the issue is,

2268
02:59:15,834 --> 02:59:18,700
rebuilding the bridge at some point in the future,

2269
02:59:18,700 --> 02:59:21,433
probably we wouldn't plywood

2270
02:59:21,433 --> 02:59:25,533
and therefore wouldn't rebuild it until its natural life comes to a point

2271
02:59:25,533 --> 02:59:26,133
where you say, oh,

2272
02:59:26,133 --> 02:59:29,133
well, you know, we need to rebuild it because the rails are loose or whatever.

2273
02:59:30,000 --> 02:59:32,266
I think that this stuff, I think certainly makes sense.

2274
02:59:32,266 --> 02:59:34,433
I think the question I'm hoping to have answered

2275
02:59:34,433 --> 02:59:38,100
so we can get to a vote on it, is if there's any way to know

2276
02:59:38,100 --> 02:59:41,433
for the full record suite of data, understand what we're doing.

2277
02:59:41,433 --> 02:59:44,700
Is are there other ones or not that are likely to come up?

2278
02:59:44,734 --> 02:59:46,166
Sounds like the answer is probably no, but we're all

2279
02:59:46,166 --> 02:59:50,033
I would think the town attorney might know that somebody, somebody and he,

2280
02:59:50,266 --> 02:59:52,066
he or she should know that that might be one.

2281
02:59:52,066 --> 02:59:55,066
Okay. I want to just if if I can.

2282
02:59:55,066 --> 02:59:58,634
David, just address something that a couple of things Nate pointed out.

2283
02:59:59,033 --> 03:00:02,767
Should the town take this over and,

2284
03:00:03,634 --> 03:00:06,634
leave it the way it is, as accepted as is.

2285
03:00:06,634 --> 03:00:09,634
And at the time when we've already replaced

2286
03:00:09,667 --> 03:00:13,100
the gravel already because of all the motorized vehicles

2287
03:00:13,100 --> 03:00:15,834
coming down and all of that, we've already done that.

2288
03:00:15,834 --> 03:00:17,533
The bridge is in very good shape.

2289
03:00:17,533 --> 03:00:19,333
It's pressure treated wood and whatever.

2290
03:00:21,000 --> 03:00:22,700
The town could just actually

2291
03:00:22,700 --> 03:00:27,000
just replicate that because underneath that bridge is the wetlands.

2292
03:00:27,367 --> 03:00:28,233
I mean, the wetland.

2293
03:00:28,233 --> 03:00:33,734
Well, it's dry now, for those of you who came out, very dry, bone dry,

2294
03:00:33,734 --> 03:00:37,734
but it runs underneath that bridge and all the way around

2295
03:00:38,000 --> 03:00:41,300
and under and alongside the fieldstone bridge.

2296
03:00:42,033 --> 03:00:45,367
So, our argument is that the town,

2297
03:00:46,033 --> 03:00:51,133
if they take this over, would leave it as is and maintain

2298
03:00:51,133 --> 03:00:56,100
it as is throughout for future generations.

2299
03:00:56,433 --> 03:00:59,433
And again, I do want to stress that

2300
03:00:59,700 --> 03:01:04,100
the amount of people, whether it be children or adults

2301
03:01:04,100 --> 03:01:07,500
using this path bridge over

2302
03:01:07,500 --> 03:01:10,500
the years has grown exponentially.

2303
03:01:10,734 --> 03:01:13,166
There's also been changed uses

2304
03:01:13,166 --> 03:01:17,100
of the path and bridge because when I first moved in,

2305
03:01:17,100 --> 03:01:20,867
there was no motorized vehicles crossing it.

2306
03:01:21,834 --> 03:01:23,300
And there were no,

2307
03:01:23,300 --> 03:01:28,367
there weren't virtually no, like, cross-country skiers or snow showers.

2308
03:01:28,567 --> 03:01:31,634
Well, that's increased dramatically during the winter as well.

2309
03:01:32,033 --> 03:01:37,100
And part of our, is stewardship of this area.

2310
03:01:37,100 --> 03:01:40,433
We have put up signs prohibiting motor vehicle

2311
03:01:40,700 --> 03:01:44,033
motorized motor vehicles, which is basically ignored.

2312
03:01:44,133 --> 03:01:47,033
We've also put reflector lights on the bridge

2313
03:01:47,033 --> 03:01:50,066
to because people use it at night as well.

2314
03:01:50,433 --> 03:01:53,066
And so we also have

2315
03:01:53,066 --> 03:01:56,100
maintained the grass cut.

2316
03:01:56,100 --> 03:01:59,700
There's like a lawn next to the path on both sides.

2317
03:02:00,133 --> 03:02:03,367
I mow my side, my neighbor does her sides.

2318
03:02:03,367 --> 03:02:08,734
And we also have a, kid who does the HOA who tidies it up as well.

2319
03:02:09,166 --> 03:02:12,033
So we have been very good stewards

2320
03:02:12,033 --> 03:02:15,100
of this area and continue to be.

2321
03:02:15,133 --> 03:02:21,133
However, the change in the character and use of this bridge since its inception

2322
03:02:21,567 --> 03:02:24,500
and since the town approved the entire subdivision

2323
03:02:24,500 --> 03:02:27,500
which included this, has changed dramatically.

2324
03:02:28,033 --> 03:02:31,500
And those kinds of things were unforeseen to us

2325
03:02:31,734 --> 03:02:34,667
when we bought into this subdivision.

2326
03:02:34,667 --> 03:02:37,500
If I, you know, personally, if I knew now what I

2327
03:02:38,667 --> 03:02:41,033
back then, I wouldn't have gotten here.

2328
03:02:41,033 --> 03:02:44,634
I literally that would have been a game changer for me,

2329
03:02:45,533 --> 03:02:47,867
the entire thing.

2330
03:02:47,867 --> 03:02:50,867
So there was no way that we could foresee

2331
03:02:50,867 --> 03:02:53,867
this when we first bought into the neighborhood.

2332
03:02:54,033 --> 03:02:58,867
And again, the fact that the town recognizes it's changing exponentially,

2333
03:02:59,066 --> 03:03:03,000
or they wouldn't be cutting a curb on hillside and putting in a sidewalk

2334
03:03:03,100 --> 03:03:04,533
if the growth weren't

2335
03:03:04,533 --> 03:03:08,000
continually to increase, because there would be no need for it.

2336
03:03:09,300 --> 03:03:13,066
So that's kind of like our, you know, the thrust of our argument

2337
03:03:13,066 --> 03:03:13,734
that the character

2338
03:03:13,734 --> 03:03:17,667
and uses change, that we were relieved of the winter maintenance.

2339
03:03:17,667 --> 03:03:23,000
So there's no reason for, it to be reconfigured or reconstructed.

2340
03:03:23,233 --> 03:03:26,133
And also there's absolutely no bad precedent set

2341
03:03:26,133 --> 03:03:30,700
nor any precedent for that matter, that we're aware of

2342
03:03:31,734 --> 03:03:33,166
that would

2343
03:03:33,166 --> 03:03:35,433
not you all would not take it over.

2344
03:03:35,433 --> 03:03:40,133
And we firmly believe that this does, given its location,

2345
03:03:40,467 --> 03:03:46,367
the amount of traffic and the change, the entire change over the last seven years,

2346
03:03:46,667 --> 03:03:51,367
it's really becoming an integral part of the Greater Yarmouth Trail network.

2347
03:03:51,734 --> 03:03:55,700
And it does serve a very it it serves a link

2348
03:03:56,000 --> 03:04:00,133
as part of its mean municipal

2349
03:04:01,867 --> 03:04:04,634
services of Yarmouth

2350
03:04:04,634 --> 03:04:06,300
to justify this.

2351
03:04:06,300 --> 03:04:08,100
Councilor Cooper.

2352
03:04:08,100 --> 03:04:10,133
Just, I was, I'm

2353
03:04:10,133 --> 03:04:13,467
very glad to go there and

2354
03:04:13,467 --> 03:04:17,700
have you give me a tour of the area and,

2355
03:04:17,700 --> 03:04:23,100
because it really puts in perspective what's unique about this.

2356
03:04:23,033 --> 03:04:27,066
And so the, the question of whether there are other

2357
03:04:28,033 --> 03:04:32,000
easements or other situations like this, I think is,

2358
03:04:33,166 --> 03:04:38,667
is not germane because your situation is unique

2359
03:04:38,667 --> 03:04:43,333
in that it's, it's a it's the way kids get to school.

2360
03:04:43,667 --> 03:04:46,567
Three of us, three out of our four schools.

2361
03:04:46,567 --> 03:04:49,133
And I live on West Elm Street,

2362
03:04:49,133 --> 03:04:52,266
which, I've lived there 14 years now.

2363
03:04:52,700 --> 03:04:57,066
And I can tell you that the amount of bicycle traffic

2364
03:04:57,467 --> 03:05:01,767
on the on the sidewalk across the street, we only have sidewalk on one side,

2365
03:05:02,300 --> 03:05:05,900
has grown tremendously.

2366
03:05:05,900 --> 03:05:08,934
And I think that's because the bike and ped

2367
03:05:09,133 --> 03:05:13,367
committee has done so much to increase connectivity.

2368
03:05:13,900 --> 03:05:16,533
And maybe it's just the culture of the kids,

2369
03:05:16,533 --> 03:05:20,667
I don't know, but there's bicycle after bicycle after bicycle,

2370
03:05:21,000 --> 03:05:25,133
and I've as and from your description, it sounds like it's the same,

2371
03:05:26,033 --> 03:05:28,433
in your neighborhood, from from another

2372
03:05:28,433 --> 03:05:31,634
part of town, from Applewood, you know, whatever.

2373
03:05:32,033 --> 03:05:38,100
The kids are coming like crazy and also, and also using the West Side trail and,

2374
03:05:38,100 --> 03:05:43,133
and and using this as, as part of, going from one trail to another.

2375
03:05:43,433 --> 03:05:46,266
So that's what's unique here.

2376
03:05:46,266 --> 03:05:50,734
And that's why I, I favor, the town taking over

2377
03:05:50,734 --> 03:05:55,033
fiscal responsibility for, for this very small area.

2378
03:05:55,066 --> 03:05:56,100
Really?

2379
03:05:56,100 --> 03:05:59,367
Because it's the only situation,

2380
03:06:00,100 --> 03:06:03,867
where we're seeing this kind of,

2381
03:06:05,166 --> 03:06:06,900
use, you know, this,

2382
03:06:06,900 --> 03:06:10,567
very large use by by,

2383
03:06:10,734 --> 03:06:13,867
pedestrians and especially by bike.

2384
03:06:13,867 --> 03:06:15,333
Kids on bikes.

2385
03:06:15,333 --> 03:06:18,433
Well, and to your point, once the fieldstone,

2386
03:06:18,667 --> 03:06:23,100
drive path was open, the amount of of kids.

2387
03:06:23,100 --> 03:06:26,033
Certainly great. And, greatly increased.

2388
03:06:26,033 --> 03:06:31,500
So if you are over in our neighborhood between the hours of about 730 to 9,

2389
03:06:32,000 --> 03:06:36,133
I mean, it's like the the kids are walking, they're biking.

2390
03:06:36,133 --> 03:06:39,700
The parents are taking them, you know, the elementary kids

2391
03:06:40,066 --> 03:06:43,433
as well as, you know, all the kids from village run

2392
03:06:43,433 --> 03:06:49,533
and where David lives in Rainbow Farms, it just keeps growing and growing.

2393
03:06:49,533 --> 03:06:54,000
And I know that when I drive out of the neighborhood during school hours,

2394
03:06:54,100 --> 03:06:57,000
and I see the amount of kids coming up

2395
03:06:57,000 --> 03:07:00,266
Hillside Street toward the schools, and what do they do?

2396
03:07:00,266 --> 03:07:03,266
When I look in my rearview mirror, they turn on Limerick

2397
03:07:03,500 --> 03:07:08,100
to cut through our neighborhood and then go down Kindred Way,

2398
03:07:08,033 --> 03:07:11,266
and then go across the street into the middle school

2399
03:07:11,266 --> 03:07:15,500
parking lot to get to school, because they don't want to ride

2400
03:07:15,500 --> 03:07:18,500
their bikes or walk on hillside.

2401
03:07:18,567 --> 03:07:22,066
So they cut through our neighborhood and there's just more and more of that.

2402
03:07:22,066 --> 03:07:27,934
And that's Necess cutting the town to cut a curb and put a sidewalk.

2403
03:07:28,033 --> 03:07:30,367
Thing there,

2404
03:07:30,367 --> 03:07:34,867
because there is a curb cut and sidewalk on the corner of Kindred Way.

2405
03:07:34,867 --> 03:07:38,734
As you go in across from the, parking lot to the,

2406
03:07:38,867 --> 03:07:41,734
what is it, the middle school.

2407
03:07:41,734 --> 03:07:45,066
But and this is, you know, not even a quarter mile away.

2408
03:07:45,066 --> 03:07:46,867
That's how much traffic there is.

2409
03:07:46,867 --> 03:07:48,100
That necessitates that.

2410
03:07:51,233 --> 03:07:54,233
Anything else from the council?

2411
03:07:55,166 --> 03:07:57,567
All right, well, we'll open it up

2412
03:07:57,567 --> 03:08:00,634
now then, to public comment on this item.

2413
03:08:00,667 --> 03:08:01,734
Can I.

2414
03:08:01,734 --> 03:08:02,133
Oh, yeah.

2415
03:08:02,133 --> 03:08:02,900
Yeah, please. Yes.

2416
03:08:02,900 --> 03:08:05,367
And thank you for the presentation.

2417
03:08:05,367 --> 03:08:08,100
But now it's for the rest of the public.

2418
03:08:08,100 --> 03:08:10,300
If anyone wants to weigh in on this. Great.

2419
03:08:10,300 --> 03:08:12,934
And when that's done, we'll bring it back to the council and decide

2420
03:08:12,934 --> 03:08:15,934
what to do in terms of moving it forward or not.

2421
03:08:17,000 --> 03:08:20,000
Not seeing anybody rushing to the podium.

2422
03:08:22,700 --> 03:08:23,000
Yeah, yeah.

2423
03:08:23,000 --> 03:08:23,734
That's fine.

2424
03:08:23,734 --> 03:08:26,033
No, that's fine. And we certainly not.

2425
03:08:26,033 --> 03:08:29,433
No one's required to at 920.

2426
03:08:29,433 --> 03:08:34,033
You know, I'm not exactly inviting people to stand in line for hours.

2427
03:08:34,367 --> 03:08:35,033
Okay.

2428
03:08:35,033 --> 03:08:36,100
Let's bring it back.

2429
03:08:36,100 --> 03:08:40,133
Any, any other questions or comments

2430
03:08:40,500 --> 03:08:44,300
before we decide if we're what we're doing in terms of moving it on the agenda.

2431
03:08:45,934 --> 03:08:47,133
Everyone pretty okay,

2432
03:08:47,133 --> 03:08:50,333
so, move it to the voting meeting in two weeks. Yes.

2433
03:08:51,567 --> 03:08:52,767
Online.

2434
03:08:52,767 --> 03:08:55,767
When we do the voting, you're saying no vote to the.

2435
03:08:56,000 --> 03:08:59,000
So, Heather, you're saying not to move it to the voting meeting.

2436
03:09:00,066 --> 03:09:00,533
Okay.

2437
03:09:00,533 --> 03:09:03,500
And, council meeting.

2438
03:09:03,500 --> 03:09:05,100
I'm saying yes.

2439
03:09:05,100 --> 03:09:05,233
All right.

2440
03:09:05,233 --> 03:09:06,667
So it looks like we've got consensus

2441
03:09:06,667 --> 03:09:09,667
to move it to the, voting meeting in two weeks.

2442
03:09:11,066 --> 03:09:13,100
And we'll

2443
03:09:13,100 --> 03:09:15,133
well, we always have,

2444
03:09:15,133 --> 03:09:19,033
voting item on the agenda of the operations meeting.

2445
03:09:19,033 --> 03:09:22,033
So if anybody wants to talk about it, ops, we can do that, too.

2446
03:09:23,066 --> 03:09:26,066
All right.

2447
03:09:26,133 --> 03:09:27,066
One question.

2448
03:09:27,066 --> 03:09:30,233
Sure. Yes, yes, that'd be fine.

2449
03:09:30,233 --> 03:09:33,233
Please, please come to the mic though, because just for the broadcast,

2450
03:09:33,500 --> 03:09:36,734
I just want to ask a procedural question.

2451
03:09:36,734 --> 03:09:40,467
So if this obviously is going to move forward to the ops meeting on the seven,

2452
03:09:40,667 --> 03:09:42,066
did you say the 18th?

2453
03:09:42,066 --> 03:09:45,066
No. So, this is what the third today was.

2454
03:09:45,066 --> 03:09:45,166
Okay.

2455
03:09:45,166 --> 03:09:49,066
So on the 10th, we have our operations meeting, which is in the community room,

2456
03:09:49,300 --> 03:09:51,533
pretty informal. We go over a bunch of topics.

2457
03:09:51,533 --> 03:09:56,100
Usually if, people have questions about some things coming up, voting, we'll

2458
03:09:56,100 --> 03:09:56,634
we'll talk.

2459
03:09:56,634 --> 03:09:59,066
Do you want me to be there on the 10th?

2460
03:09:59,066 --> 03:10:02,000
Is that necessary? Well, I'm happy to do it. Certainly.

2461
03:10:02,000 --> 03:10:03,066
Welcome to be there. I'll be there.

2462
03:10:03,066 --> 03:10:05,667
We don't have public comment at those.

2463
03:10:05,667 --> 03:10:09,300
We would all we're likely to talk about amongst ourselves.

2464
03:10:09,300 --> 03:10:11,734
It's possible we would, decide that.

2465
03:10:11,734 --> 03:10:14,767
We want to ask you a question, but, it totally.

2466
03:10:15,000 --> 03:10:16,667
It's a public meeting, so you're more than welcome to be there.

2467
03:10:16,667 --> 03:10:18,133
Okay. Don't feel obligated.

2468
03:10:18,133 --> 03:10:22,734
And then on the the following week, on the 17th, 17th would be the vote.

2469
03:10:22,834 --> 03:10:23,033
Okay.

2470
03:10:23,033 --> 03:10:27,000
Again, we will, we will, it will be very much like tonight.

2471
03:10:27,000 --> 03:10:28,133
It'll be public comment.

2472
03:10:28,133 --> 03:10:30,567
There'll be a discussion.

2473
03:10:30,567 --> 03:10:32,834
I don't think we'll do the entire presentation again.

2474
03:10:32,834 --> 03:10:35,133
Okay. I don't think we need to, because, You have.

2475
03:10:35,133 --> 03:10:36,934
It's been televised. We've heard it.

2476
03:10:36,934 --> 03:10:39,066
But we'll bring it up.

2477
03:10:39,066 --> 03:10:43,300
We'll introduce the, the formal wording, which will be something like,

2478
03:10:43,567 --> 03:10:47,066
authorizing the town to accept, you know, this

2479
03:10:47,066 --> 03:10:50,834
parcel and, property and the all the responsibilities go with it.

2480
03:10:51,667 --> 03:10:53,333
And then we'll open up,

2481
03:10:53,333 --> 03:10:55,700
we'll have questions, we'll open up the public comment,

2482
03:10:55,700 --> 03:10:57,700
we'll come back and have debate, and then we'll vote.

2483
03:10:57,700 --> 03:10:59,300
All right. I'll be there both times.

2484
03:10:59,300 --> 03:11:00,533
Yeah. Okay. Great. Great.

2485
03:11:00,533 --> 03:11:03,333
We love to have, attendees. It's

2486
03:11:04,667 --> 03:11:07,667
nice to look out and not see empty chairs.

2487
03:11:09,133 --> 03:11:12,133
And we'll we'll now move on to item four.

2488
03:11:12,500 --> 03:11:13,867
Yes. You're very welcome.

2489
03:11:13,867 --> 03:11:15,934
Welcome. Yeah.

2490
03:11:15,934 --> 03:11:17,133
Now we look at empty chairs.

2491
03:11:17,133 --> 03:11:19,000
Great, great.

2492
03:11:19,000 --> 03:11:19,734
It's okay.

2493
03:11:19,734 --> 03:11:21,667
We still have Richard and a few other folks.

2494
03:11:21,667 --> 03:11:24,433
Watch out for the kids driving home.

2495
03:11:24,433 --> 03:11:26,734
All right.

2496
03:11:26,734 --> 03:11:28,934
Rushing right along to item four

2497
03:11:28,934 --> 03:11:32,266
to consider an amendment to chapter 401 of the Yarmouth Town Code

2498
03:11:32,266 --> 03:11:36,233
Fees and Permits Ordinance regarding residential commercial bushel licenses

2499
03:11:36,233 --> 03:11:39,233
under the Shellfish Conservation Ordinance.

2500
03:11:41,133 --> 03:11:42,100
Mr. manager?

2501
03:11:42,100 --> 03:11:43,133
Well, the quick intro.

2502
03:11:43,133 --> 03:11:45,100
Yeah, this one is pretty easy.

2503
03:11:45,100 --> 03:11:48,133
You adopted some changes to the shellfish ordinance.

2504
03:11:48,133 --> 03:11:50,900
You created a new class of commercial license.

2505
03:11:50,900 --> 03:11:54,133
It allows people to dig up to one bushel per day.

2506
03:11:54,667 --> 03:11:57,867
And you intended to and did

2507
03:11:57,867 --> 03:12:01,467
in in the motion create the fee, but in the wrong place.

2508
03:12:02,033 --> 03:12:04,066
You didn't put it in the fee ordinance.

2509
03:12:04,066 --> 03:12:08,700
So that's all that this First Amendment does, was to capture what you already did.

2510
03:12:09,000 --> 03:12:12,567
And put it in chapter 401 where it belongs, where the resident

2511
03:12:12,867 --> 03:12:15,867
commercial bushel license would go for $300,

2512
03:12:16,133 --> 03:12:19,734
and the nonresident commercial bushel license would go for 450.

2513
03:12:20,133 --> 03:12:22,734
Okay. So it's a housekeeping item.

2514
03:12:22,734 --> 03:12:25,734
Any questions from the council about this?

2515
03:12:26,066 --> 03:12:26,934
Consulting.

2516
03:12:28,300 --> 03:12:31,300
So that means that the all the,

2517
03:12:33,000 --> 03:12:35,266
shell fishermen,

2518
03:12:35,266 --> 03:12:40,000
shell farmers, diggers, they're aware that once this goes in, it's

2519
03:12:40,000 --> 03:12:44,000
now going to increase like every other fee in chapter 401.

2520
03:12:44,000 --> 03:12:49,133
Right now, it's going to be, with the cap plus 1%.

2521
03:12:50,233 --> 03:12:53,667
No, I don't know what you mean.

2522
03:12:54,133 --> 03:12:54,500
Okay.

2523
03:12:54,500 --> 03:12:58,133
Know I can address that, I think so this is actually a new fee.

2524
03:12:58,066 --> 03:13:01,900
It would not, affect, you know, people

2525
03:13:01,900 --> 03:13:05,867
getting, commercial licenses or regular digging licenses.

2526
03:13:05,867 --> 03:13:07,467
Those those are standalone.

2527
03:13:07,467 --> 03:13:09,000
They're unaffected by this.

2528
03:13:09,000 --> 03:13:12,133
This is a new a new license for just a bushel.

2529
03:13:12,133 --> 03:13:15,033
I guess there's only,

2530
03:13:15,033 --> 03:13:15,500
it will.

2531
03:13:15,500 --> 03:13:18,700
However, if it's in chapter 401,

2532
03:13:18,700 --> 03:13:21,834
like all the other fees, we do have an automatic.

2533
03:13:21,834 --> 03:13:24,000
As you point out, consultation.

2534
03:13:24,000 --> 03:13:27,533
We do have, an automatic, escalator,

2535
03:13:27,567 --> 03:13:30,867
tied to, tied to an index.

2536
03:13:31,266 --> 03:13:33,734
So this would be included in that.

2537
03:13:33,734 --> 03:13:35,433
Now, we do have a few that don't do that.

2538
03:13:35,433 --> 03:13:36,333
Sewer fee, for example,

2539
03:13:36,333 --> 03:13:40,000
does not get indexed, but, yeah, like all other ones, it would,

2540
03:13:40,500 --> 03:13:43,433
and that's probably not aware of that because we wasn't here when we did that.

2541
03:13:43,433 --> 03:13:44,300
That's news to me.

2542
03:13:44,300 --> 03:13:47,634
But in any case, all the more reason that it be in chapter 401,

2543
03:13:47,634 --> 03:13:50,667
if that's where you intended it for to be.

2544
03:13:51,133 --> 03:13:54,100
Now, this is only for the license to get sold.

2545
03:13:54,333 --> 03:13:59,100
The council approved a total of four licenses,

2546
03:13:59,333 --> 03:14:03,467
which means no nonresident licenses were going to be made available.

2547
03:14:05,100 --> 03:14:06,900
That number is set every year.

2548
03:14:06,900 --> 03:14:10,734
But the state, on reviewing this elsewhere, told us

2549
03:14:11,100 --> 03:14:14,100
you can't create a license that's only for residents.

2550
03:14:14,266 --> 03:14:17,934
You can, under law limit it to residents

2551
03:14:17,934 --> 03:14:20,934
only if you're selling fewer than five.

2552
03:14:22,300 --> 03:14:25,133
If it's more than that, and it must be, a minimum of 10%

2553
03:14:25,133 --> 03:14:28,100
need to go to nonresidents.

2554
03:14:28,333 --> 03:14:29,900
Basically, you get to round down

2555
03:14:29,900 --> 03:14:33,066
at five my, consultation to answer your question as well.

2556
03:14:33,066 --> 03:14:33,634
Make sure you.

2557
03:14:33,634 --> 03:14:33,900
Yeah.

2558
03:14:33,900 --> 03:14:39,066
No, I just want to make sure that I don't believe I think I stop there.

2559
03:14:39,066 --> 03:14:42,066
I just don't know if the shellfish committee

2560
03:14:42,100 --> 03:14:46,166
or the members on the shellfish committee understood that.

2561
03:14:46,166 --> 03:14:51,500
Once we put this in 401, that will escalate

2562
03:14:52,033 --> 03:14:54,900
their cost of their permit each year,

2563
03:14:54,900 --> 03:14:57,533
I just that was just a question.

2564
03:14:57,533 --> 03:15:02,100
If the escalator would apply and if the shellfish committee members

2565
03:15:02,100 --> 03:15:06,133
who advocated for this knew that it would increase both.

2566
03:15:06,567 --> 03:15:08,734
You know, the cap plus one.

2567
03:15:08,734 --> 03:15:11,467
I, I that's all. Yeah. I don't I know that

2568
03:15:12,734 --> 03:15:15,133
I may we might get an answer for that.

2569
03:15:15,133 --> 03:15:15,333
Yeah.

2570
03:15:15,333 --> 03:15:18,567
I'm Lynn Camano, the, president of the Shellfish Commission.

2571
03:15:18,567 --> 03:15:21,567
I am now informed.

2572
03:15:22,000 --> 03:15:23,000
Okay. Is it?

2573
03:15:23,000 --> 03:15:25,133
And I, sorry.

2574
03:15:25,133 --> 03:15:27,533
Yeah, yeah.

2575
03:15:27,533 --> 03:15:30,667
A week, meaning the CPI plus 1%.

2576
03:15:31,467 --> 03:15:33,467
Yes. Sorry CPI okay.

2577
03:15:33,467 --> 03:15:34,367
No, that's no problem.

2578
03:15:34,367 --> 03:15:35,634
The number indexes.

2579
03:15:35,634 --> 03:15:39,433
So I'll, I'm sure it's in the, it's in the, in the ordinance someplace.

2580
03:15:39,433 --> 03:15:40,166
Yes. Okay.

2581
03:15:40,166 --> 03:15:42,467
This that I didn't know about that one. Right.

2582
03:15:42,467 --> 03:15:45,467
Thanks. But,

2583
03:15:45,567 --> 03:15:49,033
so let me just before we're kind of kind of

2584
03:15:49,033 --> 03:15:52,533
going into public comment range territory, which is okay.

2585
03:15:52,834 --> 03:15:55,333
Is there anything else quickly in the council? Okay.

2586
03:15:55,333 --> 03:15:57,900
I'm going to open for public comment. Anybody wants to speak now?

2587
03:15:57,900 --> 03:15:59,767
Yeah. Go ahead. You know, when you say sort of in range.

2588
03:16:02,033 --> 03:16:03,667
Rachel Whitmarsh, also a member.

2589
03:16:03,667 --> 03:16:05,100
I'm North Yarmouth, but I'm the,

2590
03:16:05,100 --> 03:16:08,033
also in the commission, so did not realize that it shows

2591
03:16:08,033 --> 03:16:11,367
that there's an escalator within that because we've never had that before.

2592
03:16:11,367 --> 03:16:15,166
We've always, as a commission, approved our number of licenses and,

2593
03:16:15,166 --> 03:16:19,433
approve the rates every year when we vote on that site.

2594
03:16:19,734 --> 03:16:22,767
So if we need to I don't know if we need to

2595
03:16:22,867 --> 03:16:25,934
put out, information to also the diggers.

2596
03:16:26,500 --> 03:16:27,900
There's,

2597
03:16:27,900 --> 03:16:28,567
so it's a good point.

2598
03:16:28,567 --> 03:16:32,567
I so we we made this so we had a discussion

2599
03:16:32,834 --> 03:16:35,033
as a council last year about fees.

2600
03:16:35,033 --> 03:16:38,767
We we changed a bunch of the fees and it came up that,

2601
03:16:40,000 --> 03:16:43,667
you know, sometimes we don't look at a fee for 20 years or longer, I think.

2602
03:16:44,066 --> 03:16:46,767
I think a sewer connection fee hasn't been looked at for like 35 years

2603
03:16:46,767 --> 03:16:47,533
or something.

2604
03:16:47,533 --> 03:16:48,900
And we were saying,

2605
03:16:48,900 --> 03:16:53,100
is there a way for us to kind of keep pace with inflation on these things?

2606
03:16:53,100 --> 03:16:56,233
So without having to go back every year and review every fee?

2607
03:16:56,533 --> 03:17:01,066
So we did build in this escalator and it's really for all fees in town.

2608
03:17:01,266 --> 03:17:03,033
Permit fees.

2609
03:17:03,033 --> 03:17:06,667
You know, building permits, everything except for

2610
03:17:06,667 --> 03:17:08,467
is just a couple that are exceptions.

2611
03:17:08,467 --> 03:17:09,934
And one of those is the sewer fee.

2612
03:17:11,166 --> 03:17:13,066
It's the largest fee that most people see.

2613
03:17:13,066 --> 03:17:15,533
So we didn't throw that one in there.

2614
03:17:15,533 --> 03:17:20,667
And, you know, it's going to vary year to year.

2615
03:17:20,667 --> 03:17:22,266
And we, you know, there's other things in there,

2616
03:17:22,266 --> 03:17:26,300
like we round up to the closest dollar or something, you know, so it's, you know,

2617
03:17:26,567 --> 03:17:30,000
we're not going to have a fee of like $45.22.

2618
03:17:30,300 --> 03:17:33,300
It would be $45 or $46 home tonight.

2619
03:17:33,567 --> 03:17:36,667
But yeah, that that anything I believe

2620
03:17:36,667 --> 03:17:40,900
just about everything in chapter 401 would be covered by this.

2621
03:17:40,900 --> 03:17:43,900
So you the,

2622
03:17:44,367 --> 03:17:47,166
the recommendations that come from the shellfish commit commission

2623
03:17:47,166 --> 03:17:51,934
and anybody else is recommending these to us, you guys,

2624
03:17:51,934 --> 03:17:54,900
you recommend really the number of permits and and you're right.

2625
03:17:55,000 --> 03:17:59,500
And the amount I think if you, I think if you

2626
03:18:01,166 --> 03:18:04,133
recommended a number of permits

2627
03:18:04,333 --> 03:18:07,667
in the amount that was, without an amount,

2628
03:18:07,667 --> 03:18:10,767
it would automatically escalate, I guess if you came to us with permits

2629
03:18:10,767 --> 03:18:13,734
and an amount, we'd have to think about how we.

2630
03:18:14,100 --> 03:18:15,433
James chapter four wanted me to.

2631
03:18:15,433 --> 03:18:17,567
It might it might not get the automatic when I might get

2632
03:18:17,567 --> 03:18:21,166
the number that you recommend to us if we vote for that, you know.

2633
03:18:21,567 --> 03:18:23,333
So I guess there's a way to override.

2634
03:18:23,333 --> 03:18:26,333
There'd be no way to override the escalator because

2635
03:18:26,734 --> 03:18:27,700
we could vote on it.

2636
03:18:27,700 --> 03:18:30,333
We said, well, we don't want to do 450 for a thing.

2637
03:18:30,333 --> 03:18:32,734
We want to make it for 25 or for 75.

2638
03:18:32,734 --> 03:18:38,133
I think there is within the state statute, there is some regulations about,

2639
03:18:38,133 --> 03:18:43,767
the managing the what we charge for a resident versus a nonresident.

2640
03:18:43,767 --> 03:18:46,700
There is limitations and it has to stay within a certain ratio.

2641
03:18:46,700 --> 03:18:49,533
Okay. That's important for us to know. Thank you.

2642
03:18:49,533 --> 03:18:50,867
And I guess we'll just have to

2643
03:18:50,867 --> 03:18:54,100
be cognizant that we're gonna have to, I think revisit

2644
03:18:55,033 --> 03:18:58,233
that, probably with the new town manager just to make sure that.

2645
03:18:58,300 --> 03:19:01,033
Yeah, that that's a that's a sort of consideration

2646
03:19:01,033 --> 03:19:05,033
we probably didn't consider when we, when we made this change last year.

2647
03:19:05,433 --> 03:19:08,133
So it's important to know. Thank you. Yeah.

2648
03:19:08,133 --> 03:19:10,066
I, I'm aware of that.

2649
03:19:10,066 --> 03:19:15,900
I wasn't aware of this, that this ratchet, system, but the, But you're right.

2650
03:19:15,900 --> 03:19:17,900
It's 150%. So that's.

2651
03:19:17,900 --> 03:19:21,033
And the committee had never recommended any amount for nonresidents

2652
03:19:21,033 --> 03:19:24,033
because it didn't create a nonresident subgroup.

2653
03:19:24,066 --> 03:19:28,767
So I just used, what, $5,150, 150% increase.

2654
03:19:30,100 --> 03:19:33,233
But, if my math is any good and it usually isn't,

2655
03:19:33,900 --> 03:19:39,066
if we escalate everything by 3% next year, it'll be out of sync pretty quickly.

2656
03:19:39,300 --> 03:19:42,300
Probably the rounding will get us back, for a year or two, but.

2657
03:19:42,567 --> 03:19:45,066
So we'll have to rethink that.

2658
03:19:45,066 --> 03:19:46,000
Yeah. Thank you.

2659
03:19:46,000 --> 03:19:47,033
Well, we're creative.

2660
03:19:47,033 --> 03:19:50,100
I think we'll reduce the fee by 3% next year.

2661
03:19:50,133 --> 03:19:53,166
But I mean, that's I mean, you could come with that recommendation

2662
03:19:53,166 --> 03:19:56,066
and we'd have to incorporate that. I mean, if we accept it. Yeah, absolutely.

2663
03:19:56,066 --> 03:19:59,367
So I mean ultimately the council will set the fees.

2664
03:20:00,533 --> 03:20:03,700
But the recommendations are usually what they rely on.

2665
03:20:03,700 --> 03:20:06,700
Yeah. Okay. Thank you. Thank you.

2666
03:20:07,066 --> 03:20:10,066
Any other public comment?

2667
03:20:11,533 --> 03:20:11,834
All right.

2668
03:20:11,834 --> 03:20:13,100
I'm going to bring it back to the council.

2669
03:20:13,100 --> 03:20:15,900
Any since we have people here, are there any other questions?

2670
03:20:15,900 --> 03:20:19,734
Well, on this topic that, the experts in the room might be able to answer for us,

2671
03:20:21,300 --> 03:20:24,734
if not, shall we just move this ahead to a vote?

2672
03:20:24,734 --> 03:20:27,700
This housekeeping item. Everybody good?

2673
03:20:27,700 --> 03:20:28,734
All right, all right.

2674
03:20:28,734 --> 03:20:31,700
We'll put that on the agenda for two weeks.

2675
03:20:31,700 --> 03:20:35,700
Moving on now to item number six.

2676
03:20:35,867 --> 03:20:37,867
It feels A55.

2677
03:20:37,867 --> 03:20:39,500
Oh, we only five six.

2678
03:20:39,500 --> 03:20:41,367
Oh, they're both shellfish and the shellfish.

2679
03:20:41,367 --> 03:20:42,834
Oh, my. Well, the other stick around.

2680
03:20:42,834 --> 03:20:43,934
I might have,

2681
03:20:43,934 --> 03:20:47,266
this is to consider amendments to chapter 3 or 5 of the Yarmouth Town Code.

2682
03:20:47,266 --> 03:20:51,066
The shellfish conservation Ordinance, for various amendments

2683
03:20:51,066 --> 03:20:54,033
as required by the Maine Department of Marine Resources.

2684
03:20:55,000 --> 03:20:56,934
Another introduction on this.

2685
03:20:56,934 --> 03:20:57,166
Yeah.

2686
03:20:57,166 --> 03:21:01,667
You adopted a bunch of changes, I don't know, March.

2687
03:21:01,667 --> 03:21:04,033
Maybe somewhere back that about them?

2688
03:21:04,033 --> 03:21:06,667
And they have to be submitted

2689
03:21:06,667 --> 03:21:10,433
to the state Department of Marine Resources for review and approval.

2690
03:21:11,133 --> 03:21:12,734
So they were submitted.

2691
03:21:12,734 --> 03:21:16,000
Oh, a lot of comment came back from the state.

2692
03:21:16,433 --> 03:21:17,734
As far as I could identify.

2693
03:21:17,734 --> 03:21:22,033
There were three issues that two substantive issues, and one,

2694
03:21:22,033 --> 03:21:25,166
I can't really fathom what the objection is, but,

2695
03:21:26,100 --> 03:21:31,000
one was the the failure to identify

2696
03:21:31,000 --> 03:21:36,700
a commercial bushel resident versus nonresident and deal with that.

2697
03:21:37,066 --> 03:21:40,166
And the other, really had to do with,

2698
03:21:41,100 --> 03:21:43,500
I think internal,

2699
03:21:43,500 --> 03:21:45,934
references that were confusing.

2700
03:21:45,934 --> 03:21:49,634
And so there's that there's 2 or 3 places

2701
03:21:49,634 --> 03:21:54,000
where the limits on taking of razor clams,

2702
03:21:54,433 --> 03:21:58,033
which is a four inch minimum by state law.

2703
03:21:58,066 --> 03:22:01,066
So you can't go less than that.

2704
03:22:01,467 --> 03:22:04,634
There is in our ordinance that's been approved

2705
03:22:04,634 --> 03:22:08,500
by the state in the past, basically a tolerance capability.

2706
03:22:08,500 --> 03:22:13,467
So if you have a peck of clams and 2% of them

2707
03:22:14,233 --> 03:22:18,166
don't meet the standards for size, it's not a crime.

2708
03:22:18,367 --> 03:22:20,266
You might have to put them back or something.

2709
03:22:20,266 --> 03:22:23,300
I guess if you get caught, I'm not sure, but it's not a crime.

2710
03:22:23,834 --> 03:22:27,367
If you're sitting there and you know 40% of your clams

2711
03:22:27,367 --> 03:22:31,834
are undersized, you're going to, pay a visit to to the courthouse.

2712
03:22:31,834 --> 03:22:33,100
I think.

2713
03:22:33,100 --> 03:22:38,767
So, language was added for razor clams

2714
03:22:40,000 --> 03:22:42,367
and said the tolerances are.

2715
03:22:42,367 --> 03:22:47,033
And then it was blank and it was unclear what the intention was.

2716
03:22:47,033 --> 03:22:51,033
And so I interpreted the best I could and send it off to the committee,

2717
03:22:51,433 --> 03:22:55,734
to the commission for a comment as well as the DMR to get some feedback from them,

2718
03:22:56,100 --> 03:23:00,066
which basically changed the internal references, saying, here's

2719
03:23:00,066 --> 03:23:05,133
your limits, except as might be permitted otherwise under the tolerance provisions.

2720
03:23:05,133 --> 03:23:06,266
Next.

2721
03:23:06,266 --> 03:23:09,066
And is that okay?

2722
03:23:09,066 --> 03:23:10,100
Is that going to be okay?

2723
03:23:10,100 --> 03:23:13,333
I got some comments back from, Miss Whitmarsh today

2724
03:23:13,333 --> 03:23:16,333
I think is saying, well, maybe you still haven't got it right

2725
03:23:16,367 --> 03:23:21,300
and I have not heard directly from DMR yet on their comments.

2726
03:23:22,033 --> 03:23:25,367
They've asked me for clarification on on one point, but

2727
03:23:27,233 --> 03:23:28,066
that's all I can tell you.

2728
03:23:28,066 --> 03:23:31,367
I think we're going to be close enough that you could move this forward. But,

2729
03:23:32,834 --> 03:23:33,300
the only

2730
03:23:33,300 --> 03:23:36,300
reason I feel any urgency to it, well, two reasons.

2731
03:23:36,300 --> 03:23:40,700
One, I'd like to get it cleaned up before the next person has to understand

2732
03:23:40,700 --> 03:23:41,533
all of this stuff.

2733
03:23:41,533 --> 03:23:44,567
But also the state approval

2734
03:23:45,300 --> 03:23:48,266
was only for a limited time period, and that's going to expire at

2735
03:23:48,266 --> 03:23:51,300
the end of October. So I think you.

2736
03:23:51,567 --> 03:23:52,900
So let's get it taken care of.

2737
03:23:52,900 --> 03:23:54,433
So that's what I'm trying to do.

2738
03:23:54,433 --> 03:23:55,333
I don't have any agenda

2739
03:23:55,333 --> 03:23:58,867
other than get you over the finish line that that you started.

2740
03:23:59,367 --> 03:24:02,367
Love to hear any thoughts you have on this.

2741
03:24:02,533 --> 03:24:05,533
So I know Rachel Whitmarsh of the Yarmouth, North Yarmouth

2742
03:24:05,533 --> 03:24:06,867
and the Shellfish Commission. I just wanted to.

2743
03:24:06,867 --> 03:24:08,934
You did get my. I'm sorry I didn't get those sooner.

2744
03:24:08,934 --> 03:24:13,133
I didn't see the the, revisions or the suggestions until I got that

2745
03:24:13,367 --> 03:24:16,000
handed to me Tuesday. I didn't read them until today.

2746
03:24:16,000 --> 03:24:19,166
There was just a couple things that were in there, like,

2747
03:24:19,867 --> 03:24:22,934
it looks like there was some editing, like some formatting change there

2748
03:24:22,934 --> 03:24:26,667
so that where you, one of the, the suggested changes, where it's

2749
03:24:26,700 --> 03:24:31,767
changing a reference within the document, that shouldn't change

2750
03:24:31,767 --> 03:24:35,667
because we've dropped a there's something that happened within the,

2751
03:24:35,667 --> 03:24:39,100
the formatting where you dropped a, dropped, the lettering.

2752
03:24:39,100 --> 03:24:42,066
So it skipped it basically forced a change

2753
03:24:42,066 --> 03:24:45,066
through that made the internal references off.

2754
03:24:45,266 --> 03:24:49,100
And that's and then I can explain where the

2755
03:24:49,100 --> 03:24:52,033
the razor clam thing, they didn't have anything in their chapter

2756
03:24:52,033 --> 03:24:54,333
and that has that that came through after.

2757
03:24:54,333 --> 03:24:58,900
So and I don't know, there's, I think if I may go, please,

2758
03:24:59,233 --> 03:25:03,133
I welcome your comments and your, your help on this one.

2759
03:25:03,533 --> 03:25:09,233
The, the provision for the tolerance, I think it was over

2760
03:25:09,233 --> 03:25:14,133
the limit basically referred to itself as opposed to the tolerance section.

2761
03:25:14,133 --> 03:25:15,100
So I tried to fix that.

2762
03:25:15,100 --> 03:25:18,367
But the reason it may be wrong may be a formatting change where

2763
03:25:18,367 --> 03:25:21,867
somebody hit a return button to somewhere and everything renumbered F's.

2764
03:25:21,934 --> 03:25:24,333
I'm not sure. Yes, I saw that. Yeah, I saw that as I was mortified.

2765
03:25:24,333 --> 03:25:26,900
But then I think I found it to this afternoon.

2766
03:25:26,900 --> 03:25:29,233
So it looks like the did the formatting things.

2767
03:25:29,233 --> 03:25:35,233
Well it was, it was as submitted to the state was not clear because it was

2768
03:25:36,066 --> 03:25:39,066
saying you can do only what I say, except as I say

2769
03:25:39,433 --> 03:25:42,100
as I what I spent.

2770
03:25:43,934 --> 03:25:45,367
And then yeah, when we got

2771
03:25:45,367 --> 03:25:48,300
so I don't know what's coming from, from the state because we had,

2772
03:25:48,300 --> 03:25:51,500
we had made, we were rushing these through to get to a couple of the changes.

2773
03:25:51,500 --> 03:25:54,033
There were four issues that they had identified

2774
03:25:54,033 --> 03:25:56,266
and we thought we'd covered them. There was one.

2775
03:25:56,266 --> 03:25:58,066
There was a sentence that they had insisted

2776
03:25:58,066 --> 03:26:01,033
we put in which didn't was dropped off of what I saw.

2777
03:26:01,033 --> 03:26:03,734
But if she's not asking for it, we didn't see the point.

2778
03:26:03,734 --> 03:26:08,033
We put it in there because I I'm not sure I'm waiting for that comment.

2779
03:26:08,033 --> 03:26:10,133
If I missed something. Okay.

2780
03:26:10,133 --> 03:26:11,934
I still can't fix it, you know, and I just,

2781
03:26:11,934 --> 03:26:13,533
But anyway, I just want to say it look like,

2782
03:26:13,533 --> 03:26:17,100
other than the the corrections to the formatting and dropping that,

2783
03:26:17,634 --> 03:26:19,467
you know, changing the reference.

2784
03:26:19,467 --> 03:26:22,333
You know, we were fine with, with the changes.

2785
03:26:22,333 --> 03:26:27,233
Yeah, I, I, I hope, they'll send me their comments soon and I'll share them.

2786
03:26:27,233 --> 03:26:31,033
And if I can sort out what you're trying to tell me in terms of how the formatting

2787
03:26:31,333 --> 03:26:33,033
numbering sequence got wrong.

2788
03:26:33,033 --> 03:26:34,367
Okay. That's fine.

2789
03:26:34,367 --> 03:26:36,634
That's great. I thank you that I just want to chase it down.

2790
03:26:36,634 --> 03:26:41,367
I'm not trying to add any language except for nonresident commercial.

2791
03:26:41,433 --> 03:26:42,734
So it's a very important one.

2792
03:26:42,734 --> 03:26:44,867
And we didn't we didn't fix it correctly.

2793
03:26:44,867 --> 03:26:47,867
So thank you for doing that okay. Thank you.

2794
03:26:48,133 --> 03:26:51,867
Any questions from the council about this at this point

2795
03:26:53,166 --> 03:26:56,433
in. All right.

2796
03:26:56,433 --> 03:26:59,367
So I think

2797
03:26:59,367 --> 03:27:02,367
so so now I think where this sits is

2798
03:27:02,467 --> 03:27:05,834
if it's ready for a vote in two weeks, we could vote on it.

2799
03:27:06,533 --> 03:27:07,166
Do you think it will be?

2800
03:27:07,166 --> 03:27:10,233
It should be, I think you think we'll have something.

2801
03:27:10,266 --> 03:27:12,867
I think you'll have something. And if you don't, you just table.

2802
03:27:12,867 --> 03:27:17,367
Okay, so any objection us moving this to the voting meeting in two weeks?

2803
03:27:18,567 --> 03:27:22,033
And if it's again, if it's not ready, we'll table it.

2804
03:27:22,133 --> 03:27:24,567
Okay. Great.

2805
03:27:24,567 --> 03:27:27,634
Now item six.

2806
03:27:29,266 --> 03:27:32,900
To consider an updated report, the Greater Portland Council of Governments

2807
03:27:32,900 --> 03:27:36,533
regarding a review of options for a revised sewer fee structure.

2808
03:27:39,767 --> 03:27:40,433
What are you talking about?

2809
03:27:40,433 --> 03:27:41,767
You want to talk about it?

2810
03:27:41,767 --> 03:27:44,266
I know what I'm talking about at all, but I'd be happy to

2811
03:27:45,467 --> 03:27:46,000
utilize.

2812
03:27:46,000 --> 03:27:46,533
Sounds like.

2813
03:27:46,533 --> 03:27:49,533
Give us a quick intro. So,

2814
03:27:49,700 --> 03:27:51,467
sometime

2815
03:27:51,467 --> 03:27:53,333
spring, I guess maybe winter.

2816
03:27:53,333 --> 03:27:57,166
Concern was raised by a citizen about our fee structure

2817
03:27:57,166 --> 03:28:02,300
and thinking that it may be skewed and and having people who are lower,

2818
03:28:02,934 --> 03:28:07,233
water meter users paying disproportionately more

2819
03:28:07,900 --> 03:28:10,900
for their flow than somebody who's at a higher level.

2820
03:28:11,734 --> 03:28:16,100
And so the council asked GP cog if they would take a look at,

2821
03:28:16,834 --> 03:28:20,233
some analysis of our rate structure to see if it was equitable

2822
03:28:20,233 --> 03:28:23,233
and if there are alternatives that we might consider.

2823
03:28:25,100 --> 03:28:26,934
That report came back and,

2824
03:28:26,934 --> 03:28:30,100
I'm not privy to the particulars, but I think the council found

2825
03:28:30,100 --> 03:28:34,533
it was insufficient to answer and address the questions and send it back,

2826
03:28:35,066 --> 03:28:39,300
and only fairly recently, I think after summer vacations,

2827
03:28:39,300 --> 03:28:44,934
maybe, did it finally come back with some additional, work done on it?

2828
03:28:44,934 --> 03:28:46,900
Or at least I trust that was additional work.

2829
03:28:46,900 --> 03:28:49,266
So really study the original plan.

2830
03:28:51,033 --> 03:28:52,133
I in the

2831
03:28:52,133 --> 03:28:55,433
meantime, I have, I have some working knowledge,

2832
03:28:55,433 --> 03:28:58,567
of course, with the, with the existing fee structure.

2833
03:28:58,900 --> 03:29:03,433
And so I've tried to provide you some understanding of the

2834
03:29:04,367 --> 03:29:07,867
limitations of value that water meter,

2835
03:29:08,166 --> 03:29:13,133
uses have, both in terms of the accuracy and the timeliness, etc., but also

2836
03:29:13,500 --> 03:29:18,033
whether or not it's, theory of taxation really captures what you're trying to do,

2837
03:29:18,033 --> 03:29:21,900
because, quite frankly, there's an awful lot of fixed cost

2838
03:29:21,900 --> 03:29:25,367
in a sewer system that is not dependent on the amount of flow.

2839
03:29:25,634 --> 03:29:29,033
And then there's a certain amount, but that does.

2840
03:29:29,734 --> 03:29:33,500
But there's really almost no decent,

2841
03:29:33,934 --> 03:29:37,700
reasonable way to measure and to allocate the cost

2842
03:29:37,700 --> 03:29:40,700
for a fee.

2843
03:29:41,000 --> 03:29:44,066
Other ways other than either a flat fee

2844
03:29:45,000 --> 03:29:48,066
or a metered fee or some combination of them

2845
03:29:48,567 --> 03:29:51,100
or the system that Yarmouth used for many,

2846
03:29:51,100 --> 03:29:55,000
many years until 2011 was no fee at all,

2847
03:29:55,000 --> 03:29:58,000
which means it was entirely covered by the property taxes.

2848
03:29:58,767 --> 03:30:02,934
Even though a major section of the community doesn't

2849
03:30:02,934 --> 03:30:06,767
get a direct benefit from the sewer system they're not connected to

2850
03:30:07,066 --> 03:30:10,433
and wouldn't be able to connect to the, municipal sewer system.

2851
03:30:11,133 --> 03:30:15,100
So back then, the the interest of the council

2852
03:30:15,100 --> 03:30:18,100
was to move away to some degree from

2853
03:30:18,467 --> 03:30:22,634
strictly reliance on the property tax to having people

2854
03:30:22,634 --> 03:30:27,533
who are direct beneficiaries of the sewer system pay

2855
03:30:28,867 --> 03:30:30,000
some fee.

2856
03:30:30,000 --> 03:30:33,066
I will tell you that the fees collected

2857
03:30:33,066 --> 03:30:35,734
don't cover the full cost of the sewer system.

2858
03:30:35,734 --> 03:30:39,900
They cover about 53% of it, so it's still very heavily subsidized,

2859
03:30:40,333 --> 03:30:43,367
by property tax payers, which

2860
03:30:44,166 --> 03:30:47,166
which, you know, it it is what it is.

2861
03:30:48,233 --> 03:30:52,467
And that a compromise plan or a hybrid plan

2862
03:30:52,467 --> 03:30:58,133
we called it at the time was to have for flat fees.

2863
03:30:58,133 --> 03:31:00,734
Well, we actually three and a half flat fees.

2864
03:31:00,734 --> 03:31:03,734
So we have low users,

2865
03:31:03,867 --> 03:31:04,667
very low users.

2866
03:31:04,667 --> 03:31:08,867
I guess you would classify them paying a certain flat fee

2867
03:31:09,634 --> 03:31:12,567
and then standard users, which is a

2868
03:31:12,634 --> 03:31:16,233
is a broad width of the majority of homes

2869
03:31:16,233 --> 03:31:19,233
and businesses paying another fee.

2870
03:31:19,300 --> 03:31:22,867
Then we would have a high user, which kind of been

2871
03:31:23,100 --> 03:31:27,233
mostly your business businesses, apartment buildings that are single metered

2872
03:31:27,867 --> 03:31:33,100
or some other particular users, who are using more

2873
03:31:33,100 --> 03:31:36,300
than, outside of that, that broad range.

2874
03:31:37,000 --> 03:31:40,066
And then we have a small group called the industrial Group

2875
03:31:40,467 --> 03:31:44,767
who have, potentially very high flows

2876
03:31:45,634 --> 03:31:48,700
and oftentimes very low loads on it.

2877
03:31:48,700 --> 03:31:53,567
So, water treatment is one probably the highest,

2878
03:31:54,300 --> 03:31:59,133
they don't add much biological oxygen demand to the system whatsoever.

2879
03:31:59,133 --> 03:32:00,834
They just add a lot of flow.

2880
03:32:01,767 --> 03:32:05,033
But they use a very high number.

2881
03:32:05,033 --> 03:32:07,467
So their, their cost

2882
03:32:07,467 --> 03:32:11,533
based only on water, but not on waste, so to speak,

2883
03:32:12,133 --> 03:32:16,066
is, had to be,

2884
03:32:17,166 --> 03:32:20,166
figured where there was a

2885
03:32:20,233 --> 03:32:23,133
flat, a flat fee

2886
03:32:23,133 --> 03:32:26,734
plus a surcharge for their high use

2887
03:32:27,333 --> 03:32:30,467
to the, to the extent that it was higher than the high use glue group.

2888
03:32:30,467 --> 03:32:32,734
So that's sort of how we got there.

2889
03:32:32,734 --> 03:32:37,066
And it was tinkered around with by the council to come up with

2890
03:32:37,066 --> 03:32:41,333
what they felt was the most equitable, reasonable thing to do.

2891
03:32:42,100 --> 03:32:45,700
The couple of issues we ran into with that was water

2892
03:32:45,700 --> 03:32:49,133
meter readings are not always up to date.

2893
03:32:50,500 --> 03:32:54,100
We only look at winter reading quarters

2894
03:32:54,734 --> 03:32:59,100
because we don't want to charge people for water use or based their bill on water

2895
03:32:59,100 --> 03:33:02,433
use that's going into the garden or washing the car or

2896
03:33:02,900 --> 03:33:05,767
or the kids are running into the sprinkler system or filling the pool.

2897
03:33:08,033 --> 03:33:11,934
So and that's not that's not an unusual practice whatsoever.

2898
03:33:11,934 --> 03:33:14,934
So we use a winter reading, which doesn't guarantee,

2899
03:33:14,934 --> 03:33:18,900
equity in every case, because there are people

2900
03:33:18,900 --> 03:33:22,333
who are here in the summertime and gone away in the winter, flooding the right.

2901
03:33:22,333 --> 03:33:26,000
But nonetheless, it seemed reasonable.

2902
03:33:26,000 --> 03:33:29,133
And there were a couple of minor adjustments that were made

2903
03:33:29,133 --> 03:33:32,133
for very low income people and for seniors.

2904
03:33:33,133 --> 03:33:35,767
So the system seems to be working.

2905
03:33:35,767 --> 03:33:40,033
It was generating the revenues as targeted.

2906
03:33:40,467 --> 03:33:43,233
And a few years ago, the town

2907
03:33:43,233 --> 03:33:46,500
council agreed to increase the rates.

2908
03:33:46,500 --> 03:33:52,266
It was sometime in the last three years, after I left.

2909
03:33:52,367 --> 03:33:57,166
So what I'm trying to say, and so increase the total amount

2910
03:33:57,166 --> 03:34:02,533
and refined to some degree the allocation of where those revenues would go.

2911
03:34:02,533 --> 03:34:08,266
So I if I got this right, I think 65% of it goes into the capital

2912
03:34:08,266 --> 03:34:13,667
reserve for wastewater equipment and, and facilities, and 35% is treated as

2913
03:34:13,667 --> 03:34:17,867
general revenue, meaning it goes to help soften the budget in its most recent area.

2914
03:34:17,934 --> 03:34:18,533
Yeah.

2915
03:34:18,533 --> 03:34:22,000
And I don't know if that in the long range, whether that's planned to continue

2916
03:34:22,000 --> 03:34:23,033
a trend to move more

2917
03:34:23,033 --> 03:34:26,166
and more to the capital reserve or more to property tax support.

2918
03:34:26,166 --> 03:34:32,033
But, it's it seemed all quite reasonable considering that the property taxpayer

2919
03:34:32,033 --> 03:34:35,266
is already subsidizing about half the cost of the operation.

2920
03:34:36,066 --> 03:34:39,934
So, you can slice and dice that,

2921
03:34:40,100 --> 03:34:43,900
many different ways you can go to a full metered system.

2922
03:34:43,900 --> 03:34:47,367
You could go to a flat fee system.

2923
03:34:47,367 --> 03:34:50,367
You can go to some other combination,

2924
03:34:50,734 --> 03:34:55,500
and you can certainly take that broad band of, standard users

2925
03:34:55,500 --> 03:35:00,133
and break it into two, three, 4 or 5, whatever different levels you want.

2926
03:35:00,767 --> 03:35:01,900
It will require

2927
03:35:03,667 --> 03:35:08,033
more, time from accounting and,

2928
03:35:08,667 --> 03:35:11,834
and the finance department to sort all of that out,

2929
03:35:12,000 --> 03:35:15,033
probably will require some expense

2930
03:35:15,133 --> 03:35:20,100
to pay, munis, which is our software provider, to upgrade the,

2931
03:35:20,100 --> 03:35:23,000
the, the systems and the fields and, and that sort of stuff.

2932
03:35:23,333 --> 03:35:26,300
But I think it's all doable.

2933
03:35:27,233 --> 03:35:29,300
For the most part, I think the council has looked

2934
03:35:29,300 --> 03:35:34,333
at this as a revenue producing objective

2935
03:35:36,033 --> 03:35:39,767
by transferring a at least a portion, significant portion

2936
03:35:39,767 --> 03:35:43,133
of the cost of the wastewater system to the direct users.

2937
03:35:44,033 --> 03:35:46,233
There is certainly justification that every one of us,

2938
03:35:46,233 --> 03:35:47,834
whether we're connected or not,

2939
03:35:47,834 --> 03:35:50,834
benefits from clean groundwater and clean surface waters,

2940
03:35:52,300 --> 03:35:54,000
and in a healthier environment.

2941
03:35:54,000 --> 03:35:58,567
So whether you are a direct beneficiary or not, everybody benefits.

2942
03:35:59,634 --> 03:36:01,000
So I'll just remind the council

2943
03:36:01,000 --> 03:36:04,133
that we're not talking about moving this to two weeks to a vote or anything.

2944
03:36:04,133 --> 03:36:07,100
This is a report that's been brought back to us.

2945
03:36:07,100 --> 03:36:10,100
We should think about

2946
03:36:10,133 --> 03:36:13,133
over time whether we do anything with the fee structure or not.

2947
03:36:13,133 --> 03:36:15,133
But,

2948
03:36:15,133 --> 03:36:17,166
I just wanted to preface that we're not going to come back around

2949
03:36:17,166 --> 03:36:18,867
and we'll do we move this to a vote in two weeks.

2950
03:36:18,867 --> 03:36:23,233
This is this is more of just more of a we're receiving report from GP cog and,

2951
03:36:23,233 --> 03:36:28,166
it will inform us as we go along, into the setting

2952
03:36:28,166 --> 03:36:31,433
and budgets and all, any questions?

2953
03:36:31,834 --> 03:36:34,100
From the council, it consulting.

2954
03:36:34,100 --> 03:36:38,767
Are we going to get that in the, via email or.

2955
03:36:39,867 --> 03:36:40,533
I haven't seen

2956
03:36:40,533 --> 03:36:43,500
it, so I'm wondering where I can get a copy of that.

2957
03:36:43,500 --> 03:36:44,533
Thank you.

2958
03:36:44,533 --> 03:36:46,000
It was sent out.

2959
03:36:46,000 --> 03:36:47,333
I believe we did receive it.

2960
03:36:47,333 --> 03:36:49,266
Might, because I've read that it's in your email

2961
03:36:49,266 --> 03:36:51,900
and we've been, you know, August 14th email.

2962
03:36:51,900 --> 03:36:53,834
I think

2963
03:36:53,834 --> 03:36:57,133
we can't hear you the weekly, the weekly packet on the 14th.

2964
03:36:57,133 --> 03:37:00,500
And I know I said, but I have to say, well, I'm happy to send you another one.

2965
03:37:00,700 --> 03:37:01,367
Yeah.

2966
03:37:01,367 --> 03:37:02,066
Thank you.

2967
03:37:02,066 --> 03:37:06,700
My question, yeah, is like, who who's basically the drive for this?

2968
03:37:07,066 --> 03:37:08,300
It will be an arduous play.

2969
03:37:08,300 --> 03:37:11,333
Or do you imagine there's a motor to the more appropriate for staff

2970
03:37:11,867 --> 03:37:13,567
like when when you're gone and she's back.

2971
03:37:13,567 --> 03:37:17,000
How do we follow up to just keep this is I think one that we can make,

2972
03:37:17,100 --> 03:37:20,033
make a little bit right with that plan and just, you know,

2973
03:37:21,300 --> 03:37:21,500
yeah.

2974
03:37:21,500 --> 03:37:23,000
I can't really answer for that.

2975
03:37:23,000 --> 03:37:26,433
Don Madden would have the most hands on

2976
03:37:26,433 --> 03:37:29,433
in terms of producing the bills and doing the the finance work.

2977
03:37:29,734 --> 03:37:34,133
Steve Johnson is the one who, deals with the customers

2978
03:37:34,133 --> 03:37:37,000
directly and, and trying to make sure the data is correct.

2979
03:37:37,934 --> 03:37:41,834
And the issue that I didn't talk about too much is the difficulty

2980
03:37:42,166 --> 03:37:44,767
of getting the data from the water district.

2981
03:37:44,767 --> 03:37:49,867
And, and so we and we're already facing challenges there.

2982
03:37:49,867 --> 03:37:53,133
We expect them to get, more challenging.

2983
03:37:53,567 --> 03:37:59,166
But that's not going to be a material issue for you.

2984
03:37:59,166 --> 03:38:01,867
It's just another headache that we've already got.

2985
03:38:01,867 --> 03:38:03,133
So they'll be

2986
03:38:03,133 --> 03:38:06,934
they'll be Don and Steve and like like that saying there's

2987
03:38:06,934 --> 03:38:09,433
all those considerations ultimately comes down to us deciding

2988
03:38:09,433 --> 03:38:11,066
if we want to do anything with the fee structure.

2989
03:38:11,066 --> 03:38:14,433
Yeah, but we'll have to get expert input.

2990
03:38:14,433 --> 03:38:16,266
But we've got to decide,

2991
03:38:16,266 --> 03:38:17,266
do we want to

2992
03:38:17,266 --> 03:38:20,700
make it directly proportional or spend two years and things like that?

2993
03:38:20,700 --> 03:38:22,767
But in the absence of a true dry at the town

2994
03:38:22,767 --> 03:38:24,634
level, I'm concerned that it gets lost.

2995
03:38:24,634 --> 03:38:26,100
So but like, it's true.

2996
03:38:26,100 --> 03:38:28,266
It is. It's Don, it's Steve, it's Audra.

2997
03:38:28,266 --> 03:38:29,867
Like, who is our dri

2998
03:38:29,867 --> 03:38:33,433
that we expect to drive it as we we haven't identified the I mean, we,

2999
03:38:33,767 --> 03:38:37,033
we as a council have to decide if we want to be the it's an initiative.

3000
03:38:38,433 --> 03:38:40,100
I think we should I think we should also.

3001
03:38:40,100 --> 03:38:41,867
But I mean,

3002
03:38:41,867 --> 03:38:45,433
we should probably wait until I have town manager here and bring it up, but,

3003
03:38:47,133 --> 03:38:51,000
so that you asked at the last meeting and I think, you know,

3004
03:38:51,100 --> 03:38:54,467
we all know that, it's too late to do anything for September.

3005
03:38:55,433 --> 03:38:57,667
The next bill, I think, is March.

3006
03:38:57,667 --> 03:39:03,000
And so you'd want to back up from that enough time to to have Don work with the,

3007
03:39:03,100 --> 03:39:07,433
but the, the computer programing

3008
03:39:07,934 --> 03:39:10,834
as well as getting the data, work together.

3009
03:39:10,834 --> 03:39:15,066
But I think we are reasonably set up that we could implement changes,

3010
03:39:15,567 --> 03:39:18,667
that are, that are sort of incremental to this.

3011
03:39:18,767 --> 03:39:19,066
Okay.

3012
03:39:19,066 --> 03:39:22,033
And anything else from the Council.

3013
03:39:22,367 --> 03:39:24,367
Okay. So we'll just we're aware of it.

3014
03:39:24,367 --> 03:39:26,166
Right away from it.

3015
03:39:27,533 --> 03:39:29,033
I wish I had done this before.

3016
03:39:29,033 --> 03:39:31,233
Item seven.

3017
03:39:31,233 --> 03:39:33,266
But we are now seven seven.

3018
03:39:33,266 --> 03:39:34,834
I wish I had thought of this before.

3019
03:39:34,834 --> 03:39:36,900
We just talked about item six, but item eight.

3020
03:39:36,900 --> 03:39:39,867
Karen McConnell's been waiting around all evening.

3021
03:39:39,867 --> 03:39:42,934
And why don't we move that up so that she can go away?

3022
03:39:43,333 --> 03:39:45,266
This was not there was item seven for us.

3023
03:39:45,266 --> 03:39:47,734
Is that okay with everyone? Great.

3024
03:39:47,734 --> 03:39:51,767
So we'll move on to item eight, and that's to, consider an appropriation

3025
03:39:52,233 --> 03:39:56,500
where funds from the, from the property acquisition reserve for costs

3026
03:39:56,500 --> 03:39:59,000
associated with acceptance of a gift of property

3027
03:39:59,000 --> 03:40:02,033
and recording of a companion conservative conservation easement.

3028
03:40:02,033 --> 03:40:05,000
We've talked about this in executive session.

3029
03:40:05,900 --> 03:40:09,667
And, Karen, sorry we made you wait so long.

3030
03:40:10,000 --> 03:40:13,500
Probably could have saved ten minutes of that last discussion, but

3031
03:40:13,734 --> 03:40:16,634
unfortunately, the things in the there were a lot of people in a room

3032
03:40:16,634 --> 03:40:19,567
that wanted to hear the other one, so we had to take those first. Sorry.

3033
03:40:19,567 --> 03:40:21,000
And I'm I'm happy to wait.

3034
03:40:21,000 --> 03:40:23,867
I understand that's happened sometimes.

3035
03:40:23,867 --> 03:40:28,467
It's been lively either way, but, thank you to to,

3036
03:40:28,467 --> 03:40:31,734
thank you for having me on the agenda tonight.

3037
03:40:31,867 --> 03:40:33,634
Everything is quite timely.

3038
03:40:33,634 --> 03:40:36,233
Like everything else on your agendas every month.

3039
03:40:36,233 --> 03:40:40,567
So it's my pleasure to present some information regarding

3040
03:40:40,567 --> 03:40:44,166
the possible donation of approximately 40 acres to the town of Yarmouth.

3041
03:40:44,867 --> 03:40:48,867
As of this evening, I, I was provided permission

3042
03:40:48,867 --> 03:40:54,033
to share the approximate location and the name of the resident.

3043
03:40:54,033 --> 03:40:57,767
So happy to clear the air and not feel like we're tiptoeing around

3044
03:40:57,767 --> 03:40:59,567
that privacy for now.

3045
03:40:59,567 --> 03:41:03,567
But this is, particular meaningfully, a meaningful opportunity for the town

3046
03:41:03,567 --> 03:41:06,634
because the property is directly adjacent to Pratt's Brook Park

3047
03:41:07,000 --> 03:41:09,033
on the Granite Street side.

3048
03:41:09,033 --> 03:41:12,433
Pratt's Brook is currently 225 acres.

3049
03:41:12,433 --> 03:41:15,500
It's our largest contiguous number of parcels

3050
03:41:15,500 --> 03:41:19,433
that make up one property and preserve, known as Pratt's Brook.

3051
03:41:20,233 --> 03:41:24,033
The property being considered for donation is currently undeveloped,

3052
03:41:24,133 --> 03:41:27,867
with the exception of some private trails that are used by the resident,

3053
03:41:27,867 --> 03:41:30,867
a small circle of her friends and neighbors.

3054
03:41:31,000 --> 03:41:34,500
The potential additions of this property will allow the town

3055
03:41:34,500 --> 03:41:38,333
to expand and strengthen an already significant area of open space,

3056
03:41:38,867 --> 03:41:42,333
while also providing an opportunity to protect the land for the future.

3057
03:41:43,700 --> 03:41:46,734
Discussions about this, potential donation began

3058
03:41:46,734 --> 03:41:49,734
last October, as I mentioned to you in executive session.

3059
03:41:50,066 --> 03:41:52,367
So it has been going almost a year now.

3060
03:41:52,367 --> 03:41:56,166
When Scott, then Town Manager Scott Allison

3061
03:41:56,166 --> 03:42:01,033
and I, began working with the property owner to better understand her wishes

3062
03:42:01,033 --> 03:42:05,100
and to answer some questions about what a donation might look like in the winter.

3063
03:42:05,100 --> 03:42:08,300
Eric and I, Eric Donohoe, and I, snowshoe the property

3064
03:42:08,300 --> 03:42:11,333
with one of her trusted neighbors and friends.

3065
03:42:12,000 --> 03:42:15,166
It provided us a better opportunity to understand the topography,

3066
03:42:15,433 --> 03:42:21,133
looking at the potential, expansion for trail systems through this section

3067
03:42:21,266 --> 03:42:23,900
and consider the benefits of having this property,

3068
03:42:23,900 --> 03:42:26,934
which is directly adjacent, as I mentioned, to the to property,

3069
03:42:26,934 --> 03:42:28,734
the town already owns and manages.

3070
03:42:30,100 --> 03:42:31,367
Earlier this year, the town

3071
03:42:31,367 --> 03:42:35,000
and the owner also also initiated an appraisal and a survey.

3072
03:42:35,367 --> 03:42:39,066
We're now approaching the point where the details of the donation

3073
03:42:39,066 --> 03:42:41,133
can be finalized.

3074
03:42:41,133 --> 03:42:45,033
Several of the important aspects of the owners wishes.

3075
03:42:45,066 --> 03:42:49,266
I would like to highlight tonight, because I feel that this is a

3076
03:42:49,266 --> 03:42:52,233
one of the most unique partnerships we've had in my,

3077
03:42:52,233 --> 03:42:55,233
just more than a dozen years here in the town.

3078
03:42:55,900 --> 03:42:58,900
The owners specifically requested that the donation

3079
03:42:59,033 --> 03:43:01,834
be protected from future development,

3080
03:43:01,834 --> 03:43:05,500
with the Parks and Lands Committee and the Climate Action Board goals.

3081
03:43:05,500 --> 03:43:09,133
This meets all of that, intention for additional

3082
03:43:09,133 --> 03:43:12,667
undeveloped properties to be added to our current properties,

3083
03:43:13,300 --> 03:43:16,000
and also not have a connection

3084
03:43:16,000 --> 03:43:19,066
to Granite Street at this time.

3085
03:43:19,066 --> 03:43:22,867
So the property is currently split up into two parcels.

3086
03:43:23,166 --> 03:43:26,900
I would call it a roadside parcel and then a woodlot, and the woodlot

3087
03:43:26,934 --> 03:43:30,100
is the one closest to Pratt's Brook, furthest away from Granite Street.

3088
03:43:30,700 --> 03:43:33,233
And she's redesigned the property

3089
03:43:33,233 --> 03:43:37,000
boundary to eliminate any kind of access to Granite Street.

3090
03:43:37,000 --> 03:43:38,166
At this point.

3091
03:43:38,166 --> 03:43:41,166
And that will all be reflected in the survey,

3092
03:43:41,266 --> 03:43:44,266
the deed description and also the plan,

3093
03:43:45,433 --> 03:43:50,033
those wishes are being incorporated into the discussions,

3094
03:43:50,333 --> 03:43:54,333
that also include protections on the property through what we

3095
03:43:54,367 --> 03:43:57,934
what we know as a conservation easement that would be ultimately held

3096
03:43:58,066 --> 03:44:01,066
by the Royal River Conservation Land Trust.

3097
03:44:02,333 --> 03:44:05,166
A draft conservation easement has been created.

3098
03:44:05,166 --> 03:44:09,333
It's been worked on by myself, volunteers from the Climate Action

3099
03:44:09,333 --> 03:44:12,634
Board, the Parks and Lands Committee and other staff.

3100
03:44:14,133 --> 03:44:16,834
Pardon my voice.

3101
03:44:16,834 --> 03:44:19,033
The resident has reviewed the current draft,

3102
03:44:19,033 --> 03:44:23,000
and is indicated approval of that current draft.

3103
03:44:23,333 --> 03:44:28,433
At this stage in the game, it's now being moved on to, a conservation

3104
03:44:28,433 --> 03:44:33,066
easement, review process with attorneys to go through that process with us.

3105
03:44:34,934 --> 03:44:37,333
And once that's reviewed, it

3106
03:44:37,333 --> 03:44:40,900
will then be represented back to you as a conservation easement.

3107
03:44:41,533 --> 03:44:44,033
The conservation easement is not something that has to happen

3108
03:44:44,033 --> 03:44:47,033
at the same time as a transfer of property.

3109
03:44:47,500 --> 03:44:50,367
But we have made that promise to the landowner

3110
03:44:50,367 --> 03:44:53,634
that this will also be happening, very soon after.

3111
03:44:55,100 --> 03:44:57,000
I'm,

3112
03:44:57,000 --> 03:45:01,000
I'm happy to answer questions, but I definitely want to stress that,

3113
03:45:01,166 --> 03:45:06,133
that the donation of this property adjacent to current property supports.

3114
03:45:06,133 --> 03:45:08,233
So many of the town goals that we've identified

3115
03:45:08,233 --> 03:45:12,133
through planning and policy work over the last dozen or more years.

3116
03:45:12,133 --> 03:45:17,000
As you heard, many, many plans dating back to the 1989 park plan,

3117
03:45:17,166 --> 03:45:21,133
has been sort of a guiding structure for us.

3118
03:45:22,066 --> 03:45:25,133
And with the support of the Climate Action board

3119
03:45:26,133 --> 03:45:29,367
and the Parks and Lands Committee, these are really moving forward quickly.

3120
03:45:31,033 --> 03:45:35,333
Most importantly, it does, it does meet more of our goals,

3121
03:45:35,333 --> 03:45:39,533
financially speaking, regarding the cost of this, of this 40 acres,

3122
03:45:40,000 --> 03:45:44,033
because of the generosity of this property owner who is willing to donate the land

3123
03:45:44,033 --> 03:45:48,000
back to a community where she grew up and, and loves and loves

3124
03:45:48,033 --> 03:45:52,066
being outdoors and knows that other people will eventually love this property

3125
03:45:52,066 --> 03:45:53,000
as much as she does.

3126
03:45:55,467 --> 03:45:56,867
As I mentioned in our

3127
03:45:56,867 --> 03:46:01,133
executive session, there are some costs that that we have to consider.

3128
03:46:01,367 --> 03:46:05,834
The survey, the appraisal, getting some boundary markers and signage up

3129
03:46:05,834 --> 03:46:08,834
right away as we take ownership of a property like this,

3130
03:46:09,367 --> 03:46:13,734
the one time conservation easement fee paid to the Red River Conservation Trust,

3131
03:46:14,367 --> 03:46:17,700
legal costs associated with the conservation easement

3132
03:46:18,066 --> 03:46:21,567
and then legal costs regarding the association.

3133
03:46:22,100 --> 03:46:25,000
The associated with the deed and the transfer of the property.

3134
03:46:25,734 --> 03:46:31,166
And then finally she has requested a refund of property taxes over the last

3135
03:46:31,166 --> 03:46:36,467
three payments, which I believe, equal just under $8,000 for that portion,

3136
03:46:37,266 --> 03:46:41,767
in all the estimated totals, approximately $40,000.

3137
03:46:42,100 --> 03:46:43,667
And I do have a breakdown of that.

3138
03:46:43,667 --> 03:46:44,634
Net,

3139
03:46:44,634 --> 03:46:49,634
I did leave some paperwork under your, Yeah, I've got to distribute out there.

3140
03:46:49,634 --> 03:46:52,533
And sorry for Heather and Mike being remote.

3141
03:46:52,533 --> 03:46:55,867
I did not take it with me to email it to you, but I can do that tomorrow.

3142
03:46:56,266 --> 03:46:59,066
It is similar to the one that you reviewed quickly

3143
03:46:59,066 --> 03:47:00,700
a couple of weeks ago when I was with you.

3144
03:47:03,000 --> 03:47:05,100
And then

3145
03:47:05,100 --> 03:47:05,700
let's see.

3146
03:47:05,700 --> 03:47:09,000
So the recommendation would be that the town use the funds as,

3147
03:47:09,000 --> 03:47:12,767
as mentioned earlier from the Property Acquisition Capital Improvement program

3148
03:47:12,767 --> 03:47:16,300
to cover the costs associated with accepting this approximately 40 acre

3149
03:47:16,300 --> 03:47:18,033
donation.

3150
03:47:18,033 --> 03:47:20,000
That account currently has,

3151
03:47:20,000 --> 03:47:23,133
just over $233,000,

3152
03:47:23,367 --> 03:47:26,367
and the total for this would be about a $40,000,

3153
03:47:26,767 --> 03:47:31,033
deduction of that for 40 acres, which is sort of mind

3154
03:47:31,033 --> 03:47:34,500
blowing for the amount per acre in current day speak.

3155
03:47:34,500 --> 03:47:38,233
In my view, this is precisely the type of opportunity

3156
03:47:38,233 --> 03:47:40,500
for which those funds should be used.

3157
03:47:40,500 --> 03:47:42,000
They were established for doing that.

3158
03:47:42,000 --> 03:47:44,033
And more importantly, the opportunity is being

3159
03:47:44,033 --> 03:47:47,066
made possible again through the generosity of this property owner.

3160
03:47:47,934 --> 03:47:52,500
I would love to just put it on record to thank Suzanne Churchill

3161
03:47:52,500 --> 03:47:56,033
for this opportunity to partner with her

3162
03:47:56,033 --> 03:47:59,300
and bring additional acreage to our open spaces,

3163
03:48:00,066 --> 03:48:04,767
for her willingness to make this land available to the community and to thinking

3164
03:48:04,767 --> 03:48:09,934
about this long term protection, within within our valued open space lands.

3165
03:48:11,133 --> 03:48:12,066
Additionally, I'd

3166
03:48:12,066 --> 03:48:15,166
love to thank the staff that have helped committee members

3167
03:48:15,834 --> 03:48:19,934
and others who have worked through all these details on a volunteer basis,

3168
03:48:20,333 --> 03:48:23,333
to get this potential donation

3169
03:48:23,467 --> 03:48:26,467
to the finish line, where we're very close to right now,

3170
03:48:27,467 --> 03:48:31,700
there's been considerable work involved understanding the property, addressing

3171
03:48:31,700 --> 03:48:32,700
the owners wishes,

3172
03:48:32,700 --> 03:48:36,133
evaluating the costs, and developing appropriate protections for the land.

3173
03:48:36,934 --> 03:48:41,567
And just, again, this unique opportunity for the town to make a meaningful

3174
03:48:41,567 --> 03:48:44,700
investment in open space conservation and the community's future

3175
03:48:45,133 --> 03:48:48,900
is right at the top of my, tugging at my heartstrings.

3176
03:48:48,900 --> 03:48:50,834
And I hope it does for you, too.

3177
03:48:50,834 --> 03:48:52,367
Thank you for the consideration.

3178
03:48:52,367 --> 03:48:55,367
And I'm happy to answer questions that you guys may have for me.

3179
03:48:56,066 --> 03:48:57,667
Thank you very much.

3180
03:48:57,667 --> 03:48:58,667
Director McNeil.

3181
03:48:58,667 --> 03:49:03,934
And, I certainly we're thankful to, Suzanne Churchill

3182
03:49:03,934 --> 03:49:09,433
for this, very generous, gesture, and this very generous donation.

3183
03:49:10,900 --> 03:49:14,133
Any questions from the council about this?

3184
03:49:16,066 --> 03:49:16,500
I have a question.

3185
03:49:16,500 --> 03:49:21,133
Maybe, Mark, just for my education, is about any environmental testing,

3186
03:49:21,233 --> 03:49:24,533
any sort of surprises that we would find on that type of land.

3187
03:49:24,734 --> 03:49:25,900
It's not explicitly listed.

3188
03:49:25,900 --> 03:49:27,867
We have an appraisal and a survey,

3189
03:49:27,867 --> 03:49:29,300
but thinking about things like,

3190
03:49:29,300 --> 03:49:31,867
I don't even know if it's fair to think of like, like a pass, right?

3191
03:49:31,867 --> 03:49:33,867
Or other things you might look at on land.

3192
03:49:33,867 --> 03:49:34,900
Do we know that?

3193
03:49:34,900 --> 03:49:37,433
Is it reasonable to do that when someone's offering us land?

3194
03:49:37,433 --> 03:49:38,533
And how do you think about that?

3195
03:49:38,533 --> 03:49:41,533
Or have we thought about it in the past?

3196
03:49:42,066 --> 03:49:42,900
It's attracted to me.

3197
03:49:42,900 --> 03:49:44,734
I'm trying to see what you're looking at.

3198
03:49:44,734 --> 03:49:47,300
I think it's generally directed, but if anyone,

3199
03:49:47,300 --> 03:49:49,066
if you've got an answer, great.

3200
03:49:49,066 --> 03:49:51,700
If not, I don't know where we go with that.

3201
03:49:51,700 --> 03:49:56,066
So I can I can tell you we are lucky enough to work with Jeff

3202
03:49:56,066 --> 03:49:57,900
Schaller, the local neighbor who lives off

3203
03:49:57,900 --> 03:50:01,667
Berry Field and knows this property very well as he's befriended,

3204
03:50:01,767 --> 03:50:04,834
Suzanne over the last few decades that he's lived here in town.

3205
03:50:05,567 --> 03:50:08,100
He knows the property quite well regarding the history.

3206
03:50:08,100 --> 03:50:11,000
He's hiked it through all of the years and watched it

3207
03:50:11,000 --> 03:50:14,133
sort of become a wooded area again.

3208
03:50:15,066 --> 03:50:18,667
It was not ever used for farming that we can tell.

3209
03:50:18,934 --> 03:50:21,767
However, there was the old range road that ran

3210
03:50:21,767 --> 03:50:25,233
through this property that also runs through part of Pratt's already.

3211
03:50:25,867 --> 03:50:29,467
And I would say significantly, that's probably the most history that that,

3212
03:50:29,834 --> 03:50:32,567
that this 40 acres has had.

3213
03:50:32,567 --> 03:50:36,100
There may be runoff from the Granite Street side of the property backwards,

3214
03:50:36,700 --> 03:50:41,000
but, typically and we haven't acquired this many acres at all,

3215
03:50:41,433 --> 03:50:45,000
and we have not done any kind of testing, in my time here.

3216
03:50:45,000 --> 03:50:47,066
I don't know if Matt can contribute to that.

3217
03:50:48,734 --> 03:50:49,300
What?

3218
03:50:49,300 --> 03:50:52,533
Well, not on a general, wooded property

3219
03:50:52,533 --> 03:50:55,533
like this or one that has a history of being undeveloped.

3220
03:50:55,700 --> 03:50:57,100
Certainly on a commercial lot.

3221
03:50:57,100 --> 03:50:57,934
If we were going to buy

3222
03:50:57,934 --> 03:51:01,834
an old gas station or something, we'd want to get that kind of work done.

3223
03:51:01,834 --> 03:51:03,266
But no, we haven't.

3224
03:51:03,266 --> 03:51:06,667
And I don't think normally we would think it was necessary.

3225
03:51:07,667 --> 03:51:09,266
Necessary? Okay.

3226
03:51:09,266 --> 03:51:11,000
Good question.

3227
03:51:11,000 --> 03:51:14,000
Anyone else?

3228
03:51:14,133 --> 03:51:14,834
All right.

3229
03:51:14,834 --> 03:51:20,834
So this is something this appropriation is something that, we'd be asked to make.

3230
03:51:20,834 --> 03:51:27,100
And, in two weeks, so or not, we would be asking for the appropriation

3231
03:51:27,100 --> 03:51:30,533
of funds, and we'll, Karen and I will work

3232
03:51:30,533 --> 03:51:33,533
to confirm all those numbers,

3233
03:51:34,166 --> 03:51:36,667
and probably ask

3234
03:51:36,667 --> 03:51:39,767
for the authorization to receive the gift,

3235
03:51:40,133 --> 03:51:44,567
as well as whether you want to do it now or later,

3236
03:51:44,734 --> 03:51:49,033
authorize the, town to proceed

3237
03:51:49,233 --> 03:51:53,133
to finish up the conservation easement and get it recorded.

3238
03:51:53,333 --> 03:51:56,066
If you want to wait until you see it in final form, that's fine.

3239
03:51:57,867 --> 03:52:00,433
Because this is a bit unusual that they,

3240
03:52:00,433 --> 03:52:04,667
the donor is willing to take it on, trust that we will finish that up.

3241
03:52:04,667 --> 03:52:08,667
And I don't think it's misplaced trust, but I do think we need to

3242
03:52:09,133 --> 03:52:10,500
follow through fairly quickly.

3243
03:52:10,500 --> 03:52:15,367
And so if you wanted to, we could add to to the motion

3244
03:52:16,033 --> 03:52:20,066
to authorize the manager and the chair of the director

3245
03:52:20,066 --> 03:52:23,066
of community services to,

3246
03:52:24,100 --> 03:52:28,100
execute a conservation easement to a conservation trust.

3247
03:52:28,100 --> 03:52:31,734
And it makes sense to me that whatever's

3248
03:52:31,734 --> 03:52:35,233
ready in two weeks, we put as much time as we can into that one nation.

3249
03:52:35,567 --> 03:52:38,333
If we have to come back again and do something later that that's going to.

3250
03:52:38,333 --> 03:52:42,100
But, okay, that may not be my preference.

3251
03:52:42,100 --> 03:52:44,767
I don't know if that's the council's preference.

3252
03:52:46,066 --> 03:52:48,433
So, again,

3253
03:52:48,433 --> 03:52:52,467
I, we have no public, here or, online.

3254
03:52:52,467 --> 03:52:54,266
So I'm not going to even ask for public comment.

3255
03:52:54,266 --> 03:52:57,500
Any, any questions or concerns or anything

3256
03:52:57,500 --> 03:53:01,433
or we just move it, to a vote in a couple of weeks if it's ready.

3257
03:53:01,634 --> 03:53:04,066
If it's not ready, good. We'll table it.

3258
03:53:04,066 --> 03:53:04,767
Sounds good.

3259
03:53:04,767 --> 03:53:05,734
Okay, good.

3260
03:53:05,734 --> 03:53:08,033
All right, let's do that before you. Before you.

3261
03:53:08,033 --> 03:53:10,100
Karen, thank you very much.

3262
03:53:10,100 --> 03:53:12,634
I wanted to say we will say thank you to Mrs.

3263
03:53:12,634 --> 03:53:14,634
Churchill, but also to Karen.

3264
03:53:14,634 --> 03:53:17,634
And I hope you feel better soon.

3265
03:53:17,734 --> 03:53:19,300
Thank you.

3266
03:53:19,300 --> 03:53:20,767
Have a great night. Thank you.

3267
03:53:20,767 --> 03:53:23,500
Thanks for staying with us. Okay.

3268
03:53:23,500 --> 03:53:29,934
Now we're jumping back to item seven, which is to consider an updated report

3269
03:53:30,367 --> 03:53:34,333
of the greater potential Greater Portland Council of Governments

3270
03:53:35,133 --> 03:53:38,433
regarding review of options for revisions to the stay program.

3271
03:53:41,700 --> 03:53:45,000
When I introduced this one, or I have.

3272
03:53:45,367 --> 03:53:47,533
Yeah, I think I'll leave it to you. Okay.

3273
03:53:47,533 --> 03:53:50,900
So this is very similar to, what we just did

3274
03:53:50,900 --> 03:53:54,500
with, the GP code report about the sewer.

3275
03:53:54,900 --> 03:54:00,333
This recent, this past year, we asked GP card to look at our stay program.

3276
03:54:00,734 --> 03:54:03,667
And also to look at that in terms of,

3277
03:54:03,667 --> 03:54:06,266
how it's set up,

3278
03:54:06,266 --> 03:54:10,033
its effectiveness, how it could be expanded,

3279
03:54:10,033 --> 03:54:14,033
how, you know, equitably or how we, you know, equity issues, things like that.

3280
03:54:15,000 --> 03:54:18,033
They have prepared a report and send it to us.

3281
03:54:18,033 --> 03:54:21,266
Again, it was in the same packet,

3282
03:54:21,266 --> 03:54:24,266
I think it's recently been traveling along with the, sewer one.

3283
03:54:25,233 --> 03:54:26,700
So it's very similar situation.

3284
03:54:26,700 --> 03:54:30,000
We're not we don't need to vote on anything in two weeks.

3285
03:54:30,000 --> 03:54:32,567
It's it's an item that's in front of us.

3286
03:54:32,567 --> 03:54:35,233
We've got a report to review and to think about what we might do.

3287
03:54:37,000 --> 03:54:38,767
And,

3288
03:54:38,767 --> 03:54:42,066
we can discuss it as much or as little as people want to tonight,

3289
03:54:42,066 --> 03:54:45,500
and then we can discuss it as much or as little as people want to in the future.

3290
03:54:46,066 --> 03:54:48,934
But, that's kind of my introduction.

3291
03:54:48,934 --> 03:54:51,934
And, Councilor Casey,

3292
03:54:52,133 --> 03:54:52,467
two things.

3293
03:54:52,467 --> 03:54:53,834
One is I would like to discuss

3294
03:54:53,834 --> 03:54:56,734
it as little as possible tonight because I'm exhausted.

3295
03:54:56,734 --> 03:54:59,467
But also,

3296
03:54:59,467 --> 03:55:01,000
is the timings might be for that.

3297
03:55:01,000 --> 03:55:04,000
Is the timing of this similar to the timing of the.

3298
03:55:04,000 --> 03:55:06,100
I know the sewer bills go out in March, so.

3299
03:55:06,100 --> 03:55:09,634
So, we need to figure out how we're doing that sometime before that.

3300
03:55:09,634 --> 03:55:11,500
These. I know these are in April.

3301
03:55:11,500 --> 03:55:14,367
So again, same similar timeline.

3302
03:55:14,367 --> 03:55:16,133
Yes.

3303
03:55:16,133 --> 03:55:20,500
They don't require in April is when we can take applications, right.

3304
03:55:20,667 --> 03:55:22,100
After tax,

3305
03:55:22,100 --> 03:55:24,567
basically, we timed it so that people

3306
03:55:24,567 --> 03:55:27,900
who have to file income information with us in order to qualify

3307
03:55:28,000 --> 03:55:31,100
don't have to do that outside of the normal,

3308
03:55:31,100 --> 03:55:35,066
IRS filing process so that, all the information will be handy.

3309
03:55:35,333 --> 03:55:39,333
So now you could you you can make whatever changes you want,

3310
03:55:39,333 --> 03:55:43,634
whether it's age or eligibility or thresholds or what have you.

3311
03:55:44,467 --> 03:55:48,634
Between now and I would say March would be a good time.

3312
03:55:49,266 --> 03:55:52,567
When people make out their applications, we should be able to know

3313
03:55:52,567 --> 03:55:54,266
what the formulas are. And

3314
03:55:56,000 --> 03:55:59,066
we can always if you do it after that, it would affect the next year.

3315
03:55:59,100 --> 03:56:00,533
Right. So you can go after that.

3316
03:56:00,533 --> 03:56:03,500
But it'd be nice to have it. Okay. In fact, this is possible.

3317
03:56:03,500 --> 03:56:06,133
It's it's built on your income

3318
03:56:06,133 --> 03:56:09,133
from the prior calendar year, meaning

3319
03:56:09,233 --> 03:56:12,634
2026 to apply in April of 27.

3320
03:56:13,133 --> 03:56:15,300
Based on that data.

3321
03:56:15,300 --> 03:56:18,300
Any questions from the Council.

3322
03:56:19,000 --> 03:56:19,233
All right.

3323
03:56:19,233 --> 03:56:22,133
So again we don't need to do anything with that.

3324
03:56:22,133 --> 03:56:23,300
It's just it's there.

3325
03:56:23,300 --> 03:56:25,233
Please read it. Think about it.

3326
03:56:25,233 --> 03:56:26,934
Okay.

3327
03:56:26,934 --> 03:56:31,467
Item number nine, number or nine,

3328
03:56:32,567 --> 03:56:36,467
to consider or make committee, board and delegate appointments as may be needed.

3329
03:56:37,567 --> 03:56:39,266
I don't believe we have any tonight.

3330
03:56:39,266 --> 03:56:42,166
Anyone from the Appointments Committee want to disagree with me?

3331
03:56:42,166 --> 03:56:47,100
Okay, so nothing tonight on that, item number ten to consider a schedule.

3332
03:56:47,100 --> 03:56:50,133
Other council initiatives and requests as may be offered or introduced.

3333
03:56:50,133 --> 03:56:52,867
Is anybody have new business that they want to

3334
03:56:54,000 --> 03:56:56,567
introduce at this time?

3335
03:56:56,567 --> 03:56:58,033
Oh, I love that.

3336
03:56:58,033 --> 03:57:02,033
Now item number 11 is to hold executive session if necessary.

3337
03:57:02,033 --> 03:57:04,100
I don't believe we need one tonight. Unless.

3338
03:57:04,100 --> 03:57:05,634
Do you have anything?

3339
03:57:05,634 --> 03:57:08,634
No. But I do have a question for the council.

3340
03:57:09,867 --> 03:57:13,033
Councilor Monti brought up something that that will qualify

3341
03:57:13,033 --> 03:57:14,166
for an executive session.

3342
03:57:14,166 --> 03:57:16,734
We need to have the towns attorney there.

3343
03:57:16,734 --> 03:57:20,333
And my request, or my question for the council is,

3344
03:57:21,000 --> 03:57:24,900
could we do that at the very beginning of our operations meeting?

3345
03:57:24,900 --> 03:57:27,433
Could we have an executive session then?

3346
03:57:27,433 --> 03:57:32,333
And would it, it makes sense if we're going to do that.

3347
03:57:32,500 --> 03:57:36,300
Could we start at 634 next Thursday?

3348
03:57:36,300 --> 03:57:39,300
Anybody have problems with that start time?

3349
03:57:39,900 --> 03:57:41,467
That's okay.

3350
03:57:41,467 --> 03:57:44,433
And a half hour should be enough

3351
03:57:44,433 --> 03:57:47,667
time to get a general discussion about it and see what we're going to have.

3352
03:57:48,133 --> 03:57:51,233
So let's let's mark your calendars then for,

3353
03:57:51,333 --> 03:57:55,266
630 for next Thursday at the community Room.

3354
03:57:55,266 --> 03:57:58,100
We'll go into executive session at the very beginning.

3355
03:57:58,100 --> 03:58:03,100
And then if folks show up, you know, we'll probably have a McCartney village,

3356
03:58:03,133 --> 03:58:07,133
people there, if they show up at seven, then we'll be out of executive session

3357
03:58:07,133 --> 03:58:09,033
by then. We won't have to make them. Wait.

3358
03:58:09,033 --> 03:58:12,533
I'm just going to my calendar and making that change for myself.

3359
03:58:17,266 --> 03:58:20,300
And I think,

3360
03:58:21,066 --> 03:58:21,834
if I get my

3361
03:58:21,834 --> 03:58:24,834
calendar to cooperate, I hate to make people wait around.

3362
03:58:24,867 --> 03:58:26,033
Oh, I'll just do this later.

3363
03:58:26,033 --> 03:58:27,300
I think that's it.

3364
03:58:27,300 --> 03:58:30,133
I think we're adjourned.

3365
03:58:30,133 --> 03:58:32,066
Thank you,

3366
03:58:32,066 --> 03:58:33,066
thank you, thank you, everybody.