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Hardwick Board of Selectmen Budget and Infrastructure Meeting

Original title: Hardwick, MA Board of Selectmen Meeting 8/16/22

These meeting notes are AI-generated and unofficial. They are provided for convenience and are not official Town records or approved municipal minutes. Verify all details using the source video and official Town documents.

Meeting details

Date

August 17, 2022

Duration

1h 57m

Decisions

3 recorded

Action Items

3 assigned

Summary

The Hardwick Board of Selectmen met to discuss the FY23 budget, specifically addressing the Quabbin Regional School District assessment and potential town service reductions. The board also reviewed ARPA-funded projects, including fire hydrant replacements and a new town website, and addressed a conflict of interest disclosure for a conservation commission member. Additionally, the board discussed the relocation of a proposed sewer pump station due to land ownership complexities.

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Discussion Highlights

The board reviewed the FY23 budget, comparing the finance committee's recommendation with the selectmen's proposed budget, noting a potential $41,000 reduction in town services if the school's full assessment is funded.
02:06 03:21 07:27
School representatives discussed the challenges of budget forecasting, the impact of student enrollment fluctuations, and the need for better communication between the school district and town boards.
14:07 20:00 30:27
The board discussed the necessity of a new town website due to security concerns, ADA compliance requirements, and the current webmaster's request to step down.
1:29:03 1:29:50 1:32:44
The board reviewed the sewer pump station project, noting that the originally approved site is not viable due to land ownership issues, necessitating a search for an alternative location.
1:36:06 1:36:42 1:41:43

Transcript (18,126 words)

Lightly cleaned for readability. Each timestamp opens the video at that point.

00:00:00
The um harvard board of selectmen meeting together uh to order for tuesday august 16th 2022 at 6 p.m in conjunction rob do you want to open the sewer commission meeting as well okay so we will delay on opening the sewer
00:00:20
Commission meeting until a quorum nicole is on zoom and um nicole's gonna be talking so if you can't hear her you just need to let us know and what i'll try to do is if she says anything i'll relay it to you so you guys can all hear it
00:00:38
First item on the agenda is the budget update and we have um dr muir and cheryl here from the school so nicole did you want to start would you how would you want to move for this sure julie can you tell me who's in the
00:00:57
Room um so you have uh cheryl and dr muir from the school you have eric fleming you have ryan wickes you have leon small you have cheryl wolf some of the others in the room can you just tell me cheryl right behind cheryl
00:01:17
You're one of our school committee mark hi mark hi chamberlain committee guy jenna garvey speaking okay okay awesome sorry jenna i had covered so like remembering people's names i know your
00:01:35
Face and i'm like god i know it's jenna keenan is joining us on zoom so we have nicole on zoom and keenan is on zoom as well thank you julie you're welcome so in fact you have and there were several extra copies you have
00:01:54
The proposed budget for fy23 we have been read what was approved at the june 25th annual town meeting and then we have the potential well we have what would it look what
00:02:12

[00:00:00] the um harvard board of selectmen [00:00:02] meeting together uh to order for tuesday [00:00:05] august 16th 2022 at 6 p.m [00:00:09] um in conjunction rob do you want to [00:00:11] open the sewer commission meeting as [00:00:13] well [00:00:16] okay [00:00:17] um so we will delay on opening the sewer [00:00:20] commission meeting until a quorum [00:00:23] um nicole is on zoom um [00:00:27] and um nicole's gonna be talking so if [00:00:29] you can't hear her you just need to let [00:00:32] us know and what i'll try to do is if [00:00:33] she says anything i'll relay it to you [00:00:35] so you guys can all hear it [00:00:37] um [00:00:38] first item on the agenda is the budget [00:00:41] update and we have um dr muir and cheryl [00:00:45] here from the school [00:00:47] so um [00:00:50] nicole did you want to start would you [00:00:52] how would you want to move for this [00:00:55] sure julie can you tell me who's in the [00:00:57] room um so you have uh cheryl and dr [00:01:00] muir from the school you have [00:01:03] uh eric fleming you have ryan wickes [00:01:06] you have leon small you have cheryl wolf [00:01:10] some of the others in the room can you [00:01:11] just tell me [00:01:12] cheryl [00:01:14] right behind cheryl [00:01:17] you're one of our school committee [00:01:19] mark [00:01:20] hi mark [00:01:21] hi [00:01:22] chamberlain committee guy jenna garvey [00:01:25] speaking okay [00:01:28] okay awesome [00:01:30] um [00:01:31] sorry jenna i had covered so like [00:01:33] remembering people's names i know your [00:01:35] face and i'm like god i know it's jenna [00:01:38] um keenan is joining us on zoom so we [00:01:42] have nicole on zoom and keenan is on [00:01:44] zoom as well [00:01:47] thank you julie [00:01:49] you're welcome so in fact you have and [00:01:51] there were several extra copies you have [00:01:54] um the proposed budget for fy23 we have [00:01:57] been read what was approved [00:01:59] at the june 25th [00:02:01] annual town meeting [00:02:05] and [00:02:06] then we have the potential [00:02:10] well we have what would it look what [00:02:12] would look like had we [00:02:15] funded the school as the assessment they [00:02:17] requested without cutting anything from [00:02:21] the town which left us in a thirty three [00:02:23] thousand eight hundred and sixteen [00:02:24] dollar and twenty cents twenty two cent [00:02:26] deficit [00:02:28] um [00:02:29] i'm sorry i gotta let [00:02:30] in [00:02:31] uh so that's in um [00:02:33] i guess [00:02:34] a dark blue [00:02:37] then in green there's a no increase for [00:02:39] qsrd qrsd [00:02:42] for a special town meeting on august [00:02:44] 22nd [00:02:46] with [00:02:46] the same four percent assessment that [00:02:49] was given to them at town meetings [00:02:52] and that is recommended by [00:02:54] the selectmen [00:02:56] we then have uh [00:03:01] what is it not an aisle what is this [00:03:04] thing called [00:03:06] column a column in purple [00:03:09] that [00:03:10] was recommended by finance committee [00:03:13] um over two meetings so their final [00:03:16] recommendation on august 8th [00:03:19] had [00:03:21] the [00:03:22] town services reduced [00:03:25] and [00:03:26] the school funded at their 4.775 [00:03:30] with a 7 183 and 67 [00:03:34] under two and a half [00:03:39] so on the in the right where it says [00:03:41] eight you know fincom recommendation [00:03:43] eight eight twenty two was the last the [00:03:45] final [00:03:46] recommendation from [00:03:49] the finance committee [00:03:51] for the [00:03:52] reductions in town services [00:03:57] an increase in school [00:04:09] so um [00:04:14] so at our meeting last week um [00:04:17] the board of selectmen and the finance [00:04:19] committee met and [00:04:21] um [00:04:22] the finance committee [00:04:25] so nicole you've got two columns the [00:04:27] eight eight and the eight two finance [00:04:29] was that what they originally came in [00:04:31] and what we [00:04:32] went back [00:04:33] to yes [00:04:35] so on eight two [00:04:37] they had um [00:04:39] some reductions [00:04:41] and [00:04:42] it had less [00:04:45] too much i mean not enough really in the [00:04:47] excess and just in case we need it later [00:04:50] on under two and a half it was only a [00:04:52] couple thousand dollars so [00:04:54] when [00:04:55] finance met again [00:04:57] swiss [00:04:59] uh with selective hold i'm gonna shut my [00:05:01] window [00:05:05] motorcycle riders [00:05:08] um [00:05:10] they reviewed the reductions and then [00:05:13] made different recommendations [00:05:16] so [00:05:18] um as you can see i mean do you want me [00:05:20] to go through the reductions or just you [00:05:23] know you're looking at them okay yeah [00:05:27] okay so the purple ended up being the [00:05:29] final in what the finance committee is [00:05:32] recommending [00:05:33] the green is what essentially the [00:05:36] selectmen voted to recommend [00:05:39] okay [00:05:43] so um [00:05:47] basically as nicole mentioned as we went [00:05:49] we met last week with the finance [00:05:50] committee um the finance committee is in [00:05:53] support of giving the school and finance [00:05:55] committee members that iran certainly i [00:05:57] don't want to speak for you you can [00:05:58] speak for yourselves um [00:06:01] but what we understood is that the [00:06:02] finance committee is in support of [00:06:03] giving the assess the full assessment to [00:06:06] the school of what they were looking [00:06:08] for um the members of the board that [00:06:10] were here that night were not [00:06:13] um and certainly kelly wasn't here but [00:06:15] she can certainly speak if she would [00:06:16] like um [00:06:18] so i had relayed ahead of time took um [00:06:21] in an email in you know to nicole that [00:06:23] i would have voted the same way as my [00:06:25] fellow members [00:06:27] um so in the event and again it's not [00:06:29] the finance committee or the board it's [00:06:31] the towns people who vote the budget so [00:06:34] if the school um the full funding for [00:06:36] the school goes through based on what [00:06:38] the school's looking for [00:06:39] um that's what this worksheet [00:06:42] summarizes yes could you verify that [00:06:44] numbers [00:06:49] so we have your assessment at [00:06:53] um [00:06:55] two seven seven four two seven five [00:06:58] point three three that's correct okay [00:07:01] that's a 6.9 [00:07:05] okay yep um so that's what's in the um [00:07:08] for those of you who have it that's [00:07:09] what's in the purple column it says [00:07:11] increase for qrsd and town service [00:07:13] reductions [00:07:14] um and again we put this together [00:07:18] because it's the not the finance [00:07:20] committee or the board it's the towns [00:07:21] people who vote so if this does pass we [00:07:23] just need to be sure we understood where [00:07:25] the cuts were gonna come from [00:07:27] um and just so for people who [00:07:29] um these are the cuts that will happen [00:07:32] there's fifteen hundred dollars out of [00:07:33] the selectmen salary a thousand out of [00:07:35] select expense [00:07:37] a thousand out of it services [00:07:40] 500 out of assessors expense [00:07:43] uh a thousand out of legal a thousand [00:07:45] out of election and registration [00:07:47] thankfully the town clerk stepped up and [00:07:49] said that he wouldn't mind if we took a [00:07:50] thousand out [00:07:52] 500 out of town building [00:07:54] four thousand out of fuel expense for [00:07:56] the municipal building [00:07:58] a thousand for a building expense [00:08:01] um [00:08:03] for the [00:08:04] police department 3 500 out of police [00:08:07] training expense [00:08:09] a thousand out of fire department [00:08:11] expense 25 000 out of snow and ice [00:08:15] for a total of 41 000 in cuts [00:08:19] um to town departments for to make make [00:08:23] us be under two and a half [00:08:28] um [00:08:29] anything else nicole that you want to [00:08:31] say [00:08:33] no i mean i think i left it open here [00:08:36] these columns so it's pretty [00:08:37] self-explanatory especially with the [00:08:38] color coded [00:08:40] uh so it just really goes to show [00:08:43] uh what the finance committee is [00:08:44] recommending [00:08:46] versus what the selectmen are [00:08:47] recommending [00:08:48] and then as you said it'll you know i [00:08:51] don't know do [00:08:52] we blackman's budget this will we [00:08:55] present [00:08:58] and allow amendments [00:08:59] we present them both that i that i'm not [00:09:01] sure of [00:09:03] at the town meeting [00:09:05] yeah so ryan is in the audience so [00:09:07] perhaps we should ask um the town clerk [00:09:09] what protocol is [00:09:11] so uh i'm going to look to your board [00:09:14] for responsibility [00:09:16] if your motion is the green call okay [00:09:19] obviously [00:09:33] and if the plan is to go forward with [00:09:36] what they've listed there then basically [00:09:37] i would just recognize [00:09:39] their amendment being [00:09:42] based on the line items [00:09:44] barring any last-minute changes [00:09:47] same time [00:09:48] you can amend an amendment [00:09:50] people could still come forth and amend [00:09:53] a certain line item so if they didn't [00:09:55] want 25 000 out of um snow and ice and [00:09:58] only 120. [00:10:00] you could certainly do that as well i [00:10:02] mean it would boil down to just each [00:10:04] individual line item and vote on each [00:10:06] line item if it came to that [00:10:08] so [00:10:09] if [00:10:10] assuming that there are amendment passes [00:10:12] it then goes to the main motion it could [00:10:14] still be defeated you know the main [00:10:15] motion could still be defeated in which [00:10:17] case the budget stays the same as it was [00:10:19] back in the gym [00:10:20] okay [00:10:23] any discussion on [00:10:25] the board before i open it up to [00:10:27] document your show [00:10:32] would you guys like to say anything or [00:10:35] talk to the board about uh we're really [00:10:37] here to you know to answer questions um [00:10:39] and to respond to any concerns that you [00:10:42] have um [00:10:44] i guess [00:10:44] um what i what i would like to say is [00:10:47] you know what we [00:10:48] i i read recently and are barrack is [00:10:51] that article i'll report from your last [00:10:54] meeting um [00:10:55] where there certainly seem to be some [00:10:58] concerns on the part of um [00:11:01] board of selection members about our [00:11:03] process [00:11:04] um about um [00:11:07] you know some of the data that we [00:11:09] present the um [00:11:12] and we you know i i would like an [00:11:14] opportunity to sort of address some of [00:11:15] those concerns [00:11:18] because um we do feel as though [00:11:22] it's important to sort of put this in [00:11:24] perspective i will also say [00:11:26] that [00:11:35] we understand that [00:11:38] our communities [00:11:39] are having difficulty [00:11:41] with finances um because [00:11:48] the [00:11:49] challenges that you face when you try to [00:11:51] find [00:11:52] what your towns need and what your [00:11:54] schools [00:12:01] however um [00:12:03] i do think it's important that you know [00:12:05] some of the some of the comments that [00:12:07] that again assuming that you're all [00:12:09] quoted accurately in the paper and i [00:12:12] understand that that doesn't always [00:12:13] happen i'm often misquoted so um i don't [00:12:16] want to uh to make any assumptions [00:12:19] um but you know the the [00:12:21] approach the collaborative approach i do [00:12:25] um [00:12:26] think that we [00:12:27] really try to be transparent with that [00:12:29] process we have numerous [00:12:31] uh budget meetings um and numerous [00:12:34] stakeholders to consider our budget over [00:12:36] the course of the budget season [00:12:39] um i think we've had seen you have it [00:12:41] here in our presentation [00:12:43] eight meetings where our budget was [00:12:45] discussed um [00:12:47] and we it's often [00:12:50] difficult to get people to attend those [00:12:53] parents [00:12:54] citizens and town officials and [00:12:57] um [00:13:00] we feel like we really try to be open [00:13:03] about what [00:13:04] our budget process is [00:13:06] we do not build a budget [00:13:08] based on the wish list and i really [00:13:10] think it's important to drive that point [00:13:12] of view and our budget is large [00:13:14] we have boxed 100 police we have um to [00:13:19] over 2 000 students that we provide [00:13:21] services for [00:13:22] but we do have a large budget it's [00:13:24] expensive to run a school district um [00:13:29] but [00:13:31] we don't we are cognizant as we build a [00:13:33] budget [00:13:34] that we do not ask for things that [00:13:37] we don't have that feel we have that our [00:13:39] students and our staff absolutely need [00:13:43] we have been able to reduce the budget [00:13:45] over a series of [00:13:48] over a series of meetings [00:13:50] partially because when we start to build [00:13:52] our budget in december [00:13:55] we don't have all of the information [00:13:58] that we need to make after that [00:14:00] um predictions as i'm sure is the same [00:14:03] i'm guessing this is the same for the [00:14:05] communities [00:14:07] we use in our enrollments change from [00:14:10] december [00:14:11] to june [00:14:12] our um [00:14:14] cost [00:14:15] projected costs of things like fuel oil [00:14:17] all of those things they change we don't [00:14:19] necessarily do all of those we make [00:14:21] projections and we build the budget and [00:14:23] over time those projections [00:14:26] become real hard and fast numbers that [00:14:28] we can then modify the budget so some of [00:14:31] the changes in reductions that you see [00:14:34] over the course of the [00:14:35] of the budget reduction cycle that we've [00:14:38] gone through [00:14:39] reflect more accurate information they [00:14:42] don't necessarily reflect [00:14:44] as a plus but they're not necessarily [00:14:48] cut [00:14:49] being that when we built the budget we [00:14:52] built it [00:14:54] purposely as a wish list and i think [00:14:57] it's really important it's hard to [00:14:58] explain that but [00:15:00] but it is clearly discussed as we go [00:15:02] through the budget process where the [00:15:04] cuts are coming from and why we feel [00:15:06] that it's appropriate to make those cuts [00:15:10] we don't just build a budget and stick [00:15:13] with it because it's the budget that we [00:15:15] think we need [00:15:17] when we can we make the cuts that we can [00:15:20] to make it as manageable as possible for [00:15:23] the communities [00:15:24] um [00:15:27] i do [00:15:29] think that um [00:15:31] it's [00:15:32] it was a comment i think made in [00:15:33] newspaper about [00:15:35] um [00:15:36] you know [00:15:37] paying more for your school budget that [00:15:40] is required [00:15:41] that's true [00:15:43] um [00:15:44] this community and almost every other [00:15:46] community in the state of massachusetts [00:15:48] with an exception of i think it's [00:15:50] five [00:15:51] nine school districts but [00:15:54] in the state and massachusetts do not [00:15:56] pay more than they require only nine [00:15:59] and some of those most of those are [00:16:02] the school districts that got [00:16:05] funded when the student [00:16:08] [Music] [00:16:11] in brockton [00:16:13] they got a [00:16:14] very large influx of money [00:16:16] and um they are no longer having to pay [00:16:20] more than required [00:16:22] uh local um for the furthest nurses but [00:16:26] every other every other state has been [00:16:28] the same the acceptance is not [00:16:30] um [00:16:32] it's reality states are not funded the [00:16:45] are these copies for all of us sure yes [00:16:47] oh okay yeah [00:16:48] thank [00:16:52] [Music] [00:17:03] side are um [00:17:06] is the ranking of communities with the [00:17:08] highest [00:17:09] percentage of net skill spending as [00:17:11] percentage of foundation of power that's [00:17:13] highlighted in yellow there and charlie [00:17:15] can follow the exposure [00:17:28] 452 [00:17:29] and a half [00:17:43] foundation [00:17:57] and at the very bottom of the [00:18:12] so [00:18:15] the last nine that are just shy of 100 [00:18:18] percent of their required local [00:18:20] contributions are in my public hearing [00:18:22] presentation i showed the [00:18:24] committee where did all the chapter 70 [00:18:26] money go this year springfield got an [00:18:29] additional 38 35.8 million dollars in [00:18:32] chapter 78 they don't need to pay any [00:18:34] more than the minimum [00:18:36] uh lynn got 28.6 million dollars more he [00:18:39] begged for 25.3 million dollars more [00:18:41] fall river 23 million they got all the [00:18:44] chapter 70 money out of the student [00:18:46] opportunity act so they don't need to [00:18:48] get more money from their community they [00:18:49] got huge increases in state aid those [00:18:52] nine districts are in my list of who got [00:18:56] all the money this year [00:18:58] so basically [00:18:59] and you've heard us talk about this year [00:19:01] after year the foundation budget is [00:19:04] vocally inadequate to pay for costs [00:19:07] student opportunity i proved that and [00:19:09] then move forward with eight different [00:19:11] categories of expenses that they're [00:19:12] increasing over time but they know the [00:19:15] foundation budget which is your required [00:19:16] local contribution it doesn't pay our [00:19:18] expenses and this time that report kind [00:19:20] of proves that [00:19:31] is that [00:19:34] we do [00:19:36] feel as though um [00:19:39] there's [00:19:44] i've had a couple of conversations with [00:19:46] the whole um [00:19:47] regarding [00:19:48] the relationship between [00:19:51] the district's overall budget percentage [00:19:54] increase [00:19:55] and the assessment increase [00:19:58] and um [00:20:00] it's hard to explain to [00:20:03] try to explain it on the timeline before [00:20:05] um in hard work when i was asked the [00:20:07] question it's a really it's a very [00:20:08] complicated formula [00:20:10] but [00:20:11] the relationship between our budget [00:20:14] which is now at a two percent increase [00:20:16] and your assessment increase which is [00:20:18] 6.9 [00:20:19] is really dependent on [00:20:22] your required local contribution [00:20:24] which is based on property value in your [00:20:27] community [00:20:28] and income value of income levels of [00:20:31] your community members and the [00:20:33] percentage of students that you have [00:20:35] overall in the foreign regional district [00:20:37] so when your requirement if the [00:20:39] contribution goes up and your [00:20:42] number of children percentage-wise and [00:20:44] the overall enrollment in the district [00:20:46] goes up you're required your assessment [00:20:49] rises significantly those are numbers [00:20:51] that have nothing to do with our budget [00:20:53] and everything to do with [00:20:55] factors that are outside of your control [00:20:58] and outside of our control [00:21:00] um [00:21:01] we create [00:21:02] creating a graph that i think is really [00:21:05] impactful and i would like to share it [00:21:07] with you [00:21:08] um because we have been asked by the [00:21:10] communities if you could just predict [00:21:13] your budget [00:21:15] you could predict your [00:21:18] contribution to our budget and it would [00:21:20] be much easier for you [00:21:22] well this chart i think is really shows [00:21:26] very clearly that there is no [00:21:28] relationship there's no statistical [00:21:30] statistical correlation between [00:21:33] budget increase and assessments [00:21:40] so the chart on um the one i think [00:21:44] that's easiest to look at is one in the [00:21:46] bottom of page six [00:22:06] but that chart there is showing you it's [00:22:09] on the bottom of page six is the card [00:22:14] the [00:22:15] dark line the black line [00:22:18] on the [00:22:19] graph [00:22:20] is our budget increase over the [00:22:24] years yellow line is hardworks [00:22:28] assessment [00:22:29] over the years [00:22:32] so if you [00:22:33] look at two um data points that really [00:22:37] illustrate this [00:22:38] phenomenon quite clearly is if you look [00:22:42] at [00:22:43] this current fiscal year fy23 [00:22:49] the black line is showing that two [00:22:51] percent increase that's the and budget [00:22:53] increase [00:22:54] your assessment [00:22:56] yellow line [00:22:58] is at 6.9 percent [00:23:04] three years ago in fy 20 [00:23:08] our budget increase was also 2 [00:23:12] your assessment [00:23:14] was a decrease that year of 1.9 percent [00:23:22] there are other data points that are [00:23:24] very similar if you look at [00:23:27] the [00:23:28] previous year fy18 [00:23:31] 1.8 budget increase [00:23:35] point nine percent [00:23:37] assessment increase [00:23:40] the graphs on the [00:23:43] other area on that page are just the [00:23:45] same you just added all the communities [00:23:47] to another so that chart on the top of [00:23:50] page six is a five year [00:23:52] um [00:23:54] analysis [00:23:55] on page five at the bottom is a ten year [00:23:58] analysis and [00:24:00] um at the top of page [00:24:02] five [00:24:04] [Music] [00:24:12] so [00:24:13] again it's [00:24:14] it's [00:24:29] increase right now [00:24:41] part of that is based on those factors [00:24:44] that either the school district controls [00:24:46] more [00:24:47] officials necessarily controlling the [00:24:49] factors that [00:24:51] are [00:24:52] determined by the formula that state [00:24:55] establishes [00:24:59] i also think that um one one thing i [00:25:02] think i would i would just be interested [00:25:04] in [00:25:06] knowing from the board if in fact [00:25:09] um [00:25:10] one of your concerns is the [00:25:21] [Music] [00:25:26] on several occasions [00:25:41] i guess i can i can speak and i i do [00:25:43] appreciate that you guys are both um [00:25:45] both here and the school and the [00:25:47] committee members are here to sort of [00:25:48] talk through the process i sort of feel [00:25:50] like um and i [00:25:52] i didn't read the article so i don't [00:25:53] know it was quoted as saying so i don't [00:25:55] know if it's true or not true um but [00:25:56] i'll tell you honestly we're on youtube [00:25:58] so you can watch the [00:25:59] you can watch the meeting at any time um [00:26:02] i was on the finance committee for [00:26:03] several years and then i've been this is [00:26:06] my second term on the board [00:26:08] and in the past i think we've met with [00:26:10] you more often during the year [00:26:12] um maybe before the budget process so [00:26:16] yes we can attend the budget hearings [00:26:18] that the school has um but i believe in [00:26:21] addition in the past [00:26:24] the school would come to us during the [00:26:26] budget process [00:26:28] and have a conversation about the budget [00:26:30] and so you would sort of know [00:26:32] um [00:26:34] you know hands on where we were [00:26:37] i appreciate the grass and i appreciate [00:26:39] sort of everything that you've presented [00:26:41] the reality that we face economically is [00:26:44] that [00:26:45] the school's increase this year [00:26:47] is our it's almost our exact [00:26:50] increase in our limit that we can [00:26:52] actually raise [00:26:53] so before we give any other town [00:26:55] department's increases we're already at [00:26:57] the limit and i understand it's a [00:26:59] function of enrollment and all that kind [00:27:01] of stuff um but that's sort of the [00:27:03] struggle that we face [00:27:04] i think and i can't again nicole can [00:27:07] speak or the other members can speak i [00:27:09] just i think it would be [00:27:11] um i think it's important when we're [00:27:13] going through the budgeting process that [00:27:14] you understand the pain we're feeling on [00:27:16] our side so when we push back a little [00:27:18] bit [00:27:19] that you sort of have a frame of [00:27:20] reference um [00:27:22] there were a number of years that for [00:27:25] whatever reason um [00:27:27] you know whether it was [00:27:29] um it's been pointed out that it was [00:27:31] partially our own fault because of our [00:27:33] financial situation or [00:27:35] our town employees didn't get raises it [00:27:37] was a period of six or seven years i [00:27:39] think [00:27:39] that they got nothing [00:27:41] because we couldn't make it work within [00:27:42] our budget and so we're trying to [00:27:44] right-size and try to it's difficult to [00:27:47] be be the end all for everybody um [00:27:51] we frequently go to the end of our [00:27:53] meeting and have significantly [00:27:55] underfunded town budgets and we have to [00:27:57] scramble at the end to figure out how to [00:27:58] fund them [00:28:00] and so i think sort of having a [00:28:02] collaborative discussion throughout the [00:28:04] year [00:28:05] um [00:28:06] i think is helpful for us [00:28:09] um [00:28:10] we also [00:28:12] are going to get to the point where our [00:28:13] assessment isn't going to be sustainable [00:28:15] within our budget and that's sort of [00:28:16] what the concern is [00:28:18] if we go up and get the 95 000 [00:28:22] this year for our assessment [00:28:24] we're already [00:28:26] potentially behind the game for next [00:28:28] year [00:28:28] um and [00:28:31] um [00:28:32] if and i think that's maybe the concern [00:28:34] and i know our assessment's going to [00:28:36] fluctuate based on yeah so that's based [00:28:37] on that [00:28:39] dr beer was talking to you and pointing [00:28:41] out to you that [00:28:42] this year's assessment has zero impact [00:28:44] on what next year [00:28:46] well i but i'm i'm saying what that's [00:28:48] what they're thinking is sure i'm saying [00:28:50] that's what they're thinking is it true [00:28:51] well maybe not and it's good to point it [00:28:54] out but i think there are the thought [00:28:55] processes that we continue increasing [00:28:58] the assessment for the school that it's [00:29:00] not sustainable within the town's budget [00:29:04] that don't that show that i understand [00:29:06] that so i understand that [00:29:08] but but i think so that's a prime [00:29:10] example of conversations throughout the [00:29:12] year instead of at budget time when [00:29:16] we're saying hey we can't afford this [00:29:18] that's what we're saying to you when [00:29:20] when during the year would you know that [00:29:21] we wouldn't know that until we met with [00:29:24] our school committee we wouldn't know [00:29:26] that in september october and november [00:29:28] we wouldn't know that we wouldn't know [00:29:30] where we are yet [00:29:31] and you you made it [00:29:33] it sounded as if we didn't come to see [00:29:35] you this year we were here on april 25th [00:29:38] to meet with the board we got no no [00:29:41] questions from your board honestly and [00:29:44] that's it and partially because we [00:29:46] probably didn't have the information as [00:29:47] well [00:29:49] so i it's a i'm not saying it's all on [00:29:51] the school cheryl i'm not trying to be [00:29:53] argumented i'm not trying to i'm not [00:29:55] trying to [00:29:56] do this either but we have five towns [00:29:59] with ten boards we can't possibly go to [00:30:02] 20 meetings to discuss our 36 million [00:30:05] dollar budget [00:30:06] so [00:30:09] from each of your boards attended our [00:30:11] public hearing [00:30:13] then they could ask questions that [00:30:15] aren't clear we presented a lot of data [00:30:18] at our public hearing [00:30:20] and i i don't disagree what we've talked [00:30:23] about with some of the other towns and [00:30:24] this has been talked about for a long [00:30:25] time is collaborating [00:30:27] um the town's meeting um on a more [00:30:30] frequent basis and maybe the school is [00:30:32] involved in that so you're not coming to [00:30:33] 10 or 20 meetings you're coming to a [00:30:36] group of [00:30:37] um because not everyone can attend your [00:30:40] your budget hearings not everyone from [00:30:42] every board or every finance committee [00:30:44] so maybe if we did it at the local level [00:30:46] where everybody gets together and it's [00:30:48] one meeting you go to um and whoever can [00:30:51] attend can attend and maybe it's [00:30:54] um [00:30:55] i'm just relaying what we're hearing and [00:30:58] what you know the feeling is that it [00:31:00] just i don't know [00:31:03] i'm i'm giving you what i'm hearing and [00:31:04] what the opinions are [00:31:06] we're struggling [00:31:07] we're struggling as a town [00:31:09] um [00:31:11] we're spending an awful lot of money on [00:31:12] things to try to get things back to [00:31:14] where they need to be and [00:31:16] we just want to make sure the school [00:31:17] understands that [00:31:19] um [00:31:19] [Music] [00:31:21] you're seeing we're cutting services if [00:31:23] we need to fund this and at some point [00:31:25] there's got to be a give somewhere i [00:31:26] don't know where that is [00:31:29] but if we [00:31:30] what [00:31:33] we're cutting out of service budgets [00:31:36] basically [00:31:37] we're cutting you heard them we're [00:31:38] cutting police [00:31:40] we're cutting police we're cutting fire [00:31:43] um [00:31:44] highway those are our main services and [00:31:47] you know i i get it [00:31:49] i understand i didn't mean to cut you [00:31:50] off [00:31:53] the question about [00:31:56] the [00:31:59] process do you use a similar process to [00:32:01] what you describe them for the other [00:32:03] regions of the district that you belong [00:32:05] to [00:32:07] um so they haven't really can you work [00:32:09] with that [00:32:10] sorry i can't hear really with your [00:32:12] thing [00:32:13] dr muir asked if we have a similar [00:32:14] process with pathfinder um so pathfinder [00:32:18] holds a um a public hearing [00:32:21] that is um it's not the school committee [00:32:24] is there but it's primarily geared [00:32:26] towards it's not a school committee [00:32:28] meeting it's geared towards [00:32:31] the town um [00:32:33] by law the public hearing it is it is [00:32:36] this it is a school committee meeting [00:32:38] but school committee business is not [00:32:40] conducted it's just the school committee [00:32:41] is there it's in the context of the [00:32:43] school committee but it's a really a [00:32:45] public forum where select boards finance [00:32:48] committee members [00:32:50] and the whole budget is [00:32:52] presented [00:32:54] um [00:33:03] we also have the luxury of julie being [00:33:05] on that committee and relaying back to [00:33:07] us that's that's a different story but [00:33:09] that's exactly how we do it and and the [00:33:12] posting comes to you and you're invited [00:33:13] to the meeting and we go through our [00:33:15] entire budget [00:33:17] it's the exact same thing and yet you're [00:33:20] saying [00:33:21] that's okay with you julie can i say [00:33:24] something [00:33:25] the rest of the world doesn't need to go [00:33:27] well i've been before [00:33:29] i've never submitted before i've been to [00:33:31] your meetings too before [00:33:33] i [00:33:34] i think [00:33:35] what julie [00:33:36] back when we all sat on fincom together [00:33:39] and the school would come to finance [00:33:42] many meetings and we would meet with you [00:33:44] folks [00:33:45] early in the process [00:33:47] and i think now it's a lot of the towns [00:33:50] are struggling [00:33:51] and they're reaching out [00:33:54] so that [00:33:55] you know [00:33:57] it's not just us yeah we're inviting you [00:34:00] we all come to any meeting that we're [00:34:01] invited to we [00:34:03] are happy to come to any meeting [00:34:19] that there's a lot of criticism of the [00:34:20] process [00:34:22] and that doesn't really feel [00:34:24] collaborative to be honest um [00:34:27] if we're happy to come to any meeting [00:34:29] and i guess we've always tried to do [00:34:32] that but we do have five pounds [00:34:34] and so [00:34:35] you know there's always a limit to the [00:34:37] number of meanings but we can attempt it [00:34:38] as well [00:34:40] um [00:34:42] you know [00:34:43] i have to say that it's hard to come to [00:34:46] a time meeting in here [00:34:48] no questions asked about the other [00:34:50] regional school district likely not one [00:34:52] question and you're paying over two [00:34:54] thousand dollars per student more [00:34:59] to that regional school district [00:35:01] then you can applaud [00:35:04] over 2200 [00:35:06] per student [00:35:08] this year that's based on [00:35:10] what our [00:35:11] requested budget assessment was for you [00:35:13] at your account meeting now it's going [00:35:16] to be more [00:35:19] and there's no question [00:35:21] about [00:35:23] how they build their budget and maybe [00:35:26] you're all well informed about that but [00:35:28] um it just doesn't seem [00:35:31] preparable to be honest i know i [00:35:33] understand that our number is much [00:35:35] greater because we have a much greater [00:35:38] number of your children in our research [00:35:54] um [00:36:03] mirroring the process that you use there [00:36:05] because that [00:36:06] that might be helpful and again we're [00:36:08] happy to come to any meeting we're happy [00:36:10] here if you answer any questions that [00:36:12] you may have now [00:36:13] that will help you [00:36:16] better understand why [00:36:20] our children need [00:36:23] our studious trip to be strong [00:36:27] we have children [00:36:30] we have [00:36:32] a great number of children posting [00:36:34] government [00:36:36] who have who are [00:36:38] or are considered [00:36:52] students who are financially absent that [00:36:55] means they miss 10 or more [00:36:58] days 18 or more days of school this year [00:37:04] that's a tremendous just that one thing [00:37:06] alone is a tremendous new challenge for [00:37:09] us that we've never had to face before [00:37:12] that's one tiny example of the [00:37:15] challenges that the common 19 pandemic [00:37:17] that brought to schools in general not [00:37:20] just bond [00:37:31] not by doing things the same way we [00:37:33] always have been doing them [00:37:39] we need [00:37:40] additional people to reach out we need [00:37:41] people we have people our social workers [00:37:44] are visiting homes [00:37:46] to try to get students to come to school [00:37:48] on a regular we can't educate them and [00:37:51] again i'm just [00:37:52] trying to explicate [00:37:54] one tiny [00:37:56] factor [00:37:57] that has made it so much more difficult [00:37:59] for us to provide what children need [00:38:04] education isn't what it was three years [00:38:06] ago [00:38:07] it certainly isn't what it was three [00:38:09] years ago [00:38:13] in providence no different than any [00:38:15] other school district [00:38:17] these challenges are real and we don't [00:38:20] educate the children and we don't [00:38:22] educate them well the communities [00:38:26] are going the community generals don't [00:38:28] suffer [00:38:29] all things [00:38:38] but it is important for us to think [00:38:41] about [00:38:42] how do we [00:38:43] how [00:38:46] the the requests that we're making are [00:38:49] not [00:38:50] are not in any way [00:38:54] the request of a school district that is [00:38:57] um [00:38:58] a [00:38:59] school loser you're not buying [00:39:02] you're not buying a luxury a luxury [00:39:04] education here you're buying [00:39:06] a good education a solid education [00:39:10] that looks very different than what [00:39:12] education [00:39:54] tablets this year for the kids to use [00:39:56] like those are important things that can [00:39:58] help [00:40:00] people understand [00:40:02] you know if you're telling me that the [00:40:03] school's not gonna be able to afford to [00:40:04] buy a hundred thousand dollars [00:40:06] this year for the kids to use i'm gonna [00:40:08] say don't buy the template sticker but [00:40:10] if it's [00:40:11] you know something different okay we're [00:40:13] going to have to fire five teachers [00:40:20] you know i think that's important for [00:40:21] the community members to understand [00:40:23] rather than just an email that saying [00:40:25] you have to make cuts but what are the [00:40:27] cuts that are going to have to be made [00:40:29] is something important [00:40:32] well it depends on [00:40:34] i can answer the [00:40:36] magnitude of the cuts and it depends on [00:40:39] where where [00:40:41] where our budget is in terms of um what [00:40:44] the final budget that we said but based [00:40:46] on the amounts that were improved [00:40:49] by [00:40:50] the town of hardwood i believe it would [00:40:53] be [00:40:54] just [00:40:59] 572 000 [00:41:03] to [00:41:04] the uh [00:41:18] so [00:41:19] i i can't see for the school committee [00:41:21] we will have to um go in and look at [00:41:24] what we cannot cut gems we cannot [00:41:26] eliminate them because of the state law [00:41:29] that we offered to so i will tell you [00:41:31] for sure that will not be completely [00:41:38] things that we [00:41:40] don't [00:41:41] have to do by law offer would be the [00:41:44] places we would go [00:41:45] things like [00:41:50] that [00:41:51] there's nothing that we can cut that [00:41:53] isn't going to [00:41:55] impact the quality of it [00:41:57] we didn't have enough soldiers [00:42:00] it isn't going to impact the quality of [00:42:04] what children experience so i would tell [00:42:06] you that for sure because otherwise we [00:42:08] wouldn't be in our market [00:42:10] to begin with [00:42:12] um [00:42:13] things that [00:42:15] that we um [00:42:17] you know again that we don't have to [00:42:18] offer [00:42:19] already [00:42:21] our class sizes in our elementary [00:42:23] schools in some cases [00:42:25] are larger than we would like them to [00:42:27] we're going to have class sizes of 28 [00:42:29] and 29 [00:42:31] and many [00:42:32] elementary schools across the district [00:42:34] this year [00:42:35] that's not [00:42:37] that's not ideal [00:42:40] we have high quality teachers [00:42:42] and those high quality teachers will do [00:42:43] a great job with those classrooms of [00:42:46] that size [00:42:47] but that is not [00:42:49] that would not be my [00:42:51] coming to you with a budget that i wish [00:42:53] for [00:42:54] i would be requesting [00:42:57] probably six more elementary features [00:43:00] for the group source class digest [00:43:03] um we have [00:43:04] just and again this is the perfect [00:43:06] example of when we built our budget i'll [00:43:08] give you one example and adopt our [00:43:09] budget we plan for one [00:43:12] grade two teacher in the finale camp [00:43:15] we now have 33 students in that one [00:43:18] grade two classroom [00:43:22] definitely just thirty two seasons [00:43:24] integrated classrooms so we've had to [00:43:26] shift [00:43:28] i didn't i can't add a teacher to the [00:43:30] budget at this point [00:43:33] so we have to shift classroom teacher [00:43:35] from another [00:43:38] position [00:43:39] where it doesn't look like they're going [00:43:41] to need it right now based on enrollment [00:43:43] but it's a kindergarten position [00:43:46] we never know what our kindergarten [00:43:48] enrollment is going to be until probably [00:43:51] three days after the school year starts [00:43:52] it's because even though we do [00:43:54] tremendous levels about reaching to the [00:43:56] community to try to connect with all of [00:43:59] those families [00:44:01] oftentimes [00:44:03] two or three days before the school [00:44:06] year starts we have a lot of [00:44:08] kindergarten students involved that we [00:44:10] didn't even know [00:44:11] were out there [00:44:13] so [00:44:14] um [00:44:15] so i can't answer with certainly what [00:44:17] it's actually just like any decision [00:44:20] about what would be cut um we would [00:44:22] certainly [00:44:24] go through the budget again and make [00:44:26] recommendations [00:44:28] where we felt it was the least harm [00:44:31] going to come to the quality of [00:44:33] education [00:44:34] but um [00:44:37] honestly there isn't any place that i [00:44:40] can't think of that [00:44:43] that we're going to be able to get [00:44:45] cuts that means [00:44:47] we're not impacting [00:44:48] some aspects of our educational program [00:44:52] ryan chair could you um [00:44:56] in regards to [00:44:58] um because it's only 75 [00:45:01] before [00:45:16] 500 or 495 change is that correct [00:45:20] correct both [00:45:22] yeah yes yes [00:45:24] yes [00:45:31] oh sure yeah [00:45:33] when you guys close the [00:45:35] new branching school [00:45:37] you know is this open situation part of [00:45:40] frozen [00:45:42] inventory [00:45:44] yeah [00:45:56] the populations of the braintree [00:45:59] the student populations of new country [00:46:01] and ocam have been merged for many years [00:46:05] so [00:46:06] um great the kindergarten and grade one [00:46:09] students from both towns [00:46:12] new rancher grade school in two through [00:46:15] six [00:46:16] now five [00:46:17] uh attended ocam so those student [00:46:19] calculations have emerged for many many [00:46:21] years it's just the location of regular [00:46:24] classes where else is now [00:46:26] kindergarten grade one are now being [00:46:28] held with most of them [00:46:29] so that didn't have any [00:46:31] effect it's just students moving in [00:46:33] quite frankly [00:46:36] moving into our communities and [00:46:38] sometimes [00:46:39] people move out of our communities and [00:46:40] our class size drops below what we have [00:46:44] predicted is [00:46:46] it's hard it's hard to predict generally [00:46:49] that our our enrollments stay relatively [00:46:52] stable [00:46:53] but there are times when we build the [00:46:55] budget and we look at the class size and [00:46:57] we say okay [00:46:59] there's 27 students in that classroom [00:47:03] as long as it stays 27 we're okay [00:47:07] but if three students move in then we're [00:47:09] at 30 but we we you know we try as to be [00:47:13] as conservative conservative as we can [00:47:15] be when we propose class sizes in [00:47:18] december and through the [00:47:20] um through the budget process [00:47:23] an example is when we built the budget [00:47:26] in [00:47:29] december we had requested an additional [00:47:33] teacher for levels learning school [00:47:36] it looked like the enrollments in i [00:47:37] think it was grade three and just trying [00:47:39] to remember at the top of my head were [00:47:41] were um [00:47:42] fine enough that we were going to be an [00:47:44] additional teacher in the levels in [00:47:46] school [00:47:47] as the year progressed and as the budget [00:47:50] process progress those [00:47:52] dropped a little bit and we said we're [00:47:54] not we're going to pull that that's one [00:47:56] of the cuts we made along the way [00:47:58] in our budget cutting process because [00:48:00] those enrollments stabilized lies a [00:48:02] little bit they dropped [00:48:04] one we think we're going to be fine [00:48:07] without that additional teacher so we [00:48:09] pulled it out of the budget [00:48:11] that's [00:48:12] it's work we do [00:48:14] i mean during [00:48:15] during the summer we check we check [00:48:17] literally checking moments every single [00:48:19] monday we maybe hit me alone to say [00:48:22] what's changed because people are coming [00:48:24] into our office [00:48:26] daily to enroll students and also to [00:48:28] withdraw not many withdrawals more [00:48:31] enrollments um [00:48:35] actually increased this year [00:48:37] but um [00:48:38] but our biggest cost center as you know [00:48:41] the salaries and so [00:48:42] adding a teacher [00:48:44] when you didn't build it into the bus [00:48:47] is a big deal [00:48:49] just sadly when you don't really need it [00:48:52] is also a big deal [00:48:53] and um [00:49:04] did i say something [00:49:06] i apologize for not being there [00:49:09] i misunderstood where the zoom meeting [00:49:12] was [00:49:12] i thought you guys didn't [00:49:14] didn't want people there [00:49:16] no no you're fine you're fine [00:49:19] and i'd just like to say thank you for [00:49:21] listening to [00:49:22] us [00:49:24] and [00:49:25] from everything i've seen talk to [00:49:28] listen from people [00:49:31] we have a very very good school system [00:49:37] i don't know [00:49:38] what i was going to say but i will say i [00:49:41] don't think any one of us up here [00:49:43] disagree with anything that you've said [00:49:45] tonight dr muir [00:49:47] it's just you know our job also is to [00:49:49] make sure that our town has services too [00:49:52] so we it's a real struggle for us to try [00:49:55] to find that balance [00:49:57] no one's disagreeing that our kids [00:49:59] you know shouldn't get the best [00:50:00] education [00:50:02] um it's it's tough and every year [00:50:05] it's getting tougher [00:50:08] to hit that two and a half so um you [00:50:12] know [00:50:13] we're here pleading our case to i guess [00:50:16] i think we all appreciate that yeah [00:50:20] you [00:50:21] are trying to [00:50:23] support me support community services [00:50:26] that are extremely important [00:50:29] i've said it many times [00:50:30] i've lived in these communities almost [00:50:32] all my life and i do [00:50:34] understand how important it is for [00:50:37] the future of the community to [00:50:45] it's very important and [00:50:47] i think i understand the struggle is [00:50:51] many places propositions you want [00:50:54] and [00:50:55] i'd love to collaborate on communities [00:50:57] to try to work on that problem because i [00:51:00] think that is one of the things that [00:51:04] that is [00:51:09] you know i have worked really hard i was [00:51:12] appointed [00:51:13] as a member of the uh [00:51:15] school's commission i was [00:51:17] appointed by governor baker as a [00:51:20] massachusetts [00:51:22] representative to the [00:51:24] rural schools commission and um [00:51:26] spent the whole year studying and [00:51:28] hearing testimony from our own [00:51:30] communities about [00:51:33] the challenges that [00:51:34] rural communities have [00:51:36] funding their communities and also [00:51:38] funding new schools and [00:51:41] that report was just released recently i [00:51:43] don't know if it's going to get any [00:51:45] traction in the [00:51:46] state long by [00:51:48] i do know that um [00:51:51] i'm hoping that um your association [00:51:53] mastermind school association will help [00:51:55] support [00:51:56] bringing that to light um i know that to [00:51:59] the parents association the school [00:52:00] community association and the regional [00:52:02] school district association are really [00:52:04] going to push hard [00:52:06] with our [00:52:08] senators and representatives [00:52:10] from across the state [00:52:12] there's some strong recommendations [00:52:14] in that report that will [00:52:17] if funded and implemented [00:52:20] we should reach the picture [00:52:23] and really help with some of these [00:52:24] challenges [00:52:25] we also think we also believe [00:52:28] that um [00:52:31] hopefully in one maybe two years the [00:52:33] student opportunity act [00:52:35] will actually have a positive effect on [00:52:37] problems [00:52:39] funding from the state level [00:52:42] as you probably know we've [00:52:47] means because of declining enrollment [00:52:50] the state fails they're over funding us [00:52:52] by [00:52:53] by last year it was about 5.5 million [00:52:58] now we've closed that gap and it's only [00:53:02] 2.7 million i think [00:53:04] um so we close that gap by 50 percent in [00:53:07] one year the changes in the funding [00:53:11] i think that [00:53:12] running percentage decrease [00:53:16] continues one year from now we might be [00:53:19] at zero whole time set in the following [00:53:22] year we might really see a significant [00:53:24] increase in our state funding [00:53:26] that's all dependent on whether [00:53:29] the student opportunity is fun act as [00:53:32] fun played as as they promised they [00:53:34] would [00:53:35] um [00:53:36] but we do think that there's there is a [00:53:38] light at the end of the channel if the [00:53:40] student opportunity act plays out for [00:53:42] our [00:53:42] for our school district um [00:53:46] as it is predicted to [00:53:48] so i i do think that there's hope that [00:53:54] we won't have [00:54:09] um but i do think that [00:54:11] there is a real possibility that based [00:54:13] on you know what we've seen in the last [00:54:15] year [00:54:16] that um [00:54:27] nicole you wanted to say something [00:54:29] earlier and we didn't i didn't recognize [00:54:31] you i'm sorry did you want to say [00:54:32] something still [00:54:34] um i i you know i can't really hear [00:54:36] anybody in the audience i certainly [00:54:38] wasn't privy to any of the data or any [00:54:41] of the sheets that you have that nobody [00:54:43] sent them to me digitally or anything [00:54:44] like that to review so i don't have [00:54:46] necessarily any comments on that tonight [00:54:51] i think i think when i'm talking about [00:54:54] the whole collaboration effort [00:54:56] um what i mean is [00:54:58] typically you know in a in a town [00:55:01] the professional staff will get together [00:55:03] and start to develop the budget so that [00:55:05] you know not just developing on your own [00:55:07] then saying here it is in your face but [00:55:10] more so [00:55:11] um very quickly i'll bore everybody you [00:55:13] know um okay well you need 150 000 for [00:55:17] capital projects from hardwick okay well [00:55:20] you have [00:55:21] five million dollars in ent maybe you [00:55:23] can take it from that this year or you [00:55:25] know i just different types of [00:55:27] conversations that we have that we can [00:55:29] work together to try to get to that [00:55:31] common ground by the time the budget is [00:55:34] presented by the time any of the budgets [00:55:36] are presented so we work closer together [00:55:39] with knowing how much money each town [00:55:41] has and each town [00:55:43] can have the ability to give it's more [00:55:46] like getting blood from a stone and i'm [00:55:48] echoing especially hubbardston [00:55:51] and i'm speaking loudly so hopefully [00:55:52] they can hear me uh on youtube [00:55:54] but [00:55:55] um [00:55:56] that that says for five years now this [00:55:59] has not been collaborative it's like not [00:56:01] come to the public hearing and ask [00:56:04] questions but how about if we all get [00:56:06] together beforehand and say you know [00:56:08] these are our projected numbers we also [00:56:11] just estimate that's what we do until [00:56:13] may because we don't exactly know but we [00:56:16] have an idea we have trends we have a [00:56:18] forecasting we know a little bit maybe [00:56:21] you don't know exactly we're gonna get [00:56:22] in chapter 70 but you know certainly not [00:56:24] going to get less than this year so [00:56:25] there's ways to kind of work at it to [00:56:28] where we you know can get to at least a [00:56:31] sort of common ground where we can we [00:56:34] can we don't get to this point where we [00:56:36] fail it at town meetings because to me [00:56:39] you know this is my first year in a [00:56:41] regional school but that's the last [00:56:42] place i want to be i do not want to be [00:56:44] in a disagreement or in and not in [00:56:47] conjunction with the other departments [00:56:49] of the town while we come to town [00:56:51] meeting and have this on the floor i [00:56:53] would much prefer this to be uh you know [00:56:55] a more informal process in the early [00:56:57] part of the year and then you know [00:56:59] finance blackboard but typically you [00:57:01] know the [00:57:02] the professional staff get together we [00:57:04] know where the funding sources are [00:57:05] coming from um you know [00:57:08] they like our arpa they have esther [00:57:10] three i think they have one point six [00:57:12] million dollars in f3 can be used for [00:57:14] like one time one time purchases so you [00:57:17] know these things behind the scenes i [00:57:18] think could be so important for all of [00:57:20] us and i mean all five towns working [00:57:23] with the school department itself [00:57:26] throughout the year and early on in the [00:57:28] budget process not just showing up as a [00:57:31] budget hearing but having a [00:57:33] collaborative effort all the way through [00:57:37] and so without seeing any of that and [00:57:38] you know i certainly can't comment on [00:57:40] any of those [00:57:41] those data points and [00:57:43] and those types of things i mean i guess [00:57:45] we could just acknowledge receipt of [00:57:46] those documents and take it under [00:57:48] advisement and i can't hear what they're [00:57:50] saying about assessments i know we're [00:57:52] over a million dollars on what we're [00:57:54] assessed [00:57:54] what our required assessment is so um i [00:57:57] can't really comment on what i'm not [00:57:59] hearing [00:58:01] so [00:58:02] that's all that's all though we'll make [00:58:04] sure that we leave the assessment so [00:58:06] what what cheryl and dr muir presented [00:58:09] was [00:58:10] um a listing of the net school spending [00:58:14] um for all of the districts and it [00:58:16] showed that quabbin was 134 i believe [00:58:21] 134 meaning it was ranked highest the [00:58:24] lowest so they're in the middle of the [00:58:26] group that's basically what was [00:58:27] presented and the other graphs that were [00:58:29] presented i believe were handed out at [00:58:30] the last hearing [00:58:49] moments before the meeting so um we [00:58:51] didn't have time to [00:58:54] send anything else [00:58:56] i'd like to address what nicole is [00:58:58] saying about collaboration and meetings [00:59:00] here [00:59:14] this year and i'm going to echo what i [00:59:15] said at that meeting right now we are [00:59:17] not a department of the town and at that [00:59:20] meeting they kept asking us to do things [00:59:22] or to say things or can we do this and [00:59:24] can we do that and i keep saying no [00:59:26] because we report to the school [00:59:28] committee and i can't and i won't share [00:59:31] information to a town administrator or a [00:59:34] border selectmen before it goes to our [00:59:36] school committee it's that's just not [00:59:38] the way it happens [00:59:40] so as if if the town doesn't want to [00:59:42] come to a meeting that we're having we [00:59:44] can call a meeting of all five town [00:59:46] administrators or whatever after we meet [00:59:48] with the school committee but i will not [00:59:50] present information that they haven't [00:59:53] seen first [00:59:55] okay um that everybody does that for us [00:59:57] to say i don't want to go there but it's [00:59:59] what i want to say is that you know [01:00:01] you're building a budget based on an [01:00:04] amount of money that you have no idea [01:00:05] what the towns can even afford yet [01:00:07] that's why you don't even come to us [01:00:09] with anything that we could possibly [01:00:11] afford [01:00:12] right but [01:00:15] we don't build a budget based on revenue [01:00:19] we build a budget based on our expenses [01:00:22] we understand that because we don't know [01:00:24] our revenue stream [01:00:26] until the middle of january next year we [01:00:29] won't know it till the middle of [01:00:31] february because a new governor has an [01:00:32] additional month we build a budget based [01:00:35] on what our expenses are expected to be [01:00:38] if our revenue stream doesn't fund it [01:00:40] that puts us where we are today but i we [01:00:43] we don't we can't and we don't start the [01:00:45] other way [01:00:46] say well let's see what we think we [01:00:48] might have for revenue and then build a [01:00:49] budget that's not the way we build a 36 [01:00:51] million okay [01:00:53] all right so [01:00:54] so can i offer this in the interest of [01:00:56] sort of moving this forward um it's [01:00:58] clear that there's been a breakdown [01:01:00] somewhere [01:01:01] on [01:01:02] you know [01:01:03] whether us saying to you what we're [01:01:05] looking for [01:01:07] or [01:01:08] perhaps not participating enough and [01:01:10] what we should be participating it's [01:01:11] clear and um we don't [01:01:14] we don't want this to be an adversarial [01:01:16] i don't want this to be an adversarial [01:01:18] relationship it's not what i'm about [01:01:20] we're telling you our concerns sorry if [01:01:22] it's not coming out proper or it's [01:01:24] upsetting you not the goal we want to [01:01:26] have open dialogue [01:01:28] um and whether we've missed that [01:01:30] opportunity along the way [01:01:32] or [01:01:33] um you know we talked about [01:01:36] we talked about with um [01:01:39] the brain during hubbard recently [01:01:41] getting together as towns on a more [01:01:43] periodic basis [01:01:45] we here we get town reports from our [01:01:48] other town departments hey this is going [01:01:49] well hey this isn't going well i'm not [01:01:52] sure if you share stuff like that with [01:01:53] your school committee but if if if we [01:01:55] can't attend your meeting if you can get [01:01:57] that down to us the kr enrollment's up [01:02:00] or whatever [01:02:01] just to give us a heads up along the way [01:02:03] um [01:02:05] i don't know i'm grasping here i am [01:02:07] grasping at things to try to make this [01:02:09] process [01:02:10] probably nothing more uncomfortable i [01:02:12] wasn't at the town meeting so i don't [01:02:14] i only know what i heard but probably a [01:02:16] challenging thing for you to have to [01:02:18] defend your budget on the down floor not [01:02:20] something i ever wanted to do or [01:02:22] or be challenged [01:02:24] you know [01:02:25] we don't i don't mind answering any [01:02:28] question about anything [01:02:30] um and [01:02:32] and again i think that um [01:02:34] respecting your positions and your [01:02:37] perspective in your decisions is [01:02:39] important [01:02:42] but we also feel as though it's [01:02:45] important for [01:02:46] the um [01:02:50] school committee members who are elected [01:02:52] officials [01:02:53] in each community they have a job [01:02:56] to speak for them but they have a job to [01:02:58] do and their job is to [01:03:00] approve a budget that they feel is what [01:03:03] the school district needs and [01:03:06] um [01:03:07] defending the budget is something i have [01:03:09] no problem with explaining a budget and [01:03:12] the relationship between assessments and [01:03:16] um budget [01:03:18] is challenging because it's [01:03:20] very complex [01:03:23] and so to try to explain that on [01:03:26] timeline floor it's next to impossible [01:03:28] and i'm not it's it's pointless because [01:03:31] it starts to sound like [01:03:34] you are [01:03:35] um that it's not a transparent process [01:03:38] because it's far too complicated and [01:03:40] that's why [01:03:41] it's it's very difficult to up for us to [01:03:44] come to a [01:03:46] um as charles explained it's very [01:03:48] difficult for us to come to a finance [01:03:49] meeting we'll come to any meeting a [01:03:51] select word meaning and in 15 minutes [01:03:54] or without taking you know hours of your [01:03:57] time to explain this [01:04:00] um maybe the solution is to meet with [01:04:02] all of this simultaneously we're happy [01:04:05] to [01:04:07] do anything that that anyone feels will [01:04:10] include the process [01:04:18] um [01:04:19] but [01:04:20] there are certain things that we are not [01:04:22] allowed to do so [01:04:24] nicole just made a comment about [01:04:26] um [01:04:27] funding [01:04:29] capital expenses for hardwood out of dnd [01:04:33] well the regional agreement [01:04:35] stipulates [01:04:36] how capital expenditures [01:04:38] are paid for [01:04:41] um if it's a hard work community that [01:04:43] that's a region that's a five-pound [01:04:45] agreement [01:04:46] we can't violate that [01:04:48] um [01:04:49] so that's not something that we can just [01:04:51] we could discuss it but basically the [01:04:53] conversation is going to be well that's [01:04:55] actually not possible [01:04:57] but i will tell you what we have done [01:04:59] in the past three years we've funded [01:05:03] capital improvements on the high school [01:05:07] almost 800 000 of capital improvements [01:05:10] on the high school [01:05:12] out of our rural schools money that [01:05:14] would have been expenses that [01:05:17] in other circumstances would have been [01:05:21] put towards the towns [01:05:23] and we've [01:05:24] done and what we can because we have [01:05:26] that rural schools money it's not a [01:05:28] funding source that we can depend on [01:05:30] it's a funding source that if they [01:05:32] decide to fund it happens [01:05:34] um [01:05:35] but we have tried when we can to take [01:05:37] the burden off the communities and [01:05:39] that's one way we've done it is that [01:05:41] almost eight hundred thousand dollars of [01:05:43] capital expenditures that [01:05:45] are from that were from middle high [01:05:46] school projects the chile power [01:05:49] and other capital expenditures that need [01:05:51] to be needed to be done [01:05:53] um we've done that out of our rural [01:05:55] schools money [01:05:57] we could have funded other things we [01:05:59] could have [01:06:00] you know bought some more materials or [01:06:02] things like that but we [01:06:04] we try we try when we can to support the [01:06:07] communities [01:06:08] that we possibly can because we do [01:06:10] understand your your challenges [01:06:13] and i'm sure we don't understand them as [01:06:15] deeply as you do because it's not our [01:06:18] business to run [01:06:19] run a town to your business [01:06:21] um [01:06:22] but [01:06:24] again i think the the point is that [01:06:27] clearly [01:06:31] a um process and [01:06:34] we're not married to our process we want [01:06:36] to [01:06:37] do what we can to [01:06:40] increase communication if you feel that [01:06:41] we'll help [01:06:44] we're open to new ideas we we're we're [01:06:46] not but [01:06:48] um [01:06:49] we also are committed to providing [01:06:53] what the children need [01:07:00] um [01:07:02] any other questions from our board [01:07:06] so i guess the purpose of for having [01:07:08] this oh cheryl has her hand up oh i'm [01:07:10] sorry sure [01:07:25] [Music] [01:07:38] so we have been at some of these [01:07:39] meetings [01:07:40] and looked at the budget and spent time [01:07:43] with it [01:07:44] and [01:07:45] a 2 [01:07:46] increase [01:07:48] is [01:07:49] very modest in today's [01:07:52] economy [01:07:54] and the cuts that we made to make [01:07:57] doing the fallen budget possible under [01:08:00] two and a half [01:08:02] we cut nothing that hadn't already been [01:08:05] increased um did not go back to level [01:08:08] funding on any single line item [01:08:11] i can go through and show you the human [01:08:13] hair uh [01:08:16] so i don't feel that this is a hardship [01:08:18] budget that [01:08:20] i feel it's a very acceptable [01:08:23] uh [01:08:24] compromise [01:08:27] and that's what we voted [01:08:32] i think look at two percentage [01:08:33] perspective [01:08:35] our fuel oil alone [01:08:37] and we did it in the time before coping [01:08:40] our fuel oil increased by a dollar [01:08:43] 29 [01:08:45] that's a point six percent of that two [01:08:47] percent [01:08:50] oil alone [01:08:51] and we haven't got nothing direct yet [01:08:55] we um we i don't know if you have to say [01:08:57] that you can pull up cheryl [01:08:59] the other regional school district [01:09:02] increases [01:09:18] increase percentages are [01:09:24] um [01:09:31] [Music] [01:09:34] regional school districts and they all [01:09:36] had budget increases [01:09:39] greater than [01:09:41] two percent [01:09:46] again it's not 100 of them but [01:09:49] i just felt as though i wanted to [01:09:51] understand [01:09:53] you know how do we compare to other [01:09:54] regional school districts [01:09:56] um across the state and [01:09:59] it was evident based on the information [01:10:01] that was shared [01:10:04] that [01:10:05] our budget increase [01:10:06] is lower [01:10:07] than again [01:10:09] all the all the districts who responded [01:10:11] to money [01:10:13] so we can share that information with [01:10:15] you [01:10:16] but you know just to support or [01:10:19] i guess [01:10:21] that we we do think that [01:10:23] a two percent increases modest art [01:10:26] attracted contracted salary increases [01:10:31] this year [01:10:33] 1.5 percent [01:10:36] 1.25 [01:10:41] really [01:10:51] [Music] [01:10:56] nicole did you want to say something [01:10:58] yeah i just wanted to um reply to cheryl [01:11:02] wolfe our finance committee member uh [01:11:05] not just to her but regarding her [01:11:07] comment and uh it's true that we raised [01:11:10] some of the budget line items this year [01:11:11] that they uh propose to cut [01:11:14] however again if we can reiterate how [01:11:17] how underfunded they've been for all of [01:11:19] these years [01:11:20] so we've been [01:11:22] severely underfunded in these budgets [01:11:24] and [01:11:25] this is where [01:11:26] the proposal of over a million dollars [01:11:28] over the required contribution we felt [01:11:31] was sufficient and i know they say some [01:11:33] of our 1.5 [01:11:35] raises i saw [01:11:37] you know [01:11:38] some people got three [01:11:42] i'm sorry i was sheila got 2.9 so there [01:11:44] are other raises in there i see their [01:11:47] whole budgets on their website i've gone [01:11:48] through it i've seen the percentages in [01:11:50] the other districts i've seen it all [01:11:52] um and i am still [01:11:55] of the minds but i do believe that what [01:11:58] we presented at town meeting is a very [01:12:00] fair [01:12:01] budget to give to the school [01:12:03] district [01:12:07] so um [01:12:09] i guess i would say to this group we um [01:12:12] we came up with um our vote last week on [01:12:16] we need to come up with our position are [01:12:18] we sticking with our position do we feel [01:12:20] comfortable with the position we're [01:12:22] taking [01:12:23] um are we [01:12:24] wanting to change our position [01:12:26] approaching town meeting [01:12:32] not to put you both on the spot [01:12:34] but we have to make a decision i mean [01:12:36] my personal feeling is [01:12:39] we have 40 thousand dollars to keep us [01:12:42] basically 100 [01:12:45] and [01:12:46] the school came back for 95 [01:13:02] i believe [01:13:16] back in [01:13:18] the spring trying to find [01:13:20] 40 or 50 or 150 [01:13:24] somewhere [01:13:28] can i say one more thing [01:13:30] can you can we just let kelly finish for [01:13:32] a second nicole oh yeah sorry sorry [01:13:34] kelly if kelly wants to sing yeah no [01:13:36] that's okay um [01:13:37] i i agree with that it is ultimately [01:13:40] it's up to the voters um [01:13:42] i do think that the budget that we've [01:13:45] presented in june i do still stand [01:13:48] behind that because we do have to fund [01:13:51] our departments have been underfunded [01:13:53] for a long time and we're just trying to [01:13:56] gain some ground on that [01:13:58] and unless we can [01:14:00] things are still going to struggle [01:14:03] we're in the same position and i respect [01:14:05] your position i do and i i know you [01:14:07] respect ours [01:14:08] um [01:14:09] i don't know if we should be making a [01:14:11] decision on how we're going to present [01:14:13] the article [01:14:15] i don't know if that's what julian yeah [01:14:18] i'm i'm i'm asking for the ones we have [01:14:20] to present the article so um nicole did [01:14:23] you did you have something relevant to [01:14:25] this that you wanted to say [01:14:26] yeah i just wanted to say quickly i met [01:14:28] with jesse and dor yesterday uh over [01:14:31] zoom just discussing this type of thing [01:14:34] and uh formulas and regional budgets [01:14:36] versus you know very depressed uh small [01:14:39] community rural community budget [01:14:42] um and they [01:14:43] they did [01:14:44] basically reassure me that in the event [01:14:47] that the commissioner which is the last [01:14:49] thing they want to do [01:14:50] they like the towns to handle it [01:14:52] themselves we know what we need they [01:14:54] like the towns to handle it in the event [01:14:56] the commissioner is the one to make the [01:14:57] decision [01:14:58] they will [01:15:00] she said [01:15:01] it was the assistant but she said she [01:15:03] you know couldn't necessarily speak for [01:15:04] the commissioner but [01:15:06] 99 sure the commissioner would come back [01:15:08] with the revised number nobody would [01:15:10] ever go back to the original [01:15:12] request that came to us [01:15:15] you know before they revised it so it's [01:15:17] not like they're going to go back to the [01:15:18] 2.95 [01:15:20] if anything this [01:15:22] jesse would go back to the 2.774 [01:15:26] so in the event that the town still was [01:15:29] adamant that you know the 4 assessment [01:15:31] is enough and for anybody who would be [01:15:33] afraid that jesse is going to come back [01:15:36] and give them the full assessment and [01:15:38] we're going to have to come up with [01:15:39] hundreds of thousands of dollars that's [01:15:40] not the case in the event we did have to [01:15:42] do that later on in the year [01:15:45] it would be their most recent assessment [01:15:49] with that being said [01:15:51] um it's hard to set a tax rate when we [01:15:52] don't have this done [01:15:55] so so i guess i would say just to [01:15:56] clarify nicole because i saw some [01:15:58] eyebrows sort of go up in the audience [01:16:00] just to clarify so [01:16:02] i think what you're saying is that [01:16:04] through your meeting with [01:16:06] desi and the oe they said that [01:16:09] the commissioner wouldn't likely come [01:16:11] back with more than the current [01:16:13] assessment that the school is looking [01:16:14] for is that correct right which is 774. [01:16:18] okay because there are a lot of numbers [01:16:20] sort of flying around in your [01:16:21] conversation just so we understand [01:16:24] i'm honestly sorry i don't want to be [01:16:26] confusing because it's already confusing [01:16:27] enough [01:16:28] that's okay so honestly um being on the [01:16:31] finance committee uh being a finance [01:16:33] committee member for years and being on [01:16:35] the board [01:16:37] the townspeople um do whatever they want [01:16:39] to do that's the answer and they should [01:16:42] um i think that i think each [01:16:45] um [01:16:47] i think each group is going to present [01:16:48] their position we're well aligned that [01:16:51] if the towns people decide that they're [01:16:53] going to that the selectmen are only [01:16:55] making a recommendation so [01:16:57] um [01:16:58] hearing that you know the other members [01:17:01] of the board sort of feel like we want [01:17:03] to stick with the original [01:17:05] position i think that's but we're [01:17:07] prepared that if this passes that it's [01:17:10] here [01:17:11] and certainly anyone can amend the [01:17:12] motion on the floor um [01:17:15] and um [01:17:17] we're prepared to do that if that's it [01:17:20] um [01:17:24] anything else [01:17:31] um [01:17:32] i appreciate that you've come in um [01:17:35] and appreciate that maybe it's um [01:17:38] clearly a sign what the dial i got for [01:17:40] tonight is that a sign that we need to [01:17:42] be a little bit more proactive versus [01:17:45] reactive with the school and discussions [01:17:47] and whoever's part that's on i think we [01:17:49] need to sort of work that out [01:17:51] um [01:17:52] and [01:17:53] certainly um [01:17:54] i'm you know willing to do that and [01:17:56] appreciate all the data [01:17:58] and the information that you've put [01:17:59] together [01:18:01] um [01:18:01] [Music] [01:18:04] any other questions before we leave this [01:18:06] subject [01:18:10] thank you both um [01:18:13] oh um if is there a presentation like [01:18:16] the presentation that you were going to [01:18:17] do that do you want to eat [01:18:24] do you want me just to i can you don't [01:18:25] have to send this i can just make leave [01:18:27] this for nicole if you want [01:18:29] yeah [01:18:31] yeah we can leave that for her so she so [01:18:33] she has it [01:18:39] about um [01:18:40] today [01:18:43] okay [01:18:45] yeah we'll certainly share it with her [01:18:47] and um i hope going forward that the [01:18:49] process um [01:18:52] is a little smoother um we understand [01:18:55] that um [01:18:58] it just it just needs to happen that way [01:19:00] nobody wants to feel i feel [01:19:01] uncomfortable honestly i'll be honest [01:19:03] right i feel uncomfortable with the [01:19:04] conversation there's a [01:19:06] feels it feels like there's a lot of [01:19:07] anger and maybe there's some things that [01:19:09] we need to work out and talk about [01:19:11] um no anger [01:19:13] that's my voice no no i'm not no no no [01:19:16] no no on the screen but yeah no no i'm [01:19:18] not i'm just we're each doing [01:19:26] um [01:19:27] the next process next year process will [01:19:30] be a little smoother for everybody so [01:19:32] that um [01:19:33] there's more information [01:19:35] no wild statements made there's more [01:19:37] information collected there's you know [01:19:40] so that's sort of on the same page [01:19:43] um we're prepared that [01:19:45] you know if this goes through the voters [01:19:47] make the decision that [01:19:50] they will have this in their hands also [01:19:52] so um this will be available for them as [01:19:55] well [01:19:56] so we'll provide all the information we [01:19:57] can [01:19:59] alright well um there'll only be one of [01:20:01] us at your immediately because [01:20:03] talents are happening [01:20:05] on the same night approximately the same [01:20:07] time so it's going to be a little [01:20:08] challenging for us to cover all three of [01:20:10] them [01:20:11] um [01:20:12] at the same time but we'll do the best [01:20:14] and [01:20:15] provide [01:20:16] as much information as we can [01:20:19] with your questions thank you thank you [01:20:21] thank you to the school committee [01:20:22] members who showed up as well thank you [01:20:29] okay [01:20:30] um [01:20:31] next item on the agenda is the [01:20:33] discussion vote relative to arpa nicole [01:20:36] did you want to address that oh [01:20:38] before your packet you have nicole hold [01:20:41] do we have enough yeah the forum for you [01:20:44] to open your sewer commission all right [01:20:46] um we're gonna let [01:20:48] open the sewer commission meeting [01:20:51] yeah so brian can go thank you brian for [01:20:53] sitting [01:20:54] um [01:21:11] i think we should um i know nicole had [01:21:15] started this work [01:21:16] discussing [01:21:17] management of his [01:21:19] computer [01:21:21] department [01:21:24] outsourcing management [01:21:26] personnel [01:21:28] i think um i think we should [01:21:31] put on our feet together to [01:21:34] start looking for proposals [01:21:36] so that we can get these people in place [01:21:38] and uh [01:21:50] is [01:21:55] [Music] [01:22:08] i think the we got some like soft [01:22:11] numbers [01:22:12] just to see where it was at about three [01:22:15] thousand a month [01:22:16] so [01:22:17] i think we needed some additional [01:22:19] financial [01:22:20] oversight there too but [01:22:36] work [01:22:48] out [01:22:53] nicole did you hear that for the minutes [01:22:56] well it's being recorded for the minute [01:22:58] but i i do need to hear [01:23:00] um [01:23:01] motion for rsp for oversight of the tour [01:23:04] project [01:23:06] yes it's rfp for a management company [01:23:09] for the oversight of the sewer [01:23:12] okay got it thanks [01:23:16] you voted to the one [01:23:18] two [01:23:28] [Music] [01:23:37] all right [01:23:39] thank you brian [01:23:40] nicole we're on to the discussion board [01:23:42] for arpa [01:23:44] okay in your packet you have um a quote [01:23:48] from [01:23:52] bloodload construction and it's for [01:23:56] the replacement of four hydrants [01:23:58] that are [01:23:59] not working right now and um so [01:24:02] they're [01:24:04] you know obviously to remove the old [01:24:05] hydrant install a new valve and sell new [01:24:07] couplings [01:24:08] installed new six inch pipe up to ten [01:24:11] linear [01:24:12] feet per lateral and install a new [01:24:14] hydrant at ten thousand six hundred [01:24:17] dollars each [01:24:18] um [01:24:20] i was [01:24:23] super [01:24:24] um [01:24:25] hoping that you would approve [01:24:28] an amount not to exceed 50 000 for fire [01:24:31] hydrants when i add this up it's 42 400 [01:24:35] but [01:24:35] in the event there might be some other [01:24:37] accessory apparatus that needs to be [01:24:39] replaced [01:24:41] um you know just so we have that a [01:24:43] little bit extra [01:24:44] but [01:24:45] obviously if not then it will be just [01:24:48] sitting in the air but still [01:24:50] about 49. and once the project [01:24:53] sorry about 49 000 just to keep it under [01:24:56] the 50 000 oh right i mean we could even [01:24:59] say 45 it's 42 so that's fine so hang on [01:25:02] the math [01:25:04] 10 06 [01:25:06] times six hydrants [01:25:25] to be four so i will get a new quote [01:25:26] from them um certainly before [01:25:29] again like you know i have to put i have [01:25:31] to be [01:25:32] very detailed in reporting for arpa so i [01:25:34] will make sure that i get a new quote [01:25:37] and then i have a cover letter that goes [01:25:39] over it that i sent accounting to make [01:25:41] sure that you know that they know what [01:25:43] it's for and what it's not to exceed or [01:25:45] what the exact amount is so it should be [01:25:47] for four [01:25:48] i apologize [01:25:51] so do we have a motion to um accrue [01:25:54] um [01:25:55] the payment of the four hydrant [01:25:59] uh removal and replacement [01:26:02] by ludlow construction out of not to [01:26:04] exceed forty nine thousand out of our i [01:26:06] would make a motion to do just that [01:26:11] removed and seconded all in favor okay [01:26:14] hi [01:26:15] okay so that's set nicole [01:26:18] thank you [01:26:22] can we skip can we would you guys mind [01:26:24] if we moved the um the last item up [01:26:27] first rebecca bottomley the disclosure [01:26:30] sure [01:26:31] okay so in your in your packet there's a [01:26:33] disclosure [01:26:34] um from rebecca bottomley relative to [01:26:38] her participation on [01:26:40] the harvard conservation commission um [01:26:44] and um [01:26:46] nicole do you want to talk about the [01:26:48] process and consulting with town council [01:26:52] so [01:26:54] rebecca bottomley took the initiative to [01:26:56] call [01:26:57] um [01:26:58] ethics to discuss [01:27:01] her position as a conservation [01:27:02] commission member and also as in a [01:27:05] butter to the potential proposed [01:27:09] new [01:27:10] sewer [01:27:12] pump station project [01:27:14] and so [01:27:16] we [01:27:16] she got the form and she said she needed [01:27:18] to she filled it out it was great [01:27:20] and um then i sent it over to council to [01:27:23] see exactly what we need to do and i got [01:27:26] the response that is uh it's up to the [01:27:29] board to decide [01:27:30] uh whether or not she's allowed to [01:27:33] participate [01:27:34] and without her there's no quorum so [01:27:37] uh you know she did she signed she [01:27:40] signed the declaration disclosure so [01:27:43] um [01:27:44] council has given a motion that you can [01:27:46] put forth and allow her to participate [01:27:49] in the project [01:27:51] as necessary because it's near a [01:27:53] perennial stream [01:27:55] for conservation to over to look it over [01:28:00] guys feel comfortable sure [01:28:01] motion [01:28:03] discussion [01:28:06] yeah i do too okay [01:28:10] um [01:28:11] i would make a motion that the board [01:28:13] vote to acknowledge the conflict of [01:28:15] interest disclosure filed by rebecca [01:28:17] bottomley relative to her participation [01:28:19] as a member of the conservation [01:28:21] commission [01:28:22] with respect to the hardwick road pump [01:28:24] station project and that the board [01:28:26] declared she may participate [01:28:28] in the matter because her interest is [01:28:30] not so substantially substantial as to [01:28:33] be deemed likely to affect the integrity [01:28:35] of the service [01:28:37] services which the town may expect from [01:28:39] her [01:28:41] been moved and seconded any other [01:28:42] discussion [01:28:45] all in favor [01:28:46] aye aye [01:28:49] um nicole did i did i jump over [01:28:51] something that you wanted to talk about [01:28:53] with arpa [01:28:55] yeah there was one more right there [01:28:56] sorry [01:28:58] yeah no that's fine there's two [01:28:59] proposals in front of you for the new [01:29:01] website [01:29:03] um [01:29:04] and [01:29:05] uh i know we had talked about it before [01:29:07] because they're like 23 pages each that [01:29:09] you haven't had a time to really look [01:29:11] through it um [01:29:13] i [01:29:14] got a call back so i used gov gov office [01:29:18] for over a decade so i'm very familiar [01:29:20] with it but it is a little more [01:29:22] expensive and i don't see not [01:29:25] every time i go to a town website i [01:29:26] always look at their [01:29:28] designer and some ninety percent of them [01:29:30] are civic left we also received um [01:29:34] an updated quote of 30 off of the first [01:29:37] year if we go with civic plus so [01:29:40] once again as we had discussed before [01:29:42] our [01:29:43] our website was compromised it's not [01:29:46] it's not like a government [01:29:48] uh protected website [01:29:50] um it's not ada compliant it was hacked [01:29:54] we weren't able to get on for a while [01:29:56] our webmaster also you know is [01:29:59] requesting that somebody else sort of [01:30:01] take it over [01:30:02] um but she does all coding which i don't [01:30:05] do any coding i it's built and then i [01:30:07] can work in it but i can't actually [01:30:08] build it so [01:30:10] this is where we're at to get a new [01:30:12] website i have had several residents ask [01:30:15] me for a much you know for a new and [01:30:17] improved website [01:30:19] so i would recommend to you that we go [01:30:22] with civic clubs [01:30:24] it is [01:30:25] very much used throughout even the whole [01:30:27] entire united states [01:30:29] if you look at governmental websites [01:30:32] and it's secure [01:30:33] and it's easily navigated it's ada [01:30:36] compliant [01:30:37] um so [01:30:40] yeah [01:30:41] so we can get going on that [01:30:48] and then [01:30:49] if i would recommend a not to exceed of [01:30:52] ten thousand dollars [01:30:55] the total with a thirty percent first [01:30:57] year [01:30:58] um [01:30:59] discount is nine thousand three hundred [01:31:00] thirty five dollars for three years [01:31:09] questions discussions [01:31:11] uh i did review both of them it's [01:31:13] certainly not anything that i do on a [01:31:15] daily basis um i looked through them [01:31:18] they both seemed at least um [01:31:22] well comparable you know you could right [01:31:23] you could you know you could see that [01:31:25] they were both going to be offering [01:31:27] similar services so i i'm really going [01:31:29] to refer [01:31:30] to what nicole suggested and recommend [01:31:33] it would be my opinion [01:31:38] yeah it's nothing [01:31:41] okay [01:31:42] i don't i guess [01:31:52] i don't really understand the expense of [01:31:54] it but it is what it is i don't think [01:31:58] yeah that's absolutely typical now [01:32:01] it's um [01:32:02] and it's even less than i expected i [01:32:04] think because we have a smaller town [01:32:06] but um [01:32:08] you know these are all the services that [01:32:10] the cost of just doing it um and [01:32:14] it is going like i said it will be more [01:32:16] secure [01:32:17] it will you know it's a government [01:32:19] protected website [01:32:21] um it's ada compliance so eventually [01:32:23] very soon we're going to have to do an [01:32:25] ada compliancy review of our town and [01:32:28] this would be the first thing that's [01:32:30] already there so it's a visually [01:32:32] um [01:32:33] you know it works visually you know for [01:32:35] this for the visual impaired so um you [01:32:38] know there's just a lot of different [01:32:41] things and i guess the biggest thing [01:32:42] that made me bring this to you was that [01:32:44] we crashed [01:32:46] and we you know it took a lot to get it [01:32:47] back up and somebody had hacked it [01:32:49] um [01:32:50] and [01:32:51] julie marquette who's our webmaster is [01:32:53] also you know doesn't don't really want [01:32:56] to do it anymore so i don't know who [01:32:57] else would do it because i can't build [01:32:59] things like that [01:33:02] nicole what was the first year dollar [01:33:04] amount again [01:33:07] it's um so it's 34.50 a year for three [01:33:10] years [01:33:11] um but then if my calculations are [01:33:13] correct so 30 off 34.50 makes it 24.35 [01:33:18] for the first year [01:33:20] and then 34.50 for year two and three [01:33:23] so the total zero to build [01:33:25] was like 99 something was it 93.35 [01:33:30] [Music] [01:34:03] so nicole in case you didn't hear the [01:34:05] motion the motion was to [01:34:07] um [01:34:08] engage civic plus [01:34:10] for our website [01:34:12] for um and not to exceed of 10 000 for [01:34:15] the three years [01:34:16] all those in favor thank you [01:34:20] was there anything else on arpa [01:34:23] nothing else thank you [01:34:25] i will say one more thing just because [01:34:26] it's relevant [01:34:28] um [01:34:29] we're gonna have that water commission [01:34:31] meeting coming up april i mean i'm sorry [01:34:33] september 12th [01:34:34] i had uh just randomly the the firm that [01:34:38] was [01:34:39] is has just gonna do the water meters [01:34:41] come in today [01:34:43] and um [01:34:44] i asked for an updated quote for that [01:34:46] time because it's a few months old and [01:34:48] he also said that they're a few months [01:34:49] out so that's just for reference it'll [01:34:51] probably be like a week i'll win a week [01:34:54] a winter project [01:34:55] uh if we do approve that at that time [01:34:59] thank you [01:35:02] all right the last item on the agenda [01:35:05] the worst [01:35:07] honestly not the last but when we moved [01:35:08] it to left new sewer project pump [01:35:11] station location nicole can you talk to [01:35:13] us about this [01:35:15] i can so [01:35:17] you know [01:35:18] the approved site was this small portion [01:35:22] that we believe marguerite crevier owned [01:35:24] so we have the title search done [01:35:26] and it comes back that even though mr [01:35:29] hans [01:35:30] and hanson [01:35:32] owned it [01:35:33] when he had a will it wasn't explicitly [01:35:36] given to anyone [01:35:38] so [01:35:39] now [01:35:40] there's there needs to be due diligence [01:35:42] done a search on any of his relatives [01:35:45] any siblings any cousins any relatives [01:35:47] whatsoever [01:35:48] um we need to identify all of them reach [01:35:51] out to all of them [01:35:53] if we were going to take it give notice [01:35:54] of taking accept it at town meeting it's [01:35:57] it's a it's a long process and it's not [01:36:00] that it can't be done or hasn't been [01:36:02] done but we're not going to be able to [01:36:03] have it done before [01:36:05] we have to [01:36:06] let usda know that we have the site [01:36:08] secure so that is one of the conditions [01:36:10] is obviously we need to have um control [01:36:13] of the site where the pump station is [01:36:14] going to go it should be going on town [01:36:16] property [01:36:18] so [01:36:19] i i reached out to dpc we can have a [01:36:22] much more lengthy discussion on monday [01:36:25] however [01:36:26] the consensus was just to maybe move it [01:36:28] over a thousand feet because we own two [01:36:30] and a half acres right next to that [01:36:32] small parcel [01:36:34] so they're designing it where it goes [01:36:36] you know as long as it's in the vicinity [01:36:39] everything else should stay the same [01:36:41] um [01:36:42] but it's not going to be able to go in [01:36:44] that parcel right now because we just we [01:36:46] won't have site secure before we can [01:36:48] before we do the project [01:36:50] so nicole on the map in your pocket [01:36:52] yep on the map [01:36:55] i um unfortunately jen's off this week [01:36:57] and she can just really be so much [01:36:59] better to me [01:37:00] but um [01:37:01] it's sort of on it's sort of on two maps [01:37:03] which is why i [01:37:06] gave them both to you [01:37:08] and the little yellow the little parcel [01:37:10] that we were going to put it on is now [01:37:12] crossed out in red ink [01:37:22] so as you can see it looks like we [01:37:24] should just shove it shut it shift it [01:37:26] over a little bit [01:37:39] so is this [01:37:42] the new proposed [01:37:44] no that yeah that's the proposed actual [01:37:47] pump station [01:37:49] but not shifting it on this vehicle that [01:37:52] hasn't been shifted that's that was that [01:37:55] was what was [01:37:56] um [01:37:57] sent to conservation commission i just [01:37:59] wanted you to see again like [01:38:01] maybe not necessarily the exact lot [01:38:03] lines but what you know what it entails [01:38:05] the small building and the out [01:38:07] structures and obviously fencing it [01:38:10] needs to be fenced in for security [01:38:12] purposes and uh then the [01:38:17] perimeter will be [01:38:19] shielded with some sort of vegetation [01:38:24] it's still making it obviously like [01:38:26] before what you said was making it look [01:38:27] like an old building or you know in with [01:38:29] the character of the neighborhood white [01:38:31] with black shutters or whatever they the [01:38:33] rest look like and then some mature [01:38:35] vegetation [01:38:37] like we had already talked about all of [01:38:38] that yeah i just thought i would give [01:38:40] you that for [01:38:42] a frame of reference on what it looks [01:38:43] like [01:38:45] that frontage right there only 100 feet [01:38:48] with the towel [01:38:52] it says 100 feet [01:38:54] so you're going to shift this thing [01:38:56] basically if you're looking at that spot [01:39:00] it's going to have to be [01:39:02] for the right center [01:39:04] of that area [01:39:07] you keep this i i don't know [01:39:09] i don't do you know how [01:39:11] how big the actual [01:39:13] i don't know how big the actual like um [01:39:15] facility is [01:39:20] we've got a building [01:39:23] that's in the same location [01:39:26] yeah this isn't this is just this isn't [01:39:28] shifted right [01:39:31] the dpc back in 2018 had a drawing let's [01:39:34] see if you look at the little triangle [01:39:35] on this one [01:39:38] that's where it can't go right so now [01:39:40] if you take the dimensions of this and [01:39:43] needing to shift it over [01:39:45] well i have a drawing on the car that [01:39:47] shows dpc did it show back in 2018 [01:39:49] showing this station [01:39:51] where basically where the tractor is [01:40:07] i'm guessing [01:40:10] but is it even going to work [01:40:13] dimension wise yeah [01:40:24] if it fit on that little triangle it [01:40:25] would fit right next to it i don't know [01:40:28] our point is it's going to take up that [01:40:30] hole here yes [01:40:32] it's going to what take up that whole [01:40:34] area [01:40:36] so so let me just recap just sort of um [01:40:38] so when you went and looked at this [01:40:40] possible spots rob that were available [01:40:43] we've already exhausted two of the spots [01:40:46] the last spot was [01:40:48] i have i [01:40:58] um [01:41:00] the last [01:41:01] i'm just because i can't honestly i [01:41:03] can't remember and that's a function of [01:41:04] what i'm going on the third spot was by [01:41:06] the tennis courts is that correct so [01:41:08] those were the only three spots that you [01:41:10] guys identified when you went and you [01:41:12] walked with dpc [01:41:15] and scott okay so um i asked nicole to [01:41:19] go back to [01:41:21] um [01:41:24] justin [01:41:26] and [01:41:28] i think she's been in contact with [01:41:30] justin so i you and i had a conversation [01:41:32] nicole and i asked you to go back to [01:41:34] justin [01:41:35] with um [01:41:38] a revisit of the tennis courts [01:41:42] yeah [01:41:43] okay so that's where we're at with that [01:41:44] so [01:41:46] yeah so that was the three those are the [01:41:48] three identified locations and the [01:41:49] tennis courts were number three because [01:41:51] of the elevations et cetera um i don't [01:41:53] know that it absolutely you know with [01:41:56] with this new information that it [01:41:58] absolutely can't go there um [01:42:00] i mean it's going to be more design etc [01:42:03] whatever more money i don't know um but [01:42:06] i know that [01:42:07] there was a reason that it wasn't chosen [01:42:09] i think it was the elevation thing so [01:42:11] um that's why i just was like well we [01:42:14] own it right next door it's not part of [01:42:16] article 97 it's not anything else [01:42:18] besides town on land and we can put it [01:42:21] there [01:42:22] that's it so so i didn't get a chance to [01:42:25] go up there and look at it okay so sure [01:42:27] about that so [01:42:29] if there are no covenants on that front [01:42:32] are we i mean before we honestly before [01:42:35] we even step forward to another [01:42:38] spot even if it's shifting [01:42:40] this spot are we sure that there are no [01:42:43] covenants no [01:42:45] easements no anything on that property [01:42:49] before we say one more place that we're [01:42:52] gonna put this pumpkin station that [01:42:54] we're gonna have to turn around and say [01:42:56] we can't take this pumpkin stage so so i [01:42:59] would make a suggestion that if we're [01:43:00] going to have her look at that she looks [01:43:02] at both locations [01:43:04] make sure there's no coverage [01:43:06] make sure so really quick we already did [01:43:08] it we already did it on uh katie klein [01:43:10] already did it on this other one that's [01:43:12] right next to this little parcel [01:43:14] and it's sending me the legal opinion [01:43:17] okay can we also have them look at the [01:43:18] tennis courts as well [01:43:21] yeah that's a different story i mean [01:43:22] that's obviously town owned it just has [01:43:24] to do design work i think rob was [01:43:27] curious about [01:43:29] whether or not this parcel has any [01:43:31] covenants on it which i told her all [01:43:33] about the article 97 etc and she's like [01:43:36] absolutely not i've already done it all [01:43:38] i'll send you the opinion [01:43:40] okay [01:43:41] i i'm just [01:43:42] no no i just i want to make sure [01:43:46] again and again [01:43:48] and i know one of the questions some [01:43:49] we're waiting for questions for people [01:43:51] to submit questions for a meeting next [01:43:54] monday evening hint hint [01:43:56] content [01:43:59] it's going to come up again about the [01:44:00] tennis courts i just want to be sure [01:44:02] that [01:44:03] justin and david are prepared to answer [01:44:06] that question [01:44:08] yeah i talked to them about that already [01:44:10] i said okay so we already know behind [01:44:12] just behind the uh [01:44:14] historical society is not happening uh [01:44:16] this parcel not happening this other [01:44:18] parcel could absolutely happen what [01:44:21] about the third one that you guys [01:44:23] struck down in the first place make sure [01:44:25] that it can't happen why it can't happen [01:44:28] how [01:44:29] but i but that's all i'm gonna have for [01:44:31] answers like [01:44:32] i can't i don't know [01:44:35] i can't read people's minds so they're [01:44:36] going to have to send me questions if [01:44:37] they've got other ones [01:44:41] you can't so i went into this meeting [01:44:43] saying that we weren't going to allow a [01:44:45] lot of public comment on it it was just [01:44:46] for the discussion of the board because [01:44:48] we're going to have a whole big [01:44:49] information thing on this on monday [01:44:53] we really don't have any answers we [01:44:54] don't [01:44:57] so we'll i'll allow you one question [01:44:59] so regarding the location next to the [01:45:02] historical society [01:45:04] given the fact that i [01:45:06] believe that the historical society [01:45:10] where that land right anyway [01:45:13] bottom line [01:45:14] if it's on town property and it's fine [01:45:16] i would prefer not to have a prime [01:45:18] minister [01:45:20] i think it makes more sense that the [01:45:21] potential [01:45:25] but [01:45:26] why not if if tense words aren't for [01:45:28] some reason [01:45:32] because it's not [01:45:34] they just chose to not put it in their [01:45:36] backyard they put it over on the other [01:45:37] side i believe the accurate thing on [01:45:39] that nicole is that it wouldn't [01:45:43] there was something it wouldn't me [01:45:53] i can only hear you julie um [01:45:56] rob was saying that the historic [01:45:57] commission would have to vote on it to [01:45:59] get the historic to have it go to sort [01:46:01] of national for approval but wasn't [01:46:02] there an issue with that site determined [01:46:05] subsequent to that [01:46:08] well it was initially i know [01:46:10] it wasn't on property [01:46:12] but then the second drawing that was [01:46:14] done at the second place [01:46:16] it was on property the problem was [01:46:18] um the building that was there that was [01:46:22] they thought was required to be with the [01:46:24] temple [01:46:26] with the controls and stuff there that [01:46:28] was part of the problem it filled up the [01:46:30] space too much then the question was [01:46:32] could those those things be put in the [01:46:33] town barn and you only have the tanks [01:46:36] that ground level with manual covers in [01:46:38] the middle of the driveway that would [01:46:40] make a lot of sense because then you can [01:46:41] improve the town barn for town purposes [01:46:44] beyond [01:46:45] what it's already being used for now no [01:46:47] one would see it you'd have mammals in a [01:46:50] concrete driveway going behind the [01:46:52] historical society there are other [01:46:54] problems with that design but [01:46:56] then [01:46:57] what i'm trying to say is that given the [01:47:00] fact that you can't do it across the [01:47:01] street anymore or historically [01:47:04] go back and say this is the only place [01:47:06] it can go they just chose to they they [01:47:09] were given the choice of do we want it [01:47:11] in our backyard or do we want to cross [01:47:13] the street and they chose not in our [01:47:14] backyard that was the decision [01:47:17] they still need to make a decision [01:47:18] because it's a common property and they [01:47:21] have they do have some authority over [01:47:23] that but [01:47:24] although there is some question about [01:47:25] that because i always thought that the [01:47:27] cemetery commission controlled [01:47:30] but [01:47:30] that's another [01:47:33] so what is our board asking nicole to do [01:47:36] we've asked her to go back and um [01:47:39] make sure that the parcel [01:47:41] next to it um there's no covenants or [01:47:44] anything on it [01:47:45] we've asked her to go back to david and [01:47:47] justin and look at the tennis courts [01:47:48] again um [01:47:51] honestly the longer we [01:47:53] and i understand the importance of it [01:47:55] the longer we kick this can down the [01:47:57] road [01:47:58] we are [01:48:00] we're not going to meet our letter of [01:48:01] conditions we're not so [01:48:03] um [01:48:07] you're not gonna need it anymore [01:48:11] okay [01:48:13] whatever that is well the board has to [01:48:15] make the decision on how we proceed with [01:48:31] okay that's just my personal feeling [01:48:33] because i think people hear what's going [01:48:35] on over here it's going well [01:48:38] you know so [01:48:39] let's just make sure [01:48:44] they have to [01:48:51] in the history of the town with all of [01:48:53] their [01:48:54] you know changing of [01:48:56] of of property and in trust and nobody [01:48:59] face taxes on this it's not where is [01:49:01] this where's disco this is an abandoned [01:49:03] road like that's what the issue is it's [01:49:05] not necessarily that we don't know what [01:49:07] we're doing or you know that um [01:49:10] you know we we [01:49:12] assumed it was somebody well it's not [01:49:14] the case anymore so look what assuming [01:49:16] did to us so you know um that's i think [01:49:19] that that's exactly what i told legal [01:49:22] was [01:49:23] okay if we're gonna shift it over now [01:49:25] again these are just tax maps so they're [01:49:27] not [01:49:28] they're not surveyed maps i don't know [01:49:30] how big that is exactly um [01:49:34] and it's just [01:49:35] it's just logical that's why i did that [01:49:38] but um [01:49:40] and that's why i said okay there were [01:49:41] three positions we absolutely cannot go [01:49:43] behind historical society [01:49:45] okay so it's either down here on the [01:49:47] corner where apparently you know ty and [01:49:49] bond had it years and years ago [01:49:52] and [01:49:53] or [01:49:54] at the tennis court so i said to them [01:49:56] please look at the tennis courts and if [01:49:57] you can't go there tell me why if it can [01:49:59] go there [01:50:00] show me how [01:50:01] and i need that opinion that this parcel [01:50:04] is absolutely town-owned not subject to [01:50:07] far to fairyland [01:50:09] fairground land [01:50:11] and and commons etcetera and and [01:50:16] let's let's do the same for the tennis [01:50:18] courts i would say the same applies to [01:50:20] the tennis courts because the [01:50:22] page trust [01:50:24] could have some crazy [01:50:26] thing in there too can we can we flip [01:50:29] this building sideways so it's not going [01:50:31] this way [01:50:33] because right now what's happening is [01:50:35] the the triangle part is going out can [01:50:37] we flip it and put it against here so [01:50:40] it's not right there [01:50:43] is there any reason we can't flip this [01:50:45] there's you got the wetlands in there [01:50:47] the stream that piece does not exist the [01:50:49] piece that margarite in theory owns is a [01:50:52] 20 is a 50 by 50 by 50 by 65 foot [01:50:56] rectangle [01:50:57] right there if that piece is [01:50:59] non-existent [01:51:00] i got put it on the card you want to see [01:51:02] one [01:51:06] you've got the stream that runs through [01:51:07] here julie [01:51:08] so you'd be running into that that [01:51:11] that stream [01:51:13] so this [01:51:15] it's right down here in the corner is [01:51:16] what they've proposed right [01:51:19] that's this [01:51:20] right [01:51:21] if you go above it you're gonna you're [01:51:23] gonna start running into the stream [01:51:26] but you can't go here with it [01:51:42] is not drawn like that it's different [01:51:45] but isn't so i don't mean to be stupid [01:51:47] but isn't if we're looking at this is [01:51:49] greenwich road here and this is hardwick [01:51:51] road right isn't the stream right here [01:51:53] no the stream goes this way it goes [01:51:56] through that right this is bottomless [01:51:58] right away that goes right [01:52:01] yeah i thought the stream came down this [01:52:03] way [01:52:04] it comes from lisa's house [01:52:06] it's behind me oh right [01:52:09] right right but there is one that comes [01:52:10] this way isn't there yeah it comes down [01:52:13] there's another one that comes this way [01:52:16] um actually you can see it on this one [01:52:23] all right anyway so nicole can you go [01:52:25] back to them on those two suggestions [01:52:27] from that you heard from um robin kelly [01:52:30] and me as well yeah [01:52:32] yeah [01:52:33] i agree with rob [01:52:34] let's make sure [01:52:36] both sites are clear let's not have to [01:52:38] do this again this is a little kill last [01:52:41] time it uh so we had a time [01:52:48] trust records relative to that property [01:52:51] and [01:52:52] because they likely don't have that [01:52:55] it should all be recorded [01:53:11] and when you change town when you change [01:53:13] the use of account property that's [01:53:15] considered a recreational area or [01:53:17] whatever it requires article 97 now [01:53:20] article 97 is not an impossible task [01:53:22] it's what i would have to go through if [01:53:24] i wanted to take [01:53:35] so so can you just double check on that [01:53:38] the tent make sure on both on both [01:53:40] parcels that we don't have an article 97 [01:53:42] of an issue [01:53:44] and it's also i i already know it for [01:53:46] one parcel so i will do my due diligence [01:53:49] to get it as soon as possible for the [01:53:51] other parcel thank you [01:53:53] yeah it's just [01:53:55] those are questions that we're going to [01:53:56] be asked we might as well have the [01:53:57] answers to them the other question to [01:53:59] ask from what i understand [01:54:06] i can't hear him [01:54:07] he's also saying that he believes that [01:54:09] there's a town vote that needs to change [01:54:11] the use [01:54:12] from recreational decisions [01:54:15] that i got the legal opinion that [01:54:16] there's not any of that on that property [01:54:20] the tennis courts [01:54:22] oh that's the tennis perk i don't know [01:54:25] so let's find out the same information [01:54:27] for both of our cells if we can just to [01:54:29] cover [01:54:30] we'll do [01:54:31] thank you [01:54:34] anything else [01:54:40] oh sorry one thing um nicole can you [01:54:42] make sure that it hits our next agenda [01:54:44] um not on the 22nd on a subsequent [01:54:47] meeting that we need to um understand [01:54:50] what's happening with [01:54:52] mentioned and reminded me of the [01:54:54] property that has um [01:54:57] the beaver issues i just want to [01:54:59] understand what's happening from a [01:55:00] conservation standpoint and [01:55:03] um from a board of health standpoint [01:55:08] can you remind me what that property was [01:55:10] um pretty much uh adjacent [01:55:13] adjacent to the common from the common [01:55:16] up past the highways [01:55:18] yeah lisa condit highway library [01:55:21] yeah two uh [01:55:23] the two properties in between [01:55:25] yeah [01:55:26] aspiring because i think the fire truck [01:55:28] was down they were [01:55:29] so they flushed the culvert [01:55:43] so can you follow can we just make sure [01:55:45] that gets on a subsequent agenda for us [01:55:48] unfortunately [01:55:50] am i not familiar with this for some [01:55:51] reason or do i not remember or what [01:55:54] it's so i don't i don't even [01:55:56] it didn't come in front of us it's just [01:55:58] an issue because it's an issue from a [01:56:00] board of health standpoint it's an issue [01:56:02] from a conservation we've got properties [01:56:05] um [01:56:06] that are next to peter uh [01:56:09] greenwich road that [01:56:11] backyard since it's in [01:56:16] the library the fire department fire [01:56:18] department um and all of those [01:56:20] properties that are bombing yeah in [01:56:22] between that there's a beaver dam there [01:56:24] and it's causing some significant damage [01:56:27] oh definitely i know from the library [01:56:29] from julie because it always gets so wet [01:56:31] down there because it's flooded he does [01:56:33] little educational things with the kids [01:56:35] down and looking at the beavers [01:56:37] but they're flooding the yeah yes the [01:56:39] library okay so can you take a look at [01:56:41] that and put that on our agenda [01:56:44] yeah all right so there was a motion and [01:56:46] a second to adjourn um all in favor [01:56:50] so we are adjourning at 7 58. [01:56:53] nicole i'm gonna leave all the paperwork [01:56:55] in your bin in your box [01:56:59] okay what what paperwork [01:57:01] really julie signs them