Board of Selectmen - Regular Meeting

All right, we're going to call to order the board of selement meeting for Tuesday, January 13th. Um, we're going to start with a board workshop on Hooks at Water main interconnection and Bow Junction Water. Over to you. that you just want to turn the microphone on there both. Thank you.

I'm Nick. Uh colleague John. Um so yeah, we're just uh here to kind of give you an update on where we're at on a few different projects we've been working on for the water infrastructure. Um uh the I've got you've got two on the agenda. I added a third one that we've also got um work that we've progressed a little bit and can give you an update on. So um the the Bow Junction uh related to the interconnection with the city of conquered um Bow Mills which is really the uh extension of the um Bow municipal water system to the north and when we um we've had a scenario where we have a elevated storage tank and when we met uh uh last year we talked about whether there was an alternative to look at going back to a um reook looking at the booster uh pump station alternative to see if that would be a more economical approach and then um the uh South TIFF district which kind of has two components. It has um both the interconnection with Hooksit, which is the 3A component, and then a um a loop on River Road, which would connect two dead end portions of the existing municipal system that also serves some of the I think are those properties actually in the TIFF now, the Pawn River Road. I think

a lot of them.

Yeah. So, I don't know. There was a discussion about those getting added to the TIFF, I think, or whether or not they got in or not. I'm not 100% sure at this point, but we're looking at that as well. So, um, just to talk about the the Bow Junction, um, as you as we've talked about before, it's to extend water from the city of conquered along Hall Street and 3A. um essentially would create a loop within the conquered water system, but um really provide service to um contaminated sources within Bow Junction at a few different places, Pitco, the um car dealerships. Um and uh so we did kind of recent activity. We did ledge probe borings uh in the fall last year, late summer, fall. Um and then um in probably August, we got uh um notification that dees was uh providing a uh some financial assistance available to the tune of uh $3.6 million kind of broken into three chunks of money. Um, and Dave's been been kind of communicating more with the folks at dees regarding the funding, so probably has a little bit more information than I have at this point. But, um, the breakdown is is essentially uh 1.8 in a drinking water SRF state revolving fund loan. Um, and they in the letter they had identified 10% principal forgiveness. That's That number is still up in the air. That kind of gets figured out when we complete the final application for for funding. Um, another 300,000

and change for um what's a SRF loan, emerging contaminant loan, and that has a 100% principal forgiveness. So, um it's kind of like a grant, I guess, but you you got to pay the money out at first, I think. Um and then uh another 1.5 million in u emerging contaminant grant money. So um the way the project has to be set up in terms of how you know the emerging contaminant money can go towards addressing the emerging contaminants at the sources that are you know the existing wells that are contaminated. Um, but there are portions of the project that that wouldn't really be eligible for the grant based on the fact that they are residential properties already connected to the city of conquered. So, they're not eligible for the emerging contaminant portion. Those would be essentially paid for through the uh drinking water SRF loan component. This is just a summary of the borings that we did. Um showing you know we did 10 borings um all of them to to basically 10 ft. We had one place where we got refusal at 9 ft up at the north end of of 3A close to where the Irving station is. So um not really a concern in terms of you know what we're looking for is is significant unknowns in terms of ledge removal. uh rock removal can add a pretty good [clears throat] um increase in cost just to deal with removing that. So um fortunately there wasn't any um that was identified during the probes and so um we feel pretty good that that the cost estimate we have is other than you know changes in inflation

and and the bidding uh environment the cost estimate should be fairly uh solid where we're at. What is a refusal? You mean it with the ledger just really high? Is that what you mean?

Yeah. So, basically, we'll we'll pound a a rod into the ground until it hits something that we can't pound anymore. And uh it's it's typically assumed that we are hitting ledge at that point. So, if we hit if we hit something, uh a lot of times we'll move over slightly to to kind of confirm whether it's a a solid ledge surface or maybe a boulder that could be hit. So, um You'll see uh in the in the bow south we did have a couple places you know we did have ledge in that area. So there's uh a couple places where we did three three probes kind of like all right next to each other to to just verify that there is uh in fact ledge that we're going to have to deal with when we start trenching rather than you know a boulder that may be more isolated. But um in the case of the junction work. It really, you know, it was uh not really evident that there's any ledge within that area. Um and then kind of next, so like the next steps on that portion of the project, um you know, we need to still continue to work with the city of Conquered for confirmation of the connection. Um things like requirements on the master meter. I think the connection fee is pretty solid in terms of where that's at, but um I haven't been as involved in that as I think the town has. So,

yeah, they still haven't. As far as I know, they haven't got back to us with we put in the letter of request for for 60,000 gallons a day. And I know it's been knocked around. I know their pack committee apparently for a couple months was supposed to be discussing this. I don't know if they have But that's what makes this difficult is while waiting for for that we have this opportunity particularly with the 1.5 million grant that if we don't proceed with a war article and get some sort of funding approval and then continue to work with conquer and whoever we'll lose that that 1.5 and I've been advised by a few people that We won't see that again.

We have to do one article this year. Yeah.

Yeah. So, what happens with the funding is in last May um we put in what's a pre what's called a pre-application. So, it it kind of gives the the basics of what the project is. It allows the state to rank projects based on the applications that they get and then match up what they have available for funding with what they have for uh projects that are um proposed by uh applicants and then um you know they do their magic and figure out what each each uh project is is ranked and then um the amount that they qualified to get. So, um the next step is to do what's called the final application and that I think is due uh May. Um part of that final application is is uh getting the authority to borrow at town meeting. So, um that's what what uh what we would, you know, kind of the next step in the process of of taking advantage of that funding would be to to make sure that we have the authority to to borrow that money. And then, um we've had some communication, I've been copied on from dees about setting up some meetings to talk through what that final application process

is. And I know Dave's spoken with them um recently to to kind of get a better understanding of how the different pots of money are are eligible for different components of the project. But and then um you know as part of the final application um you know once once we know that's going to move forward we would get the plans and spec specifications finalized for um permitting approvals and bid and construction phase. And then I did add in just a a bullet to update the cost opinion for bidding phase. Typically we have an engineers estimate when we do bids so that we can compare the bids that we get

now again it should be right around that uh loan amount so 3 so you're saying that the total cost of the project you expect to be around 36 from memory around because one of those loans is 100% forgivable so we would get 1.8 million of it's about 1.8 in loan and 1.8 in grant in grant eventually part of the grant part of the free money is a loan that they forgive the they forgive um yeah 300 300,000 at 100% so it's a 10 did I see on there

so the letter that they sent us mentioned 10% of so the the 1.8 eight had a 10% forgiveness listed in there. Um that forgiveness amount is not set in stone based on what they've what they've sent us now. So like part of the final application process gets more into the financials of um I think the income survey gets or the the income gets reverified um and then I

for it wouldn't be the income would be um is is set by the census. So so Bo would not get forgiveness but the 10% is environmentally disadvantaged. So if that was listed in the letter, I think that that's probably what it'll be right around there. It'll be Yeah. Hopefully that would still be eligible. So it's even more than 50% of between forgiveness and grief. What's the terms of the loan? The terms of the loan are about uh it's 20 years for disadvant for u standard 30 years disadvantage which would not be both. At what rate?

Right now it's 4.152. Wish you could get that on your private life. And then maybe getting ahead. So we would if we wanted to proceed, we put this on the warrant. We apply do the final application in May and then we would just wait for conquer to say yay or nay. Yes, that is the we can do this but we may be waiting around forever and the cost will change.

Yeah, but the update from conquered is they did have a a session and we know this from drinking water committee and I are here today. Thank you for the invitation. um is that they did do uh the the new uh fin committee members or the new chair people had a presentation a closed dooror present a non-public presentation in November and they were receptive to the idea and so it's just you know really between Bo and Pembrook continuing to call city of conquered to say okay when will you be hearing this again so that it comes to a vote hopefully maybe if it's not January then at least maybe February but continuing to to to call conquered until

we could proceed with what you're suggesting with with the uncertainty from conference still that's fine. Yeah, I think so. I mean I think you can make I guess one question I would have for dees is like so once we if if we complete the final application how long does that money sit in the bank before it disappears? question. What happens if conquered with with three years? Like typically, you know, a lot of times with these SRF projects, you know, they they haven't done the design work when they get the loan. So, there's usually a lag from when the loan is is available to when it's ready for construction. I mean, a lot of times it can go into the next year before it's even bid. So, like

I don't know if I don't know if that means it could, you know, so it's likely a 2027 construction project. Yeah, the typical time frame for the loan agreements and is two years, but a lot of these go into three or four years and then there's extensions. So with that projection, you you could, you know, set it up uh from the get-go to say, you know, we need a little more time to make sure that you get the approval from conquered

and and the plus is there's well, we would not be raising tax. We're bringing in about a million dollars a year. So I think the projection give or take was 125,000 a year for the loan 130. So it's it it would be covered. So there's no tax impact and this is one of the projects that's included in uh the finance plan for the is to when do we have to have warrants finalized for this year? Um, well, that's that was what when I get to the my presentation, but we've covered most today.

Yeah, that's all I have for Bo Junction. So, if we want to talk more about that, yeah, I'll just say one more thing about the loan is that if you don't use you don't have to use 100% of the loan. So, you you put get the loan in place, but if you don't use it, that's fine. You pay only pay back what you you use of the loan. That's Yeah, the tiff is sitting there not being used. So the the grant money gets accessed first. It gets access first. Well, it gets accessed based on it going towards the contained project. Yeah. Yeah. So because of where I think it would come out first because you have to, you know, you have to start on one end to get to the middle and pitco is pretty close to the middle.

Yeah. Yeah. And that's my early discussions were too that we'd start in South Main, come down, all that done. That's all qualifying for the grant. And then when we turn the corner to go to All Street, well, maybe a little bit of it is to get to Blue Seal, but then the rest is on our res. So, we'd have to pay it through a loan or or again depends on how much it is. You know, our balance in the tiff is almost $2 million. Why would we borrow money? We have the money in the tiff and it's two years out and we're generating what is the money in the tiff generating?

Right. Well, we're getting a million a year and we have about 2 million. I just the just the political kind of presenting a project that we don't have an agreement with conquered yet to borrow money and have to have a conversation about payments whether we say it's coming from the tip or not. I get it. when basically someone says I'll give you 1.8 million. Yep. Like how nice would it be to have that loop done? We can self-fund through the tiff. The other easily selfund. Does that change anything in in the Matthew den if we replace that first loan with just money from our own tiff? We were still eligible for those grants.

I don't know. That's a question for dees whether you would still be eligible to get that grant. That's I get what you're saying. take the base loan. Well, no. I I'm happy to explain to the town that a $300,000 loan will be forgiven. That's easy. But the $1.8 million loan to get a potential 10% reduction to borrow. I'm getting I'm just saying are we do we still get number two the the $300,000 loan and the $1,500 $ 1.5 million grant if we don't take that 1.8 I don't know the answer. I think the tied together is what he's saying. Get that tomorrow.

Okay. Another there's another aspect to consider Chris also and that is by getting state funding into the project do we in fact create a state interest then in having connection take place and that's something we got you know I want no I want the state funding I just I just don't want to sign a bond I'm sitting on $2 million I'm talking about the other aspect yeah David going back the war and articles are due Well, uh, we if you give us at least the okay to spend time on drafting the next few two, three weeks trying to work more of these details.

Okay. You know, the next meeting is the 27th and you can talk about that. Then there's a, you know, we're looking at a meeting that I I've scheduled in the back of my mind to do one midFebruary on the 17th so we can finalize and sign. So, what is the deadline? Uh, well, we need to have the warrant posted on the 23rd of 25th, but but my target for the board is to be done and ready with a warrant ready to sign on February. So February 17th is this board's deadline so that we can meet the

Okay. So I think the information I would need is I think Chris makes a very valid point. Can we access the $300,000 loan and the $ 1.5 million grant if we decide not to take the $1.8 million partially for the forgivable loan? And if so, would we be able to And then the board would have to vote. Are we willing to fund it and put on the board as that from the tip district? That's really what I need to know.

Since the award is to h get this project done, I think that Tom in order to to propose that I think at least you would have to say the project will be done, but you're going to use local funds to to as the match. Could we be if um there's some issue with getting the 100% forgiveness and the grant um if that's tied to the first loan of 1.8? Um isn't it possible to take the loan out and then use the tiff funds to pay the loan off immediately? Clever. [laughter]

You can also pay I I like early repayment and you the extra 10% as long as you're not using the bond bank, right? Fine. But I just Yeah. I just have a hard time saying let's borrow some money for a project that conquers not even like I understand and that we could fund ourselves. Yeah. But it's still dependent. Yeah. Regardless, probably better than 4%. But there's an argument for this was saying what are the typical signed a warrant in nine Jeff, if you can get that to uh that's why I was asking what the tiff's making.

No matter where the money comes from, whether it is a loan or the tiff fund or using the tiff fund to pay the loan, this is still going to need town meeting approval to move forward. It's just a matter of how we are presenting it to the town. Is that accurate? Uh if it was actually if we had cash to pay for it, we don't need county approval if we're not going to get a loan in order. Well, we we would be getting $300,000 loan that they then give. That would be

and the I don't know about the the 1.8 1.5 grant. Do you need authority to borrow against that grant if it's called a grant? Unless I think if there's a blanket um approval from the talent to to receive any grants they don't then there is no authority for the grant but I don't know if we have that right I think on synage what he thinks about yeah we need more information about how we can pay for it while getting the free money the also while putting you know pressure on and maybe not drag their feet in the project

right and so that's goes into my next question. Um, it sounds like we need to be following up with conquered with a little more urgency. And I'm wondering if is it helpful for like two select board members to take that on and do some of the followup work to put the pressure on to try to expedite the response time. Is that something that might be helpful? Because if it is, I'm willing to do that.

I think you'd have to do that before showing up town meeting and saying, "Here's our plan." Right. But it seems like we're having trouble getting responses from conquered. And so if it's helpful to you, David, for one of us to or two of us to follow up with Conquered and assist with that to try to speed things along, I think that's optimistic, but I we've been trying to do that for years. Yes. So, like what's what's going to change? I I think to Tom's point, I think by having taking state money and having state pressure them is probably the the best best avenue that kind of

Well, we can attack it from all different angles. If you know, if we have a state interest, if we have our select board members, perhaps you and I could just meet with conquered and see if um we can help just speed this along.

What's also changed is that there's PAS. So now both Penrook has PAS contamination. They need the connect the water main extension. Well, Junction has PAS contamination. That's why the the funds are available. So that's created an urgency and the regional study was completed to establish [clears throat] at least a connection fee and so you know a lot of the pieces are finally coming into I think you have two more things to talk about and we all agree on this one let's get some more data

that's saying I'm just making notes I want to for the next meeting or whenever possible know more about the tiff funding question I raised uh we can discuss having to um select and perhaps meet with And then at some point we have to decide how we want to proceed. And whe how long this money is locked up for if we if we commit how long do we have to get conquered on board? I think another question that comes to mind is if we do lock this up and a couple years go by, can we free up and we may decide to have to go up to two or three with some of that money. All right, let's move on.

Thanks for making it some time to be here. Hey, wish them good luck. Remember Tula, drive to the hoop. [laughter] Good luck, Tula. Yeah, that one, right?

Yeah. So, um the second project uh has to do with the water storage tank versus the booster pump station. Um this is to to take the existing B municipal system and and extend to the north towards Bo Mills. Um what we are trying to do is look into the the booster station scenarios. Um we've kind of come up with two two alternatives or two scenarios where we have either a a smaller booster zone supplying uh route 3A higher elevations. So it would just be, you know, boosting pressure to those properties that really have the um location where pressure is an issue based on elevation. Um you essentially be running parallel high pressure zone along with a transmission main. So the transmission main would be sending water from the existing system to Bow Mills where the elevation is then gone down back down and the pressure from the existing storage tank can meet the the requirements within B mills. Um and then the other alternative is a a larger booster zone where we would essentially be boosting pressure and supplying everything north of where we put the booster station. Um the difference is is really like uh a system that's sized to serve about 40 parcels versus a system that's sized to serve about 150 parcels.

When you say parcel, is that like just one residential house or is this like 150 commercial? Uh so if you go to the next slide, this this kind of shows where those 40 parcels are. Um I I don't know if you can recognize exactly where we are, but um it's it's the full, you know, I identified the full parcel. The the location within the parcel,

the elevation changes AC like especially the larger parcels, the elevation changes. And so like um the parcels that are on the east side of 3A, so on the top of the page, those larger parcels, you can imagine as those parcels go down towards the Marramac River, they go downhill and eventually you'll get to an elevation where the existing tank meets the pressure requirements. So, um, we really were looking at those parcels where they have frontage on 3A based on whether or not we included them in the kind of two categories.

So, when you say parcel, you mean actual parcel and no matter how much use there's on there. So, if I build 500 apartments or a big industrial space, that's one parcel. Yeah. It's a lot. Yeah. Lot of water. It's a lot. Yeah. Um and and so where we're at in this in this study is still a lot of unknowns like you suggested. I mean, are they are we talking about a single family residence on one of these parcels or are we talking about a commercial development or, you know, a multif family, you know, apartment type complex? And so 3A

uh that's yeah 3A essentially with um Grand View. You can kind of see where Grand View splits on the left side of the page. Um Oh, okay. I know. I now know where that is. wider. So if you go to the next slide, I can kind of it actually kind of shows a little better, too. Um, north is up here. Yeah, north is up here. So the the part the portion that's kind of circled in orange, that's the area where the highest elevations are and are what dictates the need for increased pressure, either through a booster station or through a tank.

And that's Grand View. Uh yeah. So like the um Grand View is the top top uh portion of that circle and it's it's kind of deceiving because there's a lot on Grand View that goes all the way to the crossing of 93. A lot of that lot is probably not developable in terms of like where there's enough depth of the lot to actually do anything. But it's it kind of shows as one parcel so we included it. Um the challenge with trying to do the parallel systems is we so within that transmission main we still would have pre you know low pressure compared to you know what would be typical standard pressure of either 35 PSI during normal operation or 20 PSI during a peak demand or a fire flow. So we're like right on the edge of that 20 PSI. And so, um, the next the next steps with that is to try and talk with, um, talk with permitting folks about where that threshold is going to be in that transmission main on how low we can allow that pressure to to to be. If there's no services connected to it, can we go at a lower pressure and still transmit water and and you know transmit enough volume of water through you know a large enough diameter pipe to meet all the fire demands within bow mills but not necessarily have to boost the pressure from the existing tank in order to do that. Um, and it gets a little challenging too because when you have booster stations, you want to have someplace for those pumps to pump into. And if we don't have a storage tank for them to pump into, they're going to have to pump into

hydronomatic storage. And the more the larger the service area is for the booster station, the more hydronomatic storage you're going to need or the more pumps you're going to need. Like you might need several different sized pumps. So that on lower flows, you can have like the first pump kick on and then it has to do with how much you can turn down that pump to the low end of its flow. So that when you're looking at cycling, it has that that dictates how much storage you need within that system. So what's hydro hydroatic? Hydroatamatic storage is just storage under pressure versus atmospheric storage. So you can you can um

just apply pressure. Yeah. Like a bladder tank. So like um a lot of homes h have you know if you're pumping from your well it's pumping into a small like storage tank that's under pressure and then when you have a high demand the well doesn't have to supply all of that demand. Some of that demand comes out of the pressure tank. For folks who have their own wells it's like the blue tank on the way on water line on the way in. Um, so, you know, we're we're early on in kind of this evaluation to to determine which of these two scenarios is is really feasible. Um, now when you say which of these two scenarios, you're you're talking the booster scenarios,

the two booster scenarios, like the larger booster versus the smaller booster zone. And um the other portion of this that we started looking at was you know where do we look at where do we locate these booster stations. Yeah. Um so I did pick off three parcels that kind of meet the requirements of of um where the booster station needs to exist. Uh they aren't they aren't the only parcels, but you know um I did pick one on Lincoln Drive that's a town of Bow parcel. Yeah, I would vote for that one.

Um yeah, I mean it's a little bit off the beaten path, so to speak, but there are a couple of options in terms of, you know, how we get water to the booster station. like I've had thoughts about running water from the well along cross country along where the railroad is to get to that and um unfortunately that would you know bypass some of the tiff district on 3A so we would have to you know run more water main in order to do that. Um potentially the benefit of something like that is if if we can run the transmission main closer to the river, we can keep the transmission main at higher pressure. So it would it would open up the opportunity to have a smaller booster zone if if we have issues with having a transmission main that drops below 20 PSI at certain scenarios.

What's number on that parcel if anyone can read it? Uh it's 9u. Okay. Thanks. So and then I think check and see what are the characteristics of that right. Yeah. I did look at the subdivision plan and it the subdivision plan made it seem like that lot was supposed to stay with the original developer. That's if it's subdivision open. Yeah. Right. It's not listed as open space, but it's listed as we've taken it by tax deed. Yeah. If there was a family and that,

you know, they lose track of it, whatever. We've taken it before and they bought it back. So, it's not an open space with that subdiv. Just to the west of that parcel, there's actually also a right of way, which kind of shows that paper road that's between um 9B and 9G. I think the idea was that it was to connect those two um subdivisions, but that road's not been built. It is a 50 foot wide rightway. So again, sometimes those rightways are put in for storm water drainage, too. So we really need Carrie to go back and check and see what is the basis. Yeah.

Yeah. So that is one of the next steps is to meet with the town with staff and and talk through some of these alternatives and maybe even ident. And then there's the Mary Baker Eddie parcel. Yeah. Um the ne the middle one and their next door neighbors. Yeah. Okay. The the the um First Church Christ scientist parcel. The reason I put that went on there was that it had a lot of frontage along 3A. So I think it gives a a few different alternatives and and you know maybe working with that land owner we could come to an agreement on where we could get either an easement or purchase land to to subdivide off. Um

are both scenarios of the two pump options still looking at either cheaper construction wise than the tank or are we going to start creeping up? I think I don't know yet. What's the preferred method? We've got to still get to that point. We're not quite there yet.

To me, the preferred method is the tank, but it, you know, from a technical standpoint, it it provides um less electrical electricity use. You're able to pump from the existing water treatment plant to a new tank. Um, it probably has a longer life cycle than a booster station would in terms of uh um you know the life cycle on a tank versus booster pumps is is probably double to three times as as long. Um whether we would see that in a life cycle analysis if we only look at 20 or 30 years I don't know. Um

I think the the committee's concern about a tank is the water age, right? Because you already have a water age problem in the existing tank and adding a second one is just disaster. Yeah. I think there are some other factors besides you have a technical preference for a tank, but it's based on our water usage and our needs a booster might make the most sense and financially it might make the most sense for us too. Now that the last person

you said that you're looking for direction from us about how to keep moving forward. I think we need to have that that question answered right. Yeah. what what is the best your best guess and estimate on life cycle cost upfront cost but also I think what you need to hear from us or at least from from my one vote is I'm not interested in putting a plan together that once we roll it out has just 20 pounds of PSI and it's not going to meet the needs of a town I don't want to get this done and say well that development that commercial development that is on one of these lots is not going to be able to to be built because we built the smallest thing. I don't want to do that. I'd rather put it off another year.

Well, also Chris, you got to look incrementally too. This could be a phase one. If that development were to occur and they need higher pressure, then you add another booster booster station. Fine. If that Yeah. Yeah. 100%. If that's the answer, the other pull out one pump, put a bigger pump in. Yeah. um

or something if you know if I mean I think exit one is probably the place where we're looking at the demand coming from um and that logging hill parcel I think um you know it might be nice to try and put a smaller tank on that site that would like allow the boosters to to something to pump to rather than hydronomatic storage because pumping to hydroatic storage is is going to take up a lot of space. Either if we have to put a big hydronomatic storage tank to serve that many that big of a zone um or we're going to have to do it with multiple pumps and the building gets bigger in order to kind of get enough series of pumps in place. But um we're kind of we're probably 25% into where we are in this study. So, we're we're still kind of at the beginning stages. Um, I did just want to kind of give you an update on that. This uh the next slide kind of gives you an idea of how the pump station looks.

I just think in the interest of time land view, let's move on to the hookset one. If there's no more questions from the board, have you included Tim Sweeney and his team yet in this discussion to make sure that his concerns, ideas, and approaches are included?

We we we have to very limited extent. I don't I don't think we have enough information to give Tim enough to give us a lot of feedback on but I think that's probably our next steps is in terms of meeting with meeting with the town reviewing booster station locations. Um would it definitely include Tim in that process. All right. How long have we been working on this project and developing these plans and

studies and we've been more focused on the south and the conquered loop the south tiff district and the conquered loop and we haven't put enough we just were giving you an update on that we're not very far along with the booster station essentially I mean the whole extension to the north has been you know, four or five years in terms of looking at uh Yeah,

I asked because it seems like we still have a so many unknowns. We still have studies that are not completed. We still have questions that are not answered. And it just feels like we I'm surprised we're not further along and that we don't have more answers. That the studies are not yet complete or I don't know. It just seems like it's taking a long time to get answers. I kind of felt the same way. I think it's been about a year since we had an update. Is that about right? Uh last year I don't know if it was full year.

Not a full year, but you're we appreciate the input. I Okay. Yeah, we can put more effort into getting the booster station questions answered. I Yeah. Yeah. I understand.

Um so the uh municipal extension part of the uh south tiff district again um kind of have this in two different areas. We've got on the um east side of the project would be which is the top of the page. Uh the river road area. It's approximately 6400 linear feet of of 12in water man. Um it includes two crossings of the railroad. Um both a bridge crossing on the north end and a um at grade crossing which would be a a sleeved directional drill under the railroad on the south end. We did ledge probes last fall um late summer fall. Um, no ledge was identified within that portion of the project and the the main would be um essentially all within the town of Bow right ofway uh just off of mostly off of the paved surface um so that we can limit costs in terms of pavement replacement. And then on the uh the west side uh would be the route 3A area uh approximately 4,700 linear feet of 12-in water. Um includes the interconnection with Hooks at Village. Uh we did identify ledge within that uh section for approximately a thousand linear feet. Um we also are looking at uh directionally drilling for a portion of it for a major driveway crossing um at the travel center, the truck stop. It's a only one driveway and just in terms of open cut versus directionally drilling um for keeping traffic. Um and then that's all within New Hampshire DOT right ofway. Um just a couple of photos. So this shows the river road at grade crossing.

Um uh and then the next one shows the uh river road uh bridge crossing. So I mean those are those are the two major obstacles on the river road component is dealing with the railroad and and um uh addressing a bridge crossing, you know, an insulated bridge crossing uh and a a directionally drilled sleeve. you know, nothing that's that out of the ordinary, I guess, or crazy in terms of um, you know, stuff that hasn't been done before. But, uh,

we come up to the bridge and then not close the loop or would that create even more operational problems? And, you know, if we have just a longer dead end, it comes up to that and then stop to cross. I mean, we're pretty close to the bridge now. So, I mean, if you wanted to not connect that. I mean, it could be something that was done, you know, you could get as close to the bridge as you as you could and then, you know, if the funding didn't allow for it or, you know, um dealing with that railroad became an issue. I mean, it's it's uh I mean, it makes sense. We want it.

Yeah. Yeah, I mean from a water quality standpoint and and just uh hydraulics, it's nice to have a loop and not have dead ends, especially with um when there are concerns about water age with this um with this extension. Okay. Well, you might be answering it now. Would it require boosters? No. Tanks? No. So, um

this is this is close to a regular tank. Yep. Yeah, it is close to the regular tank um or the existing tank. So, we we've met with Hooks at Village. You know, they've obviously shown interest in an interconnection to supplement their existing water supply sources. Um they haven't been able to really give us a a firm number on exactly how much water they would be needing or when. Um but you know it's it's kind of dependent on development and where development happens. Uh the two systems operate at um similar hydraulic grades essentially identical um overflow elevations for the tank. The tanks do operate at a little bit different um levels based on how the the two towns choose to operate their tanks. Um so uh that actually kind of makes it a little more challenging because uh depending on where water elevation is in each of the tanks will dictate which direction the water will flow without a pump. Um so uh you know we would have uh a control building to house the interconnection meters uh valving and then controls and then you know how we figure out these operational scenarios and final design is is kind of like a future phase for the project. But um the this shows where uh Hookset Village water line ends right now. You can kind of see a hydrant behind that bush behind the catch basin. That's the end of um Pookset Village. Um and then Sullivan Tire is the building that's behind there. So essentially somewhere along that stretch we would want to put in a a interconnection building. Um, we talked a little bit about a vault and having

something underground, but I think from a maintenance and um accessibility and confined space perspective and what we've talked we have talked with Tim and met with them uh both Tim and with um uh the the superintendent from Hooksit and I think a above grade building is is uh the preferred option for um setting up the meters and and uh the controls and and you know, we haven't really figured this out in terms of how it's going to it's going to have to communicate with both SCADA systems. It's going to have to know elevations of what the water is in the tanks before valves will be opened so that we know when a valve opens which way the water is going to flow. And I mean really the the goal here is for us to sell water to hooks it and not necess not really for hooks its water to come back into bow. So, um,

can't you put a oneway? Yeah, I mean backflow. Yeah, you can you can do a check valve so that it wouldn't come back that way, but the last thing we need is more water [laughter] unless you have something happen at your source and there's an emergency where you would want to have that interconnection. So, a part of this of an interconnect. thought it was to sell water because we had [laughter] that's what the need today but you never Yeah. Yeah. You don't know why you would need the water from them today. But there could be something that comes up that we can't anticipate. I know I can do fire hydrants in front of that house. [laughter]

Don't park. Well, I mean, part of part of uh part of standards for an interconnection is to have ability to flush both systems at that location. So, you may end up with a couple of hydrants there. Um that's the example of the interconnection. That's an example of what an interconnection building would look like. It's it's um you know probably something in the order of uh uh 10 by 15 size building. Um and really just you know enough to to bring a pipe up on up from the ground

have enough room for metering and valving and uh um instrumentation to to understand what the pressures are. And

um this is just example of what something might look like. You know, architecturally we can they can um it can be, you know, whatever the the town prefers based on where the location is. It's it's, you know, the architectural look of it. It's maybe less of a concern than in some other places, but um that's that's where we're at. Uh and then I I I did um you know, we have put together a current estimated construction cost. So um we broke it into two segments um the river road component and the 3A to hook it component. So um river road is in the order of uh $3.2 million and the the 3A is in the $2.65 million price range. So um

how many properties would that now have access to water for each of these projects? I think there's only 13 parcels that are that would um end up part of that. I think it's both projects. Yeah, I think it's like I want to say the river road might only be five because they're pretty large parcels and then it's like maybe eight on on the 3A.

And those parcels, just to circle back to the question from earlier, those parcels could potentially house an apartment complex or a huge industrial facility. like we don't know yet what there's at this point it's not yeah I mean the other at this current moment um so there's potential that it does not matter even though there's only

a dozen parcels that we could see an increase in revenue if any one of those parcels were to become a large facility that you know. Yeah. So, like on the on the east side of 3A, I think they're essentially a a gravel pit.

Um, you know, I'm not sure where they are in terms of how much material they still have available to them before that has to get reclaimed and, you know, has an opportunity for some other use. But, you know, I that's it's probably unlikely that that's going to get um a big water demand. So I guess my question then is is there a possibility that these parcels that we would be servicing that are limited to about a dozen parcels is it uh possible that those parcels would be commercially developed so that we could see an increase in revenue to help offset the cost of the construction here.

Uh yes yeah that's why we expanded the river road piece because that those are much more potential because it sounds like we are only, you know, this is only to serve 12 customers, but that's not the case is what you're saying. There's a potential for development to go in there, which would increase revenue to offset the cost of this major construction project. It may be helpful to give you an

Thank you. Um, in terms of next steps, um, we we'd like to, you know, uh, do some refining on unit pricing. Um, you know, as we come into the spring again, we're going to get more bids to to review and compare to to to help us get an idea of what these unit prices are, um, and what the bid environment is. Um, just uh, continuing to review plans. We've got a, you know, we've got a set of drawings. It's, you know, 30 32 32 sheets right now of, you know, plan and profile of of the alignment and routing. Um I was noticing today there's a couple of high points where we need to consider air release valves whether you know I think we've got hydrants there now whether those would qualify as a manual air release or not um or whether we would need to add something like that. So there's a little more, you know, I think we're essentially in the 50 to 60% level of effort in what our scope was for this um this component of the project. Um we have met with Hooksit. Uh we talked about trying to actually integrate the two hydraulic models. So uh Hookset has a hydraulic model of their entire water system and um you know uh We'd like to try and integrate those two to get a better understanding of, you know, where demands within their system um would in fact draw water off of Bose's system versus drawing water off of Hook Hookset system. Um you know, proximity to where their tank is versus our tank is probably the the um you know, one of the factors in in

where the water's going to come from because the pressures are in fact you know, very similar.

As we run out of time, I think it's my sole question is if we if something triggered us that we need to move relatively fast on one of these think development came in and said we're going to need water. We clearly missed this year's cycle. Uh how how much work do you all have to put together that final plans for South because I think we've got somewhere north of a million3 already in the trip district. My guess rough back envelope is that's going to be probably another three or $400,000 by the end of the this fiscal year. And so we're not far from undertaking one or both of these projects if if there were

um I think [clears throat] we're in good shape in terms of having all the information to to finish the plans. Uh the probably the most complicated part is just figuring out the controls between the two systems, how to how to regulate the opening of of valves and try and think through the scenarios so that we don't have some something happen that we that wasn't factored in there. But um that's probably the most complicated part of it. So in terms of plans, we're we're pretty far along. Um that was really the electrical and the controls.

Could it be split the two that if a fast track maybe is the hook or we the fast track is the river road? Yeah. That's why we gave you worried about the inter. Yeah. That's kind of why we gave you the two

costs is we kind of see this as one of the two is going to happen before the other and probably one, you know, the project that gets built is most likely not going to be both at the same time. It's going to be one or the other depending on where that demand is. Um, and you know, I mean, this these are what we would, you know, refer to as 60% drawings, but as John said, you know, we have all the information. We've met with DOT. We have a we have a a confidence in where our alignment is along 3A. Um that's been vetted with with DOT in terms of um meeting their requirements. Um we have an idea of where the ledge is. We know

um we've done wetlands uh preliminary wetlands evaluation to um make sure we're not impacting any of that. Um, so it sounds like the most work is figuring out tying the two systems. Yeah. If you were just to do say river first,

would you how much more bought time would you need for that? Um, I mean the I think one of the things you brought up is, you know, we've got a couple of drain crossings which, you know, some of the sometimes those can be a little bit of, uh, work in terms of making sure that we're planning for future expansion of any drainage. Um, uh, we wanted to meet with Tim and run through those. Yeah, I mean, it's it's probably a couple of months. Oh, where? Yeah, that's we we've missed this year. We're not going to be asking for a bond this year. So, it's Yep. All right. This was helpful. Thanks very much. Thank you.

Appreciate it. Thank you. All right. Moving on to our regular meeting. We first have Thank you very much. public comment. Yes. Before we get to public comment, if it's okay actually ask a question. No, no, I'm good here. David, quick question. I I recall about a maybe a year ago using that as kind of a base point. Um we had talked about a cost benefit analysis for down by um the Bow Mills. Not Yes. Bow Mills area. Does anyone else remember that or just me?

Yes. Oh, the northern borders. um grant money. Yeah, we talked about getting a um Yeah, basically a is it is it financially? Yeah, we have regional planning commission signed on and they're going to assist us with managing the grant and getting the company and that'll end up doing it. So, so we still don't have that that piece is not done of this puzzle. Okay, great. Thank you.

Good. All right, moving on to public comment. If there's anyone here who wants to speak to something that is not on the agenda, please step forward. By hearing none, we're going to move on to a public hearing. In accordance with RSA 419-8, the town of board town of board folk selectmen are going to have a public hearing and accept input on the proposed cemetery fee changes in our town ordinance. The section is 124-4 cemetery fees. C grave openings $825 Monday to Friday. D overtime grave openings 1,150 on Saturday, 1,250 on Sunday and $1,300 on holidays. E is cremain's grave opening $400 Monday to Friday and overtime CMI's grave opening of 725 Saturdays, 825 on Sundays, and 875 on holidays. So, as this is a public hearing, I will open the public hearing. If anyone wishes to speak on these fees, seeing none, I will close the public hearing. Is there any board discussion?

David, are these services provided by an outside? Yes. Have we ever put that up to bid? Uh, no, we have. Um, I'll wait for a motion. I'm happy to make a motion. Oh, we can't do that tonight, right? Do we I think we need to David, we have to wait to make a motion to the next meeting on this. No, you can't. You can go ahead. We can do it tonight. Okay. I'm going to make a motion that we adopt the uh proposed fee changes under section 124-4 cemetery fees. Second.

I have a motion in the second. Any further discussion? Hearing none. All those in favor say I. I have it for nothing. I think we should uh endeavor to uh get a competitive quote on this just to make sure that these rates are um are and remain competitive in an environment. Um they don't seem outrageous to me, but my guess is every once in a while you should put something like this out to bid. Yes. So, let's um do you need a motion for that? David wants me to make a motion, I will. Otherwise, he can just do the work. Yep. We'll do we'll find out what other companies do that work. Thank you. Thank you, Connie. We'll put that on our follow-up list.

All right, meetings. We have a meeting on the Bo Recreation Center edition. Facilities manager Chris Andrew and parks and recreation director Darcy Little, if you come forward and press the microphone button so it's green. Thank you, sir.

All right, let's hear it. Thank you. Uh, so after a year's worth of work, we finally have an answer uh for the cost of uh this addition. Uh, Cobbill Construction out of Conquered was the lowest bid fitter atu, uh, just under 4 $80,000 about $100,000 of that was site work and concrete. We're here tonight hoping that the select board will uh move this to the next stage which I understand would be town meeting in March. Answer any questions? You said 480. Yeah, just under 480. And and if I could run you run you run through what I just gave you. Y

um there's some different scenarios and and again the the revolving fund is different from month to month depending on what's being paid out, what's in, but we've chosen at least a constant moment in time to use to give you this information and it's the end of uh each fiscal year, but it doesn't mean that again it just gives us a rough idea. So you see what happened in uh when we bought the the building was in 2223. That's the first year we made 318,000 that year. Uh the next year we cleared uh 121 net because we spent some on capital projects, the 20,000. The following year we ended up with a a net actually net deficit because that's when the town or the board started uh putting in or asked to put in 150,000 out of that fund. So that's where we start to chip away at the balance and we were down to about 576,000. The following year uh did another deposit into the capital reserve. So that is another chunk of 103,000 in into the net loss or net the negative which drops that down to about 473. Um and then the different scenarios. The one on the top is the one that the board is currently at was uh to put 150,000 into the community building capital reserve fund which again would bring the the total balance down to about 460. U the next the next scenario is the addition only. We did that uh we would end up projected with a balance of $136,000 in the revolving fund. And then if you

do both, we won't have enough money. Thank you. Um my my two cents is this is about what we thought the engineer thought this could cost. Um and for unfinished storage space in an office, it's I think it is more money than it warrants. I think we as a town need a long-term solution to our community center, which we're saving towards. And I think when we do that, we can for a longterm solution for spare office space and spare storage space.

I agree that uh we do need a long-term solution. I agree with what you're saying, but um if I may, Darcy, do you need this addition to fully offer the amount of services that the town uh seeks from the recreation program? So having having the um additional space doesn't change what we can offer for services. We have been since we opened the building offering the before and after school program and the um summer camp. So that won't change anything. But what will it will change is our ability to have like there's one classroom in the um before and in the rec center that is used just for storage. If we were able to take that things out of there and put it into the addition, then we'd have more space that we could move kids into so that when classrooms are full of kids and they need some more space, then there'll be another option for them. Um, and then the office space we have um in the the main office, which is very tiny, we have um two people sharing an office, a desk space. So I share my desk with another person and then so it's just hard and then you've got kids that come down that are sick that have to be in there. You're trying to do a Zoom call or have a private conversation and it's just a public space that there's just it's it's hard. So to have an office space, it would just make it a lot easier. But to answer your question, no. Having having and also I guess I just need to move back our Celebrating Children preschool staff. They have a ton of um um materials that they keep at the um the backbay at the community building. Every month they have to go back and forth and bring their materials back and forth. Um and it would just be so much better use of their time um to

have it right there where they could get at it. But to answer your question, no, it wouldn't change what we can offer for services, but it would make it more efficient for you.

More efficient. So, we wouldn't be paying for back and forth transportation. Um, you'd have the office space that you need to better run the programs. Um, I I understand that this is a need for the recreation um for parks and wreck. I am wondering if I am interpreting this chart correctly. I I think what I'm seeing is that there is sufficient funding in the capital reserve fund to pay for this addition so that there would be no taxpayer or tax impact uh that taxpayers would have to pay.

Correct. If we were to put this to a town vote, if the town were to support the addition, um it would be zero cost to the taxpayers based on what I'm seeing here. I just want to make sure I'm interpreting it. That is correct. That's what we have discussed that there would be no impact to the town at all. It would come out of the revolving fund balance. And if we use the funds in the capital reserve fund to pay the entirety of this addition, um are you still able to run all of your programs sufficiently? Yes. You know, having drawn out of that capital reserve fund like would community members expect to see a change in services or programming?

No. Because each year when I do my budget, I end up making money when I take all my expenses and and figure out my revenues. I make money each year. So, this money is just what was in the revolving fund. Um, but if if there was zero in it, zero in it, we could still run with because we the money that we make will pay for all of our expenses. And I guess uh then my next question is um is it accurate that the revolving fund is funded through the users of the wreck program including celebrating children preschool before and after. It's it's the users that have contributed to this fund. Is that Yeah. It's all of parks and recck. So it's also including all the programs that we run out of the community building as well. All our fitness programs, our youth sports, um anything that's under the umbrella of parks and wreck, all that revenue is um going into the revolving fund.

So then we we we're not asking nonuser taxpayers to fund an addition on this building. We're using if this were to be approved, money that has been deposited into this fund for the use of the recreation programming. Um gosh, I mean it's just it's interesting to me because I've heard people twist this to say that we're raising taxes if we if this were to move forward that we would be raising taxes to put an addition on a building. And it sounds like we have the money that is userfunded um that wouldn't affect the programming and services that the community expects that wouldn't raise taxes but would provide you the space that you need to better run the programs um that you offer that so many BO residents enjoy. That that is all correct.

Okay. I think that a lot of people don't understand that the revolving fund um that we are self-funded I think they just think that it's if it's the town's recreation building that it's going to be their taxes, right? I think they just don't understand.

I I all of what you said is is true about how the funds got there. Uh it's it's important to understand the town paid cash net bills for 1.2 million with hope someday we will return that money back to the taxpayers. I made those comments when I asked them to fund it with cash with cash tax tax raise taxes over a two-year period. We've we've achieved about a $300,000 of that has gone back uh from the places that we took it. Uh all of those other comments you said said are true. This is still space. What's these the dollars per square footage in the space? This is very without a calculator. I I don't know. Without calculating, I don't know. I'm sure somebody's quicker than I am. the dimensions.

Forgive me.

I don't have the the dimensions with me. Okay. Sorry. Sorry. Are you also accounting for Chris the fact that we have not had to include the recreation budget um into our taxes as far as paying back the taxpayer goes? when you make that kind of comment. I think the program has been Well, that's not true because we we we fund the community building out of town tax dollars. Um most of all of the rec building is funded out of the fund. But this has been a successful program. So I just I just think we can't ignore that we are benefiting

when you start talking about several hundred per square foot for bas basement store basement office and a unfinished store room at plus $200 a square foot is really expensive space. I am not disagreeing with you on that point. I am simply pointing out that since you know approximately let's call it 2022 23 um this department has no longer been on top of our budget. Uh yeah that's a process that we've been working on eight or nine years uh slowly getting down but when we when we finally purchased the rec building the last of the staff person was moved over.

Yeah. other than the community building cost. So when you reference the 300,000 that we've saved for a new community center, it's not only that savings that is essentially being um returned to the taxpayer for future use of a new,

right? $300,000 that we don't add to our budget, our operating budget, saves the taxpayer approximately a nickel per thousand on their tax rate. So, I'm I just don't want to ignore the fact that we are as taxpayers, we are saving money um by not having to absorb the full cost of the wreck program anymore on our budget. So, it's not just a $300,000 two time. Just to be clear, adding a $480,000 storage room and offering. That is not what I'm discussing.

To be clear, adding a $480,000 storage room does not add any additional revenue to the town. If you want to pretend that this is free money and we can spend it with we do not make accusations. Excuse me. Do not make accusations. I am simply pointing out that we have had more than a $300,000 benefit by having this program in this building run. Do not put words in my mouth. I did not sit here and vote for an addition. So, thank you. Is there anyone else here would like to speak to this? One comment can I make?

Uh over the past year, we have heard every comment and question um the concerns and we've thought about all of them. cost savings measures, alternatives. Um, the one thing that that keeps recurring that this keeps getting wrapped up with a with a new community center. If we come to a permanent solution down there for a new community center, that solution has nothing to do with this discussion because we can't just simply move her storage that is offsite to a new building storage offsite and cure the problems with her office and trying to get that storage on site. Um uh we did meet with Cobb Hill last week and um that if tonight's uh direction is favorable, we're going to continue to meet with them once a month with our team and their team and go through and try to find additional cost savings. We've already identified some um that were expecting the original bid that they have alternatives that we can work with our team, our building inspector to come up with some alternatives. So over the next couple months, we are going to try to to to look at the entire price. Not that we're going to bring it down significantly. I don't want to portray that,

but we may be able to realize, you know, 20 or $30,000 here or there by by different options. We have heard all the concerns and um I I I I don't want to I don't say that lightly. We we know that this is an expensive uh proposition. um conversation I had with with one of the biders is that uh it's a municipal project and that's one of the things that they have to factor in as opposed to just hiring something for our own individual home. Um and that comes with a premium premium premium unfortunately. Um, I just want to make sure I understand the ask and that this would be asking for the select board to support a warrant article to go before the town for a building addition. uh you'd be seeking approval for 480,000 um from is that I'm just I'm trying to understand like are we

asking for a warrant article to withdraw funds or are we just asking for approval for the building to use it? What? That's a map. We have the we have as a agents to expend we have the right to do either but it would depend on which motions if any are made tonight the way we go. Yeah. I just want to make sure I understand. Thanks. That is my understanding as well that David could author David could authorize the uh spending of $48,000 today and his own will to to build this building. There had been commitments made by this board last year that we wouldn't move forward with this project without a vote. But

I think that we'll remain on board with that. Just a real quick question, I guess. Are we in the warrant article where it was approved um at town meeting to adopt the recreation revolving fund. It does not list or does list the board of selectmen. It doesn't because they it authorizes you can do whoever you can use whoever you want. You have a recreation commission you can authorize them. Yep. You could do the board of selectment and the reasoning was but the town directed the town manager

right therefore it was pre it was prebuilding so it was to run operations which is what we use it for. So beyond recommending a warrant article this board cannot legally approve an expenditure. We could direct David we no he is the authorized agent to expend. So either it's David or the town as a whole. So this board cannot authorize that expenditure is my understanding and I won't we are not agents right so we are not agents to expend right no but we can approve a warrant article for the town to decide for this

is what you're saying it's advisory but yes okay Mr. Mayo do you have something to add can you just the mic at wireless. Okay, thank you.

Uh, so first of all, um, my name is Mike Mayo, 106 South Pole Road. I'm here as a private citizen, but I think most of you know I'm also on the budget committee, so I'm not here on behalf of the budget committee. Um, I want to start by thanking Dave Bolinquist Darcy who provided me with some information over the past month or so to help me understand what exactly are we trying to accomplish. Um, and so I appreciate that. But first, I want to start by asserting the fact that from from my perspective, the recreation center starts out in a condition of or or in a category of this is a want. This is not a need. there is no obligation for the town to provide that space or those services. That's my perspective. Thus, categorically, we're in this want condition. And as a taxpayer, that's an important distinction. Um though I do acknowledge the fact that the town has an obligation to nurture that investment that we made some years ago to deliver the div the desired um benefit based upon the records I was given and that consists of the uh memos that were provided to the select board over the course of the last year or so. uh project sheet. I've looked at the RFP and I've looked at the bids. I'm concerned because I don't see a basic needs analysis. I don't see a mathematical analysis of exactly how much space is needed and how are you doing it. Now, I think we have an understanding. We have a pretty good clue. So, I'm not asserting that we don't. But in the realm of asking for $500,000 and a new building which is going to bear its own costs long term, I think and I would expect more work to be done to not only understand that need

and also to understand and display what are the other options. Chris has mentioned that we've looked at other things and I know people uh that I've come across have expressed different ideas in terms of what those options are. yet I don't see them prosecuted and that worries me because maybe there's a better option that hasn't been considered. Is there a $100,000 option out there that would satisfy not only the storage need but also the private space need? And I think both of those are real. I'm not disputing that you need space. I'm just saying I don't think uh enough work has been done, enough due diligence has been performed to convince me that this is the best option. Um, so from this taxpayers's perspective, it's insufficient due diligence. In my opinion, the name seems to be predicated on a requirement to shuttle supplies once a month back and forth from the community center to the uh rec center. Once a month. I don't know how much time that takes people. I know there's time involved and I know it's probably disruptive to their daily routines. But I don't see it. Where where's the analysis? Where's Where's the labor content? What are we going to save if we build the building if we don't know what we're spending? Now, I understand the movements consume some staff time and the private vehicles are used and I fully understand that's a bad thing. We should not be asking people to use their private vehicles to move town equipment and think there's other options. The other thing that I want to point out is that the space currently occupi occupied in the community center for those supplies that move once a month is 7 ft wide, 40t long. That's 300 slightly under 300 square feet.

We're going to build a building that's got 960 square feet of storage space. I'm confused by that. I don't understand it. The next thing I heard was the current space in the community center is I don't know not enough. I was just there a couple weeks ago. Let me tell you there's plenty of space there. So at the end of that I I see well all right so the the real issue here and I don't dispute the reality of the issues but it's convenience. It's harder. It's a little bit more complex to use the community center. It's not impossible. As Darcy has done for a number of years, it comes with with with aggravation. I think that's what needs to be looked at. The inconvenience factor, not necessarily where the storage is located. There's sheds and sea containers and gosh, could you contract somebody once a month to spend an hour with a van to move that material for you? I bet you could, but I haven't seen that that's necessarily been prosecuted. The other thing I'd say is if we did that and we use more space in the community center as it exists right now, I realize Chris's point that may not be there forever, but there's no plan, no timeline, nothing's been approved. It's years away. But there may be options to relieve some of that space and that programming that you referred to, Darcy, to make it more of a mixed use. So, it could have a door and it could become private space. I don't know if it'll work or not, but I can't tell you I've seen that it's been analyzed. [cough] So, I'm urging the select board to deny the current request and defer the matter defer the matter to further due diligence. My understanding that your

last suggestion there was to use the community center as private space and put a door on the No, I want to make sure I understand what you're saying. I'm sorry if I wasn't clear. I didn't didn't mean to confuse anybody. So, as Darcy mentioned, there is a program room. I have that term correct. Classroom. Classroom. It's being used for supplies right now. Storage of supplies. And it's a relatively big room. I think in total is roughly 300 square feet. Got to have space for access to an elevator and the doorway. I get it. But it is possible that same space could be used for both storage and a private meeting area. You'd have to build something, but it's a function of partitions in a doorway.

Um

it's an idea. It may not be feasible. There could be no thank you for your clar code requirements and so forth. Chris, um, based on what you know of the storage space at the community center, um, I know it's jam-packed in there. Um, I've seen it my with my own two eyes, too. If we were to, you know, move that storage from the community center to this new addition, does the town of Bow have additional storage needs that we could use that um, space at the community center that can't be used for anything else except for storage. It like would that free up some space for the town's needs uh other storage needs?

Not at the not at the moment. Okay. Um answering the comment that um that there's not enough storage at the current community center. Uh that that has not come up in conversation concerning this discussion. It's coming up with in discussions in reference to a potential new or renovated community center, but not in that has nothing to do with u what we're looking at doing here, which is bringing the storage that is used on site back on site.

Um I would and as far as calculations and stuff like that, early on in the process when we met with the designer, we we we did all of that. um some of the footprint was based on what was needed for the office size to be quite frankly and then we confirmed that we could fit the items at the community center into the storage area make it all work. Um the other thing that uh hasn't been brought up in discussion that literally every space that we can fit storage into we do it in Darcy's office. It's two people plus all of their office supplies plus a printer plus a copier plus a shredder, file cabinets. It's really there's barely enough room in there to walk around. Last week I was on a Zoom meeting with Shannon. In comes a child that is having an emotional moment and there's no private place to do that. Um that's a daily occurrence. I actually asked Shannon to write some notes because I knew Darcy was going to be sick tonight and I wasn't sure if she's actually going to be able to talk. So, um, but this the supply closet you can barely walk in shoulder width wide because it is just so jam-packed up. So, the the the I'm not sure that it's done been done to what you might be used to as far as um the mathematical side of things. Um, we did some of that early on just to confirm that we have the space, but quite frankly, a lot of it is just dealing with the day-to-day operations of the staff there. um what is a want versus what is a need. Some of these are clearly wants. The convenience of having storage on site is a want. It's not a need. We can do that. Um when we when we first bought the building, we would schedule with Darcy that my staff would bring our truck down and move the stuff for them. They would pile it up, but that quickly became cumbersome, especially in the winter months. Um so they went back to doing it

themselves. So, a lot of things that were discussed. I mean, we have discussed um other buildings. Uh we have discussed other things. We have discussed conx boxes. We have discussed a uh like a two stall garage type of building.

Um neither one of those answers the office space. Uh we have looked at other alternatives on the property itself that's not connected to the building on that that that would um maybe lower uh the site work costs. Unfortunately, Darcy uses all of that real estate for her outside programs, sledding in the wintertime, uh different events during the summertime. Um her property is, you know, maybe a couple of acres, but there's really not that much usable space on the property during due to the slope. Um we felt that this addition was the best use of this the property because we don't use that slope for activities. Um and then it answered the um it's a minor point but it also answers the ADA ramp issue.

Again we could solve that tomorrow you know in house but um that is another another challenge that we were trying to solve in this. All right mayor it's not really a it's not really a debate. We're just can you get the microphone to take this away from me now. We're not we're not you're doing that. It's not a debate. It's not a debate. We're trying to take input from people. Um, does anyone else from the public want to speak on this? Just give us your your name and address if you could and the microphone. We need your address.

Nine Crockett Drive. Thank you. Um, I just wanted to ask in regards to Elena's question. I thought it was very pertinent. The question was, and I wasn't clear of the answer, was the responsibility of the board is to determine whether or not this could be a town warrant to be voted on and not whether the town manager has the ability to spend this money on his own. Now, you may not want to do that now, but who's to say when you retire, we get another town manager that might want to do something like that. So, I guess my question is, is this something the town manager would have the ability or discretion to spend money on in the future if we if he decided to do that?

Yes, he could do it right now. He could do it right now. Correct. That's the way when the original warrant was drawn up back in 20, right? 2020, 2020. Oh, no. So, whatever. It was prior to most of us with the exception of Chris. No. Oh, yeah. No, this is this was before me. So, when that warrant was drawn up and put before the voter, the agent to expend was solely listed as the town manager.

Just so you understand that when that program originally started, it was basically so that we had the flexibility to run summer camps, right? We didn't know year in year out how many people would sign up for summer camp. And so, we didn't know if you're going to need to budget for five counselors or eight. And so based on how many kids would come, money would go over the rolling fund. It would get spent out. It's been a phenomenal success. The using the rolling fund to allow our recreation department to be dynamic has been I'm as fiscally conservative as elected official as you will find in the state of New Hampshire. And this program has worked swimmingly. Um the fact of the matter is it is now because we paid cash for a building and gave it to them to generate even more revenue. It's now generating a lot of revenue.

Yeah. But I I guess my my concern would be um and this is probably something the board should consider and debate about, but uh maybe a cap on what a town manager has the discretion to spend on a project of this nature. I think makes a lot of sense to me. Unfortunately, um the creation of the recre volume fund uh enabling statute doesn't allow for us to control that as I understand.

Now, I think the board so you can put into context kind of the board's job as managing a relationship with town employee David. The board made a commitment to our citizens that we wouldn't spend this money without bringing it to a vote. So, we made that commitment kind of together and publicly last year. Um, and it would be a bold move of an employee of a board who made that commitment to the elected citizens to then do that. Yeah. But, but a new a new board could come in and and do that though. Yeah. Well, the board or town manager could change their mind and say, "That's not what we meant."

There's nothing that would stop. But there's no you're you're saying there's no way we can protect taxpayers by limiting the ability of a discretionary expense to be done by a town manager. Could vote on this this the warrant article that's going to move $150,000 from the revolving fund into the CIP which will then limit the money that's available for them. Okay, that was my or you could spend all the money and not have that issue. All right. If there's no more public discussion or questions, we want to move to a motion tonight. Does anyone want to proceed on that front?

I'm wondering if uh Select McFlan would have input on this and so I wonder if this is something we might consider putting off to the next meeting. Um and if there are any questions that board members have that they can submit them to. uh Darcy or Chris Andrews to try and get further clarification on the needs. Um, I just

I think I'm just really I I personally am just very concerned that it is um it is not being made clear that our our role at this point because the town manager has said, you know, kind and not meant as an insult at all. He's he punted and said, "Look, you guys made a statement last year at town meeting. You I am not gonna authorize the expense of this money. I I think it needs to be very clear that if a vote, at least from my perspective, I don't want to speak for the rest of the board. If a vote in the affirmative is to put this on the warrant, that is what the vote is. is just to say we're recommending this go this go to the taxpayers for a vote. The the vote is not necessarily also incidentally you know your personal opinion or how you would vote as a citizen um once presented at town meetings. So,

right, it would be it's a a vote to it would be a vote potentially if a motion were made to put the question to the taxpayers to the taxpayers. It would not be a vote of um support right for this. It and I think that needs to be very clear.

I think you're right. You could in fact vote to put this to the taxpayers without believing yourself that this would be a good use of money and maybe even vote against. I will not be voting to put it to taxpayers and I will be voting against spending $480,000 for an office and a storage room. So I I think just so you understand I don't think that this is approved spend. I didn't think it was when they told us it was going to cost $500,000 last year. I didn't think it was when they said no, it's only going to be 300. I didn't think it was when we put this out for engineering and I don't think it is now. I think we owe it to the towns the bow to replace the 1.2 million. To answer your question, we have time. We have meetings between now and when warrants need to be submitted. So if you wanted to delay any vote until Slacken Flanigan graced us with his presence again, you totally within it will not in fact impact the outcome of this.

Yeah. Yeah. I I think that um this is obviously a bit controversial. This is something that even though it is would be a a vote whether create a warrant article to ask the voters to choose one way or the other. Not a vote of the select board um in support or against. I think it is something that we should give select Flanigan the respect um to vote on this whether or not to send it to the voters. Does the board agree? If there's no motion, we know you're going to

No, I think there's no motion. Yeah. Right. I have no motion. Can we move on to the rest of our agenda? Yeah. All right. If there's no motion, we're going to thank Darcy and Chris. Darcy, I hope you feel better. Get some rest. Moving on to the consent agenda. I'll make a motion to accept the consent agenda.

I will second that. I have a motion, a second. All those in favor say I. I. I. Eyes have it four nothing. All right. Uh, town manager report.

Yes, short one. These are they're coming around the written report. Um, our employee of the month for January is Stephanie Bogle, staff at the police department. Um, she had a great nomination. She was nominated by Chief Miller. Um, and so she was chosen. So, she is the employee of the month for outstanding employee for June. Uh the budget hearing uh date and time has been set. Chris was probably going to talk about this later. Uh but the public hearing is Thursday, February 5th, 6 o'clock at the high school auditorium. We had talked a backup date of Wednesday, February 12th. You may have heard of that, but there is no uh room available. There's a concert. So the backup date or if a petition word article that has to do with money comes in, they could need that extra time as a hearing. So that's Wednesday, February 11th. Same time, same place.

Just can you just repeat it that right now it's scheduled for what date? For the 5th. 5th. Thursday the 5th, 6 p.m. And then the snow date or backup in case they need it is Wednesday, February 11th. And that is in the BHS auditorium. Yep. Perfect. Uh personnel, the department advertised on Indeed, we got a whole bunch of more applications than they usually have. Of course, 98 98% of them will be useless. Those of you that used Indeed, it's like, yeah, I think I'd like to be a police officer and you know, biology degree. Hey, you got to try try everything.

Uh but we do have a couple. one I believe we've made a an offer to is a certified police officer out of state but it's much easier doesn't have to go to the academy there's just a law package test that they have to to take and then the river road bridge project our last bridge to be done um we continue to meet and we're meeting next week with DOT and our engineer uh to discuss the project uh develop a schedule for the publication and review of bids And so we're this funding was approved this current fiscal year. So we're going to try to bid it out sooner than later, not wait till spring or summer. Uh so we get the best price that we can. And we're very close. We're very close to being ready.

That is all I have. Any questions from the board? All right. We have two sets of minutes to approve. The first is December correct. Correct. One is very short. The December 9th would be the first one we deal with. We do have a quorum so we can vote. Yeah. Um Well, hold on to that thought. There's one. No, I'm saying just we can vote. Chris, do you have an edit?

Well, I think I will. I can make a motion. to approve the meeting minutes from Tuesday, December 9th and Monday, December 22nd. I have an edit on the 22nd or a question on the 22nd. I wonder if do you want to try to do this all at once or do you want it individually? I'm pulling myself out. I'm going to have to abstain from the 16th. I did not stay for the entirety of that meeting. What page is it on? So, let's deal with them separately. So December 9th age. So a motion to accept December 9th. A second. Um any further discussion? Hearing none. All those in favor say I.

I. December 9th minutes are approved. Three nothing. Tanya. Um the December 16th if Elena is not going to vote. We don't have quorum on that issue. Right. So let's um we do now. [laughter] Um okay. I make a motion to approve the minutes of December 16th. I will second that. I have a motion, a second. All those in favor say I. I. I'm going to abain on that one. So 16th is 3 nothing with um and then the 22nd, Miss Brennan has a edit.

Yes. I'm wondering um the final line says the proposed budget with the changes would decrease the town's portion of the tax rate by 0.2% and I wonder if changing the word by to two is more accurate reflection uh that what we have proposed with the changes would be a decrease in the overall tax rate for the town's portion. It is. It is like I wonder if we can reward it to make it. Yeah. It's not versus what we start with. It's euro.

Exactly. And so when I read it as decrease a town's portion of the tax rate by 2%. It sounds to me like we've done a reduction in just like a two a 2% reduction rather than um do a 2% reduction. Yeah. Okay. I guess I'm misinterpreting it. It's just doesn't seem clear to me that we're sending the budget committee a decreased tax rate. The way you clear that up would be after 0.2% compared to the previous fiscal year is how you'd clarify what

yeah if we could just if we could just make it clear you know clarify however it we're sending a tax cut bus fiscal year. Did we make a motion to approve the December 22nd or we just start talking about we just start we haven't made a motion yet. So now we with that edit do we have a motion to approve? I'll make a motion to approve it December 22nd meeting with the edit we just discussed. Second. Elena, I got it. Um, [laughter] any further discussion? None. All those in favor say I. I. Have a four nothing time. Make a motion to approve uh principal Fisk's uh request for permission for senior parade.

Senior parade. I have a motion, a second. Any further discussion on the senior parade? Uh, just that it went through uh fire. It went through PD and it went through uh Tim Sweeney Tim Sweeney at DPW. So I think everyone who has eyes on it that needed to have eyes on it. Just for the record and they all support it. Yes. All those in favor say I. I.

Eyes have four nothing on item number two. On the Bob meeting house, we have communication from our lawyer that we need to discuss a non-public. But if anyone here since it is a discussion item, if there's anyone in the room who wants to discuss the Bob meeting house, I'm happy to take comments. So Mike, do you want to come over to the microphone, Mike, and just press the button? Hi, Mike. We about several previous meetings. I asked if you were going to make any sort of warrant out.

We have not made any We haven't You were at the last meeting, I believe. We don't ever discuss that in between meetings. that would be violating the law. So, we've had no further discussion since you were here last on the Bob meeting house. Do any of you have any opinion on what you might consider doing? Not yet from me. No, I need to review what the communication is from our lawyer and I I don't think any of us are prepared to make any motion today on any kind of warrant article. I don't think we have a proposal. Since we haven't discussed this, I don't know that we would have an opinion.

Well, after your private conversation, would you touch on the subject again? I think I think it's our historically when we break a meeting to go into non-public unless we know ahead of time and note ahead of time that we're going to come back and make motions. We don't. I don't have I have no intention of drafting a warrant article between now and Tell me

any just just so it's super clear, any decision about a warn article will happen in this room with you fully available to participate. Nothing will happen outside this room that pushes that towards a decision or a or a warrant article of the town meeting. Right. So, but any Warren article you might decide to produce, when is the deadline for you to do that? February 23rd. And the citizens warrant article is February 3rd. It depends on the type. I believe asked that last time too that date. February 3rd. So citizens article would have by the third. Thank you very much. Thanks Mike.

Thank you Mike. All right. Um moving on. We are now dealing with the um item number four ordinance number 25-06 town code chapter 109 on cemeteries. This is a followup to um a few nights of discussion. So, can this be voted on tonight, David, or we're just preparing? All right, I'll make a motion to approve the uh edits to ordinance number 25-06 consistent with our discussion about uh prohibiting the consumption alcohol cemeteries. Second. Any further discussion? All right, hearing none. All those in favor say I. I.

I. The eyes have four nothing. Moving on to item number five, the cemetery hours permit. Do we need a motion to adopt this um access permit, David? Yeah, if this is what you want us to use. Yeah. So, this is something that people can get um to um visit the cemetery after hours. So, this was drawn up by town council. I'll make a motion [clears throat] to endorse or approve the use of the town cemetery after hours access permit. Second. Any further discussion hearing? Hearing none. All those in favor say I. I. I. Eyes have it for nothing.

Can we discuss the process surrounding this at a meeting? Uh because we never landed on exactly who was going to call who, what, when? Yeah. Can we add that to our next agenda? Yes, we can. The process for that process is Yes. Thank you. Okay. But if somebody wanted Oh, so currently we Yeah, I mean there's Yeah, there's a moratorum right or Well, um well, we can put this into place. Um right, right now it's just a matter of use. Yeah.

Okay. Um then next up is six the sale of town property Taylor Banger. If there's a memory from I believe the ninth meeting, we had asked to understand the back taxes owed on this which you have it as a loose leaf paper on your desk. The total amount due as of July 25th, 2018 was $1,727.68. We also have the um I always mix up phrase versus assessed. We also have the um assessed value of 2024 at $20,200 on this property. Is that the whole lot? It is.

Yeah. So that's the whole lot and we're looking to take much less of it. But all the frontage. Yes. And so the goal I believe tonight is to is it to David correct me not to come up with something something we want to offer as the value to sell to them or authorize someone on this board to work with you to work that out. Either way, whichever the board would want to to do, but yeah, we did we were going to set a price whatever way we got there to then talk to them. So, is I just have a question. It'd be helpful to have a board member. It would just

um This is the assessed value is on the entire parcel which is about one acre. Is that right? No. Uh I think it's bigger than Okay. I'm looking at the acquire 61. Yes. 61. I was looking at um the other portion that says yes 32 acres. So that's where I was getting. Okay. So this is 61 acres. So what is that percentage of the total lot? It's small. It's a big lot. I think it's all the frontage.

It goes around this thing here. Yes. Um it's because it's got a septic system on it. Currently has a septic intrusion. Yeah. So how do we want to proceed tonight? Do we want to try and come with a number or I'd like to to say and I think we should say it out loud. Okay. A number and I think all at the same time. No, I don't. I'm not necessar but I think [laughter] like to the extent that someone from town is going to say no no I have an interest in putting a being on it.

Um I think I would want a condition that the the acquirer maintain all uh get all permits subdivision approvals all those um number you have in your head 000 bucks. I think that's reasonable. I think I'd like to make a motion that we'll entertain a written offer from

Taylor Blander in excess of $10,000 to for him to draft and bring to us um where he uh accepts full responsibility for any required subdivision approvals uh related transfer taxes, back taxes. Uh yeah, I was factoring that in. Okay. Honestly, I was I was using two factors. One, back taxes, which would have made it whole or a number of value. And I think I think as stewards of assets of the town, we shouldn't just be willing to sell properties for what it once was taken for back taxes if there's other value there.

I agree. Uh I think we have to also acknowledge that this property was once connected, right? Um, and the leeching field is there. Um, so that's my motion. Second.

Motion a second. Any further discussion? I'm wondering if does it make sense to do 10,000 plus the 1727 um to make sure that we are clear that it's uh paying back taxes that the for the parcel it's 10,000 plus you know 10,000 that's what we're willing to sell it for but also will add in the back taxes of 17. Maybe it's just

I wasn't thinking that, but if I if people don't support my motion, I'm happy to to make it I don't know. I just want to make it clear that we are collecting back taxes. And I I wonder if you said if it was a round number of 10,000, we're covering that cost with either 10. We I don't want to create I don't want to create an expectation that when we have taken a property for back taxes that it is going to at some point in the future be available to somebody for that amount.

I agree. That's why I'm I'm wondering if we say the property value is like the town of B is willing to sell this property for $10,000, but we are also owed 1727 and will recoup that 1727 on top of the value of the property, which is $10,000. I'm hoping not to do that. So, we do have a motion in a second. All those in favor say I. I. I. I. Okay. Eyes have it. Four nothing. Suckling it was here but halfway through so he's not voting on it. Um

four. I said yeah four. Um wanted to ask a question. All right. Community power discussion. Um we had previously asked our attorney to draft a letter. Um it seems that it's under my name uh to send to the community power association. Um it's in your packet. My understanding is tonight we would make a motion to send it to the community power um administrator or not?

I will make a motion to authorize the sending of this letter from the BO select board to um the county administrator. Um, county administrator. Right. A motion. Is there a second? Second. Any further discussion? Just for the record, this is asking to let us out of uh the deal with community power.

It is not. It is um answers some questions. It is It clearly states on page two, the purpose of this communication is not to formally withdraw. Um, however, we need this information before we can submit the letter before we can potentially submit a letter to withdraw because we want to ensure that the town does not have to is not responsible for any penalties um should we decide to withdraw. Sure.

Um, just so it's on the record, I I think I'm going to vote in support of this letter. I think that the community power organization misled us when they were here about the savings about the risk that this exact situation would happen where we enter an arrangement. They are no longer able to meet the need that they've committed to across these um across this county. Um these questions that were asked directly by me um they were brushed aside and then not six months later we're dealing with that. uh and I hope that they acknowledge that in the record. Thank you and thanks for dropping the letter. Keep spent so much long on this.

Say for the record that I share your concerns. I'm disappointed that we are here. Um and I share your feeling of being misled and would like to come to a resolution with this um so that we can ensure that residents are getting the best rate on their Yes. So, we have a motion, a second. All those in favor say I. I. Um, I thought we already voted on the dedication.

We I'll get there in a second. Um, so five nothing. We I don't know if we voted on the dedication. There's there's two things. There's dedication and memorial. I dedication is different. My hope would be that if if we're going to recognize somebody in and report that we're not doing it in a public meeting, right? Um for two things. One, we may not have unonymity on who to dedicate the report to. Uh and two, it's always been an honor to present it to them at the meeting. And so I would request uh that for the protection of somebody's good name that we take this into non-public session. Do you want to do that because we have to go over something else in nonpublic too? Do you hold it? Okay.

All right. Board committee reports. The only one I can think of is budget. Any updates? Uh uh but our budget went great. I I presented our budget um [snorts] Wednesday of last week. We actually got through the entire budget as a presentation to the budget committee which has never happened in one night. Uh which means we literally flipped through every single page of our budget after our summary and not a surprise uh given how how how lean the budget was. Uh there are a number of questions outstanding from budget committee members that don't either haven't done this process before or have questions about things in there. And so we're going to address that tomorrow.

Um but it as budgets go, it was a pretty easy one for us. The school budget is not is is going to be really hard. We did that last night. It's a plus 8% year-over-year spend on their budget, which is some $3 million of additional new spending in the school budget. Uh which includes um in large part about a million dollars in health insurance. Uh the school's health insurance, you know, can average up to $40,000 per employee. It's a very very rich plan. It's something that they did not put out to bid. Uh we requested that they consider doing that because it's such a big number.

Um the $1 million increase also includes a 5% of the total cost when you're dealing with 40,000 per person. That is a lot going in to try to build up reserves of the pool that they're using. Uh, I think there's hopefully a possibility to save some money there. Um, several several new positions, uh, our positions, old positions, 10 in total, I think. Uh, it's there's a lot of work left to do. We barely after several hours last night barely got through their summary. Are they still using health trusts? Uh, they are using health trust. Yeah. Did you say last night? What?

How many hours? You barely I don't know. It was It was late. I I was at the game the night before, so it was three hours maybe. It was late. Wow. Yeah. Well, thank you for all that work. Wow. Thank you for working on that. Thank you for going to that. It's going to be hard. Appreciate it. We are not going to solve it 8%. That budget can there's not enough cuts that could happen to get that. Uh even the best estimate uh which is scary. Um the school's uh request is on a $500,000 house, which I think $500,000 no longer because the average house inv.

Uh it was $750 in increased spending per house. When you start looking at the number of houses that we have here that are a million dollars, you're talking $1,500 just for the school budget. Um it's serious. It's the worst budget I've ever seen. just an in increase in difficulty over and over. Can you remind me what was the town's budget? [laughter] What did what did the town send to the budget committee? Is it like a point of order parliamentary inquiry? Parliamentary. It was a negative.2. So the town's portion of the budget [laughter] at the podium

2% decreased. Do we have any other Do we have any other any other committee reports? No. All right. Bottom line. Sluckman Nicolopus. Go Patriots. Go Patriots. Suck Colby.

Uh, go Bills. No. Um, so, uh, just I really wanted people to pay attention to, um, the new requirements, uh, in the state of New Hampshire when it comes to voting and register to vote and kind of have your plan in place, um, ahead of time because so many things have changed. So, please visit the Secretary of State's um Secretary of State office website to see how what you need to bring with you, what you should have with you as best practice when you go to vote um coming in March. Suck Flanigan. Um the first order, what was the outcome of the game?

Well, hold on. Um my bottom line is I want to thank you guys for letting me boogie out of here. I think we all have a balance in life, you know, work, volunteer, here, kids. So, thanks for uh filling in for me because it's it is important to to show up for for your kids and and sometimes things conflict and it's it's really hard, but um it was a nailbiter right to the end. It was two-point game right to the end. So, uh so thanks thanks for that. How many times did you yell drive to the hoop? only twice. Okay,

I was [laughter] uh I only do that at away games. Yeah, vice chair Brennan. None. Right. I would just like to say I read the news reports about towns around here and I'm thankful to have a board that even when we disagree are not disagreeable and it is very much a pleasure to work with you compared to what some of our peers elsewhere seem to have to deal with. Um, all right. We're going to move into non-public session to both discuss individuals regarding the dedication of the annual report and to discuss legal advice from our council. So, I need a voice vote. Uh, select Nicolopoulos.

Yes. Good. Thank you. Thank you. [laughter] Vice Chair Vice Chair Brennan I. Chair votes I. Suck Flanigan I. Suck Colby I. So we will be going to nonpublic. We will come out of nonpublic but we will not be uh recording that because we will simply adjourn the meeting. So everyone's microphones camera off.