Hardwick Select Board Meeting: Infrastructure, Development, and Town Goals

[00:00:00] I pledge allegiance to the flag of the
[00:00:03] United States of America and to the
[00:00:05] republic for which it stands, one nation
[00:00:08] under God, indivisible, with liberty and
[00:00:11] justice for all.
[00:00:16] [Applause]
[00:00:20] >> Okay. Visitor comments.
[00:00:23] And
[00:00:24] >> hi. Um, my question I guess is for
[00:00:27] Justine. I'm concerned about the
[00:00:30] townhouse bidding process for our two uh
[00:00:33] for our $95,000
[00:00:36] grant the first round. Um we got one bid
[00:00:42] $40,000
[00:00:44] over that but the bidding process hadn't
[00:00:48] been done properly. Uh the date in the
[00:00:52] Wister telegram was two days after this
[00:00:55] had walked through. nobody walked
[00:00:58] through um
[00:01:02] and uh so it was having to be rebid. I
[00:01:06] want to know if the bids are out again
[00:01:09] the specifications that the contractors
[00:01:12] would work with to give us bids. So the
[00:01:16] scope of the project was too large. So
[00:01:18] I'm actually I have a call with um CMRPC
[00:01:21] Joe Ferguson on Wednesday. And one of
[00:01:23] the things I'm going to go over with him
[00:01:25] is how to how to make the bid smaller so
[00:01:28] we actually get bids within our price
[00:01:30] point cuz as you know it was $40,000
[00:01:33] more than so I'm waiting for that
[00:01:35] conversation because I we need to
[00:01:37] somehow shrink the size of our our
[00:01:39] project and it was not bidding
[00:01:40] correctly. So it's going back out. We we
[00:01:44] had the first round
[00:01:45] >> again. I need to have my conversation
[00:01:46] with Joe. So, I want to get his
[00:01:48] expertise on how to shrink the scope of
[00:01:49] the project. We actually get bids in our
[00:01:51] price point. So, we only have $95,000.
[00:01:54] >> Yes. And uh it was originally told that
[00:01:58] if it came in over, then we would have
[00:02:02] to eliminate some things.
[00:02:05] >> Um but do we uh eliminate them before we
[00:02:10] even put out the bed?
[00:02:11] >> Yes. So, again, I am going to wait for
[00:02:13] my conversation on Wednesday. That has
[00:02:14] not happened yet. Um, and I'll go from
[00:02:17] there and I'll definitely keep you
[00:02:18] updated. I wish you had talked to me
[00:02:20] before the meeting. I will definitely
[00:02:21] keep you posted once I meet with Joe and
[00:02:24] get his expertise. Okay. Uh, do keep me
[00:02:27] posted because uh, I would need to know
[00:02:30] when the walkth through is and I want to
[00:02:32] be present at the bid opening.
[00:02:36] >> Okay.
[00:02:37] >> Thank you,
[00:02:40] >> Eric. On that note, um I would like Ann,
[00:02:43] can you make sure that at least some
[00:02:44] members of the historical commission are
[00:02:46] in on this whole thing? And Justine, you
[00:02:49] should be talking to some of us on the
[00:02:51] historical commission because we can
[00:02:53] give you insight on what's priority and
[00:02:55] what has on some of these things. Um uh
[00:02:59] because there are ways of working around
[00:03:01] it, but this is a historical building
[00:03:03] and who should be in on it. I'm going to
[00:03:05] go after what Ann has down for
[00:03:07] priorities because that's who that's who
[00:03:08] worked on the project with the prior
[00:03:10] town administrator.
[00:03:11] >> But she she probably has some input when
[00:03:14] you're you know before you talk to Joe
[00:03:16] or after you talk to Joe because she's
[00:03:18] been it's been near and dear to her you
[00:03:22] know
[00:03:24] >> thanks.
[00:03:25] >> Yes ma'am.
[00:03:26] >> Okay. Um I'm assum a couple of
[00:03:29] clarifications. Um, on the old business,
[00:03:32] we're talking about the town abandoned
[00:03:34] town buildings. I'm assuming that the
[00:03:36] Zukos conversation is going to be in on
[00:03:38] that, too.
[00:03:40] >> Correct.
[00:03:40] >> Tonight. Yeah.
[00:03:41] >> Okay. All right. Um, and the last one on
[00:03:45] um something about um moving forward
[00:03:48] with a selectment or something. I uh
[00:03:50] >> goals.
[00:03:50] >> Goals. Okay. Is that addressing the
[00:03:53] kicking the can down the foot the the
[00:03:54] the road certain things?
[00:03:56] >> I don't know. You'll have to tell me
[00:03:58] when we're done.
[00:03:58] >> Okay. how we did.
[00:04:00] >> All right.
[00:04:01] >> Thank you.
[00:04:02] >> All right. One last thing. Okay. Um
[00:04:04] well, no, I ask clarifications on on
[00:04:06] which we're discussing. Um
[00:04:09] I'm I've got some real concerns about
[00:04:12] this whole process with um trying to
[00:04:14] hire a town accountant.
[00:04:17] Um because I'm sure you know, Eric, if
[00:04:21] nobody else out there knows, we have a
[00:04:24] personnel committee in this town,
[00:04:26] >> right? And this should have gone through
[00:04:28] the personnel committee to um vet people
[00:04:33] to have to talk about the interviews and
[00:04:36] do the application process. It should
[00:04:38] not have gone through Justine.
[00:04:39] >> Thank you. It went through the select
[00:04:41] board.
[00:04:42] >> Okay.
[00:04:43] >> Well, I'm just saying is that it we have
[00:04:45] a personnel committee that should have
[00:04:46] done all of that stuff and it doesn't
[00:04:48] appear that it was done.
[00:04:49] >> No, we need a we need a personnel
[00:04:51] committee meeting in the near future for
[00:04:54] sure.
[00:04:55] Thank you,
[00:05:00] >> Miss Bottomley.
[00:05:01] >> Yes. Um, I'd like to give an update on
[00:05:03] the Wever Park. Um, the Waver Park is
[00:05:07] actually town owned property, but it's
[00:05:09] under the jurisdiction of the
[00:05:10] conservation commission.
[00:05:11] >> It's at the gazebo, right?
[00:05:13] >> At the gazebo, uh, the rail trail all
[00:05:16] the way up to the wear river park
[00:05:17] overlook is 10 acres of riverfront
[00:05:20] property. And um conservation commission
[00:05:23] has been working very hard on a number
[00:05:25] of projects um this past spring and well
[00:05:28] for the past five years actually. But um
[00:05:31] this spring, this is regarding public
[00:05:33] safety. Um we had Broer Campbell Fence
[00:05:37] Company come out and uh place a broken
[00:05:42] fence panel as well as put other new
[00:05:44] fence panels along that sloo way. So if
[00:05:47] anyone was walking along the upper top
[00:05:50] of the smooth sway that you know there
[00:05:52] would be less chance of them falling in.
[00:05:55] Uh we also had um some brackets repaired
[00:05:58] at the gazebo that had been um broken
[00:06:01] that were on the fence of the gazebo by
[00:06:04] Ro Campbell as well. And under the
[00:06:07] advice of um our stonemason Eric Volhim
[00:06:11] um we were looking at the structural
[00:06:13] integrity of the stones along the
[00:06:15] slleway. And since we have cleaned this
[00:06:17] up a lot, we remove bittersweet and
[00:06:20] grape vines, it's a lot more exposed.
[00:06:23] And there is an opening. There's a
[00:06:25] tunnel that goes underneath the road,
[00:06:28] Route 32, from the Slooh way to the
[00:06:31] under the ground to the mill. And so we
[00:06:35] thought this would be probably best if
[00:06:36] was closed off. And so, um, Mark Corsac
[00:06:40] came down, um, and volunteered his time
[00:06:42] to help put up a fence panel, which was
[00:06:45] a a hog panel, a fence panel that was
[00:06:47] donated by the Harvard Farms Co-op. And,
[00:06:51] um, which we very much appreciated. And
[00:06:54] Eric and his two um, helpers were there
[00:06:57] on the scene to help um, secure the uh,
[00:07:01] fence panel with the the drill that's
[00:07:04] going into the stone and anchoring it.
[00:07:06] So, this panel will be permanently in
[00:07:08] place. So, we really appreciate the
[00:07:10] efforts of Mark and Eric and his um
[00:07:13] workers that came um Tyler and Angel.
[00:07:17] >> And um that's at the gazebo area. And
[00:07:20] also on our rail trail, we've been
[00:07:23] trying to spruce up the rail trail. Uh
[00:07:25] we got about 10 yards of stone dust or
[00:07:29] so um delivered a week and a half ago um
[00:07:33] out the hard house of pizza side uh
[00:07:36] because the was thin. It wasn't uh
[00:07:38] completely covered the first time. So
[00:07:40] Neil Halen has donated his time and with
[00:07:44] his tractor and we moved and shoveled
[00:07:47] and raaked those 10 yards of stone dust
[00:07:50] from the boardwalks up to the Harvard
[00:07:53] House of Pizza and it looks beautiful.
[00:07:55] It's really um looks great now. So those
[00:07:58] are the things that have been going on
[00:08:00] in the past few months at the river
[00:08:02] park.
[00:08:02] >> Thank you. Thanks for the add. I would
[00:08:05] like to throw in that my helpers are
[00:08:07] Tyler Sinclair and his stepson Angel
[00:08:11] McDaniel. So, they both live in town.
[00:08:14] >> Yeah.
[00:08:14] >> And uh and they've helped out when the
[00:08:16] flood came and all that. So, thank you.
[00:08:19] >> Well, thank thank you. This is a
[00:08:21] community effort. This is a a park
[00:08:23] that's enjoyed not only by our town
[00:08:25] residents, but many people when I was
[00:08:27] working there this past week, I had
[00:08:29] motorcyclists from Boston. Someone was
[00:08:31] picnicking at the river park um overlook
[00:08:34] having a breakfast that they had bought
[00:08:36] at 32. So this is working where people
[00:08:39] are coming and using the trails and
[00:08:41] hiking and canoeing and biking. So this
[00:08:43] is a it's a really good thing for the
[00:08:45] town.
[00:08:45] >> It's great to use.
[00:08:48] >> Becky, the other thing just for you to
[00:08:50] be aware of is that there will be some
[00:08:52] tree maintenance going on soon. Just so
[00:08:56] people know that we're bringing trees
[00:08:58] down. Well, National Grid um they
[00:09:00] contracted a forester uh company that um
[00:09:04] had identified some dead trees that were
[00:09:06] along um the
[00:09:10] >> lines from the Way River Park overlook
[00:09:12] from that big Norway spruce going to
[00:09:14] down the railroad down the rail trail.
[00:09:16] There were eight trees either most of
[00:09:18] them were ash dead from the um emerald
[00:09:21] ashbor and a couple other maple trees
[00:09:23] that were in decline which are going to
[00:09:25] be removed and they're um that's going
[00:09:28] to be happening in the winter sometime
[00:09:31] when it's cold. They'll be coming in but
[00:09:33] it's preventative maintenance so these
[00:09:35] um lines won't be hopefully hit by these
[00:09:38] fallen dead limbs. Thank you.
[00:09:41] >> Thank you. She won't like it. But I can
[00:09:44] I take a minute to thank Becky Bottomley
[00:09:46] for coordinating and facilitating and
[00:09:50] overseeing the last few years the uh
[00:09:54] restoration of the rail trail and a lot
[00:09:56] of that work.
[00:09:58] >> Thank you.
[00:10:00] >> And what is your name?
[00:10:03] >> I'm not never sure which day it is. Um,
[00:10:08] but as the chair of the conservation
[00:10:09] commission, I thank both Neil and Becky
[00:10:12] for being involved and David Larson and
[00:10:15] his family for coming to do things like
[00:10:17] weed whacking and whatever is needed.
[00:10:20] Um,
[00:10:22] can I um just quickly
[00:10:25] um remind us all
[00:10:28] uh we've all been on except for Jeff Sha
[00:10:32] um
[00:10:34] on uh Zoom conference calls with Joe,
[00:10:37] Senator Joe Cmerford and Representative
[00:10:40] Aaron Saunders regarding the Quabin
[00:10:42] legislation to try to get just
[00:10:45] compensation for a lot of us Quabin
[00:10:47] border towns.
[00:10:49] and we've got a few weeks, a couple of
[00:10:51] weeks anyway to try to hammer a letter
[00:10:54] um into shape, a draft letter. And you I
[00:10:58] think maybe you all have emails, but
[00:11:03] with with this information, so it's not
[00:11:04] like you need to read it now or memorize
[00:11:06] it, but that's actually the letter
[00:11:10] >> Justine has it. Jeff, you probably
[00:11:11] haven't seen it yet, but there are a few
[00:11:14] pieces already. Um there are a few
[00:11:16] pieces that eight or 10 Quabin towns are
[00:11:19] trying to coordinate on and one is a
[00:11:21] letter to the Mass Water Resources
[00:11:23] Authority
[00:11:25] um explaining that the towns out here
[00:11:27] haven't had any representation on the
[00:11:30] boards and committees for Mass Water
[00:11:32] Resources Authority and that we should
[00:11:35] be allowed to attend a meeting to be
[00:11:37] able to discuss this legislation
[00:11:41] and you know basically explain the point
[00:11:44] of view of the towns being custodians of
[00:11:46] a lot of these private lands that drain
[00:11:49] into the quantum.
[00:11:51] So, at some point, maybe in two weeks at
[00:11:55] the next select board meeting, we should
[00:11:56] we may be looking at kind of a final
[00:11:59] proposed version that we can all our
[00:12:02] towns can decide whether we want to sign
[00:12:05] on to as a group
[00:12:06] >> and it might look nice at the select
[00:12:08] board and and um I'm looking at Vice
[00:12:14] Chair Tinker. We've both been to testify
[00:12:16] in Boston. Eric, you've been involved in
[00:12:19] some of the discussions and certainly on
[00:12:21] the Zoom sessions. It might be nice if
[00:12:25] the board can see its way clear to
[00:12:27] actually sign as a board for the town.
[00:12:32] >> So,
[00:12:32] >> I'm on it.
[00:12:33] >> Yeah. Well, I and I figured you were. I
[00:12:35] just thought I'd publicly state it for
[00:12:38] the record.
[00:12:38] >> Yeah. All right. That's good. So, you
[00:12:40] think I know they're they're getting
[00:12:42] comments and trying to winnow it down a
[00:12:45] little. You think there'll be there'll
[00:12:47] be a letter Yeah, I think the letter
[00:12:49] doesn't sound bad as it is. It basically
[00:12:51] says, "Hey, we're out here and we're
[00:12:53] caretaking these lands. Could you maybe
[00:12:55] invite us to a meeting so that we can
[00:12:57] come and and speak and discuss the fact
[00:13:00] that we think we actually do more than
[00:13:02] you realize?"
[00:13:04] >> I think that's what it's about.
[00:13:05] >> Yeah.
[00:13:06] >> Um and you know, I was a little I felt a
[00:13:10] little guilty. I wasn't prepared so much
[00:13:12] for today's Zoom call, but
[00:13:15] you know, you have like seven or eight
[00:13:17] towns there staring back on on the
[00:13:20] screen talking about signing on and
[00:13:23] supporting a letter. And there are some
[00:13:25] additional steps. In the spring, they're
[00:13:27] proposing that each town um I guess
[00:13:30] present a resolution at town meeting
[00:13:33] that the town officially supports
[00:13:35] this effort, this legislation. So, just
[00:13:39] so it's on the record.
[00:13:41] Good.
[00:13:42] >> Thanks for your Thanks for your
[00:13:44] participation.
[00:13:45] >> Thank you.
[00:13:46] >> And you've been on a lot of the Zoom
[00:13:48] calls, too. I know. I've always seen you
[00:13:50] there.
[00:13:50] >> Thank you.
[00:13:52] >> This could get us some more money. We
[00:13:54] hope.
[00:13:55] >> Actually, we are going to see some more
[00:13:56] money, some more pill money for two
[00:13:58] years while they're instituting a
[00:14:01] payment in li of taxes. I say pills,
[00:14:03] pilot study. The governor authorized the
[00:14:05] pilot study, but in the two years
[00:14:07] leading to the point where they may have
[00:14:09] something in the meantime, there's some
[00:14:11] interim additional money for towns and I
[00:14:13] think we'll see some of that.
[00:14:16] >> Can't
[00:14:17] Mr. P.
[00:14:19] >> Thank you.
[00:14:20] >> Um I'm not sure which which of the
[00:14:23] following things will be open for public
[00:14:25] comment um as we get to them in the
[00:14:27] agenda. So I wanted at this time if I
[00:14:29] may just offer a couple uh thoughts. Um,
[00:14:33] under old business, second item, the
[00:14:36] discussion and possible vote on Pierers
[00:14:38] solar lease. I I I want to reiterate
[00:14:42] that I'm still
[00:14:44] interested in knowing whether the town
[00:14:46] is going to retain through any such a le
[00:14:49] such a lease the right as the property
[00:14:52] owner to lease the parcels on which the
[00:14:56] solar would not be sighted. In other
[00:14:58] words, Roach Field for I keeping Roach
[00:15:02] Field just as it is. We've talked about
[00:15:04] the gravel situation. I understand
[00:15:06] that's being looked at. But also, um, if
[00:15:09] there are other projects that might be
[00:15:10] in the town's interest to look at that
[00:15:12] land for, I would hope that the town has
[00:15:17] retained the right to use that part of
[00:15:19] the overall parcel for for future needs,
[00:15:21] whether that be other energy projects or
[00:15:26] cell tower or anything that that might
[00:15:28] be in the town's interest to be able to
[00:15:29] do. I don't want to see the town give
[00:15:31] that.
[00:15:31] >> Can we have this conversation in about
[00:15:33] 10 minutes? if if it's going to be open.
[00:15:35] I'm sorry. Sometimes open
[00:15:37] >> everything's open and uh there is an
[00:15:40] executive session listed which I am
[00:15:42] putting I'm tableabling. There's it
[00:15:44] won't be an executive session. So, we
[00:15:47] will get to it in a few minutes and I
[00:15:49] would love to
[00:15:49] >> Thank you. That would be fine. And the
[00:15:51] same would the same be the case for this
[00:15:52] like board setting of goals?
[00:15:54] >> Yes,
[00:15:54] >> that'll be public open to. Thank you.
[00:15:56] >> Yeah, we're all here together tonight.
[00:16:00] Thank you. Thank you,
[00:16:03] sir. really um just to circle back to
[00:16:06] Ann Barnes and and the scope of work and
[00:16:09] stuff like that and the amount of money
[00:16:11] you have
[00:16:13] if you put together a priority and then
[00:16:15] do what we do with the sort project and
[00:16:17] just have add alternates like have you
[00:16:20] know you define scope and then add
[00:16:21] alternates that you think you know so if
[00:16:24] the original bid comes in at 50,000 then
[00:16:27] you have the next second best thing that
[00:16:29] you want or the third best you know like
[00:16:31] just added change order or not change
[00:16:33] orders But alternates
[00:16:34] >> yes
[00:16:35] >> to the scope of work and and that way we
[00:16:37] can you know pick and choose the
[00:16:39] alternates to make it possibly work
[00:16:42] good.
[00:16:44] >> Okay.
[00:16:45] >> The uh primary has to be keeping the
[00:16:48] water from intruding uh because
[00:16:52] during the bad weather which will be
[00:16:54] coming up we will have water running in.
[00:16:57] We need the security of the gutters and
[00:16:59] downspouts and the uh cementing between
[00:17:03] the stones and the front.
[00:17:05] >> We need to fill that hole with clay.
[00:17:07] >> Yes,
[00:17:08] >> the clay was removed and then replaced
[00:17:10] with sand and the clay holds water away
[00:17:13] and the sand just lets it through. So,
[00:17:15] that needs to be fixed.
[00:17:18] >> But just to get some other deal,
[00:17:22] >> anything? Nothing right now.
[00:17:24] >> Anybody else?
[00:17:26] Okay. Uh, approval of minutes.
[00:17:33] >> I'll move that we approve June the
[00:17:37] meeting minutes for June 2nd, 2025.
[00:17:41] >> Um, I have a couple comments if you
[00:17:45] don't mind if we take it
[00:17:47] >> one at a time.
[00:17:47] >> One at a time. Can I
[00:17:49] >> That's why I'm only doing the one.
[00:17:51] >> I'm going to second it and then we'll
[00:17:52] discuss it.
[00:17:53] >> Okay.
[00:17:55] um June 2nd meeting that was regarding
[00:17:59] the joint meeting with the the finance
[00:18:03] but finance didn't have a quorum that
[00:18:05] night
[00:18:06] >> right
[00:18:07] >> just before the 10
[00:18:09] >> okay um one of the things at the very
[00:18:11] end it said I abstained from the vote
[00:18:13] and my vote was actually no
[00:18:15] >> so if you just don't mind correcting it
[00:18:18] it's um with a motion at the very second
[00:18:21] to last page said motion pass William
[00:18:24] abstain And actually I voted no. So it
[00:18:26] goes two two to one
[00:18:28] >> here. Yes.
[00:18:30] >> Okay.
[00:18:30] >> Okay. I'll change that.
[00:18:31] >> Okay. Thank you.
[00:18:32] >> Okay. I will amend my I'll uh make the
[00:18:37] motion to approve it as amended.
[00:18:41] >> Okay. Further discussion. Um
[00:18:45] just any I there was questions asked in
[00:18:48] the meeting on revenue and also uh
[00:18:52] income for next year. We didn't have it
[00:18:54] at the time. Do we have a projection of
[00:18:57] revenue
[00:18:58] >> for F126?
[00:19:00] >> Yeah, right here. So, it was, you know,
[00:19:02] I asked the question figure for a total
[00:19:04] revenue income for next year. Eric
[00:19:06] Volheim and JK Jen Kinda had a number,
[00:19:10] but neither uh Justine or Jen were able
[00:19:14] to provide a figure at that time. And I
[00:19:15] was just wondering if that's something
[00:19:17] we get.
[00:19:17] >> Oh, yeah. We've had we've had estimates
[00:19:19] we've had to put it in gateway and
[00:19:22] everything. So yeah, we have it. I can
[00:19:23] provide it to you. I just don't
[00:19:26] >> but that's it for for me as far as
[00:19:28] >> Okay. So motions uh before us to accept
[00:19:32] June 2nd as amended.
[00:19:35] >> All in favor?
[00:19:36] >> I
[00:19:41] June 9th,
[00:19:44] 2025.
[00:19:47] I'll make a motion to approve it as
[00:19:51] written.
[00:19:52] June tonight.
[00:19:55] I'll second it. I have gone through it.
[00:19:57] I have read it.
[00:19:58] >> Well, I have um I was I would request
[00:20:01] that we table this for corrections
[00:20:03] because there's a there's a bunch of
[00:20:06] items in this meeting minutes that
[00:20:08] should be changed or corrected. And one
[00:20:14] is the order um on this the discussion
[00:20:18] of William Tinker's correspondence and
[00:20:20] response from the planning board.
[00:20:22] That was item number six. And I ask you
[00:20:26] ask the board that we move that to be
[00:20:30] held last. Okay.
[00:20:32] >> Okay. So that's one direction. take that
[00:20:34] whole thing and move it to after
[00:20:39] um we did the selectman round table. We
[00:20:42] did all those things.
[00:20:43] >> Okay.
[00:20:44] >> Okay. Um
[00:20:47] you following this
[00:20:49] sir?
[00:20:50] >> Yeah. I'm writing it down. Okay,
[00:20:52] >> Mr. Chair.
[00:20:53] >> Yes.
[00:20:54] >> Um if Mr. Tanker wants to send me
[00:20:58] things that he had issues with, I can go
[00:21:00] back and review them. It doesn't have to
[00:21:02] be like we can you can bring this up at
[00:21:03] the next meeting if it's easier for you.
[00:21:05] >> Okay.
[00:21:07] >> Yeah. If you don't mind. That's why I
[00:21:08] >> Okay.
[00:21:09] >> Okay. T table list.
[00:21:12] >> Good. And I I'll email you Justine.
[00:21:14] >> Okay. Thank you. Very good.
[00:21:19] >> Now, as for the June 23rd,
[00:21:22] I noticed Justine's
[00:21:25] on the uh attendees list. I do not
[00:21:28] believe she was on. That's one of the
[00:21:30] things I had.
[00:21:31] Okay. So, you picked up on that.
[00:21:33] >> Yes.
[00:21:34] >> Yes, I did. So, that was one of the
[00:21:36] corrections on that.
[00:21:37] >> I have a couple of corrections.
[00:21:40] >> Okay.
[00:21:40] >> Um I know that uh Sandy does a lot of
[00:21:43] these transcripts
[00:21:45] uh audio and it's Karge Solar.
[00:21:50] >> These were provided by Mr. Tinker cuz um
[00:21:52] >> Okay. Well, whoever.
[00:21:54] >> So, where is it? Well, it it's in that
[00:21:57] first items reviewed about twothirds of
[00:22:00] the way down. Carriage Solar LLC needs
[00:22:04] to be fixed. Kier Sarge.
[00:22:06] >> Okay. And
[00:22:07] >> that's correct. Later on,
[00:22:09] >> also carge solar lease again on the next
[00:22:13] page. Correct.
[00:22:14] >> I think I'm right on that.
[00:22:16] >> Yeah, you're correct. Right. Good.
[00:22:18] >> Where is that one?
[00:22:19] >> Right here.
[00:22:21] >> Under items reviewed.
[00:22:23] First one is items reviewed and then the
[00:22:26] second page is
[00:22:27] >> just under the national grid easement.
[00:22:30] >> Yes.
[00:22:35] >> Season tax.
[00:22:36] >> Okay.
[00:22:37] >> I'll make a motion to approve as amended
[00:22:40] for June 23rd, 2025.
[00:22:42] >> I'll second the motion. All in favor? I
[00:22:49] August 11.
[00:22:54] Um, I will make a motion to approve
[00:22:59] August 11th
[00:23:02] meeting minutes.
[00:23:15] [Music]
[00:23:28] Right.
[00:23:36] >> So, the main thing I wanted was
[00:23:38] recommended,
[00:23:39] >> okay,
[00:23:39] >> was um to hire a mediator. It was to
[00:23:44] hire an investigator.
[00:23:46] >> You understand?
[00:23:47] >> At the very last paragraph on the last
[00:23:50] page.
[00:23:51] >> Okay. Um
[00:23:55] that's a
[00:23:57] >> right.
[00:23:59] It says motion to hire a mediator on the
[00:24:01] advice of Tom Counsel and William
[00:24:04] Tinker. Are you a mediator? It wasn't
[00:24:05] necessary. And then I said an
[00:24:08] investigator, not a mediator. And you
[00:24:10] said, "Oh, I used the wrong verbiage."
[00:24:11] So I just like would amend but hire a
[00:24:15] investigator. Okay.
[00:24:17] >> Thank you
[00:24:18] >> Mr. Chair.
[00:24:18] >> Yes ma'am.
[00:24:19] >> She is a mediator who also does
[00:24:21] investigations.
[00:24:22] >> I understand. To me the two terms in
[00:24:24] this situation are interchangeable. So
[00:24:27] it's the same person doing the same
[00:24:30] work.
[00:24:30] >> Okay.
[00:24:31] >> Thank you.
[00:24:32] >> Okay. That being said.
[00:24:33] >> Mhm.
[00:24:34] >> Okay.
[00:24:35] >> We have a motion to accept and seconded
[00:24:37] >> as amended.
[00:24:38] >> As amended. I'll second it. All in
[00:24:41] favor?
[00:24:42] >> I
[00:24:44] thank you.
[00:24:50] >> Okay. Discussion and possible vote on
[00:24:52] vacant town buildings.
[00:24:58] All right.
[00:25:04] The um the page building. Mhm. um came
[00:25:10] close to being bought by a group of
[00:25:11] people,
[00:25:13] friends of the page building, but is on
[00:25:16] hold right now. Uh the title is not
[00:25:19] clear. So,
[00:25:22] uh
[00:25:23] this goes way back, different opinions
[00:25:26] from different lawyers. And where it's
[00:25:29] sitting right now is I think the page
[00:25:33] group is waiting to speak to the
[00:25:36] mixtures about clearing the title. So
[00:25:40] that's where it's hung up.
[00:25:42] >> Okay.
[00:25:43] >> So nothing will be done with that
[00:25:44] building this year before the winter.
[00:25:47] >> I hope that they do, but I don't know.
[00:25:50] >> Well, it's kind of getting late in the
[00:25:52] season.
[00:25:52] >> Yeah. Well, that's the case with the old
[00:25:54] town halls. Same way.
[00:25:57] Time flies.
[00:26:02] >> It was mentioned at the capital planning
[00:26:04] committee today, that meeting. Um, is
[00:26:07] there any any type of records like from
[00:26:10] 2014 when they did the title search and
[00:26:12] all that back then through the annual
[00:26:14] town meeting? We allocated I think four
[00:26:16] or $5,000 at that time
[00:26:19] >> for these three buildings. I don't know
[00:26:21] if any records are actually done or you
[00:26:24] know what I mean like title work or cuz
[00:26:26] there was a question that was brought up
[00:26:28] about the trust with the mixers,
[00:26:31] >> right?
[00:26:32] >> Like do they actually have right of
[00:26:35] refusal,
[00:26:35] >> right? And that's what various town
[00:26:38] council
[00:26:40] lawyers have disagreed on our own. And
[00:26:43] then the people that were working for uh
[00:26:47] the group, the Page Friends
[00:26:50] >> Mhm.
[00:26:50] >> Um decided that the title wasn't clear
[00:26:53] and they didn't want that there's a
[00:26:55] right of first refusal on it. It goes
[00:26:58] back, we knew completely. We knew it was
[00:27:02] clear back when we started dealing with
[00:27:04] this in the teens and just 5 months ago,
[00:27:09] 3 months ago, you know, town council
[00:27:12] said it was okay. Uh it could still be
[00:27:15] okay except their lawyer is worried that
[00:27:19] they'll get stuck. So, they're trying
[00:27:23] other workarounds. But all the stuff
[00:27:26] that happened here and all the stuff
[00:27:28] that happened from town council should
[00:27:30] be archived and available.
[00:27:32] >> Mr. Sher.
[00:27:33] >> Yes, ma'am.
[00:27:33] >> We have um a huge folder on this. So,
[00:27:36] you're welcome to come in anytime and
[00:27:37] look through it.
[00:27:38] >> Okay.
[00:27:38] >> If you have an entire day,
[00:27:40] >> I do. I actually do. So,
[00:27:44] >> great way to Great way to to use it up.
[00:27:48] >> You never know. Yeah.
[00:27:49] >> Well, you said you do some reading,
[00:27:51] right?
[00:27:52] >> Yeah, I do plenty of reading. So,
[00:27:54] At least this will be focused.
[00:27:56] >> Just let me know and I'll have it ready.
[00:27:57] >> All right. Thank you.
[00:28:00] >> All right. Anything else? Yes, ma'am.
[00:28:02] Um, is there any way that legally um and
[00:28:07] the page buildings lawyer um and and the
[00:28:10] town's lawyer would be able to make some
[00:28:13] sort of agreement that said that gives
[00:28:16] them the page friends the right to go in
[00:28:19] there and commence work on that building
[00:28:22] prior to the snow flying?
[00:28:26] >> I don't think legally we could do that.
[00:28:28] >> Don't really want to.
[00:28:29] >> And it's the L word probably. Well, no.
[00:28:32] I it was just, you know, a lot of times
[00:28:34] if when you're working on one little
[00:28:36] section on a deal, um, you know, the the
[00:28:41] the seller allows the buyer to
[00:28:44] >> start early,
[00:28:45] >> you know, move in, whatever. Okay. So, I
[00:28:48] didn't know if that was a possibility
[00:28:50] that something like that might happen.
[00:28:52] >> I don't think that's possible.
[00:28:54] >> Okay.
[00:28:55] >> I mean, it would be uh we'd be exposed
[00:28:58] >> too much liability.
[00:29:00] >> Okay. Um well the other question that
[00:29:02] the elephant in the room is with you
[00:29:04] know what's going on with Zikos
[00:29:07] >> with Zikos uh we've asked um Mark Corsic
[00:29:12] to uh negotiate the contract. So that's
[00:29:16] still right now we'll by ne by next week
[00:29:19] we'll know.
[00:29:20] >> Well
[00:29:22] why
[00:29:24] all right we're going to use the L word
[00:29:26] again. What legal right does Mark Cors
[00:29:28] have to negotiate a contract for the
[00:29:30] town of Park and and you know and I'm
[00:29:33] not this is not against
[00:29:35] like that.
[00:29:36] >> I'm just saying
[00:29:37] >> we've asked he offered to help. He's
[00:29:40] good with contracts. He's on the finance
[00:29:42] committee and uh we just thought it
[00:29:45] would be a good idea to let him give it
[00:29:47] a try.
[00:29:48] >> Well, I mean it it
[00:29:51] I'm I'm looking at the other end. Okay.
[00:29:53] that um
[00:29:56] he is not in he's not an employee of the
[00:29:58] town. Okay. Um I mean he's on various
[00:30:01] committees but looking at it as a
[00:30:04] business person. If I was Zukos I could
[00:30:07] make any deal I want with Mark but that
[00:30:09] doesn't mean that I am legally
[00:30:11] >> and we'll have to sign any deal that
[00:30:12] comes out of this.
[00:30:14] >> So he can't sign anything. All he's
[00:30:16] doing is talking
[00:30:18] >> and uh and he's skilled at it. So, it
[00:30:21] was kind of using our available
[00:30:24] resources.
[00:30:25] >> Now, this $15,000 bill that we got,
[00:30:28] okay, um and I brought this up back last
[00:30:32] year about the contract, about the fact
[00:30:34] that um it's debatable whether or not
[00:30:37] that contract was even binding upon the
[00:30:39] county property,
[00:30:39] >> which is precisely what we're talking
[00:30:41] about. I personally think the contract
[00:30:43] stinks. Correct.
[00:30:44] >> I can't believe that we got tangled up
[00:30:47] in it. So, now we're going to try to get
[00:30:49] out of it. So, I I don't know what we
[00:30:52] can do here until we know more.
[00:30:54] >> Well, I Well, first off, I mean, you you
[00:30:57] know that anything with a penalty clause
[00:30:59] has to be run by town council, and that
[00:31:02] was not run by town council.
[00:31:04] >> Actually, was
[00:31:07] that that was the the when I talked to
[00:31:09] everybody else, they said that the
[00:31:11] select board had never seen that before
[00:31:13] it was signed, nor was it run by town
[00:31:15] council. I haven't seen it and it was
[00:31:17] already in the hands of town council.
[00:31:19] >> Okay.
[00:31:20] >> But I that's me personally. I missed a
[00:31:22] couple meetings. So
[00:31:23] >> Okay. Well, no. I mean, I asked
[00:31:25] questions and everybody said no.
[00:31:27] >> Well, I don't know about how that
[00:31:29] worked. But but
[00:31:30] >> I I find it very
[00:31:34] um interesting, I guess, is a good word,
[00:31:36] that town council would have allowed
[00:31:39] that contract to be signed.
[00:31:41] >> Actually, me too.
[00:31:42] >> Yeah. I mean, and if that's the
[00:31:44] representation we have from town
[00:31:46] council, maybe we need a new town
[00:31:47] council.
[00:31:48] >> Thank you for your input.
[00:31:50] >> You know,
[00:31:50] >> I appreciate it.
[00:31:51] >> But, you know, is that you I'm really
[00:31:53] concerned about that. Now, that bill is
[00:31:56] that just regarding the page or is there
[00:31:59] going to be another one generated um on
[00:32:01] Rugles Hill or on the on the
[00:32:04] Gilbertville school?
[00:32:05] >> I don't know now. I'll know next week,
[00:32:07] Mr. Chair.
[00:32:07] >> I'll have a feel for it next week.
[00:32:09] >> Right now, I don't know. We're still now
[00:32:12] negotiating. Yes, ma'am.
[00:32:14] >> Uh that invoice was for the three
[00:32:16] buildings cuz all three buildings are
[00:32:18] part of the contract. We will not be
[00:32:19] getting another one.
[00:32:20] >> There you go.
[00:32:21] >> Okay.
[00:32:23] >> That's one point in favor.
[00:32:26] >> Thank Mr. Chair, just for the record, um
[00:32:30] it was executive session. No contract
[00:32:33] was presented. No, the select didn't do
[00:32:35] a public vote to authorize that
[00:32:37] contract. So, and if it was done
[00:32:41] anywhere, please show me.
[00:32:44] >> Well, we'll just have to let's just wait
[00:32:45] and see what comes out.
[00:32:47] >> I just want to so everybody knows
[00:32:51] it's all cuz I said at the last meeting.
[00:32:54] >> Yep.
[00:32:57] That's all. We'll get through it.
[00:32:59] Anybody else want to
[00:33:03] >> Well, well, while we're talking about
[00:33:05] abandoned buildings, one of the RFPs
[00:33:07] going out for those schools over here,
[00:33:09] too.
[00:33:10] >> We were talking about it today.
[00:33:11] >> Okay.
[00:33:12] >> So, that'll be in motion, too. We have
[00:33:15] to see if we're clear of the
[00:33:18] auctioneering company. So, again, this
[00:33:21] is I think we're close to figuring
[00:33:24] something out, but I don't know what and
[00:33:27] I don't think anybody else does. No.
[00:33:29] >> So,
[00:33:30] >> well, I mean, you know, and there you're
[00:33:33] talking about, you know, the snow is
[00:33:35] going to fly and you're worried about
[00:33:36] the page building. You should be more
[00:33:38] worried about ruggles. There's a hole in
[00:33:39] that roof.
[00:33:40] >> I'm worried about all of all the roofs
[00:33:42] need to be fixed.
[00:33:44] >> Yeah.
[00:33:44] >> Well, I'm I'm very worried about the
[00:33:47] ruggle sill as you know.
[00:33:48] >> That's your baby.
[00:33:49] >> Yes, it is. It's my baby and it has been
[00:33:51] for years. So,
[00:33:55] >> thank you. And
[00:33:57] >> the Rebels Hill School has had a clause
[00:34:01] that relates to the mixtures that it
[00:34:03] goes back to the mixtures if it isn't
[00:34:06] used for education. I know that probably
[00:34:09] in the 2013s or whatever uh it was
[00:34:12] decided that that no longer applies, but
[00:34:15] now that um it's an issue with the page
[00:34:20] building and the mixtures claims. Um, do
[00:34:25] you also have to look at that before
[00:34:27] moving on?
[00:34:27] >> Absolutely. And we were going over that
[00:34:29] today at the capital planning. Eric
[00:34:31] Fleming has a large folder with all that
[00:34:35] stuff in it. And it's the same kind of
[00:34:38] thing. No worries. This is all clear. Go
[00:34:41] ahead. And then for us at the end, it
[00:34:45] didn't fly. So, and it might have if
[00:34:49] the page friends had a different lawyer.
[00:34:51] I don't know.
[00:34:53] It's just but I'm not going to trust
[00:34:56] personally I'm not going to trust any of
[00:34:57] it.
[00:35:00] >> Thank you. I I can put one comment in my
[00:35:03] favor is that our uses for the for the
[00:35:07] Rebels Hill School are educational. So
[00:35:10] if that is an issue,
[00:35:12] that isn't an issue.
[00:35:15] >> Thank you. Thank you. All right.
[00:35:21] Anybody else on this?
[00:35:24] Okay.
[00:35:26] Uh discussion and possible vote on
[00:35:29] Kirarge Solar Lease.
[00:35:32] >> So, um
[00:35:33] >> yes.
[00:35:34] >> Um so, I had asked um Mr. Chairman to
[00:35:37] put this on the agenda hoping I'd have
[00:35:38] something more to report. Um the only
[00:35:41] thing I have to report is that um
[00:35:45] I did get a call from uh Andrew at
[00:35:47] Karge. They submitted um kind of
[00:35:50] everything that we asked for to our town
[00:35:52] council and we're waiting for our town
[00:35:54] council. Haven't heard back from him
[00:35:55] quite yet. Um so I'm hoping to get it
[00:35:58] for the next meeting for you guys. So
[00:36:00] that's where we are now.
[00:36:01] >> Okay.
[00:36:02] >> So I have news but no news.
[00:36:03] >> Yeah. Some news.
[00:36:05] >> Yeah.
[00:36:05] >> Um we I went out there with Harry
[00:36:10] driving around. I went out there with
[00:36:11] Marty. Uh the issues are I'm going to
[00:36:15] encapsulate for you, Mr.
[00:36:18] Uh the issues are that uh it's one thing
[00:36:21] it's the last large piece of ground that
[00:36:24] the town halls. Uh so we have the
[00:36:27] playing fields there and then we have
[00:36:30] the gravel bank that uh our highway
[00:36:32] department uses for sand and gravel and
[00:36:36] uh in there somewhere between those two
[00:36:40] or maybe in the hole which is my good
[00:36:42] idea but whatever uh will go this solar
[00:36:46] array. So, the power of the solar
[00:36:51] field
[00:36:52] has been upped due to more efficient
[00:36:56] panels, but the footprint that they're
[00:36:58] asking for, as far as I can tell, is the
[00:37:01] same. Yes.
[00:37:01] >> As they asked for.
[00:37:03] >> Yes.
[00:37:03] >> So,
[00:37:05] we we've been over this. I'd like to see
[00:37:08] flags. I'd like to see a way to really
[00:37:11] go there and see on the ground what
[00:37:13] we're talking. But I think I think
[00:37:17] there's enough room to do everything.
[00:37:20] The point is that the gravel and sand
[00:37:22] costs the town would cost the town
[00:37:25] upwards of $50,000 a year. So that would
[00:37:28] be
[00:37:29] >> Mhm.
[00:37:29] >> kind of off the money that we make from
[00:37:32] the lease.
[00:37:32] >> Mr. Chair, can I add one more thing?
[00:37:34] >> Sure. So, initially something that was
[00:37:37] really important to me and Harry when we
[00:37:38] were talking about this was making sure
[00:37:40] that we get money up front when the
[00:37:42] lease is signed and then a percentage in
[00:37:45] construction and then obviously the rest
[00:37:47] when it's up and running and that I can
[00:37:49] say was part of the they were um they
[00:37:53] did put that in there. So, again um
[00:37:56] >> part of the new contract. Yes, the lease
[00:37:58] because um you know to your point about
[00:38:01] the $50,000 I mean eventually we'll be
[00:38:03] getting a lot more than that um like
[00:38:06] hundreds of thousands of dollars. So,
[00:38:08] but um what was really important to us
[00:38:11] initially was okay will we sign a lease?
[00:38:13] Well, we should be getting something not
[00:38:14] the whole thing cuz it's not up and
[00:38:16] running
[00:38:16] >> but um that was negotiated and that that
[00:38:19] will be part of it. So,
[00:38:20] >> okay. Thank you.
[00:38:23] >> Sure.
[00:38:24] So there are
[00:38:27] uh moves in many places to
[00:38:30] uh elevate the solar cells in such a way
[00:38:34] that other things can happen underneath
[00:38:36] them. There's no reason that the cells
[00:38:38] need to be near the ground. So there are
[00:38:40] people running cattle, growing crops,
[00:38:43] doing all kinds of things under the
[00:38:46] solar cells by just elevating the solar
[00:38:48] cells. If we have concerns about land
[00:38:51] use and continued, you know, access, you
[00:38:54] know, I would say that one of the
[00:38:56] options is to ask that this be built as
[00:39:00] a a highle facility rather than a, you
[00:39:03] know, a low ground facility. I mean,
[00:39:05] there are literally people running whole
[00:39:06] farms underneath of solar cells. And so,
[00:39:11] you know, that might be a consideration
[00:39:12] to help ease access and continue to use
[00:39:17] the ground underneath them.
[00:39:19] >> That wouldn't work for the playing
[00:39:21] fields.
[00:39:22] >> No, I'm not. I'm talking about your your
[00:39:24] far end.
[00:39:25] >> You're down the gravel pit side.
[00:39:28] >> Yeah.
[00:39:29] >> So, that would work. How are you going
[00:39:32] to get an excavator and dig under the
[00:39:33] solar panels?
[00:39:34] >> The proposal is for it to be on the
[00:39:36] ground,
[00:39:36] >> right? And it would be up to the
[00:39:38] designer of the firm. You know, the
[00:39:40] problem is you got to dig the gravel
[00:39:41] out.
[00:39:43] >> So, you need equipment and you can't
[00:39:44] have solar. You know what I mean? Cuz if
[00:39:47] you struck like the structure to damage
[00:39:50] it, that's the problem. It's one thing
[00:39:52] to run goats and cows underneath and let
[00:39:55] them graze. They're not going to do much
[00:39:57] damage.
[00:39:58] >> Well, but there aren't any of those
[00:40:00] there now,
[00:40:02] >> right? Well, we we're concerned with the
[00:40:03] gravel as far as if you can negotiate
[00:40:07] an access to it,
[00:40:08] >> right?
[00:40:09] >> A right of way, per se, and if they move
[00:40:11] this the solar rate
[00:40:13] >> depending on, you know, the the layout
[00:40:16] and stuff like that.
[00:40:17] >> So, Marty says he's as low as he would
[00:40:20] go
[00:40:21] >> where he has excavated and he's right
[00:40:24] now storing. So, I'm I just was
[00:40:27] thinking, why not
[00:40:29] bring the whole gravel bank that he's
[00:40:31] interested in down to that level and put
[00:40:34] the solar at that level.
[00:40:36] >> Mhm.
[00:40:37] >> And we'd have to store ahead of time,
[00:40:39] but he'd still have access to bank that
[00:40:43] isn't been excavated. So, I don't know.
[00:40:46] It's kind of a tricky deal. I know,
[00:40:49] Harry, you've been over this. We were
[00:40:51] talking years ago about not
[00:40:55] white bees and uh
[00:41:00] flowers to uh support bees and having
[00:41:04] fence lines up enough so that animals
[00:41:06] can go back and forth. So, it's been
[00:41:08] something that's been on on our minds,
[00:41:11] right?
[00:41:12] >> Yeah. Those are kind of incidentals to
[00:41:15] the whole project, but those most of the
[00:41:18] solar discussions I've been involved in
[00:41:21] with different projects um they agree to
[00:41:24] that readily to if you want um flowers
[00:41:28] growing under the panels, if you want a
[00:41:30] 6- in uh space under the fence for
[00:41:34] smaller animals, they they typically
[00:41:36] agree to that and you stipulate that.
[00:41:38] >> Yeah. Um I think the important thing
[00:41:41] here is because they're getting close to
[00:41:45] um trying to satisfy National Grid and
[00:41:49] within a month or two I think
[00:41:51] >> like a week
[00:41:52] >> like a week.
[00:41:53] >> Couple weeks.
[00:41:54] >> Yeah.
[00:41:54] >> So they're going to invest close to $4
[00:41:58] million for the upgrade to the um
[00:42:01] substation in Barry.
[00:42:03] >> So they need the lease to do that.
[00:42:05] Otherwise, they don't have the lease.
[00:42:06] They're not going to put up the money.
[00:42:08] not to do that.
[00:42:09] >> Um, so I think what I would advise or
[00:42:15] suggest to the town is not really to get
[00:42:18] down into um small items that let this
[00:42:22] project go. We know what the footprint
[00:42:24] is. Um there's probably a year or two
[00:42:26] for Mi to excavate and to stockpile and
[00:42:32] he already has to use his equipment to
[00:42:35] mine it anyways and process it. So using
[00:42:39] the equipment and getting it to getting
[00:42:41] what he can out of there to stockpile
[00:42:44] will probably be several years worth of
[00:42:47] gravel, rock, etc.
[00:42:49] And again, as I said last time, we
[00:42:52] talked about this. The soccer fields,
[00:42:55] uh, under the soccer fields saw gravel
[00:42:57] in my estimation.
[00:42:59] And the town has being nice to have
[00:43:01] soccer fields there, and it's a probably
[00:43:03] a great program and all that, but
[00:43:05] there's a whole area there to be mined
[00:43:07] for sand and gravel that could be for
[00:43:11] years. And that would the town would
[00:43:15] have to determine the value of keeping
[00:43:18] the soccer fields as to the value of
[00:43:20] mining the sand and gravel at $50,000 a
[00:43:24] year. Um as opposed to putting the
[00:43:28] soccer fields somewhere else up in the
[00:43:30] park in Gilbert Hill or next to the
[00:43:32] elementary school. And I suggested uh
[00:43:34] partnering with Eagle Hill because they
[00:43:36] have a soccer field. Um, so the money
[00:43:42] seems to be evident here
[00:43:44] >> to get this solid project done and not
[00:43:47] uh nickel and diamond
[00:43:49] >> y
[00:43:49] >> and have the town make some money now
[00:43:52] when the lease is signed and then a
[00:43:54] couple years from now $300,000 a year
[00:43:57] for 20 or 30 years and
[00:44:01] the town owns the whole 48 acres. So,
[00:44:04] who knows down the road what other
[00:44:06] projects um the solar industry might
[00:44:09] come up with for the rest of that area
[00:44:12] because now the the substation will be
[00:44:15] upgraded,
[00:44:16] >> right?
[00:44:16] >> So, there's this could be a good revenue
[00:44:19] source for the town uh now and even more
[00:44:24] in the future
[00:44:25] >> for 20 years in the future for 30 years.
[00:44:27] So the solar field is one thing, you
[00:44:29] know, there uh data centers going in
[00:44:32] here, there, and everywhere. Um battery
[00:44:35] packs, I know that's kind of a bad word
[00:44:37] to everybody, but uh those things uh are
[00:44:41] allowed in the state. You can't really
[00:44:43] prohibit them and they revenue. Uh they
[00:44:45] generate revenue,
[00:44:47] >> right?
[00:44:49] >> Thank you.
[00:44:50] >> Thank you, Bill.
[00:44:52] >> Thank you. Um I hear all it said about
[00:44:55] that. It it sounds good to me, but I
[00:44:57] still don't hear what is the size of the
[00:45:02] parcels of a whole 48 acres that's going
[00:45:04] to be leased to ker and what are the
[00:45:08] rights of the lei who would have the
[00:45:10] solar project there in respect to the
[00:45:13] rest of the land. I hear that we could
[00:45:15] gravel it if we want. I hear that we
[00:45:17] could probably do these other projects
[00:45:21] if the town wants, but I don't know
[00:45:24] contract law. And I just hope that the
[00:45:26] lawyers on both sides have worked this
[00:45:28] out so that the town retains every right
[00:45:31] to use that property for the for the
[00:45:34] fields that are there now for gravel if
[00:45:36] that should have to happen for um other
[00:45:40] projects like I said from cellular to
[00:45:42] the battery energy to to expanded solar.
[00:45:45] I mean, we we retain the right for that
[00:45:47] because it's 48 acre parcel that we're
[00:45:49] talking about leasing and they're on
[00:45:51] about half of that, right? So, why why
[00:45:54] are we leasing to them more than the
[00:45:57] piece that they need for the project
[00:45:58] we're talking about? And what do we give
[00:46:00] up by doing that? That's something I
[00:46:02] want to
[00:46:03] >> Mr. Chair,
[00:46:03] >> no.
[00:46:04] >> Can I respond?
[00:46:05] >> Sure. Um, I don't have the actual
[00:46:07] dimensions in front of me right now, but
[00:46:09] if you want to come see me Wednesday or
[00:46:10] Thursday, cuz I'm at a healthcare
[00:46:11] meeting tomorrow, um, I can I can pull
[00:46:13] that up for you and we can talk about
[00:46:15] it.
[00:46:15] >> The terms of the lease,
[00:46:17] >> the dimensions of the of what they're
[00:46:19] actually going to be using and what we
[00:46:21] can use for cuz we can we can do
[00:46:22] whatever we want with the rest of the
[00:46:24] property. So,
[00:46:24] >> well, that's that I'm not I'm not
[00:46:27] convinced that's the case. if we sign a
[00:46:29] lease on 48 acres for them to do this on
[00:46:32] the on the 24. I don't know what what
[00:46:35] rights we have and what rights they have
[00:46:37] to the rest of the land that they have
[00:46:39] leased but are not using the current
[00:46:41] solar
[00:46:42] >> come by Wednesday or Thursday and and I
[00:46:44] can pull it up and we can talk about it.
[00:46:45] Okay,
[00:46:46] >> Mr. Tinker, Mr. Chair,
[00:46:49] >> we're not at a final lease agreement.
[00:46:52] >> The two lawyers are working out the
[00:46:55] agreement as we speak. Yes,
[00:46:57] >> they they presented to our town council
[00:47:00] and our town council had a bunch of
[00:47:01] comments and they're they're working
[00:47:03] out. So, we don't have a final lease
[00:47:05] yet. So, we don't know the stipulation
[00:47:07] of what they're actually
[00:47:09] what the final deal is yet. So, it's not
[00:47:12] like we're going to vote on this
[00:47:13] tomorrow. This contract, this lease
[00:47:16] agreement still has to be finalized. The
[00:47:18] language has to be finalized. Just so
[00:47:21] you know,
[00:47:22] >> it's a good policy in general. Some
[00:47:23] details I know I that I can share. I
[00:47:26] just I don't have it in front of me. But
[00:47:27] to Bill's point, yeah, there's still
[00:47:30] negotiating.
[00:47:33] >> Miss Sarin
[00:47:35] holding a real estate brokerage license,
[00:47:37] which I don't use anymore. But um the
[00:47:40] the lease uh should not be leasing 48
[00:47:44] acres. should be leasing 24 with a right
[00:47:48] of way or um but the right of way should
[00:47:51] be very narrowly I mean it should be
[00:47:54] specifically designed that this is the
[00:47:56] only way they can get in and out and
[00:47:58] that and that also should preserve all
[00:48:02] of the rights so Marty can go in and get
[00:48:05] get his gravel without and not be forced
[00:48:10] to just stockpile it until you know and
[00:48:13] then now we have to rip up ball field.
[00:48:15] It should specifically only say you're
[00:48:17] we're leasing you 24 acres, not 48.
[00:48:20] Okay. Um because you say we're leasing
[00:48:22] you 48, they can do whatever they want
[00:48:24] with it. And you know, um does the lease
[00:48:27] have escalator clauses in it so that
[00:48:29] every year um it goes up because that,
[00:48:32] you know, the cost of energy is going to
[00:48:34] go up. So therefore, we should be making
[00:48:36] more money every every year. And where's
[00:48:38] the power going? What that they're
[00:48:39] generating?
[00:48:43] These are these are things that are
[00:48:44] going to be negotiated like
[00:48:46] >> but I'm just saying we should we should
[00:48:48] make notes on
[00:48:49] >> but there's there's phases to this right
[00:48:51] now this is the lease
[00:48:53] >> for the equipment and then there's going
[00:48:54] to be a pilot down the road for the
[00:48:56] solar and in that pilot there would
[00:48:59] probably be an escalation clause over
[00:49:01] the next 20 years or whatever we work
[00:49:04] out with them
[00:49:05] >> it would not be in the lease
[00:49:06] >> it wouldn't be in the lease it would be
[00:49:07] another step this is step one
[00:49:10] >> but If you not well, there should be an
[00:49:12] escalation clause in a lease. If you
[00:49:14] fire, if you l rent somebody a building,
[00:49:18] and you give them a 10-year lease, it
[00:49:21] usually says after year three, it goes
[00:49:23] to this. After year six, it goes to
[00:49:25] this. So, having them have a lease that
[00:49:29] does not have an escalation clause in it
[00:49:31] is not right.
[00:49:32] >> We don't have the lease agreement yet.
[00:49:35] So, I just wrote down escalator and
[00:49:38] >> that should be in there.
[00:49:39] >> Thank you. Thank you.
[00:49:41] >> Thank you.
[00:49:43] >> Harry, did you want to step in again?
[00:49:45] >> Yeah, just a couple things. The the
[00:49:46] estimate of acreage for the footprint on
[00:49:49] the solar is around 25 26 acres of the
[00:49:53] 48. So, it's not the whole 48.
[00:49:55] >> Yes.
[00:49:55] >> And I believe there is escalator clauses
[00:49:58] in the current proposed lease over time
[00:50:02] for u the pilot agreement.
[00:50:04] >> Okay. Okay. Well, having that was
[00:50:06] concerning me that we weren't going to
[00:50:08] give all that land away. And that's why
[00:50:11] I would like to see it staked out with
[00:50:13] little flag splattering just to see what
[00:50:16] that means on the ground. So,
[00:50:19] >> I wasn't comfortable saying like 26
[00:50:21] because I don't have it off the top of
[00:50:22] my head, but I'm still interested in
[00:50:24] meeting with you if you want.
[00:50:25] >> Do you have a blueprint?
[00:50:26] >> Yes. Oh, yeah. You do, too. Oh, we send
[00:50:28] it to you.
[00:50:30] >> Oh,
[00:50:30] >> yeah.
[00:50:31] >> We were told that it was going to
[00:50:33] change. the footprint was going to
[00:50:34] change.
[00:50:35] >> So, did it change? You know exactly
[00:50:37] updated blueprint.
[00:50:38] >> You have the same one I have.
[00:50:39] >> I don't think it changed.
[00:50:40] >> It did not change since I started.
[00:50:42] >> Okay. But we'll know when we get
[00:50:46] Mr. Cole. Anything more?
[00:50:48] >> No, I'll just I'll talk to Justine and
[00:50:50] I'll look forward to see what the
[00:50:52] lawyers uh propose.
[00:50:55] >> Just a a question. And so, um, on these
[00:50:58] blueprints, is the plan to bring the
[00:51:02] power out via overhead wires or are they
[00:51:05] going to, uh, bury this? And are we, is
[00:51:09] that going to be just with an easement
[00:51:10] or are we actually going to lease them
[00:51:12] the land that they're going to get their
[00:51:14] power out through?
[00:51:16] >> Those are good questions.
[00:51:17] >> And be up to them to design however that
[00:51:20] >> Oh, no. I understand. But, but this is
[00:51:22] these are part of the questions we
[00:51:24] should be asking. Well, it it should be
[00:51:26] on the blueprint. So, yeah, I'll look
[00:51:29] and I'll let you know.
[00:51:30] >> Thank you.
[00:51:30] >> You're welcome.
[00:51:32] >> This is to bring revenue into the town.
[00:51:33] So, this is a good thing. This is
[00:51:35] >> right. This is this is all we should
[00:51:37] always be looking at this with the eye
[00:51:39] of of us benefiting. We're not in this
[00:51:42] for them.
[00:51:43] >> Right.
[00:51:44] >> Right. And that's another thing that
[00:51:46] possibly you can negotiate is is some of
[00:51:48] these SRExs or however to offset like
[00:51:51] the municipal buildings electric
[00:51:54] >> or electric footprint.
[00:51:56] >> They have that going now actually we
[00:51:58] have something in place right
[00:52:01] >> we have there's solar power that is
[00:52:04] going on and we get some of the benefit
[00:52:07] from that from solar arrays that are
[00:52:10] already in place here.
[00:52:11] >> Yeah. I think it's start at the end of
[00:52:12] 32 on the left.
[00:52:14] >> Right. Right.
[00:52:16] >> Okay.
[00:52:17] >> Electricity that gets generated offsite
[00:52:19] still gets credited into whatever deal.
[00:52:22] >> Right.
[00:52:23] >> But that's a similar thing that could be
[00:52:25] thrown into this.
[00:52:28] >> One last thing about money.
[00:52:30] >> Would you like to speak, ma'am?
[00:52:31] >> Uh they're going uh is this going to be
[00:52:34] still generating any solar credits? And
[00:52:36] who gets the solar credits?
[00:52:39] I'll let you know.
[00:52:41] >> That's what we were just discussing,
[00:52:43] right? Thank you.
[00:52:44] >> Because that could be an awful lot of
[00:52:45] money.
[00:52:46] >> That's right.
[00:52:48] >> I'm not trusting any.
[00:52:50] >> Huh? If they didn't.
[00:52:53] >> Anybody else?
[00:52:56] Thank you. Thank you.
[00:52:59] Discussion and vote on unemployment
[00:53:01] invoice.
[00:53:03] >> So, this came up at the last meeting. Uh
[00:53:05] the town has been uh taking the burden
[00:53:07] of this invoice that was for a uh
[00:53:11] wastewater treatment plant employee. So
[00:53:13] my request is that uh we take this out
[00:53:16] of the sewer enterprise account. Um and
[00:53:19] the sewer superintendent is aware of
[00:53:21] this
[00:53:23] >> and this is what we tabled last.
[00:53:25] >> Yes,
[00:53:27] I do have a question on this. Um
[00:53:29] reviewing the sewer. Um during the
[00:53:32] budget this year, we we took $10,000
[00:53:35] from that fund to offset like
[00:53:37] administrative funds and and town hall
[00:53:39] costs.
[00:53:40] >> Y
[00:53:41] >> um so would this be
[00:53:44] deducted from that?
[00:53:45] >> No, that money uh that was a trial. Um
[00:53:48] it's actually probably much more than
[00:53:50] that, but that is to cover for example
[00:53:52] Sandy who does all the all the sewer
[00:53:54] billing. That is the treasurer who does
[00:53:57] again all the everything for that she
[00:53:59] does for the sewer. um that's to offset
[00:54:02] town hall employees because they don't
[00:54:05] have an administrative assistant. They
[00:54:06] don't have a clerk. So the town hall
[00:54:09] pick up a lot of responsibility. That
[00:54:11] was a conservative number. Next year and
[00:54:12] the year after we're going to take a
[00:54:14] look and see if how accurate that number
[00:54:15] that number is, if we need to increase
[00:54:17] it, we need to decrease it. But
[00:54:19] obviously the sewer superintendent will
[00:54:20] be a part of that conversation as well.
[00:54:22] >> Okay.
[00:54:22] >> Y
[00:54:23] >> So where does this money come from
[00:54:25] >> right now? No, I mean, if we're going to
[00:54:27] go to the Enterprise Fund and tag them
[00:54:29] for the unemployment for their worker,
[00:54:33] we just do that.
[00:54:34] >> Yes.
[00:54:38] >> How much are we talking?
[00:54:40] >> 15,764.
[00:54:42] Actually,
[00:54:44] $21,3561.
[00:55:00] I'll make a motion to approve the
[00:55:02] unemployment invoice for $21,3561
[00:55:08] to come out of the sewer enterprise
[00:55:10] account.
[00:55:11] >> I'll second.
[00:55:13] All
[00:55:13] >> in favor?
[00:55:14] >> I I
[00:55:15] >> Thank you.
[00:55:16] >> Um, one quick question, Mr. Chair. Um,
[00:55:22] you mentioned like that $10,000 the
[00:55:25] administration end on the the town hall.
[00:55:27] Are we tracking those numbers and stuff?
[00:55:30] >> Yes, we are.
[00:55:31] >> Okay. Are you going to share that
[00:55:33] information with us?
[00:55:33] >> Yep. When we get time to the budget,
[00:55:35] that was my plan because it's only like
[00:55:36] a couple months into the year, so it's
[00:55:38] not very long.
[00:55:39] >> We've only build once.
[00:55:41] >> Do we have a progress like like a
[00:55:44] percentage like they've used x amount of
[00:55:46] hours or anything like that? Do we have
[00:55:48] any idea? if you'd like.
[00:55:50] >> I'm just curious. I'm just asking
[00:55:53] it, but it is being tracked. Yes.
[00:55:54] >> Okay. Thank you. That's all.
[00:55:56] >> Because again, we only have one billing
[00:55:57] cycle, so it's not a full anything at
[00:55:59] this point. Yeah.
[00:56:00] >> All right. Thank you.
[00:56:04] >> Okay. Um discussion on select board goal
[00:56:07] setting.
[00:56:09] This was designed to be a freewheing
[00:56:12] discussion.
[00:56:13] >> I thought it was going to be a working.
[00:56:14] I'm sorry.
[00:56:15] >> A working meeting. Well, you're saying
[00:56:17] to me, but yes, a working meeting.
[00:56:20] >> So, we're having a working meeting in
[00:56:22] the middle of our I thought this was a
[00:56:24] working meeting already. But yes,
[00:56:26] >> Mr. Chairman, would you want to put this
[00:56:28] at the end of the meeting rather than in
[00:56:30] the middle of the meeting so that we can
[00:56:33] have our freewheeling discussion after
[00:56:35] the uh select board roundt?
[00:56:38] >> Sure.
[00:56:39] >> Sure. Then the next thing to do would be
[00:56:42] the town administrator report.
[00:56:45] Okay.
[00:56:46] Um, thank you.
[00:56:49] >> Assisted the recycling center on an
[00:56:51] issue with a contractor for the
[00:56:53] compactor that wasn't working correctly.
[00:56:56] Um,
[00:56:58] we have had some interested parties in
[00:57:00] some of these vacant town buildings. So,
[00:57:01] the highway superintendent and myself
[00:57:03] and I know you and the highway
[00:57:04] superintendent also, Mr. Chairman, um,
[00:57:07] have also heard people um, potential
[00:57:09] people interested in the vacant
[00:57:11] properties. Met with Verizon on the
[00:57:13] service issues.
[00:57:15] um had a call with CMRPC on ongoing
[00:57:17] projects.
[00:57:19] I attended a Zoom meeting for the
[00:57:20] Memorial Park planning project with
[00:57:22] CMRPC
[00:57:25] and Mr. Fleming. Met with the chair of
[00:57:27] the finance committee today. We meet
[00:57:30] monthly now
[00:57:33] held our bi-weekly financial management
[00:57:35] planning Zoom meetings. uh working with
[00:57:38] the treasure collector and Sarah Hunter
[00:57:40] on cleaning up the financial errors from
[00:57:41] the past which um has been a lot of
[00:57:44] time. Uh so that's where a bulk of my
[00:57:47] time has actually been spent.
[00:57:50] Met with the highway superintendent,
[00:57:51] highway clerk, CMRPC on the complete
[00:57:54] streets project, connecting some of the
[00:57:56] sidewalks from North Road to the common
[00:57:58] and also down um lower road and some
[00:58:02] other places. But those are some of the
[00:58:03] top two priorities.
[00:58:06] Um, we are advertising for a wastewater
[00:58:09] treatment plant operator, a highway
[00:58:11] equipment operator, a per DM library
[00:58:13] assistant, and a van driver. I completed
[00:58:16] performance evaluation reviews with
[00:58:18] department heads. I attended a meeting
[00:58:21] at the request of the library board of
[00:58:22] trustees.
[00:58:24] I participated in the wear civic and
[00:58:26] business association's annual ax
[00:58:28] throwing with the treasure collector. We
[00:58:30] did not do as well as last year. We
[00:58:33] didn't even place. I think Ryan was the
[00:58:35] secret weapon last year.
[00:58:38] Participated in a meeting for the
[00:58:39] Massachusetts Municipal Association
[00:58:41] Policy Committee on Personnel and Labor
[00:58:43] Relations. Had my monthly wear radio
[00:58:45] interview. I met with the new Barry town
[00:58:47] administrator on some ongoing issues um
[00:58:50] with EMS and the Council on Aging.
[00:58:53] Attended a Zoom meeting today for the
[00:58:55] quad and watershed legislation.
[00:58:59] Um, this is someone I want to recognize.
[00:59:02] And normally at a select word meeting, I
[00:59:04] recognize an employee or an elected
[00:59:06] official, but today I want to recognize
[00:59:09] Katherine Landine for putting together
[00:59:11] Chief Landine's pinning ceremony last
[00:59:14] Sunday. She did all the programs. She
[00:59:17] got the cake. She did the balloon. She
[00:59:18] organized the whole thing. And I know
[00:59:20] she's not an employee, but I think she
[00:59:21] deserves to be recognized for all the
[00:59:23] work that she did with very little help.
[00:59:28] Um, so an important date is we're
[00:59:30] putting together a public forum for the
[00:59:32] Memorial Park study project and it's
[00:59:34] going to be October 22nd, 2025 at 6 p.m.
[00:59:37] in this room. Um, so there'll be more
[00:59:41] information on that coming.
[00:59:44] One of the things I have, again, I'm
[00:59:46] going to be doing this monthly cuz as I
[00:59:49] go through all the monthly reports for
[00:59:51] the budget, again, the only one that
[00:59:52] really sticks out for me right now would
[00:59:54] be the legal budget. Um it's not quite
[00:59:57] as high as July, but it's still
[00:59:58] astronomical.
[01:00:00] Um so we just need to we need to really
[01:00:02] look at that. Um and unfortunately
[01:00:05] a third of it is is from, you know,
[01:00:08] various complaints that we've had from
[01:00:09] one individual in town. Um so I just
[01:00:12] think it's important to keep an eye on
[01:00:15] it. There's not really much we can do if
[01:00:17] if certain things arise, but it's going
[01:00:18] to be a budget that I'm very concerned
[01:00:20] we're going to overspend.
[01:00:24] Yeah, that's on that good news. That's
[01:00:27] all I have.
[01:00:28] >> And you essentially hired the uh
[01:00:32] account.
[01:00:33] >> He has um the offer letter. Um he is
[01:00:36] reviewing it and he will get back to me
[01:00:38] with a signature if he if everything's
[01:00:39] all set, but he has it um as of 10
[01:00:43] minutes ago. I haven't heard back from
[01:00:44] him yet, but he just got it this
[01:00:46] afternoon. Cool.
[01:00:49] That's great. Thank you.
[01:00:52] All right.
[01:00:54] Uh okay.
[01:00:56] So now
[01:00:59] >> going to the round table. Correct.
[01:01:02] >> Do the round table.
[01:01:05] I would uh well I was going to speak
[01:01:09] about Mark Corsick and my my lads and uh
[01:01:14] Becky and Bill
[01:01:16] taking care of the for bay. That's that
[01:01:19] use what powered the mill.
[01:01:22] It would have been full of water. It was
[01:01:25] just at the dam. So, it's hard to
[01:01:28] picture, but it would have been full of
[01:01:30] water and everything upstream would have
[01:01:32] been in the lake, the pond, whatever.
[01:01:35] So, it was pretty pretty neat. And I had
[01:01:37] a chance to look at a lot of good
[01:01:39] stonework.
[01:01:40] And uh and I would like to uh say that
[01:01:45] Sharon Arter who runs MART uh has done a
[01:01:50] great service as far as I'm concerned. I
[01:01:53] I know a woman who has a a serious case
[01:01:57] of cancer and needed lots of radiation
[01:02:01] and she couldn't get to Fitchburg every
[01:02:03] day of the week and uh Mark took her. So
[01:02:07] that's what it's for. So I got to say
[01:02:11] Sharon Hard Dicker is doing great. So
[01:02:15] this may
[01:02:16] >> I'd like to say that Sharon also does a
[01:02:20] role as a like social worker. We don't
[01:02:24] have that position here in town and she
[01:02:27] feels a lot of stuff that a social
[01:02:29] worker would help with.
[01:02:31] >> Yeah. In case of emergency there's a
[01:02:34] special population where
[01:02:35] >> Yeah. There are people who are at risk
[01:02:38] normally.
[01:02:40] >> And who are they? Because you can't
[01:02:43] really without violating HIPPA laws.
[01:02:46] >> Yes.
[01:02:46] >> Keep a list. But she is essentially the
[01:02:50] Council on Aging active out on the road.
[01:02:53] So she's precious.
[01:02:56] Yep.
[01:03:00] All right. Well, that's it for me for
[01:03:02] the round.
[01:03:05] Do you have anything, Bill?
[01:03:06] >> No, I'm pretty good.
[01:03:07] >> Pretty good. Yeah, other than mentioning
[01:03:09] that we had a really good retirement
[01:03:12] party for
[01:03:13] >> Chief Aayot. That was really nice.
[01:03:17] >> Nice. Really well done.
[01:03:19] >> Justine put together a nice platform and
[01:03:22] everything. Gave a speech.
[01:03:23] >> I just did the wording. Sy's the one
[01:03:25] that picked it out.
[01:03:26] >> Okay.
[01:03:27] >> Very nice.
[01:03:29] >> Great.
[01:03:30] >> And he will be missed.
[01:03:31] >> He will be.
[01:03:32] >> He's a great He'll be around.
[01:03:34] >> I know. see
[01:03:36] >> criedwick was very fortunate to have
[01:03:38] him.
[01:03:40] >> Yeah, he came on in a hard time too.
[01:03:43] >> Yes, he did.
[01:03:47] >> All right. Um,
[01:03:49] so now we go on to discussion on select
[01:03:52] board goal setting.
[01:03:56] >> Which four ideas,
[01:03:58] >> right? Well, I fig you bring some ideas.
[01:04:02] I'm going to leave put the reigns in
[01:04:04] your hands.
[01:04:06] >> Okay,
[01:04:09] Jeff, you have anything?
[01:04:10] >> Um, well, I
[01:04:16] getting back to
[01:04:19] what we what I'd like to see start
[01:04:22] happening is us doing some planning.
[01:04:26] Now, I I spent many years on the
[01:04:28] planning board, but there are businesses
[01:04:32] down here in Gilbertville
[01:04:35] that could use a little more help on
[01:04:39] street parking, that sort of thing. And
[01:04:42] we should be promoting
[01:04:44] development of some of these,
[01:04:47] not necessarily town-owned abandoned
[01:04:50] properties, but there are other
[01:04:51] properties down here. Mhm.
[01:04:53] >> And I think this this whole downtown
[01:04:56] Gilbertville could be made into a
[01:04:59] destination,
[01:05:01] not a huge destination, but get people
[01:05:03] coming down here.
[01:05:04] >> Mhm.
[01:05:05] >> And it could improve things in the town.
[01:05:07] Could improve the tax base by improving
[01:05:09] some of these buildings. I mean, we
[01:05:12] already have Rose 32. We have Lost Towns
[01:05:14] Brewery Brewery. We have uh
[01:05:19] Hardwood Crossing. Mhm.
[01:05:21] >> We have the uh dance studio down the
[01:05:23] road here.
[01:05:24] >> Mhm.
[01:05:25] >> And that's a good start, but it needs to
[01:05:28] continue and we need to encourage and
[01:05:31] make things better for these businesses
[01:05:34] planning out ahead of time.
[01:05:36] >> Right.
[01:05:39] >> Yeah.
[01:05:39] >> Mr. Chair,
[01:05:41] >> I don't know on the select board, but
[01:05:42] can I just to his point, I have a
[01:05:44] comment?
[01:05:44] >> Sure. Um, so in the town that my
[01:05:47] boyfriend is on the select board in,
[01:05:49] they have a community development
[01:05:50] committee and they actually go out and
[01:05:52] like invite these businesses in to their
[01:05:55] meeting and like what do you what do you
[01:05:57] need from us to be more business
[01:05:58] friendly or they solicit like, hey, we
[01:06:01] have this abandoned, you know, um,
[01:06:04] drive-in, you know, they literally
[01:06:06] called Market Basket. like they try to
[01:06:08] like I don't know how far they're going
[01:06:10] to get with that but um yeah they have a
[01:06:14] a committee that just kind of goes
[01:06:15] around and does stuff like that.
[01:06:17] >> Yeah. Mhm.
[01:06:18] >> Yeah. Well that's right.
[01:06:19] >> Yeah. We could we're talking
[01:06:21] >> Yeah. Uh you know and like I said I
[01:06:24] having very little on street parking
[01:06:27] down here kind of hampers the
[01:06:30] businesses.
[01:06:30] >> Mhm. There are people, for instance,
[01:06:32] they go into go to Rose 32, they're not
[01:06:36] going to park all the way up here at the
[01:06:37] municipal building and walk. They're
[01:06:39] just going to go on. And that that is
[01:06:43] something we should be looking at is
[01:06:45] trying to encourage and uh get these
[01:06:49] businesses some help that are already
[01:06:52] here. And like I said, we're we have a
[01:06:54] good start here.
[01:06:56] Well, that's the second time that you've
[01:06:58] been talking that I thought about the
[01:07:00] Polish home.
[01:07:01] >> Yeah.
[01:07:04] >> That's still vacant, is it?
[01:07:05] >> Well, it's I It's hard. We couldn't
[01:07:08] figure out who owned it. We'll have to
[01:07:11] backtrack. There are a couple of
[01:07:13] buildings up next across from Rean's
[01:07:15] garage.
[01:07:16] >> Yeah. Well, one's slated to be demoed,
[01:07:19] but
[01:07:19] >> Yeah. But, you know, we should look at
[01:07:22] what we can take in tax like title. Of
[01:07:24] course, it costs thousands of dollars to
[01:07:26] demolish a house,
[01:07:28] >> right? And the Polish Hall has been this
[01:07:31] derelict for 10 years. I don't know what
[01:07:35] it'd be like inside, but but yeah, to
[01:07:38] have another place to I was thinking of
[01:07:41] Rose 32 cuz the chief and I were trying
[01:07:43] to imagine how to make pot parking,
[01:07:46] >> right?
[01:07:47] >> There isn't.
[01:07:48] >> There isn't. And I remember when they
[01:07:50] first came in for the special permit,
[01:07:52] >> right? And that was an issue.
[01:07:55] >> Yeah.
[01:07:56] >> And apparently still is.
[01:07:58] >> Still is. And they, you know, they when
[01:08:01] the parking lots filled up and all the
[01:08:03] tables are full, nobody could stop and
[01:08:06] get more stuff. Uh it was like that at
[01:08:08] the brewery.
[01:08:10] >> Yes.
[01:08:10] >> We were catching grief from the state.
[01:08:12] There were people parking in the street.
[01:08:14] So
[01:08:16] >> So those things need to be
[01:08:19] >> hopefully helped, right?
[01:08:22] So,
[01:08:24] >> I thought I saw some of the hand out
[01:08:26] here.
[01:08:26] >> I'm sorry. Yes,
[01:08:27] >> that's okay. Um, I think you you recall
[01:08:31] when we had a debate on the town hall
[01:08:34] floor that I said that I had a plan to
[01:08:38] revitalize all of Pilberville
[01:08:41] >> with um getting the the um the cannabis.
[01:08:46] There's floors on there that they they
[01:08:48] have said in the past that they are
[01:08:49] willing to do something with the town.
[01:08:52] Uh my proposal was to um somehow coers
[01:08:56] the Windsor which is for sale and the
[01:08:59] and the uh what used to be the pharmacy
[01:09:02] across the street and the and that's
[01:09:04] also for sale. getting those buildings,
[01:09:06] getting a contractor involved, get
[01:09:08] taking those two buildings, revitalizing
[01:09:11] the Windsor into a very nice bed and
[01:09:13] breakfast with a tea room down or
[01:09:16] restaurant on the first floor, taking
[01:09:18] that pharmacy back and putting it into a
[01:09:21] tea room with the with the um you know,
[01:09:24] bringing back the ice cream parlor. Um I
[01:09:27] have S I know Susan very well and Susan
[01:09:30] says she'll give up her building if you
[01:09:32] give her another one. So, take that
[01:09:34] whole thing down, put up nice little
[01:09:36] shops, parking in the back. You've got
[01:09:39] some apartments above. You've now
[01:09:41] revitalized that entire corner of
[01:09:43] Gilbertville. And you've got people
[01:09:46] coming in. You've got the rail trail
[01:09:47] coming in. And you can you can get it so
[01:09:51] that it snowballs over and you get this
[01:09:54] this school which I had contracted 3
[01:09:57] years ago willing to take that school,
[01:09:59] build an L onto it and turn it into
[01:10:00] senior housing just like we have on
[01:10:02] Church Street. Um, I mean, all of those
[01:10:07] projects, something that large, you
[01:10:09] could go into the USDA and, you know,
[01:10:13] even though money's tight and whatever,
[01:10:15] revitalizing a small town like that, you
[01:10:18] could get
[01:10:20] HGTV, you could get Chip and Joanna
[01:10:22] Gains, all of these people would just
[01:10:25] love to come in and do something like
[01:10:27] that. I mean, there'd be TV film crews
[01:10:30] that would be following this thing.
[01:10:32] They'd be eating at the whistle stop
[01:10:34] >> and they'd be they eating at the whistle
[01:10:36] stop plus the new restaurant at the
[01:10:38] Windsor. We could have another
[01:10:40] restaurant underneath in, you know, in
[01:10:42] the senior housing so that the seniors
[01:10:44] can just come down and they could eat in
[01:10:47] the restaurant that's in the guild of
[01:10:48] school. I mean, there's it can be done.
[01:10:51] It just needs somebody with vision who's
[01:10:53] willing to pick up the phone and annoy
[01:10:55] somebody. Okay? Because that's what it
[01:10:58] really comes down to is is lots of phone
[01:11:00] calls.
[01:11:01] >> You know, people used to take the train
[01:11:03] out to the Windsor for the poker.
[01:11:06] >> Yeah. You know, and but you know,
[01:11:09] Whistle Stop is saying they want to do
[01:11:11] their rail trails. Well, you know, uh
[01:11:15] you know, they want to do dinners in
[01:11:16] there and whatever. I mean, it's very
[01:11:18] easy to take that whole thing and move
[01:11:20] it all the way down to here. uh we build
[01:11:22] our new little Elon on the back
[01:11:25] and this town this town doesn't have to
[01:11:28] start worrying about money.
[01:11:30] >> Good.
[01:11:30] >> You know, if we do something like that
[01:11:33] and the incentive to somebody to do
[01:11:36] something like that is we don't have any
[01:11:39] taxes coming in from it right now. So,
[01:11:42] we give them 5 years of free taxes.
[01:11:45] After that, it you know, we we still are
[01:11:47] going to get money and revenue from
[01:11:49] permits. We're going to get it from
[01:11:50] sales tax. We're going to get it from
[01:11:52] people coming in and using everything.
[01:11:55] You know, you give up some real estate
[01:11:56] tax for a few years. And now you've got
[01:12:01] all of these projects happening and this
[01:12:03] town stays exactly the way it is because
[01:12:06] you put in you put in ice cream parlors,
[01:12:08] you put in you you suggested a bicycle
[01:12:10] repair shop.
[01:12:12] >> Okay. Um the rail trail.
[01:12:14] >> Yeah. The rail trail. you know,
[01:12:17] a couple of little gift shops selling,
[01:12:19] you know, we love hardwood chachkis. You
[01:12:22] know, these people will buy it. People
[01:12:25] will come and we can be a little hub. Uh
[01:12:28] we can have,
[01:12:31] you know, milk from one of the dairies
[01:12:34] and cheese from one of the dairies and,
[01:12:36] you know, all the people who live here
[01:12:37] in town who produce things, they can be
[01:12:40] sold in a little community store.
[01:12:43] Well, it's it's it's not a it's not a
[01:12:46] pie in the sky idea.
[01:12:48] >> The thing is, how do you start?
[01:12:50] >> Where do you start?
[01:12:52] >> You need somebody who can see the other
[01:12:54] people.
[01:12:55] >> You Exactly. You need to have, you know,
[01:12:58] you you need to have three or four
[01:12:59] people. I'll do it. You will you
[01:13:02] >> volunteer.
[01:13:03] >> Will you do it with me?
[01:13:04] >> Maybe. Okay. You know, but a couple of
[01:13:09] people
[01:13:10] >> to just go in there. But we've got we've
[01:13:12] got to have the town on board to sit
[01:13:14] there and say, "Yeah, we're willing to
[01:13:16] if we can get these buildings, we're
[01:13:19] willing to give you free taxes, but this
[01:13:20] is what you have to do."
[01:13:22] >> Right.
[01:13:24] Thank you,
[01:13:26] >> Mr. Cole.
[01:13:28] >> Thank you. Um, I would agree first with
[01:13:32] what Jeff said about it would be helpful
[01:13:34] to have some sort of a
[01:13:37] planning department or planner. Planning
[01:13:39] board is occupied a lot with permits and
[01:13:43] so forth as you most know all know and
[01:13:47] um and working on some bylaws which I
[01:13:50] believe help the town with its planning
[01:13:52] both to encourage some kinds of
[01:13:55] development but preserve the character.
[01:13:58] Um, in respect though to to staff and
[01:14:02] who does this kind of work, um, we it's
[01:14:06] pretty clear that the towns that do the
[01:14:09] best with this, both in having money to
[01:14:12] spend in this direction, but also to
[01:14:14] accomplish things, are ones that have a
[01:14:16] town planner or have an economic
[01:14:18] development office or have a community
[01:14:21] planning director. Um, all positions
[01:14:24] that are funded by the town. I mean,
[01:14:27] there's there's no way around that. And
[01:14:29] and as we always come back to, well, we
[01:14:32] don't have the money to do this and
[01:14:34] that. I would just say it's very clear
[01:14:36] that all those positions I mentioned, as
[01:14:38] well as grant writers are all things
[01:14:40] that pay for themselves in terms of
[01:14:44] creating and reaching some of the goals
[01:14:46] we're talking about here and have been
[01:14:48] for years. Uh, but it takes it takes
[01:14:50] money. So that's you know different
[01:14:54] volunteers in different positions just
[01:14:56] doesn't get it done reliably. That that
[01:15:00] was one point I wanted to mention too
[01:15:02] more specifically two two things that I
[01:15:05] well several that I think are important.
[01:15:07] one, we have um
[01:15:10] uh the town will have the option to add
[01:15:14] some uh local option taxes. And I think
[01:15:18] that we want to probably have a group
[01:15:20] figuring out what to do and how to how
[01:15:24] to create and enforce things if if we
[01:15:26] want to. Those would include like a
[01:15:28] meals tax we already have, which may be
[01:15:30] allowable to be larger if the governor's
[01:15:32] bill passes later, but we don't have an
[01:15:35] occupancy tax. So that our um any hotel
[01:15:39] or motel or any short-term rentals,
[01:15:41] including any B&Bs, which we don't have
[01:15:44] many of now, but we might have
[01:15:46] considerably more down the road um with
[01:15:49] the ADUs that that have to be allowed
[01:15:51] now that they're a good idea.
[01:15:53] >> We don't have any occupancy tax set up
[01:15:56] and that can be significant. Um there
[01:15:59] are there are various ways for the town
[01:16:03] to make money on some of those things
[01:16:04] that I think we need to look at
[01:16:07] comprehensively with with the
[01:16:09] development of the kind that would
[01:16:11] create that again meals, restaurants,
[01:16:14] occupancy of various sorts. We we've got
[01:16:16] nothing in place now and we don't even
[01:16:18] know if they're getting enforced
[01:16:19] properly which which it's hard to find
[01:16:22] out but it doesn't look like they are in
[01:16:24] every case. Um,
[01:16:26] I want to mention too that, you know, as
[01:16:29] the town is seeking all sorts of
[01:16:31] different parcels for different reasons,
[01:16:33] you know, where do we put a police
[01:16:35] station, where do we do this and that,
[01:16:37] um, I would suggest that we consider,
[01:16:40] and I know I mentioned this today,
[01:16:42] capital planning, but the town, I think,
[01:16:44] would do well to work toward having an
[01:16:48] inventory of those properties which may
[01:16:51] become eligible for the town to exercise
[01:16:54] a right of first refusal. That is buying
[01:16:57] a property for its fair value or its
[01:16:59] agreed upon value if a sale is struck
[01:17:02] between a seller who's on any of the
[01:17:03] chapter programs now and wants to make a
[01:17:06] change of use or sell the property. So,
[01:17:09] in those cases, the town has to act
[01:17:11] rather quickly to to do something like
[01:17:13] that. But it it's not hard to imagine a
[01:17:16] lot of cases where that would present a
[01:17:19] great opportunity for the for the town
[01:17:22] to use a parcel. Um and um you know
[01:17:26] whether it be for whatever any of these
[01:17:28] solar projects or a public safety
[01:17:31] complex or the police station or a cell
[01:17:33] phone tower where we would make the the
[01:17:35] income ourselves any of those things. We
[01:17:37] don't have an inventory like that. And
[01:17:39] when these things come up as they do
[01:17:41] anytime a farmer would take something
[01:17:42] out of chapter you end up looking at the
[01:17:45] town saying oh well what are we going to
[01:17:47] do? Well, we're not going to put
[01:17:49] together a plan and the money and act on
[01:17:51] this within the next 120 days. So, it
[01:17:54] goes by and you know that that kind of
[01:17:57] inventory that having that on our radar
[01:17:59] I think would make a lot of sense in
[01:18:02] general. And it's not like grabbing
[01:18:03] their land. It's like knowing even
[01:18:06] telling them ahead of time if you want
[01:18:07] to sell talk to us because you know this
[01:18:10] this could fit in our plan. So, those
[01:18:13] are those are a couple of things that I
[01:18:15] >> I wanted to mention.
[01:18:17] >> Thank you. Thank you.
[01:18:21] And that is 61A and other plans. They're
[01:18:25] supposed to come to the town and give
[01:18:26] them
[01:18:27] >> first refusal. I know we're not in this
[01:18:29] situation to say, "Yeah, we'd like to
[01:18:31] acquire it." But if we plan and there's
[01:18:34] certain areas that we do potentially
[01:18:36] want to require through planning and
[01:18:38] looking at the areas and pick key areas
[01:18:42] or
[01:18:42] >> plan ahead.
[01:18:44] >> Yeah. Yeah. And have we we'd need to it
[01:18:48] kicks in when there's a purchase and
[01:18:49] sale agreement.
[01:18:50] >> Mhm.
[01:18:51] >> And then that amount is really what
[01:18:53] you're talking. So having a we'd have to
[01:18:57] have a stash of money but uh
[01:19:00] >> or financing available.
[01:19:02] >> Yeah. And we could, you know, prioritize
[01:19:06] >> different properties. We wouldn't have
[01:19:08] to worry about all of them, but we can
[01:19:10] find out how to do who's on and who
[01:19:14] isn't.
[01:19:16] If I may um uh just mention the dreaded
[01:19:20] threeletters CPA.
[01:19:22] >> Um I I think that um we're reaching a
[01:19:27] point where the town has a lot of
[01:19:30] development going on. Um there are new
[01:19:34] houses being built all over the place
[01:19:36] and we're talking about questions about
[01:19:39] having a cash of money to do things that
[01:19:42] are important for the town. uh that we
[01:19:45] might want to spend money on. And um I
[01:19:48] can tell you that just where I moved
[01:19:51] from in Newton, the CPA actually allowed
[01:19:54] the city of Newton to buy the last
[01:19:57] remaining open farm in Newton when they
[01:20:00] created the the Newton public. They they
[01:20:02] they bought the farm. It is now a CSA.
[01:20:05] The town the city runs it as a farm. But
[01:20:09] the fact that there were many projects
[01:20:10] that could be funded by that sort of a
[01:20:14] tax, I know it's not popular,
[01:20:18] but you have to raise money somehow and
[01:20:20] it's not it's not a tax on everyone.
[01:20:22] It's a tax when you sell real estate.
[01:20:25] Right. Right. So, I put that out there.
[01:20:28] I would also say that um
[01:20:32] we really need from a a an
[01:20:36] infrastructure point of view, we I would
[01:20:39] ask that that the select board consider
[01:20:42] pressuring
[01:20:44] um Comcast for better internet service.
[01:20:50] um and um and looking to the um the
[01:20:56] wireless companies
[01:20:58] um they're going to want to come in and
[01:21:00] put a big tower up in the middle of the
[01:21:02] field, which is a sub sore subject um to
[01:21:05] some people. Um and I'm not going to say
[01:21:08] yay or nay on that. I'm just going to
[01:21:09] say that that is an unpopular opinion,
[01:21:12] but they
[01:21:15] solve their Wi-Fi coverage problem in
[01:21:18] other creative ways
[01:21:21] with micro cells distributed around
[01:21:24] around the the the town. And I think
[01:21:27] that that it's while it's quaint and
[01:21:31] it's and it's cute to say, well, we have
[01:21:34] no Wi-Fi, we have no cell service in in
[01:21:38] in Hardwick Center. Um, it's also, I
[01:21:42] don't think, something that's going to
[01:21:44] play well if if we try to develop this
[01:21:46] town as a tourist destination or
[01:21:49] anything like that where people can't
[01:21:51] pick up their cell phone and have a cell
[01:21:53] signal. And from a point of view of
[01:21:55] having someone that wants to live here
[01:21:58] and pay their taxes and maybe have a
[01:22:00] business, the fact that our our cable
[01:22:03] internet sucks um um is not good. And I,
[01:22:08] you know, and I was very shocked when I
[01:22:11] moved here and found that Comcast is not
[01:22:14] providing free internet access in
[01:22:17] townhouse and and in the historical
[01:22:20] society
[01:22:20] >> or this building
[01:22:22] >> or Well, okay. So
[01:22:25] why aren't they? Every other town I've
[01:22:27] ever talked to, they are
[01:22:29] >> bad contracts.
[01:22:30] >> Uh right. But but I'm just saying that
[01:22:32] this is something that if you're looking
[01:22:33] to the future to make Hardwick an
[01:22:36] attractive place to run a business and
[01:22:38] and live in,
[01:22:39] >> right?
[01:22:40] >> Um it's hard
[01:22:43] >> when you have poor infrastructure and
[01:22:45] and you know that's a critical thing. So
[01:22:49] I would put those two things and I would
[01:22:51] also love to have
[01:22:53] We've cut the trees down behind the
[01:22:56] building because they were going to fall
[01:22:58] down and crush the building. I guess
[01:23:00] according to the insurance company,
[01:23:02] it would be nice if there was a vision
[01:23:05] about what we wanted to do with that
[01:23:07] land and the land in front of the of
[01:23:10] this building because I have to say that
[01:23:12] driving through town and seeing a
[01:23:14] decaying stair stairway with a piece of
[01:23:16] wood across it doesn't promote the town
[01:23:20] as a forwardthinking well-maintained
[01:23:24] place.
[01:23:25] >> You don't think that's beautiful?
[01:23:26] >> It's lovely. So, I just, you know, when
[01:23:29] we're talking about having a vision, it
[01:23:31] would be nice for to have a vision that
[01:23:33] is both visual and practical. And how do
[01:23:36] we make the town look nice?
[01:23:39] >> The the rail trail, the overlook, all
[01:23:41] that junk, but make it look nice.
[01:23:44] >> Buildings, make it look nice.
[01:23:47] >> Mr. Chair,
[01:23:49] >> yes. I'd like to Oh, would you like to
[01:23:51] speak then?
[01:23:52] >> Yes, please.
[01:23:53] >> I was going to speak now.
[01:23:55] >> What are you
[01:23:57] Uh there is a vision that I was led to
[01:24:01] and it was shown to me uh by somebody I
[01:24:05] know that moves a lot of earth around.
[01:24:08] It was his career. Uh he built St.
[01:24:12] Vincent's Hospital up to the ground
[01:24:14] level, which is incredible when you
[01:24:17] think about it. Anyway, he took me over
[01:24:20] there and we looked at the bank in the
[01:24:22] back and uh he said that all the soil
[01:24:26] that came out of the foundation here and
[01:24:28] at the church
[01:24:30] was spread on that hillside.
[01:24:35] And if you look at it, you can see where
[01:24:38] the original
[01:24:40] bank came down and then there's this
[01:24:42] bulge that runs all the way across. and
[01:24:46] he said that's where they took the
[01:24:48] material and put it. So he said, "Why
[01:24:52] don't we take that material and put it
[01:24:54] out front and lift this parking lot
[01:24:58] >> and level
[01:24:59] >> and level it
[01:25:00] >> and put up uh stone?" Well, he suggested
[01:25:05] engineered block
[01:25:08] >> uh because you get all the engineering
[01:25:11] taken care of when you buy that
[01:25:13] material. So you don't have to go to a
[01:25:15] structural engineer and do that. Um and
[01:25:20] disappear the steps uh fill that in and
[01:25:24] have and have a flat well a draining but
[01:25:27] a flat parking lot out front
[01:25:29] >> and even have maybe access to that side
[01:25:34] hill. But the material is there. It
[01:25:36] looks, like I said earlier, it looks
[01:25:38] like my belly over the belt. You want to
[01:25:42] look at that. and it's up there. So,
[01:25:45] that's a vision that Paul Benoy has and
[01:25:48] he knows what he's talking about. So,
[01:25:50] it's a little radical.
[01:25:52] Um, but there's a vision
[01:25:55] >> and there's a a thing that a grant
[01:25:57] writer could be going out and looking
[01:26:00] for support to do.
[01:26:02] >> Right. Right.
[01:26:03] >> Right.
[01:26:05] >> And we own that that whole hillside.
[01:26:07] >> Yeah.
[01:26:08] >> Y
[01:26:08] >> all the way up to the road.
[01:26:09] >> It's another piece.
[01:26:10] >> Yeah. And and Paul says you put you put
[01:26:13] the extension up there, too.
[01:26:15] >> Yeah. Yeah. He has a plan to uh change
[01:26:18] this building a little bit around, which
[01:26:20] needs to happen anyway. If we're going
[01:26:22] to save the building, we have to dry out
[01:26:25] the cellar because the drains down there
[01:26:28] haven't been taken care of in a 100
[01:26:29] years. So, that needs work. And some of
[01:26:33] these things could all be done together.
[01:26:36] >> Take the dirt down. Unless this base
[01:26:38] this build the basement's going to dry.
[01:26:42] >> Well, it could be. Yeah,
[01:26:44] >> help it.
[01:26:44] >> Could have blocked it.
[01:26:46] >> Mr. Cole,
[01:26:48] >> thank you. Um, what Neil said makes me
[01:26:50] think of uh one thing to to report sort
[01:26:53] of, which is that the CPA you mentioned
[01:26:56] that that's the Community Preservation
[01:26:58] Act and you know, not an accountant,
[01:27:00] it's a community preservation act. We
[01:27:03] almost passed it as you would remember,
[01:27:05] >> two votes. Yeah. years ago, half the
[01:27:07] crowd walked out time. This came up and
[01:27:10] narrowly failed and
[01:27:12] >> but it's not a tax on transactions. It's
[01:27:16] a it's a sir tax on your property tax
[01:27:19] and that's set by the town if they adopt
[01:27:21] it. Um being from 1 to 3% of your tax of
[01:27:26] your property tax. So that means more
[01:27:28] taxes for everybody except it doesn't
[01:27:31] apply to the first $100,000
[01:27:34] of property value that would be taxed.
[01:27:36] And there may be other exemptions for
[01:27:38] for uh lower income and such. But the
[01:27:41] town the town chooses to do if the town
[01:27:43] chooses to do that that pool of money is
[01:27:47] segregated set aside and then matched to
[01:27:49] a varying degree which used to be really
[01:27:51] good 100%. Now it's been a lot less from
[01:27:54] the state but still it's something and
[01:27:57] that pool plus the match ends up being
[01:28:01] uh allocated according to some required
[01:28:04] percentages. It's like housing, open
[01:28:06] space and several things um and the bulk
[01:28:10] of it more discretionary and those those
[01:28:13] expenditures decided by a committee of
[01:28:16] towns people representing those
[01:28:18] different needs. Um I think it's a great
[01:28:21] idea. It has helped a bunch of towns. Um
[01:28:24] it's just a little more taxes which is
[01:28:26] why um you know why sometimes it's hard
[01:28:28] to hard to pass.
[01:28:30] >> But we came so close we could
[01:28:32] >> Yes. I know that's so true. And if if I
[01:28:34] may in a general way please just say
[01:28:36] that it's interesting to hear people
[01:28:38] talking about let's set some goals talk
[01:28:41] about where the town wants to be down
[01:28:43] the road. Well, um I would remind us all
[01:28:47] that we have since 2023
[01:28:51] a new committee, the master plan
[01:28:53] steering committee that was established
[01:28:55] exactly to bring these things into
[01:28:57] focus, gathered the town's people's
[01:28:59] opinions and ideas about all sorts of
[01:29:01] things. Um in 2023, we started that.
[01:29:06] It's an 11 member committee. We had some
[01:29:09] defections from for health and some for
[01:29:11] maternity and we got a couple new people
[01:29:14] but we still could use more help on
[01:29:16] that. But in the meantime using no town
[01:29:20] money but only money from uh I think
[01:29:23] it's the community onetop working with
[01:29:25] central Mass. We've been creating
[01:29:29] month after month the the content of the
[01:29:32] chapters that include many of the things
[01:29:35] we're talking about. So there's
[01:29:36] transportation, there's housing and land
[01:29:38] use, you know, there's infrastructure,
[01:29:40] there's town assets, all of these
[01:29:44] different things we're looking at and
[01:29:46] seeking input. We've got a lot of input.
[01:29:48] We have over 300 survey results. Most of
[01:29:52] you in here have probably done that. We
[01:29:54] had a successful workshop, got a lot
[01:29:56] more opinions. We're pulling this thing
[01:29:58] together and it will it will come back
[01:30:00] to the town for consideration and
[01:30:02] fine-tuning and hopeful adoption. and
[01:30:04] then maybe be implemented. This was last
[01:30:07] done in 2000 and you were on you were a
[01:30:10] chair of that Eric.
[01:30:11] >> Well, that was the first the first one
[01:30:13] >> the first and then a 2010 attempt to
[01:30:15] rewrite it that didn't didn't get
[01:30:16] finished but but here we are now trying
[01:30:19] to do this and it is exactly what we're
[01:30:22] saying we want to accomplish here. So I
[01:30:25] would suggest everybody use that as a
[01:30:28] resource and a channel for for a lot of
[01:30:31] these ideas. And I would suggest that
[01:30:33] all boards when they're looking at
[01:30:35] decisions they're making, they make
[01:30:37] reference to the current or future
[01:30:40] master plan and and the intentions of
[01:30:43] the people, you know, for for what's to
[01:30:45] be what's to be done. So that that's
[01:30:47] where we are on that and any any help
[01:30:49] and would be welcomed. Only other thing
[01:30:52] about that, the front of this building,
[01:30:54] one of the first things we did in 2023
[01:30:55] was decide that we wanted to fix that
[01:30:57] out there. And the committee lined up
[01:31:00] volunteer effort, materials, and we're
[01:31:03] going to fix that out front. And then we
[01:31:05] were told, "No, it's not your job, you
[01:31:09] know, uh, don't bother." So, we didn't.
[01:31:11] But I mean there's there's things like
[01:31:13] that that can be done and you know need
[01:31:16] to be done and you know sometimes get
[01:31:21] them done maybe a little uh a little
[01:31:23] differently than the and I was offered
[01:31:26] $4,000 to fix the stairs. I mean to make
[01:31:29] them go away.
[01:31:30] >> Mhm.
[01:31:31] >> And I know how to do it. I didn't have a
[01:31:33] crew and I can't charge for the work,
[01:31:36] but I could boss the work and we could
[01:31:39] tear that stuff out and put in a little
[01:31:41] wall.
[01:31:41] >> Maybe we have to do it after dark the
[01:31:43] way it looks, but it's got to get done.
[01:31:45] >> Do it little by little.
[01:31:48] >> You know, just a small improvement can
[01:31:52] make a big difference.
[01:31:53] >> That's right. It is an eyesore.
[01:31:55] >> I had a couple things. Um, based on what
[01:31:58] I've been hearing today from between
[01:32:00] this and capital planning, it sounds
[01:32:01] like one goal could be an asset
[01:32:03] inventory and it what we are working on
[01:32:06] in the treasur's office because um we
[01:32:09] had some misleading information is in
[01:32:11] the budget every year we had a little
[01:32:13] over 6,000 for tax taking. Well, in the
[01:32:15] past uh few years, what's been done with
[01:32:18] these properties is the debt has just
[01:32:20] been sold to Talib, which is the
[01:32:21] collection agency. And that's all well
[01:32:23] and good, but you don't make any money
[01:32:25] that way. Um, so getting back to
[01:32:27] actually doing
[01:32:29] sore subject, but in the past, Zikos was
[01:32:32] actually the company 10 years ago that
[01:32:34] was doing the town auctions and stuff
[01:32:35] for for these properties. But I think
[01:32:37] getting an accurate list of okay, what
[01:32:41] houses and properties are actually in
[01:32:42] foreclosure, what is in tax taking,
[01:32:45] where things are and the Polish homes is
[01:32:47] a big one because right now we need to
[01:32:48] go back several years and look at
[01:32:51] >> old conversations between old attorneys
[01:32:53] about where where that actually stands
[01:32:55] because I don't even know. I can't even
[01:32:56] tell you if we own it because I don't
[01:32:57] think we do.
[01:32:57] >> No, I don't think we do. I think the
[01:32:59] person who owns it has been dead for
[01:33:01] about four years.
[01:33:01] >> I can answer a little bit about
[01:33:03] Pulitzky. Um, this was owned by a group
[01:33:06] of people. I know. Okay. And they're all
[01:33:09] dead. All right. That's
[01:33:10] >> And And their kids are all dead, too,
[01:33:14] because my cousin was one of the last
[01:33:16] people.
[01:33:17] >> Okay.
[01:33:18] >> Well, we need to look into that again,
[01:33:19] too.
[01:33:20] >> As far as I know with my my real estate
[01:33:24] background is that the town has to go in
[01:33:27] and formally take it.
[01:33:28] >> Right.
[01:33:29] >> All right. And that's that's what they
[01:33:31] that's and that's something actually
[01:33:33] that Jess was working on 5 years ago.
[01:33:36] >> And we would need to then do something
[01:33:39] with it.
[01:33:39] >> Yeah.
[01:33:40] >> I mean right now it's it's weed grown
[01:33:42] and
[01:33:43] >> the I noticed today the pavilion needs a
[01:33:46] roof. So
[01:33:48] >> the town can use a pavilion.
[01:33:49] >> The town could use the pavilion. Mhm.
[01:33:52] >> The other thing I I heard I and I
[01:33:54] actually, you know, I'm sorry I don't
[01:33:55] know the exact words that you use, but
[01:33:57] you talked about like a the utilities in
[01:33:59] town. What word did you use?
[01:34:00] >> Infrastructure.
[01:34:01] >> The infrastructure. I think that would
[01:34:02] be a good long range plan also for the
[01:34:04] board. Those are just my suggestions
[01:34:06] between an asset inventory of absolutely
[01:34:08] everything. Cleaning up our list of
[01:34:10] actually
[01:34:11] >> everything and um infrastructure. I
[01:34:15] think that's those are some great
[01:34:16] long-range plans. That's just my advice.
[01:34:18] >> Yeah. Right. like we talked about
[01:34:20] earlier the sewer infrastructure getting
[01:34:22] it all mapped out and
[01:34:24] >> looked at it stuff like that anything
[01:34:27] any future grants that
[01:34:29] >> we could apply for that either need
[01:34:31] repair or
[01:34:33] >> or fix some of the sewer piping y
[01:34:35] >> or extend it in certain areas we were
[01:34:38] doing smoke tests
[01:34:41] >> some engineers came in and and put smoke
[01:34:43] candles in the manhole covers and you
[01:34:46] could see coming out of the stink pipes
[01:34:48] in the houses the people who had
[01:34:50] illegally hooked into their into the
[01:34:53] storm draining system. You could see the
[01:34:56] smoke coming out of it. Go ahead.
[01:34:59] >> One of the things we talked about before
[01:35:00] the annual town meeting before this was
[01:35:03] the additional taxes on or passing bylaw
[01:35:07] for camping, glamping,
[01:35:09] >> Airbnb, short-term rentals.
[01:35:11] >> Is that the occupancy?
[01:35:13] >> Yeah.
[01:35:14] >> And we can I know the state will get
[01:35:17] like six and a half. We can whack it.
[01:35:18] Excuse me. Mr. Schmidt, did you have
[01:35:20] something before us? Peter,
[01:35:23] >> did you want to say something?
[01:35:25] >> Oh, I I'm I'm here on the listening tour
[01:35:29] >> and uh I thank you for all talking.
[01:35:34] >> Have a good night.
[01:35:37] >> Are you going to make a motion to
[01:35:38] adjourn?
[01:35:39] >> No, I have a couple of things I want to
[01:35:41] bring up. Well, because N brought it up
[01:35:44] first that when we're talking about cell
[01:35:46] phones, they they have they have the
[01:35:49] infrastructure now that we can put them
[01:35:52] up in in the towers of all of the
[01:35:54] churches and then, you know, they're
[01:35:56] they're
[01:35:57] >> extenders.
[01:35:58] >> Yeah, they're extenders. And I mean, we
[01:35:59] don't we don't have to put up the giant,
[01:36:02] you know, tower that they fake making it
[01:36:04] look like a tree. Okay. Um, and the
[01:36:08] where the CPA CPA is concerned, the
[01:36:12] issue is is that we have the taxes in
[01:36:16] this town have gone up quite a bit in
[01:36:19] the last few years. Okay, we've got a
[01:36:21] sewer the sewer project and whatever. If
[01:36:25] there was a way such as Eagle Hill
[01:36:28] starting to finally pay some money, if
[01:36:31] people could see that, okay, Eagle Hill
[01:36:34] starting to pay some money. We got some
[01:36:36] money coming in from the solar thing.
[01:36:37] Okay, your taxes are now not going to be
[01:36:39] $17 per thousand. They're now going to
[01:36:42] be $15 per thousand. Now, if you add
[01:36:45] that 1%, people are not going to freak
[01:36:48] out. People are going to look at it.
[01:36:50] But, you know, I know I can't take
[01:36:52] another 1%.
[01:36:54] Because, you know, our taxes have trip
[01:36:56] more than tripled in the less than 20
[01:36:58] years that we've owned our property. And
[01:37:00] that's, you know, as a senior citizen on
[01:37:02] li limited income, you know, it's
[01:37:05] getting to the point we can't do that.
[01:37:06] Um the I already told you about the
[01:37:09] schools, but one thing that this town is
[01:37:12] not using and uh is all of the expertise
[01:37:18] in the senior workoff program or the
[01:37:20] potential expertise in the senior
[01:37:21] workoff program which has been basically
[01:37:24] kicked us to the curb lately. And uh
[01:37:28] there's a lot of people in this town
[01:37:30] with a lot of experience
[01:37:34] that are not being utilized and um
[01:37:38] that's town politics and that's got to
[01:37:41] stop.
[01:37:43] >> Okay, Mr. Chairman.
[01:37:45] >> Yes, sir.
[01:37:45] >> I think we should continue this
[01:37:47] discussion for uh a later date.
[01:37:51] Uh there's a lot of things we could be
[01:37:55] talking about. We could go on here for
[01:37:57] like hours.
[01:38:00] >> True.
[01:38:01] >> Well, I got about six ideas written
[01:38:04] down. I think we didn't have before.
[01:38:06] >> Right. I think this is progress.
[01:38:09] >> One of the years like they the common
[01:38:13] doing Wi-Fi extenders to cover a lot of
[01:38:16] that. So
[01:38:17] >> your cell phone will work.
[01:38:19] >> So So downtown, I'm sorry. They have all
[01:38:22] the 5G is on the telephone poles.
[01:38:24] There's no towers. They're literally on
[01:38:26] the light poles.
[01:38:28] >> That's in the city and stuff like that.
[01:38:30] And they also have fiber in the street,
[01:38:32] >> right?
[01:38:33] >> But
[01:38:36] we we we could have something. Yes.
[01:38:38] >> Right.
[01:38:38] >> I I actually it just I actually spoke to
[01:38:41] Verizon. I had a friend at Verizon and I
[01:38:43] said, "What can we do about Hardwick
[01:38:47] >> Common, the Town Commons? There's no 5G
[01:38:51] up there. What could we do?" and he
[01:38:53] said, "Oh, we we could probably get an a
[01:38:55] a repeater up there."
[01:38:56] >> Mhm.
[01:38:57] >> And three towers.
[01:38:58] >> They literally they literally came up
[01:39:01] and did a survey just to drive through.
[01:39:03] And his comment to me was, "I can't
[01:39:06] repeat what I don't have. There's no
[01:39:08] signal up there for us to we would have
[01:39:11] to bring they have to bring it up." So,
[01:39:13] this is something we have to talk with
[01:39:14] them the companies about. There's
[01:39:17] there's not enough signal there
[01:39:20] >> to repeat. Well,
[01:39:22] >> I mean, it's a question we could
[01:39:24] possibly ask Bill Hill to see if they
[01:39:25] have internet that goes up to their
[01:39:27] school. I'm sure they have some
[01:39:31] there's something that we can work out
[01:39:34] or
[01:39:34] >> currently right now we do have
[01:39:35] >> extend it down to the common.
[01:39:37] >> We have limited Wi-Fi in townhouse. The
[01:39:41] historical site can do it. They use it
[01:39:43] on the common for the for the um farmers
[01:39:47] market which is provided through the
[01:39:49] library. And um so that is there now. Um
[01:39:54] we have a microwave link from townhouse
[01:39:56] to the library,
[01:39:58] >> but it's not fantastic and I'd much
[01:40:01] rather have a actual real internet drop
[01:40:04] at townhouse. So
[01:40:05] >> can you look into that and get us
[01:40:07] something to read,
[01:40:09] >> a picture or something, an idea?
[01:40:12] >> Sure.
[01:40:12] >> I know you had something you had a way
[01:40:14] to boost during the fair. So we have so
[01:40:18] just I don't want to take up all your
[01:40:19] time but currently I have a microwave
[01:40:22] link from the library because there is
[01:40:23] no internet at townhouse. There's a a
[01:40:26] microwave link from the library
[01:40:30] that they're donating bandwidth
[01:40:33] >> over to a an antenna that's on the
[01:40:36] townhouse tower. You haven't noticed it.
[01:40:37] this little white square on the side of
[01:40:39] the building that goes down to a router
[01:40:42] that is providing Wi-Fi in the building
[01:40:45] and the environments. And then there is
[01:40:48] a a repeater on the outside of the page
[01:40:50] building right now that's amplifying
[01:40:53] that signal and putting Wi-Fi down that
[01:40:56] corner of the of the
[01:41:00] >> you put one on the church next to
[01:41:02] >> We can talk. Bill, did you have
[01:41:04] something to
[01:41:05] >> add to that? I I think that we the town
[01:41:07] does need clearly to talk about wireless
[01:41:10] >> uh I mean the internet and and the cell
[01:41:13] both of them. I remember this has been
[01:41:15] done many times in the past and burned
[01:41:17] some different people out. Not me, but
[01:41:19] they you know there was a cable
[01:41:21] committee and and we end up with a
[01:41:23] contract that doesn't allow certain
[01:41:25] places to be covered or perhaps the town
[01:41:27] building should be covered. I don't know
[01:41:29] when that's up again, but we we should
[01:41:31] perhaps be looking at that and ready to
[01:41:34] talk about the town's needs in respect
[01:41:36] of both
[01:41:37] >> cast contract
[01:41:38] >> both kinds of services um and and and
[01:41:41] see where where we go with that. You
[01:41:43] know, in part I'll say one more thing as
[01:41:46] I hear talk about cell towers. There's
[01:41:48] no applications in in front of the
[01:41:50] planning board now, but we certainly
[01:41:51] expect some. And when when a town
[01:41:55] decides
[01:41:57] what whether that makes sense or not,
[01:41:59] one of the things that it it needs to be
[01:42:03] considered is what are the alternatives
[01:42:04] for that. It might include where else in
[01:42:07] town could a tower be rather than where
[01:42:09] it's proposed. But it also includes all
[01:42:11] these other things like a more local
[01:42:13] network um you know an underground
[01:42:16] system you know a different carrier. I
[01:42:18] mean all of this is
[01:42:21] up for consideration as
[01:42:24] when the proposal is in front of you for
[01:42:26] for a wireless tower for example or for
[01:42:29] for a for a cell contract an internet
[01:42:32] contract with the town.
[01:42:34] >> I hope our committee comes to life and
[01:42:35] maybe can look at some of this. Thanks
[01:42:37] for volunteering.
[01:42:40] I'll put
[01:42:41] >> what day what day of the week?
[01:42:44] >> We retired.
[01:42:44] >> So, um,
[01:42:46] >> on the advice of my colleague, I think
[01:42:48] I'd like to seek a I'd like to thank you
[01:42:51] here. We're going to continue this.
[01:42:53] We've got notes. We'll go look at stuff.
[01:42:56] >> I was thinking I'm going to go to try
[01:42:58] talk to the people at the greenery. See
[01:43:01] what their plan is. I don't even know if
[01:43:05] they're going to be growing pot. Have to
[01:43:07] find out. Yeah, we don't know what's
[01:43:09] happening with that. That that's a big
[01:43:11] disappointment actually.
[01:43:12] >> Well, it's beautifully restored
[01:43:14] building,
[01:43:15] >> but a lot of money.
[01:43:17] >> Not much. Not much happening with the
[01:43:20] >> Oh, the mill. Yeah.
[01:43:22] >> But I'd seek a motion to adjourn if
[01:43:25] that's make a motion to return this
[01:43:28] meeting.
[01:43:29] >> I'll second. All in
[01:43:30] >> favor? I thank you. So, so what we had,
[01:43:35] so what happened was
[01:43:39] there was
[01:43:42] to have Wi-Fi for