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Not quite as chilly as it was the other day.

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Recording in progress.

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I like that sound.

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Okay.

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Welcome to the Yarmouth Select Board meeting for December 16, 2025 at 6 p.m. in the Yarmouth Town Hall hearing room.

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At 1146 Route 28 South Yarmouth, to those that would like to be watching on Zoom,

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Please know that you just need to go to the town website and the information will be there for you to be able to join us

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Would you like to all stand now for the Pledge of Allegiance, please?

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First off, let me just say very warm. Thank you to Joyce Flynn for in

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and giving us all a lot of chocolate here tonight.

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There was an elf outside and he gave me a bag.

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Okay, starting off our first item is announcements.

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Do we have any announcements for this evening?

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Liz?

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Sure.

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I would like to announce that as a select person, I have office hours at the senior

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center on December 18th and January 15th.

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every third Thursday, every month at 3 o'clock, so if you can get this out, you'll know that's

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when you show up at Senior Center and I'll be there, too.

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So if you have anything you want to bring forward, I'll be there at the Senior Center

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December 18th, which is next week, and then January 15th.

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I also wanted to do a quick shout-out to Amanda Lima.

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I'm on the Cape Cod Metropolitan Planning Organization, and they noted her finding a bike rack that

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was missing in the comprehensive collection of bike racks across Cape Cod.

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So Amanda's paying strict attention.

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Also, I wanted to note, the Judah Baker Windmill has had a great year, and there are volunteers

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who are there taking the tourists through.

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And I wanted to say thank you to them, too, for their volunteering.

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Thank you.

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Okay. Thank you, Liz. Do we have any other announcements today?

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Just following up on Liz, I think we're very fortunate in this town for the great volunteers that we have with Historic to do just things like the Judah Baker.

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and tonight is kind of a good example of my thanks to our volunteers too because I

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see the library committee is not here nice and early unfortunately we'll have

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to make you wait for a little bit. Do we have public comment?

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I see some hands that

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are up. Christopher Garen? Yes, good evening. Season of feeding. Yes, go ahead.

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Oh, thank you.

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The proposed resolution discussed during the December 2nd

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Yarmouth Selections meeting gave the serious public safety

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questions about the Yarmouth Police Department's

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ice engagement policy that a positive decision among the town

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people that may possibly engage in the safety of the police

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officer.

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I support Yarmouth Police Chief Lennon for many reasons.

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And one is his demonstrated public outreach and open

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door policy to guarantee clarity and answer frequently

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questions about the police department. The good news is Chief Lennon has publicly posted

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the ICE engagement policy on the department's immigration facts at the US web page stating

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Yarmouth Police officers may accompany or assist ICE agents to maintain public safety

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and protect bystanders during federal enforcement action. However, Yarmouth Police Department

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does not participate in civil immigration enforcement or detain individuals solely based on ICE

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retainers. Maintaining public safety appears to be Chief Lenin's prime directive when accompanying

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or assisting ICE agents. Nowhere does the department's homepage indicate that police officers will

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interfere with federal enforcement action or arrest and engage in a physical fight with ICE agents.

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During public comment, 26 people spoke. 15 opposed the resolution and 11 supported it.

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Public comment, Speaker of the Night, was a supporter of the resolution and a parent

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member of the Army for everything.

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Speaker Number Eight directly contradicted Chief Lenin's publicly posted policy by predicting

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if ICE comes to town, quote, it may come to a fight.

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It may come to a situation where you'd expect our quick department to interfere with ICE

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less.

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Yes, I believe that it actually happened, end quote.

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This occurs at the one hour and 25 second mark of the YouTube video of the meeting.

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YouTube video of the meeting further shows that the Speaker Number Eight received

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the clause and handshakes from the resolution supporters when he finished. This prediction

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of violence against ICE is confusing because the proposed resolution does not include a statement

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advocating this. In fact, the statement completes with the first public comment speaker who was a

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self-described member of Yarmouth for everyone and apparently the brief spokesperson. To summarize,

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this spokesperson represented to the board that the proposed resolution is clear and

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understandable, plain no interference with law enforcement,

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and that its members met with police chief Lenin

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to confirm their support for the police.

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The number of subsequent opponents of the resolution,

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however, raised specific concerns

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that the resolution would confuse the public

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about the police department's role.

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The paraphrase, the 20-second speaker

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explained that a symbolic resolution

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could misinform the public,

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could misinterpret the instructions

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about the armed police officers

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is not to cooperate with federal authorities.

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As a 23rd speaker, I raised the confusion

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caused by speaker number eight statement

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in question whether the police chief or the officers

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were aware that they were expected to interfere

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and fight with ICE.

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Nevertheless, no one, no one who spoke

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in support of proposed resolution

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during the meeting addressed the public safety issue,

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potentially endangering armed police officers

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or disavowed the speaker number eight statement.

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In conclusion, you have heard both sides.

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unity is non-existent for this proposed resolution. 15 opposed 11 supported. These 15 people who

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opposed the resolution represented various voting groups from working age to retire and

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apparently spoke as individuals and not part of an organized group. You heard these opponents

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commonly advocating for peace, order, and compliance with the law because they are

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the ones actually concerned about public safety for everyone in the Army, including

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its police officers, first responders, firefighters, business owners, and everyone living in Yarmouth,

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which is in accordance with Chief Lenin's publicly posted policy.

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These advocates for everyone in Yarmouth who opposed the resolution asked that these laws

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be enforced equally, even when the suspects happen to be in violation of a federal immigration

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law.

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They opposed on the record and did not advocate violence or predict that they expect

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that Chief Lennon would have to order his officers

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to risk their lives to interfere and fight ICE agents.

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As a result, the proposed resolution

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is a very serious question.

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Therefore, after the legal opinion

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is completed and considered, I respectfully

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request that this board deny the resolution specifically

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addressing Chief Lennon's public reposted ICE policy.

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Prior to the board's decision, however,

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I ask that this board please request

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that the legal opinion clearly discusses

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and specifically explained, one, Chief Lenin publicly posted

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ICE policy.

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Two, Yarmouth chain of command, should ICE come to town?

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And he was ultimately responsible during a public safety

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emergency.

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And three, the legal requirements and expectations

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of the people of Yarmouth should ICE come to town?

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And what are the penalties for violating him?

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Finally, I would also request that once the legal opinion

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is issued and the board reaches a decision,

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the town administrator written how

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of continuing his successful efforts

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to modernize and improve Town Hall's communications with the public, produce a short video posted

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to the town's website, specifically explain the legal opinions explanation of the three

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previous issues because the people of Yarmouth need to know for their safety. No one should

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want to turn today's confusion into tomorrow's chaos. Thank you so much for the opportunity

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to speak.

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Thank you very much. I see a hand up for Manny's mind.

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Yes, good afternoon. Good evening, Madam Vice Chair. Tom Niccanello speaking.

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Manny's mind.

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Yes, yes. We're doing something different for next year.

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Anyways, I just wanted to see a couple of comments. Thank you very much.

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You know, we made some history a couple of Sundays ago with a great little event up in

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the north side.

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It's been going on for many years, but the Historical Society and the Chamber of Commerce

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really pulled it off.

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And you know, that tourism preservation revenue fund really works well on the off-season

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to bring our community together.

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With the Christmas Troll and the Winter Carnival and the parade, I mean, these

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These are the events that our community needs to feel together and appreciate each other.

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During the summertime we have a massive flux of people and our residents can't get out and

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enjoy our restaurants and shopping.

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We don't want to wait three hours for dinner.

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But these spring and fall events are truly, truly remarkable to our community and to

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help it, you know, move in the future with some good stuff.

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So with the Chamber and our own town administrator was there did a wonderful job

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I heard the voice was calling so pay attention for that and then my my second comment

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Madam Vice Chair is tonight you're you're going to be looking at the CIP budget and you're gonna have you know

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those wonderful volunteers that spend

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Marathon meetings put in this work together, but I just want to point out

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So on the first page, I think it's the 16th line, we're talking about stormwater.

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And, you know, stormwater, you know, here we are, we just had our first snow and it's going to rain,

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and we're going to have stormwater problems.

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And I believe you all recall just a few months ago, Amanda Limer, a wonderful town engineer,

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stated the fact that we have five-plus years of backlog on stormwater problems.

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We have residents that every time an event happens, whether it's snow or rain,

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there's always an issue in front of their house and it's the same thing over and over again.

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So I'm in to say it is probably five plus years backlog,

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but I think we all know it's more like 10 plus years.

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So the line item once again is $200,000.

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I think this should really have some time amongst the select board members

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to have a discussion on stormwater.

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Everyone's worried about the sea level rising and everything.

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Well, we have stormwater flooding happening right now

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and it's been happening for a long time.

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And it's really important that we should address that.

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The budget should be looked at.

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I don't know if we can afford it to increase it.

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We're very cash-strapped our community.

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We have a lot of things going on in the future,

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but stormwater is extremely important.

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And with that I'll wrap it up and wish you all a good night and Merry Christmas and looking forward to next year. Thank you

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Thank you, Tom

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Okay, I

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Don't see any other hands up on the screen

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And I don't see anyone coming to the podium. So I believe we have come to the end of

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Our public comments moving on now to our next agenda item

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We have change of manager sons of Aaron Cape Cod

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633 route 28 West Yarmouth to Catherine Fitzsimmons as manager right

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up with a big tray of chocolates are

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How are you good evening?

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Hello, hey, we heard you

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Okay, you probably don't need this anyway. So yes

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Yes, could I ask you to speak into the mic because it's for the television audience as

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well.

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Thank you.

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Thank you.

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Okay, so I'm right now the acting manager at the Sons of Aaron due to the passing of

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Mike Shea, who was our previous manager.

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Just a little background on me.

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I've been with the Sons for 18 plus years and many different functions.

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Kitchen manager, function manager now acting bar manager and club manager.

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I've lived in Yarmouth for 10 years.

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People might recognize me from the parade committee.

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Do you have any questions for me?

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Mark?

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No, I don't.

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Joyce?

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No.

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It looks like you've been certified by Officer Renzi,

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and it sounds like he thinks highly of your knowledge.

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He's very, very nice.

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He's very helpful.

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I'm all set.

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Great.

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And I am.

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Thank you so much.

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I've set.

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So thank you very much.

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Good holidays.

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All in favor of the change in management?

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I don't think we even have to vote on it, do we?

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Yes, you do.

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We do.

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Okay.

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Do I have a motion?

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We approve as submitted.

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You're not a practice for a while.

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Yes.

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Second.

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Okay.

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All those in favor?

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Aye.

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Opposed?

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It passes unanimously.

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Congratulations and thank you very much.

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Thank you for your time.

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I see Bob moving toward the computer, so he's getting us ready for the next item on the agenda, which is Capital Improvement Program.

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Sandy, how many hats are you wearing tonight? You've got capital improvement, you've got the library.

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Same goes for Ken.

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Just one, just one tonight.

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Just one tonight.

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And

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who would like to start us off?

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Thanks for watching, and I'll see you in the next video.

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Thank you for having us tonight. So this presentation is the official handoff to facilitate budget and capital discussions for the annual town meeting in the spring.

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I'd like to introduce my committee, even though many of them couldn't be here tonight.

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My name is Sandy Fife. I am the chair. To my left is Ken Smith. He is our vice chair. He is from the Planning Board.

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George Perkins is from the Finance Committee, and then we are members at large include Andrew Laird, Danielle Newcomb,

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Lindsey Petro, and Joseph Jamal, and each one of those may wears many hats also.

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The Capital Budget Committee is charged with reviewing all capital items initiated by the departments.

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It makes recommendations to the Finance Committee, the Board of Selectment and Town Meeting.

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We are a seven-member committee, and we are appointed by the Finance Committee.

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The committee's recommendations take the form of a five-year capital plan and a 10-year facilities plan as required by the Charter.

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Tonight, we are here to provide an overview of our preliminary recommendations and to answer any specific questions that you may have on any other request.

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We'll try.

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As you know, the capital budget is separate from the operating budget.

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And it's comprised of priority capital items with a value of $10,000 or more, or a useful life of five years or more.

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This

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is our fourth year using the cloud based system, we miss billed.

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It starts with the departments entering their requests and

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then it moves over to the town administrator who reviews the request with finance and

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recommends items to the CDC.

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The system facilitates a more rapid movement of the capital plan that we had in the past.

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And it captures all requests both for the annual town meeting warrant and the fall town meeting.

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This slide highlights the October 1st delivery to the Capital Budget Committee by the town administrator.

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And also the December 1st delivery by the Capital Budget Committee to the Finance Committee.

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committee. To meet these deadlines, it requires weekly meetings over a concentrated period

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of time. Once the Town Administrator approves the projects, the CBC initiates its liaison

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approach, assigning one or two members to meet with each department reviewing the equipment

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and discussing projects in detail. Then each department appears before the full committee

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to address any changes or outstanding questions.

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I know you've seen this before, but for

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the public. We do have a rating criteria which is made up of two different scores. Significance

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and readiness. It's a weighted score. Significance gets 70% and the readiness gets 30%. So to

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give you an example of how that works, we rate from 1 to 4. 4 being the highest.

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If we rate something of 4, it means it will remedy a health or a safety issue

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or mandate. And under readiness it means they also have plans and permits and

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studies and cost estimates in place. The rating criteria is on our website for

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anyone who wishes to review it. We will show you the rankings further on in

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the presentation. This particular slide, I know the print is very small for the

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public but it is available on the website, shows a listing of the items

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we've recommended from free cash. The total from free cash this year is $5,126,440.

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The first column actually shows what we recommended for the fall town meeting. It's kind of being cut off.

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We will be available to answer any questions on any one of these particular items. Many of these items you have actually seen before.

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The next slide shows the items from the fire ambulance receipts.

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At the fall town meeting, we addressed replacement of an ambulance number 56.

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Moving forward to the annual town meeting, there are five items from the fire ambulance receipts.

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The Engine 47 may, I'm not really sure if that will come from fire ambulance receipts

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or if it will be a borrowing.

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but there'll be more discussion on each one of these items as you review your annual town meeting warrant.

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The next items are from the Golf Enterprise Fund.

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Four items approved by the committee moved forward at the Fall Town Meeting.

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And the reason for that is they do those projects over the winter.

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There also will be four items at the annual town meeting recommended.

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The Bath River Park and Lot expansion, which adds 55 spaces, golf course furniture,

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and accessories, and some new technology with a new top dresser and a sprayer.

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The next item is from the Water Enterprise Fund. Several of these you see every single

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year. The distribution systems improvements, which do improvements to the water mains and

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00:20:50,860 --> 00:20:56,260
improves the flow and quality, and then production system hardware, which is the

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SCADA, which controls the pumps and the chemical feed.

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So those items you see every single year.

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They have two other items to replace two pieces of equipment.

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We can answer questions on those if you have them.

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This slide shows recommendations from other financing sources.

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From the tax levy, roadways improvements is an item we see every single year for

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00:21:23,990 --> 00:21:24,930
$1.1 million.

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dollars packet landing project was funded partially from free cash this is

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this grant total that they were able to get a $2 million grant to offset that

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cost the next item the library facility you will be hearing more about that

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tonight this item although we did make a recommendation on it there is a lot

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more information we will be needing and talking about this more after the

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the town meeting warrant comes out where we have more firm cost estimates in the grant totals.

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Last item is chapter 90 roadways.

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Each year we get money from the state, which is estimated this year at $840,000.

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So the total recommendations from the committee this year is $35,667,069.

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It sounds like a lot, but that doesn't include the library project.

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Many of these items, I won't say many of them, some of these items may change.

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Funding sources may change as more information comes forward when the town meeting warrant

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gets prepared in January and February, and the committee will once again meet tonight

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writing in February to review the town meeting warrant once the board releases a draft.

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This slide shows just basically our recommendations by division.

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This is a 10-year plan as entered into the portal.

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As you will notice that some years may look inflated basically by large projects.

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We're very excited moving forward on the 10-year plan that the school department has purchased the portal.

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And they will next year be giving us a five and 10-year plan, which is something that we haven't been asking for for the last several years.

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The new administration over there, they're going to make it happen, so we're excited about that.

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This is very tiny.

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It is available on the website.

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You do have a copy.

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Basically, these are our recommendations in order.

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We discussed the ranking process with the two scales of significance and readiness.

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All the projects recommended by administration have been ranked and no projects fell below

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the 3.0, which is usually cut off.

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So this is just a listing of the rankings for the board's review or the public if

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they want to go on the website.

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Sorry, it's so small.

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So each year the Capital Budget Committee identifies, has observations, have discussions.

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And this year we've identified four recommendations, some of which you've probably seen before.

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On the first one, we always ask if we could have an earliest submittal,

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which would be difficult for the departments.

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You don't want them doing capital during the summer,

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but we don't really see the capital until September, so we have September, October,

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00:24:43,800 --> 00:24:49,200
and maybe two weeks in November. And then we have to have everything all done. So it's really

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kind of rushed. So an expanded time would be great. The second consideration is

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a discussion on a standard escalation factor, especially for vehicles. A lot of times the

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departments are asking for a vehicle during the summer or the fall it has to come to us

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and they don't get that vehicle again for a year or two years and they're trying to fit

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them into a 10-year plan also.

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So if standard escalation factor may be something that would help the departments.

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Each year we have a discussion on utilizing purchasing power between departments for rolling

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00:25:30,360 --> 00:25:34,060
stock and that would only rarely work for certain departments because there's a lot

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out of specialized equipment that is unique, like fire and police.

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But for other things like trucks, utilize and

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purchasing power may save the town some money.

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And I mentioned we are emphasizing our five and ten year plan with the departments.

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And as I mentioned, the school is going to refine their capital budget and

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which may make for a better plan next year when we do our presentation.

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What are the next steps?

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We've already gone before the finance committee and presented our plan.

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Tonight, we're here before the board and moving forward, we will be reconciling the

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plan to the annual town meeting warrant for any changes and we'll be back in front of

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you in March with the final plan and to answer any questions.

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Well,

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as I've stated before, the Capital Budget Improvement Plan is a foundational document

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to facilitate discussion.

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So I want to acknowledge and thank Department Heads and my committee for all their time and

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their effort.

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I also want to thank my finance director, Jen, for her input this year.

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The capital budget process is a collaborative approach across the entire organization.

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And a lot of time has gone into this for both the members of the Capital Budget Committee but also for all who participate.

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And to date, we've put in more than 15 meetings that have occurred between the capital budget,

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the liaisons and the departments to come up with our preliminary recommendations for the upcoming year.

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So the next slides were put together by the town administrator and I'm going to turn this portion of the presentation.

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go one more not

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there Bob

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yeah

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thank you Sandy that was that was awesome I

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do want to just take a minute to thank Sandy Ken the entire CIP committee and

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the town departments for for all of their work you know I couldn't be more

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proud of this group and their efforts.

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If you recall, going back, you know, it started a few years ago.

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We established the goal of making our capital improvement program here in town, a first-class

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financial planning tool that goes beyond, you know, establishing the budget, but really

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creates the data that we need to make this a financial planning tool.

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And I know, you know, Bill brought us the cloud-based system that provided some of that

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infrastructure that we needed.

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But it was really all of the, you know, roll up your sleeves, hard work of pushing the

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departments to have a longer-term viewpoint and having the committee there to shepherd

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that whole process through and to work directly with the finance director, Jen Mullen.

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And I'll tell you what, I think that you can see from this effort.

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It's evident.

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When you just take a look at the in-year package, the entire capital improvement program and

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00:29:03,580 --> 00:29:11,940
now has a separate project analysis sheet for every single project throughout the years,

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I think they've really done a great job and I wanted to focus on a couple of things.

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I mean, there's two real critical parts to the CIP.

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There's the annual budget that we appropriate using free cash or whatever other revenues

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are available.

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There's some in the property tax and the smaller projects moving forward over time, what we're

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going to see.

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And then there's the second part of it, which is the real heavier side of the CIP

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that I want to focus on for a couple of minutes that involves the 10-year forecast for all

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00:29:54,960 --> 00:29:59,620
of our upcoming community facilities projects, and that is the area.

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00:30:00,050 --> 00:30:09,070
That we need to move from the capital planning piece to identify these projects into the financial

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planning mode that we can begin to develop implementation strategies for how we're going

401
00:30:15,250 --> 00:30:22,670
to get these projects done. And that's what the work of the CIP has enabled us to really

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00:30:22,670 --> 00:30:31,730
do. So I want to kind of focus on those issues. And again, these are larger construction projects.

403
00:30:32,250 --> 00:30:38,030
It's all going to require bonding. It's going to require debt, long-term planning associated

404
00:30:38,030 --> 00:30:46,450
with this. So what happens is that these larger projects, which the committee working

405
00:30:46,450 --> 00:30:52,450
with the departments has identified, they filter through the CIP where they're identified

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right straight to the finance director, Jen Mullet,

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00:30:58,310 --> 00:31:05,990
who with her team begins to work on an analysis that involves the town's long-term debt,

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00:31:06,510 --> 00:31:11,050
ability to pay, the means that we have over time,

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00:31:11,270 --> 00:31:17,570
and what we try to do with that process is to begin to put together some strategies.

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00:31:17,570 --> 00:31:24,450
And I want to show a couple of slides that point that out a little bit.

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And I want to call the Selectman's attention to, in your packet, there is a copy.

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It's a photocopy of the presentation that Sandy just gave.

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And if you could go to the last page on it, it has some of the information that I have up on the screen,

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but in a more comprehensive viewpoint, the critical projects that we've highlighted that

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00:31:51,530 --> 00:31:56,510
are all going to hit this town over the next 10 years that we need to begin planning for

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00:31:56,510 --> 00:31:58,430
are outlined on this sheet.

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00:31:58,770 --> 00:32:06,030
And the one that's on the screen is a portion of the overall sheet that shows a complete analysis

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00:32:06,030 --> 00:32:11,950
of debt service from 2026 to 2064.

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00:32:12,450 --> 00:32:15,210
And it also includes every single project,

420
00:32:15,390 --> 00:32:18,530
what all of the principal interest would be for bonds.

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It analyzes the current existing debt

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00:32:21,230 --> 00:32:27,270
and what tax rate impacts would be on any new debt.

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And this sheet is good for folks just to be oriented on it,

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00:32:31,970 --> 00:32:35,770
but I do want to show that there's a much more comprehensive sheet

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00:32:35,770 --> 00:32:37,870
that obviously doesn't fit up on the screen.

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00:32:38,530 --> 00:32:42,530
But the key points are that over the next 10 years,

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00:32:42,790 --> 00:32:45,770
the projects that the town needs to grapple with are as follows.

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00:32:46,490 --> 00:32:52,310
We have the first one is the library project.

429
00:32:53,710 --> 00:32:58,430
And hopefully, there's roughly a 45% grant that's associated

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00:32:58,770 --> 00:32:59,870
with that project.

431
00:33:00,370 --> 00:33:02,790
The second major project we're looking at

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00:33:02,790 --> 00:33:07,030
is the Bayberry Hills Groundwater Recharge

433
00:33:07,030 --> 00:33:09,190
to support phase one of the sewer.

434
00:33:09,870 --> 00:33:13,530
We've estimated that's gonna be an additional $35 million

435
00:33:14,150 --> 00:33:15,550
over the phase one cost,

436
00:33:15,790 --> 00:33:18,290
and we need a financial plan associated with that.

437
00:33:19,510 --> 00:33:23,370
We've factored in that we know there's a feasibility study

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00:33:23,370 --> 00:33:25,370
starting for the elementary school.

439
00:33:25,550 --> 00:33:27,090
We'll be discussing that a little bit more.

440
00:33:27,970 --> 00:33:29,970
The estimate for a total project

441
00:33:29,970 --> 00:33:36,350
grant is there with the 57 percent grant if we participate in the SBA.

442
00:33:37,010 --> 00:33:43,630
We have a new fire station and headquarters that we have to plan and that is estimated

443
00:33:43,630 --> 00:33:44,490
at 40 million.

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00:33:44,870 --> 00:33:49,690
And don't forget, we get through with all of that, we are staring down the barrel

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00:33:50,070 --> 00:33:54,190
at wastewater phase two in the amount of 60 million.

446
00:33:54,390 --> 00:33:56,350
So there's a lot of projects.

447
00:33:56,350 --> 00:34:01,110
projects. These are what we consider to be the major projects. It doesn't include things

448
00:34:01,110 --> 00:34:07,010
like new baseball fields. But these are the buildings. And these are the items that are

449
00:34:07,010 --> 00:34:11,470
all the big ticket items that are really confounding the town.

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00:34:12,130 --> 00:34:19,920
So in planning, a couple of points on this chart that show up, when we plan for these

451
00:34:20,940 --> 00:34:26,000
larger projects, there's a couple of characteristics just to keep in mind as we move forward.

452
00:34:26,000 --> 00:34:30,640
But first and foremost, obviously, with so many needs, they can't be accomplished all

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00:34:30,640 --> 00:34:30,920
at once.

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00:34:31,040 --> 00:34:35,540
So we're going to have to do some staggering, and we're going to have to time these so that

455
00:34:35,540 --> 00:34:39,260
over a period of time, we're able to accomplish them.

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00:34:39,940 --> 00:34:46,360
Just folks should know, especially if you're in favor of any of these projects, it all

457
00:34:46,360 --> 00:34:51,540
requires time to get so many large projects done, and there's capacity.

458
00:34:51,540 --> 00:34:57,140
but the biggest capacity issue that we need to address is the financial capacity.

459
00:34:57,500 --> 00:35:01,140
So obviously, you don't have that in any one given year.

460
00:35:01,540 --> 00:35:09,580
And the second critical item, you can see that when a project is approved, often there's

461
00:35:09,580 --> 00:35:15,620
a three to four year lag between the actual time a project is approved and when it shows

462
00:35:15,620 --> 00:35:21,020
up on the actual debt that the town has to begin to raise funds to pay for them.

463
00:35:21,020 --> 00:35:28,140
When you talk about these building projects, very often you have a situation where here's

464
00:35:28,140 --> 00:35:33,340
a project library that's the first one because of the timing of the grant requirements.

465
00:35:33,720 --> 00:35:35,840
It shows up first on our list.

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00:35:36,460 --> 00:35:45,420
If that is proposed for the Springtown meeting, say it's approved in 2026, we don't see

467
00:35:45,420 --> 00:35:53,860
bills coming through until 2028 and 2029 and even then those are only the

468
00:35:53,860 --> 00:35:59,580
temporary financing for interest only you don't start paying off the actual

469
00:35:59,580 --> 00:36:08,260
principal payments hit start in 2030 and then move into 2031 year into the the

470
00:36:08,260 --> 00:36:14,800
meat of that similarly on a Bayberry Hills project if that was approved

471
00:36:14,800 --> 00:36:22,700
next year it doesn't kick in till debt service payments start in 2029 and it

472
00:36:22,700 --> 00:36:28,920
doesn't gear up until the later years but also you can see what a huge impact

473
00:36:28,920 --> 00:36:34,280
we're able to finance this with the zero percent interest that comes from the

474
00:36:34,280 --> 00:36:42,620
SRF program and there are also some of the loan forgiveness and the waterways

475
00:36:42,620 --> 00:36:52,410
fund that we use that contributes 25% to that. So similarly with all of the projects, they

476
00:36:52,410 --> 00:36:59,390
need to be staggered out. The impacts don't come immediate. So when we start looking at

477
00:36:59,390 --> 00:37:07,930
some of these major impacts, that occurs when more than two of these projects is in

478
00:37:07,930 --> 00:37:13,530
its full debt. And as you can see, it's not until we get to these years here that

479
00:37:13,530 --> 00:37:21,170
we're particularly concerned about, 2035, 2036, that we begin to see the multiple projects

480
00:37:21,170 --> 00:37:22,010
lining up.

481
00:37:22,230 --> 00:37:26,790
And that's what we gear our planning efforts toward.

482
00:37:27,210 --> 00:37:33,950
And so I thank Jennifer, I mean, without her expertise, you know, the financial planning

483
00:37:33,950 --> 00:37:38,870
wouldn't take place and she could have this controller as easy as I could right

484
00:37:38,870 --> 00:37:39,090
now.

485
00:37:39,090 --> 00:37:44,850
this is all the work that she's poured into this to help us lay out the debt service analysis.

486
00:37:45,570 --> 00:37:53,510
Now I want to show the previous chart in a graphical format that includes the entire

487
00:37:53,510 --> 00:38:03,910
range from 2026 to 2064 and what that looks like graphically represented in terms of an

488
00:38:03,910 --> 00:38:07,850
analysis of the projected town's debt service.

489
00:38:08,450 --> 00:38:16,110
And there's a couple of issues that really are a little bit striking in terms of where

490
00:38:16,110 --> 00:38:17,710
we are and where we need to be.

491
00:38:18,730 --> 00:38:24,710
The first one being that, you know, Yarmouth is a very unique town with unique challenges

492
00:38:24,710 --> 00:38:28,970
and a history of how we got to where we are today and where we need to go.

493
00:38:28,970 --> 00:38:36,590
So the first issue that doesn't make things necessarily easy for the town is the fact that

494
00:38:38,610 --> 00:38:47,390
our recent history shows the town has chosen to make an attempt to reduce the spending

495
00:38:47,390 --> 00:38:52,850
on all of our community facilities, these buildings, until such time as we figured out

496
00:38:52,850 --> 00:39:00,270
about how to move forward with the wastewater project and it was a situation that when that

497
00:39:00,270 --> 00:39:05,990
project came up in 2012 and was rejected by voters, the town knew that it was still

498
00:39:05,990 --> 00:39:11,930
the largest single capital improvement public works project in the history of the town

499
00:39:11,930 --> 00:39:12,830
and it wasn't resolved.

500
00:39:13,330 --> 00:39:17,250
And I think there was a conscious effort at that time to take a lot of these projects

501
00:39:17,250 --> 00:39:24,930
that we're known about that were not moved forward in order to preserve the

502
00:39:24,930 --> 00:39:31,170
ability to take on debt and address that wastewater project. So what you'd

503
00:39:31,170 --> 00:39:37,770
normally see in a similarly sized community is a level of community

504
00:39:37,770 --> 00:39:44,110
facility investment that would have a baseline maybe in this range that would

505
00:39:44,110 --> 00:39:51,650
be fairly constant. In the normal type of financial planning exercise, you would have

506
00:39:51,650 --> 00:39:58,510
a situation where the way of the bonds are structured, they start higher and go lower

507
00:39:58,510 --> 00:40:05,190
over time. And had we continued to invest in this time frame, we would, number one,

508
00:40:05,470 --> 00:40:11,250
have some projects that were completed. But more importantly, we would have debt

509
00:40:11,250 --> 00:40:17,850
that was declining and we would be able to replace debt in such a manner as to

510
00:40:17,850 --> 00:40:24,750
try to have level debt going across but that's a luxury we don't have. The blue

511
00:40:24,750 --> 00:40:32,690
represents here and it starts in FY26 with the existing debt and we have very

512
00:40:32,690 --> 00:40:38,050
low existing debt with the exception of the middle school which was time to

513
00:40:38,050 --> 00:40:44,810
replace the high school and here it shows we've been able to take on hang on

514
00:40:44,810 --> 00:40:52,750
let's go back if we can we've been able to to take on the DPW facility which

515
00:40:52,750 --> 00:40:59,610
shows in the blue and what we need to do is to come up with a plan rather than

516
00:40:59,610 --> 00:41:05,730
replacing debt because we don't have any debt to replace we need to ramp up to a

517
00:41:05,730 --> 00:41:13,430
level that meets the town needs and from there have a declining debt strategy.

518
00:41:13,970 --> 00:41:18,790
So it shows an extra challenge that we have to the town.

519
00:41:19,030 --> 00:41:26,790
How do you plan to meet all of these needs without a lot of existing debt now and make

520
00:41:26,790 --> 00:41:29,810
it so that the town's needs are met over time?

521
00:41:29,810 --> 00:41:38,930
And that in and of itself is really the critical financial planning tool that goes hand in

522
00:41:38,930 --> 00:41:44,270
hand with the capital improvement program when they identify these projects, then we

523
00:41:44,270 --> 00:41:46,370
kick in and try to develop some strategies.

524
00:41:46,710 --> 00:41:51,090
And then the projects right now, keep in mind when you have this capital budgeting,

525
00:41:52,350 --> 00:41:57,150
the only part of it that's approved is the first year.

526
00:41:57,150 --> 00:42:05,450
So the real, I guess, strength of the capital program is it projects out these future needs

527
00:42:05,450 --> 00:42:12,370
and seeks to provide some information that we can use to develop future strategies.

528
00:42:13,050 --> 00:42:15,050
Is this program going to move forward?

529
00:42:15,450 --> 00:42:18,010
Our project's going to be addressed.

530
00:42:18,510 --> 00:42:21,670
And so as we do that to try to come up with strategies,

531
00:42:21,670 --> 00:42:28,170
It's important to look at, as we just showed in the last slide,

532
00:42:28,970 --> 00:42:30,310
Yarmouth has very unique needs.

533
00:42:30,650 --> 00:42:37,150
So we need to have strong financial goals and policies that are financially sound,

534
00:42:37,350 --> 00:42:43,630
but we need to do them in a way that analyzes the uniqueness of the town of Yarmouth

535
00:42:43,630 --> 00:42:47,490
and the structure of our town and how we need to move forward.

536
00:42:47,490 --> 00:42:54,570
and in doing that I put this chart up because it shows a little bit of the

537
00:42:54,570 --> 00:43:01,030
type of things we need to look at that this is an analysis that shows the

538
00:43:01,030 --> 00:43:10,550
structure of some of Yarmouth's property tax key statistics benchmarked in the

539
00:43:10,550 --> 00:43:16,450
context of our other neighbors here on Cape Cod and I know it's a little

540
00:43:16,450 --> 00:43:21,610
difficult to see but you know we've got the towns are born all the way down at

541
00:43:21,610 --> 00:43:25,650
the end we have Yarmouth and there's a couple of key statistics that I just

542
00:43:25,650 --> 00:43:31,370
want to go over with you that this chart really shows that I think are very

543
00:43:31,370 --> 00:43:36,250
unique to Yarmouth and provide the basis that we need to consider to

544
00:43:36,250 --> 00:43:41,070
analyze some of these some of these capital needs so the the first key

545
00:43:41,070 --> 00:43:46,490
statistics if you take a look at this column here shows the average single

546
00:43:46,490 --> 00:43:52,430
family value in all of these communities and it's fascinating to me to see that on

547
00:43:52,430 --> 00:43:59,490
Cape Cod it's by quite a margin the town of the Armit has the lowest average

548
00:43:59,490 --> 00:44:09,860
single family value at single family home excuse me thank you single we're

549
00:44:09,860 --> 00:44:14,080
We're talking about the value of the average single family home.

550
00:44:14,120 --> 00:44:14,860
Your home is missing.

551
00:44:15,000 --> 00:44:15,280
I get it.

552
00:44:15,460 --> 00:44:15,640
Proper.

553
00:44:15,920 --> 00:44:16,660
See a single family.

554
00:44:16,780 --> 00:44:19,520
I want to insert that clarity sake.

555
00:44:19,860 --> 00:44:20,380
Absolutely.

556
00:44:21,200 --> 00:44:25,880
So I mean, take a look at some of the towns.

557
00:44:26,220 --> 00:44:26,780
It's interesting.

558
00:44:27,680 --> 00:44:31,080
Chatham, what are the differences in the home values

559
00:44:31,080 --> 00:44:33,880
between Chatham and Yarmouth?

560
00:44:34,140 --> 00:44:39,620
And at 1,674, it's, you know,

561
00:44:39,620 --> 00:44:45,620
Their average single family home is over twice what the average is Yarmouth is.

562
00:44:45,900 --> 00:44:52,420
And, you know, you wouldn't expect to see such a disparity, but it's there.

563
00:44:52,680 --> 00:44:59,760
So we have to take into account that we have much lower values than...

564
00:45:00,000 --> 00:45:07,000
Some of the other communities that we're dealing with somewhat on the side that gives

565
00:45:07,000 --> 00:45:17,460
us a little hope is that along with the lower single family home values, it also makes the

566
00:45:17,460 --> 00:45:23,040
average single family home tax bill is one of the lowest on the Cape.

567
00:45:23,040 --> 00:45:34,980
We come in at 4800, 4818, and if you look at, you know, most of the other Cape Towns have

568
00:45:34,980 --> 00:45:40,300
an average tax bill much higher than we have, and the state average we didn't put in here,

569
00:45:40,300 --> 00:45:48,780
but the state average is much higher as well, and so at least folks can take some comfort

570
00:45:48,780 --> 00:45:57,340
from the fact that generally our single family tax bills are fairly low. But the other critical

571
00:45:57,340 --> 00:46:05,500
aspect of this that has to be figured in, although the single family tax bill is relatively low,

572
00:46:05,960 --> 00:46:14,280
when you begin to look at the income of the community measured per capita,

573
00:46:16,000 --> 00:46:22,340
It really comes into focus that Yarmouth is by far the

574
00:46:24,360 --> 00:46:30,600
lowest income community at the

575
00:46:30,600 --> 00:46:42,640
income per capita in our community is $44,804 and not too far off from a couple of the

576
00:46:42,640 --> 00:46:51,120
communities, like born is a lower income community and East Ham as well, but we're the lowest

577
00:46:51,120 --> 00:46:52,900
by quite a little bit.

578
00:46:53,560 --> 00:46:58,380
So the critical point is that

579
00:47:00,750 --> 00:47:07,810
our approach needs to factor in the relatively low income

580
00:47:07,810 --> 00:47:15,470
income and the low values of the property into the town and what that really means for us

581
00:47:15,470 --> 00:47:22,510
is clearly if we develop any strategies to move forward with these projects we need to

582
00:47:22,510 --> 00:47:30,790
try to work to protect the interests of what is a large segment in our community of homeowners

583
00:47:30,790 --> 00:47:38,190
dollars with fairly low income and fairly low property values so that they are protected

584
00:47:39,040 --> 00:47:45,950
from the growth in the property tax and right now we're hanging, when you look at the statistics

585
00:47:45,950 --> 00:47:50,630
of our average tax bill as a percentage of income, we're about middle of the pack.

586
00:47:51,270 --> 00:47:57,490
So we're not the lowest, we're not the highest, but we need to retain that middle

587
00:47:57,490 --> 00:48:02,770
of the PAC status and not all of a sudden have a situation where with low incomes you

588
00:48:02,770 --> 00:48:10,670
can create a situation where people are overburdened as property tax as a percentage of their income.

589
00:48:10,890 --> 00:48:17,570
Because keep in mind that the property tax is the most regressive form of tax so that

590
00:48:17,570 --> 00:48:24,950
people generally pay a higher percentage of that tax to lower your income, which

591
00:48:24,950 --> 00:48:31,630
which is different than the income tax, which is a graduated tax, which people pay more the

592
00:48:31,630 --> 00:48:32,690
higher income they have.

593
00:48:33,030 --> 00:48:37,510
So our system is a little bit on its head, and all of your financial planning needs

594
00:48:37,510 --> 00:48:42,150
to take into account these lower income residents, because we're talking about the impact

595
00:48:42,150 --> 00:48:45,670
of community facilities on the property taxes.

596
00:48:46,030 --> 00:48:52,130
So with all of this information, it's a little difficult to kind of find some ground,

597
00:48:52,130 --> 00:48:56,990
but there are some potential strategies that we can point to that we can look to

598
00:48:56,990 --> 00:49:03,410
and I want to kind of move I can get this to work let's see and if we can get

599
00:49:03,410 --> 00:49:05,850
some people from Provincetown to move to the army.

600
00:49:07,950 --> 00:49:09,770
I want to show this other chart

601
00:49:09,770 --> 00:49:14,010
now I'm not going to jump into the absolute weeds of all of these different

602
00:49:14,010 --> 00:49:23,670
numbers, but the reason that I put this chart up here is to just recall the meeting that

603
00:49:23,670 --> 00:49:33,010
we had on September 9, 2025, when the Board of Assessors were in to present the tax rate

604
00:49:33,010 --> 00:49:37,430
classification hearing when the Board voted to approve the town's tax rate.

605
00:49:37,430 --> 00:49:46,110
They presented this chart, and it was really a hypothetical analysis that showed what is

606
00:49:46,110 --> 00:49:54,170
called a residential exemption, and this sheet they had in your packet, and we talked about

607
00:49:54,170 --> 00:50:01,070
it briefly, but what I'd like to do is bring this sheet back up and talk a little bit

608
00:50:01,070 --> 00:50:07,510
about this in terms of what we're facing for capital needs here in the town.

609
00:50:08,090 --> 00:50:12,010
The residential exemption is a tool available to local communities,

610
00:50:12,150 --> 00:50:15,830
and a number of Cape Towns have implemented this,

611
00:50:16,210 --> 00:50:25,950
which shifts the burden of the property tax from single-family homeowners

612
00:50:25,950 --> 00:50:37,650
that are year-round residents to single-family properties that are seasonal and also single-family

613
00:50:37,650 --> 00:50:46,630
properties of high value. So it is specifically geared towards providing some property tax

614
00:50:46,630 --> 00:50:49,830
relief for low-income, year-round residents.

615
00:50:51,090 --> 00:50:58,770
And what this chart essentially shows here is that somewhere in our average, if you did

616
00:50:58,770 --> 00:51:06,370
a 10 percent, you're allowed to go, I think, up to 35 percent, but a 10 percent would save

617
00:51:06,370 --> 00:51:14,080
people in this 239 sort of range.

618
00:51:14,080 --> 00:51:21,600
Let's take a look at this is the second part of the chart that the Board of Assessors provided to you if you adopted a residential

619
00:51:22,080 --> 00:51:24,320
exemption at 20%

620
00:51:25,280 --> 00:51:32,020
You could essentially when you're hitting in the money range of the average single family home, right?

621
00:51:32,780 --> 00:51:37,280
Tax bill for the town of Yarmouth you're saving people maybe $400

622
00:51:37,980 --> 00:51:41,240
But granted when you get up to the higher values

623
00:51:41,240 --> 00:51:47,910
there is an additional amount let's get back to where we were yeah

624
00:51:50,020 --> 00:51:50,460
we want to

625
00:51:50,460 --> 00:51:55,320
save that money get back to the right so what I'll do is it for this point I

626
00:51:55,320 --> 00:52:00,560
think this this residential exemption has been has been discussed but never

627
00:52:00,560 --> 00:52:05,660
brought into the context of our overall town financial planning and I'd like

628
00:52:05,660 --> 00:52:14,180
to do that now to just demonstrate what the relationship would be I've

629
00:52:14,180 --> 00:52:20,020
provided for you an example of the residential exemption impact on our community facilities

630
00:52:20,020 --> 00:52:28,880
improvement for the average Yarmouth taxpayer that is based on the chart that we showed.

631
00:52:29,420 --> 00:52:37,180
Now I want to go back to a second on this chart, what we talked about because of the

632
00:52:37,980 --> 00:52:40,920
principles of it, it takes a while to ramp up these projects.

633
00:52:40,920 --> 00:52:48,440
If you take a look at the property tax impact, the highest impact of our overall planning

634
00:52:48,440 --> 00:52:50,360
process comes right here.

635
00:52:51,060 --> 00:52:56,320
That falls in FY 2037.

636
00:52:57,320 --> 00:53:02,880
So what this chart does is it starts with the highest property impact if you put all

637
00:53:02,880 --> 00:53:04,080
of these projects together.

638
00:53:05,380 --> 00:53:14,320
And when you do that on the chart that I called your attention to that has the property tax impact of the overall program,

639
00:53:14,760 --> 00:53:22,660
what it shows you is that the combined property tax impact of all of these five projects that we've outlined in the 10-year plan

640
00:53:22,660 --> 00:53:27,800
is about almost six cents on the tax rate.

641
00:53:28,280 --> 00:53:37,940
So it's worth $5.72 or $0.572 per 1,000 evaluation.

642
00:53:38,840 --> 00:53:41,620
And that's just tax rate jargon.

643
00:53:42,140 --> 00:53:45,240
What that means to us human beings

644
00:53:45,560 --> 00:53:49,320
is that on that average tax bill,

645
00:53:49,320 --> 00:53:59,980
So the cost to the average taxpayer in $2,025, all of these numbers would have to be escalated

646
00:53:59,980 --> 00:54:03,720
to $2,037, but the relationships remain the same.

647
00:54:04,240 --> 00:54:11,040
So using $2,025, the cost to average taxpayers of that total program, this .572 per thousand,

648
00:54:11,240 --> 00:54:14,760
is $389.22.

649
00:54:14,760 --> 00:54:22,320
So you adopt all of these programs, the tax bill for an average taxpayer is going to go up $389.

650
00:54:24,980 --> 00:54:30,680
Now, when you take the average taxpayer savings, and we just showed those two examples,

651
00:54:30,880 --> 00:54:36,040
and again, you know, you can go higher, but we want to stay in a more conservative range,

652
00:54:36,040 --> 00:54:45,360
at a 10% residential exemption would shift the average taxpayer that's a year-round taxpayer

653
00:54:45,360 --> 00:54:52,560
would shift tax burden away from them by lowering their valuation by the tax bill would go

654
00:54:52,560 --> 00:55:01,020
down $306.20 which would mean you'd be able to get all of these projects and might throw

655
00:55:01,020 --> 00:55:07,720
win some ginsu knives for a total of the difference.

656
00:55:08,160 --> 00:55:12,340
Let's go back the difference of the three eighty nine to the 306.

657
00:55:12,360 --> 00:55:18,840
So about eighty three dollars of an increase in taxes to pay for all of those projects.

658
00:55:19,080 --> 00:55:26,280
Now, if you went further and did a 20 percent resident residential exemption,

659
00:55:26,280 --> 00:55:35,740
That would shift the tax burden away from that average taxpayer, a total of $472 in 83 cents.

660
00:55:36,700 --> 00:55:44,560
It illustrates a way that you could potentially move forward with some of all of these projects,

661
00:55:44,940 --> 00:55:52,080
but also protect the year-round lower income, lower value property taxpayer.

662
00:55:52,080 --> 00:55:55,580
Now, granted, this does not make this money go away.

663
00:55:56,020 --> 00:56:01,680
It simply shifts it to seasonal properties and higher value properties.

664
00:56:01,980 --> 00:56:06,800
So someone winds up paying the $306.

665
00:56:10,190 --> 00:56:11,450
I don't think that was me.

666
00:56:12,210 --> 00:56:14,690
But that was my last slide anyways.

667
00:56:14,950 --> 00:56:19,150
I think the projector shut down.

668
00:56:19,150 --> 00:56:22,030
I knew the projector, and I wanted to take it.

669
00:56:22,050 --> 00:56:24,070
So you need $300 for a new projector.

670
00:56:24,830 --> 00:56:28,230
Now, at this point in the process,

671
00:56:28,690 --> 00:56:31,830
I want to say clearly that we're not

672
00:56:31,830 --> 00:56:38,050
looking to make decisions on the next 10 years all at once.

673
00:56:38,450 --> 00:56:43,290
And the way this is set up, we have a few years

674
00:56:43,290 --> 00:56:47,130
till we get to the years that these projects are going

675
00:56:47,130 --> 00:56:47,810
to go forward.

676
00:56:47,810 --> 00:56:53,910
But the first one comes up this year, which is the library, which shows the property tax

677
00:56:53,910 --> 00:56:58,750
impacts of that associated with the grant, and it all works together.

678
00:56:59,110 --> 00:57:00,050
But what

679
00:57:02,160 --> 00:57:12,320
I am saying is that there are potential strategies that we can discuss at the policy

680
00:57:12,320 --> 00:57:16,580
level with the leadership of our financial team and Jen Mullen, who's done tremendous

681
00:57:16,580 --> 00:57:23,600
work on all of this, the Board of Assessors and our assessing staff to lay out potentially

682
00:57:23,600 --> 00:57:32,180
some strategies to get through this in a way that protects the local taxpayers and again,

683
00:57:32,560 --> 00:57:37,140
this is long-term financial planning, so there's nothing this evening that requires a vote,

684
00:57:37,180 --> 00:57:40,060
but I would say that we have some important next steps.

685
00:57:40,060 --> 00:57:47,980
what we'd like to do is engage with our financial team, our assessors, the capital team finance

686
00:57:47,980 --> 00:57:57,800
to lay out and determine if some of these strategies may be pathways to how we achieve

687
00:57:57,800 --> 00:58:00,760
that ramp up and begin to meet some of these needs.

688
00:58:01,000 --> 00:58:05,260
So I guess that's how the financial planning works together with the CIP team.

689
00:58:05,260 --> 00:58:11,440
And that's kind of where we're at today, so I would turn it over to you guys.

690
00:58:11,920 --> 00:58:12,720
Sounds great.

691
00:58:13,160 --> 00:58:15,080
A lot to think about, Bob.

692
00:58:16,340 --> 00:58:16,800
Isn't it?

693
00:58:17,600 --> 00:58:23,200
Let's go to each of our individual select board for any of their questions and comments.

694
00:58:23,460 --> 00:58:24,020
Starting with Mark.

695
00:58:24,300 --> 00:58:25,040
Sure, thank you.

696
00:58:27,080 --> 00:58:35,000
First of all, I want to thank the Capital Committee for the work that it has done for us each year.

697
00:58:37,000 --> 00:58:43,700
We're just incredibly impressed with the level of effort and the work that you put into this,

698
00:58:43,860 --> 00:58:48,780
and then being able to present it in a way that makes it easy to understand.

699
00:58:49,460 --> 00:58:53,000
And it seems like each year you're getting better and better at it.

700
00:58:53,000 --> 00:58:55,660
So once again, thank you for all of your great work.

701
00:58:59,600 --> 00:59:02,060
And your work is basically to start the process.

702
00:59:02,180 --> 00:59:04,800
So I'm not really interested in going in the weeds on some

703
00:59:04,800 --> 00:59:07,400
of the capital items that you've identified for a meeting.

704
00:59:07,580 --> 00:59:10,180
We'll have plenty of time to discuss those later on.

705
00:59:10,780 --> 00:59:12,660
What I'd like to do is focus my comments,

706
00:59:12,740 --> 00:59:15,640
principally on the presentation

707
00:59:15,640 --> 00:59:16,860
of the town administrator.

708
00:59:17,280 --> 00:59:19,280
And I just want to commend you, Bob.

709
00:59:19,760 --> 00:59:21,820
This is something that we have talked about as a board

710
00:59:21,820 --> 00:59:29,340
having to do and to initiate for quite some time and it's obvious we have a town administrator

711
00:59:29,340 --> 00:59:34,400
that's very good at handling and guiding us in terms of how to wrestle with these questions,

712
00:59:34,460 --> 00:59:37,380
so I really appreciate all the time and effort that you put into this.

713
00:59:38,480 --> 00:59:44,120
It's clear that this is sort of a, we go through this in an iterative process.

714
00:59:44,120 --> 00:59:55,860
This is an ongoing analysis and review and what Bob has laid out to us tonight is a variety

715
00:59:55,860 --> 00:59:56,540
of scenarios.

716
01:00:00,000 --> 01:00:05,100
There are areas that worry me that we have to deal with, because we're sort of making assumptions

717
01:00:05,100 --> 01:00:10,940
that there are things going on in the world that we can continue to count on. And the reality

718
01:00:10,940 --> 01:00:16,880
is that there are things that, at least based on my travels to Washington, D.C., based on

719
01:00:16,880 --> 01:00:23,300
my travels in Boston at the State House, there's a tremendous amount of nervousness

720
01:00:24,020 --> 01:00:28,840
about the funding environment that we're in right now. I hear that on a regular

721
01:00:28,840 --> 01:00:34,380
basis because the work that I do in addition to teaching at the college, I'm heavily involved

722
01:00:34,380 --> 01:00:39,680
in raising funds for environmental projects on Cape Cod, restoration projects.

723
01:00:40,380 --> 01:00:45,700
And so I'm always talking to people in the governor's office, our legislators, others

724
01:00:45,700 --> 01:00:49,400
in terms of the prospects for funding for those projects and some others.

725
01:00:50,040 --> 01:00:55,960
So I get very nervous about the state and federal funding climate that we're in right

726
01:00:55,960 --> 01:00:56,280
now.

727
01:00:57,640 --> 01:01:02,360
As we know, wastewater has been a number one priority for us right now.

728
01:01:02,800 --> 01:01:05,760
We've made a huge investment and a huge commitment to that,

729
01:01:05,960 --> 01:01:09,820
but the President is trying to zero out the Revolving Loan Fund program

730
01:01:09,820 --> 01:01:12,440
that we depend on to finance wastewater.

731
01:01:14,020 --> 01:01:18,380
The House, their version of the budget on wastewater is not much better.

732
01:01:19,660 --> 01:01:21,660
They've only made marginal improvements there.

733
01:01:21,660 --> 01:01:27,140
So from a wastewater, again, our wastewater program is sort of predicated on the assumption

734
01:01:27,140 --> 01:01:33,060
that the federal government will continue to be able to honor the commitments that we've

735
01:01:33,060 --> 01:01:36,840
basically been relying upon in terms of going forward with that project.

736
01:01:37,420 --> 01:01:45,300
If those dollars go, we have some tough decisions to make and we may end up having to finance

737
01:01:45,300 --> 01:01:47,860
the costs on our own dime.

738
01:01:47,860 --> 01:01:56,880
So that changes, again, the plan, and that's one of the reasons why we have to be prepared to adapt.

739
01:01:57,700 --> 01:02:01,160
Conditions will change, things will change, and we just need to be prepared for that.

740
01:02:02,220 --> 01:02:07,940
And at the state level, quite frankly, they're almost, at least the impressions that I get from legislators,

741
01:02:08,920 --> 01:02:15,480
is that they're sort of holding back waiting to hear and find out what the federal government's going to do.

742
01:02:15,480 --> 01:02:25,780
We know we're going to take huge hits on Medicaid at the state level, but we don't know yet how that translates in terms of what will happen or could happen with the state budget.

743
01:02:26,520 --> 01:02:37,940
But there's a high degree of uncertainty at the federal level and at the state level in terms of commitments that we rely on in terms of these kinds of projects.

744
01:02:38,180 --> 01:02:39,780
So I'm very concerned about that.

745
01:02:41,440 --> 01:02:50,860
My question for Jen is, when we look at adding significant, let's assume just for the sake

746
01:02:50,860 --> 01:02:52,880
of conversation, we're going to do all of these.

747
01:02:53,520 --> 01:02:59,660
The residents want it, we go to town meeting, we're looking at full steam ahead on all of

748
01:02:59,660 --> 01:03:00,240
these items.

749
01:03:00,680 --> 01:03:07,120
What does that do to our bonding situation, our pursuit of a triple-A bond rating?

750
01:03:07,120 --> 01:03:13,840
because, quite frankly, we're going to go from $1 million to $7 million annually in debt

751
01:03:13,840 --> 01:03:14,180
service.

752
01:03:14,760 --> 01:03:16,120
And that's a pretty big jump.

753
01:03:16,620 --> 01:03:16,940
Yes.

754
01:03:17,340 --> 01:03:18,020
Good evening.

755
01:03:18,420 --> 01:03:19,420
It's a good question.

756
01:03:20,000 --> 01:03:25,620
Right now, the $207 million waste water project does take up some of our bonding

757
01:03:25,620 --> 01:03:27,200
ceiling, if you will.

758
01:03:28,320 --> 01:03:34,300
Normally, the bond rating agencies, if it's exempt debt, because the voters have voted

759
01:03:34,300 --> 01:03:41,620
for that and they voted to raise the funds over proposition two and a half, so they're

760
01:03:41,620 --> 01:03:42,080
all in.

761
01:03:42,280 --> 01:03:45,320
They said, you know, we're going to want you to raise our tax rate.

762
01:03:45,660 --> 01:03:51,540
And the ceiling doesn't really affect us because it's your levy ceiling so high.

763
01:03:51,660 --> 01:03:58,100
So you do always have a lot of bonding capacity, although 207 does have some of it in there.

764
01:03:59,120 --> 01:04:03,360
But you know, the bond rating agencies have been changing over the last few years

765
01:04:03,360 --> 01:04:08,020
and they look at things differently, and they do look at the overall debt.

766
01:04:09,040 --> 01:04:17,320
So I really can't say what the – what would be the effect on – I would expect to maintain

767
01:04:17,320 --> 01:04:18,860
a double A plus bond rating.

768
01:04:19,020 --> 01:04:20,980
I don't think our bond rating would go down.

769
01:04:21,280 --> 01:04:28,500
And you wouldn't be voting these projects right away, but it wouldn't really have

770
01:04:28,500 --> 01:04:32,120
much of an effect because it is excluded from proposition two and a half.

771
01:04:33,540 --> 01:04:34,940
Does that answer your question?

772
01:04:36,200 --> 01:04:36,400
You're welcome.

773
01:04:36,520 --> 01:04:37,380
The answer is we don't know.

774
01:04:39,000 --> 01:04:39,680
Thank you.

775
01:04:42,980 --> 01:04:50,300
The, I'm glad you pointed out also information about the income here in Yarmouth Bob.

776
01:04:50,420 --> 01:04:55,840
I think that's important to note that, you know, as a community we're on the lower

777
01:04:55,840 --> 01:05:00,580
and looking at median family income, household income,

778
01:05:01,080 --> 01:05:04,680
we tend to be on the poor side in terms of our overall average.

779
01:05:04,820 --> 01:05:06,760
And I think that's obviously a factor.

780
01:05:07,600 --> 01:05:11,320
The thing that I think we need to be thinking about as a board and going forward

781
01:05:11,320 --> 01:05:14,760
is, you know, how do we engage the public in this conversation?

782
01:05:15,280 --> 01:05:18,240
Because these are obviously very, very important decisions for us,

783
01:05:18,280 --> 01:05:19,680
but they're also quite frankly important.

784
01:05:20,140 --> 01:05:23,220
It's an important area of community involvement, public involvement,

785
01:05:23,220 --> 01:05:27,860
getting our residents aware of the financial challenges facing the town.

786
01:05:28,540 --> 01:05:32,300
I was sort of making a stab at it when we were debating, not debating,

787
01:05:32,400 --> 01:05:36,680
but discussing the local comprehensive plan that, you know, as a community, as we grow,

788
01:05:37,020 --> 01:05:40,940
you know, we have to look at the costs of growth and the costs of development.

789
01:05:41,520 --> 01:05:48,240
And there was a time when there was a need to sort of factor those into our local comprehensive plan,

790
01:05:48,240 --> 01:05:53,220
but Bob and the rest of the team assured us that we could start dealing with this now

791
01:05:53,720 --> 01:05:56,840
in a separate exercise, and I'm glad we're finally getting into it.

792
01:05:57,340 --> 01:06:02,660
I just want everyone to know I'm just very, very nervous about the next few years in terms

793
01:06:02,660 --> 01:06:07,200
of all the uncertainties both in Washington and up at the Statehouse, and so I'm nervous

794
01:06:07,200 --> 01:06:08,460
on all of these projects.

795
01:06:08,580 --> 01:06:10,600
I'm nervous about where we stand with wastewater.

796
01:06:10,860 --> 01:06:12,280
I'm very concerned about the library.

797
01:06:12,540 --> 01:06:16,460
I'm concerned about fire station and even schools.

798
01:06:16,460 --> 01:06:20,260
So I take a very cautious approach to all of this.

799
01:06:20,620 --> 01:06:23,200
But I think this is a healthy first step, this exercise,

800
01:06:23,660 --> 01:06:25,880
and I'm glad we're starting this conversation now.

801
01:06:26,260 --> 01:06:28,000
It's long overdue. Thank you.

802
01:06:28,840 --> 01:06:30,620
Thank you, Mark. Joyce?

803
01:06:31,820 --> 01:06:37,680
Well, I don't have Mark's level of understanding of the financial side of this,

804
01:06:38,000 --> 01:06:45,540
but I was sitting here thinking that one of the consequences of going to a residential exemption

805
01:06:45,540 --> 01:06:53,000
might make our community a lot less attractive to people who just want to buy a house and make it an Airbnb.

806
01:06:54,240 --> 01:06:57,560
And some of that's under the radar and we would never know.

807
01:06:58,000 --> 01:07:02,720
It might drive them to Dennis or to some other town.

808
01:07:04,860 --> 01:07:08,540
I also am worried about people affording housing here.

809
01:07:08,540 --> 01:07:19,240
So, I think it's good to keep in mind the income level and figure out strategies to work around not burdening the poorest people.

810
01:07:20,940 --> 01:07:21,580
Liz?

811
01:07:22,160 --> 01:07:26,540
Thank you. And wow, what a body of work. Thank you.

812
01:07:29,220 --> 01:07:34,500
I notice, of course, one of the big notes that I would make is that the muck, of course,

813
01:07:34,600 --> 01:07:38,660
is not on this charting at all at this point.

814
01:07:39,380 --> 01:07:44,660
We're hoping that it would be a private partner, private company that would carry the weight on that,

815
01:07:44,780 --> 01:07:50,220
but I think we need to be kind of aware of that, too, is something we have to deal with

816
01:07:50,220 --> 01:07:53,480
because we can't keep paying to maintain Matiki's school, either.

817
01:07:53,960 --> 01:07:59,920
So, at any rate, I wondered if we could go back to the, there's a slide, I don't know

818
01:07:59,920 --> 01:08:05,020
if we can, the data review by funding source for the 10-year plan.

819
01:08:05,740 --> 01:08:07,420
I had a question on that.

820
01:08:07,540 --> 01:08:08,500
I liked that slide.

821
01:08:08,640 --> 01:08:13,500
That was my favorite slide to use as a summary of where we're at.

822
01:08:16,360 --> 01:08:18,640
I think that one's a point.

823
01:08:19,840 --> 01:08:20,320
Yeah.

824
01:08:20,560 --> 01:08:23,540
So I know most people can't see that very well.

825
01:08:23,540 --> 01:08:30,000
But I did notice that there's a stabilization fund that we've been paying a little bit of

826
01:08:30,000 --> 01:08:36,140
attention to, and I see that there's an appropriation on the capital stabilization.

827
01:08:36,740 --> 01:08:42,960
Is that what I think it is that you're making an effort to maintain that stabilization fund?

828
01:08:54,020 --> 01:08:54,680
Hello again.

829
01:08:55,700 --> 01:09:03,320
So I just want to point out that when we put the capital together this year or the

830
01:09:03,320 --> 01:09:13,160
way that the process is that department heads put in the CIP. And I'm not sure. Is that 2

831
01:09:13,160 --> 01:09:14,080
million, 250?

832
01:09:14,560 --> 01:09:14,940
Yes.

833
01:09:15,580 --> 01:09:21,680
Okay. So really what some departments did, and we review this every year, they just

834
01:09:21,680 --> 01:09:27,420
picked a funding source of the capital stabilization fund, and we need to review it year by year.

835
01:09:27,420 --> 01:09:41,440
But if you recall last year at Tom meeting, we did transfer some money into the capital stabilization fund because we do want to start, you know, making that you're earning more interest on that.

836
01:09:41,600 --> 01:09:51,520
Exactly. I'm not sure what the projects are in 2028, but the thought is to keep putting money in there for that reason.

837
01:09:51,520 --> 01:09:58,760
And there's also line item grant other, 3,787,000.

838
01:10:00,540 --> 01:10:05,980
Part of the grants, when we started using the EZCIP,

839
01:10:07,260 --> 01:10:08,540
everything was entered.

840
01:10:08,800 --> 01:10:10,500
So if we're paying something for a grant,

841
01:10:10,620 --> 01:10:12,620
doesn't necessarily have to go to town meeting.

842
01:10:13,220 --> 01:10:15,640
I know part of that 3 million is a grant

843
01:10:15,640 --> 01:10:17,480
that we're looking at right now.

844
01:10:17,640 --> 01:10:19,440
I think if Parker's River Landing,

845
01:10:19,440 --> 01:10:22,240
they just were approved $500,000 from CPC.

846
01:10:23,520 --> 01:10:28,080
And so we wanted to show the full project, which would be over $2 million.

847
01:10:28,540 --> 01:10:32,740
And so it doesn't necessarily have to go to tell meeting, we'll apply for the grant.

848
01:10:32,880 --> 01:10:40,660
The Parkes River grant, though, is, I wouldn't say that we've received it, but because

849
01:10:40,660 --> 01:10:44,940
they paid for design, I think it's the seaport that we're applying to, they're,

850
01:10:45,060 --> 01:10:48,340
you know, most of the time they'll definitely roll that over into the construction.

851
01:10:48,340 --> 01:10:55,360
And so we'll be putting that grant in in the spring, I believe and then the scent the septic enterprise

852
01:10:55,360 --> 01:11:00,800
I see we start to see it as a funding source. That's hookups million

853
01:11:02,340 --> 01:11:08,000
Not sure I know that they're doing some capital over there, but I'm not sure what the septic enterprise is

854
01:11:08,000 --> 01:11:10,360
I mean what that no, you know, okay?

855
01:11:11,440 --> 01:11:13,200
And then the water enterprise

856
01:11:15,000 --> 01:11:24,240
going out. That starts at $809,000 and then it goes up to $2,800,000. That's not the sewer.

857
01:11:24,880 --> 01:11:33,480
Well, I will say some of the SOAR project, as you know, they're laying the connection system,

858
01:11:33,600 --> 01:11:38,100
the SOAR pipe, which goes lower, and then they're laying water mains at the same time.

859
01:11:38,100 --> 01:11:42,920
And so there should be something in there for maybe phase two.

860
01:11:43,940 --> 01:11:48,960
And then the other is that there are some other water main projects that the water department

861
01:11:48,960 --> 01:11:49,980
has been looking at.

862
01:11:50,060 --> 01:11:56,940
I know that they're looking at water main down in 6A and so yes, that would be in there

863
01:11:56,940 --> 01:11:57,380
as well.

864
01:11:57,940 --> 01:11:58,080
Okay.

865
01:11:58,380 --> 01:12:03,160
And I know we're going to get into the details more when we look at the individual budget

866
01:12:03,160 --> 01:12:04,460
with the department.

867
01:12:04,740 --> 01:12:07,140
So I just want to say thank you.

868
01:12:07,140 --> 01:12:12,900
This is great to have the look forward, I think it's critical, and I'm so glad that

869
01:12:12,900 --> 01:12:17,380
the school district is participating now in that as well.

870
01:12:17,780 --> 01:12:20,960
So those are my questions, and then just thank you.

871
01:12:22,100 --> 01:12:22,900
Thank you, Liz.

872
01:12:24,000 --> 01:12:25,360
You can stay right there, Jennifer,

873
01:12:28,440 --> 01:12:31,920
if you don't, because I think some of what I'm

874
01:12:31,920 --> 01:12:32,640
going to talk about.

875
01:12:32,720 --> 01:12:34,340
First, I want to say thank you very much.

876
01:12:34,340 --> 01:12:37,660
Thank you very much to Capital Improvement. That's a lot of hard work.

877
01:12:39,640 --> 01:12:44,200
What you've been able to put together with the new way to formatting.

878
01:12:44,540 --> 01:12:51,900
I know Bill started it and we've got Amy here to continue on for us with Bob.

879
01:12:52,880 --> 01:12:58,590
The projections are much clearer for us and I think that people are feeling more confident

880
01:12:58,590 --> 01:13:06,390
confident that what is coming up for capital are truly needed projects that have been rated

881
01:13:06,390 --> 01:13:15,030
and the individual sheets that Bob was talking about make a tremendous difference and thank

882
01:13:15,030 --> 01:13:15,250
you.

883
01:13:16,370 --> 01:13:21,570
But I'd like to mostly talk about what Bob was talking about and that's why I'm keeping

884
01:13:21,570 --> 01:13:22,670
you up there Jennifer.

885
01:13:24,230 --> 01:13:32,470
Like Mark, I am not just nervous, I am scared to death about what's going to happen with

886
01:13:32,470 --> 01:13:36,790
our funding sources both from the federal government and from the state government.

887
01:13:37,510 --> 01:13:44,250
We've made a commitment of $207 million to our wastewater and if we find in those projections

888
01:13:44,250 --> 01:13:50,890
we will be relying very heavily on those federal and state monies and if suddenly

889
01:13:50,890 --> 01:13:58,250
we're not going to be getting those, then we're going to have to find alternative sources

890
01:13:58,250 --> 01:14:02,250
for that funding in order to make it happen, right?

891
01:14:02,930 --> 01:14:07,230
So if you want to talk about what's already been voted, the $207 million waste water.

892
01:14:08,090 --> 01:14:13,270
So that started on the 2023 IUP, and it's $50 million a year.

893
01:14:13,270 --> 01:14:21,010
And so we've been working for, right now we're in, so we have four $50 million loans.

894
01:14:21,230 --> 01:14:26,510
And I'm going to get to the answer to your question and I'm just laying it out of, to

895
01:14:26,510 --> 01:14:28,630
leave some of this fear on the 207.

896
01:14:30,050 --> 01:14:32,750
So we borrowed $50 million increments.

897
01:14:32,890 --> 01:14:34,770
We've already spent the first $50 million.

898
01:14:35,010 --> 01:14:36,810
We're in the second $50 million right now.

899
01:14:36,810 --> 01:14:44,770
The first $50 million has gone to the trust to bond because they bond and then we start paying principal on that.

900
01:14:45,310 --> 01:14:51,390
We are getting the principal forgiveness. There hasn't been a no to the principal forgiveness.

901
01:14:52,210 --> 01:14:58,670
We're working with the Clean Water Protection Fund. As far as I know, they're still funding that 25%.

902
01:14:58,670 --> 01:14:59,910
That, that is the

903
01:15:00,000 --> 01:15:05,840
A main principle forgiveness in the 207, because they're going to fund 25%, they're taking in the

904
01:15:05,840 --> 01:15:13,620
money from the portion of the short-term rental. The state, the trust, if you will, we're in

905
01:15:13,620 --> 01:15:18,960
a tier two community, that's around 6.6 principle forgiveness. So right now we're in the second

906
01:15:18,960 --> 01:15:24,720
50 million and I expect that we will still get that principle forgiveness. Now that's

907
01:15:24,720 --> 01:15:27,980
That's half of the 250 million, it's about half of it.

908
01:15:28,200 --> 01:15:29,660
So I'm just alleviating the fear.

909
01:15:29,800 --> 01:15:35,960
I don't know what the future brings, but I do know that the trust has committed to fund

910
01:15:35,960 --> 01:15:38,800
that 207 million at 0%.

911
01:15:38,800 --> 01:15:46,560
And when you think about it, just the 0% is a huge reduction other than if we were

912
01:15:46,560 --> 01:15:49,580
going out to market ourselves, that would be at 4%.

913
01:15:49,580 --> 01:15:53,860
So you're saving millions and millions and millions of dollars at the 0%.

914
01:15:53,860 --> 01:16:00,600
I don't see right now the state not voting that they do they don't like to say right

915
01:16:00,600 --> 01:16:04,320
away okay we're going to vote the 0% they wait till they actually bond and then the

916
01:16:04,320 --> 01:16:08,560
board will vote the 0% but I just want to leave alleviate your fear a little bit on

917
01:16:08,560 --> 01:16:16,220
the 207 for that portion of it okay can I just go ahead I think I think it's good

918
01:16:16,220 --> 01:16:20,080
to have this conversation about wastewater I represent Yarmouth on the Cape and Islands

919
01:16:20,080 --> 01:16:26,060
water protection fund board. And we've been, we as a board are very concerned about where

920
01:16:26,060 --> 01:16:32,840
things are going because quite frankly both the funding that's provided there is connected

921
01:16:32,840 --> 01:16:40,400
to the SRF. So my hope is that Yarmouth can continue to take advantage of the Cape and

922
01:16:40,400 --> 01:16:46,640
Isles Water Protection Fund for subsequent phases and more work. But if there's an

923
01:16:46,640 --> 01:16:53,080
impact on the SRF, it has a direct impact on the Cape and Islands Water Protection Fund

924
01:16:53,080 --> 01:16:58,040
because in order to be qualified for the Cape and Islands Water Protection Fund funding,

925
01:16:58,420 --> 01:17:04,280
you need to be on that part of the intended use plan and eligible for SRF funding and

926
01:17:04,950 --> 01:17:06,180
securing SRF funding.

927
01:17:06,500 --> 01:17:12,040
So there is a relationship, but it's not for the 207 million that we've already

928
01:17:12,590 --> 01:17:13,640
been committed to.

929
01:17:13,640 --> 01:17:20,260
It's going to be the concern for me, at least, is for the subsequent phases and the subsequent commitments.

930
01:17:20,820 --> 01:17:28,200
One of the things that this town has done a great job on is coming up with a very creative financing plan for Phase 1, the 207 million.

931
01:17:28,860 --> 01:17:33,980
A lot of work went into that by several select boards.

932
01:17:34,980 --> 01:17:36,820
There's a huge run-up to that.

933
01:17:37,300 --> 01:17:40,240
We've been able to create a revenue stream.

934
01:17:40,960 --> 01:17:51,020
But here's the deal. We don't have any new revenue streams to finance phases two, three, four, five, and the rest. That's the thing.

935
01:17:51,140 --> 01:17:58,680
We're going to become more dependent on some of these other sources to the extent that they're available for us to help finance this.

936
01:17:58,900 --> 01:18:06,780
But our debt service at the moment, unless we can come up with other revenue streams, which we have yet to identify,

937
01:18:06,780 --> 01:18:12,180
We're going to have to start looking at the tax rate and property taxes.

938
01:18:12,720 --> 01:18:21,500
And we have been, it's been a policy of this board to avoid putting wastewater on the backs

939
01:18:21,500 --> 01:18:23,740
of property taxpayers.

940
01:18:24,460 --> 01:18:30,940
So we have yet to figure out the financial game plan for phases two to what, nine?

941
01:18:32,200 --> 01:18:32,960
Two to nine.

942
01:18:32,960 --> 01:18:38,020
So, two to nine, we have not yet figured out the financial plan for that, all right.

943
01:18:38,440 --> 01:18:47,060
If we're forced, because of cuts in federal funding, to implement the phases without any

944
01:18:47,060 --> 01:18:51,720
other revenue streams or some of the other sources that we've been relying upon, we're

945
01:18:51,720 --> 01:18:55,340
going to be having no other place to look but property taxes.

946
01:18:55,740 --> 01:18:58,840
So all I'm saying is that that's where I'm coming from.

947
01:18:58,840 --> 01:19:03,400
It's how we finance future commitments, future phases.

948
01:19:04,140 --> 01:19:05,780
We're locked into the Waste to Outer Program.

949
01:19:06,040 --> 01:19:06,820
We've made a commitment.

950
01:19:07,000 --> 01:19:07,660
We've got a plan.

951
01:19:08,000 --> 01:19:14,720
We've gotten time meeting to pay for phase one, and the voters have been incredibly supportive

952
01:19:14,720 --> 01:19:15,080
of that.

953
01:19:15,560 --> 01:19:21,940
The big question is going to be, with the funding situation becoming more complicated,

954
01:19:22,100 --> 01:19:25,580
how do we figure out a way to fund phases two through nine?

955
01:19:25,580 --> 01:19:29,080
Yeah, I'd just say one thing, too, to add is we're certainly not alone.

956
01:19:29,660 --> 01:19:32,980
This is a cape-wide confrontation, so.

957
01:19:33,540 --> 01:19:36,900
Well, it's a – if I could just add, it's a national problem, but –

958
01:19:36,900 --> 01:19:40,680
Yeah, but I do think that it's important for us to realize that it's just not – it's

959
01:19:40,680 --> 01:19:41,760
not just YAR methods.

960
01:19:42,300 --> 01:19:49,780
So the realities of this are – it's not a small town going help, it's a big

961
01:19:49,780 --> 01:19:50,600
issue.

962
01:19:51,180 --> 01:19:51,400
Sorry.

963
01:19:51,720 --> 01:19:52,140
Joyce?

964
01:19:52,140 --> 01:19:58,560
I just wonder if there isn't like a tiny income stream, it would be nowhere near enough for

965
01:19:58,560 --> 01:19:58,960
a phase.

966
01:20:00,160 --> 01:20:06,540
If people were able to get an assessment of what their hookup fee would be, even if they

967
01:20:06,540 --> 01:20:15,940
were in future phases, if homeowners could just pay it forward, if the town could figure

968
01:20:15,940 --> 01:20:24,080
out a way to accept that and use it as very small partial funding of all the big expenses

969
01:20:24,080 --> 01:20:25,300
coming for soaring.

970
01:20:27,860 --> 01:20:35,460
Madam Chair, I think that would be a nice arrangement to work out, but it doesn't have

971
01:20:35,460 --> 01:20:39,700
any impact whatsoever on any of this that we've been talking about or what we're looking

972
01:20:39,700 --> 01:20:40,460
at going ahead.

973
01:20:41,120 --> 01:20:44,680
Those are costs that are – hookup costs are largely on the homeowner to begin

974
01:20:44,680 --> 01:20:44,860
with.

975
01:20:44,860 --> 01:20:48,520
But they're not, we don't have to come up with the financing for them to do that.

976
01:20:48,880 --> 01:20:55,660
Most home owners are using the county's aquifone program to help cover the cost of financing

977
01:20:55,660 --> 01:20:56,480
sewer hookups.

978
01:20:56,840 --> 01:21:00,140
But there's no reason why we couldn't find some other way to be helpful to people

979
01:21:00,140 --> 01:21:01,300
or create another mechanism.

980
01:21:01,880 --> 01:21:07,940
You don't think it would help to have people sign up and give them money in advance

981
01:21:07,940 --> 01:21:12,240
toward the sewer project years before they were expected to?

982
01:21:12,240 --> 01:21:15,260
Is that what you're talking about, a fund that's earning interest?

983
01:21:16,200 --> 01:21:19,480
I would rely on Jennifer to use it the best way.

984
01:21:20,180 --> 01:21:25,740
We have been pre-funding, and we've been putting into a wastewater stabilization fund

985
01:21:25,740 --> 01:21:29,640
where we earn a market rate, which would be more than bank interest.

986
01:21:29,920 --> 01:21:32,980
So we've been trying to really pre-fund that.

987
01:21:33,400 --> 01:21:37,360
The hookup fees, I'm not quite sure what you're asking, but when a homeowner hooks

988
01:21:37,360 --> 01:21:42,400
up to the SOAR it's upon them to pay that that they have to design it and then

989
01:21:42,400 --> 01:21:47,300
hook and pay to hook that up to the connection that goes down the street and

990
01:21:47,840 --> 01:21:51,920
so that's on them it doesn't go through the town it's nothing that we pay it's

991
01:21:51,920 --> 01:21:56,480
something that they have to pay in order to hook up I see so the money for

992
01:21:56,480 --> 01:22:00,760
that this is what I wasn't getting doesn't really go to the town it goes

993
01:22:00,760 --> 01:22:05,080
to you know someone who puts it in exactly they paid the contractors

994
01:22:05,080 --> 01:22:06,140
just directly.

995
01:22:06,940 --> 01:22:07,400
Okay.

996
01:22:07,800 --> 01:22:11,000
Jennifer, you talked about the short-term rentals.

997
01:22:11,680 --> 01:22:13,600
What was the income that we took in

998
01:22:13,600 --> 01:22:16,040
for the previous year on short-term rentals?

999
01:22:17,660 --> 01:22:19,660
I don't have that in front of me.

1000
01:22:20,540 --> 01:22:21,880
I really, I don't know.

1001
01:22:22,000 --> 01:22:22,440
I'm sorry.

1002
01:22:23,280 --> 01:22:24,900
It should be, you know what it is?

1003
01:22:25,060 --> 01:22:27,500
We send out a report every month, the revenue trending,

1004
01:22:28,020 --> 01:22:30,760
and everything's in there for like the last five years.

1005
01:22:31,180 --> 01:22:33,060
I just don't know what we took in

1006
01:22:33,060 --> 01:22:37,660
for the short-term rent. I just don't have it off the top of my head because it gets split.

1007
01:22:38,200 --> 01:22:43,320
So 25 percent goes into the general fund and I think it's 75 percent gets put. I will

1008
01:22:43,320 --> 01:22:48,840
tell you for the wastewater, the projection I think is about 1.4 million a year from

1009
01:22:48,840 --> 01:22:52,420
short-term rentals to go into the wastewater stabilization fund.

1010
01:22:53,000 --> 01:22:56,040
Okay. And you're feeling comfortable with that number?

1011
01:22:57,260 --> 01:23:01,920
Right now. You know, we did get the revenue trending report and we do have some positive

1012
01:23:01,920 --> 01:23:08,260
of news on the rentals. However, sometimes the state, you know, we get a nice little

1013
01:23:08,260 --> 01:23:11,660
bump in a quarter and then the next quarter it kind of goes down. It's like a timing

1014
01:23:11,660 --> 01:23:19,120
issue. So, you know, it's really hard to tell with your estimated receipts. I tend

1015
01:23:19,120 --> 01:23:24,740
to look more around April is a really good indication of what's happened the last seven

1016
01:23:24,740 --> 01:23:28,560
or eight months. But when you're looking in November, it's really kind of hard to

1017
01:23:28,560 --> 01:23:35,080
I mean, when we put the revenue trending report out, I think it was in October.

1018
01:23:35,640 --> 01:23:40,280
The state was like two days late giving us, and we had put a note in the e-mail, late

1019
01:23:40,280 --> 01:23:47,520
giving us our state aid, you know, that money, and, you know, it filters through them.

1020
01:23:47,600 --> 01:23:50,280
So sometimes it's hard to tell.

1021
01:23:51,980 --> 01:23:52,540
Okay.

1022
01:23:54,960 --> 01:24:04,660
When we look at all these projects that Bob is talking about that are on the horizon

1023
01:24:04,660 --> 01:24:09,600
and we're looking at bonding, which predominantly that and grants I'm assuming are going to

1024
01:24:09,600 --> 01:24:15,340
be the ways to fund those, if I'm correct. So when you're looking at bonding, like your

1025
01:24:15,340 --> 01:24:19,260
mortgage payments. You've only got so much capacity.

1026
01:24:21,580 --> 01:24:24,380
And looking at what Bob's talking

1027
01:24:24,380 --> 01:24:30,760
about, I mean, particularly when we get to 2037, and we're looking at the millions at

1028
01:24:30,760 --> 01:24:36,780
that point, aren't we really, if we went ahead, let's just say we did all these projects,

1029
01:24:37,920 --> 01:24:40,440
aren't we really going beyond our funding capacity?

1030
01:24:41,880 --> 01:24:46,460
When you say funding capacity, I guess the way of the bonding.

1031
01:24:46,540 --> 01:24:50,220
How many bonds, you know, like when we go to the bank and say, please, see, I have a bond?

1032
01:24:50,220 --> 01:24:55,600
Well, remember too, by 2037 we will have paid off some of that 207 million, which really,

1033
01:24:55,700 --> 01:24:59,660
the 207 million comes to like 145 with the principle forgiveness, right?

1034
01:24:59,760 --> 01:25:01,940
So as that goes down, that will go down.

1035
01:25:03,880 --> 01:25:09,160
I think the way that I've always looked at it is, you know, this is a plan.

1036
01:25:09,160 --> 01:25:15,240
And it does look overwhelming because we've put all these projects in there and then we gave you a plan and said

1037
01:25:15,240 --> 01:25:18,160
This is what we're looking at but plans change

1038
01:25:18,860 --> 01:25:22,660
You know once you vote a project it takes time to get the design done

1039
01:25:22,660 --> 01:25:28,180
The construction started and so it doesn't hit the tax rate right away

1040
01:25:28,180 --> 01:25:33,200
So at any given time that that can change. I mean this goes out to like 2064

1041
01:25:33,200 --> 01:25:37,840
So I don't think it's going to go over our bonding capacity

1042
01:25:37,840 --> 01:25:42,280
capacity because our capacity is big and remember we're going to be paying off the bonds.

1043
01:25:42,700 --> 01:25:47,980
We structure this in such a way as that the interest declines over time which creates

1044
01:25:47,980 --> 01:25:54,840
a window or a capacity to maybe put in additional projects and our values when you think about

1045
01:25:54,840 --> 01:26:00,200
it too because your bonding capacity has to do with the values of the town and so

1046
01:26:00,200 --> 01:26:04,260
they'll probably in 2037 I'm sure they'll be higher than what they are right now.

1047
01:26:04,260 --> 01:26:11,740
And again, plans, again, this is just a plan just to show you and every year when you look

1048
01:26:11,740 --> 01:26:16,480
at this and you put this on the warrant to go to town meeting, you have a robust discussion

1049
01:26:16,480 --> 01:26:21,280
about this capital facility that we want to do or we don't want to do.

1050
01:26:21,660 --> 01:26:26,460
I've always kind of, I've looked at it as not what can we afford but what are the

1051
01:26:26,460 --> 01:26:30,440
taxpayers willing to pay and the priority of what they're willing to pay.

1052
01:26:30,440 --> 01:26:38,760
And so we just laid it out that can change, you know, it's the beginning, you know.

1053
01:26:38,900 --> 01:26:42,400
Those biographs are going to change, you know, a lot of this is going to change.

1054
01:26:42,560 --> 01:26:47,200
It puts us in, and what it does too is it gives us the control of the borrowing capacity.

1055
01:26:47,820 --> 01:26:53,280
If you're going to do any type of capital facility plan or any type of planning, you

1056
01:26:53,280 --> 01:26:55,980
need to have a debt program and you need to be able to manage your debt.

1057
01:26:55,980 --> 01:27:01,120
If you're going to manage your, when you manage your debt, you're able to incorporate other projects.

1058
01:27:01,480 --> 01:27:07,220
You know, where a year where you might have a huge biograph that goes down, you can put in a capital exclusion.

1059
01:27:07,540 --> 01:27:14,100
But you're managing, what you're doing is you're getting a level of comfortability from the community of what they're willing to pay.

1060
01:27:14,460 --> 01:27:17,280
You keep that debt at that level and you put in new projects.

1061
01:27:17,360 --> 01:27:23,100
It's going to take you a while to get there because as you can see, we have a very low debt payment now.

1062
01:27:23,100 --> 01:27:29,100
But this is just the beginning of the conversation and it's not, I don't think it's meant to like scare anybody,

1063
01:27:29,240 --> 01:27:33,920
but this is how we would put something like this together and this is what people are talking about.

1064
01:27:34,180 --> 01:27:36,460
You know, this is what we're looking at, you know.

1065
01:27:38,180 --> 01:27:40,700
I'm going back to what you showed for projects.

1066
01:27:41,000 --> 01:27:46,020
That's really not all the different capital projects that would be coming up for the town.

1067
01:27:46,480 --> 01:27:51,480
I mean, I look for instance at this building right here that we're in, Town Hall.

1068
01:27:51,480 --> 01:28:00,960
I see that we're going to be needing expansion or new building, and that isn't even factored into this yet.

1069
01:28:01,440 --> 01:28:06,060
Right, so what we're saying is we're not based on everything that's going on right now.

1070
01:28:06,160 --> 01:28:08,320
We're not planning to do a town hall.

1071
01:28:08,900 --> 01:28:12,060
We're, you know, full here at town hall.

1072
01:28:12,560 --> 01:28:20,280
We're potentially, if we do do a library, you know, that could impact us by having some additional

1073
01:28:20,280 --> 01:28:27,300
meeting space across the street. The idea would be is that if that buys us so that we

1074
01:28:27,300 --> 01:28:33,040
don't need a new town hall for 10 years, then we could implement some of this other stuff.

1075
01:28:33,380 --> 01:28:39,360
So largely what we're focusing on is the community facilities we know we'll need in

1076
01:28:39,360 --> 01:28:45,360
the next 10 years, but think town hall. You could redo the senior center at some

1077
01:28:46,720 --> 01:28:50,740
There's, you know, also things that we've identified, you know, ball fields and recreation

1078
01:28:50,740 --> 01:28:57,480
that, again, we're trying to work with the matakies that if we did a public-private partnership

1079
01:28:57,480 --> 01:29:03,160
to increase the number of fields that we could have programming on, that might take our

1080
01:29:03,160 --> 01:29:08,500
actual town investment in new fields, put that out 10 years, you know, so we do,

1081
01:29:08,740 --> 01:29:12,780
we are going to have a ton of other needs, but what we tried to do is get the major

1082
01:29:12,780 --> 01:29:17,120
buildings we know we need within the next 10 years but it's probably not

1083
01:29:17,120 --> 01:29:21,400
exhaustive you know other things could come up you know like within five years

1084
01:29:21,400 --> 01:29:25,020
right you could say well you know we changed our mind we we want to do

1085
01:29:25,020 --> 01:29:30,740
this and so now the 10-year plan you know would shift well I know that can

1086
01:29:30,740 --> 01:29:34,540
always happen I mean we could have a boiler that blows up tomorrow and

1087
01:29:34,540 --> 01:29:40,260
changes what buildings need to be done I understand that part but there

1088
01:29:40,260 --> 01:29:48,680
There's an awful lot of things to think about, and for myself personally, as a member of

1089
01:29:48,680 --> 01:29:57,340
this board, I'm thinking of the impact that my decisions now are going to make on the future

1090
01:29:57,340 --> 01:29:58,320
of this town.

1091
01:29:58,320 --> 01:29:59,960
And what in

1092
01:30:00,000 --> 01:30:07,200
The end is going to be within the best interest of the people that live in this town and what

1093
01:30:07,200 --> 01:30:12,060
is really going to be the affordability for the people in this town. I mean those are two

1094
01:30:12,060 --> 01:30:17,400
things that are kind of important to me. Thank you. Any other discussion?

1095
01:30:18,040 --> 01:30:22,300
Can I just add a footnote to this? I just want to call to the Board's attention a recent

1096
01:30:22,300 --> 01:30:29,620
report from the Mass Municipal Association and it looks at what municipalities across

1097
01:30:29,620 --> 01:30:36,280
across the Commonwealth are facing in terms of added costs and changes in terms of state

1098
01:30:36,280 --> 01:30:37,660
financial assistance.

1099
01:30:38,740 --> 01:30:46,340
And essentially, the headline in the stories coming out regarding this mass municipal association

1100
01:30:46,340 --> 01:30:52,400
report suggests that all communities in the Commonwealth are facing a fairly significant

1101
01:30:52,400 --> 01:30:55,120
financial crisis or crunch.

1102
01:30:56,120 --> 01:31:00,240
And I'm happy to make sure that if you don't have a copy of that report, I can send it to you.

1103
01:31:00,560 --> 01:31:04,220
It's easy to be find on the M Mass Municipal Association website.

1104
01:31:04,660 --> 01:31:07,500
But it was just released a few weeks ago.

1105
01:31:08,840 --> 01:31:14,940
And we've been discussing it, you know, among other associations and other groups.

1106
01:31:15,160 --> 01:31:19,220
As you know, I'm the president of the Cape and Islands Municipal Leaders Association.

1107
01:31:19,820 --> 01:31:21,440
And we've had some discussion about this.

1108
01:31:21,440 --> 01:31:24,520
and we anticipate putting it on our agenda for an upcoming meeting.

1109
01:31:26,180 --> 01:31:27,180
So, FYI.

1110
01:31:27,460 --> 01:31:38,100
I would also query how much of this is related to our current administration in Washington,

1111
01:31:38,760 --> 01:31:43,460
which is, if there were a change in administration, would there be some relief?

1112
01:31:45,120 --> 01:31:48,860
With respect to the Mass Municipal Association report, Madam Chair,

1113
01:31:49,880 --> 01:31:58,220
Thank you. You noticed I needed some more chocolate to keep me going here. The analysis

1114
01:31:58,220 --> 01:32:04,000
was not necessarily focused on what's happening in Washington, D.C. It's largely trends that

1115
01:32:04,000 --> 01:32:08,680
haven't improved at all. For example, Yarmouth, as you know when we look at our budget and

1116
01:32:08,680 --> 01:32:13,520
our revenue situation, we get very little state aid. But there are other communities

1117
01:32:13,520 --> 01:32:18,080
that are seeing declines in their state aid. Our state aid has sort of tended to

1118
01:32:18,080 --> 01:32:19,800
be relatively flat, is that correct?

1119
01:32:20,060 --> 01:32:20,620
Yeah, that's correct.

1120
01:32:20,960 --> 01:32:23,020
Yeah, and the good thing for that

1121
01:32:23,020 --> 01:32:24,860
is that we're not losing revenue

1122
01:32:24,860 --> 01:32:27,580
that we, you know, and have to deal with planning

1123
01:32:27,580 --> 01:32:29,220
and picking up the slack on that.

1124
01:32:29,320 --> 01:32:30,940
The reality is, is though, that on the Cape,

1125
01:32:31,080 --> 01:32:33,740
we've been pretty much on the short end of the stick

1126
01:32:33,740 --> 01:32:36,660
when it comes to getting state aid to help offset

1127
01:32:36,660 --> 01:32:38,380
our operating costs to run the government.

1128
01:32:39,220 --> 01:32:41,880
But this is an analysis looking at basically trends

1129
01:32:41,880 --> 01:32:42,800
across the Commonwealth.

1130
01:32:42,980 --> 01:32:45,500
The big problem has been decline in aid

1131
01:32:45,500 --> 01:32:51,700
in a host of areas involving schools, education, and a host of other areas.

1132
01:32:52,000 --> 01:32:57,360
And the fact of the matter is that under Prop 2.5, we can only increase property taxes

1133
01:32:57,360 --> 01:33:00,680
to a certain amount or rely on an override.

1134
01:33:01,400 --> 01:33:03,220
And what's happening is we're seeing this today.

1135
01:33:03,300 --> 01:33:08,340
In fact, we've discussed this as a board this year, for example, our personnel costs,

1136
01:33:08,540 --> 01:33:10,200
health care costs, energy costs.

1137
01:33:10,200 --> 01:33:16,880
If you look at our cost across the board, you're going up even more significantly over the two and a half percent.

1138
01:33:17,420 --> 01:33:24,300
So what's happening is more and more communities are having to dig deeper in terms of financing those expenses.

1139
01:33:24,740 --> 01:33:27,460
And it's beginning to catch up. There's very little wiggle room.

1140
01:33:27,580 --> 01:33:30,920
And more communities are going for overrides than ever before.

1141
01:33:30,920 --> 01:33:39,740
I just would finish with my, I had meant and I forgot to applaud Bob for the residential

1142
01:33:39,740 --> 01:33:46,700
exemption bringing that forward and I would encourage this board to very strongly consider

1143
01:33:46,700 --> 01:33:56,040
that as something, this is a town that while we have some wonderfully larger capital rich

1144
01:33:56,720 --> 01:34:03,620
properties, we do have the facts on that chart, which means that we have the lesser

1145
01:34:05,380 --> 01:34:11,200
valued properties and low incomes that is the heart and soul of Yarmouth, and we need

1146
01:34:11,200 --> 01:34:12,120
to take care of them.

1147
01:34:12,320 --> 01:34:12,720
Thanks.

1148
01:34:13,580 --> 01:34:14,640
Well said, Liz.

1149
01:34:15,560 --> 01:34:15,980
Okay.

1150
01:34:16,280 --> 01:34:17,500
Well, thank you very much.

1151
01:34:17,800 --> 01:34:18,160
Thank you.

1152
01:34:18,400 --> 01:34:18,960
Appreciate all the work.

1153
01:34:18,960 --> 01:34:19,960
Our

1154
01:34:27,220 --> 01:34:34,120
next item that we have on the agenda is for the discussion and vote for the library

1155
01:34:34,120 --> 01:34:37,000
update and approval to submit the grant application.

1156
01:34:39,290 --> 01:34:39,930
Hi, Judy.

1157
01:34:40,790 --> 01:34:41,470
Well, hello.

1158
01:34:46,000 --> 01:34:48,360
You're wearing your capital budget.

1159
01:34:48,840 --> 01:34:49,780
No, Pat.

1160
01:34:50,300 --> 01:34:51,780
No, I gave that one back to Sandy.

1161
01:34:56,100 --> 01:34:56,840
Well, good evening.

1162
01:34:58,180 --> 01:35:02,560
I'm Judy Connors-Tarver, and I'm the Chair of the Library Building Committee, and

1163
01:35:02,560 --> 01:35:05,060
And I want to introduce our members.

1164
01:35:05,280 --> 01:35:12,120
I'm not sure if we have anybody online, because I can't see that far.

1165
01:35:12,800 --> 01:35:15,600
But Tom Pendleton is our vice chair.

1166
01:35:15,980 --> 01:35:17,860
If I could interrupt for one second.

1167
01:35:18,060 --> 01:35:19,520
No, you don't have anyone online.

1168
01:35:20,340 --> 01:35:20,780
Okay.

1169
01:35:23,040 --> 01:35:23,480
I don't.

1170
01:35:23,720 --> 01:35:24,800
She's not a member.

1171
01:35:25,040 --> 01:35:25,120
No.

1172
01:35:25,300 --> 01:35:26,580
She's not a member of the machine.

1173
01:35:26,820 --> 01:35:27,880
We're happy you're there, Jane.

1174
01:35:29,320 --> 01:35:35,000
So, Tom Pendleton is the Vice Chair and his role as a South Yarmouth Library user.

1175
01:35:35,720 --> 01:35:43,700
Sandy Fyfe, who just vacated, is our secretary and she's our link to capital budget.

1176
01:35:44,500 --> 01:35:46,640
Susan Britta, who's not here tonight.

1177
01:35:46,940 --> 01:35:47,500
No, she's here.

1178
01:35:47,720 --> 01:35:48,140
Oh, she's here.

1179
01:35:48,420 --> 01:35:48,880
Hi, Susan.

1180
01:35:49,780 --> 01:35:51,980
Is our planning board representative.

1181
01:35:51,980 --> 01:35:59,840
John Greco is our construction industry representative.

1182
01:36:00,520 --> 01:36:07,680
Vicki Ginato is our West Yarmouth Library user.

1183
01:36:08,420 --> 01:36:13,240
And Dorcas is our select board rep.

1184
01:36:13,480 --> 01:36:16,260
We also have ad hoc folks,

1185
01:36:16,860 --> 01:36:20,420
Mindy Harrington is youth services director at the library.

1186
01:36:20,420 --> 01:36:27,820
Joseph Lebrac, who's the Circulation Director, and David Aronson, the Library Director, over there.

1187
01:36:28,540 --> 01:36:31,680
So we have a very active committee. You can see we came in force.

1188
01:36:33,980 --> 01:36:46,240
And our purpose tonight is just to update you as far as the submission to the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners that's wrapping up.

1189
01:36:46,240 --> 01:36:55,440
When we were here before in early October, we were getting a little bit nervous about meeting our deadline, but we're there.

1190
01:36:56,360 --> 01:37:04,700
So in the interim, we have presented to the planning board and got a lot. I'm sorry, I didn't introduce Tim.

1191
01:37:06,300 --> 01:37:14,000
Good news. You're sitting right next to me. Tomorrow this is from our owner's project

1192
01:37:14,000 --> 01:37:18,320
management firm, Accenture. You're sitting right here. Could I give

1193
01:37:18,320 --> 01:37:18,840
me a kick?

1194
01:37:19,540 --> 01:37:23,820
No, I don't think you got introduced either. Judy, go ahead.

1195
01:37:23,880 --> 01:37:31,320
Oh, yeah. I thought it started there. Yeah, I'm good. So we presented the planning

1196
01:37:31,320 --> 01:37:40,320
board and they were very happy with what we had. But since then, the team has worked

1197
01:37:40,320 --> 01:37:46,500
with site review folks here at Town Hall. There's been a lot of program discussion with

1198
01:37:47,040 --> 01:37:56,520
library employees and their personnel to incorporate suggestions, ideas, challenges

1199
01:37:56,520 --> 01:38:05,220
to try to change a little bit around with the overall building design and we've

1200
01:38:05,220 --> 01:38:11,680
had an overarching kind of issue with parking and traffic flow. So that's all

1201
01:38:11,680 --> 01:38:23,600
been going on. I think that's about it. Yeah. In addition as needed, conversations

1202
01:38:23,600 --> 01:38:28,860
were happening with Amy and were happening with our representative at the

1203
01:38:28,860 --> 01:38:33,400
Massachusetts, the MBLC. So I'm

1204
01:38:35,960 --> 01:38:39,420
going to introduce Matt Odin who's here from

1205
01:38:39,420 --> 01:38:44,800
Odzelo, sorry, and he's going to just give a rundown. It's a very brief

1206
01:38:44,800 --> 01:38:52,000
presentation. I think you have it. Yes, but we just wanted to carry on

1207
01:38:52,000 --> 01:38:55,800
with where we were just to get to there, so we're not going back.

1208
01:38:57,990 --> 01:38:59,450
Nice to see you guys again.

1209
01:39:00,010 --> 01:39:01,890
It's been a couple of months since we were here last.

1210
01:39:03,130 --> 01:39:09,150
Just before we get into the slides, I just want to mention, Judy talked about pressure around the deadline.

1211
01:39:10,030 --> 01:39:15,270
We plan to submit in the next week and a half before everybody breaks for the holidays.

1212
01:39:16,170 --> 01:39:19,790
The submissions are technically due on the 31st, but we're going to get them in early.

1213
01:39:19,790 --> 01:39:21,650
We're in good shape.

1214
01:39:22,030 --> 01:39:29,570
We have been working hard with the committee, with the library staff, the NBLC, different

1215
01:39:29,570 --> 01:39:34,030
agencies in town, and our consultant team to get us where we are.

1216
01:39:35,850 --> 01:39:39,250
And so we're in very good shape for submitting.

1217
01:39:42,180 --> 01:39:49,220
We had a productive meeting with Mark Grills, the building commissioner, following a meeting

1218
01:39:49,220 --> 01:39:53,000
that we had had a preliminary meeting with the Site Plan Review Committee to talk about

1219
01:39:53,000 --> 01:39:56,320
the overall site plan, which you see up on the screen here.

1220
01:39:58,340 --> 01:40:03,520
The meeting with Mark resolved questions about how to interpret zoning for parking.

1221
01:40:04,240 --> 01:40:11,560
And I think we have settled on a plan that everybody feels comfortable with, which will

1222
01:40:11,560 --> 01:40:17,600
be a shared parking lot between the MacArthur Building and the library on the site of

1223
01:40:17,600 --> 01:40:23,940
the existing 48 car parking lot for the MacArthur building. We are going to replicate those 48

1224
01:40:23,940 --> 01:40:28,640
spaces and we're going to provide 80 additional spaces for the library. That's using the

1225
01:40:29,200 --> 01:40:33,800
state guideline from the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners to determine that

1226
01:40:33,800 --> 01:40:39,620
parking count for a library of this size. That gets us to 128 spaces. That's the

1227
01:40:39,620 --> 01:40:44,500
minimum and that's what we're going to submit to the MBLC. We are also designating

1228
01:40:44,500 --> 01:40:49,800
area for expansion, we think the site can hold up to about 169 spaces.

1229
01:40:50,900 --> 01:40:57,380
We are going to go in with the minimum amount because the NBLC holds you to the number of

1230
01:40:57,380 --> 01:40:58,220
library spaces.

1231
01:40:58,400 --> 01:41:01,940
We want to make sure that we are giving them only what we are obligated to give them.

1232
01:41:02,580 --> 01:41:07,500
We can always add more, but we're showing them that we can provide the minimum required.

1233
01:41:09,100 --> 01:41:17,300
We have also coordinated this with representatives of Mandelima, Matt, whose last name I don't

1234
01:41:17,300 --> 01:41:26,180
remember from the fire department, some of the other site considerations, fire access.

1235
01:41:26,500 --> 01:41:32,580
We have a couple of fire lanes, one on the northeast corner of the building that is

1236
01:41:32,580 --> 01:41:38,120
accessed from Route 28 up in the top right corner of the screen, another one that comes

1237
01:41:38,120 --> 01:41:44,560
in along the south side of the proposed library between the MacArthur Building and the library,

1238
01:41:45,700 --> 01:41:50,100
and from those two places we can get to everywhere we need with hoses around the building.

1239
01:41:50,240 --> 01:41:54,520
So we feel like we're in pretty good shape at a schematic level with the site plan.

1240
01:41:56,620 --> 01:42:01,940
Similarly we've been developing the building plan again with a lot of back and forth

1241
01:42:01,940 --> 01:42:10,520
between staff, MBLC, and our internal team to make sure that we're accommodating all

1242
01:42:10,520 --> 01:42:15,840
of the required shelving for the collections, the required seat counts, getting all of the

1243
01:42:15,840 --> 01:42:23,300
adjacencies properly resolved, and getting the square footage to a place where we are

1244
01:42:23,780 --> 01:42:27,560
feeling like this is at this level about as efficient as we can make it.

1245
01:42:27,560 --> 01:42:30,460
We are now at about a 25,000 square foot building.

1246
01:42:32,080 --> 01:42:35,060
That includes the program.

1247
01:42:35,260 --> 01:42:38,560
It also has incorporated all of the we've

1248
01:42:38,560 --> 01:42:40,340
had back and forth with our consultants

1249
01:42:40,340 --> 01:42:41,580
about mechanical equipment.

1250
01:42:42,380 --> 01:42:44,360
We're still evaluating different systems.

1251
01:42:44,580 --> 01:42:47,040
This will be an all-electric building, fossil fuel free.

1252
01:42:47,600 --> 01:42:50,540
We don't yet know what the mechanical system will be.

1253
01:42:50,620 --> 01:42:52,580
And so we're trying to provide space

1254
01:42:52,580 --> 01:42:56,640
to cover a range of options from air

1255
01:42:56,640 --> 01:43:03,360
cool to air water systems, to geothermal systems, all electric, but different space requirements.

1256
01:43:03,500 --> 01:43:09,620
So this allows us some flexibility in terms of determining ultimately what system we'll

1257
01:43:09,620 --> 01:43:10,360
move forward with.

1258
01:43:15,720 --> 01:43:19,480
And then just updating you, these are views that you have seen before, but we've continued

1259
01:43:19,480 --> 01:43:24,600
to develop them as the planning has tightened up, as we've addressed some of the site

1260
01:43:25,280 --> 01:43:25,840
considerations.

1261
01:43:26,040 --> 01:43:30,060
So this is an existing view of the aerial of the site.

1262
01:43:30,060 --> 01:43:38,660
this is the proposed view with the new library expanded parking and you're

1263
01:43:38,660 --> 01:43:43,320
seeing here that this is the fire access lane on the south side of the building

1264
01:43:43,320 --> 01:43:49,800
fire access on the northeast corner the main wing of the building is under a

1265
01:43:49,800 --> 01:43:56,360
single roof adults and community with the children and teen wing running

1266
01:43:56,360 --> 01:44:04,520
East-West access from parking is via this covered entry porch in the southern end of the building.

1267
01:44:08,050 --> 01:44:13,290
And then some views, a view approaching the building from parking. There's a covered entry porch

1268
01:44:13,290 --> 01:44:18,250
that gets you from drop off to the front door. We're seeing the community wing on the right

1269
01:44:18,250 --> 01:44:26,070
with a 120-seat community meeting room at this end of the building. The wing to the left is

1270
01:44:26,070 --> 01:44:27,190
the Youth Services Wing.

1271
01:44:36,770 --> 01:44:40,990
Moving closer to the building, this is the approach as you're

1272
01:44:40,990 --> 01:44:46,450
walking along the entry porch towards the front entrance. You're seeing into the lobby.

1273
01:44:46,750 --> 01:44:59,970
This is now as you've entered the building into the lobby. As you can see, we're conceiving

1274
01:45:00,000 --> 01:45:08,220
Sustainability, economy or speed of construction. There are a lot of great benefits. It's also

1275
01:45:08,760 --> 01:45:12,760
a material you can leave exposed. You don't have to cover it up, and so it brings a kind

1276
01:45:12,760 --> 01:45:14,420
of natural warmth to the interior.

1277
01:45:16,600 --> 01:45:20,460
Very open, light-filled. We're trying to bring in as

1278
01:45:20,460 --> 01:45:26,900
much natural light as we can, reduce dependency on artificial lighting. This building, as

1279
01:45:26,900 --> 01:45:31,660
you know is sort of oriented around the wooded center of the site, which will remain, and

1280
01:45:31,660 --> 01:45:37,940
that really becomes an amenity for this public building. So all of the public spaces face

1281
01:45:37,940 --> 01:45:40,540
out onto that central wooded area.

1282
01:45:46,340 --> 01:45:48,720
Moving into the children's wing, this is a view

1283
01:45:49,500 --> 01:46:00,140
from the staff desk, looking into the space. High ceilings, expansive windows, plenty

1284
01:46:00,140 --> 01:46:05,780
of natural light and views. There's a community, or I'm sorry, children's program space just

1285
01:46:05,780 --> 01:46:06,500
to the left.

1286
01:46:08,700 --> 01:46:13,100
View of the adult wing, this is at the opposite end of the wing, closest

1287
01:46:13,100 --> 01:46:17,460
to 28, looking out towards that central landscape.

1288
01:46:21,140 --> 01:46:25,720
And then a view from 28, looking towards

1289
01:46:25,720 --> 01:46:31,480
the building, obviously that wooded central area is a kind of veil between the heavily

1290
01:46:31,480 --> 01:46:39,000
traffic road and the library so it helps create a kind of sanctuary in there with outdoor

1291
01:46:39,000 --> 01:46:41,800
reading areas, outdoor terraces and porches.

1292
01:46:42,160 --> 01:46:50,760
We have a pedestrian connection, bridge connection that gets you from 28 along that, alongside

1293
01:46:50,760 --> 01:46:54,240
the adult wing, that gets you all the way back to the central lobby.

1294
01:46:54,520 --> 01:46:58,460
So whether you're coming from parking or coming from the street, you're arriving

1295
01:46:58,460 --> 01:47:04,920
at the same place, supervised by the main circulation desk, an evening view of that

1296
01:47:04,920 --> 01:47:11,920
same vantage point, and then this is on the kind of center, wooded side, looking up towards

1297
01:47:11,920 --> 01:47:16,720
the building, the children's wing in the foreground, adult wing in the background,

1298
01:47:17,820 --> 01:47:20,420
an evening shot of that view as well,

1299
01:47:23,310 --> 01:47:25,450
and that is where we are.

1300
01:47:25,450 --> 01:47:29,390
And so we, as I said, we're planning to submit in the next week and a half.

1301
01:47:30,690 --> 01:47:32,870
The MBLC will take about a month to review.

1302
01:47:33,650 --> 01:47:39,630
We will then go through a third-party estimating effort with our estimator.

1303
01:47:39,710 --> 01:47:41,910
That will take us through the month of February.

1304
01:47:43,130 --> 01:47:48,750
And at that point, we'll have pretty well-defined costs, even though it's a schematic level.

1305
01:47:49,490 --> 01:47:52,450
There's enough information that we'll be able to get a pretty detailed estimate.

1306
01:47:52,450 --> 01:47:57,490
But the good news is that this is a fully funded project through the state.

1307
01:47:57,830 --> 01:48:01,550
Yarmouth is in the first group of funded libraries.

1308
01:48:02,050 --> 01:48:08,150
So assuming that we meet their criteria, which we fully expect that we will, and assuming

1309
01:48:08,150 --> 01:48:14,670
a successful town meeting vote in the spring, we – the money would – the grant money

1310
01:48:14,670 --> 01:48:16,030
would be made available immediately.

1311
01:48:16,030 --> 01:48:22,470
Really, we would start at that point a roughly 12-month design process with the expectation

1312
01:48:22,470 --> 01:48:26,130
to wrap up construction documents by summer of 27.

1313
01:48:29,000 --> 01:48:29,980
Take any questions?

1314
01:48:30,420 --> 01:48:35,920
Matt, you had one more slide in our presentation that we got, our board packet that showed

1315
01:48:35,920 --> 01:48:36,600
the program.

1316
01:48:39,530 --> 01:48:41,850
Yes, that slide was up there.

1317
01:48:42,090 --> 01:48:42,970
Do you want me to go back to that?

1318
01:48:43,330 --> 01:48:44,530
If you would, please.

1319
01:48:44,530 --> 01:48:45,810
I think just so that,

1320
01:48:51,640 --> 01:48:57,400
that one, kind of just do a quick overview of what this is showing,

1321
01:48:57,620 --> 01:48:58,740
the interior of the library.

1322
01:48:59,220 --> 01:49:09,280
So it's, so a radial plan with a central lobby entry point is here, a circulation desk in

1323
01:49:09,280 --> 01:49:12,980
the middle with good oversight of the three main wings of the building.

1324
01:49:13,120 --> 01:49:16,100
The youth services wing, which is children's and teens.

1325
01:49:16,880 --> 01:49:20,500
The yellow is the adult wing, which is running north-south.

1326
01:49:21,100 --> 01:49:22,560
The red is the community wing.

1327
01:49:23,340 --> 01:49:29,500
Behind the circulation desk we've got the staff suite and then utility spaces, public restrooms.

1328
01:49:30,540 --> 01:49:35,940
It's designed like all of the MBLC projects to allow for off-hours access,

1329
01:49:36,160 --> 01:49:43,540
so the community wing can be made available off-hours with the rest of the library closed.

1330
01:49:43,540 --> 01:49:47,820
There would be a point here that you can secure.

1331
01:49:48,060 --> 01:49:52,800
There's an off-hours entrance, so you would have access to the 120-seat meeting room,

1332
01:49:53,560 --> 01:49:59,500
a 600-square-foot classroom, and then all of the ancillary spaces that support that,

1333
01:49:59,720 --> 01:50:01,780
a kitchen, public restrooms, et cetera.

1334
01:50:03,420 --> 01:50:08,680
Okay, when you say the 600-square-foot meeting room, roughly,

1335
01:50:08,680 --> 01:50:16,500
what would that, you know, if people were going to reserve that room in the community, how many people could sit in that room?

1336
01:50:18,060 --> 01:50:26,280
I think it depends on how you set it up with furniture. If it's, you know, it's going to be tables and chairs, most likely.

1337
01:50:26,480 --> 01:50:31,920
So I would say that's probably a 25, 30-person room.

1338
01:50:31,920 --> 01:50:38,360
Okay. To 30 people. And then the auditorium is 120.

1339
01:50:38,640 --> 01:50:40,500
The auditorium is 120 seats, I believe.

1340
01:50:42,140 --> 01:50:45,480
Okay. And then that has a kitchen with it as well?

1341
01:50:45,680 --> 01:50:52,400
There's a kitchen at a pantry, really. There's no cooking or anything there.

1342
01:50:52,680 --> 01:50:58,440
There's a counter, a sink, a refrigerator. It's really a kind of staging area for catered events.

1343
01:50:59,420 --> 01:51:05,000
And that's directly adjacent to the meeting room here, but also accessible from the public

1344
01:51:05,000 --> 01:51:05,400
corridor.

1345
01:51:06,200 --> 01:51:06,800
Okay.

1346
01:51:08,180 --> 01:51:13,300
I open it up to questions from the board, starting with you, Mark.

1347
01:51:13,480 --> 01:51:13,660
Sure.

1348
01:51:13,780 --> 01:51:14,100
Thank you.

1349
01:51:14,400 --> 01:51:16,540
And thank you again for being here tonight.

1350
01:51:17,260 --> 01:51:21,780
Do we have a project budget or at least a parameters of a project budget that sort

1351
01:51:21,780 --> 01:51:23,340
of loyal all the costs?

1352
01:51:24,460 --> 01:51:25,060
Okay.

1353
01:51:25,060 --> 01:51:30,580
Okay, so that's kind of what Matt was just talking about, those numbers would be coming.

1354
01:51:31,220 --> 01:51:36,300
For conversations, we've been using kind of this industry standard of $1,000 per square

1355
01:51:36,300 --> 01:51:36,500
foot.

1356
01:51:37,180 --> 01:51:38,680
So that's the construction costs?

1357
01:51:38,900 --> 01:51:39,060
Yes.

1358
01:51:39,340 --> 01:51:41,480
So what about the other costs?

1359
01:51:42,840 --> 01:51:46,100
Okay, so do you want to just go over that again?

1360
01:51:47,200 --> 01:51:52,200
Tim should actually address the budget, the Accenture is going to be developing

1361
01:51:52,200 --> 01:51:53,020
the project budget.

1362
01:51:53,020 --> 01:51:56,300
but it's early, so we don't really have a...

1363
01:51:56,300 --> 01:51:58,680
Yeah, there's, again, it's...

1364
01:51:58,680 --> 01:52:01,200
At this point, we like to kind of keep things

1365
01:52:01,200 --> 01:52:04,060
in percentages of we don't have hard costs yet,

1366
01:52:04,120 --> 01:52:05,020
we don't have an estimate yet.

1367
01:52:05,220 --> 01:52:08,440
Soft costs typically come in around 25 to 30%

1368
01:52:08,440 --> 01:52:09,520
of a construction budget.

1369
01:52:10,300 --> 01:52:12,440
Right, so for, assuming, $1,000 square foot,

1370
01:52:13,040 --> 01:52:15,320
25,000 square foot building, right.

1371
01:52:16,040 --> 01:52:17,580
I don't, I can't do that kind of math

1372
01:52:17,580 --> 01:52:19,860
off the top of my head, right, but we're...

1373
01:52:19,860 --> 01:52:21,320
$25 million construction budget,

1374
01:52:21,320 --> 01:52:31,800
A soft cost budget of around 30% of that combining the two will give you somewhere around $38 or $39 million of a total project budget.

1375
01:52:32,260 --> 01:52:40,360
So we're looking at a total project cost, including design fees, site work, contingencies around $39, $40 million.

1376
01:52:40,780 --> 01:52:41,260
Is that what we know?

1377
01:52:41,540 --> 01:52:43,000
I think it's going to be less than that.

1378
01:52:43,340 --> 01:52:43,560
32?

1379
01:52:43,920 --> 01:52:46,140
If you apply that, that's 32.

1380
01:52:46,760 --> 01:52:48,660
That's what we've been looking at.

1381
01:52:48,660 --> 01:52:54,340
I'm just trying to understand what what we're looking at see soft costs design

1382
01:52:54,340 --> 01:53:02,200
everything fully loaded 32 so we've been working on with the grant was you know

1383
01:53:02,200 --> 01:53:10,420
in the 40 plus range so percent of the total project yeah just in terms of the

1384
01:53:10,420 --> 01:53:15,180
grant just everyone understands that the way the embassy the way the grant

1385
01:53:15,180 --> 01:53:22,820
works is they base it on eligible costs. Roughly 98% of construction costs are eligible.

1386
01:53:24,480 --> 01:53:31,280
Around 50% of soft costs are eligible. So once we have those numbers, we can plug them

1387
01:53:31,280 --> 01:53:37,440
into the calculator for the grant and figure out what, of those eligible costs, you know,

1388
01:53:37,520 --> 01:53:45,160
what is being funded by the state. They have a funding calculator. There's, you

1389
01:53:45,160 --> 01:53:50,800
million is at this rate, the next five million is at this other rate, and so on. That rate

1390
01:53:50,800 --> 01:53:56,000
goes down as the dollar value goes up. And so it's a cumulative effect. It's not like

1391
01:53:56,000 --> 01:54:00,940
this is the number and we're going to pay you 40% of that number. You plug everything

1392
01:54:00,940 --> 01:54:08,520
into their calculator. It works out to probably in that 40-45% range. That's what we're

1393
01:54:08,520 --> 01:54:09,000
estimating.

1394
01:54:09,540 --> 01:54:13,840
Yeah, I'm just trying to understand what we're dealing with top to bottom in terms

1395
01:54:13,840 --> 01:54:15,580
of overall project costs?

1396
01:54:16,320 --> 01:54:22,700
Yeah, and we don't know, because, I mean, 32 million is a good placeholder, but that's

1397
01:54:22,700 --> 01:54:27,720
using the $1,000 square foot benchmark, which may or may not prove to be the case when we

1398
01:54:27,720 --> 01:54:28,380
get it estimated.

1399
01:54:29,140 --> 01:54:30,380
We'll know more in February.

1400
01:54:30,880 --> 01:54:35,120
By the end of February, we'll have a construction cost estimate that we were just talking

1401
01:54:35,120 --> 01:54:39,980
about even doing two independent estimates, potentially in reconciling.

1402
01:54:41,580 --> 01:54:51,140
We will, at that point, once we have the construction budget, we can extrapolate out the budget numbers that, you know, the soft cost numbers to put on top of that.

1403
01:54:51,920 --> 01:54:58,200
Contingencies will be percentages based on the construction cost values. Everything is sort of based on those hard numbers.

1404
01:54:58,340 --> 01:55:08,400
Once we have those hard numbers, we can put together a pretty good and accurate budget and also figure out what the NBLC reimbursement would be.

1405
01:55:08,400 --> 01:55:09,880
Okay. That's helpful.

1406
01:55:10,880 --> 01:55:14,740
Okay. The other part of the budget is that we have to have fundraising.

1407
01:55:15,460 --> 01:55:17,680
We're required to have fundraising.

1408
01:55:18,360 --> 01:55:21,440
So we as a committee can't do that,

1409
01:55:21,500 --> 01:55:25,680
but we do have some community members who are actively working on that

1410
01:55:25,680 --> 01:55:31,400
can contacting local foundations

1411
01:55:31,400 --> 01:55:36,040
and other kinds of fundraising folks who can guide them.

1412
01:55:36,040 --> 01:55:39,680
So that's kind of going on in the background. It's not official yet.

1413
01:55:39,680 --> 01:55:41,860
That's helpful. That's good to know. What's the expectation?

1414
01:55:42,380 --> 01:55:45,460
I forget. It's a percentage also.

1415
01:55:46,440 --> 01:55:51,040
I don't know that there is a percentage requirement from the state.

1416
01:55:51,180 --> 01:55:57,400
It's just a requirement that private fundraising partly offset the obligation of the town.

1417
01:55:58,260 --> 01:56:01,160
It's got to be a benchmark or a standard or something.

1418
01:56:01,160 --> 01:56:06,880
As an example, East Ham set up a foundation to do this when they did their project that

1419
01:56:06,880 --> 01:56:08,760
was back in 2016, I think.

1420
01:56:09,540 --> 01:56:12,860
They raised around a little over $2 million at the time.

1421
01:56:13,860 --> 01:56:14,960
So that gives you an example.

1422
01:56:15,120 --> 01:56:22,460
That was $2 million on, I think, what was at that time an $8 million project.

1423
01:56:24,320 --> 01:56:28,740
Does the application require any discussion of the private fundraising?

1424
01:56:28,740 --> 01:56:28,940
fundraising?

1425
01:56:30,260 --> 01:56:31,580
The application does not.

1426
01:56:31,840 --> 01:56:32,280
It does not.

1427
01:56:32,320 --> 01:56:35,400
What we are submitting in the next week and a half

1428
01:56:35,400 --> 01:56:37,940
doesn't have anything in it about fundraising.

1429
01:56:38,160 --> 01:56:38,600
It doesn't.

1430
01:56:39,200 --> 01:56:41,740
So where does the expectation of that come from?

1431
01:56:45,180 --> 01:56:47,320
Well, it's part of the parameters.

1432
01:56:47,980 --> 01:56:48,080
Yes.

1433
01:56:48,760 --> 01:56:49,180
It's one of the...

1434
01:56:49,180 --> 01:56:51,520
It was part before I got involved.

1435
01:56:52,020 --> 01:56:54,000
So I inherited that information.

1436
01:56:54,660 --> 01:56:55,380
Typically when...

1437
01:56:55,380 --> 01:56:55,640
Me too.

1438
01:56:56,260 --> 01:56:58,340
Listen, I've been doing grants and fundraising

1439
01:56:58,340 --> 01:57:02,860
fundraising for a long, long time, for a lot of communities and heavily involved in the

1440
01:57:02,860 --> 01:57:07,440
federal government, typically they're strings attached with any grant application. I'm surprised

1441
01:57:08,020 --> 01:57:10,900
that there aren't any strings related to fundraising on this.

1442
01:57:10,980 --> 01:57:17,580
In this phase, in this phase there aren't. So you're talking about the next phase?

1443
01:57:18,340 --> 01:57:23,100
I'm just talking about, yeah, I'm talking about, I'm trying to understand as much

1444
01:57:23,100 --> 01:57:29,420
as I can all the various aspects of the project, what the overall budget or projected budget

1445
01:57:29,420 --> 01:57:34,620
is likely to be, what some of the strings are that are attached to any, again, we're

1446
01:57:34,620 --> 01:57:39,580
at a moment where we're going to be submitting a grant application. It would be helpful to

1447
01:57:39,580 --> 01:57:43,520
know some of the main components of the application and what we're submitting and also

1448
01:57:43,520 --> 01:57:49,120
if there are obligations on us that we need to basically sustain. And I'm just trying

1449
01:57:49,120 --> 01:57:53,660
understand what the fundraising obligations are. I've heard this a lot that other private

1450
01:57:53,660 --> 01:57:58,700
and other communities, they're expected to raise a certain amount of money from the community

1451
01:57:58,700 --> 01:58:04,760
and I'm just interested in knowing what the expectations are on us and from whom or whom.

1452
01:58:05,260 --> 01:58:12,280
I have not heard about any minimum requirements other than the requirement that there be a

1453
01:58:12,280 --> 01:58:16,540
fundraising effort, a private fundraising effort. To my knowledge there is not a minimum

1454
01:58:16,540 --> 01:58:22,100
amount that needs to be raised, and that has been my experience on other projects, past

1455
01:58:22,100 --> 01:58:27,520
projects with the MBLC. The grant is different. They've changed the way that they structure

1456
01:58:27,520 --> 01:58:31,940
the grant, this grant round. This is the first grant round under this new structure,

1457
01:58:32,160 --> 01:58:37,140
so I don't know if that's changed. But my past experience has been there is not

1458
01:58:37,600 --> 01:58:43,200
a minimum you have to hit this number. Okay. That's helpful. One of the things

1459
01:58:43,200 --> 01:58:48,700
Things that I've more or less have talked about when we've had prior library conversations

1460
01:58:48,700 --> 01:58:51,800
is the importance of public engagement, public involvement.

1461
01:58:52,520 --> 01:58:56,200
I think as a board, we've sort of made it very clear that we're interested in seeing

1462
01:58:56,200 --> 01:58:59,140
a plan that has broad-based community support.

1463
01:58:59,440 --> 01:59:04,320
How would you evaluate or assess the community's support for what's being presented here

1464
01:59:04,320 --> 01:59:04,580
tonight?

1465
01:59:08,360 --> 01:59:13,300
The people I talk to are very supportive, but then I have a certain cap on my head.

1466
01:59:13,300 --> 01:59:26,180
So, I would not say that's at all scientific. That's totally anecdotal. And what occurs in

1467
01:59:26,180 --> 01:59:36,220
other forums, I don't know how widespread those are, just noisy they are. And I can't really

1468
01:59:36,220 --> 01:59:44,720
speak to that. We have made a lot of effort to be out there. We brought today our presentation

1469
01:59:44,720 --> 01:59:49,880
boards with us. They've been in the South Yarmouth Library. They were up for the cookie

1470
01:59:49,880 --> 01:59:56,080
stroll. That was our target to have them up. And they did generate a lot of interest

1471
01:59:56,080 --> 01:59:59,780
Just from being there and so I think that's the thing

1472
02:00:00,000 --> 02:00:05,960
We had the first set of plans. That generated a lot of interest because people can look, they

1473
02:00:05,960 --> 02:00:11,460
can point, they can understand. And just as you're trying to understand the intricacies

1474
02:00:11,460 --> 02:00:17,120
of the funding, folks just need to understand where is it going to be, what might it look

1475
02:00:17,120 --> 02:00:26,020
like, what kind of services will this offer for my town? So this, we only have one set

1476
02:00:26,020 --> 02:00:30,880
right now but we'll be getting other sets to get those around and then after we

1477
02:00:30,880 --> 02:00:36,900
have more information like from the estimators and so on we'll start doing a

1478
02:00:36,900 --> 02:00:43,100
little more outreach into the community. We have a meeting this week with with

1479
02:00:43,100 --> 02:00:47,940
Lori Sullivan here at Town Hall just to see how we can develop some more

1480
02:00:50,160 --> 02:00:55,540
programs, whatever she can do for us to help us get the word out.

1481
02:00:55,740 --> 02:01:02,720
We'll have about two months from the completion of our estimate, which we're expecting by the end of February.

1482
02:01:02,880 --> 02:01:07,120
We'll have about two months then from that point to spring town meeting,

1483
02:01:07,500 --> 02:01:13,840
which gives us a number of opportunities to engage the public and to do it with real numbers.

1484
02:01:13,840 --> 02:01:18,640
I mean, to answer the questions that you're asking tonight, we will actually have some

1485
02:01:18,640 --> 02:01:21,740
numbers that we can talk about, and I think it'll be important to talk about.

1486
02:01:21,800 --> 02:01:28,620
Now, how much of the design that's being submitted, how much of its fungible based on, or can

1487
02:01:28,620 --> 02:01:31,360
be modified based on public input and public involvement?

1488
02:01:31,860 --> 02:01:35,160
It sounds like there hasn't been much, that that's something that still needs to be

1489
02:01:35,160 --> 02:01:35,400
done.

1490
02:01:35,940 --> 02:01:40,100
So the question I'm asking is if the public's engaged in looking at this, and it's

1491
02:01:40,100 --> 02:01:47,680
obviously a very impressive presentation, you know, well, how much of the design can

1492
02:01:47,680 --> 02:01:50,180
be modified or adjusted based on public input?

1493
02:01:50,660 --> 02:01:58,300
Well, the design is based on a lot of public input that was done by disruptive construction,

1494
02:01:58,560 --> 02:02:02,080
if I say, okay, thank you, creative work.

1495
02:02:02,780 --> 02:02:05,620
They did a lot of that and went out into the community.

1496
02:02:05,800 --> 02:02:07,580
So that's what this is based on.

1497
02:02:07,580 --> 02:02:11,600
This is actually the response to the community input.

1498
02:02:13,620 --> 02:02:21,860
So once this gets submitted, I think we don't have a whole ton of wiggle room because it's

1499
02:02:21,860 --> 02:02:24,360
already based on data that was collected.

1500
02:02:25,160 --> 02:02:27,620
So you would say that this is embraced by the community.

1501
02:02:27,860 --> 02:02:32,900
This is a project that's embraced by the community, the comfortable with the design.

1502
02:02:32,900 --> 02:02:48,240
By those who participated and gave suggestions to the prior study, have their input represented

1503
02:02:48,240 --> 02:02:48,980
in this?

1504
02:02:50,400 --> 02:02:57,300
If they didn't participate in the last things, probably then their input is not represented.

1505
02:02:59,260 --> 02:03:04,760
I'm just looking for the answer. Yeah, no. Like I said, when we've been saying that we...

1506
02:03:04,760 --> 02:03:07,240
It is. If you didn't participate, no.

1507
02:03:08,680 --> 02:03:14,040
No, I hear what you're saying. This board made a priority of having a local comprehensive plan.

1508
02:03:14,600 --> 02:03:19,060
And the first meeting with the planning board, it was like we need to have a robust public participation,

1509
02:03:19,580 --> 02:03:22,220
public engagement, public involvement. And what did they do?

1510
02:03:22,640 --> 02:03:25,460
They had a robust public engagement and public involvement.

1511
02:03:25,460 --> 02:03:30,380
The local comprehensive plan. We had more meetings than I think anybody was.

1512
02:03:30,500 --> 02:03:34,840
I think people were worn out by the time the whole public involvement process was done.

1513
02:03:34,960 --> 02:03:40,780
But I'll tell you the plan when it came to town meeting was probably and almost universally supported.

1514
02:03:41,360 --> 02:03:45,980
So I think included a library and it included library service.

1515
02:03:46,080 --> 02:03:47,760
I understand that. I think we've said the same.

1516
02:03:48,100 --> 02:03:53,720
We sort of made sort of laid out the same sort of message for this project as well from the very beginning.

1517
02:03:53,720 --> 02:03:58,320
I think the challenge has been you've had a lot of curveballs thrown at you at the very beginning

1518
02:03:58,320 --> 02:04:04,700
and if there's anything, it's sort of cut into your ability to engage the community perhaps to the extent that you would like

1519
02:04:04,700 --> 02:04:08,500
and that's no fault of yours. I don't want to make it sound like I'm blaming you for anything.

1520
02:04:08,940 --> 02:04:15,720
I think you folks have had probably more curveballs thrown at you than maybe any other committee in this town

1521
02:04:15,720 --> 02:04:18,560
and I think you've responded reasonably well.

1522
02:04:18,560 --> 02:04:25,400
I'm just trying to get a sense that once that effort gears up to what degree the community is going to have a real say in

1523
02:04:26,100 --> 02:04:30,840
What you're doing or is it's basically going to be this is the project take it or leave it when they get the town meeting?

1524
02:04:32,020 --> 02:04:32,420
so

1525
02:04:33,220 --> 02:04:36,460
I'll try to answer that. Thank you best. I can mark

1526
02:04:37,520 --> 02:04:42,560
There are certain things that we won't be able to change after this gets submitted to the PLC

1527
02:04:42,560 --> 02:04:45,420
We can't reduce parking. We can't change the site

1528
02:04:45,420 --> 02:04:49,080
We can't really change the square footage of the building.

1529
02:04:49,480 --> 02:04:51,820
This building meets a program.

1530
02:04:53,440 --> 02:04:58,960
We've made changes to that program along the way as we've worked with the state and with the staff

1531
02:04:58,960 --> 02:05:04,060
to make sure that this is exactly what everybody is expecting and needs.

1532
02:05:04,720 --> 02:05:07,860
We've had to make a couple of adjustments to the library building program.

1533
02:05:08,860 --> 02:05:11,700
So that process ends with this submission.

1534
02:05:11,700 --> 02:05:15,580
and we submit that we're saying this is the collection size,

1535
02:05:15,800 --> 02:05:17,040
this is how many seats we need,

1536
02:05:17,200 --> 02:05:18,840
this is the square footage that we need

1537
02:05:18,840 --> 02:05:20,560
for each of these different areas.

1538
02:05:21,740 --> 02:05:24,360
Those are then pretty much locked in.

1539
02:05:24,500 --> 02:05:26,300
We can't really make changes to those.

1540
02:05:28,120 --> 02:05:31,200
There are, this is a very difficult site, as you know.

1541
02:05:31,780 --> 02:05:33,680
We sort of backed into this site,

1542
02:05:34,260 --> 02:05:36,720
given the curve balls that were thrown at us.

1543
02:05:37,580 --> 02:05:40,560
And so there are limited options

1544
02:05:40,560 --> 02:05:42,820
in terms of how you can put a library on this site.

1545
02:05:43,520 --> 02:05:47,240
So all of those are the things that are kind of fixed at this point.

1546
02:05:48,060 --> 02:05:56,860
But is it a brick building, is it a woodclad building, is it, you know, some of the sort

1547
02:05:56,860 --> 02:06:02,040
of finer grain design decisions, we have a year of design ahead of us, right?

1548
02:06:02,280 --> 02:06:07,060
That's a lot of time to think about things, develop things, engage the community.

1549
02:06:07,060 --> 02:06:10,480
The community engagement doesn't stop at town meeting.

1550
02:06:11,100 --> 02:06:13,120
It doesn't stop at the end of conceptual design.

1551
02:06:13,220 --> 02:06:16,500
It goes all the way through the other phases of design.

1552
02:06:16,660 --> 02:06:22,580
So we fully expect that there will be a public process as part of that next step of 12 months

1553
02:06:22,580 --> 02:06:23,160
of design.

1554
02:06:23,660 --> 02:06:25,660
There are also meetings with Site Plan Review.

1555
02:06:26,680 --> 02:06:30,120
I'm sure we'll be back to meet with you guys again.

1556
02:06:30,280 --> 02:06:31,660
We'll meet with the planning board again.

1557
02:06:31,660 --> 02:06:36,100
So all of these are opportunities for the community to get involved.

1558
02:06:37,100 --> 02:06:41,000
There can also be an outreach program during that time.

1559
02:06:41,180 --> 02:06:47,700
So in other words, there's a lot of opportunity, I think, to get people to offer opinions.

1560
02:06:48,820 --> 02:06:52,480
But there are certain things that are fixed that we can't change.

1561
02:06:52,800 --> 02:06:59,560
So to help us out here, what are some of the things that the public can have some real influence on going forward?

1562
02:06:59,560 --> 02:07:04,000
But not to suggest, and I grant you, Judy, what you've said is that there's been a lot

1563
02:07:04,000 --> 02:07:10,120
of public involvement in developing the program and developing conceptually the priorities

1564
02:07:10,120 --> 02:07:11,080
and so forth.

1565
02:07:11,240 --> 02:07:11,900
I get all that.

1566
02:07:12,040 --> 02:07:12,560
I get all that.

1567
02:07:12,680 --> 02:07:17,660
What I'm asking is what's going to be left for the public to sort of chew over and

1568
02:07:17,660 --> 02:07:20,780
provide real creative and helpful input to you on?

1569
02:07:21,220 --> 02:07:21,380
Yeah.

1570
02:07:21,560 --> 02:07:27,660
I mean, I think like happens on every project, there are going to be different aesthetic

1571
02:07:27,660 --> 02:07:28,300
viewpoints.

1572
02:07:28,300 --> 02:07:34,680
So it's going to be a question of, does this represent what most people think would be

1573
02:07:34,680 --> 02:07:35,980
a nice looking library?

1574
02:07:36,380 --> 02:07:42,000
Is this, you know, how do people feel about what it seems like it will be like inside

1575
02:07:42,000 --> 02:07:43,380
for users, for staff?

1576
02:07:44,840 --> 02:07:47,420
And is that something that they can get behind or not?

1577
02:07:47,520 --> 02:07:50,700
And if not, what is it about it that doesn't resonate with them?

1578
02:07:50,960 --> 02:07:52,100
And how can we change that?

1579
02:07:53,220 --> 02:07:55,140
We want to make sure that it's inclusive.

1580
02:07:55,140 --> 02:08:02,700
we want to make sure that it's as welcoming as it can be that regardless of your background or your, you know,

1581
02:08:04,080 --> 02:08:09,440
it's a place that feels like home. It's a kind of civic living room for people in Yarmouth.

1582
02:08:10,040 --> 02:08:16,340
It offers tremendous resources, as all public libraries do, to residents, free internet, access to information,

1583
02:08:17,180 --> 02:08:24,220
engagement with community, program space, there's, I think we have 12 to 14 different

1584
02:08:24,220 --> 02:08:30,220
meeting rooms in here of different sizes from single occupancy study rooms to group study

1585
02:08:30,220 --> 02:08:35,220
rooms to medium-sized meeting rooms to the large meeting rooms. So there's a tremendous amount

1586
02:08:35,220 --> 02:08:41,340
here that the community gets out of this project and we want to make sure that in

1587
02:08:41,340 --> 02:08:45,880
In addition to that, it's an environment that people can get excited about.

1588
02:08:46,300 --> 02:08:48,520
We hope that that's where we are now.

1589
02:08:48,660 --> 02:08:53,100
Maybe it isn't to everybody's taste and we'll look at it as we get into it.

1590
02:08:53,860 --> 02:08:56,840
I think that's where there's probably some latitude.

1591
02:08:57,200 --> 02:09:03,180
I wish quite frankly we could grant you like another 30, 60 more time.

1592
02:09:03,400 --> 02:09:07,280
I feel like we put so much pressure, or let's put this like this has been so much

1593
02:09:07,280 --> 02:09:12,500
pressure put on you to deliver a lot in a short period of time, that it sort of made

1594
02:09:12,500 --> 02:09:18,040
everything compressed, and I'd have to say you've done a remarkable job in an incredibly

1595
02:09:18,840 --> 02:09:22,060
compressed period of time with a lot of curve balls thrown at you.

1596
02:09:22,440 --> 02:09:26,180
But we have said, this board has said over and over again, the importance of public

1597
02:09:26,180 --> 02:09:31,060
engagement, public involvement in the major decisions like this, in a sense that the

1598
02:09:31,060 --> 02:09:37,100
community has a role to play in helping facilitate design choices and to be a

1599
02:09:37,100 --> 02:09:40,020
real partner in all aspects of the project.

1600
02:09:40,380 --> 02:09:44,540
So I think your comments are very, very helpful in that

1601
02:09:44,540 --> 02:09:44,880
regard.

1602
02:09:46,820 --> 02:09:49,700
Now, my understanding, and maybe this is something, a

1603
02:09:49,700 --> 02:09:51,060
question that others can answer.

1604
02:09:51,160 --> 02:09:53,500
But when you said you're going to submit, I'm assuming

1605
02:09:53,500 --> 02:09:56,260
it's on behalf of the town in this select board, correct?

1606
02:09:57,280 --> 02:09:57,960
That's right.

1607
02:09:58,380 --> 02:10:02,600
Actually, I think David Aronson, the library

1608
02:10:02,600 --> 02:10:05,800
director, is the one who's kind of manning the store.

1609
02:10:05,800 --> 02:10:14,520
He is the primary responsible party for uploading things through the website for the grant.

1610
02:10:15,140 --> 02:10:18,380
We are playing a supporting role, but most of the documentation is coming from us.

1611
02:10:19,500 --> 02:10:21,140
So we'll be coordinating with him.

1612
02:10:21,280 --> 02:10:29,180
There is a form that went around for circulation from the town, library director, committee

1613
02:10:29,180 --> 02:10:32,020
chair, architect, OPM.

1614
02:10:35,180 --> 02:10:37,940
Is there a form for the select board to sign?

1615
02:10:38,200 --> 02:10:38,580
There is not.

1616
02:10:38,800 --> 02:10:39,520
That's interesting.

1617
02:10:39,720 --> 02:10:40,800
Does it require it?

1618
02:10:40,920 --> 02:10:41,180
There's not.

1619
02:10:41,640 --> 02:10:42,520
That's interesting.

1620
02:10:42,860 --> 02:10:49,040
Because my understanding was that we, I mean since we're the body that accepts and expends grant funds.

1621
02:10:49,960 --> 02:10:51,140
You're not accepting that.

1622
02:10:51,160 --> 02:10:51,700
You're not accepting that.

1623
02:10:51,700 --> 02:10:52,120
I already did.

1624
02:10:52,240 --> 02:10:53,860
No, but typically we already did what?

1625
02:10:54,140 --> 02:10:55,320
You already accepted it.

1626
02:10:55,780 --> 02:10:56,300
Right.

1627
02:10:56,400 --> 02:10:56,920
Right.

1628
02:10:56,920 --> 02:11:02,880
Right. Well, in many cases, when we're going after a grant application, it's common for

1629
02:11:02,880 --> 02:11:04,160
the board to vote.

1630
02:11:04,780 --> 02:11:06,760
So we're here tonight for that.

1631
02:11:07,040 --> 02:11:08,340
The agenda item is to approve.

1632
02:11:08,840 --> 02:11:10,720
So if you don't approve it, they're not going to submit it.

1633
02:11:10,900 --> 02:11:11,120
Okay.

1634
02:11:11,520 --> 02:11:16,600
But just to be clear, the grant, this is a follow-on to the grant application.

1635
02:11:16,820 --> 02:11:21,900
The grant application already was submitted, and you've received the grant conditionally,

1636
02:11:21,900 --> 02:11:29,860
The condition being that you satisfy the requirements of the grant, which is do this work, the planning

1637
02:11:29,860 --> 02:11:35,500
and design piece, submit that for their review to confirm that, yes, you've done what we've

1638
02:11:35,500 --> 02:11:37,900
asked you to do, and then go to town meeting.

1639
02:11:38,480 --> 02:11:43,820
At a town meeting, you are asking the town to vote to accept this grant.

1640
02:11:45,860 --> 02:12:02,600
So the NBLC does not require that you do a vote. That's a local decision. So if you locally decide we want to take a vote because we want to convey to the town where we stand on this, then that's up to you to do.

1641
02:12:02,940 --> 02:12:08,380
But it's not a requirement. We're just kind of tying this up and sending it in.

1642
02:12:09,100 --> 02:12:13,220
But the administrator just said we as a board can vote to submit or not to submit.

1643
02:12:13,220 --> 02:12:15,120
Yes, it's a local decision.

1644
02:12:15,540 --> 02:12:17,760
Okay, I just want to make sure that that's clear with everybody.

1645
02:12:18,920 --> 02:12:20,900
But we probably could just send it in.

1646
02:12:21,740 --> 02:12:26,760
We could just send it in because we're just following through.

1647
02:12:28,140 --> 02:12:30,620
But it's nice to have your vote.

1648
02:12:34,340 --> 02:12:39,680
I know it's a little odd, it was odd to me too, Mark, but that is what our directive

1649
02:12:39,680 --> 02:12:40,060
was.

1650
02:12:40,320 --> 02:12:45,000
If there is going to be a construction grant to build a library in the town of Yarmouth,

1651
02:12:45,100 --> 02:12:47,980
it will be the town of Yarmouth Select Board that will make a decision whether or not

1652
02:12:47,980 --> 02:12:49,120
to accept that grant or not.

1653
02:12:49,520 --> 02:12:54,540
And it's very common for the board to be consulted in the beginning before it

1654
02:12:54,540 --> 02:12:55,420
submits an application.

1655
02:12:55,860 --> 02:12:58,380
So just to let you know what we're used to here.

1656
02:12:58,540 --> 02:13:00,200
But you already submitted the application.

1657
02:13:00,200 --> 02:13:06,960
I understand that before. We did it before. Right. I get it. So I don't mean to dominate

1658
02:13:06,960 --> 02:13:11,880
the conversation. I'm going to yield the floor for my colleagues. Thanks for indulging me.

1659
02:13:14,920 --> 02:13:21,000
Joyce. Oh, well, I mean, this is the darkest point of the year. We're almost at the solstice.

1660
02:13:21,680 --> 02:13:26,340
So, I mean, I'm dizzy with delight at those illustrations with all that natural light and

1661
02:13:26,340 --> 02:13:32,300
in sunshine. I've followed this process and it seems to me you've done lots of reaching

1662
02:13:32,300 --> 02:13:37,740
out. I mean, you've had, there was the building committee, there was before that the thinking

1663
02:13:37,740 --> 02:13:44,200
about committee. And I think, you know, if you were a library loving person in Yarmouth,

1664
02:13:44,440 --> 02:13:49,860
you would have to have been underground or in a coma not to know about this. I don't

1665
02:13:49,860 --> 02:13:56,220
think that people will be doing much tinkering with the design because the

1666
02:13:56,220 --> 02:14:01,680
revised design is so well thought through and it seems to have something

1667
02:14:01,680 --> 02:14:08,300
for everybody and I think I picture a December in the future when we're all

1668
02:14:08,300 --> 02:14:11,780
going to be fighting for space in there because it'll be so much prettier

1669
02:14:11,780 --> 02:14:16,940
than other buildings. So thank you for all your work and consider me a big

1670
02:14:16,940 --> 02:14:26,220
supporter. I think it's beautiful. Thank you. Yes, wonderful. And I got a little teary there

1671
02:14:26,220 --> 02:14:31,780
because it has been a long process. And I see Linda out in the audience, Linda Callahan.

1672
02:14:32,020 --> 02:14:40,620
And when we first started talking about this, and Will Rubenstein, I believe that there

1673
02:14:40,620 --> 02:14:46,640
There has been a tremendous amount of information that's gone out to the public.

1674
02:14:47,160 --> 02:14:52,000
And I think it, because it's been over such a long period of time, that we kind of lost

1675
02:14:52,000 --> 02:14:54,640
track of that process.

1676
02:14:54,640 --> 02:14:59,980
And so I foresee, though, that as Matt has spelled out...

1677
02:15:00,000 --> 02:15:06,840
It's not over, and that the, it's kind of like the wrap of what the building looks like

1678
02:15:06,840 --> 02:15:15,500
is still something that can be discussed and what kind of rugs and will, or is there too

1679
02:15:15,500 --> 02:15:26,660
much window? Those discussions can go forward, but as, when I'm looking at the layout slide

1680
02:15:26,660 --> 02:15:35,860
that is was left up. That's really what we discussed with the community and the

1681
02:15:35,860 --> 02:15:42,300
decision that has been reached is based on community input is that picture of

1682
02:15:43,020 --> 02:15:48,040
all of the different elements that are going to be that have been considered

1683
02:15:48,040 --> 02:15:53,120
and are going to be included should we get the grant while we've gotten the

1684
02:15:53,120 --> 02:15:57,240
grant, but should we vote once we get the numbers to go forward?

1685
02:15:57,880 --> 02:16:05,780
So I'm thrilled, and I think having it across the street from Town Hall is going to be fantastic

1686
02:16:05,780 --> 02:16:13,200
and next to the MacArthur Building and having the fields there, I was there with the Seaside

1687
02:16:13,200 --> 02:16:20,520
Festival and having the library right there for things like, I think Yarmouth is going

1688
02:16:20,520 --> 02:16:26,940
a benefit to such a degree to have this tremendous facility, and I can't wait for the fundraising

1689
02:16:26,940 --> 02:16:29,700
to start because I'm going to write a check.

1690
02:16:30,280 --> 02:16:30,840
Thank you.

1691
02:16:31,500 --> 02:16:32,000
Thank you.

1692
02:16:32,860 --> 02:16:34,340
A couple of questions.

1693
02:16:36,140 --> 02:16:42,200
Starting with, you're talking about the grant submission goes in now as of December

1694
02:16:42,200 --> 02:16:47,180
31st, but then you also start talking about, well, we won't really know the square footage

1695
02:16:47,180 --> 02:16:52,840
in the construction costs and so forth for town meeting until February.

1696
02:16:53,520 --> 02:16:56,180
My question is this, where does that fall?

1697
02:16:57,820 --> 02:17:00,240
Is that still part of that grant funding?

1698
02:17:00,580 --> 02:17:02,040
How is that being paid for?

1699
02:17:02,100 --> 02:17:05,440
This is stipulated by the NBLC.

1700
02:17:06,840 --> 02:17:11,140
They did not want to do cost estimates until they've completed their review.

1701
02:17:11,140 --> 02:17:17,480
And I think the thinking is, if based on their review, changes have to be made, there's

1702
02:17:17,480 --> 02:17:21,480
something that you haven't done that they think you need to do, they don't want the

1703
02:17:21,480 --> 02:17:22,820
estimate to already have happened.

1704
02:17:23,000 --> 02:17:26,900
They want to make sure that you're getting everything exactly the way they want it

1705
02:17:26,900 --> 02:17:27,960
before you price it.

1706
02:17:28,420 --> 02:17:32,300
I don't foresee any major changes in our case, given the back and forth that we've

1707
02:17:32,300 --> 02:17:32,800
had with them.

1708
02:17:33,240 --> 02:17:35,880
We feel like we're in a pretty good spot with them.

1709
02:17:35,880 --> 02:17:40,840
like, you know, I think the estimate is going to be based on this package that we send them

1710
02:17:41,460 --> 02:17:47,280
with, if anything, very minor edits. But that's the plan that they've set up. And so they

1711
02:17:47,280 --> 02:17:52,220
take about a month to review. So if we submit at the end of December, we're thinking we

1712
02:17:52,220 --> 02:17:56,320
won't get comments back from the state until the end of January, at which point we

1713
02:17:56,320 --> 02:18:00,600
start the estimate. It takes about three weeks to do a cost estimate. It takes about

1714
02:18:00,600 --> 02:18:06,340
a week to review that information, make sure that all the assumptions were properly accounted

1715
02:18:06,340 --> 02:18:06,680
for.

1716
02:18:07,260 --> 02:18:11,900
And so that takes us to the end of February by the time that we think we have a kind

1717
02:18:11,900 --> 02:18:13,240
of reconciled cost estimate.

1718
02:18:14,100 --> 02:18:14,700
Right.

1719
02:18:14,920 --> 02:18:16,280
But what I'm asking is this.

1720
02:18:18,200 --> 02:18:26,980
To pay you, to pay our consultants to do this piece from January to town meeting,

1721
02:18:26,980 --> 02:18:34,380
funding. Where is the funding to pay you coming from? Is that still part of what we, that

1722
02:18:34,380 --> 02:18:42,910
the voters approved at the, at town meeting? Or is this an extra that you're going to

1723
02:18:42,910 --> 02:18:46,490
be knocking basically on our door or Bob's door to?

1724
02:18:46,670 --> 02:18:47,690
The estimate is included.

1725
02:18:48,070 --> 02:18:48,690
Is included.

1726
02:18:48,950 --> 02:18:49,050
Yes.

1727
02:18:49,310 --> 02:18:49,970
So this work would be-

1728
02:18:49,970 --> 02:18:50,630
So this work would be-

1729
02:18:50,630 --> 02:18:54,850
We have an estimator already lined up. His fee proposal is part of our comprehensive

1730
02:18:54,850 --> 02:18:58,090
of design team fee as is our time to manage that effort.

1731
02:18:59,930 --> 02:19:03,610
So, that's your question, that is, that's covered as part of the-

1732
02:19:03,610 --> 02:19:04,290
Great question.

1733
02:19:04,530 --> 02:19:05,250
Okay, yeah.

1734
02:19:05,510 --> 02:19:10,270
So, I mean, for the sake of the people watching at home, there isn't any more money being

1735
02:19:10,270 --> 02:19:13,850
expended by the town until we get to town meeting.

1736
02:19:14,190 --> 02:19:14,690
That's right.

1737
02:19:14,910 --> 02:19:19,490
And allow the people to decide where they go from this point on.

1738
02:19:19,950 --> 02:19:20,570
That's right.

1739
02:19:21,770 --> 02:19:26,470
Also, I love the design boards, they're fantastic.

1740
02:19:27,090 --> 02:19:29,030
You've got them in the South Yarmouth Library.

1741
02:19:29,690 --> 02:19:35,310
My question for you is this, where are the ones for the West Yarmouth Library and for

1742
02:19:35,310 --> 02:19:35,950
Town Hall?

1743
02:19:36,940 --> 02:19:43,590
We just hadn't ordered them yet because we had to get that first set here very quickly.

1744
02:19:44,250 --> 02:19:48,190
But they are on order to have at West Yarmouth?

1745
02:19:48,190 --> 02:19:52,730
We are planning to print additional copies to have in other locations in town, yes.

1746
02:19:52,930 --> 02:19:56,750
Okay, and do you anticipate a date when you'll have those by?

1747
02:19:57,190 --> 02:19:59,210
Probably by next week.

1748
02:19:59,490 --> 02:20:05,710
Okay, great. That's kind of my question in that if we're submitting this effective December 31st,

1749
02:20:05,710 --> 02:20:10,390
I'd want to be able to know that everyone is having an opportunity to see it.

1750
02:20:10,710 --> 02:20:14,250
Is it on the website? If I may interrupt, Dorcas, sorry.

1751
02:20:15,250 --> 02:20:16,090
I'm sorry.

1752
02:20:16,270 --> 02:20:17,790
The board's on the website.

1753
02:20:18,890 --> 02:20:19,570
Not yet, no.

1754
02:20:20,250 --> 02:20:21,950
Because they think to be on the website tomorrow.

1755
02:20:23,410 --> 02:20:26,450
Well, websites are all well and good, Liz, if you use a computer.

1756
02:20:26,850 --> 02:20:30,490
But we've got a lot of people in town that don't.

1757
02:20:31,350 --> 02:20:36,710
And I'm just thinking, I'd love to see one over at our senior center.

1758
02:20:37,690 --> 02:20:42,990
Town Hall, the senior center, West Yarmouth and South Yarmouth.

1759
02:20:42,990 --> 02:20:47,650
I think that's hitting your big points of where it should be.

1760
02:20:48,830 --> 02:20:57,930
If you go all the way down to the very beginning of this, for me, it kind of is all being based

1761
02:20:57,930 --> 02:21:02,250
and correct me if I'm wrong, but this is kind of being based on the fact that this

1762
02:21:02,250 --> 02:21:09,630
design and the reason the library board approved it is because they were looking at this as

1763
02:21:09,630 --> 02:21:11,870
our one central library for the town.

1764
02:21:11,870 --> 02:21:12,890
that

1765
02:21:15,610 --> 02:21:21,210
was our charge yes okay so that's coming out of the original premise and

1766
02:21:22,130 --> 02:21:28,270
yet what we saw Judy when we saw the number of people that responded in June

1767
02:21:28,270 --> 02:21:37,850
was overwhelmingly that they were going to still see a West Yarmouth branch and

1768
02:21:37,850 --> 02:21:41,290
And, Celia, in addition to this.

1769
02:21:42,170 --> 02:21:44,750
That was their desire, yes. We heard that.

1770
02:21:45,210 --> 02:21:47,550
Right. So, I mean, that...

1771
02:21:47,550 --> 02:21:59,210
But that doesn't affect our charge. Our charge was to present to you a design for a library that would serve the needs of the community.

1772
02:21:59,210 --> 02:22:06,190
And that was based on, we talked about population a lot the last time we were here,

1773
02:22:06,490 --> 02:22:10,470
but it wasn't just on population, it was on programmatic needs.

1774
02:22:10,970 --> 02:22:18,250
So programmatic needs and population and a fluctuating population in the summer,

1775
02:22:19,010 --> 02:22:26,550
what would a library, a modern library look like to serve those needs?

1776
02:22:26,550 --> 02:22:35,570
And so I think we've heard kind of a revision of how West Yarmouth Library actually functions.

1777
02:22:36,630 --> 02:22:48,850
This became more clear to me recently that the library views it now almost as a branch anyway

1778
02:22:48,850 --> 02:22:54,690
because the major collection, the major traffic, the major circulation is at south.

1779
02:22:54,690 --> 02:23:05,050
So there's more demand for space coming in West, particularly for children's programs,

1780
02:23:05,190 --> 02:23:06,370
and they just can't do it.

1781
02:23:06,850 --> 02:23:13,730
But with a library that belongs to the town that would have beautiful spaces for kids

1782
02:23:13,730 --> 02:23:19,470
and a dedicated story hour room and access to outdoor play,

1783
02:23:19,470 --> 02:23:25,750
That that would take the pressure off West Yarmouth to be all things to all people there

1784
02:23:27,410 --> 02:23:34,510
But I do go back to the fact that that wasn't our charge and that that really belongs with you folks

1785
02:23:34,510 --> 02:23:36,850
to determine if you're going to

1786
02:23:37,790 --> 02:23:39,290
operate to buildings

1787
02:23:40,230 --> 02:23:46,690
And I do I do have to say I love our libraries just as they are

1788
02:23:46,690 --> 02:23:52,110
I really do but part of the reason I love the library and that you love your

1789
02:23:52,110 --> 02:23:58,570
library is that our staff does such a wonderful job and they keep their game

1790
02:23:58,570 --> 02:24:05,490
faces on all the time and they are service oriented but the challenges

1791
02:24:05,490 --> 02:24:15,770
they work with in space mostly space but just space and leaky sinks and all

1792
02:24:15,770 --> 02:24:21,830
kinds of other things that they deal with to provide us as the customers, if you will,

1793
02:24:21,950 --> 02:24:29,190
of the library. The library patrons only see the best of those folks. They are absolutely

1794
02:24:29,190 --> 02:24:35,110
wonderful and it's always a great experience. But if you walk into any of those libraries,

1795
02:24:35,530 --> 02:24:42,890
you know there's no place for them to really go and work. So to have the community that

1796
02:24:42,890 --> 02:24:49,270
we want to have, where people will learn together, where people will be happy, where we will be

1797
02:24:49,270 --> 02:24:56,110
interacting, where we will provide a beautiful municipal building that says, we're Yarmouth

1798
02:24:56,110 --> 02:25:04,710
and we're proud. I really urge you to just support this and we will find a way. We will

1799
02:25:04,710 --> 02:25:09,290
find a way. I'm much more hopeful, Mark. I'm much more hopeful.

1800
02:25:09,290 --> 02:25:15,130
I'm sorry, I'm not meaning to put you on the hot seat, and I know what your charge was

1801
02:25:15,130 --> 02:25:21,150
and what all of you did was commendable, but I'm still going back to, I hear you Liz, that

1802
02:25:21,150 --> 02:25:24,070
we really had community involvement the first time around.

1803
02:25:25,170 --> 02:25:33,370
But what was shocking to me was the amount of response we got over the summer from the

1804
02:25:33,370 --> 02:25:41,930
the library building committee of people saying that they absolutely want West Yarmouth to

1805
02:25:41,930 --> 02:25:47,330
stay, number one. And number two, what was astounding to me were the number of people

1806
02:25:47,330 --> 02:25:54,270
that said that they would never approach before for input. I mean, that was in a

1807
02:25:54,270 --> 02:26:02,790
lot of those emails and, you know, presentations that we had. You know, people saying I didn't

1808
02:26:02,790 --> 02:26:05,290
get a chance to participate the first time around.

1809
02:26:06,190 --> 02:26:14,770
And if your whole premise is based on a central library, it's food for thought for me, and

1810
02:26:15,550 --> 02:26:23,850
certainly for discussion among my fellow board members, because there seem to be like

1811
02:26:23,850 --> 02:26:29,590
two concepts, you know, like that we have three branches in town and we don't talk

1812
02:26:29,590 --> 02:26:33,590
about Yarmouth Port because quite honestly the town doesn't have to pay for that, fortunately.

1813
02:26:34,370 --> 02:26:41,430
They have their own library association and board that pays for that, but the town is

1814
02:26:41,430 --> 02:26:45,790
paying for South Yarmouth and for West Yarmouth.

1815
02:26:46,010 --> 02:26:51,830
And what we were really hearing, and this isn't really to you, this is to everyone,

1816
02:26:52,350 --> 02:26:58,470
what we were really hearing is we want to keep West Yarmouth overwhelmingly and

1817
02:26:58,470 --> 02:26:59,870
And we want to keep South Yarmouth.

1818
02:27:01,650 --> 02:27:09,930
And so then the question comes to play, for instance, with your design and I guess my

1819
02:27:09,930 --> 02:27:17,650
question would be, when we get before town meeting, that's where it's going to be up

1820
02:27:17,650 --> 02:27:19,850
to the people to decide one way or another.

1821
02:27:19,970 --> 02:27:20,270
Absolutely.

1822
02:27:20,470 --> 02:27:27,670
I mean, I'm sitting here knowing that it's not costing anyone a dime between now and

1823
02:27:27,670 --> 02:27:31,410
when everyone is going to sit down again and talk about this at town meeting.

1824
02:27:32,830 --> 02:27:38,610
But at town meeting, we're going to have to have an awful lot of information available

1825
02:27:40,090 --> 02:27:43,430
for the people to be able to make an informed decision.

1826
02:27:44,190 --> 02:27:49,070
And at the same time, we, the Board, are going to have to look at, from a capital

1827
02:27:49,070 --> 02:27:54,050
perspective, particularly after the news that we were getting from Jennifer and Bob

1828
02:27:54,050 --> 02:28:01,310
and the capital improvement today about our continuing debt, how much can we afford to

1829
02:28:01,310 --> 02:28:02,570
actually spend?

1830
02:28:03,150 --> 02:28:07,410
So like for instance, immediately comes up a question for me, are we going to have to

1831
02:28:07,410 --> 02:28:13,850
staff bigger for this new library or are we taking just the existing staff of South

1832
02:28:13,850 --> 02:28:19,470
Yarmouth and moving them into this library and then staying with our existing staff

1833
02:28:19,470 --> 02:28:26,470
and West Yarmouth staying there? Or by nature of this building and the size being so much

1834
02:28:26,470 --> 02:28:32,990
larger than South Yarmouth, do we need extra staff? There are a lot of questions for us,

1835
02:28:33,030 --> 02:28:39,570
I'm afraid, to go into this. And cost, quite honestly, is going to drive an awful lot

1836
02:28:39,570 --> 02:28:48,090
of it. So when I hear you, the library board is telling you that you're not going

1837
02:28:48,090 --> 02:28:55,530
to be able to make – they want to actually finalize what they're going to allow and

1838
02:28:55,530 --> 02:28:58,770
then that you have to go ahead and put together those construction costs.

1839
02:28:59,150 --> 02:29:02,830
But when you're putting together those construction costs, some of the questions we're going

1840
02:29:02,830 --> 02:29:06,810
to have, for instance, is you're talking about having an all-electric building.

1841
02:29:07,370 --> 02:29:11,590
What's the cost going to be to put the solar in to help to fund that electricity?

1842
02:29:12,310 --> 02:29:19,330
What's the cost going to be for all

1843
02:29:21,540 --> 02:29:24,320
those mechanicals, the actual space?

1844
02:29:24,980 --> 02:29:28,260
Do we really need a 120 space auditorium?

1845
02:29:28,520 --> 02:29:35,800
I mean, there's an awful lot of question marks there for us that I think we have to have firm, hard numbers

1846
02:29:36,340 --> 02:29:41,500
so we can sit with the townspeople like we did when it came time for wastewater,

1847
02:29:41,500 --> 02:29:48,820
And everyone is fully informed before we get to town meeting that this is what it's going to cost.

1848
02:29:49,420 --> 02:29:54,460
So like all the questions that we're asking tonight that we don't have an answer for,

1849
02:29:54,880 --> 02:29:56,920
we're going to need to have an answer for.

1850
02:29:57,960 --> 02:29:59,440
By the time we get to town meeting.

1851
02:30:00,000 --> 02:30:07,960
We have a lot of data, though, on programs that were run in the Leonard Room and requests

1852
02:30:07,960 --> 02:30:14,400
for programs to be run that could not be run. So we have a lot of that kind of data. We have

1853
02:30:14,400 --> 02:30:20,100
a lot of data on attendance at children's programs, and some of those had to be run

1854
02:30:20,100 --> 02:30:27,740
outdoors because there's no room. And then if it was raining, all of that program doesn't

1855
02:30:27,740 --> 02:30:33,000
happen where you if you have a facility yes you can continue and you can have

1856
02:30:33,000 --> 02:30:38,960
your programs. I know there was a conversation also earlier with well if

1857
02:30:38,960 --> 02:30:44,380
we're going to keep West to open then take that square footage and lop it off

1858
02:30:44,380 --> 02:30:49,720
this design because then that where that was presented at one of our meetings

1859
02:30:49,720 --> 02:30:55,820
and it was like well we can't do that because again this was our charge

1860
02:30:55,820 --> 02:31:00,860
This was the information that was gathered from everybody who participated.

1861
02:31:01,840 --> 02:31:02,800
And I wonder to,

1862
02:31:05,260 --> 02:31:07,500
you know, I love town meeting.

1863
02:31:07,980 --> 02:31:13,380
I love the representative government, the direct access we have and this pure form of

1864
02:31:13,380 --> 02:31:15,280
democracy that we have in town.

1865
02:31:15,600 --> 02:31:16,840
I just absolutely love it.

1866
02:31:17,060 --> 02:31:25,860
It's cumbersome, but we have a responsibility to be informed, too, as citizens.

1867
02:31:25,860 --> 02:31:32,340
We have that responsibility to be informed and when people say, oh, I didn't hear about it,

1868
02:31:34,240 --> 02:31:35,540
maybe they didn't.

1869
02:31:36,180 --> 02:31:42,120
But there are things that they were paying attention to that were more important for them.

1870
02:31:43,280 --> 02:31:47,000
And now when this is important, they're going to pay attention.

1871
02:31:47,360 --> 02:31:53,260
And that's our chance to say things like, this is what your new library can provide for you.

1872
02:31:53,260 --> 02:31:55,880
And we intend to be out there doing that.

1873
02:31:58,460 --> 02:32:04,620
Yeah, and Dorcas, to your point about cost, we will know costs by the end of February.

1874
02:32:05,380 --> 02:32:10,920
And solar is one thing that we can add to that list of questions about cost.

1875
02:32:11,240 --> 02:32:17,020
And absolutely, it is a logical tie-in to an all-electric system.

1876
02:32:17,100 --> 02:32:17,640
It would be great.

1877
02:32:17,640 --> 02:32:23,400
the building has sort of been designed thinking about, you know, south-facing

1878
02:32:23,400 --> 02:32:29,280
roof, that entire use services wing, south-facing, but even the adult wing we

1879
02:32:29,280 --> 02:32:33,780
think could have some yield benefit for solar. We're obligated by code to

1880
02:32:33,780 --> 02:32:39,100
provide a solar-ready building, so at a minimum it is designed so that it can

1881
02:32:39,100 --> 02:32:43,780
receive solar. Solar is an eligible cost. If the town decides that that's

1882
02:32:43,780 --> 02:32:46,520
something that they want to build into a construction package.

1883
02:32:47,220 --> 02:32:47,780
We can do that.

1884
02:32:47,840 --> 02:32:51,940
We're doing that on another MBLC project now that's going to open up at the beginning

1885
02:32:51,940 --> 02:32:52,960
of the new year.

1886
02:32:53,740 --> 02:32:57,820
They decided to buy the solar as part of the – put it into the bid documents so

1887
02:32:57,820 --> 02:33:00,560
that they are getting the MBLC reimbursement for that cost.

1888
02:33:02,200 --> 02:33:06,720
You know, that's a bigger conversation about the right way to do solar in this

1889
02:33:06,720 --> 02:33:07,000
town.

1890
02:33:07,220 --> 02:33:10,580
You know, I don't know if there's – some towns have a municipal array

1891
02:33:10,580 --> 02:33:14,060
that funds all of the public buildings, others do it building by building.

1892
02:33:14,660 --> 02:33:17,620
There are a lot of different ways to procure solar.

1893
02:33:18,480 --> 02:33:23,440
The tax credits have changed for solar, so now I think nonprofits can actually get a

1894
02:33:23,440 --> 02:33:25,700
tax credit where they did not used to be able to.

1895
02:33:26,400 --> 02:33:28,120
So the calculus has changed a little bit.

1896
02:33:28,180 --> 02:33:30,220
It used to be that that was a great donor opportunity.

1897
02:33:31,420 --> 02:33:37,260
Private donors would donate a solar array, take the tax credit, so there was sort

1898
02:33:37,260 --> 02:33:37,800
of a win-win.

1899
02:33:37,800 --> 02:33:41,500
And so there's a lot to talk about solar specifically,

1900
02:33:41,720 --> 02:33:44,500
but we are planning this fully expecting

1901
02:33:45,160 --> 02:33:47,980
that somehow solar will be on the roof of this building.

1902
02:33:48,440 --> 02:33:51,020
And we should talk, we can identify what that cost is.

1903
02:33:51,740 --> 02:33:53,500
And then we should talk about the different ways

1904
02:33:53,500 --> 02:33:55,380
that that could be achieved.

1905
02:33:56,140 --> 02:33:59,100
So I think we need to be able to tell the people,

1906
02:34:00,600 --> 02:34:04,000
this is what, this is all, if you vote yes,

1907
02:34:04,320 --> 02:34:06,560
because once we vote at town meeting,

1908
02:34:07,800 --> 02:34:09,200
Then we're locked in, aren't we,

1909
02:34:09,560 --> 02:34:11,140
to go forward with the building?

1910
02:34:13,260 --> 02:34:16,800
Right, so they need to know at town meeting

1911
02:34:17,580 --> 02:34:20,580
what they're locking into, total.

1912
02:34:22,960 --> 02:34:24,080
And not coming back.

1913
02:34:24,120 --> 02:34:26,220
They have to pay a lot of attention before town meeting.

1914
02:34:26,520 --> 02:34:28,540
Well, not coming back later and saying,

1915
02:34:28,560 --> 02:34:31,980
oh, by the way, there's an extra cost for this

1916
02:34:31,980 --> 02:34:34,880
or that, we're just gonna have to have it all there

1917
02:34:34,880 --> 02:34:35,460
for them.

1918
02:34:35,860 --> 02:34:37,060
Of course, yeah.

1919
02:34:37,060 --> 02:34:43,340
One other thing I want to mention related to solar, but really any kind of green feature,

1920
02:34:44,380 --> 02:34:51,460
the MBLC also offers a green library incentive program, which is a reimbursement program that

1921
02:34:51,460 --> 02:34:58,540
pays 3% of the grant award with a minimum $100,000 grant.

1922
02:34:58,540 --> 02:35:07,400
So, in our case, our estimate is that the town would get a $400,000 reimbursement.

1923
02:35:07,680 --> 02:35:11,820
This would be after the building opens, you have to – there's several different pathways

1924
02:35:11,820 --> 02:35:19,140
to demonstrate compliance with the requirements, but we're very confident that we can achieve

1925
02:35:19,140 --> 02:35:20,400
one of those pathways.

1926
02:35:20,540 --> 02:35:24,920
One is get LEED Gold certified, but there are other ways to do it.

1927
02:35:25,720 --> 02:35:31,380
That's a reimbursement. It would be $400,000 that would then offset the cost of a solar

1928
02:35:31,380 --> 02:35:39,040
array or some other aspect of the library that contributes to the sustainability. So

1929
02:35:39,040 --> 02:35:40,920
that's on top of the grant award.

1930
02:35:42,540 --> 02:35:48,480
Well, I have to say thank you. You've done an amazing job. It's been a pleasure to

1931
02:35:48,480 --> 02:35:55,220
work with you on whatever way this comes down a town meeting you we kept

1932
02:35:55,220 --> 02:35:59,580
throwing things at you and you just kept going sure we'll figure that out and

1933
02:35:59,580 --> 02:36:05,180
came back and had a solution so it's really been amazing now I think it

1934
02:36:05,180 --> 02:36:12,780
comes back to us on the board I thank you all and approve the submission of

1935
02:36:12,780 --> 02:36:17,480
the grant formally we have to wait for somebody to get back here here he

1936
02:36:18,240 --> 02:36:21,720
Can I make a motion? Well, he's in motion.

1937
02:36:22,720 --> 02:36:23,120
Okay.

1938
02:36:23,540 --> 02:36:32,900
I make a motion that we approve the submission of the library package to the MSBLC.

1939
02:36:33,260 --> 02:36:33,820
MBLC.

1940
02:36:33,880 --> 02:36:34,480
MBLC.

1941
02:36:35,460 --> 02:36:35,860
Second.

1942
02:36:36,000 --> 02:36:36,240
Do I have a second?

1943
02:36:36,640 --> 02:36:37,200
Do I have a second?

1944
02:36:37,400 --> 02:36:38,560
So discussion, Mark.

1945
02:36:39,020 --> 02:36:40,840
Yeah, let me just add another item.

1946
02:36:41,020 --> 02:36:46,880
I think I'd like to address, we have to address head on this question about the

1947
02:36:46,880 --> 02:36:52,040
West Yarmouth Library, because the reality is that in your meetings there's been enough

1948
02:36:52,720 --> 02:36:57,960
talk and speculation that perhaps the West Yarmouth Library is somehow either going to

1949
02:36:57,960 --> 02:37:00,980
go or be a casualty in this.

1950
02:37:01,600 --> 02:37:07,360
And I think somehow that message is out there, and I think we as a board need to really

1951
02:37:07,360 --> 02:37:11,940
address that and make that fundamentally clear, that as far as we're concerned there's

1952
02:37:11,940 --> 02:37:20,200
there's no intention in terms of the advancement of this project to see the end of the West

1953
02:37:20,200 --> 02:37:24,620
Yarmouth Library. And I want to address that to my fellow board members. Does anybody here

1954
02:37:24,620 --> 02:37:31,000
on this board support a project that ends up with the loss of the West Yarmouth Library?

1955
02:37:31,300 --> 02:37:37,580
I just would have to respond that I think that there's a fiscal reality to keeping

1956
02:37:37,580 --> 02:37:47,140
West and South and having a new library that we will need to confront because it will involve

1957
02:37:47,140 --> 02:37:47,860
more staff.

1958
02:37:48,020 --> 02:37:49,240
There's no way it can't.

1959
02:37:49,940 --> 02:37:53,980
And so how do we – how do we handle that?

1960
02:37:54,500 --> 02:38:03,420
Do we – as residents, is that part of the residents' voice at town meeting, they have

1961
02:38:03,420 --> 02:38:11,380
have an additional cost on the warrant that says, yes, we want to keep these other libraries

1962
02:38:11,380 --> 02:38:15,200
going at this cost, and we're willing to shoulder it.

1963
02:38:16,740 --> 02:38:17,920
Yes, Joyce?

1964
02:38:18,160 --> 02:38:25,060
I just wonder how much concern there is about keeping the South Yarmouth Library open, given

1965
02:38:25,060 --> 02:38:27,660
that the new Central Library would be in South Yarmouth.

1966
02:38:28,020 --> 02:38:32,800
I mean, I think I've heard mainly concerned about keeping the West Yarmouth Library open.

1967
02:38:32,800 --> 02:38:39,300
So, we're really talking about one branch library probably rather than two, if I could.

1968
02:38:40,760 --> 02:38:48,920
I think comments about restoring or keeping South open are related to not doing the project

1969
02:38:48,920 --> 02:38:49,400
at all.

1970
02:38:50,540 --> 02:38:51,100
Ah, wealth!

1971
02:38:53,840 --> 02:38:58,400
Yeah, I think if there's a library that needs to be replaced, it's the South Yarmouth

1972
02:38:58,400 --> 02:38:58,700
Library.

1973
02:38:58,840 --> 02:38:59,220
That's the way.

1974
02:38:59,320 --> 02:39:00,460
I've always looked at this project.

1975
02:39:02,860 --> 02:39:08,960
I mean, we all love it. It's wonderful, but it's outlived its purpose.

1976
02:39:09,220 --> 02:39:14,360
It's time to be repurposed to something and some other way to support the community.

1977
02:39:14,820 --> 02:39:20,980
But I think the message that is out there in the community that we have to confront

1978
02:39:20,980 --> 02:39:27,840
is that moving forward with this project somehow undermines and weakens the prospect

1979
02:39:27,840 --> 02:39:29,400
of the West Yarmouth Library.

1980
02:39:29,400 --> 02:39:33,800
And there's a perception in the community that if we vote yes to this, it's going to

1981
02:39:33,800 --> 02:39:37,180
be meaning a vote against West Yarmouth.

1982
02:39:37,480 --> 02:39:41,020
And quite frankly, Liz, your comments don't help in that regard.

1983
02:39:41,140 --> 02:39:41,820
They don't.

1984
02:39:42,580 --> 02:39:44,680
But I do think that that's a reality.

1985
02:39:45,300 --> 02:39:51,460
If we're going to have the discussion, is that not part of the, it's a fiscal discussion.

1986
02:39:51,680 --> 02:39:55,640
How do we keep both libraries staffed?

1987
02:39:56,720 --> 02:40:03,600
Well, that's the problem that I have with the motion is that we're only, unless we

1988
02:40:03,600 --> 02:40:09,460
nip this in the bud soon, we're only going to continue to perpetuate that view out there

1989
02:40:09,460 --> 02:40:10,160
in the community.

1990
02:40:10,660 --> 02:40:13,240
And that's why I can't support the motion.

1991
02:40:13,620 --> 02:40:16,840
To go forward with the application.

1992
02:40:17,500 --> 02:40:25,400
I don't want to be sending a message in the community that somehow we, the town of

1993
02:40:25,400 --> 02:40:28,220
West Yarmouth is in jeopardy, the West Yarmouth Library is.

1994
02:40:28,340 --> 02:40:28,720
It's not.

1995
02:40:29,460 --> 02:40:30,880
And I can't support it either.

1996
02:40:31,960 --> 02:40:35,620
Well, and I would just make the note that if we don't go

1997
02:40:35,620 --> 02:40:42,360
forward with the grant application, then we have West

1998
02:40:42,360 --> 02:40:45,780
and South Yarmouth libraries forever, forever, because this

1999
02:40:45,780 --> 02:40:48,480
grant is now will be closed for another five years.

2000
02:40:49,180 --> 02:40:54,220
And the West Yarmouth Library, as lovely as it is,

2001
02:40:54,220 --> 02:41:02,840
is not a modern librarian, will not, does not provide what we are, some of us were hoping

2002
02:41:02,840 --> 02:41:10,880
the town of Yarmouth would have, which is ample meeting space and a place for children

2003
02:41:10,880 --> 02:41:16,720
and grown-ups to gather, and we just won't have that, because West Yarmouth can't provide

2004
02:41:16,720 --> 02:41:17,040
that.

2005
02:41:18,080 --> 02:41:24,240
But you're also saying that we would be out of this grant process, but it's not that we're

2006
02:41:24,240 --> 02:41:25,460
closing the door forever.

2007
02:41:25,800 --> 02:41:28,700
We're opening the door in the future.

2008
02:41:29,700 --> 02:41:37,440
Not with this grant, but there would be another grant process that we can submit to.

2009
02:41:38,140 --> 02:41:39,540
It's only a possibility.

2010
02:41:40,720 --> 02:41:45,220
But we might not be looked on favorably by having gone through this.

2011
02:41:45,220 --> 02:41:47,220
far and then walking away.

2012
02:41:47,680 --> 02:41:48,080
Well, we've done that.

2013
02:41:48,080 --> 02:41:51,040
But this project can coexist.

2014
02:41:51,860 --> 02:41:55,440
This was already discussed when you selected this site.

2015
02:41:56,140 --> 02:41:58,560
It was predicated on the discussion

2016
02:41:58,900 --> 02:42:02,880
that this facility may coexist with the West Yarmouth

2017
02:42:02,880 --> 02:42:04,580
Library, not the South.

2018
02:42:04,700 --> 02:42:07,080
It replaces the South, but it can coexist.

2019
02:42:07,460 --> 02:42:10,260
And there's absolutely nothing in this proposal

2020
02:42:10,860 --> 02:42:14,000
that threatens West Yarmouth.

2021
02:42:14,000 --> 02:42:19,880
I think what the committee is saying, that's the select board's decision that we can keep

2022
02:42:19,880 --> 02:42:20,580
West Yarmouth.

2023
02:42:20,780 --> 02:42:28,060
In fact, what this building will do is create the opportunity to do some of the programming

2024
02:42:28,060 --> 02:42:32,860
that can't be done at West, and so it takes the pressure off of West so that it can

2025
02:42:32,860 --> 02:42:38,720
exist as a nice branch, but it doesn't have to have all the children's programming

2026
02:42:38,720 --> 02:42:39,540
and the other things.

2027
02:42:39,540 --> 02:42:44,060
So submitting this grant application is not a threat to West Yarmouth.

2028
02:42:45,980 --> 02:42:49,640
It's a decision of the select board to move in that direction.

2029
02:42:51,220 --> 02:42:57,960
But yet I heard, I already heard, like Liz was starting to talk about fiscally,

2030
02:42:58,120 --> 02:43:03,720
we have to look at the fact that we can't really handle both.

2031
02:43:04,060 --> 02:43:06,900
I mean, that's a question. It's not a statement.

2032
02:43:06,900 --> 02:43:14,340
No, I know it's not a statement, but Mark is absolutely right, and I support what he's

2033
02:43:14,340 --> 02:43:21,960
saying, that there is a feeling in this community that unless we absolutely put it to a vote

2034
02:43:21,960 --> 02:43:29,280
that we're not closing West Yarmouth Library, that's what the people are here.

2035
02:43:29,800 --> 02:43:32,140
I'll tell you that's what the people in West Yarmouth want to hear.

2036
02:43:32,140 --> 02:43:39,980
Madam Chair? I think one of the troublesome points about this conversation is that you

2037
02:43:39,980 --> 02:43:50,420
don't know what any fiscal challenges will be in 28, 29, 30 that might cause you to reuse

2038
02:43:50,420 --> 02:43:58,340
any of our municipal buildings. So looking forward 5, 8, 10 years, you don't know what

2039
02:43:58,340 --> 02:44:06,220
those challenges will be. Remember when we had the floods here and we had to scamper around

2040
02:44:06,220 --> 02:44:14,180
and there are just going to be challenges that we can't foresee. We can foresee some

2041
02:44:14,180 --> 02:44:21,400
of the challenges that Bob outlined earlier. So I think you're almost creating a difficult

2042
02:44:22,180 --> 02:44:27,220
situation for yourselves. We did not create this. No, by saying

2043
02:44:27,220 --> 02:44:29,340
saying, we will not close West.

2044
02:44:30,480 --> 02:44:36,120
No, but I'm saying that somehow out of your meetings and your discussion, it's permeated

2045
02:44:36,120 --> 02:44:41,820
in the community, because this is what we hear, is that this is part of a plan to ultimately

2046
02:44:42,420 --> 02:44:43,600
undermine West Yarmouth.

2047
02:44:44,600 --> 02:44:45,540
That's what I'm saying.

2048
02:44:45,800 --> 02:44:54,300
And this kind of very weak affirmation of support for West Yarmouth only worsens

2049
02:44:54,300 --> 02:44:55,100
the situation.

2050
02:44:55,800 --> 02:44:59,960
You know, we all know that in this community, at least I do, that people

2051
02:45:00,000 --> 02:45:05,040
People love all of their libraries, and the libraries play an incredibly important role

2052
02:45:05,040 --> 02:45:13,420
to the vitality and the energy in each village. And what they're looking for is they're looking

2053
02:45:13,420 --> 02:45:17,840
for not just the select board, but also the people that work, that we appoint to serve

2054
02:45:17,840 --> 02:45:23,480
on committees to reflect that commitment. And what they've been hearing in those committee

2055
02:45:23,480 --> 02:45:29,440
meetings is not that. And that is, I'm just telling you, this is undermining this project

2056
02:45:29,440 --> 02:45:33,580
And the only way we can get at least this project moving forward

2057
02:45:33,580 --> 02:45:35,620
is not only just to support the application,

2058
02:45:35,640 --> 02:45:39,580
but to reaffirm our support for the West Yarmouth Library.

2059
02:45:40,400 --> 02:45:44,060
Well, Mark, would you be willing to break that into two proposals,

2060
02:45:44,540 --> 02:45:48,780
like have a vote first on whether we're willing to support the West Yarmouth Library

2061
02:45:48,780 --> 02:45:51,140
and then move on to vote on the proposal?

2062
02:45:53,040 --> 02:45:56,320
I'm speaking to what I'm hearing in the community.

2063
02:45:56,320 --> 02:45:59,400
And all I'm saying is that this board needs to understand that.

2064
02:46:00,140 --> 02:46:06,900
If we go forward without addressing and reaffirming our support for West Yarmouth, the perception

2065
02:46:06,900 --> 02:46:11,700
is going to be that what we're doing is we're under, by voting to submit this application.

2066
02:46:12,000 --> 02:46:15,600
And it's still one of many other steps that has to proceed.

2067
02:46:16,100 --> 02:46:20,380
I mean, this doesn't, we've got town meeting and in fact there's not even a decision

2068
02:46:20,380 --> 02:46:21,120
on the application.

2069
02:46:21,340 --> 02:46:25,040
We need to get an application that gets submitted and approved.

2070
02:46:25,040 --> 02:46:32,020
But there's a perception somehow that moving forward with this undermines the future of the West Yarmouth Library.

2071
02:46:32,720 --> 02:46:36,120
And my argument, as is to the board, is that we just should put this to bed.

2072
02:46:37,160 --> 02:46:40,840
We did not create this perception. It was created elsewhere.

2073
02:46:41,900 --> 02:46:43,140
In West Yarmouth, I would guess.

2074
02:46:43,760 --> 02:46:46,340
No, it wasn't created in West Yarmouth. It was created.

2075
02:46:46,520 --> 02:46:49,600
I watched the meetings. I get the videotapes. I watch the discussion.

2076
02:46:50,460 --> 02:46:51,800
How do we put it to bed, Mark?

2077
02:46:52,800 --> 02:46:58,240
What we do is we vote and I'll make a motion, unless we are, I guess we have a motion on

2078
02:46:58,240 --> 02:47:00,120
the floor, but I don't think there are going to be enough votes.

2079
02:47:01,640 --> 02:47:03,400
I'm happy to offer another motion.

2080
02:47:03,520 --> 02:47:05,860
Well, just, do you want me to withdraw my motion?

2081
02:47:05,980 --> 02:47:07,180
If you withdraw your motion.

2082
02:47:07,380 --> 02:47:08,300
I do so.

2083
02:47:08,680 --> 02:47:08,940
Okay.

2084
02:47:10,220 --> 02:47:18,280
My motion is that we support and endorse the grant application being submitted on

2085
02:47:18,280 --> 02:47:25,240
behalf of the, for the new library, but we also reaffirm our, the board's support for

2086
02:47:25,240 --> 02:47:31,100
continued use and long term, continued use and the continuation of the West Yarmouth Library,

2087
02:47:31,660 --> 02:47:36,800
that we reaffirm our support for the future viability and the use of the, the West Yarmouth

2088
02:47:36,800 --> 02:47:37,180
Library.

2089
02:47:37,540 --> 02:47:37,860
Second.

2090
02:47:38,260 --> 02:47:38,320
Is that appropriate?

2091
02:47:38,500 --> 02:47:40,820
Is that, is that do it?

2092
02:47:41,260 --> 02:47:41,440
Okay.

2093
02:47:41,740 --> 02:47:42,100
All right.

2094
02:47:42,440 --> 02:47:42,800
That's fine.

2095
02:47:42,920 --> 02:47:43,260
Second.

2096
02:47:43,460 --> 02:47:43,720
All right.

2097
02:47:43,820 --> 02:47:44,980
Any discussion on that?

2098
02:47:44,980 --> 02:47:50,620
I would just note that I'm I am I foresee some of our South Yarmouth

2099
02:47:51,340 --> 02:47:56,240
Users being upset by this, but I will definitely support the West Yarmouth Library

2100
02:47:58,320 --> 02:48:01,820
Okay, all in favor. Hi. Hi opposed

2101
02:48:02,840 --> 02:48:04,460
Thank you all very much

2102
02:48:05,700 --> 02:48:10,880
And that answers the question have there been a vote vote by the board to

2103
02:48:10,880 --> 02:48:15,880
Affirm West Yarmouth and there was a vote by the board to affirm West Yarmouth tonight

2104
02:48:16,420 --> 02:48:18,240
Thank you. Thank you.

2105
02:48:20,270 --> 02:48:23,110
Yeah, here. Good job, Tim.

2106
02:48:29,130 --> 02:48:31,750
All right, moving on to our next item.

2107
02:48:36,230 --> 02:48:39,550
I see you right over there in the corner. I know that.

2108
02:48:41,490 --> 02:48:47,430
Yeah, no. But our next item is the discussion of the ME Small School Replacement Feasibility

2109
02:48:47,430 --> 02:48:47,890
Study.

2110
02:48:49,970 --> 02:48:54,290
And in addition, we have the pleasure of having

2111
02:48:54,290 --> 02:49:00,770
the Chair of the Committee present with us. And I'm going to turn it over at this point

2112
02:49:00,770 --> 02:49:05,090
to Mark Forrest. Thank you, Madam Chair. Let me give a little

2113
02:49:05,090 --> 02:49:10,910
bit of an explanation for some that may not know. When I was appointed to represent the

2114
02:49:10,910 --> 02:49:17,170
select board on this committee, I made it abundantly clear that I would not be acting

2115
02:49:17,170 --> 02:49:23,050
on my own, but I would report regularly to the full board and want to engage the board

2116
02:49:23,050 --> 02:49:27,330
and discuss with the board various aspects of the committee's work.

2117
02:49:29,470 --> 02:49:31,310
And so that's what

2118
02:49:31,310 --> 02:49:37,890
But this discussion is in part, this is my way of bringing together us so that we can

2119
02:49:37,890 --> 02:49:38,490
update you.

2120
02:49:38,670 --> 02:49:39,510
I can update you.

2121
02:49:39,870 --> 02:49:43,390
I tried to do this once before, but it was suggested we make it as an agenda item.

2122
02:49:43,910 --> 02:49:46,490
So I did, and I wanted to extend an opportunity to others.

2123
02:49:48,050 --> 02:49:55,370
Now I've invited Will Rubenstein and Rich Simon to join us, and I'm glad Thomas

2124
02:49:55,370 --> 02:49:55,830
is here.

2125
02:49:56,510 --> 02:49:57,730
He's the chairman of the committee.

2126
02:49:58,470 --> 02:50:00,850
I understand Dr. Smith couldn't make it.

2127
02:50:00,850 --> 02:50:04,650
he had another commitment, but the intention here is just to make sure that this board

2128
02:50:04,650 --> 02:50:10,510
is informed and aware of how things have been progressing and understanding some of the questions

2129
02:50:10,510 --> 02:50:12,850
and some of the concerns that I've raised.

2130
02:50:13,790 --> 02:50:16,750
I have not been able to attend every meeting.

2131
02:50:16,870 --> 02:50:21,770
The meetings are scheduled while I'm teaching at the college, so I've only been able to

2132
02:50:21,770 --> 02:50:25,090
participate in portions of the meeting.

2133
02:50:25,090 --> 02:50:33,010
And so, I'm always bending Will's ear or Richard's ear to tell me what I missed and what I need

2134
02:50:33,010 --> 02:50:34,190
to get caught up on.

2135
02:50:34,330 --> 02:50:38,810
And so that's why I invited them to be part of this conversation and I'm glad Thomas is

2136
02:50:38,810 --> 02:50:39,450
here as well.

2137
02:50:39,930 --> 02:50:40,310
So...

2138
02:50:40,310 --> 02:50:45,130
Mr. Farris, if I can just comment on that, you know, I was disappointed that I was not

2139
02:50:45,130 --> 02:50:47,710
originally approached or invited to be a part of this tonight.

2140
02:50:48,290 --> 02:50:52,570
I would expect that a chair of a subcommittee would be the person who was directed

2141
02:50:52,570 --> 02:50:56,890
to speak on behalf of that committee, that members of a committee would not be approached

2142
02:50:56,890 --> 02:51:01,310
directly. As if a patrolman was approached to speak on behalf of the police department,

2143
02:51:01,730 --> 02:51:07,510
I would expect that the chief would be, you know, asked ahead of time. So I do want to

2144
02:51:07,510 --> 02:51:12,450
make that known that if there is discussion or questions about anything with the school

2145
02:51:12,450 --> 02:51:16,870
district or subcommittee that the chairs of the appropriate committees are approached.

2146
02:51:17,850 --> 02:51:17,930
No.

2147
02:51:18,090 --> 02:51:20,410
Because they're the authorized people to speak on that behalf.

2148
02:51:20,750 --> 02:51:21,910
Sure. I apologize.

2149
02:51:22,490 --> 02:51:23,570
And I'm glad you're here.

2150
02:51:24,990 --> 02:51:32,570
And if you'd like to take the floor first to sort of talk a little bit about how you think things have been progressing and where we're at,

2151
02:51:32,710 --> 02:51:37,510
I'd be more than happy to recommend to the Chair that we yield the floor to you first.

2152
02:51:37,870 --> 02:51:42,390
I'd be happy to hear the questions and concerns that you may have so that we may answer them.

2153
02:51:43,130 --> 02:51:53,350
Okay. Before I do that, I'd like to at least let Richard, I invited Richard and Will to make a brief presentation.

2154
02:51:53,570 --> 02:51:56,070
They've sent me some material which I forwarded to the board.

2155
02:51:56,550 --> 02:52:01,430
I'm assuming at the meetings they've probably been shared with perhaps other members of the building committee,

2156
02:52:01,710 --> 02:52:04,450
but nonetheless I think it's helpful to hear from them.

2157
02:52:05,110 --> 02:52:10,110
And so I'd like to yield my time to Richard and Will Rubinstein.

2158
02:52:10,110 --> 02:52:15,510
I've I personally have been concerned about enrollment projections in the enrollment numbers

2159
02:52:15,510 --> 02:52:19,650
I've raised that before at meetings and I've shared that with the select board, but

2160
02:52:20,450 --> 02:52:24,550
Some people have actually spent more time looking at this question than than I so

2161
02:52:25,130 --> 02:52:28,410
Like I said, I'm interested in here from from them

2162
02:52:28,410 --> 02:52:35,510
We as a board rely on them for a tremendous amount of work here in our community and

2163
02:52:35,510 --> 02:52:40,850
And I have enormous respect and trust their judgment and their analysis.

2164
02:52:41,470 --> 02:52:42,890
So thank you, Madam Chair.

2165
02:52:44,090 --> 02:52:52,510
Let me, Richard Simon, precinct 2, Chair of the Finance Committee, as well as a number

2166
02:52:52,510 --> 02:52:57,470
of other committees, as well as a member of the Emmy Small School Building Committee.

2167
02:52:59,710 --> 02:53:02,750
Mark, thank you for the invitation tonight.

2168
02:53:02,750 --> 02:53:06,750
I think it's important to put this in context.

2169
02:53:08,430 --> 02:53:13,370
Comments that I'm going to make tonight are results of my own personal work.

2170
02:53:14,370 --> 02:53:17,310
They do not reflect the Finance Committee's view.

2171
02:53:18,050 --> 02:53:22,890
The Finance Committee, though, is very supportive, as is the Select Board,

2172
02:53:23,430 --> 02:53:27,470
in finding a solution for the Emmy Small School.

2173
02:53:28,850 --> 02:53:36,730
We supported the motion that was made the article for the 1.5 million feasibility study unanimously.

2174
02:53:37,610 --> 02:53:43,310
And part of the reason for that is if you're going, whatever we do moving forward,

2175
02:53:43,670 --> 02:53:51,730
you would like to have somebody else's money, in this case, the MSBA's money, 57%, available to us.

2176
02:53:51,730 --> 02:53:58,870
And so the process that we're going through is a well-defined MSBA process.

2177
02:53:59,690 --> 02:54:05,690
And we're in that phase where, up until this point, the staff, you know,

2178
02:54:05,730 --> 02:54:11,010
the school board, school committee has done an amazing amount of work.

2179
02:54:11,950 --> 02:54:15,370
They've already delivered all of the major things that are required.

2180
02:54:17,030 --> 02:54:21,710
to get approved for the feasibility study, and there's no guarantee that you do get this,

2181
02:54:21,950 --> 02:54:28,050
but the staff has done an outstanding job of getting, Mark Smith and his group have done

2182
02:54:28,050 --> 02:54:33,030
an outstanding job of lining everything up. Everything that was required to be submitted

2183
02:54:33,030 --> 02:54:39,190
to be approved to go into the feasibility stage has been done, has been signed off on.

2184
02:54:39,190 --> 02:54:46,790
And really, I think I need to reaffirm that that is excellent work and that, you know,

2185
02:54:46,850 --> 02:54:52,710
we owe a debt of gratitude to the school committee and to Dr. Smith for making that happen,

2186
02:54:52,790 --> 02:54:57,510
because I think at this point it's in the hands of the MSBA.

2187
02:54:58,030 --> 02:55:01,470
And if we are fortunate, we should hear soon.

2188
02:55:02,130 --> 02:55:04,550
Yeah, the requirement is by December 26.

2189
02:55:05,130 --> 02:55:08,370
The last two documents were submitted this morning and accepted by them.

2190
02:55:08,370 --> 02:55:13,910
So we do have a couple of days for them to respond, if something doesn't look right, but

2191
02:55:13,910 --> 02:55:19,310
the last two documents were submitted today, again, as previous groups discussed, trying

2192
02:55:19,310 --> 02:55:24,930
to get it before the due date, with December 26 being the day after a holiday, all items

2193
02:55:24,930 --> 02:55:28,290
were submitted this morning and accepted by the MSBA this afternoon.

2194
02:55:28,530 --> 02:55:31,250
So we're just waiting for any feedback from those items.

2195
02:55:31,250 --> 02:55:38,250
So the reason that that's important is to, in order to do the full feasibility study,

2196
02:55:38,250 --> 02:55:43,910
which goes into answering some of the questions about what is the best way forward,

2197
02:55:44,250 --> 02:55:49,430
you want to have that funding, that support from the state to make that happen.

2198
02:55:50,070 --> 02:55:53,590
And so, like I said, I'm very pleased that that has already happened.

2199
02:55:55,550 --> 02:55:58,470
The next part, the rest of this is related to...

2200
02:55:58,470 --> 02:56:05,490
Can I just interrupt for a second, and I want to just comment on Thomas' comments.

2201
02:56:06,290 --> 02:56:11,370
Is there any – this was a question by one of our board members, and that is, is there

2202
02:56:11,370 --> 02:56:18,010
any reimbursement from the state on any of the feasibility study funding that have been provided?

2203
02:56:18,870 --> 02:56:23,750
The feasibility study hasn't been approved as of yet, but the feasibility will be looped

2204
02:56:23,750 --> 02:56:27,110
into the possible refunding of part of the 57%.

2205
02:56:27,110 --> 02:56:30,610
So the 1.5 million would be eligible for that.

2206
02:56:31,310 --> 02:56:33,330
And part of what was due today was

2207
02:56:33,330 --> 02:56:36,370
how that 1.5 million will be utilized,

2208
02:56:36,630 --> 02:56:37,670
how much of it for feasibility,

2209
02:56:37,890 --> 02:56:39,970
how much for OPM, how much of it for design.

2210
02:56:40,130 --> 02:56:42,070
So that's what the last piece of it

2211
02:56:42,070 --> 02:56:43,490
that was submitted today.

2212
02:56:43,690 --> 02:56:43,990
Thank you.

2213
02:56:44,130 --> 02:56:44,450
That's helpful.

2214
02:56:45,630 --> 02:56:47,650
So now comes the next part of it.

2215
02:56:47,730 --> 02:56:50,190
It's really sort of the math that goes into

2216
02:56:50,190 --> 02:56:51,990
that type of feasibility work.

2217
02:56:53,750 --> 02:56:59,490
So there's, as Mark mentioned, there's a question about enrollment projections.

2218
02:57:00,190 --> 02:57:09,990
The MSBA uses a formula that's based on a well-documented, well-articulated process that looks at...

2219
02:57:09,990 --> 02:57:10,530
Robust.

2220
02:57:10,770 --> 02:57:11,390
Very robust.

2221
02:57:12,650 --> 02:57:21,310
That looks at birth rates or births, which then translates into kindergarten enrollment,

2222
02:57:21,310 --> 02:57:28,410
which then goes through the whole process of what basically rolls through the whole 12 years.

2223
02:57:29,250 --> 02:57:42,310
And so the interesting part about that is for most communities, the birth rate to kindergarten rate is one to one.

2224
02:57:43,010 --> 02:57:46,690
Ours is much less than that, which sort of raises the question.

2225
02:57:46,690 --> 02:57:55,190
The next part is, in most cases, seasonal housing represents perhaps 2 percent or less

2226
02:57:55,820 --> 02:57:57,010
of a community.

2227
02:57:58,090 --> 02:58:02,870
So the formula is really sort of built around the year-round housing basis.

2228
02:58:04,450 --> 02:58:07,370
But the year-round housing is equal to total housing.

2229
02:58:07,790 --> 02:58:14,970
In our case, we're already at 36 percent seasonal and it's going down.

2230
02:58:14,970 --> 02:58:18,770
So those are some of the questions that when you're getting into the enrollment,

2231
02:58:20,770 --> 02:58:23,470
fine details is a part of it.

2232
02:58:25,470 --> 02:58:29,790
Next part is going to be coming really sort of when we get down to the design phase

2233
02:58:31,070 --> 02:58:35,790
when if you look at other programs

2234
02:58:36,330 --> 02:58:39,370
to figure out what the costs are going to be for these types of schools,

2235
02:58:39,370 --> 02:58:50,750
There's a, I've actually looked at a database of 77 prior elementary school, I know, because

2236
02:58:50,750 --> 02:58:51,430
that's what I do.

2237
02:58:52,600 --> 02:58:58,330
So it turns out that the MSBA standard is about 150 square feet per person.

2238
02:58:58,610 --> 02:59:04,230
And the cost per person per pupil is someplace between 50 and 100.

2239
02:59:04,570 --> 02:59:07,230
But there's a wide range, right?

2240
02:59:07,230 --> 02:59:09,170
So 150 is MSB guideline.

2241
02:59:09,970 --> 02:59:12,630
There's examples in the research that say,

2242
02:59:13,110 --> 02:59:15,490
some people go up to 300 spar feet a person

2243
02:59:16,270 --> 02:59:18,910
and a quarter of a million dollars per person,

2244
02:59:19,110 --> 02:59:21,110
per pupil for the cost.

2245
02:59:21,410 --> 02:59:24,750
So there's a huge set of issues related to that,

2246
02:59:24,850 --> 02:59:28,790
making sure that you stay within that MSBA standard.

2247
02:59:29,270 --> 02:59:31,490
Because one of the things that's really happened,

2248
02:59:32,150 --> 02:59:34,910
and I've noticed this in the data that they produced,

2249
02:59:34,910 --> 02:59:44,550
used to be the reimbursement rate was like 59% and it was reimbursed at 88%. So only

2250
02:59:44,550 --> 02:59:56,190
12% weren't reimbursable. Now it's gone crazy. 25% of projects have scope exclusions. Basically

2251
02:59:56,190 --> 02:59:59,710
you're supersizing yourself. And there's lots of examples.

2252
03:00:00,000 --> 03:00:10,780
One of the most famous ones of recent days was Lexington example, which was a $660 million

2253
03:00:11,660 --> 03:00:19,440
project. They did come in at 150 square feet per pupil, but then they supersized. So they

2254
03:00:19,440 --> 03:00:28,580
added a 48,000 square foot field house, extra 20,000 for central offices, extra supersized

2255
03:00:28,580 --> 03:00:34,740
gym, a supersized auditorium, so that added roughly $120 million just for that.

2256
03:00:35,960 --> 03:00:41,820
So that's part of why I think as we move forward with the process, we do want to look at that.

2257
03:00:42,560 --> 03:00:46,620
And I think the final piece is making sure that we look at all the options.

2258
03:00:48,700 --> 03:00:54,540
So obviously one of the options would be repairing emmy small, I don't think that's

2259
03:00:54,540 --> 03:01:00,960
on the table. Replacing Emmy Small as a K-3D would be another option. But another set of

2260
03:01:00,960 --> 03:01:08,240
options would be to take a holistic look at the current envelope that we have, all the

2261
03:01:08,240 --> 03:01:12,680
buildings, because they are buildings with classrooms. And so one of the things I think

2262
03:01:12,680 --> 03:01:17,920
we should be doing as a committee is also looking at the broader facility implications.

2263
03:01:18,640 --> 03:01:21,660
And that's, and that was sort of the point I think Mr.

2264
03:01:23,860 --> 03:01:32,460
Rubenstein made that point at the meeting, our last meeting, is that we do need to have a robust set of options, just not one option.

2265
03:01:36,710 --> 03:01:37,390
Thank you.

2266
03:01:40,230 --> 03:01:44,870
So my perspective on this is, as someone who served on the Dennis Yarmuth Intermediate

2267
03:01:44,870 --> 03:01:51,030
Middle School School Building Committee, as a member at large, and yes, I'm a member of

2268
03:01:51,030 --> 03:01:55,650
the planning board, and like what Richard just said earlier, I don't represent the

2269
03:01:55,650 --> 03:01:59,990
planning board, but one of the things that's serving on a committee like that enables

2270
03:01:59,990 --> 03:02:06,070
me to do is to fly 30,000 feet off the ground, and also as a parent of a student

2271
03:02:06,070 --> 03:02:10,130
in the district in addition to getting the perspectives of being on the planning board.

2272
03:02:10,650 --> 03:02:18,610
I do speak individually, but I do in addition to what Richard said, I see bigger challenges

2273
03:02:18,610 --> 03:02:24,490
than just this project. We just spent 45 minutes talking about a project that is coming

2274
03:02:24,490 --> 03:02:29,950
at us to the tune of I'll just use around numbers $30 million before reimbursement.

2275
03:02:30,670 --> 03:02:40,630
We also have phase two of our sewer system, which will be not 207 million, but it will be, let's say, 60 to 100 million.

2276
03:02:40,930 --> 03:02:42,410
And that's very preliminary numbers.

2277
03:02:43,590 --> 03:02:58,530
We also have, as it relates to sometime in 2027, as we know the department, the DEP, told the town of Yarmouth that they could have a sewer treatment plant

2278
03:02:59,310 --> 03:03:08,370
to the tune of 375,000 gallons, yet what we need is discharge for a million and a half

2279
03:03:08,370 --> 03:03:08,630
gallons.

2280
03:03:09,070 --> 03:03:11,330
I'm using rough numbers, but I'm pretty close.

2281
03:03:12,270 --> 03:03:14,970
So now, unfortunately, through no fault of the town,

2282
03:03:17,310 --> 03:03:20,230
sometime in 2027, at a town meeting,

2283
03:03:20,530 --> 03:03:26,070
there will be a conversation about the town of Yarmouth asking its taxpayers to spend

2284
03:03:26,070 --> 03:03:31,010
around 30 million dollars as it relates to using Bayberry. And all of that is very well

2285
03:03:31,010 --> 03:03:35,530
researched in partnership with the DEP despite the fact that they're forcing us to do it.

2286
03:03:36,850 --> 03:03:41,290
And done through amazing, amazing consultants that we're working with right now.

2287
03:03:42,330 --> 03:03:48,390
All who have good intentions. All of those projects are coming at us in addition to this

2288
03:03:48,390 --> 03:03:55,030
one. And this is not a judgment about whether we need to do something at ME Small.

2289
03:03:55,030 --> 03:03:56,030
What

2290
03:03:59,360 --> 03:04:03,840
I did say at the very first meeting in September and I said it with peace and love

2291
03:04:03,840 --> 03:04:09,320
and I say it at every meeting and I will continue to say it is that we as a community have to

2292
03:04:09,320 --> 03:04:19,100
have the most open mind that we've ever had when it comes to figuring out how to it's

2293
03:04:19,100 --> 03:04:27,520
not even solve how to handle the situation that is any small that is nobody's fault

2294
03:04:27,520 --> 03:04:32,060
but yet we are the ones together that have to handle it.

2295
03:04:33,140 --> 03:04:38,920
And so I firmly believe that there are more radical solutions

2296
03:04:39,940 --> 03:04:45,200
that can be discussed and chewed on by not just this group,

2297
03:04:45,700 --> 03:04:48,100
but clearly the Dennis Yarmouth Regional School Committee,

2298
03:04:48,880 --> 03:04:51,580
and yes, even our friends across the river,

2299
03:04:52,900 --> 03:04:56,660
because the very fact is we have not included the town of Dennis

2300
03:04:56,660 --> 03:05:00,300
in any of our conversations and I understand that there's a legal and sort of practical

2301
03:05:00,300 --> 03:05:06,080
reason because it is a elementary school project and therefore this entire feasibility study

2302
03:05:06,080 --> 03:05:11,940
and the possible solution of how we handle the future of enemies small is a Yarmouth

2303
03:05:11,940 --> 03:05:12,380
problem.

2304
03:05:12,720 --> 03:05:18,300
I don't personally agree because the truth of the matter is we're in a regional school

2305
03:05:18,300 --> 03:05:20,600
district and we have buildings with classrooms.

2306
03:05:20,600 --> 03:05:26,960
When I moved here in 2004, I don't need to repeat what the school set up was back then.

2307
03:05:27,660 --> 03:05:34,200
Okay? But there were a lot more schools, right? With very distinct grade configurations.

2308
03:05:35,560 --> 03:05:41,240
So I guess what I would say is in the year 2025, both communities have come a long way

2309
03:05:41,240 --> 03:05:45,060
in terms of which grades have to go in which schools.

2310
03:05:45,060 --> 03:05:47,760
And can eighth graders go into high school?

2311
03:05:48,080 --> 03:05:49,480
Yep, they sure can.

2312
03:05:50,800 --> 03:05:54,380
In fact, based on some of the data that I've seen and that Richard's provided,

2313
03:05:54,560 --> 03:05:58,040
and to my, I know, has seen and others can certainly take a look at,

2314
03:05:59,000 --> 03:06:03,420
if we think about our school district as buildings that have classrooms,

2315
03:06:05,020 --> 03:06:07,680
my personal thought, and this is just personal,

2316
03:06:08,160 --> 03:06:12,280
is that we can move everybody out of M.E. Small.

2317
03:06:13,360 --> 03:06:17,520
And we can do that by August of 2026.

2318
03:06:17,880 --> 03:06:21,540
And if that sounds too radical, I'd even grant you August of 2027.

2319
03:06:21,780 --> 03:06:26,600
And that can all be done in a parallel timeline, in a parallel universe,

2320
03:06:26,820 --> 03:06:31,460
while we still try to handle what to do about consolidation

2321
03:06:32,320 --> 03:06:34,400
or a brand-new elementary school.

2322
03:06:34,540 --> 03:06:35,280
I don't know what.

2323
03:06:35,940 --> 03:06:40,080
Now that is a radical idea, but it doesn't mean it can't be done.

2324
03:06:41,600 --> 03:06:49,100
Now, part of the inertia involved in the way that our town and our friends in Dennis and

2325
03:06:49,100 --> 03:06:54,980
the school committee have to operate in is that we have a unique structure where there

2326
03:06:54,980 --> 03:07:00,780
is a regional school committee and the regional school committee has a ton of power granted

2327
03:07:00,780 --> 03:07:02,860
to them by, you know, through the agreement.

2328
03:07:05,720 --> 03:07:07,200
I will end on this.

2329
03:07:07,860 --> 03:07:12,680
I think the fundamental issue and why we're having this discussion tonight and why things

2330
03:07:12,680 --> 03:07:18,820
got really sideways seven, eight years ago between our two towns is because we have

2331
03:07:18,820 --> 03:07:22,320
a fundamental problem with our regional school agreement.

2332
03:07:23,440 --> 03:07:29,660
And until all the responsible parties can come together in the interest of the children

2333
03:07:29,660 --> 03:07:36,080
as well as the employees of the school district, I'm not really sure how we're going to

2334
03:07:36,080 --> 03:07:40,980
handle these problems because we have a regional school agreement that I don't know if anybody

2335
03:07:40,980 --> 03:07:50,960
has actually taken some time to read. It is ripe, I would say, for further discussion.

2336
03:07:52,000 --> 03:07:58,820
And yes, I'm going to use the word amendment. And that is not a judgment on the chair of

2337
03:07:58,820 --> 03:08:02,540
the school committee who is sitting to my right, who I consider a friend. That is not

2338
03:08:02,540 --> 03:08:10,020
not a judgment on Dr. Smith, but until we go way up higher than 30,000 feet, until we

2339
03:08:10,020 --> 03:08:15,880
go to 50,000 feet and we start to work with our friends from Dennis and try to understand

2340
03:08:16,750 --> 03:08:21,820
the issues that they're facing on a more severe level as Richard can attest in terms

2341
03:08:21,820 --> 03:08:27,480
of their seasonal housing numbers and their dwindling population, I don't understand

2342
03:08:27,480 --> 03:08:31,700
and how we can sort of try to solve this little problem.

2343
03:08:32,080 --> 03:08:32,980
It's not even a little problem.

2344
03:08:33,320 --> 03:08:35,280
This little problem is the problem.

2345
03:08:37,520 --> 03:08:39,460
And part of the challenge is, which

2346
03:08:39,460 --> 03:08:41,620
is what you were just discussing earlier with the library

2347
03:08:41,620 --> 03:08:46,100
issue, is the timing of all these competing deadlines

2348
03:08:46,820 --> 03:08:49,140
and all these interests from all these groups.

2349
03:08:49,680 --> 03:08:51,940
Now, I'm being a little glib, and I really

2350
03:08:51,940 --> 03:08:52,680
don't mean to me.

2351
03:08:54,260 --> 03:09:01,760
The school committee and the select board of Yarmouth and the select board of Dennis need to form some sort of working group tomorrow.

2352
03:09:03,360 --> 03:09:10,720
To start working our way out of these, the situation that we're in, it's not anybody's fault.

2353
03:09:11,700 --> 03:09:20,060
But this, but our friends at the MSBA have a set of standards that are going to be very tricky for us to try to convince them that they're wrong.

2354
03:09:22,140 --> 03:09:27,420
When you look at the Lexington High School project, those kind of demographics and those

2355
03:09:27,420 --> 03:09:32,060
kinds of – the way that they approach that project, they actually were able to negotiate

2356
03:09:32,060 --> 03:09:38,200
with the school committee, I believe, in Lexington to shape some of that building despite

2357
03:09:38,200 --> 03:09:45,880
some of the, let's just say, extra requests that they eventually recommended to the taxpayers.

2358
03:09:45,880 --> 03:09:53,400
years. But unfortunately, MSBA doesn't account for seasonal housing. And we're a community

2359
03:09:53,780 --> 03:09:58,120
that has up to 35 percent seasonal housing and our friends across the river even more

2360
03:09:58,120 --> 03:10:05,560
and getting worse. So part of the challenge is that we as both communities and the school

2361
03:10:05,560 --> 03:10:12,200
committee need to come together. Not just to fundamentally look at the agreement, which

2362
03:10:12,200 --> 03:10:16,320
By the way, it has some really glaring emissions that Tracy Post has pointed out, I'm sure

2363
03:10:16,320 --> 03:10:20,420
to all of you, including the fact that the new intermediate middle school is not even

2364
03:10:20,420 --> 03:10:25,700
in the most recent version of the regional school agreement.

2365
03:10:25,940 --> 03:10:27,040
Again, that's nobody's fault.

2366
03:10:27,580 --> 03:10:34,280
But these kinds of things have to get put into a working group as soon as possible

2367
03:10:34,920 --> 03:10:40,420
because we owe it not just to the people that are parents of kids who are in the

2368
03:10:40,420 --> 03:10:47,920
schools now, but we owe it to the hundreds of employees who depend on us for their jobs.

2369
03:10:50,360 --> 03:10:56,080
And I'm excited about the challenge, but I'm also a little bit worried, as I know all of

2370
03:10:56,080 --> 03:10:56,460
you are.

2371
03:10:57,020 --> 03:11:04,640
And I just hope that as we move through this process together, this is an opportunity to

2372
03:11:04,640 --> 03:11:11,980
to not solve a problem but to put forth this bigger, bigger issue, which is how do we educate

2373
03:11:12,660 --> 03:11:18,600
the students in Dennis and Yarmouth and employ these hundreds of people and do it in a way

2374
03:11:18,960 --> 03:11:19,960
that we can afford?

2375
03:11:21,420 --> 03:11:24,360
So I apologize that I went into a lot of different pockets.

2376
03:11:26,800 --> 03:11:32,480
But unlike Richard, this is why we're friends.

2377
03:11:32,480 --> 03:11:35,400
is that Richard is chocolate and I'm peanut butter.

2378
03:11:36,400 --> 03:11:40,800
Because Richard has forgotten more about school enrollment data than I'm ever going to learn.

2379
03:11:41,680 --> 03:11:46,060
But at the same time, that gives me the freedom to say,

2380
03:11:48,040 --> 03:11:51,420
we got to do something about this, and how do we galvanize?

2381
03:11:51,740 --> 03:11:56,820
And I do look to our elected leaders, and I include our chair who is an elected leader

2382
03:11:56,820 --> 03:12:01,040
and the other three members who represent Yarmouth and the fine people who represent Dennis.

2383
03:12:01,040 --> 03:12:04,820
I challenge our elected leaders to do something about it.

2384
03:12:05,480 --> 03:12:12,720
Because this timeline that we're on is very much defined by the MSBA.

2385
03:12:13,040 --> 03:12:18,680
The MSBA sets the rules about when we can submit and what that means and where it goes.

2386
03:12:19,660 --> 03:12:28,480
But in a parallel universe, these bigger discussions about the immediate efficacy and safety of the students

2387
03:12:28,480 --> 03:12:32,380
students and the staff at any small, not to mention the future of Ezra Baker, not to

2388
03:12:32,380 --> 03:12:36,980
mention, I'll say it, seventh graders in the high school, like all these things have to

2389
03:12:36,980 --> 03:12:41,020
be put on the table. And I understand that that might come a shock to some people. But

2390
03:12:41,020 --> 03:12:46,800
when I first moved here, Wixen was fourth grade to eighth grade. Lawrence MacArthur

2391
03:12:46,800 --> 03:12:51,820
was a school that was open, like this is a community and sort of Dennis that is

2392
03:12:51,820 --> 03:12:56,420
used to making radical decisions about the future and the home of their students

2393
03:12:56,420 --> 03:13:02,400
and their staff. So despite what I'm saying might sound a little bit incendiary, or the

2394
03:13:02,400 --> 03:13:06,460
fact that maybe our new intermediate middle school should become a third to sixth school,

2395
03:13:07,380 --> 03:13:15,020
right? Like just because it says three, four, five, six right now doesn't mean that those

2396
03:13:15,020 --> 03:13:19,940
grades have to be there forever. They're buildings with classrooms and we have a responsibility

2397
03:13:19,940 --> 03:13:25,740
to help educate and staff those places in response to the demographic challenges

2398
03:13:25,740 --> 03:13:29,460
challenges that we have, and in addition to the fact that we have a partner.

2399
03:13:29,720 --> 03:13:34,460
We have a partner across the river that I hope we'll start to engage on a parallel timeline.

2400
03:13:35,020 --> 03:13:35,460
Thank you.

2401
03:13:36,760 --> 03:13:38,440
Madam Chair, may I ask a question?

2402
03:13:40,480 --> 03:13:46,940
Well, I heard, loud and clear, what you were saying, and I noticed that you see the

2403
03:13:46,940 --> 03:13:52,200
answer to this in revising the school agreement between the two towns.

2404
03:13:52,200 --> 03:13:58,620
Can you just mention a couple things you think need to be addressed in the school agreement revision?

2405
03:13:58,980 --> 03:14:04,720
I won't profess to understand all the mechanisms in which I would improve the actual school agreement.

2406
03:14:04,920 --> 03:14:13,280
I think it's more of a request to have a dialogue between the school committee and both select boards.

2407
03:14:15,960 --> 03:14:17,520
That's something very different, though.

2408
03:14:19,680 --> 03:14:24,860
I guess what I'm saying is revisions to the regional school agreement would come out of

2409
03:14:24,860 --> 03:14:29,180
a working group of let's say two members of from Yarmouth and two members from Dennis

2410
03:14:29,180 --> 03:14:33,780
and a few members from the school committee working together to then make recommendations

2411
03:14:33,780 --> 03:14:37,720
back to both of all three of those organizations about how to amend this regional school

2412
03:14:37,720 --> 03:14:38,080
agreement.

2413
03:14:38,220 --> 03:14:42,000
There's some like little tiny practical things that I think should be addressed.

2414
03:14:42,000 --> 03:14:47,820
But the way that the school agreement is written, those amendments have a process.

2415
03:14:48,680 --> 03:14:51,500
And they can come from the school committee or they can come from, I believe,

2416
03:14:51,620 --> 03:14:55,480
10% of the registered voters from either town, and then it has to go to town meeting.

2417
03:14:56,080 --> 03:14:59,920
So I guess what I would say to your question, Joyce, is...

2418
03:15:00,000 --> 03:15:06,220
It'd be much better if there was one package of amendments that went to the towns or went

2419
03:15:06,220 --> 03:15:09,620
to the school committee or came from the school committee to be considered by the towns. You

2420
03:15:09,620 --> 03:15:13,800
know, we have to work all this stuff out as opposed to here's 14 amendments and I have

2421
03:15:13,800 --> 03:15:15,100
them drafted. I don't have that.

2422
03:15:15,880 --> 03:15:21,320
Well, that's not exactly what I'm asking. I mean, I'm in favor of dialogue, of course.

2423
03:15:21,800 --> 03:15:27,940
But given that you feel so strongly that change is needed, could you mention like one or

2424
03:15:27,940 --> 03:15:32,100
two things that you think are key things that ought to be investigated in the dialogue?

2425
03:15:33,980 --> 03:15:35,940
Well, I mean...

2426
03:15:36,500 --> 03:15:41,280
Well, you can start with the fact that you just said the intermediate school isn't in the agreement right now.

2427
03:15:41,640 --> 03:15:41,840
Sure.

2428
03:15:42,080 --> 03:15:44,060
I mean, I think that's important just from a legal standpoint.

2429
03:15:44,580 --> 03:15:45,460
Just, you know...

2430
03:15:45,460 --> 03:15:48,540
Oh, and I think Richard may have a couple others and I can throw a couple in.

2431
03:15:48,640 --> 03:15:51,900
Tomant, you know, it's not like the school committee itself doesn't think about these things.

2432
03:15:52,000 --> 03:15:52,740
I know that they do.

2433
03:15:53,140 --> 03:15:53,460
I know that they do.

2434
03:15:53,540 --> 03:15:56,280
Pre-K should be referenced in the...

2435
03:15:56,280 --> 03:15:56,440
It's not.

2436
03:15:56,440 --> 03:16:01,640
At this point, even though we run a pre-K program, it's not referenced in the agreement at all.

2437
03:16:02,200 --> 03:16:06,180
When was the last time that the school agreement was amended?

2438
03:16:06,700 --> 03:16:07,160
2019.

2439
03:16:08,080 --> 03:16:08,540
2019?

2440
03:16:09,020 --> 03:16:14,900
Yeah, and I'm not sure how we missed the intermediates. Again, it's nobody's fault, but somehow the intermediate middle school just wasn't included.

2441
03:16:15,440 --> 03:16:23,840
Chair, I'm a little confused because it's on our agenda, upcoming agenda items, so it's

2442
03:16:23,840 --> 03:16:30,840
not, it's something we've been, we're headed towards, and tonight I thought we were talking

2443
03:16:30,840 --> 03:16:31,560
about-

2444
03:16:31,560 --> 03:16:32,080
And we're small.

2445
03:16:32,600 --> 03:16:32,800
Yes.

2446
03:16:33,240 --> 03:16:34,060
So I'm a little confused.

2447
03:16:34,060 --> 03:16:34,860
That's my fault, Liz.

2448
03:16:35,320 --> 03:16:35,700
Okay.

2449
03:16:35,880 --> 03:16:36,100
Sorry.

2450
03:16:36,360 --> 03:16:39,980
So I'll speak at the pleasure of the chair.

2451
03:16:42,160 --> 03:16:48,880
One of the things that's kind of important to say about what's happening tonight is in

2452
03:16:48,880 --> 03:16:56,800
order for us to talk to each other as opposed to what people outside think we all get on

2453
03:16:56,800 --> 03:17:00,180
the phone and talk to each other every day all the time and we can't do that.

2454
03:17:00,380 --> 03:17:01,520
And the Sunday brunches.

2455
03:17:01,720 --> 03:17:03,500
We can't do that.

2456
03:17:03,660 --> 03:17:05,680
We have to have it on our agenda.

2457
03:17:05,980 --> 03:17:08,660
We have to have an open meeting.

2458
03:17:08,660 --> 03:17:14,680
And so not that any decisions are being made sometimes on what's on our agenda.

2459
03:17:14,820 --> 03:17:16,820
It's just that we're going to talk about these things.

2460
03:17:16,980 --> 03:17:23,500
And this just opens up an opportunity for us to start to talk about it.

2461
03:17:25,400 --> 03:17:27,720
I'm sorry, Thomas, that you weren't invited.

2462
03:17:28,000 --> 03:17:31,680
As the one that actually set the agenda, that really is my fault.

2463
03:17:31,880 --> 03:17:32,300
I'm sorry.

2464
03:17:33,000 --> 03:17:35,760
I guess I just assumed things that weren't in place.

2465
03:17:35,920 --> 03:17:36,900
And that's my fault.

2466
03:17:36,900 --> 03:17:40,700
Because what we do want is very open dialogue.

2467
03:17:41,160 --> 03:17:44,140
What we do want, I'm sure I speak for everyone,

2468
03:17:44,420 --> 03:17:47,180
is that we want to start sitting down and talking about it.

2469
03:17:47,300 --> 03:17:50,680
I was so encouraged over the last couple of years

2470
03:17:50,680 --> 03:17:56,320
with Dr. Smith joining us in seeing the discussions on budget,

2471
03:17:57,060 --> 03:18:03,400
where we actually had both towns and school committee together

2472
03:18:03,400 --> 03:18:08,820
talking about budget long before it used to be that it was just a done thing and

2473
03:18:08,820 --> 03:18:12,500
it came before the board and now to you in February right you have discussions

2474
03:18:12,500 --> 03:18:17,980
in September right right and now what we have is a really I think a very

2475
03:18:17,980 --> 03:18:23,420
dynamic working community group that's starting to look at that and the

2476
03:18:23,420 --> 03:18:29,220
dialogues are opening and the more we can do that the better and I think

2477
03:18:29,220 --> 03:18:32,880
we've all been talking I know I've heard my counterparts in in Dennis

2478
03:18:32,880 --> 03:18:38,400
talk about the agreement, and I know your fellow community members have as well.

2479
03:18:38,620 --> 03:18:43,660
I mean, and our chair, who of course, unfortunately, is not here tonight, would be the first to

2480
03:18:43,660 --> 03:18:44,440
talk about it.

2481
03:18:45,980 --> 03:18:50,380
So I think we all agree well that there needs to be an opening of dialogue on that.

2482
03:18:52,960 --> 03:19:00,480
And what concerns me a little bit in this is, like we just had that whole conversation

2483
03:19:00,480 --> 03:19:09,280
about the library, you know, that in some ways we were kind of lock-stepped into doing things a certain way

2484
03:19:09,280 --> 03:19:16,360
because that's the way we had to do it based on what the state wanted done, or we didn't get the money.

2485
03:19:16,880 --> 03:19:22,320
And it's kind of the same thing going on for this one, too, in space.

2486
03:19:22,320 --> 03:19:30,600
because I learned, for instance, from the planning board when the library came before then,

2487
03:19:30,880 --> 03:19:36,880
that there are actually some leeways that you have in the library planning process

2488
03:19:36,880 --> 03:19:42,980
that are not allowed in the state education process.

2489
03:19:43,700 --> 03:19:47,620
That we're even more in lockstep of what we have to do.

2490
03:19:49,480 --> 03:19:55,700
And what we all need to do, it's almost like this needs to be something that's like an

2491
03:19:55,700 --> 03:20:05,640
ongoing conversation that we're talking about maybe even every five weeks or so,

2492
03:20:05,800 --> 03:20:08,520
that we just keep bringing it up.

2493
03:20:08,580 --> 03:20:14,680
It's not something we have to discuss for an hour and a half and make you poor guys be here at 9.30 at night.

2494
03:20:14,680 --> 03:20:23,080
But we need to start talking about this, and it's to educate us what's going on.

2495
03:20:23,560 --> 03:20:30,320
It's to educate our folks listening at home about what's going on.

2496
03:20:30,540 --> 03:20:34,180
Because the more that they know what's going on, the better.

2497
03:20:34,900 --> 03:20:41,040
And the more that it's discussed here in the open, on TV,

2498
03:20:41,040 --> 03:20:48,020
be as opposed to via social media or whatever else anybody wants to do, the better.

2499
03:20:49,260 --> 03:20:56,040
So on that point specifically, the Emmy Small School Building Committee meetings are recorded.

2500
03:20:56,680 --> 03:20:58,900
There is a dedicated website.

2501
03:20:59,280 --> 03:21:04,180
It needs to be updated because they just changed web design.

2502
03:21:05,560 --> 03:21:07,600
So a lot of that is available.

2503
03:21:08,780 --> 03:21:16,880
We've also, I've specifically asked to have certain, or to add the enrollment, you know,

2504
03:21:16,960 --> 03:21:24,020
to give the entire committee a view into some of the enrollment issues and, you know, certainly

2505
03:21:24,020 --> 03:21:29,880
we'll be asking for agenda items related to school construction costs and trends and

2506
03:21:29,880 --> 03:21:30,640
that sort of information.

2507
03:21:31,200 --> 03:21:34,320
So I think the process is potentially there.

2508
03:21:34,440 --> 03:21:36,000
We just have to keep working on it.

2509
03:21:36,000 --> 03:21:37,800
And I appreciate Mark sort of asking

2510
03:21:37,800 --> 03:21:39,740
to have this brought forward today,

2511
03:21:39,760 --> 03:21:41,860
just because I think it's important to know

2512
03:21:42,240 --> 03:21:44,620
that we are working on that information.

2513
03:21:45,900 --> 03:21:47,920
Well, certainly enrollment's gonna drive

2514
03:21:47,920 --> 03:21:48,880
pretty much everything.

2515
03:21:49,860 --> 03:21:52,400
You need to know how many kids are gonna go

2516
03:21:52,400 --> 03:21:53,940
to the school in order to know

2517
03:21:53,940 --> 03:21:55,460
how big a school you need.

2518
03:21:55,780 --> 03:21:55,920
Right.

2519
03:21:56,700 --> 03:21:59,500
Well, like I say, the short-term answer is,

2520
03:21:59,620 --> 03:22:03,860
it's $150, 150 square feet per student.

2521
03:22:03,860 --> 03:22:12,460
we have about in in district right now roughly 2900 I believe enrolled say

2522
03:22:12,460 --> 03:22:20,660
3,000 you know so we should have roughly 450,000 square feet of space you're

2523
03:22:20,660 --> 03:22:24,560
talking about the whole school district whole district now we currently have

2524
03:22:24,560 --> 03:22:30,980
of five hundred and six twenty four. Yeah. Six twenty four. Six twenty four. So we have

2525
03:22:30,980 --> 03:22:40,940
a little bit of maybe spare space. Is there because I I there was a very long letter from

2526
03:22:40,940 --> 03:22:50,500
Dr. Smith in our package and the MS now it's not the library MSB MSB they have their

2527
03:22:50,500 --> 03:22:58,260
own way of calculating the enrollment. Is that why you're here is to suggest that we

2528
03:22:58,260 --> 03:23:00,580
need to look harder at this?

2529
03:23:01,080 --> 03:23:09,580
Again, we cannot change their rules. It's their rules. But I think, again, having the

2530
03:23:09,580 --> 03:23:16,520
information about an alternative approach, maybe we're going to recalibrate our thinking

2531
03:23:16,520 --> 03:23:21,460
a little bit. And again, this is really for probably 25 years down the road.

2532
03:23:21,900 --> 03:23:28,180
If you look at the, so one of the interesting things about enrollment is because it's always moving forward.

2533
03:23:28,700 --> 03:23:34,220
So we already have 11-12ths of the answer for next year.

2534
03:23:35,240 --> 03:23:38,100
Because you only lose one year, you add one year.

2535
03:23:38,500 --> 03:23:43,880
So the trends tend to move, shift more slowly than rapidly.

2536
03:23:46,660 --> 03:23:51,520
I'm also curious as to where we're supposed to, where are we putting the ME small students?

2537
03:23:52,200 --> 03:24:02,680
Well, there's 225, roughly 225 full-time students, K through 3, and 75 pre-K.

2538
03:24:03,760 --> 03:24:06,300
So that, you just hit the nail on the head.

2539
03:24:06,300 --> 03:24:17,200
So, if you had to find space for 225 students going full day and 75 divided by 2 because

2540
03:24:17,200 --> 03:24:24,480
it's half day, so, you know, 30 whatever students for the pre-K program, open your mind.

2541
03:24:25,240 --> 03:24:26,740
Look at some of the options.

2542
03:24:27,060 --> 03:24:27,320
We'll see.

2543
03:24:27,580 --> 03:24:32,000
Again, I don't know what all those options are, but I suspect that there are options out there.

2544
03:24:32,000 --> 03:24:38,320
Okay. I just have a hard time picturing that age group at the middle school.

2545
03:24:41,500 --> 03:24:44,660
So that's not what even anybody suggested.

2546
03:24:44,920 --> 03:24:46,080
I'm glad to hear that.

2547
03:24:46,380 --> 03:24:47,600
No, it's just...

2548
03:24:47,600 --> 03:24:50,180
And I don't need to extend this conversation.

2549
03:24:50,960 --> 03:24:52,660
It's just it was a statement that was made.

2550
03:24:52,700 --> 03:24:59,540
And I know we certainly had enough people at town meetings saying we shouldn't have kids there.

2551
03:24:59,540 --> 03:25:06,260
Like I said, everybody, I mean, the select board, the finance committees, the school committee,

2552
03:25:06,900 --> 03:25:12,000
the school staff, everybody says we need to have those kids out of their ASAP.

2553
03:25:12,840 --> 03:25:13,960
The public voted that.

2554
03:25:14,340 --> 03:25:17,740
So that's not the question that we do.

2555
03:25:18,140 --> 03:25:21,160
And again, as to Will's point, the sooner the better.

2556
03:25:23,100 --> 03:25:28,800
My hope, Madam Chairman, is I just wanted to at least begin this conversation here.

2557
03:25:28,800 --> 03:25:34,860
I had no intention that it would end here and there were no votes. No, but people need to understand

2558
03:25:34,860 --> 03:25:36,840
the significance of

2559
03:25:36,840 --> 03:25:43,280
This enterprise that we're embarking upon in my hope is is that when dr. Smith has some time we can continue this

2560
03:25:43,280 --> 03:25:50,240
Conversation, you know with him being present and obviously all of you and and other members of the committee if they're interested

2561
03:25:50,240 --> 03:25:53,020
But I think from my point of view

2562
03:25:53,020 --> 03:25:58,420
I want to make sure that as the board's representative that this board has

2563
03:25:58,820 --> 03:26:04,300
a real grasp of the things that we're wrestling with, and I appreciate everybody being here

2564
03:26:04,300 --> 03:26:11,560
tonight to at least begin the conversation and then we can talk more about how we move

2565
03:26:11,560 --> 03:26:13,140
forward, how we address things.

2566
03:26:13,380 --> 03:26:17,540
I think the biggest thing moving forward will be, you know, everyone's point about

2567
03:26:17,540 --> 03:26:19,740
the feasibility study is what do we look at, right?

2568
03:26:20,460 --> 03:26:24,360
You know, I know we don't automatically need a bright, shiny building.

2569
03:26:24,460 --> 03:26:28,080
I know everyone says we don't need everything new, you know, but that's an option,

2570
03:26:28,080 --> 03:26:32,880
right to build a standalone building new behind the current location. That's a possibility.

2571
03:26:33,380 --> 03:26:39,720
There's a possibility of adding on to Station Avenue Elementary and do it in an expansion there.

2572
03:26:40,140 --> 03:26:45,580
Anyone who drives any type of vehicle on Station Ave, adding an additional 300 people.

2573
03:26:45,580 --> 03:26:46,920
Are you looking at me, the school bus driver?

2574
03:26:47,200 --> 03:26:51,480
Adding an additional 380 people there at the same time. I don't know how I feel about that.

2575
03:26:51,680 --> 03:26:55,840
Or looking at properties that we have throughout the town or a site

2576
03:26:56,480 --> 03:27:06,820
That could house possibly either the Emmy Small community or redistricting the town and splitting

2577
03:27:06,820 --> 03:27:08,540
up Station Avenue and Emmy Small.

2578
03:27:09,400 --> 03:27:14,280
The thing that concerns us about moving further and further away from the current site is

2579
03:27:14,280 --> 03:27:16,760
the same concern you had about the West Yarmouth Library.

2580
03:27:17,300 --> 03:27:25,240
If you take away a school from that section of town, last night they had their school

2581
03:27:25,240 --> 03:27:30,340
concert, their winter concert. There was more people in the Ken Jenks Performing Art Center

2582
03:27:30,340 --> 03:27:37,140
than were at town meeting. There wasn't one seat open. There wasn't parking, as Ms. Wood

2583
03:27:37,140 --> 03:27:43,580
Public found, there wasn't parking for miles. That tiny school that we have has such a

2584
03:27:43,580 --> 03:27:50,580
large community. And to take them and move them out of that area, or move them too

2585
03:27:50,580 --> 03:27:56,640
far would be it would be a concern you're here so yes so we look forward to

2586
03:27:56,640 --> 03:28:00,980
having more like I said once we get accepted and we are able to start

2587
03:28:00,980 --> 03:28:05,120
bidding stuff we definitely want to make sure that you guys are up to data

2588
03:28:05,120 --> 03:28:10,560
where we are on you know hiring someone getting an idea and then you know

2589
03:28:10,560 --> 03:28:13,840
making sure we're all comfortable with the feasibility study of what they're

2590
03:28:13,840 --> 03:28:17,280
looking at and you know as well said everything has to be open right we

2591
03:28:17,280 --> 03:28:18,780
We have to look at all the options.

2592
03:28:20,020 --> 03:28:24,580
When we have engaged the town of Dennis, we're in the process of getting on their town meeting

2593
03:28:24,580 --> 03:28:29,580
for a feasibility study for that building, celebrating a 100-year birthday in a couple

2594
03:28:29,580 --> 03:28:29,900
of years.

2595
03:28:30,760 --> 03:28:31,220
I believe.

2596
03:28:32,260 --> 03:28:36,240
It will never fall down, but what's inside of it.

2597
03:28:36,820 --> 03:28:39,360
So there's discussion of what to look at that.

2598
03:28:39,760 --> 03:28:43,820
As was mentioned earlier with the capital stabilization plan, we have now entered

2599
03:28:43,820 --> 03:28:48,720
our five-year capital plan into the system the Town of Yarmouth does and we're working

2600
03:28:48,720 --> 03:28:54,140
through that so that we know what we're paying for, we know what we'll be looking for from

2601
03:28:54,140 --> 03:28:54,480
the town.

2602
03:28:54,640 --> 03:29:00,180
So again, we really made sure that we're being fiscally responsible to both towns.

2603
03:29:01,140 --> 03:29:04,860
But we understand that there's a lot of things coming up that the Town of Yarmouth

2604
03:29:04,860 --> 03:29:08,620
has to pay on, that we'll have to pay and the taxpayers will have to pay.

2605
03:29:08,800 --> 03:29:09,980
So we're cognizant of that.

2606
03:29:10,100 --> 03:29:12,520
So that's why we will look at all the options.

2607
03:29:12,520 --> 03:29:18,400
And again, bring it to town meeting and let, you know, the town decide what is the best option.

2608
03:29:19,280 --> 03:29:22,180
Can I ask you a quick question on the agreement?

2609
03:29:23,060 --> 03:29:27,880
You know, Will's quite passionate about the need to look at that.

2610
03:29:28,340 --> 03:29:31,700
And have you, as the committee talked about this at all?

2611
03:29:32,100 --> 03:29:33,480
We have not.

2612
03:29:33,680 --> 03:29:35,280
And I can add that as an agenda item.

2613
03:29:36,160 --> 03:29:39,180
Because the only people that can open up the agreement is the school committee.

2614
03:29:39,640 --> 03:29:39,960
Right.

2615
03:29:40,600 --> 03:29:46,360
So, I haven't heard, you know, what I would recommend is that there be a letter from each

2616
03:29:46,360 --> 03:29:52,040
select board requesting and then I can add it to our agenda, you know, to show that there

2617
03:29:52,040 --> 03:29:53,940
is a want and a need.

2618
03:29:54,380 --> 03:29:55,060
That's terrific.

2619
03:29:55,420 --> 03:29:55,760
Thank you.

2620
03:29:56,040 --> 03:29:56,520
Thank you.

2621
03:29:57,340 --> 03:29:59,180
And kudos to Dr. Smith.

2622
03:29:59,460 --> 03:29:59,760
I'm sorry.

2623
03:30:00,000 --> 03:30:08,280
It's not here with us tonight, but he's a breath of fresh air, and I don't, in any way,

2624
03:30:08,480 --> 03:30:16,280
my apologies to him as well. I knew no decision was being made tonight. I knew it was just the

2625
03:30:16,280 --> 03:30:22,460
opening of a door. So please, send that along to Dr. Smith.

2626
03:30:22,700 --> 03:30:27,640
The same situation him and I had is we were unknown of what the full idea and purpose

2627
03:30:27,640 --> 03:30:33,220
of this was. And obviously, now we know it was just like the same thing with, we can't

2628
03:30:33,220 --> 03:30:37,160
speak without speaking in front of each other. So having the information, having different

2629
03:30:37,160 --> 03:30:41,920
point of views, knowing what's going on to date is important. So we can make sure that

2630
03:30:41,920 --> 03:30:42,260
we have that.

2631
03:30:42,260 --> 03:30:45,640
So that you know, yeah, as long as I'm on this committee, I'm going to be wanting

2632
03:30:45,640 --> 03:30:49,100
to have a conversation with the board about all the things that we're talking about.

2633
03:30:49,280 --> 03:30:52,680
And I think it's terrific that you're able to make it and be here and participate.

2634
03:30:52,680 --> 03:30:58,380
So little past my son's bedtime. That's why they might be sitting behind me. I can't see him

2635
03:30:59,280 --> 03:31:01,080
Okay, yeah, we have plenty of chocolate

2636
03:31:06,520 --> 03:31:09,040
Thank you very much appreciate it

2637
03:31:10,000 --> 03:31:12,800
Okay, next item we have on the agenda is

2638
03:31:15,100 --> 03:31:17,200
Update on the dispatch

2639
03:31:18,440 --> 03:31:23,360
We've got Police Chief Kevin Lennon. I saw him there.

2640
03:31:24,680 --> 03:31:25,280
Here he

2641
03:31:34,720 --> 03:31:36,180
comes.

2642
03:31:38,650 --> 03:31:39,390
You coming up, Scott?

2643
03:31:41,150 --> 03:31:42,250
Come on up, Scott.

2644
03:31:50,240 --> 03:31:51,300
He's working his way in the zone.

2645
03:31:53,530 --> 03:31:54,110
No, thank you.

2646
03:31:57,270 --> 03:31:57,750
Good evening.

2647
03:31:58,210 --> 03:31:58,790
Good evening.

2648
03:31:59,390 --> 03:31:59,830
Give me a filter.

2649
03:32:06,920 --> 03:32:09,360
Everyone here after 9 gets double chocolate.

2650
03:32:11,980 --> 03:32:13,320
My dentist was frown on that.

2651
03:32:14,460 --> 03:32:20,060
Okay, I was, oh, here's Chief for Rescue too, and Assistant Chief Scott Smith.

2652
03:32:21,420 --> 03:32:23,820
Assistant Chief, so great to have you with us.

2653
03:32:24,700 --> 03:32:25,280
Thank you.

2654
03:32:27,790 --> 03:32:28,050
Hi there.

2655
03:32:28,130 --> 03:32:29,530
Now we put you on so late.

2656
03:32:29,690 --> 03:32:30,810
I'm sorry about that, guys.

2657
03:32:31,010 --> 03:32:31,450
It's okay.

2658
03:32:31,910 --> 03:32:32,310
Good job.

2659
03:32:32,350 --> 03:32:33,290
It's been an interesting evening.

2660
03:32:35,190 --> 03:32:36,150
I turn it over to you.

2661
03:32:37,270 --> 03:32:38,530
Thank you for having us tonight.

2662
03:32:38,650 --> 03:32:40,750
We're going to do a brief update.

2663
03:32:42,250 --> 03:32:43,290
We like it already.

2664
03:32:43,290 --> 03:32:44,770
That even briefers than you thought?

2665
03:32:45,370 --> 03:32:45,970
Yes, yes.

2666
03:32:46,510 --> 03:32:49,370
On the Regional Emergency Communication Center.

2667
03:32:49,830 --> 03:32:52,030
So I know we were supposed to come a couple months ago,

2668
03:32:52,150 --> 03:32:53,350
but things got stalled.

2669
03:32:53,530 --> 03:32:55,130
But we are moving forward.

2670
03:32:55,310 --> 03:32:56,870
We had a very positive meeting yesterday.

2671
03:32:57,830 --> 03:33:00,490
The fire chiefs met with the three town administrators,

2672
03:33:00,890 --> 03:33:04,550
HR directors, the DPW division commander,

2673
03:33:04,710 --> 03:33:08,650
not commander, but director over at the town of Barnesville

2674
03:33:08,650 --> 03:33:10,030
to give us an update on where they are.

2675
03:33:10,030 --> 03:33:12,510
There's been a lot going on in the background,

2676
03:33:13,310 --> 03:33:14,810
especially over in the town of Barnsville.

2677
03:33:15,490 --> 03:33:19,610
So we're gonna bring up a quick update on what's going on.

2678
03:33:20,110 --> 03:33:22,170
So just remember this all started back in 2022

2679
03:33:22,730 --> 03:33:24,970
when the town of Barnsville approached the town

2680
03:33:24,970 --> 03:33:26,230
of Yarmouth and the town of Sandwich

2681
03:33:26,230 --> 03:33:27,370
and asked if we wanted to be part

2682
03:33:27,370 --> 03:33:29,830
of a regional dispatch center, which we agreed to.

2683
03:33:30,330 --> 03:33:33,430
So a feasibility was funded by 9-1-1.

2684
03:33:33,630 --> 03:33:35,290
The study was done by the Collins Center.

2685
03:33:35,890 --> 03:33:36,650
At the end of the study,

2686
03:33:36,650 --> 03:33:42,070
they determined that a regional police and fire dispatch center for the three towns

2687
03:33:42,070 --> 03:33:43,710
was something that we should move forward with.

2688
03:33:45,290 --> 03:33:49,950
So what that will do for us is we know it's going to improve our dispatch services, it's

2689
03:33:49,950 --> 03:33:53,710
going to improve the working conditions of the dispatch staff, and it's going to decrease

2690
03:33:53,710 --> 03:33:54,610
costs for the towns.

2691
03:33:54,850 --> 03:33:56,590
There will be a decrease overall.

2692
03:33:57,450 --> 03:33:59,810
Some additional benefits, supportive supervision.

2693
03:34:00,490 --> 03:34:02,370
I can speak for the Armistice Department right now.

2694
03:34:02,470 --> 03:34:04,870
We do not have a dedicated supervisor for our dispatch.

2695
03:34:04,870 --> 03:34:09,410
dispatch, we have sergeants that are liaisons, we have a lieutenant that's a liaison, but

2696
03:34:09,410 --> 03:34:12,930
we do not have a supervisor who's actually a dispatcher as well.

2697
03:34:13,450 --> 03:34:18,430
So this regional center will allow personnel to move to the town of Barnsville and then

2698
03:34:18,430 --> 03:34:22,690
attain positions that they will never attain, at least within the Army Police Department.

2699
03:34:22,850 --> 03:34:26,510
We don't have the funding for a training person, we don't have the funding for a supervisor.

2700
03:34:26,850 --> 03:34:31,090
So our dispatchers today with tons and tons of experience will be able to go to

2701
03:34:31,090 --> 03:34:32,970
to another place like this center,

2702
03:34:33,310 --> 03:34:34,830
and then be able to move up.

2703
03:34:35,070 --> 03:34:36,030
So we'll see that.

2704
03:34:36,370 --> 03:34:38,650
Co-worker support, there'll be more people working.

2705
03:34:39,310 --> 03:34:41,810
The police department, we staffed two dispatchers

2706
03:34:41,810 --> 03:34:43,850
from eight o'clock in the morning until midnight.

2707
03:34:44,430 --> 03:34:46,210
The fire department only has one dispatcher.

2708
03:34:46,470 --> 03:34:47,550
You go into a regional center,

2709
03:34:47,650 --> 03:34:49,330
we're gonna have multiple dispatchers working,

2710
03:34:49,790 --> 03:34:51,410
and when that major call comes in,

2711
03:34:51,450 --> 03:34:53,090
they're gonna be able to pull additional resources.

2712
03:34:53,710 --> 03:34:54,930
And the other nice thing about it

2713
03:34:54,930 --> 03:34:55,790
is when we went to Duxbury

2714
03:34:55,790 --> 03:34:59,170
and we talked to the leadership up there,

2715
03:34:59,170 --> 03:35:03,290
where the WREC supervisor is also trained to be a dispatcher.

2716
03:35:03,410 --> 03:35:08,210
So if it really happens, like the unfortunate trench collapse that we had, they would be

2717
03:35:08,210 --> 03:35:12,690
able to pull additional resources and then help with handling the calls.

2718
03:35:13,350 --> 03:35:19,990
Abilities for basic physical needs, the center, the design of it has a kitchen, locker rooms,

2719
03:35:20,510 --> 03:35:25,270
a gymnasium, or a workout center, a recovery room, if one of our dispatchers has to

2720
03:35:25,270 --> 03:35:26,670
to handle a very serious call.

2721
03:35:26,810 --> 03:35:29,250
There's a place that they can go for a little bit of time.

2722
03:35:30,330 --> 03:35:33,850
Ability to handle job complexity and ancillary tasks.

2723
03:35:34,170 --> 03:35:35,790
Coping resources, that would be the room.

2724
03:35:36,610 --> 03:35:40,110
Again, opportunity for promotions and supervisory positions

2725
03:35:40,470 --> 03:35:42,130
and then opportunities for training positions.

2726
03:35:42,410 --> 03:35:45,510
Again, just speaking about the police department,

2727
03:35:45,670 --> 03:35:47,730
we have a sergeant who handles all the training

2728
03:35:47,730 --> 03:35:48,550
for our dispatchers.

2729
03:35:48,630 --> 03:35:50,130
We would be able to take a dispatcher,

2730
03:35:50,210 --> 03:35:51,110
move them into the center,

2731
03:35:51,410 --> 03:35:52,910
and then that would become their focus.

2732
03:35:52,910 --> 03:35:59,790
working on the day-to-day training, the recertification, and then employee advancements.

2733
03:36:00,030 --> 03:36:01,370
Chief, is there anything you want to jump in?

2734
03:36:01,470 --> 03:36:03,650
I'm good.

2735
03:36:04,010 --> 03:36:08,650
So the milestones of the project in July of 2022, we did the study.

2736
03:36:09,170 --> 03:36:10,870
In 23, it was completed.

2737
03:36:12,030 --> 03:36:15,710
In March of 2023, they did a staffing analysis and cost benefit.

2738
03:36:15,970 --> 03:36:20,450
That report was done and it was show that it was favorable for us to move in this direction.

2739
03:36:21,190 --> 03:36:27,450
In July of 23, which was FY24, the town of Barnsville is the host community, so they're

2740
03:36:27,450 --> 03:36:28,690
the ones that are writing the grants.

2741
03:36:29,310 --> 03:36:34,230
So the town of Barnsville received the grant for $373,000 for architectural services.

2742
03:36:36,190 --> 03:36:39,470
In FY25, they got another grant for $238,000.

2743
03:36:39,610 --> 03:36:43,670
That was to extend the architectural services and then start looking at engineering.

2744
03:36:44,410 --> 03:36:49,870
So while this was going on, we, the chiefs, we got together with the town administrator,

2745
03:36:49,870 --> 03:36:51,250
of the town of Barnesville and Sandwich.

2746
03:36:51,330 --> 03:36:53,730
We went and we looked at a couple sites,

2747
03:36:53,950 --> 03:36:56,550
I think, where we could land the dispatch center.

2748
03:36:57,130 --> 03:37:00,470
We looked at the, an area off of Bursha's Way in Hyannis.

2749
03:37:00,550 --> 03:37:02,750
We looked at where the old Hinkley Home Center is,

2750
03:37:03,230 --> 03:37:04,890
kind of near, is that,

2751
03:37:06,470 --> 03:37:08,230
I know, road, right in that area.

2752
03:37:08,730 --> 03:37:09,950
We looked at station three.

2753
03:37:10,730 --> 03:37:12,770
And where we landed was the piece of property

2754
03:37:12,770 --> 03:37:14,450
that is next to the Barnesville Police Department

2755
03:37:14,450 --> 03:37:14,990
right now.

2756
03:37:15,490 --> 03:37:17,990
And the nice piece about that property is,

2757
03:37:17,990 --> 03:37:20,490
It already has curb cuts out on the Finney's Lane.

2758
03:37:20,970 --> 03:37:24,270
There's already gas, water, and electricity right there.

2759
03:37:24,810 --> 03:37:28,250
So it's, and it would be separate from the police department,

2760
03:37:28,510 --> 03:37:30,450
but there would be a fence around it so that it's,

2761
03:37:30,450 --> 03:37:32,350
it's almost in the perimeter of the police department.

2762
03:37:32,450 --> 03:37:34,610
So that location seemed to be the best.

2763
03:37:34,950 --> 03:37:38,310
So they've been working on that in May of 2025.

2764
03:37:38,310 --> 03:37:40,670
There was a building design review meeting.

2765
03:37:41,110 --> 03:37:44,170
So what we've been telling our staff as this is going on

2766
03:37:44,170 --> 03:37:45,770
is that they will be involved in the process.

2767
03:37:45,770 --> 03:37:49,790
So we met with the architect, we met with the designer that was hired by the town,

2768
03:37:50,090 --> 03:37:55,250
and they put up some very loose plans of what the facility could look like,

2769
03:37:55,270 --> 03:37:57,710
and then our dispatchers were able to go in and say,

2770
03:37:58,010 --> 03:38:00,290
did you think about this? Did you think about that?

2771
03:38:00,850 --> 03:38:02,630
Can you move this? Can you move that?

2772
03:38:03,010 --> 03:38:05,270
They looked at what they did up in Duxbury,

2773
03:38:05,510 --> 03:38:08,070
and we took the tour of the rec center up in Duxbury,

2774
03:38:08,370 --> 03:38:12,130
and speaking with the director up there,

2775
03:38:12,130 --> 03:38:18,710
where he was very, he was generous to walk us around and say if in hindsight we should

2776
03:38:18,710 --> 03:38:23,490
have done this, in hindsight we should have done this, and they had a more difficult process

2777
03:38:23,490 --> 03:38:27,430
to deal with than we are because they were expanding in an existing space.

2778
03:38:27,870 --> 03:38:33,350
So they ran out of real estate because we're building this fresh, we have the ability

2779
03:38:33,350 --> 03:38:36,910
to take it from a larger scale and kind of pull it down if we have to.

2780
03:38:37,050 --> 03:38:41,510
So that meeting was very successful, again we allowed our employees.

2781
03:38:41,510 --> 03:38:45,810
the ones that are going to be working in the facility to actually sit there and have input

2782
03:38:45,810 --> 03:38:47,750
on what it's going to look like and how it's going to function.

2783
03:38:48,630 --> 03:38:53,270
And then in FY26, they received another grant for 861,000.

2784
03:38:53,570 --> 03:38:56,150
That is to, excuse me, that's going to be coming up.

2785
03:38:56,690 --> 03:39:01,590
That is for more architectural and design services and then an executive director position.

2786
03:39:02,330 --> 03:39:08,170
So we just, the next line right there that's actually updated, they posted the position

2787
03:39:08,170 --> 03:39:08,830
yesterday.

2788
03:39:08,830 --> 03:39:16,050
today. So when working with the town of Barnstable, they drafted it up, they sent it over to Sarah

2789
03:39:16,050 --> 03:39:19,390
O'Reilly who then sent it out to the town administrator and the chiefs. We got a chance

2790
03:39:19,390 --> 03:39:23,950
to look at it, did some research on our own, made some suggestions on what we thought the

2791
03:39:23,950 --> 03:39:27,410
position should entail and then put it back over to the town of Barnstable. They agreed

2792
03:39:27,410 --> 03:39:34,510
to it and it's been posted. So the goal is to have the position filled by the end

2793
03:39:34,510 --> 03:39:39,750
of January, we will be a part of the interview process. So in the meeting yesterday, the

2794
03:39:39,750 --> 03:39:43,910
town administrators and HR, they talked about how that process should go and what it would

2795
03:39:43,910 --> 03:39:49,290
look like and who would be involved. So the chiefs will be on at least one panel. So

2796
03:39:50,270 --> 03:39:55,130
the idea would be get the applications in, have HR, the three HR directors review the

2797
03:39:55,130 --> 03:39:58,670
applications, make sure we're getting the most suitable candidate, put it to a panel

2798
03:39:58,670 --> 03:40:02,830
of chiefs, the interview is done, and then make a recommendation to the town administrators

2799
03:40:02,830 --> 03:40:04,310
so the final person to be picked.

2800
03:40:04,830 --> 03:40:07,130
So if all goes well, that position could be filled

2801
03:40:07,130 --> 03:40:10,070
by February or March, and then we'll start moving

2802
03:40:10,070 --> 03:40:12,770
on developing operational committees

2803
03:40:12,770 --> 03:40:14,950
and then start getting a little bit deeper into the weeds

2804
03:40:14,950 --> 03:40:16,090
on what happens after that.

2805
03:40:16,810 --> 03:40:20,190
So the next big grant, the application is going to be due

2806
03:40:20,190 --> 03:40:23,430
roughly March, and if everything goes well,

2807
03:40:23,530 --> 03:40:26,010
that grant will be for the beginning of the construction

2808
03:40:26,010 --> 03:40:29,370
of the project, which will be a couple million dollars.

2809
03:40:29,370 --> 03:40:32,610
901 will only fund what you can get done in a fiscal year.

2810
03:40:33,150 --> 03:40:38,090
So there's a lot of work to be done, but we are moving at a pretty good clip right now.

2811
03:40:38,190 --> 03:40:42,310
There's been work going on in the background, more for the town of Barnesville because again

2812
03:40:42,310 --> 03:40:46,030
they're the host agency, so we have been supporting them as needed.

2813
03:40:46,650 --> 03:40:52,130
But now once we, once the executive director is picked, that person's going to be charged

2814
03:40:52,130 --> 03:40:57,230
with really getting everything up and running, taking over the grant because no department,

2815
03:40:57,970 --> 03:41:01,710
The town of Barnsville has been doing a great job, but the fire chief and the police chief,

2816
03:41:01,770 --> 03:41:06,370
they don't have the bandwidth within the departments to take on this, so we're looking for a subject

2817
03:41:06,370 --> 03:41:09,990
matter expert to take it to the next level and really start getting us going.

2818
03:41:10,550 --> 03:41:16,990
And then once we get that happening with the grant for the building, we then have to

2819
03:41:16,990 --> 03:41:23,710
start working on policies and procedures, SOPs, because we're going to take – the

2820
03:41:23,710 --> 03:41:30,070
The fire is better at their policy shifting from to department to department versus police

2821
03:41:30,070 --> 03:41:33,730
because we're not as coordinated as they are.

2822
03:41:33,970 --> 03:41:34,730
We're a little bit different.

2823
03:41:34,870 --> 03:41:37,430
Some still use 10 codes, other use plain language.

2824
03:41:38,010 --> 03:41:41,450
Barnesville may have a different code for a car stop than Yarmouth doesn't sandwich

2825
03:41:41,450 --> 03:41:41,630
us.

2826
03:41:41,770 --> 03:41:43,610
We need to start working on all of that together.

2827
03:41:44,570 --> 03:41:48,190
And that is stuff that has to happen in the background while the planning is going

2828
03:41:48,190 --> 03:41:48,450
on.

2829
03:41:48,530 --> 03:41:52,290
We talked about a subcommittee for radios and technology.

2830
03:41:52,290 --> 03:41:57,590
I was at a meeting last week looking at three different CAD vendors for our Dispatch and

2831
03:41:57,590 --> 03:41:58,330
Records Management.

2832
03:41:58,970 --> 03:42:04,870
Pick a vendor, it's 18 months to 24 months to get that program up and running.

2833
03:42:05,450 --> 03:42:09,390
So there's a lot of work that needs to be done, but I think we're in a good position

2834
03:42:09,390 --> 03:42:09,930
right now.

2835
03:42:10,330 --> 03:42:14,510
We are moving forward to the hiring of the Executive Director is going to be key,

2836
03:42:14,910 --> 03:42:17,330
and that position is funded through the grant.

2837
03:42:18,010 --> 03:42:21,650
So right now there's no expense to any municipality at this point.

2838
03:42:21,650 --> 03:42:21,870
Great.

2839
03:42:21,870 --> 03:42:22,570
That's good news.

2840
03:42:24,030 --> 03:42:28,110
Well, the great thing then is your executive director is going to be on board when you

2841
03:42:28,110 --> 03:42:32,030
need the most right at the very beginning to get everything shaped.

2842
03:42:32,410 --> 03:42:32,870
That's wonderful.

2843
03:42:33,130 --> 03:42:33,630
Well, that was the thought process.

2844
03:42:33,890 --> 03:42:39,650
And a lot of that came from Chief Burke, from Hyannis, and Chief Chalice, that they want

2845
03:42:39,650 --> 03:42:40,730
to have that person on board.

2846
03:42:40,810 --> 03:42:44,250
The person is going to be a department head for the town of Barnstable.

2847
03:42:44,730 --> 03:42:50,550
And we want that person to come in and be able to have their say and as things

2848
03:42:50,550 --> 03:42:54,150
things move forward instead of getting a bunch of things going and then taking somebody and

2849
03:42:54,150 --> 03:42:57,370
dropping them in and saying here we've already done this for you, now you figure it out,

2850
03:42:57,790 --> 03:43:01,710
the person is going to come on and they're going to work with us in conjunction with

2851
03:43:01,710 --> 03:43:01,870
us.

2852
03:43:02,150 --> 03:43:07,770
So the position reports directly to the town manager in Barnstable but there's an operations

2853
03:43:07,770 --> 03:43:12,250
committee of the chiefs from each town that work with that individual to make sure

2854
03:43:12,250 --> 03:43:15,090
that we are all of our interests are being met and that we're moving in the

2855
03:43:15,090 --> 03:43:15,590
right direction.

2856
03:43:15,930 --> 03:43:16,890
That's fantastic.

2857
03:43:17,270 --> 03:43:18,250
Any questions, Mark?

2858
03:43:18,250 --> 03:43:23,590
can you explain who the chiefs are that are on the committee the names who are

2859
03:43:23,590 --> 03:43:28,110
they the Yarmouth police chief and the arm of fire chief okay the Barnsville

2860
03:43:28,110 --> 03:43:32,630
chief chief genie chalice okay and chief Peter Burke from Barnsville from

2861
03:43:32,630 --> 03:43:36,830
Hyannis fire okay chief Burke from sandwich no relation behind me

2862
03:43:38,510 --> 03:43:43,550
sandwich police chief very good chief Burke do you have anything to say it's

2863
03:43:43,550 --> 03:43:47,490
great that they have you here in Yarmouth and and we very much appreciate

2864
03:43:47,490 --> 03:43:52,930
all your hard work not just in your own community but representing chiefs in the

2865
03:43:52,930 --> 03:43:56,970
fire community around the Cape and around the region and in the nation you

2866
03:43:56,970 --> 03:43:59,890
do a great job and it's great to have you here and it's great to have you

2867
03:43:59,890 --> 03:44:01,410
involved in this project quite frankly.

2868
03:44:02,850 --> 03:44:08,870
This is a great group to work with so this is one of the big things in my career that we want to see happen.

2869
03:44:10,890 --> 03:44:12,770
Thank you for all your help.

2870
03:44:12,770 --> 03:44:17,030
Thank you. Does anyone have any questions, Joyce?

2871
03:44:17,690 --> 03:44:21,550
I have one little one of Chief Lennon. What's an SOP?

2872
03:44:21,950 --> 03:44:23,810
Sorry, Standard Operating Procedure.

2873
03:44:24,230 --> 03:44:29,490
Policy Procedure SOP, so it's really like if you get a call, this is how you respond.

2874
03:44:30,230 --> 03:44:34,690
So police are a little worse, a little different than a fire.

2875
03:44:34,790 --> 03:44:38,890
The fire service, I would say they're a little more organized than we are when it comes to stuff like that because

2876
03:44:38,890 --> 03:44:48,390
your trucks are bigger yeah they have a lot of mutual aid and it's always so

2877
03:44:48,390 --> 03:44:52,730
great to have you all here thank you oh it's wonderful sorry we kept you up so

2878
03:44:52,730 --> 03:44:58,230
late sorry I would say probably six months we could have probably plan on

2879
03:44:58,230 --> 03:44:59,730
coming back and have a little more information

2880
03:45:00,000 --> 03:45:04,760
The director will be appointed at that time and maybe bring that person in to just talk

2881
03:45:04,760 --> 03:45:05,520
about where we are.

2882
03:45:05,780 --> 03:45:10,180
If I could just say, Madam Chair, I think that would be terrific. I think this is one

2883
03:45:10,180 --> 03:45:15,400
of the projects that we've been sort of starving to learn more, and so it is great that you're

2884
03:45:15,400 --> 03:45:19,940
here tonight, but don't beat, don't let the fact that we stay up late and intimidate

2885
03:45:19,940 --> 03:45:20,120
you.

2886
03:45:21,220 --> 03:45:22,660
We'll try to put you early on the agenda.

2887
03:45:23,220 --> 03:45:27,900
Yeah, we can certainly do that, but we appreciate this. I think getting an update on the

2888
03:45:27,900 --> 03:45:32,400
design of the building and how that's progressing. I think that would be a big help in definitely

2889
03:45:32,400 --> 03:45:36,500
meeting the executive director. I think that would be a great opportunity as well.

2890
03:45:36,780 --> 03:45:43,360
It was so exciting to be able to go to Duxbury and see it in operation that day and to think

2891
03:45:43,360 --> 03:45:46,960
that we're going to have that for the future here in the Cape. It's just tremendous.

2892
03:45:47,900 --> 03:45:49,900
Thank you. We look forward to it. Thank you.

2893
03:45:49,900 --> 03:45:51,900
Thank you, okay

2894
03:45:55,800 --> 03:46:04,220
moving on burn building transfer, I think I think our fire chief is probably staying right where he is I

2895
03:46:05,840 --> 03:46:07,280
Didn't say much in the last one, so

2896
03:46:09,220 --> 03:46:14,220
Now you get to talk so madam chair, I'm gonna excuse myself from this discussion

2897
03:46:34,260 --> 03:46:38,560
Thank you, Madam Chair. For those that don't know me, I'm Michael Dutton. I'm the new County

2898
03:46:38,560 --> 03:46:42,980
Administrator. I say new. I've been there for a little over a year. And this project

2899
03:46:42,980 --> 03:46:48,980
project has really taken center stage for a number of years within the county. And we

2900
03:46:48,980 --> 03:46:54,360
are here to give you a little bit of good news for those who haven't been on the board

2901
03:46:54,360 --> 03:47:03,080
for a while. This project started in earnest, I think, back in 2017, and is just about

2902
03:47:03,080 --> 03:47:08,400
at fruition and completion and ready to be turned over to the town of Yarmus, which

2903
03:47:08,400 --> 03:47:11,680
which is very exciting for the group sitting at this table.

2904
03:47:11,860 --> 03:47:17,660
So I will introduce former State Fire Marshal Steve Cohn, who can give you a little bit

2905
03:47:17,660 --> 03:47:19,980
of the background of the building.

2906
03:47:20,360 --> 03:47:25,920
And then the Chiefs can talk a little bit about the agreements they have regionally.

2907
03:47:26,400 --> 03:47:33,060
And Paul Rosala, who's our assets and infrastructure manager, if you have any questions about

2908
03:47:33,060 --> 03:47:36,320
the building itself, he can certainly answer some of those.

2909
03:47:36,320 --> 03:47:37,960
So I'll turn it over to Steve.

2910
03:47:38,720 --> 03:47:39,400
Thank you, Michael.

2911
03:47:43,470 --> 03:47:49,710
I was sitting here in 2022 when we first met with the board.

2912
03:47:50,430 --> 03:47:52,770
And at that time, the former Fire Chief,

2913
03:47:53,010 --> 03:47:56,610
Simonian, had worked with us at the county level

2914
03:47:57,070 --> 03:48:00,290
and had offered the site behind station three.

2915
03:48:01,510 --> 03:48:04,910
As Michael said, this started back in 2017

2916
03:48:05,670 --> 03:48:08,850
when I had just retired at State Fire Marshal and myself

2917
03:48:08,850 --> 03:48:15,490
another gentleman from the county wrote a FEMA grant and were awarded $600,000 to

2918
03:48:15,490 --> 03:48:21,310
have a structural burn building within Barnsville County. At the time the

2919
03:48:21,310 --> 03:48:25,870
intent was to have it be the centerpiece of the rebuilding of the

2920
03:48:25,870 --> 03:48:31,450
old Barnsville County Fire Academy in Hyannis behind the airport. But as a

2921
03:48:31,450 --> 03:48:38,210
result of environmental issues that had been uncovered over there, the

2922
03:48:38,210 --> 03:48:46,390
facility was shuttered. And with the pandemic on the doorstep and not being able to get

2923
03:48:47,050 --> 03:48:54,090
contractors who were DECAM certified to move the project around. Here we are almost into

2924
03:48:55,290 --> 03:49:00,930
2026, and we still are in the process of getting this completed. But as Michael said,

2925
03:49:01,230 --> 03:49:07,630
it's a very good report tonight. We thank the Board for the willingness of Yarmouth

2926
03:49:07,630 --> 03:49:10,270
to accept this building, the location of it.

2927
03:49:10,830 --> 03:49:14,610
And we have gone forward and been able to complete the building

2928
03:49:15,170 --> 03:49:18,050
with the exception of the live fire component

2929
03:49:18,550 --> 03:49:21,910
that will have to come as part of phase two.

2930
03:49:22,490 --> 03:49:25,350
But it's very clear that the building as it sits there now

2931
03:49:25,770 --> 03:49:27,090
should not remain vacant.

2932
03:49:27,430 --> 03:49:30,350
It's got tremendous capability today

2933
03:49:31,110 --> 03:49:34,450
for the regional fire service community of the county

2934
03:49:34,450 --> 03:49:36,530
to use it and train on it.

2935
03:49:36,530 --> 03:49:39,610
and the Chief will talk about that in a moment.

2936
03:49:40,150 --> 03:49:41,730
Are we going to show that short video

2937
03:49:41,730 --> 03:49:43,850
or the pictures of the building too?

2938
03:49:44,030 --> 03:49:44,190
Sure.

2939
03:49:46,420 --> 03:49:48,700
No, just let's just go forward to it.

2940
03:49:49,380 --> 03:49:51,900
So this is what the the building looks like

2941
03:49:51,900 --> 03:49:55,240
now completed behind the Station 3.

2942
03:49:55,820 --> 03:49:59,200
It was designed to simulate a basic two-and-a-half story

2943
03:49:59,760 --> 03:50:02,080
building very typical of the type of structure

2944
03:50:02,080 --> 03:50:04,560
that you would find here on the Cape

2945
03:50:05,160 --> 03:50:06,920
and with an attached garage

2946
03:50:06,920 --> 03:50:14,360
And the chiefs would speak to the fact that many times fires occurring attached garages that then extend into the home

2947
03:50:14,360 --> 03:50:22,440
So the scenarios that can be built around this are very realistic. So the building is is totally completed now

2948
03:50:23,740 --> 03:50:24,340
structurally

2949
03:50:25,020 --> 03:50:27,020
If you can move forward there chief

2950
03:50:27,520 --> 03:50:29,560
Just a close-up picture of it

2951
03:50:30,800 --> 03:50:31,940
What's on the roof

2952
03:50:33,840 --> 03:50:38,040
that those are just panels that there's nothing out it's not like solar or

2953
03:50:38,040 --> 03:50:42,000
anything like that it's just the construction of the building and the

2954
03:50:42,000 --> 03:50:46,560
stairwell that goes up to the back allows for training to occur and entry

2955
03:50:46,560 --> 03:50:54,700
into that building form a standpoint of tactics from a second floor and this is

2956
03:50:54,700 --> 03:50:59,120
a couple shots of the inside of the building the one on the right is the

2957
03:50:59,120 --> 03:51:03,060
of the second floor, which is open for search and rescue

2958
03:51:03,060 --> 03:51:04,500
and other evolutions.

2959
03:51:05,260 --> 03:51:07,500
The picture on the left-hand side,

2960
03:51:08,420 --> 03:51:12,780
what you see there as something attached to the wall

2961
03:51:12,780 --> 03:51:17,780
and then white tubing is the zero visibility smoke system.

2962
03:51:18,320 --> 03:51:20,160
This is a water-based system.

2963
03:51:20,520 --> 03:51:22,720
It's the same as what you would find

2964
03:51:22,720 --> 03:51:26,540
if you went to a theatrical setting.

2965
03:51:27,320 --> 03:51:35,200
It's non-toxic, it's not anything that would cause any injury upon inhalation to firefighters,

2966
03:51:35,880 --> 03:51:40,800
and it dissipates extremely quickly, so it isn't going to morph out into any type of

2967
03:51:40,800 --> 03:51:42,040
a neighborhood environment.

2968
03:51:42,400 --> 03:51:43,200
It's very safe.

2969
03:51:43,400 --> 03:51:47,580
But what it does allow us to do is to get that building down to zero visibility,

2970
03:51:48,060 --> 03:51:51,760
which is very important for fire training because that's the environment that they

2971
03:51:51,760 --> 03:51:53,740
have to enter a structural fire.

2972
03:51:56,510 --> 03:52:02,230
this we did some testing over there a few months ago and again the picture on

2973
03:52:02,230 --> 03:52:06,830
the left is the actual building that's the the look of the smoke when it when

2974
03:52:06,830 --> 03:52:12,150
it exits the building after being fully charged inside with firefighters going in

2975
03:52:12,150 --> 03:52:16,530
the picture on the on the right I've added to this and this is the next

2976
03:52:16,530 --> 03:52:21,830
phase of our of our project and that's to get the live fire into the

2977
03:52:21,830 --> 03:52:26,310
building, so that that is a picture of what it would look like when one of the props,

2978
03:52:26,730 --> 03:52:28,250
which is fed by propane.

2979
03:52:28,690 --> 03:52:34,530
And think of it as no more than a backyard barbecue grill on steroids, because that's

2980
03:52:34,530 --> 03:52:35,310
really what it is.

2981
03:52:35,370 --> 03:52:38,530
It's just a large, propane-driven fire.

2982
03:52:39,090 --> 03:52:45,490
No contaminants, there's no runoff, there's no overhaul necessary to dispose of anything

2983
03:52:45,490 --> 03:52:46,490
that had been burned.

2984
03:52:46,810 --> 03:52:48,270
It's a very clean environment.

2985
03:52:48,270 --> 03:52:54,490
And what we hope to have when we finish here is a burner on the first floor and also on

2986
03:52:54,490 --> 03:52:55,150
the second floor.

2987
03:52:55,210 --> 03:52:56,690
There are two burn rooms in the building.

2988
03:52:59,080 --> 03:53:02,400
And if we just show you a very short video, this is what would happen.

2989
03:53:03,000 --> 03:53:04,700
This would simulate a kitchen fire.

2990
03:53:05,520 --> 03:53:07,640
Well, that's a bedroom fire, excuse me.

2991
03:53:15,150 --> 03:53:20,050
And that simulates a flash over where fire gets up into the ceiling and then comes

2992
03:53:20,050 --> 03:53:20,490
across.

2993
03:53:20,830 --> 03:53:24,790
So it's a very challenging fire for firefighters to deal with.

2994
03:53:24,790 --> 03:53:25,590
on

2995
03:53:28,090 --> 03:53:34,590
the right, we injected some smoke into this, so that's what would be both the smoke-filled

2996
03:53:34,590 --> 03:53:38,030
environment with a live fire in that room.

2997
03:53:47,020 --> 03:53:52,920
So I would just end by saying that most of the funding that has come since the FEMA grant

2998
03:53:52,920 --> 03:53:58,980
has been as a result of a legislative earmark that Barnstable County has been successful

2999
03:53:58,980 --> 03:54:04,220
in getting each year and very much thankful to the senator and representatives from the

3000
03:54:04,220 --> 03:54:08,800
county who have fought for that earmark year after year at the State House.

3001
03:54:09,400 --> 03:54:14,900
So in talking to the Fire Marshal's office today, the next round of that earmark should

3002
03:54:14,900 --> 03:54:17,740
be available to us within the next two to three weeks.

3003
03:54:18,400 --> 03:54:23,900
The county office will process and manage that, but it's going to allow us now to

3004
03:54:23,900 --> 03:54:27,960
get into getting that live fire into the building itself.

3005
03:54:27,960 --> 03:54:33,600
So at a time, I would hope in the near future, which I might say would be 12 months out,

3006
03:54:34,280 --> 03:54:38,140
you know, maybe you'd like to join us when it's totally finished with Phase 2.

3007
03:54:38,640 --> 03:54:44,220
But the real point tonight is that to get this building in the hands of the fire service

3008
03:54:44,220 --> 03:54:48,020
and let the Chiefs and their training officers do what they can do best

3009
03:54:48,020 --> 03:54:50,640
and expose their firefighters to the training.

3010
03:54:50,940 --> 03:54:53,280
And I think the Chief will talk about that for a moment here.

3011
03:54:54,920 --> 03:55:00,180
All right. Thank you. And I just want to, you know, I would feel terrible not mentioning

3012
03:55:00,180 --> 03:55:04,940
the level of effort and help that I've gotten from the people that are sitting next to me

3013
03:55:04,940 --> 03:55:09,220
now because we wouldn't be here. And the Marshall has been relentless in getting this

3014
03:55:09,220 --> 03:55:15,040
cause done. And his passion for this is remarkable. And obviously with Michael joining us, this

3015
03:55:15,040 --> 03:55:23,260
project was well in hand when I started here in 2023. But the building that you

3016
03:55:23,260 --> 03:55:27,000
behind the station and we're there now and we're getting to the point where it's getting

3017
03:55:27,000 --> 03:55:32,600
exciting and Chief Burke from Sandwich who's representing the Cape and Islands Fire Chiefs

3018
03:55:32,600 --> 03:55:36,180
Association who have been really important in pulling this all together because it's

3019
03:55:36,180 --> 03:55:41,040
going to be a regional project. And then obviously with the Assistant Chief and the

3020
03:55:41,040 --> 03:55:46,240
Deputy Chief now here, the other piece with that is that it's going to directly

3021
03:55:46,240 --> 03:55:49,900
benefit the Yarmouth Fire Department in allowing us to do a lot of training

3022
03:55:49,900 --> 03:55:55,780
training in-house and also allow us to share that as regional assets so we can do a lot

3023
03:55:55,780 --> 03:55:58,640
of training with our mutual aid partners like you brought up before.

3024
03:55:59,300 --> 03:56:01,620
Excuse me, Chief, for interrupting you for one second.

3025
03:56:01,880 --> 03:56:04,140
But would you like to introduce your new Deputy Chief?

3026
03:56:05,460 --> 03:56:05,800
Sure.

3027
03:56:06,020 --> 03:56:06,160
Sure.

3028
03:56:06,280 --> 03:56:07,120
He's hiding back here.

3029
03:56:07,380 --> 03:56:11,540
But he's not official official, but we're putting him to work already.

3030
03:56:11,980 --> 03:56:17,180
But this is Lieutenant McMahon who has been promoted as of the end of this month

3031
03:56:17,180 --> 03:56:21,620
will be the new Deputy Chief of Training, which is fitting for what we're doing here.

3032
03:56:24,270 --> 03:56:29,890
Welcome. Thank you. And congratulations to Scott, Assistant Chief.

3033
03:56:30,130 --> 03:56:31,370
Yeah, that's great.

3034
03:56:32,430 --> 03:56:36,370
So just to kind of go through this quickly, because I know we've been here all night,

3035
03:56:36,690 --> 03:56:42,270
is just to talk about just about the type of training we'll be doing there.

3036
03:56:42,490 --> 03:56:46,950
And I think we listed a lot of interior search and rescue, which we can do without the fire portion,

3037
03:56:46,950 --> 03:56:51,830
but obviously the fire portion makes it a lot more realistic and fun, I guess is the other

3038
03:56:51,830 --> 03:56:52,470
way to look at it.

3039
03:56:52,650 --> 03:56:59,210
But also a lot of May Day down firefighter rescue ground and aerial ladder placement,

3040
03:56:59,550 --> 03:57:04,170
the building will allow us to be a lot of realistic training scenarios by using our

3041
03:57:04,170 --> 03:57:07,510
ground ladders and also working off of our aerial apparatus.

3042
03:57:08,550 --> 03:57:13,670
Obviously hose handling is a big piece of that and with the smoke and with everything

3043
03:57:13,670 --> 03:57:17,810
Anything else that really allows us to train in a very realistic environment and where we

3044
03:57:17,810 --> 03:57:23,990
have to manage the door and allow, all that is a key component to how you train how you

3045
03:57:23,990 --> 03:57:27,810
want the actual event to go and if it's a lot more realistic it makes us better.

3046
03:57:28,870 --> 03:57:34,690
So navigating the smoke, live fire, and it does also allow some technical rescue aspects

3047
03:57:34,690 --> 03:57:40,190
with repelling and roof entry type work and the way the building is designed also

3048
03:57:40,190 --> 03:57:46,450
allows for some – for a lot of creativity and designing scenarios for us to train our

3049
03:57:46,450 --> 03:57:46,810
firefighters.

3050
03:57:47,470 --> 03:57:47,910
Great.

3051
03:57:48,470 --> 03:57:49,030
So –

3052
03:57:49,030 --> 03:57:54,890
I – the Chief mentioned Chief Burke, but I think it is important that we do realize

3053
03:57:54,890 --> 03:58:00,450
that he's done tremendous work with the other fire chiefs across the county so that

3054
03:58:00,450 --> 03:58:04,830
there is a total partnership here, and maybe if you could just speak to that for a moment.

3055
03:58:05,410 --> 03:58:05,990
Yeah, real quick.

3056
03:58:06,190 --> 03:58:08,710
So I've been involved from the beginning, eight years.

3057
03:58:08,710 --> 03:58:12,450
I was in front of this board four years ago with the initial agreement.

3058
03:58:12,850 --> 03:58:20,210
So for the board members to understand all Cape Departments are in, including the islands, all paying the same fee.

3059
03:58:20,910 --> 03:58:25,790
So there's a kind of a entrance fee. And then when you use the building, there's another set of fees.

3060
03:58:26,230 --> 03:58:28,690
No impact to the town of Yarmouth. You're the host.

3061
03:58:29,310 --> 03:58:34,050
But we have complete buy-in. We've had significant chief turnover in the last four or five years.

3062
03:58:34,890 --> 03:58:38,670
doesn't matter. Each department that comes in with a new chief are all bought in because

3063
03:58:38,670 --> 03:58:44,470
this is a regional asset, centrally located, this side of the bridge, state of the art,

3064
03:58:44,710 --> 03:58:51,210
safe, clean technology. So there is just 100% support. I just want to make sure that I emphasize

3065
03:58:51,210 --> 03:58:56,470
that. And the fact that the islands are involved in paying and part of this and for

3066
03:58:56,470 --> 03:58:59,610
them to be able to come over here and use it I think is another critical aspect.

3067
03:58:59,610 --> 03:59:01,830
So, the Chief's done a great job.

3068
03:59:02,410 --> 03:59:04,330
Marshall Cohn has been the driver on this.

3069
03:59:04,850 --> 03:59:07,410
Yarmus the perfect location for this geographically.

3070
03:59:07,910 --> 03:59:09,970
And the Cape Chiefs can't be more supportive

3071
03:59:09,970 --> 03:59:10,930
of this moving forward.

3072
03:59:12,190 --> 03:59:12,910
Thank you.

3073
03:59:14,950 --> 03:59:20,550
So I think, Michael, the hope is that there's an exchange.

3074
03:59:21,070 --> 03:59:21,230
Right.

3075
03:59:21,510 --> 03:59:23,310
So I started by saying that.

3076
03:59:23,310 --> 03:59:24,470
Get to the mic first, please.

3077
03:59:26,550 --> 03:59:28,990
I started by saying that we're

3078
03:59:28,990 --> 03:59:34,550
sort of coming to the end of this long process, we've got a little bit more work to do with

3079
03:59:34,550 --> 03:59:41,250
the live fire, which the Marshal explained. And our hope is that within the next several

3080
03:59:41,250 --> 03:59:48,910
months we can turn the building over to Yarmouth. And so it becomes an asset of Yarmouth.

3081
03:59:49,410 --> 03:59:55,950
The firefighters, the chiefs, the islands and the Cape departments can use it. So that

3082
03:59:55,950 --> 03:59:59,030
That is our hope, even though there's not live fire in there currently.

3083
04:00:00,000 --> 04:00:05,640
There will be, but as the Chiefs both said, there's every opportunity to use that building

3084
04:00:05,640 --> 04:00:12,200
right now for any number of different training scenarios. So our hope is to turn it over. The

3085
04:00:12,200 --> 04:00:17,700
sooner we turn it over, the more quickly that they can use it. So that is our hope going

3086
04:00:17,700 --> 04:00:18,060
forward.

3087
04:00:20,680 --> 04:00:26,500
Okay. And if possible, I think this evening we'd like the approval of the select board

3088
04:00:26,500 --> 04:00:32,800
to authorize the town administrator to prepare the documents to take control of the facility

3089
04:00:32,800 --> 04:00:33,880
on behalf of the town.

3090
04:00:34,720 --> 04:00:40,880
Okay, and as always, I have to ask, is there any cost to us for doing this?

3091
04:00:42,040 --> 04:00:42,600
Wow.

3092
04:00:43,420 --> 04:00:44,580
That sounds fantastic.

3093
04:00:44,900 --> 04:00:46,780
Well, I'll entertain a motion.

3094
04:00:47,460 --> 04:00:53,340
I make a motion that we approve enthusiastically what has been presented to us today.

3095
04:00:53,800 --> 04:00:55,520
I think we have to be specific to that.

3096
04:00:55,520 --> 04:01:05,220
and to authorize the town administrator to authorize the town administrator to proceed

3097
04:01:05,220 --> 04:01:05,620
on this.

3098
04:01:06,340 --> 04:01:06,680
Thank you.

3099
04:01:06,960 --> 04:01:07,620
Do I have a second?

3100
04:01:08,120 --> 04:01:08,540
You do.

3101
04:01:08,740 --> 04:01:09,900
I have a couple of questions.

3102
04:01:10,060 --> 04:01:10,780
And then we have discussion.

3103
04:01:11,620 --> 04:01:11,900
A second.

3104
04:01:12,180 --> 04:01:12,360
Liz.

3105
04:01:14,180 --> 04:01:21,280
After the concerns at the previous fire academy, fire facility, will there be any

3106
04:01:21,280 --> 04:01:26,060
spraying of the chemicals for putting the fires out?

3107
04:01:26,360 --> 04:01:27,240
No ma'am, just water.

3108
04:01:27,800 --> 04:01:28,380
Just water.

3109
04:01:28,600 --> 04:01:29,000
Just water.

3110
04:01:29,420 --> 04:01:35,040
And I tried to emphasize and I think it's important that this is new technology.

3111
04:01:35,360 --> 04:01:36,460
This is state of the art.

3112
04:01:36,780 --> 04:01:40,120
This is as clean as you can get when it comes to fire training.

3113
04:01:40,580 --> 04:01:45,500
The older academy and many of them around the state and around the country,

3114
04:01:46,660 --> 04:01:49,580
burn straw and wood pallets.

3115
04:01:49,720 --> 04:01:49,940
Yeah.

3116
04:01:49,940 --> 04:01:54,760
And it's very realistic and it's needed for the type of training that those academies do.

3117
04:01:55,100 --> 04:02:02,020
But we recognize very early on in conversation with the town manager and with others that

3118
04:02:02,020 --> 04:02:06,640
because this is Barnsville County and because of many concerns that would come with the

3119
04:02:06,640 --> 04:02:12,580
aquifer and water or anything else that this is strictly the barbecue on steroids,

3120
04:02:14,020 --> 04:02:17,720
water-based theatrical smoke in water.

3121
04:02:17,720 --> 04:02:18,240
Okay.

3122
04:02:18,420 --> 04:02:20,300
And there's nothing more to it than that.

3123
04:02:20,600 --> 04:02:20,840
Great.

3124
04:02:21,260 --> 04:02:22,000
Happy to hear it.

3125
04:02:22,240 --> 04:02:27,320
Well, it's a very important question because the environment is very important to all of

3126
04:02:27,320 --> 04:02:29,120
us too, even the ones that wear the uniforms.

3127
04:02:29,480 --> 04:02:31,200
Yes, yes, indeed.

3128
04:02:31,400 --> 04:02:36,360
In fact, we've had conversations about our concern over the uniforms themselves and

3129
04:02:36,360 --> 04:02:38,800
the effects they've had on fire workers.

3130
04:02:39,440 --> 04:02:45,100
And administratively, who's going to be in charge of booking the sessions and so

3131
04:02:45,100 --> 04:02:45,400
on?

3132
04:02:45,960 --> 04:02:46,440
Sure.

3133
04:02:46,440 --> 04:02:50,400
So it'll be handled through the Armth Fire Department, specifically through our training

3134
04:02:50,400 --> 04:02:55,840
officer, our training deputy, and we're going to work out exactly how we do all that.

3135
04:02:57,780 --> 04:03:02,800
We use a similar facility, and we've been using it because of a lack of resource here

3136
04:03:02,800 --> 04:03:07,120
in Fall River and New Bedford, so we kind of understand how that works, and we do

3137
04:03:07,120 --> 04:03:12,840
have agreements through the Cape and Islands Fire Chiefs Association, so they'll book

3138
04:03:12,840 --> 04:03:16,020
through us, they'll pay us, and it'll all be managed through ours.

3139
04:03:16,020 --> 04:03:21,180
Okay, so there's a fee involved with it, and so the time that you're putting in on that

3140
04:03:21,180 --> 04:03:23,560
administration will be compensated.

3141
04:03:23,660 --> 04:03:24,040
Yes, yes.

3142
04:03:24,160 --> 04:03:29,200
Now there's an annual assessment that'll go towards that, and also to any repairs or any

3143
04:03:29,200 --> 04:03:33,600
other work that we need to do to the building, and then there's an actual use fee for the

3144
04:03:33,600 --> 04:03:33,860
day.

3145
04:03:34,120 --> 04:03:34,480
Right, sir.

3146
04:03:34,680 --> 04:03:35,080
Thank you.

3147
04:03:35,200 --> 04:03:35,300
Yep.

3148
04:03:36,140 --> 04:03:40,280
It's so exciting to have so many talented firefighters here.

3149
04:03:40,540 --> 04:03:41,080
Any questions?

3150
04:03:41,160 --> 04:03:41,860
I have no questions.

3151
04:03:42,120 --> 04:03:42,460
Thank you.

3152
04:03:42,720 --> 04:03:43,300
Neither do I.

3153
04:03:43,300 --> 04:03:44,380
So we'll call for a vote.

3154
04:03:45,000 --> 04:03:46,180
All those in favor?

3155
04:03:46,500 --> 04:03:46,740
Aye.

3156
04:03:46,840 --> 04:03:47,120
Aye.

3157
04:03:47,900 --> 04:03:48,180
Opposed?

3158
04:03:48,980 --> 04:03:50,960
Mark is abstaining on this vote.

3159
04:03:51,560 --> 04:03:54,320
And thank you all very much.

3160
04:03:54,420 --> 04:03:55,800
We appreciate you being up here.

3161
04:03:55,920 --> 04:03:56,400
That's official.

3162
04:03:56,960 --> 04:03:57,320
Thank you.

3163
04:03:57,720 --> 04:03:58,420
Thank you very much.

3164
04:04:01,370 --> 04:04:05,210
Scott and Chris, congratulations on your new role.

3165
04:04:13,300 --> 04:04:13,760
OK.

3166
04:04:14,060 --> 04:04:16,720
Next on the agenda, we have a discussion vote

3167
04:04:16,720 --> 04:04:19,360
on the National Grid gas storage tank replacement.

3168
04:04:19,360 --> 04:04:22,500
Thank you for your patience for waiting all this time.

3169
04:04:24,260 --> 04:04:27,400
We're kind of not doing it at the time we said we would be doing it.

3170
04:04:27,900 --> 04:04:28,800
She's in an hour.

3171
04:04:33,410 --> 04:04:34,350
It's all you pacing.

3172
04:04:36,870 --> 04:04:38,690
Trying desperately to stay awake.

3173
04:04:39,050 --> 04:04:40,350
I don't do well sitting still, you know.

3174
04:04:43,360 --> 04:04:44,420
Thanks for being here.

3175
04:04:45,660 --> 04:04:48,120
Where's the woman who's driving us?

3176
04:04:49,400 --> 04:04:50,760
Wow, there you go.

3177
04:04:54,320 --> 04:04:55,860
I hope he hit you up for a little help.

3178
04:05:03,320 --> 04:05:09,360
Thank you to the select board. My name is Matthew O'Brien. I'm representing National

3179
04:05:09,360 --> 04:05:16,320
Grid and the project as the outreach coordinator, outreach specialist. Joining me today is Brandon

3180
04:05:16,320 --> 04:05:25,260
Maloney. He's the project manager and Joe Carroll, our community guru here. So we'll

3181
04:05:25,260 --> 04:05:32,300
Just to keep it brief, I know it's been a long night, but really been eager to sit before

3182
04:05:32,300 --> 04:05:38,320
the board and just provide some information on what the company's identified as a really

3183
04:05:38,320 --> 04:05:44,220
important project and need for both the town of Yarmouth and the Cape.

3184
04:05:44,580 --> 04:05:50,960
So briefly going to run through our presentation here on the South Yarmouth LNG tank replacement.

3185
04:05:51,680 --> 04:05:58,660
Just from a geographical standpoint, if you focus on the map there, that shows our supply

3186
04:05:58,660 --> 04:06:05,760
chain, and you'll see on the far right is our South Yarmouth, that green dot is South

3187
04:06:05,760 --> 04:06:11,960
Yarmouth tank located on White's path, serves about 120,000 customers on Cape Cod using

3188
04:06:11,960 --> 04:06:17,280
pipeline gas, the South Yarmouth LNG tank, and some small portable operations.

3189
04:06:18,660 --> 04:06:22,020
Geographically, you know, Cape Cod customers are at the end of the supply chain.

3190
04:06:22,720 --> 04:06:28,180
And the South Island LNG tank is the critical backstop for ensuring that the reliability,

3191
04:06:30,020 --> 04:06:32,860
ensuring the reliability of gas service to these customers.

3192
04:06:35,820 --> 04:06:41,280
So in terms of the supply, you know, the gas in the tank is in liquid form.

3193
04:06:42,280 --> 04:06:45,800
It's been, the tank itself has been in operation since 1972.

3194
04:06:45,800 --> 04:06:50,580
And on the coldest days of each year, the gas is then vaporized and sent through our pipes

3195
04:06:50,980 --> 04:06:55,420
to supplement the typical volume used to serve customers on the Cape.

3196
04:06:56,640 --> 04:07:01,200
In fact, the tank provides more than two-thirds of the gas needed to serve the approximately

3197
04:07:01,200 --> 04:07:06,100
30,000 customers located within our service territory to the east of the facility.

3198
04:07:06,760 --> 04:07:12,500
And without this gas, it would be difficult to reliably serve winter heating customers

3199
04:07:12,500 --> 04:07:13,540
on Cape Cod.

3200
04:07:13,540 --> 04:07:14,480
So

3201
04:07:16,560 --> 04:07:22,300
in terms of the project need, the LNG tank has been in service since the early 1970s

3202
04:07:22,300 --> 04:07:23,980
and is regularly inspected.

3203
04:07:25,170 --> 04:07:31,480
The most recent series of inspections indicated that the tank is approaching its useful,

3204
04:07:32,480 --> 04:07:33,900
the end of its useful life.

3205
04:07:34,680 --> 04:07:38,540
The inability to operate the facility during the winter months would lead to the

3206
04:07:38,540 --> 04:07:43,280
the curtailment of, like I said, approximately 30,000 gas

3207
04:07:43,280 --> 04:07:45,820
customers east of Yarmouth.

3208
04:07:46,320 --> 04:07:49,140
As you can see, Brewster, Chatham, Dennis, East Ham,

3209
04:07:49,760 --> 04:07:51,220
Harwich, and all the way up to Orleans.

3210
04:07:52,160 --> 04:07:57,660
So in an effort to solve this, we explored a series of options.

3211
04:08:00,030 --> 04:08:02,880
Just going through, we first looked

3212
04:08:02,880 --> 04:08:04,840
at utilizing portable LNG.

3213
04:08:04,840 --> 04:08:11,320
We found that there was an insufficient amount of LNG trucks available during the winter

3214
04:08:11,320 --> 04:08:14,220
to meet customer needs without South Yarmouth supplies.

3215
04:08:15,320 --> 04:08:22,260
Then we looked at new gas transmission, but there's no new proposed gas transmission pipelines

3216
04:08:22,780 --> 04:08:23,540
in the area.

3217
04:08:24,740 --> 04:08:30,520
And thirdly, we looked at electric conversion and energy efficiency, but there's a low

3218
04:08:30,520 --> 04:08:37,800
probability of customer conversion to electricity and an inability to address this with gas energy

3219
04:08:37,800 --> 04:08:38,260
efficiency.

3220
04:08:38,740 --> 04:08:44,720
So what we landed on was the tank replacement project, and it's the only remaining viable

3221
04:08:44,720 --> 04:08:51,100
solution that the company saw to maintain supply for our existing customers.

3222
04:08:55,530 --> 04:09:01,570
So our proposal is an on-site replacement of the existing 2.1 million gallon tank

3223
04:09:01,570 --> 04:09:07,550
tank with a new 1.7 million gallon tank. That's approximately a 20% reduction in volume.

3224
04:09:08,130 --> 04:09:14,050
And because of the need to ensure continuity of service, the new tanks can be built adjacent

3225
04:09:14,050 --> 04:09:20,270
to the existing tank and then the old tank will be decommissioned once the new tank

3226
04:09:20,270 --> 04:09:25,230
is operational. While the new tank is smaller in capacity,

3227
04:09:25,910 --> 04:09:29,510
it's going to be taller to comply with enhanced safety requirements that were not

3228
04:09:29,510 --> 04:09:37,150
in effect when the original tank was built in the 1970s. This project that we're proposing

3229
04:09:37,150 --> 04:09:39,690
is going to take approximately two years.

3230
04:09:42,920 --> 04:09:47,600
So we have some visual. Here you'll see the

3231
04:09:47,600 --> 04:09:56,260
existing structure. As you can see it's built below grade so there's a trench and it's

3232
04:09:56,260 --> 04:10:02,120
It's located, if you can see kind of in the top right, there's the existing structures,

3233
04:10:02,340 --> 04:10:08,740
the larger white, and then up to the right is the proposed new tank on our site.

3234
04:10:13,940 --> 04:10:17,300
This is a simulation of the new tank.

3235
04:10:19,220 --> 04:10:23,080
Just to highlight, you'll see the trench that I explained in the previous image.

3236
04:10:23,820 --> 04:10:26,700
This tank is going to be built, what's considered on-grade.

3237
04:10:27,540 --> 04:10:33,040
So there was no need for trenching or any other safety requirements.

3238
04:10:37,710 --> 04:10:42,690
Here you'll see a visual simulation of what the current aerial view depicts.

3239
04:10:44,410 --> 04:10:45,570
There's the old tank.

3240
04:10:49,360 --> 04:10:54,600
And then this is what, you know, the visual simulation of the new tank.

3241
04:10:55,360 --> 04:10:57,340
You'll see it in the top right there.

3242
04:10:58,460 --> 04:11:07,380
and then you'll see we have safety fire road upgrades to the north that you'll

3243
04:11:07,380 --> 04:11:13,160
see there's a little bit of clearing involved within our property for the

3244
04:11:13,160 --> 04:11:14,520
upgraded safety requirements.

3245
04:11:19,180 --> 04:11:22,780
And then finally this is once the old tank is

3246
04:11:22,780 --> 04:11:31,220
commissioned. This is the aerial view with the new tank, fire road, stormwater

3247
04:11:31,220 --> 04:11:33,860
protection, and the bottom right there.

3248
04:11:40,360 --> 04:11:43,780
So in terms of next steps, this is why I

3249
04:11:43,780 --> 04:11:47,900
was eager to present to the board this kicks off our community engagement so

3250
04:11:47,900 --> 04:11:52,180
you know this this is going to be where I'm going to go out into the

3251
04:11:52,180 --> 04:11:56,740
community explain the project need, introduce the project scope, take

3252
04:11:56,740 --> 04:12:02,780
community input, you know, Brendan and the team, we're going to be on-boarding construction

3253
04:12:02,780 --> 04:12:09,920
and engineering vendors and completing our design. And going forward, you know, I'm

3254
04:12:09,920 --> 04:12:15,400
going to be point of contact within the community in terms of all outreach and, you know, we'll

3255
04:12:15,400 --> 04:12:20,420
begin our communication schedule. It begins really with a website that we'll share

3256
04:12:20,420 --> 04:12:25,100
with the town where folks, if they have any questions, you know, all updates

3257
04:12:25,100 --> 04:12:31,460
would be posted on there and then subsequently mailed and or hand delivered by myself to

3258
04:12:31,460 --> 04:12:31,960
the neighborhood.

3259
04:12:33,220 --> 04:12:40,240
So as we continue to develop and move forward with this project, the community will be

3260
04:12:40,240 --> 04:12:44,860
updated in accordance with any new construction developments or anything.

3261
04:12:46,800 --> 04:12:50,080
In this town we have some very active neighborhood associations.

3262
04:12:50,080 --> 04:12:55,200
So is that your one of your goals is to go out then and to meet with each of the associations?

3263
04:12:55,720 --> 04:12:59,000
Absolutely, butters, neighborhood associations.

3264
04:13:00,060 --> 04:13:06,900
Really anyone that is interested, you know, we cast a wide net starting with the neighborhood,

3265
04:13:07,980 --> 04:13:12,620
but it will, you know, extend to those associations, yes.

3266
04:13:12,920 --> 04:13:15,380
Part of the process was actually meeting with the fire.

3267
04:13:16,220 --> 04:13:21,900
On a regular yearly basis, they bring their apparatus around for training visually on that.

3268
04:13:22,020 --> 04:13:26,700
We actually just completed a training effort with them at their station.

3269
04:13:27,200 --> 04:13:31,220
So we went to them just to go through, gather some input from that.

3270
04:13:31,780 --> 04:13:36,280
Obviously, the building commissioner going through this, that next step was to come here from the informational.

3271
04:13:37,120 --> 04:13:41,360
And this is all collaboration, we just want to engage everybody.

3272
04:13:41,360 --> 04:13:45,460
and as Matt mentioned, that next step is going further onto that.

3273
04:13:45,840 --> 04:13:51,560
So it's just simple steps to keep going, but it's going to be kind of growing up from that.

3274
04:13:53,060 --> 04:13:58,040
When I mentioned the neighborhood associations, I mean beyond the abutters, I mean the town

3275
04:13:58,040 --> 04:14:04,040
of Yarmouth, because when folks hear that there's going to be a gas tank replacement

3276
04:14:04,040 --> 04:14:06,820
in town, I think they all need to be informed.

3277
04:14:06,820 --> 04:14:11,380
We're here for all the community from that in, as Matt Suwani, he has that in, Billy,

3278
04:14:11,520 --> 04:14:13,820
my team, we're all here from that side.

3279
04:14:15,080 --> 04:14:21,100
And it's, as we just experienced from cold days, you know, it's a vital component on

3280
04:14:21,100 --> 04:14:21,280
it.

3281
04:14:21,620 --> 04:14:24,000
And what we're trying to do is the prudent step.

3282
04:14:25,140 --> 04:14:27,760
We listen to a lot of dialogue tonight going through.

3283
04:14:29,180 --> 04:14:36,160
And what we're trying to do is be proactive so we're not here saying, hey, time out,

3284
04:14:36,160 --> 04:14:41,660
We got to be we got to be doing something totally different, right? We have to do it quick. We have to go this what we're trying to do is engage

3285
04:14:42,680 --> 04:14:43,920
Everyone in the town

3286
04:14:44,540 --> 04:14:50,460
For where it is. So I walked through the steps. Yeah, and it's just not just the butters. We have a butters right there

3287
04:14:50,460 --> 04:14:55,880
It's all commercial on that side, but we're going through everything from that in so it's that concept

3288
04:14:56,540 --> 04:14:59,760
Yes, actually keeping you here tonight was actually a good learning

3289
04:15:00,000 --> 04:15:01,920
Experience for you on community contact.

3290
04:15:02,920 --> 04:15:08,480
Yes, it was very enlightening, engaging, and I've learned a lot.

3291
04:15:09,580 --> 04:15:13,320
The other thing I'll add too is we do open houses as part of our outreach.

3292
04:15:13,640 --> 04:15:18,060
So it's a lot of information gathering in the beginning from this point on.

3293
04:15:18,660 --> 04:15:23,420
So we rely on multiple different outlets from an outreach standpoint.

3294
04:15:23,980 --> 04:15:27,600
Again, like I said, the website really, it can be shared with the town.

3295
04:15:27,600 --> 04:15:34,320
You know it really starts that process and then we have a dedicated communication schedule and part of that is you know

3296
04:15:34,320 --> 04:15:36,460
meeting with those community organizations

3297
04:15:37,220 --> 04:15:43,340
Having open houses, you know hosting where we can really go in depth on the project bringing project experts in

3298
04:15:43,980 --> 04:15:46,220
so the the the point and

3299
04:15:46,220 --> 04:15:52,260
Just to piggyback up what Joe said it is really to start at start here with the information

3300
04:15:52,260 --> 04:15:57,400
And then every step of the way, just make sure that the community,

3301
04:15:57,740 --> 04:16:02,000
that's in my capacity, that the community is aware of what's going on.

3302
04:16:03,220 --> 04:16:04,520
Okay. Mark?

3303
04:16:05,340 --> 04:16:06,900
Thank you. It's great to see you.

3304
04:16:07,980 --> 04:16:15,400
I can attest firsthand to National Grid's commitment to community involvement and community engagement.

3305
04:16:16,020 --> 04:16:19,100
I appreciate your approach to this job.

3306
04:16:19,100 --> 04:16:29,300
I've seen national grid sort of in action, and I very much think that this is, you know,

3307
04:16:29,360 --> 04:16:33,500
I don't think we'll tax you as much as we taxed everybody this evening,

3308
04:16:33,640 --> 04:16:38,360
but I think the fact that you're accessible, you'll be doing open houses,

3309
04:16:38,520 --> 04:16:42,400
you're doing the outreach, knocking on doors, letting people know what's going on,

3310
04:16:42,420 --> 04:16:43,100
I think it's terrific.

3311
04:16:43,720 --> 04:16:48,480
And I think it's terrific that the grid is heavily involved in updating its infrastructure.

3312
04:16:48,480 --> 04:16:55,040
This has been an ongoing process that the company has been engaged in for many, many years.

3313
04:16:55,700 --> 04:17:02,480
It's incredible the amount of investment in new, modern, safer infrastructure.

3314
04:17:03,460 --> 04:17:05,160
It's just amazing what's been going on.

3315
04:17:05,480 --> 04:17:08,520
So it's great that you're doing this here in Yarmouth.

3316
04:17:09,000 --> 04:17:12,380
I certainly appreciate what you're doing and I appreciate your approach.

3317
04:17:13,180 --> 04:17:13,740
It's great.

3318
04:17:14,440 --> 04:17:15,080
So thank you.

3319
04:17:16,440 --> 04:17:17,700
Now, do we have a vote to make?

3320
04:17:17,700 --> 04:17:20,600
I noticed that there was something about a vote on our agenda.

3321
04:17:20,780 --> 04:17:21,800
Do you need a vote from us?

3322
04:17:21,980 --> 04:17:22,080
No.

3323
04:17:22,720 --> 04:17:23,120
Okay.

3324
04:17:23,320 --> 04:17:23,640
That's good.

3325
04:17:23,840 --> 04:17:24,200
Thank you.

3326
04:17:25,120 --> 04:17:25,860
Comments, Liz.

3327
04:17:28,660 --> 04:17:29,060
Yes.

3328
04:17:29,300 --> 04:17:32,780
I just want, I noticed that the new tanks can be slightly smaller in capacity.

3329
04:17:33,420 --> 04:17:33,640
Yes.

3330
04:17:33,900 --> 04:17:37,600
And I think that's great because right down the road you have the Cape Light Compact

3331
04:17:37,600 --> 04:17:44,760
who's working feverishly to get us to not use so much gas and to get more renewables

3332
04:17:44,760 --> 04:17:45,200
going.

3333
04:17:45,200 --> 04:17:49,240
And when I go home tonight and I start my gas-fired fireplace,

3334
04:17:49,660 --> 04:17:52,720
I'm going to whisper, thank you, national grid.

3335
04:17:53,800 --> 04:17:55,500
No, that is critical, right?

3336
04:17:55,680 --> 04:17:58,000
And as a company, we're falling along that.

3337
04:17:58,300 --> 04:18:03,100
But as we all know and have seen, to get to that final point

3338
04:18:03,100 --> 04:18:05,840
where everyone's reaching is a little bit off in the distance.

3339
04:18:06,900 --> 04:18:11,880
And we need to at least ensure that our current customers

3340
04:18:11,880 --> 04:18:12,400
Oh, yeah.

3341
04:18:12,760 --> 04:18:16,780
I'll count them where they are, especially as this cold starts coming.

3342
04:18:17,440 --> 04:18:17,660
Yes.

3343
04:18:18,300 --> 04:18:18,860
It's coming.

3344
04:18:19,160 --> 04:18:19,400
It's here.

3345
04:18:19,820 --> 04:18:26,040
And I would also note that National Grid is the funder, partial funder of our energy manager

3346
04:18:26,420 --> 04:18:29,300
that we now have here in Yarmouth, our part timer.

3347
04:18:30,180 --> 04:18:36,300
Now, as Mark mentioned, we try to step forward in the community and be part of it.

3348
04:18:36,980 --> 04:18:46,200
I know we've done, and there was some, you know, earlier questions, we've done a lot of customer advocacy meetings, you know, around the Cape.

3349
04:18:46,360 --> 04:18:52,740
I think we've reached probably around a dozen already in and around trying to make sure everyone's comfortable, learn the new things from that end.

3350
04:18:53,380 --> 04:18:58,780
I know that, you know, recently some of the stuff, a lot of hits have been coming on on food.

3351
04:18:58,780 --> 04:19:05,960
We just made a $25,000 to the Cape Cod Food Pantry as well, you know, from then and so

3352
04:19:06,640 --> 04:19:12,440
it's something to be part of, you know, the community again, as Matt mentioned, this is

3353
04:19:12,440 --> 04:19:13,160
just that step.

3354
04:19:13,320 --> 04:19:15,880
We want to involve everybody for doing this.

3355
04:19:16,580 --> 04:19:16,600
Great.

3356
04:19:16,600 --> 04:19:16,860
Thank you.

3357
04:19:17,320 --> 04:19:17,540
Joyce?

3358
04:19:18,440 --> 04:19:26,000
Mr. Phil, could you make sure that whoever does the publicity for the open houses sends

3359
04:19:26,000 --> 04:19:30,400
an invitation to the select board I think we would love to come. Oh yeah no

3360
04:19:30,400 --> 04:19:34,760
question. Yeah like I said I mean the website is you know we we typically will

3361
04:19:34,760 --> 04:19:41,020
share it with the town so that you know if things get posted that we post you know

3362
04:19:41,020 --> 04:19:46,320
it can just be another avenue for for folks to get eyes on it so we

3363
04:19:46,320 --> 04:19:51,140
certainly every every invite you know every update will be going to the

3364
04:19:51,140 --> 04:19:54,680
select board as well. And for the scope of this project Matt is you know

3365
04:19:54,680 --> 04:19:59,640
That's a point of contact and doing all that while we still have myself and Billy.

3366
04:19:59,840 --> 04:20:04,800
I know Billy has been, you know, having involved, so you have multiple points in that one,

3367
04:20:04,840 --> 04:20:06,400
but you'll be updated with it all.

3368
04:20:06,760 --> 04:20:07,120
Thank you.

3369
04:20:07,240 --> 04:20:12,820
If you need a few more guys in tomorrow, the next time you come, a few more people.

3370
04:20:14,160 --> 04:20:16,820
We didn't have any uniforms, so that was, you know.

3371
04:20:18,000 --> 04:20:22,940
I do know, as just being on the project, you know, I can speak to the work

3372
04:20:22,940 --> 04:20:30,000
that the project teams put in. So, you know, Brendan was eager to join us as well and, you

3373
04:20:30,000 --> 04:20:35,140
know, there's been a lot of study and examination on this from an engineering standpoint. So,

3374
04:20:35,420 --> 04:20:36,040
thank you.

3375
04:20:37,000 --> 04:20:39,000
Well, thank you very much. Appreciate it.

3376
04:20:39,260 --> 04:20:39,580
Thank you.

3377
04:20:39,760 --> 04:20:39,980
Thank you.

3378
04:20:41,440 --> 04:20:42,060
Thank you.

3379
04:20:42,240 --> 04:20:42,480
Thank you.

3380
04:20:43,140 --> 04:20:44,660
And take some fuel with you.

3381
04:20:44,840 --> 04:20:45,460
Thank you.

3382
04:20:45,840 --> 04:20:47,160
There's only some candy there.

3383
04:20:47,620 --> 04:20:48,820
It'll keep me up.

3384
04:20:54,660 --> 04:21:01,240
Okay. At this point, I will turn it over to our appointment chair. Thank you, Madam Chair.

3385
04:21:02,300 --> 04:21:03,980
We have a robust list tonight.

3386
04:21:06,200 --> 04:21:11,140
First, I'd like to propose I'll give them a chance to

3387
04:21:11,140 --> 04:21:13,540
get out. There you go.

3388
04:21:28,440 --> 04:21:31,200
So for anyone who's been worried about the well-being of the

3389
04:21:31,200 --> 04:21:39,060
Energy Committee. We are doing really well. We're up to six members of the, well, with

3390
04:21:39,060 --> 04:21:46,120
the two proposed tonight, we're up to six members of the seven maximum. I'd like to

3391
04:21:46,120 --> 04:21:55,280
propose Barry Margolin as a member of the Energy Committee, a three-year regular appointment

3392
04:21:55,280 --> 04:22:01,680
that would run from January 1st, 2026 to December 31st, 2028.

3393
04:22:02,600 --> 04:22:03,320
Second.

3394
04:22:04,380 --> 04:22:05,360
So moved.

3395
04:22:06,420 --> 04:22:06,980
So moved.

3396
04:22:07,340 --> 04:22:07,420
Yep.

3397
04:22:08,300 --> 04:22:08,860
So moved.

3398
04:22:09,200 --> 04:22:09,660
Discussion?

3399
04:22:09,820 --> 04:22:10,020
Second.

3400
04:22:10,260 --> 04:22:10,360
Yep.

3401
04:22:10,940 --> 04:22:11,460
All in favor?

3402
04:22:11,780 --> 04:22:12,060
Aye.

3403
04:22:12,580 --> 04:22:13,320
Thank you.

3404
04:22:13,960 --> 04:22:19,180
Then also for the Energy Committee and also a returning member from a previous year,

3405
04:22:19,180 --> 04:22:26,040
I'd like to nominate Susan Starkey for a regular three year appointment to run from January

3406
04:22:26,040 --> 04:22:31,900
1st, 2026 through December 31st, 2028.

3407
04:22:32,320 --> 04:22:33,160
So moved.

3408
04:22:33,600 --> 04:22:33,900
Second.

3409
04:22:34,660 --> 04:22:35,300
Any discussion?

3410
04:22:36,420 --> 04:22:37,520
All in favor?

3411
04:22:37,860 --> 04:22:38,060
Aye.

3412
04:22:38,180 --> 04:22:38,300
Aye.

3413
04:22:39,380 --> 04:22:47,280
Now, this next paragraph is all people from the planning board to represent planning

3414
04:22:47,280 --> 04:22:48,340
on other committees.

3415
04:22:48,340 --> 04:22:52,220
The dates are all the same except for the final one.

3416
04:22:52,280 --> 04:22:55,020
Would you like me to make a combined motion?

3417
04:22:55,740 --> 04:22:56,780
That sounds wonderful.

3418
04:22:57,080 --> 04:22:57,560
Okay.

3419
04:22:59,660 --> 04:23:03,580
I nominate as Planning Board Representative Positions

3420
04:23:03,580 --> 04:23:07,460
Deirdre Gakwin to Community Housing Committee

3421
04:23:07,460 --> 04:23:10,760
Joanne Crowley to Community Preservation Committee

3422
04:23:10,760 --> 04:23:13,780
Peter Slovak to the Design Review Committee

3423
04:23:13,780 --> 04:23:17,080
Susan Britta to the Drive-In Utilization Committee.

3424
04:23:17,080 --> 04:23:22,200
committee. I didn't even know we still had that. And to the Library Building Committee,

3425
04:23:22,800 --> 04:23:29,760
Ken Smith to the Land Disposition Committee and Water Resource Advisory Committee, Will

3426
04:23:29,760 --> 04:23:35,480
Rubenstein to the Community and Economic Development Committee, and those would be for

3427
04:23:35,480 --> 04:23:41,440
this calendar year, January 1st through December 31st of 2026.

3428
04:23:41,440 --> 04:23:50,320
2026. So moved. Second. Discussion? All in favor? All right. Then one final appointment

3429
04:23:50,900 --> 04:23:56,660
from the planning board to another committee and that's Tom Pendleton to the capital budget

3430
04:23:56,660 --> 04:24:03,880
committee and that will be made effective May 1st, 2026 to run through December 31st,

3431
04:24:03,960 --> 04:24:11,280
2026. The odd timing is because of the devotion of our volunteers. Somebody who's leaving

3432
04:24:11,280 --> 04:24:16,020
the committee has a project to finish and it's going to work through April on it.

3433
04:24:18,290 --> 04:24:19,010
Second?

3434
04:24:19,710 --> 04:24:20,430
Discussion?

3435
04:24:20,730 --> 04:24:22,270
All in favor?

3436
04:24:23,670 --> 04:24:25,310
Okay, then exciting.

3437
04:24:25,710 --> 04:24:30,690
We move down to the Public Arts Committee and our very first appointments.

3438
04:24:31,490 --> 04:24:38,530
I'd like to propose Marianne Agresti for a regular three-year appointment to run from

3439
04:24:38,530 --> 04:24:43,590
January 1st, 2026 to December 31st, 2028.

3440
04:24:43,910 --> 04:24:44,490
So moved.

3441
04:24:44,910 --> 04:24:45,130
Second.

3442
04:24:45,710 --> 04:24:46,170
Discussion?

3443
04:24:47,430 --> 04:24:48,050
All in favor?

3444
04:24:48,330 --> 04:24:48,690
Aye.

3445
04:24:49,370 --> 04:24:49,870
Thank you.

3446
04:24:50,510 --> 04:24:57,110
And I'd also like to propose Mary Velbin for a regular appointment of two years to

3447
04:24:57,110 --> 04:25:01,870
run from January 2026 to December of 2027.

3448
04:25:02,350 --> 04:25:02,930
So moved.

3449
04:25:03,190 --> 04:25:03,410
Second.

3450
04:25:03,910 --> 04:25:04,270
Discussion?

3451
04:25:04,810 --> 04:25:04,930
Aye.

3452
04:25:06,070 --> 04:25:06,550
All in favor?

3453
04:25:06,790 --> 04:25:07,170
Aye.

3454
04:25:07,170 --> 04:25:16,150
Then finally, we have reappointments of two constables, Constable Paul Rooney and Constable

3455
04:25:16,150 --> 04:25:23,370
John D. Serkham, both currently serving to be reappointed for calendar year 2026, January

3456
04:25:23,370 --> 04:25:25,890
1st through December 31st.

3457
04:25:26,010 --> 04:25:26,650
So moved.

3458
04:25:27,030 --> 04:25:27,250
Second.

3459
04:25:28,150 --> 04:25:28,710
Discussion?

3460
04:25:30,230 --> 04:25:31,290
All in favor?

3461
04:25:31,570 --> 04:25:31,810
Aye.

3462
04:25:31,990 --> 04:25:32,270
Aye.

3463
04:25:32,910 --> 04:25:33,850
Thank you.

3464
04:25:35,800 --> 04:25:37,100
Thank you very much.

3465
04:25:37,100 --> 04:25:42,660
Now we'll move on to the approval of the minutes for the February 4th, 2025 meeting.

3466
04:25:42,940 --> 04:25:46,880
I move we approve the minutes February 4th, 2025.

3467
04:25:47,440 --> 04:25:48,400
Do I have a second?

3468
04:25:49,300 --> 04:25:49,600
Second.

3469
04:25:51,220 --> 04:25:52,740
Discussion, all in favor?

3470
04:25:53,160 --> 04:25:53,520
Aye.

3471
04:25:54,240 --> 04:25:54,640
Wonderful.

3472
04:25:55,100 --> 04:25:55,640
That's passed.

3473
04:25:56,460 --> 04:26:04,380
And moving on to upcoming agenda review, one thing that Joyce has brought up is that unfortunately,

3474
04:26:04,380 --> 04:26:10,920
She would not be available for the 13th of January and is asking if there's a possibility

3475
04:26:10,920 --> 04:26:18,360
that we could move it to either January 20th or the energy manager update, you mean?

3476
04:26:19,460 --> 04:26:20,560
The energy manager update?

3477
04:26:20,560 --> 04:26:20,980
Of the meeting.

3478
04:26:21,220 --> 04:26:22,320
Of the meeting.

3479
04:26:22,440 --> 04:26:22,460
Of the meeting.

3480
04:26:22,460 --> 04:26:23,040
Of the whole meeting.

3481
04:26:23,340 --> 04:26:23,680
The whole meeting.

3482
04:26:25,220 --> 04:26:25,780
Okay.

3483
04:26:26,520 --> 04:26:30,960
How does everyone feel about moving it from January 13th to January 20th?

3484
04:26:31,040 --> 04:26:32,800
Anyone going away on vacation or anything?

3485
04:26:33,300 --> 04:26:36,520
So that's the Tuesday following in the Martin Luther King Day holiday.

3486
04:26:38,300 --> 04:26:38,880
Or the 27th.

3487
04:26:41,640 --> 04:26:43,160
This is funny to have the two meetings.

3488
04:26:43,480 --> 04:26:44,420
It would be a lot harder.

3489
04:26:45,600 --> 04:26:47,040
That's further away.

3490
04:26:47,280 --> 04:26:50,540
I think that it would be better to do January 20th.

3491
04:26:50,780 --> 04:26:51,740
Yeah, I can't make it.

3492
04:26:51,980 --> 04:26:52,720
You can't make it.

3493
04:26:54,580 --> 04:26:56,220
I have another commitment that night.

3494
04:26:56,500 --> 04:26:56,820
Okay.

3495
04:26:57,900 --> 04:26:59,780
Well, I can zoom in.

3496
04:27:00,300 --> 04:27:04,160
I'll be zooming in January 6th and January 13th.

3497
04:27:04,160 --> 04:27:10,200
because when we made these plans, I never thought there'd be two adjacent weeks in January.

3498
04:27:10,840 --> 04:27:13,620
Well, we'll keep them the way they are then. Sorry, Joyce.

3499
04:27:14,460 --> 04:27:17,760
I'll just have a little squeaky electronic voice.

3500
04:27:18,860 --> 04:27:25,480
Let's just hope that you don't cause the fires out in L.A. the way you did the last time you were out there.

3501
04:27:25,740 --> 04:27:28,980
I didn't bring them, I swear. We looked down from the plate and saw it.

3502
04:27:30,340 --> 04:27:39,360
Okay, moving on to the agenda items. How does the meeting look then for January 6th?

3503
04:27:39,600 --> 04:27:46,340
We have the golf fees hearing, annual fee use review hearing, which I think is great having that on,

3504
04:27:46,420 --> 04:27:52,940
because we did say we wanted to make the commitment to having that January every year going forward.

3505
04:27:52,940 --> 04:27:54,060
so it's great to see that.

3506
04:27:54,980 --> 04:28:01,200
We have a tentative for a budget workshop, and then discussion in economic development,

3507
04:28:02,520 --> 04:28:09,640
community and economic development committee update, special event funding recommendations,

3508
04:28:09,980 --> 04:28:12,400
and discussion on Title V tax credits.

3509
04:28:14,440 --> 04:28:17,740
Is that pretty well filled up then?

3510
04:28:18,420 --> 04:28:24,300
I would say that budget workshop and everything that's going to be a big meeting, especially

3511
04:28:24,300 --> 04:28:27,980
the economic development, I think, because this is going to be our first chance to really

3512
04:28:27,980 --> 04:28:32,400
start talking with the new people about where we're going from here.

3513
04:28:32,760 --> 04:28:32,900
Yeah.

3514
04:28:33,080 --> 04:28:33,320
Okay.

3515
04:28:34,520 --> 04:28:41,640
I would like to propose that we add, in the consent agenda for that night, a letter

3516
04:28:41,640 --> 04:28:47,860
of support to the Attorney General in support of our zoning by-law changes.

3517
04:28:48,640 --> 04:28:52,520
Those were sent to the Attorney General, and I think it would be helpful for the Board

3518
04:28:52,520 --> 04:28:55,120
to be way in in support of those zoning amendments.

3519
04:28:56,060 --> 04:28:57,140
So I'd be happy to-

3520
04:28:57,140 --> 04:28:58,140
As a consent agenda, so-

3521
04:28:58,140 --> 04:29:01,820
As a consent agenda, I don't want a discussion on it, it's not necessary because we've

3522
04:29:01,820 --> 04:29:02,500
already been on record.

3523
04:29:02,720 --> 04:29:02,760
We're just supporting it.

3524
04:29:03,040 --> 04:29:04,120
There's no need to do that.

3525
04:29:04,260 --> 04:29:08,720
But I'm happy to work with the Administrator on a draft letter if that's okay.

3526
04:29:08,980 --> 04:29:09,880
That sounds correct, Mark.

3527
04:29:10,220 --> 04:29:10,520
Thank you.

3528
04:29:13,160 --> 04:29:22,480
And depending on where grant deadlines fall, I would love to have an update from the energy

3529
04:29:22,480 --> 04:29:23,000
manager.

3530
04:29:23,220 --> 04:29:27,920
But it may be that there are no deadlines in the winter.

3531
04:29:28,160 --> 04:29:32,440
It may be that they're spring, but I just would love to know what's going on because

3532
04:29:33,000 --> 04:29:37,100
there are all sorts of grants that I'd love to hear what she thought of.

3533
04:29:37,100 --> 04:29:40,460
The energy manager is on the 13th choice.

3534
04:29:41,500 --> 04:29:46,260
Oh well, I'll listen and I'll talk in a little squeaky voice.

3535
04:29:46,980 --> 04:29:47,500
There you go.

3536
04:29:48,800 --> 04:29:50,820
Okay, any updates?

3537
04:29:51,800 --> 04:29:59,240
Well, before we move on, I just wondered, there was a priority on the discussion of the parks and buildings.

3538
04:29:59,240 --> 04:29:59,500
things.

3539
04:30:00,000 --> 04:30:06,540
Mostly the park's management. And that was supposed to be a priority because we're going

3540
04:30:06,540 --> 04:30:07,020
to be having.

3541
04:30:07,620 --> 04:30:10,480
Do we have that slated somewhere on our agenda?

3542
04:30:11,000 --> 04:30:12,180
I don't think so.

3543
04:30:12,680 --> 04:30:17,440
Well, I think what I would recommend, I would agree with Liz that it needs to be a priority.

3544
04:30:17,620 --> 04:30:22,100
We just need to find a place to stick it. And I think we need to really work with

3545
04:30:22,100 --> 04:30:27,800
the administrator on when to bring it up because there are two major park-related topics.

3546
04:30:28,240 --> 04:30:35,380
One is having – we can't open up the drive-in site until we have a plan for the management

3547
04:30:35,380 --> 04:30:36,300
and the use of that.

3548
04:30:36,460 --> 04:30:36,780
Right.

3549
04:30:36,960 --> 04:30:38,020
That's what we were thinking.

3550
04:30:38,020 --> 04:30:38,200
Right.

3551
04:30:38,300 --> 04:30:39,760
That's been hanging out there for a while.

3552
04:30:40,400 --> 04:30:47,460
And, you know, Kathy's been wicked busy on so many other things that my sense is

3553
04:30:47,460 --> 04:30:51,820
that part of the challenge in getting it all done is just staff time.

3554
04:30:52,200 --> 04:30:56,540
And I'm not sure it needs to be set up so that we can – I'd like to deal

3555
04:30:56,540 --> 04:31:01,340
with that and have a broader discussion about how we're managing and handling park issues

3556
04:31:01,340 --> 04:31:10,140
across the board because it continually comes up, you know, especially on the park areas

3557
04:31:10,140 --> 04:31:18,580
that have invasives, fragmites, and other sort of, I would say, more heavy maintenance.

3558
04:31:19,380 --> 04:31:22,800
But I think it's been a while since we've talked about our parks and how they're being

3559
04:31:22,800 --> 04:31:23,940
managed and how they're upkeep.

3560
04:31:23,940 --> 04:31:24,760
Yeah.

3561
04:31:25,000 --> 04:31:29,000
And we may very well have to have a conversation with the administration.

3562
04:31:29,300 --> 04:31:34,640
It may very well be that there may be more staff or more resources needed to support that.

3563
04:31:35,540 --> 04:31:38,500
We should probably go through our budget workshop first.

3564
04:31:38,900 --> 04:31:40,460
So do that on the 13th?

3565
04:31:40,720 --> 04:31:40,820
Yeah.

3566
04:31:41,420 --> 04:31:43,660
So I would defer to the administration.

3567
04:31:43,880 --> 04:31:44,340
I think you're rushing it.

3568
04:31:44,660 --> 04:31:48,940
I think let's go through that and then let's pick a time and figure out.

3569
04:31:48,940 --> 04:31:55,520
And, in addition, I know that we're starting the project now of working on developing some

3570
04:31:57,880 --> 04:32:04,300
proposed policies for the management and operation of the new Parker's River Landing Park.

3571
04:32:04,680 --> 04:32:08,300
But that's not going to be done by the 13th, so we need a little more time to do that.

3572
04:32:08,760 --> 04:32:14,100
And but we're working on it and we have a team and then, you know, I think on

3573
04:32:14,100 --> 04:32:22,680
the budget we need to have a real talk before we start adding positions.

3574
04:32:23,420 --> 04:32:28,260
I'm just saying it's going to be significant discussion and we need to

3575
04:32:28,260 --> 04:32:34,240
do it when you feel that we'll be ready for it Bob. Can we cross off regional

3576
04:32:34,240 --> 04:32:37,160
dispatch update? Is that what we had tonight?

3577
04:32:39,180 --> 04:32:41,210
Before we go too far let's

3578
04:32:41,210 --> 04:32:49,390
resolve the park stuff when do you think Bob that's likely to be in February or yeah I would I would

3579
04:32:49,390 --> 04:32:59,270
say let's get let's do the budget workshop and we need to get oriented right toward that and then

3580
04:32:59,270 --> 04:33:06,590
maybe that February 3 meeting yeah let's let's put that in there maybe a first cut at a park as

3581
04:33:06,590 --> 04:33:13,390
River Park Plan, Park Management Plan, tie those together. Does that make sense, Bob?

3582
04:33:15,270 --> 04:33:21,830
Having the conversation together at least. Yeah, I was thinking, I have to kind of check

3583
04:33:21,830 --> 04:33:29,290
we don't have a draft yet on Parker's River, but my concern is the idea that we're going

3584
04:33:29,290 --> 04:33:34,050
to be adding new people to just do overall park management, that we should at least

3585
04:33:34,050 --> 04:33:37,710
start having that discussion and we should do it we should have our budget

3586
04:33:37,710 --> 04:33:43,350
workshop first and then start talking about that because there's a few things

3587
04:33:43,350 --> 04:33:48,310
we'd like to add and one of the one of the big things that we've been talking

3588
04:33:48,310 --> 04:33:55,130
about you know there's facilities managers park managers that honestly we

3589
04:33:55,130 --> 04:34:01,570
don't have any money to do any of it so I'm really really concerned see what

3590
04:34:01,570 --> 04:34:05,710
But my hope is that in having a conversation, I mean, maybe part of the argument is that

3591
04:34:05,710 --> 04:34:10,990
we use revenues derived from activities, you know, in a fund.

3592
04:34:11,370 --> 04:34:14,670
You know how, like, we try to make sure that we can cover the past sub-inspectors?

3593
04:34:16,130 --> 04:34:20,170
So let's put it on for February 3, and then we'll try to be ready for it.

3594
04:34:20,230 --> 04:34:20,570
Okay.

3595
04:34:21,010 --> 04:34:22,910
And have a substantive discussion.

3596
04:34:23,670 --> 04:34:25,570
Where's our short-term rental studies?

3597
04:34:26,070 --> 04:34:27,230
Where's that at?

3598
04:34:28,510 --> 04:34:30,190
Short-term rental study.

3599
04:34:33,690 --> 04:34:35,470
It's still working on revisions.

3600
04:34:35,830 --> 04:34:39,530
Getting the draft prepared, the next step is going to be presenting it to the Select

3601
04:34:39,530 --> 04:34:39,770
Board.

3602
04:34:39,850 --> 04:34:42,490
So we just need to figure out the right date.

3603
04:34:42,790 --> 04:34:48,190
Yeah, we're going to be talking about that, I think January 20th at finalizing it.

3604
04:34:48,430 --> 04:34:54,070
And then so sometime after January 20th, we're going to have the team from the Donahue

3605
04:34:54,070 --> 04:34:56,910
Institute in to present it to the Select Board.

3606
04:34:56,910 --> 04:34:59,470
So hopefully with some possible recommendations.

3607
04:35:01,850 --> 04:35:07,310
So in the fair treatment, it's going to come back after the lawyers have reviewed it,

3608
04:35:10,310 --> 04:35:11,050
endorsement.

3609
04:35:14,040 --> 04:35:14,480
Is it?

3610
04:35:17,100 --> 04:35:17,860
That's the plan.

3611
04:35:21,890 --> 04:35:25,130
It wasn't sent up the river forever.

3612
04:35:26,990 --> 04:35:27,810
You talking to me?

3613
04:35:28,150 --> 04:35:28,550
Yes.

3614
04:35:29,010 --> 04:35:29,450
I'm talking to you.

3615
04:35:29,450 --> 04:35:29,770
The question?

3616
04:35:30,650 --> 04:35:32,550
Well I'm not really talking to you.

3617
04:35:32,550 --> 04:35:34,130
I'm talking to the town administrator.

3618
04:35:34,390 --> 04:35:34,470
Okay.

3619
04:35:34,690 --> 04:35:39,590
Well, no, I – you know, if you guys don't want to vote it, don't put it back on your

3620
04:35:39,590 --> 04:35:39,930
agenda.

3621
04:35:39,930 --> 04:35:45,870
But we sent – we sent it to town council to comment on, and we gave them a summary

3622
04:35:45,870 --> 04:35:49,810
of what the various issues – and asking DeLion and they're reviewing it now.

3623
04:35:49,950 --> 04:35:52,050
So we'll have it at least share with you.

3624
04:35:52,170 --> 04:35:56,030
You'll have to decide whether you want to put it back on for another vote.

3625
04:35:57,070 --> 04:35:57,210
Yeah.

3626
04:35:57,270 --> 04:35:58,410
Let's have that conversation after we hear from Council.

3627
04:35:58,410 --> 04:36:01,150
Yeah, we definitely want to have the information first.

3628
04:36:01,590 --> 04:36:08,170
My understanding is that council actually reviewed the resolution in Bonstable and raised some

3629
04:36:08,170 --> 04:36:08,570
issues.

3630
04:36:08,810 --> 04:36:09,890
Oh, I didn't hear that.

3631
04:36:10,070 --> 04:36:10,450
Okay.

3632
04:36:10,590 --> 04:36:12,250
That's what I'm trying to find out.

3633
04:36:12,870 --> 04:36:19,670
We should find out what those legal questions might be or what they are before we...

3634
04:36:19,670 --> 04:36:21,690
Do we know how soon we might hear?

3635
04:36:24,030 --> 04:36:30,090
I was not given by town council a date that he would be finished, but he got all the

3636
04:36:30,090 --> 04:36:35,850
information and then he asked us to, you know, retype it, send it so it was in a

3637
04:36:35,850 --> 04:36:41,150
Microsoft Word format so he could make amendments and things of that nature, but

3638
04:36:41,150 --> 04:36:47,110
I do not know exactly when he's gonna be finished with it. I mean we're still

3639
04:36:47,110 --> 04:36:52,470
waiting on the legal review on the comments. Yeah. Yes. Parcel by parcel.

3640
04:36:52,770 --> 04:36:59,150
Right. Yeah. Yeah. Do we want to have the residential exemption? Yeah. Discussion?

3641
04:36:59,150 --> 04:37:06,550
discussion? I would recommend thinking through on the timing of that. I really, I do think

3642
04:37:06,550 --> 04:37:12,890
it's not a rush job. No, it's, it's, it's, it's, we need to come to some consensus on

3643
04:37:12,890 --> 04:37:22,220
how we're going to go forward with the capital projects, all right? Because that, that,

3644
04:37:22,220 --> 04:37:26,620
that in and of itself, all right? That's a discussion that should be on the agenda.

3645
04:37:27,040 --> 04:37:27,180
Right.

3646
04:37:27,180 --> 04:37:27,260
Right.

3647
04:37:27,500 --> 04:37:37,180
So it's done the capital projects, an extension of what Bob was talking about tonight.

3648
04:37:37,500 --> 04:37:39,920
We have to discuss that.

3649
04:37:40,460 --> 04:37:40,640
Yeah.

3650
04:37:41,520 --> 04:37:43,580
Right after the budget workshop?

3651
04:37:44,660 --> 04:37:49,740
I think we're going to be ready for that conversation until maybe after town meeting,

3652
04:37:49,940 --> 04:37:56,540
but we do have to have the next phase of that conversation, at least setting priorities.

3653
04:37:57,680 --> 04:38:02,600
And I do think one of the things that was helpful is, Bob had mentioned that, you know,

3654
04:38:02,640 --> 04:38:08,080
that was just an initial cut at the capital projects, particularly the big ones, right?

3655
04:38:08,580 --> 04:38:10,640
There have been other ones that have been talked about.

3656
04:38:10,840 --> 04:38:12,860
There's muck floating around out there.

3657
04:38:13,460 --> 04:38:19,940
I think quite frankly what we're going to need to do is, and this is a collective

3658
04:38:19,940 --> 04:38:20,600
exercise.

3659
04:38:20,840 --> 04:38:24,400
It just can't be just unloaded on one person, but I think we should be brainstorming

3660
04:38:24,400 --> 04:38:27,920
in thinking through what are the other projects that are likely to come down the line.

3661
04:38:28,020 --> 04:38:33,540
We talked before about an oceans capital or coastal capital project because we got some

3662
04:38:33,540 --> 04:38:36,260
coastal improvements that are necessary.

3663
04:38:36,600 --> 04:38:44,360
I think we really have to start, and again, this is all looking long-term, but one time

3664
04:38:44,360 --> 04:38:50,100
a couple years ago, we were talking about doing a coastal capital project, and I think

3665
04:38:50,100 --> 04:38:56,660
the RUNPON restoration project was folded into that as something.

3666
04:38:57,500 --> 04:39:03,900
So I would love to know what more is envisioned for the restoration of the upper Bass River

3667
04:39:03,900 --> 04:39:04,340
watershed.

3668
04:39:04,980 --> 04:39:09,760
As you know, we've been getting periodic briefings from the friends of Bass River about

3669
04:39:09,760 --> 04:39:11,900
some other great work that they're doing, but you know what?

3670
04:39:12,180 --> 04:39:17,420
That translates into projects and improvements that are needed, and those cost money.

3671
04:39:17,420 --> 04:39:19,240
They've been getting grants for those.

3672
04:39:20,100 --> 04:39:23,480
Yeah, but there's no one that does 100% grants anymore.

3673
04:39:24,080 --> 04:39:26,660
You have to have matching funds.

3674
04:39:26,980 --> 04:39:29,420
And again, given what's going on in Washington,

3675
04:39:29,900 --> 04:39:33,140
to assume that you're going to get grants for anything

3676
04:39:34,120 --> 04:39:36,680
on the environment, particularly environmental protection,

3677
04:39:37,240 --> 04:39:39,760
I think that's something you want to be careful about.

3678
04:39:40,280 --> 04:39:42,600
I'm not suggesting that we don't do restoration

3679
04:39:42,600 --> 04:39:46,020
of the upper baster or watershed, don't get me wrong.

3680
04:39:46,020 --> 04:39:48,580
and I just think we need to identify those projects

3681
04:39:48,580 --> 04:39:50,360
and get a sense of what they cost

3682
04:39:50,360 --> 04:39:53,520
and what some of the matching requirements might be.

3683
04:39:53,980 --> 04:39:55,500
I mean, so I'm just...

3684
04:39:55,500 --> 04:39:58,420
Back in my days of being the chair of recreation,

3685
04:39:59,060 --> 04:40:00,520
we were hearing about the fact

3686
04:40:00,520 --> 04:40:02,820
that there was a lot of work that needed to be done

3687
04:40:02,820 --> 04:40:03,400
on the beaches.

3688
04:40:04,260 --> 04:40:04,540
Right.

3689
04:40:04,620 --> 04:40:08,160
That capital work that needed to be done on the beaches,

3690
04:40:08,340 --> 04:40:09,760
you know, restoring the dunes

3691
04:40:09,760 --> 04:40:12,160
and just some of the walkways,

3692
04:40:12,460 --> 04:40:15,340
the access points to the beaches, everything else.

3693
04:40:15,340 --> 04:40:21,900
I don't think we've really ever looked at that now in a while ago. We did have some kind of master planning work done for rec

3694
04:40:22,720 --> 04:40:29,980
I'm not sure how much we finished at Sandy pond is sandy pond done, you know, and we have a new field analysis

3695
04:40:29,980 --> 04:40:37,280
Right. No, Sandy. Yeah, the whole like what potentially could be it's in. Yeah

3696
04:40:37,280 --> 04:40:43,300
Yeah, lots of different options and yeah, so we we may need to cover in the buildings exactly

3697
04:40:43,300 --> 04:40:49,080
So we may need to have – we may not have the cost estimates on this, but we're going

3698
04:40:49,080 --> 04:40:53,120
to have to add some placeholders for some other projects on this.

3699
04:40:53,280 --> 04:40:58,220
And the thing is, if you add up – let's say there is a need to go forward with the

3700
04:40:58,220 --> 04:41:03,000
coastal projects, capital item and a rec capital item.

3701
04:41:03,120 --> 04:41:07,520
You know, after a while they all add up, and you could end up with a fairly significant

3702
04:41:07,520 --> 04:41:08,520
chunk of change.

3703
04:41:09,340 --> 04:41:11,300
And again, I mean, I hate to be the –

3704
04:41:11,300 --> 04:41:11,840
You have to prioritize.

3705
04:41:12,040 --> 04:41:12,300
Yeah.

3706
04:41:12,300 --> 04:41:17,720
I mean, I hate to be the wet blanket or the skunk in the garden party, but I think what's

3707
04:41:17,720 --> 04:41:22,580
going on in Washington, you know, I mean, they still have to have a budget and they still

3708
04:41:22,580 --> 04:41:29,500
have appropriations bills with huge cuts in the Minsum areas, so I just get very nervous

3709
04:41:29,500 --> 04:41:32,660
about spending right now.

3710
04:41:33,720 --> 04:41:37,540
The entire environment shuddered when Lee Zeldin took over.

3711
04:41:40,530 --> 04:41:41,010
Okay.

3712
04:41:41,010 --> 04:41:47,970
Do we – what do we do about the feasibility of the usage of MacArthur School and the Finance

3713
04:41:47,970 --> 04:41:48,430
Committee?

3714
04:41:50,050 --> 04:41:54,730
I thought that the reason the Finance Committee didn't appropriate the funding or said no

3715
04:41:55,150 --> 04:41:59,810
for town meeting was because of – they didn't have some information or something?

3716
04:41:59,950 --> 04:42:03,750
No, they said because the lease doesn't come due until 2035.

3717
04:42:04,390 --> 04:42:06,090
They see a time a much broader horizon.

3718
04:42:06,090 --> 04:42:06,950
They think that we've got time.

3719
04:42:06,950 --> 04:42:07,790
We can deal with that later.

3720
04:42:07,930 --> 04:42:09,310
We've got time to deal with that in the future.

3721
04:42:09,310 --> 04:42:14,330
So the idea of looking at that in the context of a library alternative, as you can see, the

3722
04:42:14,330 --> 04:42:19,870
library alternatives really didn't get the kind of vetting and analysis that we were

3723
04:42:19,870 --> 04:42:20,490
looking for.

3724
04:42:21,190 --> 04:42:28,610
I honestly pitched the commons on the commons because I happen to think that MacArthur is

3725
04:42:28,610 --> 04:42:32,110
an important public building and a public facility and should be repurposed for

3726
04:42:32,490 --> 04:42:33,750
a more broader public use.

3727
04:42:34,190 --> 04:42:38,110
I have nothing against the collaborative, but at the moment they're giving a – we've

3728
04:42:38,110 --> 04:42:44,870
at all these needs and a few ways of addressing them, and I think we need to, you know, take

3729
04:42:44,870 --> 04:42:45,570
a broader approach.

3730
04:42:47,510 --> 04:42:51,550
So one of the things that we may want to figure out, Bob, is do we need to have a discussion

3731
04:42:51,550 --> 04:42:55,990
on the fact that we are now going to be a – we have the option to be a seasonal

3732
04:42:56,350 --> 04:42:56,710
community?

3733
04:42:57,110 --> 04:43:00,690
Do we need to put that on the agenda for a discussion in terms of what that means?

3734
04:43:00,950 --> 04:43:01,870
You're supposed to vote it.

3735
04:43:02,090 --> 04:43:02,190
Aren't you?

3736
04:43:02,190 --> 04:43:03,150
We have to vote it at a meeting.

3737
04:43:03,610 --> 04:43:05,690
But before we do it, we need to have a conversation about it.

3738
04:43:05,690 --> 04:43:07,630
And we also have.

3739
04:43:07,830 --> 04:43:09,030
I don't think Joyce knows that.

3740
04:43:09,590 --> 04:43:13,850
Did you hear that we were, that they added us?

3741
04:43:13,870 --> 04:43:14,570
We got to add it.

3742
04:43:15,530 --> 04:43:21,910
So with the delta funding that's available from the commission,

3743
04:43:22,430 --> 04:43:26,030
one of the major projects that we applied for

3744
04:43:27,010 --> 04:43:31,550
is to conduct an analysis of some of the benefits

3745
04:43:31,550 --> 04:43:35,270
and whether there's detriments to joining in

3746
04:43:35,270 --> 04:43:41,930
with the seasonal community and to also develop ideas, potentially, if it is a positive to

3747
04:43:42,450 --> 04:43:45,550
get that designation, how could we possibly leverage it?

3748
04:43:45,930 --> 04:43:50,630
So we are going to find out, I think, very quickly if we're going to have some funds

3749
04:43:50,630 --> 04:43:55,470
to help us do that, and I think coming into the select board and discussing it would be

3750
04:43:55,470 --> 04:44:00,150
a great opportunity, but we need to figure out if we're going to just analyze it on

3751
04:44:00,150 --> 04:44:02,870
our own or if it's going to be a little study that we complete.

3752
04:44:03,630 --> 04:44:04,030
Okay.

3753
04:44:04,030 --> 04:44:09,690
That would be a great background thing for people to know about as we head into thinking

3754
04:44:09,690 --> 04:44:11,930
about whether we do residential exemption.

3755
04:44:13,110 --> 04:44:19,030
So that's an item to stick on the list of other unscheduled items.

3756
04:44:19,830 --> 04:44:20,930
The seasonal communities.

3757
04:44:21,390 --> 04:44:25,510
We're going to be forced into having to deal with that because it requires a town meeting

3758
04:44:25,510 --> 04:44:25,810
vote.

3759
04:44:26,470 --> 04:44:27,390
Seasonal communities.

3760
04:44:30,110 --> 04:44:30,570
And

3761
04:44:33,510 --> 04:44:41,150
there was a request from Drew Krause from the Yarmouth Housing Authority to put together

3762
04:44:41,150 --> 04:44:43,110
a committee regarding Forest Road.

3763
04:44:43,310 --> 04:44:43,510
Right.

3764
04:44:43,610 --> 04:44:45,330
So we've got to talk about that.

3765
04:44:45,910 --> 04:44:47,470
Is that an agenda item?

3766
04:44:47,610 --> 04:44:48,430
An agenda item.

3767
04:44:48,730 --> 04:44:48,870
Yeah.

3768
04:44:49,190 --> 04:44:50,570
Well, that shouldn't be put off.

3769
04:44:50,910 --> 04:44:51,950
Well, I guess you could.

3770
04:44:51,950 --> 04:44:53,970
No, I think we have to figure out where to slot it.

3771
04:44:56,610 --> 04:44:57,530
All right.

3772
04:44:57,530 --> 04:44:57,630
Thank you very much for joining me.

3773
04:45:01,230 --> 04:45:05,830
You know, the other thing that, while we're thinking of where to slot that working group,

3774
04:45:06,750 --> 04:45:09,250
well, my sense is the sooner the better, right?

3775
04:45:09,430 --> 04:45:11,370
Want to put that on January 6th?

3776
04:45:11,410 --> 04:45:13,450
Yeah, I think so. I think that makes sense.

3777
04:45:14,190 --> 04:45:17,410
The, um, Yarmouth housing?

3778
04:45:17,850 --> 04:45:23,730
Yeah, we should, we're going to have to identify a couple people to be part of a working group to sort through that whole thing.

3779
04:45:27,570 --> 04:45:37,590
There's also the letter to the school committee asking them to add to their agenda that we

3780
04:45:37,590 --> 04:45:40,630
start working on the regional agreement.

3781
04:45:42,390 --> 04:45:51,020
I think we should have that as part of the broader school update and discussion.

3782
04:45:51,020 --> 04:45:58,600
I think given what's going on over there and given this, I think having even a 15-minute

3783
04:45:58,600 --> 04:46:03,740
update and discussion on the agreement and what's going on with the feasibility study

3784
04:46:04,340 --> 04:46:09,380
and inviting, I mean, if Thomas wants to come and the superintendent wants to come, that's

3785
04:46:09,380 --> 04:46:09,660
terrific.

3786
04:46:10,060 --> 04:46:14,340
I don't think our meetings and our discussion should be held hostage to their availability.

3787
04:46:14,820 --> 04:46:19,080
They should always be welcome to come to our meetings and our discussion on school

3788
04:46:19,080 --> 04:46:19,320
stuff.

3789
04:46:19,720 --> 04:46:22,360
I think they didn't, again, it's communication,

3790
04:46:22,620 --> 04:46:24,520
so they didn't know about it, I think,

3791
04:46:24,660 --> 04:46:25,400
is what they were saying.

3792
04:46:25,400 --> 04:46:26,840
And I didn't invite them.

3793
04:46:27,020 --> 04:46:31,800
I largely wanted to use it as an agenda item for us,

3794
04:46:32,040 --> 04:46:35,160
but I also, I don't wanna get into this,

3795
04:46:35,360 --> 04:46:38,300
but just since we're there, I'll be real quick.

3796
04:46:38,640 --> 04:46:40,200
I'm not sure I'm gonna be able to continue

3797
04:46:40,200 --> 04:46:40,920
on this committee.

3798
04:46:41,360 --> 04:46:43,780
They meet on times when I'm teaching at the college.

3799
04:46:44,100 --> 04:46:46,260
All right, so when I show up at their meetings,

3800
04:46:46,400 --> 04:46:48,020
I come at it almost at the end,

3801
04:46:48,020 --> 04:46:50,000
or three quarters of the way through it.

3802
04:46:50,080 --> 04:46:51,780
I don't think I'm serving the board well.

3803
04:46:53,940 --> 04:46:57,560
That's the main reason why I wanted them to come here

3804
04:46:57,560 --> 04:47:00,460
because I may find out my schedule at the college soon

3805
04:47:00,460 --> 04:47:02,300
and I may find out that I can't continue on it.

3806
04:47:02,660 --> 04:47:03,820
You're gonna be reveling a wrestle

3807
04:47:03,820 --> 04:47:05,240
with the decision of who to appoint,

3808
04:47:05,720 --> 04:47:07,340
who to put on there as your representative

3809
04:47:07,340 --> 04:47:09,360
and you need to have some idea of what's going on.

3810
04:47:10,020 --> 04:47:12,860
All right, so that was my real purpose for this,

3811
04:47:13,040 --> 04:47:15,640
was to make sure that we can at least,

3812
04:47:15,640 --> 04:47:22,940
that you have some grasp of all the varying issues that, you know, your representative

3813
04:47:22,940 --> 04:47:24,940
on that committee is going to have to be prepared to deal with.

3814
04:47:26,060 --> 04:47:26,720
Like I said, I don't-

3815
04:47:26,720 --> 04:47:28,220
Should we have somebody else then?

3816
04:47:29,100 --> 04:47:29,840
I will know.

3817
04:47:30,000 --> 04:47:33,640
I will know in a couple of weeks when I get more information on my course schedule for

3818
04:47:33,640 --> 04:47:34,220
next semester.

3819
04:47:34,500 --> 04:47:34,760
Okay.

3820
04:47:35,440 --> 04:47:42,120
But like I'm saying already, they're not, they're not, my schedule changes and I have

3821
04:47:42,120 --> 04:47:42,580
more time.

3822
04:47:42,700 --> 04:47:43,140
Then great.

3823
04:47:43,760 --> 04:47:44,300
We'll see.

3824
04:47:44,300 --> 04:47:45,240
I'll know soon.

3825
04:47:45,780 --> 04:47:49,120
So I'm putting you on notice choice that we may have another appointment.

3826
04:47:50,000 --> 04:47:50,480
Oh.

3827
04:47:51,360 --> 04:47:54,580
Well, I can dream school castles in the sky.

3828
04:47:55,020 --> 04:47:55,400
There you go.

3829
04:47:55,980 --> 04:47:56,220
Bingo.

3830
04:47:56,700 --> 04:48:01,400
So do we want to send off the letter to the school committee?

3831
04:48:02,000 --> 04:48:04,180
I think that's an item to discuss when Tracy's here.

3832
04:48:04,900 --> 04:48:05,960
I would put that up.

3833
04:48:06,120 --> 04:48:08,440
That's something that's been very pet.

3834
04:48:08,620 --> 04:48:12,280
Yeah, she's got a lot of history on this.

3835
04:48:12,280 --> 04:48:14,100
Did it go on the third, maybe?

3836
04:48:18,510 --> 04:48:20,570
Added to February 3rd?

3837
04:48:23,610 --> 04:48:30,450
Well, it's, it's, you know, it would be, what, school, schools update.

3838
04:48:31,350 --> 04:48:32,430
Do you see that?

3839
04:48:32,770 --> 04:48:39,870
And Dash would be update on the feasibility study and update on, you know, discussing a letter,

3840
04:48:40,650 --> 04:48:47,090
letter to discuss agreement, kicking off an agreement review process.

3841
04:48:47,390 --> 04:48:47,530
Third.

3842
04:48:47,530 --> 04:48:53,650
Yeah, I mean should we schools update we can always move it but stability and

3843
04:48:53,650 --> 04:49:02,390
yeah and agreement okay so we'll schedule our school feasibility update and

3844
04:49:02,390 --> 04:49:10,250
agreement are we gonna try to have the the superintendent and everyone there

3845
04:49:10,250 --> 04:49:15,930
we should see them invite them come but we need but we we need to have a

3846
04:49:15,930 --> 04:49:22,270
conversation. Again, I don't want them to be the ones holding us hostage. We just need

3847
04:49:22,270 --> 04:49:27,370
to invite them. Just say we're doing it on the third and they're welcome to attend.

3848
04:49:32,910 --> 04:49:38,750
Is the town commons feasibility study going forward? We're waiting for legal counsel to

3849
04:49:38,750 --> 04:49:45,550
give us some information on all the legal title issues to the. Yeah, it takes time.

3850
04:49:46,170 --> 04:49:49,030
Do we have an idea of when they might do that?

3851
04:49:50,750 --> 04:49:52,730
I think we'd have to get an update from council.

3852
04:49:52,970 --> 04:49:56,070
It was supposed to be done by the end of December.

3853
04:49:57,250 --> 04:49:59,590
Oh, which is rapidly approaching.

3854
04:50:00,270 --> 04:50:04,730
So once we get an update on that and get some report on that, I'm sure we'll be able

3855
04:50:04,730 --> 04:50:06,470
to work on getting a committee together.

3856
04:50:07,330 --> 04:50:12,170
Now my recommendations to this group for committee would be that we have people

3857
04:50:12,170 --> 04:50:19,350
that are familiar with the site because of those nice ladies who are in in

3858
04:50:19,350 --> 04:50:26,690
Sipkins I don't have any objection then there's the whole other aspect of just

3859
04:50:26,690 --> 04:50:32,050
the the architecture and landscape design you know consultant with the

3860
04:50:32,050 --> 04:50:37,230
principal consulting help would be on landscape architecture design designing

3861
04:50:37,230 --> 04:50:44,050
something that meets the obligations and provides the public benefits.

3862
04:50:45,310 --> 04:50:45,870
I

3863
04:50:49,550 --> 04:50:50,390
will say that as we roll it out.

3864
04:50:50,390 --> 04:50:50,430
Okay.

3865
04:50:51,490 --> 04:50:53,590
I'm fading fast, folks.

3866
04:50:54,030 --> 04:50:54,850
Want some more chocolate?

3867
04:50:55,050 --> 04:50:57,350
I have to be up and tried.

3868
04:50:57,350 --> 04:50:57,910
It's been rolling.

3869
04:50:58,930 --> 04:50:59,130
Yeah.

3870
04:50:59,310 --> 04:51:01,810
So why don't we move on to individual items?

3871
04:51:02,450 --> 04:51:03,170
I have one.

3872
04:51:03,930 --> 04:51:04,230
Okay.

3873
04:51:04,590 --> 04:51:09,170
I checked with Susan Warner, Assembly of Delegates.

3874
04:51:09,170 --> 04:51:18,290
she reports that she's now the chair and she would come in if she has anything

3875
04:51:18,290 --> 04:51:25,810
that she feels is pressing and get on our agenda. Otherwise, she wasn't going to

3876
04:51:25,810 --> 04:51:32,710
make – she's – she heard me that we would like more reports from her. She just

3877
04:51:32,710 --> 04:51:35,730
didn't have much to offer right now other than she's just taken over.

3878
04:51:35,730 --> 04:51:40,450
Okay. Good to know. Anybody else have any individual items?

3879
04:51:41,850 --> 04:51:42,510
Nothing here.

3880
04:51:42,790 --> 04:51:45,430
I'd accept a motion to accept the consent agenda.

3881
04:51:46,150 --> 04:51:46,630
So moved.

3882
04:51:46,990 --> 04:51:47,270
Second.

3883
04:51:47,910 --> 04:51:48,530
All in favor?

3884
04:51:48,910 --> 04:51:49,110
Aye.

3885
04:51:49,190 --> 04:51:49,370
Aye.

3886
04:51:49,810 --> 04:51:54,670
I wanted to just say that I was very excited to see on the consent agenda.

3887
04:51:55,290 --> 04:52:05,230
The Witte Museum is going to get some cleanup through this easement agreement.

3888
04:52:05,230 --> 04:52:07,710
And I think that they are a terrific asset.

3889
04:52:08,350 --> 04:52:10,610
I was at the museum very recently,

3890
04:52:11,790 --> 04:52:15,730
and they were the host for a tourism forum event,

3891
04:52:15,850 --> 04:52:16,750
and it was great.

3892
04:52:17,270 --> 04:52:20,210
So I'm glad that they are going to get a little cleanup

3893
04:52:20,210 --> 04:52:21,730
and that they're working with us.

3894
04:52:23,110 --> 04:52:23,650
Okay.

3895
04:52:24,370 --> 04:52:24,870
Bob?

3896
04:52:25,650 --> 04:52:26,190
Okay.

3897
04:52:26,710 --> 04:52:27,550
I had a few items.

3898
04:52:28,210 --> 04:52:30,710
I was going to bring up the Housing Authority correspondent,

3899
04:52:30,990 --> 04:52:34,130
so I'm glad we talked about that already.

3900
04:52:35,650 --> 04:52:43,910
And we're just going to mention, we talked about, we're going to have the budget workshop

3901
04:52:43,910 --> 04:52:47,930
on the January 6th.

3902
04:52:48,590 --> 04:52:53,790
I think it's going to be a very interesting discussion.

3903
04:52:54,590 --> 04:52:58,150
Just a couple of points, I'm really concerned about the budget.

3904
04:52:58,150 --> 04:53:01,670
that we did have the preliminary meeting

3905
04:53:01,670 --> 04:53:06,450
with the Dennis Yarmouth Regional School District

3906
04:53:06,450 --> 04:53:08,650
and I think they were pretty emphatic

3907
04:53:08,650 --> 04:53:14,190
that they were not considering living within 2.5%.

3908
04:53:14,190 --> 04:53:16,450
I think the numbers they were throwing out

3909
04:53:16,450 --> 04:53:17,830
was something like 8%.

3910
04:53:18,530 --> 04:53:19,870
So that's a very big number.

3911
04:53:20,750 --> 04:53:25,430
And in addition, the thing that is really causing me

3912
04:53:25,430 --> 04:53:29,310
a lot of concern that we haven't dealt with in the past,

3913
04:53:29,690 --> 04:53:32,810
a year when the, you know, the DUI had a bump up.

3914
04:53:33,190 --> 04:53:36,610
But also, we have 30 new students

3915
04:53:37,630 --> 04:53:39,390
that are attending Cape Tech.

3916
04:53:39,590 --> 04:53:41,470
Tech, yeah, the Tech School, the big one.

3917
04:53:41,550 --> 04:53:44,050
And that, just on the formula alone,

3918
04:53:44,530 --> 04:53:46,250
never mind increasing their school budget.

3919
04:53:46,410 --> 04:53:49,150
They're usually very cost-conscious,

3920
04:53:49,510 --> 04:53:53,930
but just with the kids alone, that's $672,000.

3921
04:53:53,930 --> 04:53:59,710
So that's an increase that we would normally use to fund town departments.

3922
04:54:00,430 --> 04:54:08,750
And then, you know, so with those two things, you know, we're way over on the budget.

3923
04:54:08,890 --> 04:54:12,350
So I'm really concerned there's a lot of initiatives we'd like to achieve.

3924
04:54:13,050 --> 04:54:18,710
I'm having trouble finding any room to add anything to the budget that I know you guys would like to see and support.

3925
04:54:18,710 --> 04:54:25,930
So just know it's very very tight year because of those things and in addition, you know our revenues

3926
04:54:26,510 --> 04:54:29,770
With this economy every says, you know whose fault is the economy?

3927
04:54:30,550 --> 04:54:39,150
things are slowing down in terms of the non-property tax revenues that type of growth that supports us, so

3928
04:54:39,790 --> 04:54:45,770
We see costs rising revenues slowing. It's going to be a very difficult budget year

3929
04:54:45,770 --> 04:54:52,750
So we're I'm working on that just almost like full-time right now trying to prepare for a submission to you

3930
04:54:53,310 --> 04:54:55,510
by the end of this year, which I'll have

3931
04:54:57,110 --> 04:54:57,630
And

3932
04:54:58,390 --> 04:55:04,690
We have the meeting with the Reveley surety tomorrow morning at 9 with council, right?

3933
04:55:04,910 --> 04:55:10,350
So we'll report whatever progress that that we make but you know our goal is to

3934
04:55:11,670 --> 04:55:16,070
have some support so that we have confidence that it's not business as

3935
04:55:16,070 --> 04:55:20,470
usual and that that is going to be addressed so that's going to be tomorrow

3936
04:55:20,470 --> 04:55:24,370
now there's another meeting tomorrow that we've been successful in getting

3937
04:55:24,370 --> 04:55:34,130
DEP to grant us a regional meeting on the point one foot standard for the

3938
04:55:34,130 --> 04:55:42,170
groundwater mounding, which that standard that they're applying, we feel, just outrageously,

3939
04:55:42,770 --> 04:55:50,070
is what's costing us $35 million for the Baybury Hills situation, and, you know, they feel

3940
04:55:50,070 --> 04:55:52,970
that they're simply protecting the wetland resources.

3941
04:55:53,690 --> 04:55:58,610
So, you know, we've got a substantial disconnect with the MAS DEP on that issue, but-

3942
04:55:58,610 --> 04:55:59,170
When's that meeting?

3943
04:55:59,170 --> 04:56:09,390
The meeting is going to be at, I think it's 1pm and if you're interested, I have a zoom

3944
04:56:09,390 --> 04:56:09,770
link.

3945
04:56:10,430 --> 04:56:10,770
They-

3946
04:56:10,770 --> 04:56:11,610
Can you send that to me?

3947
04:56:11,830 --> 04:56:13,270
I can send it to you.

3948
04:56:14,050 --> 04:56:15,450
You're going to zoom in from here?

3949
04:56:16,130 --> 04:56:16,650
Yeah.

3950
04:56:16,790 --> 04:56:17,310
I'll be here.

3951
04:56:17,650 --> 04:56:18,530
Maybe I'll-

3952
04:56:18,530 --> 04:56:19,210
Stop by.

3953
04:56:19,570 --> 04:56:19,610
Stop by.

3954
04:56:20,070 --> 04:56:21,310
We can zoom in and-

3955
04:56:21,310 --> 04:56:21,430
When?

3956
04:56:21,850 --> 04:56:22,590
1pm when?

3957
04:56:22,650 --> 04:56:24,150
I think it's 1pm tomorrow.

3958
04:56:24,590 --> 04:56:26,870
Let me just double check the time on that.

3959
04:56:26,870 --> 04:56:27,610
Let's

3960
04:56:29,850 --> 04:56:32,210
see if we can get that taken care of right now.

3961
04:56:36,760 --> 04:56:39,800
Is anybody going to the Hyannis Marina Party?

3962
04:56:40,640 --> 04:56:40,920
No.

3963
04:56:41,440 --> 04:56:46,230
I think we get that because we're select board members.

3964
04:56:47,290 --> 04:56:50,830
Okay, it's 1 p.m.

3965
04:56:54,790 --> 04:56:58,170
So if you want to just come, we can do it.

3966
04:56:58,330 --> 04:56:58,810
I'll stop by.

3967
04:57:00,530 --> 04:57:01,030
I'll be here.

3968
04:57:01,450 --> 04:57:03,050
So that's the big thing.

3969
04:57:03,050 --> 04:57:09,070
and know what I just wanted to mention quickly the we had the Christmas

3970
04:57:09,070 --> 04:57:12,750
roll I'm glad someone brought that up what a great opportunity is a good

3971
04:57:12,750 --> 04:57:19,470
community event and I did as I promised I showed up and sang spread joy good

3972
04:57:19,470 --> 04:57:25,170
will throughout the community and so that's something you don't see every

3973
04:57:25,170 --> 04:57:32,570
day. Who knows? Is there video? I hope so. I was all kinds of video. Tracy Post was was

3974
04:57:32,570 --> 04:57:40,670
all over Facebook and social media with it when when I ever broke out the boss. I

3975
04:57:40,670 --> 04:57:45,190
was doing all of the Christmas tunes and then I did a Bruce Springsteen song

3976
04:57:45,190 --> 04:57:49,770
for her because I know she's a rocker and she wanted to hear that so I was

3977
04:57:49,770 --> 04:57:53,110
like one of the hits of the show that so there's video of that I know

3978
04:57:54,170 --> 04:57:56,910
circulating around. Yeah, we're going to track it down.

3979
04:57:58,490 --> 04:57:59,810
I will entertain motion.

3980
04:58:00,530 --> 04:58:03,030
Some to move to adjourn.

3981
04:58:03,310 --> 04:58:04,930
Second. All in favor.

3982
04:58:05,130 --> 04:58:06,410
Aye. Thank you.

3983
04:58:09,460 --> 04:58:10,480
Recording stopped.