Select Board - Regular Meeting

Everybody, I'd like to welcome you to the December 8th, 2025 select board meeting. It is a little after 700 p.m. Um, if you would like to, would you please join me for the pledge of allegiance? I pledge algiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Thank you. Okay. Public input, comments from residents on non-aggenda items. Does anybody have anything they want to offer? Awesome. Thanks, Kathy.

Um, do you want to just pass the microphone? Yeah, you can. You know the deal. Sit, stand, wander around. I had You're on. I'm on. Okay. I had appeared before your board um weeks ago. Yep.

I may even add it up to months ago. Um but I have finally put together a deed satisfactory in form I guess to town council. passed it through uh Mike and I guess the one thing that had come up is in order to um meet our requested December 31st deadline that it is going to be uh conservation acquisition and it's just I did want to bring to your attention that's fine we want it protected um ultimately the important part to us is that it is an aquaer run this one district and that's you know been our priority concern. So

right to protect the water supply. Yes. For whatever purposes box decides and then and I'm aware that there's interest on the part of the fire department. The pond that's behind the present package store my dad put in as a fire pond. So okay, you know that's that works too. So okay. And if you have any question I guess since it's not really an agenda item. Um, you know what I catch me up why we're doing conservation and not municipal. Sure. So, I know there were a lot of emails that went back and forth, so if I missed something, I apologize.

And this has been about a year and a half or so in the in the making. Um, so I've been working with Kathy and uh and previously with her brother George and her brother Ray um to fulfill the wish the the wishes of her late father um Ray Vor senior. And um as Kathy mentioned, he had dug a fire pond there. Um it's it's a val very very valuable water resource in town. It's not buildable.

Um and the reason that we're we're pursuing the path of a conservation uh adoption of this is because, you know, uh if we had a water uh uh commission, you know, water commissioners, they could adopt land. A water resources uh committee cannot legally. So, town meeting can authorize the select board to um to accept land donation or conservation can accept a land donation. Um so, we feel like this is the right pathway to go um so that the the family can can settle their father's estate. Um there are there are 10 heirs who are will all be or all have signed the the deed turning this over to the town. Um so,

that's a feat in and of itself. Congratulations on that. When they're all over the country, [laughter] and they all have to be west signatured, right? Notorized. Yes. So, um, the conservation commission is meeting on the 17th. Okay. Uh, to vote this. I've been in conservation in in communication with Liz Marowitz, the chair of the commission.

Um, and then and then we'll bring it back um to you on the 22nd to vote. And a couple of things need to happen to make sure that Mr. divorces, wishes and intents are are followed. One is that conditions of are put on it so that um identify that this is as a water acceptance conservation with the intention that it be used as a water resource um either for firefighting. In other words, putting a sistern there or um a future well sometime down the or or a combination of of the two protected for whatever water purposes the town could put it to. Yeah.

Okay. And then sometime down the road um you know if the town wishes to put a well there then then we need to go back to town meeting right and and vote within Mass General Law article 97A um to to then turn over to a to a water um you know purpose. Okay. And there there is uh this is being uh paid for the the legal fees and the the deeds and title search um with money that was put in into an article several years back um for land adoption for water uh purposes. Wonderful. Okay.

Yeah. And uh Les Fox, I noticed, has joined us. He may you may want him to speak uh but he's available if you have any questions for him as well. Les, do you have anything you want? I don't know how much you heard. Um because I was looking at mic, not the screen, but do you have anything you want to add?

Um I'm sorry I didn't hear all of but thanks for inviting me. I I didn't hear all of Kathy's opening remarks, but I have talked to her in the past and I kind of been following this my conversations with Mike and I'm just tickled that this is coming to pass. Uh it's going to be a very valuable acquisition for the town by gift and uh it is a tremendous water resource. It's shared actually between Actton and Boxboro. Um it's in the zone two of the large Actton wells and the uh potential there is very large. So we want to make sure we protect that area uh which it will happen as a result of being in conservation and with the appropriate uh provisions to allow it to be developed as a water resource either for firefighting or drinking or some combination thereof in the future is just a really great outcome and I think that it's wonderful. and thank Kathy and her family for thinking of the town like this.

Great. Thank you. Well, it's a very generous offer and we really appreciate it. Uh it's it's something that we thought was important and um thank you. I do note that there are there's an official accept acceptance page on there. So, I didn't know when that was going to be signed, whether it's on the 22nd or because you have a full board here tonight, right?

Right. Um, I believe that it would probably be best if the select board uh votes to accept. They could vote now, but I think that signature would become uh come after the conservation commission. Do all of us 17th? Um, yes, it would be u and and certainly we you could outsign it now and I hold it until the cons uh votes and they they will all sign it as well. Maybe that's maybe that's the best thing with the holidays. I didn't know, you know. Good point. How does everybody feel about it? I mean, our next meeting is the 22nd, but that's cutting it tight. Are you comfortable signing now? Yeah. Okay. I I can't believe the com would say no. Thank you. See any issues? You're all good.

No, I talked I talked to Liz. I talked to Adam. Yeah. All right. So, do we need um a motion or do we move to accept the land? I don't know if there's something formal or we can just sign it and let the consom accept the gift. How about uh something to the effect of I move to accept uh this land um conditioned upon the conservation commission's accepting uh and voting on on it on the 17th. So moved. Is there a second? I will second that. Any further discussion? Any discussion from the floor? All those in favor, please say I.

I. Opposed, abstain. All righty. That we unanimously approve the conservation commission accepting the property. No. Thank you, Captain. Thank you very much. And one thing I do want to add is that the the town will be putting up a sign there um you know that this land is u in in memory of of George Vor senior. Perfect. Thank you. Wonderful. Oh, great. That's awesome. Great. Okay, good. Um, dare I ask what budget that's coming out of or we'll just figure it out. [laughter] That's a joke. That's a joke, everybody. Sorry. I think it's probably going to come out of a water budget. Water. Okay. Water resources. Did you hear that, Les? [laughter]

Yeah. Oh, all right. Thank you. Sorry, that was a bad joke in these [laughter] fiscal times. Um, wonderful. All right. Next up, um, recognition of childcare volunteers. Pria, do you want to take this one because I signed up night two? You signed up night one. We have all the Yeah, it was it's um number four on the on the agenda. On the agenda. I I know. Do you have the names? Do you have the kids names? Okay, perfect.

Because I was like, I don't know all the because you did night one, I did night two. All right, perfect. John wants to go through the Go ahead. Yeah. So [snorts] um although the parents were contacted for uh their children to be a part of tonight uh just to get recognition, we did have prepared a few certificates and a part of the certificates states that we acknowledge the community service of in recognition of five hours for providing program support uh to children during the 2025 fall town meeting.

And um even though they're not here, we still want to acknowledge them. So the names for each one of the uh volunteers. So I have Jane Johansson, Eva Johansson, Liva Laya Georgillis, Nal Oxhan, um Aban Avanar Avant Kumar, Naobi Below Mendoza. So these were the six volunteers that um volunteered and gave their time. So we actually we have two more. We have um James Willis and Maya Willis on night two. Okay. Maya is is an adult. Maya's in college, but James is in high school. So, if we could add James, we'll make a certificate out for him, too. Thank you. Thank you guys. Thank you very much.

No, it's so important. Um, if your parents watch this or you watch this later, to have child care is huge because it does allow people with young children to attend town meeting and and I heard that first night you had quite a crew in there doing crafts, playing games, and watching a movie, and we really appreciate the time you spent with those children. So, thank you. Night two is a little quieter. Um, thank you night two volunteers, but I think they only had two kids to entertain. A little little quieter. Um, excellent. All right. Um, community announcements. Holly Jolly Tree Lighting Recap. Janette, I missed it. I managed to catch a stomach bug, but my grandkids were there. They said they were late. I don't know where they get that, and they missed the lighting, but they said otherwise. It was great.

We did. We had a lot of people strolling in and strolling in. So it was it was just so funny. Grant was like, "Yeah, Nana." Cuz I'm like, "How was it?" He's like, "Well, we were late. We missed We missed We missed the singing, but it was really good, Nana." [laughter]

Well, the singing went on for a while, but we did have um we started, we had people start filing in around 3:30, but um it was a great event. We um let's put it this way, we had 40 gallons of hot chocolate and none left over. So, we estimated probably around 350 people showed up for the tree lighting. So, it was great. Um, we had the um Chris Bair's uh brass wind ensemble playing. And then we had Margie Callahan's uh chorus students singing. So, that was our entertainment. And then the uh Destination Imagination STEM team was doing all the crafts and face painting. So, we had entertainment for all the kids that came, which there were lines and lines. So that was fantastic to do. Um what else? Oh, our honore for the flip the switch the business um this year was the Boxboro Regency.

Wonderful. So it was great to have them. Um she came uh down with her group of people in their box Regency van. So they all piled in the van and came down together. So that was great. Um and yeah, how about Santa? How did Santa do? Oh, Santa did fantastic. Good. It was nice of him to come to Boxboro and visit. Huh? [laughter] Yes. It was very nice of him and gave everybody a large candy cane. A large. Not the little minis. The large. No, we don't do mini candy canes. We do large candy canes. All right, then. [laughter] That's awesome. Well, congratulations to everyone who participated and put it on. It sounds like you had a ton of volunteers. I did get an email from Santa Claus. You got an email from Santa. Do you want to read it?

Yeah. So, I just got an email from Santa Claus and he wants to thank the the the Boxville Fire Department, the Boxville Police Department and the public celebrations for allowing all the children to attend his um his his event where where he was able to as they as Janette said passed out 220 candy canes. So, he was thrilled that he that he he was able to see so many of his um children that were on the off. So, from what he told me, they were all on the good list. So, it looks like everybody not one naughty child. Didn't get one naughty child. going to tell Graham he's off the hook. Exactly. I He I [laughter] He said that's what he's he's telling me. He's telling me that all all of the children and and some of the adults I was told who showed up were were all on the good list. So there you go.

Now, who decorated the tree? Because they did a great job. All right, then. Thank you to the DPW, too. Yes, absolutely. Absolutely. They uh the DPW strung all the lights, had a star on the top for us. Um plugged it in with a wireless little remote so we could flip the switch. Um so it was great. And um yeah, DPW supplied us with tables and everything like that. So they, you know, thank you to them as well. Absolutely. So

So I I actually hadn't seen it till tonight. So I drove by on the way here tonight and it all looks great. But I do wonder what's going on with the police station. I I don't know if we have to have like a maybe a decoration contest next year because last year the police station looked amazing and the fire department and this year they flipped it. So I don't know. We might have to have a contest next year maybe. [laughter] All right. Well, thank you so much. So do you want to do announcements for what's coming up?

I do. I do. So this um on the 14th we have our second annual uh manura lighting. So we will be lighting the first night of Hanukkah uh on the 14th. Um, please join us at 5:00 p. p.m. at the fire station. That's where we will have the manura there. So, there will be snacks and cider and some crafts for kids. Oh, that's awesome. Absolutely. I'm going to miss that one, too. We are going to be out of town, but I will look forward to seeing pictures.

And then, um, just another little plug, if any, um, families want to come and light the uh, Monura any of the other days, they can sign up by emailing the PCC. I saw that on the front page of the town's website, too. So, that's good. So, email us. I know I have three families signed up so far. So, Oh, good. Okay. Awesome. Good. Thank you. Excellent. Thank you. Thank you. Um, so let's see what else is going on. Toys for Tots. Um, they are collecting through December 10th. I know that originally it had said on the website the 6th. Um, this probably is coinciding with when the Marines are coming out to pick it all up. Did you guys notice people bringing toys um to the tree lighting? Yeah. Awesome.

Absolutely. We have the food donations out and the um toys. Excellent. All right. Good. Um let's see. Santa Claus is coming to Boxboro on December 14th from 9 to noon. Um the town website has the route details. He has a whole bunch of stops that he will make. So his second visit to town for anyone who missed him at the tree lighting. And the next announcement is um actually Adam, do you want to take the next announcement? Sure.

Thank you, sir. Uh so AB forward steering committee forwarded their recommendations on to the school committee. Uh and so the school committee will be uh reviewing the remaining options um at our next meetings on December 4th which we've already had uh December 18th. Um we'll have a public hearing on January 8th and then the final vote is scheduled for January 22nd. Uh and I would just share that any public feedback is welcome either to our email address which is abbrscabschools.org or uh come to any of those meetings and there's ample time for public input during those meetings. Um I'll also share that there's a possibility that at any of those meetings there might be some um preliminary votes or possible votes to remove some of the multitude of options that we're considering. So um but lots of public input is welcome. Are you okay? I was gonna make a sn a snarky comment, but I won't. [laughter] Like, are you sure? Um, all right. Thank you very much. So, if anybody needs a reminder of those dates or um at the email address, you can go right onto the school website, click the AB forward button, and you get you'll get all this information. Also, any other announcements we can think of? All right, seeing none, we'll move on to new business. Um, the next thing is is something super nice, too. Um the box per minute has donated another $1,000 to the community services um gift account which is just so much appreciated. Um all right, Mike's not here. But yeah, so very very much appreciated. Um the community can also continue to donate. But in the meantime, the Minutemen have just been such an amazing supporter of um of people who live in town. So thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Um any other comments or

You want to move to accept that? Yep, I will. Absolutely. I move to accept the donations to the community services gift account as recommended by the community services coordinator in the amount of $1,000. I'll second that. Any further discussion? Um, so the Minmen do a lot of their fundraising throughout the year. Viper day, I believe, is their biggest fundraiser. So when you buy that beer and that cheeseburger, you are contributing to the whole entire town. We actually have a member here. Do you have anything you want to add? I will say sure. Hold on. So, our next fundraiser will be the Christmas tree pickup. Um, is that not turned on? Yeah, it's on. Is it? Yeah. Is Can you hear me? Yep. Yep.

Yeah. So, we're doing the Christmas tree pickup after Christmas. I know it's early to be thinking about that, but we'll be putting signs out on what I call Boxing Day, which is the day after [laughter] Christmas. Um, and we'll be doing pick up on January the 3. So, uh, you can sign up on the website and we can come to your curbside and pick up your tree and and the DBW help us get getting them shredded. Oh, excellent. Oh, so that gets chipped and is that like the shredding pile at or the chip pile? Yeah. Yeah. It's eco eco-friendly. Nice. Okay. Excellent. Thank you. All right. So, keep are you like uh coordinating sometimes the um boy scouts, they do the pickup, too. Are you guys

So, the actton boy scouts also do a similar thing. So, we we you know, you got two options. You can do donate to B, you know, through the minute men or through the active boys house. Um, but the box of Minute Man stuff goes straight to town activities. Right. Right. All right. So, you get to pick your charity then. Okay. So, and dispose of your tree in an ecological friendly way. Thank you. Um, okay. Let's see. Sorry. Oh, we have to finish it. All in favor, please say I. I. Opposed? Abstain. And that is unanimous. Thank you, Pria. No. Um, I also wanted to find out about um when is Winterfest? Do we know? I don't have a date yet. January. I don't have the date either. Okay.

I think they might be voting at their next meeting. I know I had called Amy maybe a week ago inquiring. I believe it's the last weekend of January, but I don't think the reccom has firmed it up yet. Firmed it up. Okay. Yeah, that that was the last information I got. Um, I don't know when their next meeting is. So, okay. Um, old business. Let's see the charter. Have you all had a chance to read through the proposed board of assessors charter? Yes. Mike, do you want to just walk us through it or or Rajan? Let Rajan do that because he he put it together. All right, Rajan. Here we go. Along with our interim assessor. Okay. Assisted Rajan do this along with Jim Jordy. Yes.

Okay. Awesome. All right. Go for it. So, essent essentially the charter um with with review from Jim, it essentially sets out the guidelines of what members of the board of assessors um are responsible for as far as when it comes to abatements. Uh I put some language in there for what kind of trainings and ongoing participation they [cough] need to be a part of as well as just uh clarifying that that's this will be a three [laughter] board with staggered terms. Um and the board will be point appointed by the uh select board and um they'll also be supported by the uh the town assessor/principal assessor.

I like that it has the training and qualifications. Do you want to kind of walk through that because if anybody is watching right now and might be interested in volunteering, we will be looking for three volunteers here. You want me I printed it if it helps. Sorry, I didn't have my printer set. [snorts] I can talk in general about the training if it's not already included. Well, it's all in there. I just thought it's nice to kind of read it out into the record just for people that might be interested in understanding what it entails.

Yeah. So um for training members they must participate in the department of revenues mandatory basic assessors training program and successfully pass the required uh examination within one year of appointment um as required by 8:30 CRM 58. Um and also they attend to they are encouraged to attend workshops hosted by the Massachusetts Association of uh of assessing officers and other recognized professionals. But that that's a highlight of it. And also they should be they must uh participate in ongoing ed continuing education regarding appraisal methods, exemptions, abatements, record management as well as changes to mass assessment law. Okay, great.

And I spoke with uh Jim today about that. I said, "What what does that exactly entail? Can people do [laughter] it from home?" And you know, because people going to want to know. And he said, "Yes, they offer the course, the the MAOD 101 course. It's about 8 to 10 hours long. It's It can all be done online now, which it used to used to have to go in person to do it. [clears throat] So, it can be done online and it can be done non sequentially. So, it does not have to be done all in one shot. Great. Great. Any other questions or comments for Mike Rajan? So, I I Rajan, you you said it and I and I apologize. I was I wasn't paying attention. It's going to be a three member board and it's going to be a staggered appointment list. Staggered terms. So, we'll do one year, two year, three year. Is that what you'll do or

the first time when you Yeah, that's kind of my question. Yeah. When we first set it up, is that what it's going to be? One's going to come on for one year, one for two. That would be the way to do it is the first year set them up as one, two, three, and then after that do threeear appointments. That that was my only question. I was wondering how you was just setting it up. Okay. Yep. How do we have anybody? I was going to say what what what happens at the outset? We have to find volunteers. Yeah.

Yeah. I think you approve the charter. Then once you approve the charter, we do a call for volunteers. Um it kind of possibly similar to the um what we did for the fire station build building committee a in a little bit of an abbreviated version where people submit um interest maybe some background on them and then from there we can because you'd have to narrow it down to the three candidates you want to put on the on the board and probably some feedback from um the interim assessor too.

Sure. Of course. Yeah, anyone who approaches uh the board or anybody in the community or administration, uh the best thing to do is encourage them to go down and talk to Jim. He's not only for a long time as an assessor, uh but he's also served on a board of assessors um in his home community and so he could give them some guidance on what's the training like, what the expectations like is, you know, uh what the time commitment might be. Yeah. Yeah. Exactly. Okay. Well, if you love real estate and you're interested in property valuation, what what else do you have to love to be on this board? [laughter] You should know better then. Sounds like we have a volunteer. Yeah. Raise your hand. Let's get this going. Love not seeing your family and all this. [laughter]

Maybe they don't want to see you, you know. Exactly. Yes. Could be a win-win. So, all right. I move to approve the board of assessors charter as presented. Second. Is there any further discussion from the floor from the board? or from the zoom. All right, seeing none, all in favor, please say I. I opposed, abstain. And that would be unanimous. Also, one one uh I know he left, but I I do want to give Les Fox a a thank you for him. I I used the water resources committee template as a charter for [snorts] Oh. as as a template for his charter. So, I just want to thank say thank you to Les.

All right. Thanks, Les, because I know you worked really long and hard on that charter um to get it where it is. So, yeah, thank you very much. Okay, next up, um let's see, the re appointment of Jim Doerty. Um Mike, do you want to speak to that at all? I'm thrilled that he's agreed to stay on since we're trying to figure all this out.

Um so, he's agreed to stay on. Uh he said he won't let it leave us hanging. He'd be happy to stay on for, you know, another couple of three months. Uh so that's the intention is to appoint him for three months. Okay. And um he'll be helping with uh not only with the office with Kay uh but also in in helping us to um you know to guide us in the process of of hiring next assessor. So I think it'll be uh you know be helpful in that way. Excellent. Mike, we we've advertised. Have we got any? We have not advertised yet. Oh, we haven't advertised yet for the new assessor. Right. We're going to we're going to advertise after the uh holidays. after the halls are great.

Okay. All right. Uh, any further discussion? I move to reappoint James Dohy as interim assessor for the term ending March 31st, 2026. Second. Any further discussion? All those in favor, please say I. I. I. Um, opposed. Abstain. All right. And that would be unanimous. Okay. Old business continued. the Suasco Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area Memorandum of Understanding. Is anyone here tonight to speak to that? Um, Becky Harris was going to come to talk to us about that. Does anyone want to shoot her text and see Oh, hi Becky. I didn't know you're there.

Hi Becky. Sorry. How do we miss you? As as Town Hall um on here, so Oh, that's why because I was like I Okay. I thought Town Hall was us. Yeah. No, I forgot to log out of that account. So, sorry about that. No worries. Okay. Um, so I have a feeling that we have actually discussed this in some form before. Yeah. Can we turn the volume? Hold on, Becky. We're having a little trouble hearing you. You might have to come closer to your microphone if it's possible. How's this? That's much better. Yeah.

Okay. Um, so this SASCO cooperative agreement, I feel like we've discussed it at some point, but the um, Subbury Valley trustees, who's kind of managing the whole thing, they hadn't finished the draft and there was a whole process that took years for some reason. So now we're coming back with the finalou. Um, so I don't think we need to go into this in too much detail. The main the main point is that we would be part of a group of partners including other towns in the uh Sbury Aset watershed area. And we would it would enable us to get potentially get grants to help um with invasive species management and partner with other um other groups to try to tackle invasive species. And this is something that Dave Barnett, our um land steward coordinator, has spearheading. Uh the KNCOM is on board. Um I don't really have any reason that I'm talking about this other than the fact that I'm a biologist and I'm interested in it. So I said I would bring it forward when I was going to be available for this meeting anyway. Um, so I can try to answer questions if there are any, but the basic thing was that we wanted to just get um on board with thisou. I think we just need a signatory. They didn't care who it was. They said some towns do have the um town administrator. Um, but I think some towns have the slight board chair, so that's why it's being brought up tonight. Okay, Beck Becky, uh, who kind of, um, you use the term loosely, who kind of runs it? Who's, is there a chair or is there a president or how's it work?

That is a great question. And I think that the um, so the person I've been in contact with about it is the the land stewardship coordinator at Sbury Valley Trustees. So my understanding is that SVT is kind of the the uh group that runs it. Okay. Yeah. Okay. Um that's great. Good. Thank you. Yep. Okay.

Becky, if we sign this, I know it um this is like a agreement for every five years. When will it actually start the program? I think this, you know, whenever we sign it, we're sort of it's already underway with other partners that are already engaged, okay, in in thisou. So, we're kind of coming in a little bit late. Um, like I think Littleton is already a member.

Um, so it's it's really just going to benefit us in terms of how much effort our cons and and um and Dave Barnett and the land stewards want to kind of put into it. we can get out of it what we put in basically. So if we participate in weed warrior trainings and that kind of thing, sort of get a bigger volunteer group kind of trained up in this, I think we'll um we can kind of hit the ground running once we're signitories. I I see that Kristen's here. Kristen is Christian O'Neal. Yeah. Oh, that's not

That's a different Kristen. No, that's Kristen O'Neal. That's a different Kristen. She's probably [laughter] like, "What? Not me." She's like, "Nose game, nose game, nose game." No, it's um Kristen O'Brien is the SVT. Kristen O'Brien contact. I don't think she's here. No, I don't see her there. So, sorry Kristen O'Neal. [laughter] Um any question think of questions later? You know, we can always contact them as well. That makes sense. We Sure. Sure. Do we know only because you brought up Littleton, do we have a sense of, you know, which other towns besides Littleton have already adopted this? I'm just cur. It's a curiosity thing. Oh, I've got a map. Never mind. That's

Oh, I didn't understand what this map was because I I saw I did see this, but I was like, but only the center is shaded of green. So, I did not know what this map meant. Are these all the member towns or it's just this is just showing us where the Sbury River and the Aset River is, right? That's all this says. Yeah, that's that's the wershed. So, those are okay. I'm not silly then because I'm like no it didn't tell me the towns that could join um are in that okay that all right well it was just a curiosity question know yeah I don't know okay no worries no worries at all goes all the way down to Hopington

yeah it's it's it's incredible the reach that it has asked if it's right in the back of my office it's pretty fun to watch a giant flock of ducks today I'm like you're not supposed to be here go but they're here so all right anything else alrighty And um I move to approve the Saskco SISMA memorandum of understanding as presented. Second. Any further comments or questions? All those in favor, please say I. I.

I. Opposed. Abstain. That's a unanimous. All right, Becky, while you're here, we're going to talk about clickers. Um town meeting um electronic voting devices, also known as clickers. So, thank you for putting your summary together. Um, when I read the summary and I read between the lines, it does not appear that you are a huge fan because there are far more cons than pros. So, why don't you walk us through it? [laughter] Hello. Um, and Dennis, see down at the bottom, this is Dennis and Becky. So, it's not just me, but Dennis and I discussed this. Uh, he wasn't able to come tonight, but

Oh, I see. He did not put his name on this. I see. Uhhuh. He left you to hold the bag. [laughter]

Um, but he he and I were both in agreement. At this point in time, we don't feel like we need clickers. Um, I guess our feeling was that it's it's fairly rare that we have to go to a standing count, you know, maybe three to five times a meeting at most. Uh, and it has run fairly smoothly, at least in the past few years. So spending close to 20,000 doesn't feel necessary to us I guess and that there are sort of additional hidden logistical costs sort of behind the scenes to make it work which you know people want to do it. It's certainly something that we would be happy to implement. It's just our recommendation right now is sort of in a year of budget constraints. This doesn't seem like something we want to jump into. Uh, and I will say that the um I did get a quote from Meridius that that came in after this was sent to the select board and it was 18. So for 400 clickers,

so sort of on the low end, we'd probably need actually more than that, but on the low end, um, 400 [clears throat] clickers would be $18,850. And the recurring cost, although you don't have to pay them every year, it seems like they recommend that you do an annual $995. So basically $1,000 a year on top of that to keep the updates and software, you know, the things that support the software updates, everything that kind of you kind of need. So I think in a sense they do rope you into doing that. um annual renewal.

Sure. So, I guess that was our kind of gut feeling in addition to the fact that the town meeting study committee did [snorts] look at this a little more in depth in 2017 and recommended against it back then. I mean, times have changed a bit, but yeah, that's sort of where we came came down on it, but we're certainly open to discussing. So, I appreciate you being cost sensitive, especially right now. Definitely. Um, this would be a a free cash appropriation. We'd be taking it out of our savings account, I think, if we if we did move forward with this because it would be a warrant article. Um, what do we know when other towns use Meridia? Because I have heard of other towns sharing clickers like there's quite a few.

Quite a few. A lot. Yeah, I can look through. It's it's close to I want to say hundred and something. And there's definitely a lot of neighboring towns. So, I think we'd have no trouble just doing the 400 clickers and borrowing if we need to go above that. Because I guess what I I guess where I'm going with that, I was thinking maybe we only need to buy 250, offer to lend ours to whomever needs them, and maybe borrow what we need and and bring that cost way down.

Um, the reason it came up is that we've got some really contentious things coming up and we just came off a contentious topic and there is a concern that people don't want to vote their conscience. So they either vote the way their friends are voting or they don't vote at all in that we're not actually getting a true voice of the town. Um that and the fact that when you say more than 100 out of 365 community or whatever is how many towns in Massachusetts

351 you know that tells me that a considerable percentage of Massachusetts is moving towards this. And I know Boxboro hates change. We joked about this at BLF last week. Boxboro hates change. But, you know, I I personally am in favor of pursuing them. But let me see what the rest of the board thinks. Becky is the as far as the surrounding towns, do you know like our surrounding towns? Who's who are using like contiguous or or our friends, our friendly towns around us, Harbor, Littleton, Hampton, Stow, right?

I can pull this up really quickly if Okay. Uh, Stow, let me just I'm just going to scan through the towns. Uh, Lancaster, Leester, those aren't that close, but um, Berlin. Sorry, I'm not seeing Oh, Bolton. So, town similar to us have purchased them. Small small town. Yeah. Uh, Sbury, Westford, Carlile, Graten. Okay. Harvard. All right. So, so okay. So, so that so there are small towns a lot of options for um for borrowing.

Yeah. So, so there are small towns using them and it's not just the larger towns that are using clickers. I mean Berlin, Bolton, um Groten, some of the small towns are are using them. So, they they had to incur the cost at some point. Um yep. have when the summary you did, I know this is based upon um information you got from the from the vendors and so forth. Did you have a chance to talk to any of the towns and how did the towns feel about them?

Yeah, so this summary was um there have been a lot of town clerk surveys done on the Google group over the past few years. So this summary came from me compiling a lot of what was our what was summarized by other town clerks. So there there was a lot of sort of procon some town clerks love them. It seemed like the communities themselves really do seem to like them. Yeah. I know act is very pro but I don't know what they use.

Yeah. Becky, did any of the towns that you spoke with or that survey that you looked at, did anyone say, "Oh, we're sorry we did this." It didn't sound like it other than a few town clerks who said, "This is a lot more work for us." Yeah. But I don't think the towns overall weren't happy with something. I I didn't see any any of that that kind of extreme negativity about it. It seemed like most people were pretty happy. Okay. I think we should pursue it.

Yeah. So Bob just said he thinks we should pursue it. What's What does everyone I'm just doing quick math. So if we were buying eight 250 of them at $32, that's 8,000, but that can't be right if it was $18,000 for 400. So there's set So the clickers then you've got the software and the setup costs, right? So I think it's not going to go down by half, right? you know, or whatever because um that that was my initial trying to figure out the cost and then I got the quote. So, I could go back to them and and make sure that I get a more accurate quote, but it would go down a little bit, you know, not a ton. Yeah.

Well, what's you know, I I I am a proponent, you know, I'm I'm all for stepping into the 21st century, but what does everyone and Bob just said he thinks we should pursue it. What's the rest of the board? The reason and the reason I want to pursue it is not so much that we and I'm just going to go is that it's not we jump into the 21st century. It's just I want people to feel comfortable voting how they feel they want to vote. I don't want people to be afraid. I'm going to use the word to be afraid to vote the way they want to vote. And that's my own that's my own personal opinion. Anybody else have a speed? Yeah, I was going to say it's going to save time. Yeah, I like the idea of saving time.

I mean, yeah, the the standing counts don't present issues, but but imagine if we could have a count in 10 seconds like that or even just visually up on the thing and so then doesn't have to be then we're sitting here talking about child care and and like we just went over at the last time. Meaning child care is only good until the kids have to go to bed. Anything after, you know, 8:40, 5, 9:00, there's no parents in the room. Just just let's let's have this [clears throat] let's count the people quickly and move on to the next thing. Right? So, it's kind of like kind you you and Wes are saying exactly the same thing. It just more efficient at a quicker time. It's it's it's a you know, I think it's it doesn't solve the town meeting accessibility issues that I

are going to continue to talk about. But but the quicker we can get the votes done, the the the more accessible the entire meeting becomes. and and it appears and it's that unfortunately bad timing that we got to spend whatever large sum but it's a one really to one time large expense up up front after that it's $1,000 a year so I mean it's it's not that bad going forward on an annual basis it would just be the one one time upfront um Becky I'm looking here at the recommendations Meridia it says um there is no recurring cost so how come we are saying

I know yeah so that that was That was from the um all the various surveys of different towns. You don't have to pay that 995. It seems like we kind of do though because if we're gonna for multiple years and I I think it's it's not something you have to do, but it wouldn't make sense not to based on or at least maybe maybe you could wait a couple years and not pay the the fee and then once

Yeah, I think it might it might warrant a little bit more looking into just see like how long will like it's is it like an iPhone like you you buy it and it's [laughter] going that's planned on five years or whatever. Yeah. Do they have a shelf life, Becky? Any indication of a shelf life yet? Yeah. Uh the it's hard to tell. I'll I can try to pull the other towns to find that out. Okay. Because the the company wasn't too forthright about that part. They tried to ask, but

yeah, it'd be interesting to see how often people have to buy replacements. Do do taxpayers accidentally walk out with them and not return them or you know I I although I read in here about lanyards and having to collect them and if someone goes to the bathroom you've got to take their clicker give it back to them when they come back blah blah blah blah. Most people most people said that people were really good about returning them even if they drove away with them they'd come back the next night or you know that night like it doesn't seem like people are walking away and [laughter] that's not a huge thing.

Adam you probably experienced it at the action town meeting. What I wanted to share was my experience at a number of the actin town meetings that I've gone to. So first I would say that oftentimes if it's not a contentious vote, the moderator chooses not to use them and they just do the voice vote or a card vote. Um so it's not for every vote. And then the other thing that I would share is that regardless of the the vote question, the structure of the question or any of that, there is always more time required to get everybody to turn their clicker on to understand what letter they press if they're in favor of or against of. So, I I just want to be clear that it's not necessarily going to make things faster. And you might think that there'll be a learning curve and then next year it'll be better. It's never better the next year. That the problems that Actton has every year are always the same.

Are you saying this because you don't want us to spend $10,000? No, [laughter] no, no. I look, I understand the difference. I'm double I'ming you. But I I would just I would just say maybe another uh proof point would be for the select board to reach out to the actton select board and or talk to town moderators who use them to understand again like what's the problem you're trying to solve. I'm not I'm not against these and I think that you know it may be that it provides better access and better privacy in some cases but I don't necessarily think that it's going to make things go faster. That would be my only point.

Okay, Becky. Well, I would just tell you from a Stow perspective, having been to a couple Stowtown meetings now, the moderator will tell you right up front that he decides when they're going to use them. They use them for police votes and school votes usually because those are the contentious sto things. But my thing is is like it's up to him like if they're going to use them or not. It's not a policy. It's just up to him, right?

Um and I actually think, you know, you were talking about making people feel comfortable voting. I think this could really backfire when it comes to like an override, right? Because if I'm sitting next to Adam and I know he's a big proponent of the schools and am I going to feel terrible if I raise my hand and v vote against it, but if I just have a clicker and I think that's that may be to the detriment of the override or the fire any of the big votes. I actually think a little peer pressure is not such a bad thing. That's what they did back in the 1700s. They raised their hands. I'm pretty sure there were tar and feathers involved back then. Well, whatever. I just I do I do think you need to think about it because I do think I do totally think it could backfire in terms of people feeling comfortable about voting for something or not voting for something.

So, okay, duly noted. Thoughts everybody? How do we move forward? Well, it sounds like we just need more information. More information. Yeah, we need a we need like a pretty hard quote or something. Uh you Yeah. Yeah. I think we have to give Becky some I I don't want to just tell Becky to go back and get more information. Let's um Exactly. What information? Oh, we have a Finn, did you have some input? Yeah, just a question. So, do the clickers then kind of anonymize the voting process a little bit? Yeah, I'm I'm with Becky on that. You don't actually want that. Yeah. You know, that's a hard one because I I feel like people should be able to vote their own personal conscience and appropriate.

Yeah. But part of the point and part of one of the really nice things about being in a small town like Boxboro is like getting to like if you want to be anonymous, we've got there's we've got signal and Discord, right? There's plenty of places for you to be anonymous. Town halls and your actual neighborhoods are one of the places where we can actually get to know our neighbors and practice having those conflicts and disagreements with people face to face. And we need that. We desperately need that in society today. So, I would not I would not be in favor of anything that would anonymize the voting process in any way.

Do we still want to pursue more information? I I do. I don't see why we wouldn't. All right. Wow. So, I think we're at five to five now. [laughter] I think we should have the clickers. I I I I disagree with Becky actually on this one. I think um an override vote would be we go to a ballot anyway. So a ballot would be a whole different thing. So you're just deliluding yourself if you were going to go with peer pressure at town at town meeting to be to be thrown out at a ballot. So it's twothirds of town meeting. It's only a simple majority.

Understood. Understood. But I think you can still have your discussion, your questions, your your back and forth in in the room. But when it comes to the vote, I think there's a there's there's a lot of peer pressure to actually go with one way or or another way. So I'm I'm I'm for the clickers personally. Okay. So Becky, based on the comments y

here, I think number one is cost in turn in including longevity of the clickers and any long-term maintenance. And then I think what I'd love to know from other town clerks is does it save time? You know, do you spend so much time making sure people know that A is yes and B is or whatever? Um, you know, is it more efficient because we are trying to get our big things done by 9:00 a.m. uh 9:00 p.m. Um, besides those two,

I just Yeah, the other one you kind of the same thing, but it's roll in. But this has like the warranty is what you know what kind of warranty on the upfront cost? you know, the clickers, you're going to be using those every year, but I'm assuming there's some kind of machine we're going to be purchasing or something to be to work. There's Yeah, it also comes with um two receivers, right? Exactly. So, yeah. So, that's the main So, we'd want to know the longevity of both parts, right? Exactly. Yeah. And this is time sensitive. Any other questions for I mean, again, I want to be very direct with Becky Sishes and waste her time.

Hold on one second, Finn. Um just wanted to find out like I don't know um Mike as a town administrator maybe like couple of our neighboring towns has it like have there been any controversial votes and how did that play out? True. Just get a view just to kind of get get a sense. I'll check with my colleagues in our surrounding town. Yeah, that'd be great. Just to get a little more information. Okay. Because if we were going to pursue it, I'd want to get it onto the March town meeting so we would have it for the annual town meeting. Well, Becky, c can could could they could we get it that quick [snorts] if we if we funded it in March? Yeah, I would bet I would bet we can. So, actually that All right, then. That's question three. [laughter] If we were to approve it in March,

because honestly, if we couldn't get it for annual, I'm not feeling like it's this time sensitive if they said no, you can't have it till next September or something like that. Right. But, okay. And I'll I'll try to get a quote for I could get 200 and 300 just to see. Okay, great. Thank you. All right, Finn. We're not make We're not taking I don't know if I missed I don't know if I might have missed this because I came in late, but is there an example of a town that already uses the clickers? Yeah, you just missed it. Okay. So there's like a document with there was like yeah she gave Becky gave an example of Bolton, Berlin, Graten that Harvard that all use

them act the bigger towns but I was more concerned about the small towns and so they appear even the small towns Berlin and Bolton are using them. So Berlin and Bolton use them. Yeah. And is that something that's also used in um larger towns like uh Burlington? I saw the Del opening. Do you have input? Yeah. No, [laughter] we know we know Actton uses them. Uses them. Do you know which brand they use? Meridia or they use Meridia. Oh, they like us. They lend us some. And and so they so Littleton does as well. So there seems to be a growing and one of the things that Becky threw out was that there's a hundred towns that are using clickers now in their annual town meeting out of 351.

100 plus. and that we only know about the meridia, not the I'm just curious uh like what from a human systems perspective what kind of difference that makes in terms of how we interact with voting. But probably something I would actually have to see at their town meeting and see how it works in person to be able to like tell the get get a feel for like what the actual like on the ground difference would be like and what Becky had said. I don't remember when you walked in. My time is But she was saying that in Stow it's at the moderator's discretion. So they don't use it for everything. Oh, okay. It's at the moderator's discretion. Yeah. So even at one meeting out of town,

you might So you might still have like hand raises and stuff and just use the clickers for something like the like the fire station. There were so many times where that was such a close split. So we had to stop with our arms in the air for so long. So that would just expedite those moments. Just those moments. But everything else would still be all in favor. Please say I raise your hand. Cuz most of the time that's like everybody it's pretty obvious. So it would probably only be a thing you use when it's not obvious, right? When when Dennis can't call it or whomever they have one hand raised. Oh, we have a hand raised. Gary. Gary. Hi everyone. Hello. Um so quick question. We're talking about this. Is the leasing available for

for these and whether would that be considered something for the first year to try it out before we go and spend all the money to buy them? That's a great idea, Becky. Question four. Can we test it out at a town meeting before committing? Um, so yes, I know that some towns do Sorry, my lighting is terrible. [laughter] Um, do rent them. Uh, so I can look into how much that would be. It it sounded like everybody everybody who rented ended up buying and the whole thing around renting it sounded like it wasn't worth it because it was kind of expensive. But if we do want to just test it, maybe we should try

unless it's um unless we can negotiate a rent to own that we pay for the lease, you know, let's call it $5,000. I'm making I'm totally making that up and it's applied toward the purchase if we decide to commit that. Maybe maybe we could negotiate that. You never know. Okay. Yeah, I can ask that. Great. Thank you. Anything else? Uh, one thing. Sure, Mike.

Um, so I know that the you as a board brought this up a while back and we're just bringing it back because Becky and and Dennis have done some research on it. Um, I didn't get it on the capital plan. Um, but we may want to get this on to the capital committee discussion. There's a meeting coming up on the 18th next week so that the capital committee can start discussing this if we're talking about something soon. Becky, is that Do you think a week is enough time to gather this additional information for the Capcom? Yeah. Okay, great. Thank you. Yeah. All right, let's because it's over $5,000 and it looks like it's something that's going to, you know, last a number of years, so it would fall into a capital item. Okay.

And Becky, they also have extenders, right? Like say if I have if we have two different rooms and we have Yeah. Yeah. So, oh that would be very helpful if we do wind up in multiple spaces. Yeah. Yeah. Sorry. For overflow spaces seems to be even more efficient to me. Yeah. Okay. All right. All right. Thank you for the additional work and also thank you for the productive conversation everybody. All righty. Um next set the date and location of the 2026 annual town meeting. Becky, the actually the next two are yours. Don't go anywhere. I think she's already All right. Well, [laughter]

she's there. Oh, you are there. You're back. All right. All right. I do want you I tried to print the the calendar. My my printer ate it. I really mean it. My printer ate it. So, you want to walk us through the dates. I didn't think this was actually my item, but um I thought Oh, it say Oh, somebody wrote Tom Clerk next to it. So, so I can talk about the first one. [laughter] The uh Hold on, Becky. I know. Domin's only three under the bus. I No, but I I think we we had talked about May 18th through 21st for town meeting because that's when the regency's free and then June 2nd for the election. Yeah.

So, I have to say I've had a couple of people ask me why we don't do it like Actton and it it did come up at BLF last week and and the overarching response because I actually said should we consider doing it the same way so that we actually know what the town's prepared to spend you know via the override and I got a resounding no. I think I was the only one that thought it was even close to a good idea. But um but what but BLF was saying was that town meeting is the opportunity to educate the voter which is why we do it first and then the election comes afterwards. But any any thoughts on that? I mean now is our chance to change it if we wanted to change it. No, I was one of the ones who said we going to need to educate the people. Education. Yeah.

Okay. All right. Um Okay. Well then any further discussion about all those dates? Then I'm going to make a motion. Um, I move that the select board set the date and location for the 2026 annual town meeting at the Boxboro Regency from May 18th, 2026 through May 21st, 2026. Second. Any further discussion? Um, Mike, are we going to be coordinating with um, BXP TV for as opposed to the reg? Oh, as opposed to using the regency's AP equipment. Yeah. Yeah. In in other words, let's let's manage the expenses. Yes. Can I ask what it's going to cost [clears throat]

because that was like, you know, nobody wanted to say at a town meeting. Like it was never brought up before the last town meeting we went to the region. It was $6,000. So I'm just wondering what's the cost going to be to do it there. I don't know yet because we have to find out if we can bring, you know, I don't know yet. They give it to us. How are you paying for it? What's that? How are you paying for it? How are we paying for it, Mike? We don't we're not budgeted for it, right? Um and that's the other reason we want to have that on there and make sure that we get it on there because um you know we would need to actually vote the money at special town meeting. Yeah. So we'll vote it in March.

I would approximate the cost at you know was it was actually $7,000 all in for the um for the October town meeting. If we're planning on four days I would say approximately double. So about 12,000 maybe a little less than that but I'm not sure. But I mean it's per per night, per room, per piece of equipment, you know, but it, you know, certainly more than, you know, more than we pay. Maybe we could like have our pre meetings. I was going to say the same thing. One of the unintended um expenses was that we asked for private meeting rooms pre-T town meeting. Maybe we meet here a little earlier and then head. So we will definitely be looking at ways to economize. Yeah.

Yeah. And then hopefully, but I think the audio visual was a big chunk more than the rental. I thought renting of the space. So maybe that would also chip away quite a bit. Yeah. The idea is to is to try to save as much money as we can. But I am such a proponent about of having everybody in the same room, having a comfortable room for the kids, for babies sitting. I mean, this is going to be a really big community discussion as as Finn was pointing out. And I think that is the venue to have it in. You're going to have clickers. should have a remote space. I just heard that.

Not for discussion though. Managing discussion and you know as well as I do trying to have a discussion between the Blanchard cafeteria and the Blanchard gym is a nightmare and I had another sword I was going to use but I'm not going to use it. So it just having everybody in one space I think is just really important and that they be comfortable. Yeah. So um just a question. I know we the first annual town hall meeting I did at the um the school and then the next one ended up being at the um the hotel. Uh

can you clarify why that change was made and how the school is not adequate for our needs for meetings? We are expecting a large crowd. Um, and we had a capacity issue where if we had a certain number of people in the gym, we had to move. We had to have a whole another setup all planned and ready to go in another part of the school. And we have done that before. And the school because of its age and the way it's set up is not conducive to easy communication. There is a lag. If you were in the cafeteria, you're not getting the information at the same time and you're not able to participate the same way. So, it definitely changed the conversation.

So, and being in the cafeteria is is a function of when you show up, you know, once the room is full, we're we're shifting people over there. And so, it's it's becoming unfortunately the way Boxville is. We're trying to get more people at town meeting. And it's just a capacity issue right now at at the Blanchard School. Before when we had 300 people there, it was great, but we're now we're getting to 400 to 500 to 600, which is the way we want to go. Yeah, that's good. It's like a good chunk of the

population because we want we want more people coming to town meetings so that we get a better sense of the overall town versus one% you know hopefully we can get to one and a half% or 2% of the total um voting voting population. So we we've grown and the and and we're trying to allow we're trying to get more people to come to town meeting so that they vote and it's just a capacity issue at at the time

and I think you know between the school reorganization budget issues and I know that's not a town meeting vote but I think it's just going to have people much more cognizant of what's going on. Um the potential for an override the A and the B budget you know I I just if if this isn't a year that we're going to have good participation I I don't know what it will be. So we were basically planning for that. Um in watching a Burlington town meeting recently, they actually have town meeting members and their whole obviously it's a bunch that way too. The bigger cities obviously have that. Are we getting to the point where we are going to have to restructure how we do our meetings and representation?

And at what population size does that kind of tipping point happen? I know we talked about it and um it was not a a popular idea because it basically you represent community members to represent the voters and I don't I mean our our population hasn't changed significantly or we're still under 6,000. We probably aren't going to change significantly with that. So I I I don't think that's going to be something coming forward personally. What does everyone else think? That that's essentially changing form of government too. Oh, so and if you change your form of government, I imagine we have to go to the state to get permission. You can't you can't be representative with under 6,000 residents.

Oh, yeah. This That's right. It came That's right. It came up somewhere before. That's right. It was Yeah. If you're under 6,000, you have to be open. Yeah. So, as long as we stay under 6,000, it's going to stay that way. I'm I'm wondering if if the meetings can be organized in such a way that they um more emulate that meeting member thing so that we can I I all the ideas in my head about it right now are pictures. So it might be a conversation for you know future rooms. That that actually might be a challenge because typically town members are elected like

Yeah. So what what I'm thinking is you have everybody you ever have everybody come into the meeting and then assess how many people you have and then you have predetermined like regions of town that everybody splits up into rooms in and they all at that time at the meet. So they're still going to be present. It's still going to be open meeting. They're still all going to be present. But if you have to split people between rooms in a space, they pick like one or two representatives for their little region that go and they ask all the questions and everybody can see in another room like the video of like fascinating idea. But then now we're up here thinking and how would we do that? [laughter]

Yeah. But well, it just I just thought of it because of the if you had to adapt adapt to the school and have everybody in that space doing it between two rooms, you know, right? And that's what didn't work before when we had it in two room. We had a large room and a small room and somehow we couldn't get we couldn't get that communication. Yeah. But that what but the way you did that was you pulled everybody into one room and then the overflow went into another room. Right. But in this way, you would have everybody go into one area or or different areas bas based on their town region and then have representatives from each of those little groups go into the bigger room where the whole presentation is.

Who's going to Well, they vote for it then and there. Mike and Becky probably have thoughts. [laughter] Paul soy and it's just like a temporary position and then they have to go back to their room and talk to their regional area people. You have engendered conversation here. All right, we'll start with Mike then we're going to go. So I I love the creativity of your thought.

Yeah. But I think what you've stepped into is a governance role and I think by changing you know sending to separate regions or rooms or whatever and those rooms electing who goes and votes for them that sort of thing I think you've changed the governance of the town although it's not exactly representative town meeting it it's a little bit like what you described. So I think legally that's what you'd have to do. But I will say also that um it size sort of matters. Um [laughter] you know well but but you know I've worked in towns that are 25 to 30,000 and still the majority are open town meeting while some are representative town meeting. So it's not just size. Okay. Um, I think it's more philosophy and having observed Boxboro for about three and a half years,

I think the philosophy matters here and I think people want to stand up and be heard and discuss for themselves um with their neighbors. I would say I don't see at least my observation is I don't see Boxboro giving up open town meeting in its purest form anytime soon. Yeah, we don't change. I'm I'm saying if it if the town got over 6,000 and you needed to start kind of exploring that, maybe some sort of hybrid solution would be possible rather than switching to [laughter] personally I'm not a big fan of the town member. I really love Boxboro's open meeting and it encourages way more like actual participation from anybody. You can just step in and we want to keep that even if we do get bigger. Yeah. But

Maria, your hand is up. Take that idea and run with it. Okay. Thank you, Finn. Maria, anything to add? We need to unmute her. Yes. Hi. Can you hear me? Yep. Yes. Yeah. Hello. Yeah. Speak up a little bit, Maria. That's all. Okay. Sorry. I'll try to get closer to my laptop. Um, I can tell you that I know you told Becky she needed to speak up earlier. I'm hearing everyone fine on Oh, it was just us that here because I could hear Becky fine when you told Did you hear less fine before that? Yep. Oh, okay. Then it's then it's a microphone issue here. Okay. Good. Thanks.

Just just as an FYI. Um, so $12,000. Can I just That is a obscene amount of money for town meetings. So is there a way that since the biggest concern we have for the May town meeting is the override, we talked about uh possibly doing it night specific, time specific at BLF the other day and we were going to revisit that. Would it make sense to just be at the regency for one night and then that is such a great idea. I could I was figuring out where you're going with that. That's actually a great idea. or maybe even the first two nights if for some reason we don't get through. That's actually not a bad idea. If the regency would Are we even allowed to have two sites?

Um I think if we advertised it correctly, we probably could. Logistically, it would be a challenge because you would unless you could do it a couple days apart. Like in other words, two days and then two days or a day and then because it takes some time to to break [clears throat] down town meeting and set up town meeting like especially for LCTV um they usually go in on Friday to set up for our Monday town meeting, right?

And they they're there most of the day Friday, all of the day Monday and wire checking, making sure everything's ready to go. So it would be I'm not saying it's not possible, but it would just take some logistics. Um, as well as, you know, if if anything doing at Blanchard, we've got uh DPW doing a lot of moving and setting up and things like that. So, we just have to plan for logistics.

Well, why don't we why don't we look into it? See, and let's also see if we can work with the um the regency on the cost, you know, because because they give it to us at cost and then we're paying for janitorial services, trash removal, d let's let's see if they can work with us on the number. It's going to come to the fincom. It's gonna come to town meeting in March and if the town says no, we don't want to be there, we'll [snorts] be at Blanchard, you know, but but I think it's a position of this board that we'd we'd like to be at the agency. But I mean, I do like that splitting it. I think that's that's a good idea. Yeah. All right. Yeah. Even if we did the first night there and then

and then we did Wednesday, Thursday, so we did Monday, Wednesday, whatever. We don't have to do this now. Michael, Mike and Becky and they will work on it and come back with something on the 22nd. How's that sound? Sounds good. Sound wicked fun. Wicked fun. Wicked fun. In the meantime, did I already make the motion? You have. All right. Do you want to table it until next week since we're not sure we're going to or we can just amend it on the 22nd rather? Thoughts on process. That's fine. What? Which is I gave you two options? That's fine. Both of them. You want both of those? Okay. Very easy to please tonight. Let's approve this tonight and then if we have to amend it, we'll amend it. All righty then. So, the motion has been made and seconded. Um, any further discussion? All those in favor, please say I. I. Opposed.

Abstain. Perfect. Moving right along. I move that the select board set the date for the 2026 annual town election as June 2nd, 2026. Second. Any further discussion, questions, or comments? All those in favor, please say I. I. Opposed? Abstain. Wonderful. [clears throat] We are now at the Actton Boxboro Regional School Committee budget update. Adam Klein.

Hi. Um, so let's see. I've got an update for you first from our last school committee meeting. Um, which was last Thursday night. Uh we had a presentation from some of the uh principles about some of the tier one um which is sort of the most basic general education work that we're working on and some of the professional development that our educators are getting um in support of that and really good information around um school climate climate and culture and that students feel comfortable in their in their school and that they've got trusted adults which was really good. Um and then we had the handoff of the AB forward steering committee recommendations to the school committee. So we had our consultant there to sort of walk us one more time through that process that we went through in developing um both our um mission and vision and our theory of action for you know what we're looking to get out of the schools because that's really you know what's driving the reorganization and it's what is the underlying um sort of activities that we're going to be doing through the reorganization. Um and then as you know the steering committee moved forward four options to the school committee. Um one option is where we close the Miriam school and move the Conanit program into the Miriam school. One option is where we merge the Miriam and McCarthy town schools together in the Parker Damon building and bring the Conan school into the um freed up space there. Uh, another option is where we have um this concept of gradebanded schools um where Blanchard remains a prek to six school.

They're just K to six.

Sorry, K to six school. Thank you. Um [laughter] and then um one of the two larger buildings, [cough] both of [clears throat] the two larger buildings um have grade bands in them. So each of those schools still have two schools inside them, but one school is a K to three and then the other school is a four to six. And so you end up having two buildings that are structured like that. And then the last option um again Blanchard remains a K to6 school but then you have two larger K to6 schools in the Parker Damon building and the boardwalk campus. Really the difference between those last two is how many principles you have and the the sort of the structure of the administration. Um either way you end up with about um 900 plus kids in those two bigger schools and about 500 plus kids in Blanchard. Um so the schools committee spent lots of time sort of discussing that lots of discussion around depth and type of disruption for students about what's fair and what you know type of programs we want. Lots of questions around sort of how those schools operate budget implications um and [cough] uh also enrollment. So there's a you know there's a big component of this which will revolve around our enrollment policy and procedures. Um, and as everyone knows, right now we're a what we would call a an an open enrollment or school choice. Um, where any member of either town can rank uh which school that they want to go to. Obviously, that's most important for kindergarten. Um, but those people who come in to [clears throat] move into town later um can opt for their first choice and if there's room, they can get into that. Um, we also have sort of codified in the regional agreement this concept of a hometown guarantee and that has since sort of expired in the regional agreement, but we've done a really good job of trying to maintain that um guarantee that if you're a resident of Boxboro, there will be a space for you in Blanchard. If you're a resident of Actton, there'll be space for you um in one of the Actton schools. And one of the things that we're looking at with this is changing the naming of that from a guarantee to a priority. So priority

will still be given. Um but there may be times where one of those schools on either side will be um not have space and so um students may not get that priority. Uh I'll share right now we've got about a hundred kids from Actton who go to Blanchard and we've got that equally um of of Boxboro kids who are who are out in the Actton school. So it it sort of works itself out fine.

Um so lots of discussion ongoing as I shared earlier. Um, we'll continue that discussion over the next two school committee meetings with one of them being dedicated wholly to public input on that. Um, we will see at our next school committee meeting on December 18th, I believe I said it was. Um, we'll see some more details that the school committee members asked for. So, a little bit more about budget, a couple different enrollment options. So, in addition to that open enrollment, you could look at, and I'm not recommending any of these, but other options would be um geographically based schools. Um so depending on where you live, it would sort of dictate the school you go to. That's what a majority of the the elementary schools use. Um or we might see um another option of enrollment particularly around how you handle enrollment once you reorganize. So the biggest part of the discussion is no matter what we've closed a school building um and we have kids who will be displaced out of that building and so how do we um how and who do we move into what spaces? Um there's plenty of space I will say in the remaining facilities that we have for everybody. Um but there's really this big question about who has to sort of move into a new space and what does that look like for everybody. So it was a a long meeting for us. Um lots of discussion. We'll continue that discussion at our next meeting. Um and then the other thing that I

Can I interrupt? I'm sorry. One quick one. You kind of answered my question which I knew already. So even with the closing and everything else you've mentioned in the past, you just mentioned again tonight there no matter how it falls out, there's room in the classrooms for all of the students. Yes. So my question is how does that relate to out of district? I know we we you know for a while we had choice programs where kids from Graten could apply and come into school. Is is that going to remain the same or is that going to go?

Yeah. So, so let's um that this is where that that that term school choice is different for us as it is for the rest of the Commonwealth. So, it's why we call it open enrollment, which is where you get to enroll in whichever elementary school you want. Uh in the Commonwealth, school choice is whether or not a community will open up seats in their district for um community members from outside of that town to choice into ours. So, we've had a school choice past. Boxboro has had school choice in the past. Um, we have very few students left in the district who are on the [clears throat] school choice program and every year the school committee has to vote whether or not they want to open school choice or not. Um, and I would say every year for probably the past five we've selected not to. Um, given a whole host of reasons, space, cost implications, all of that. Um, so we don't participate pretty much in the Commonwealth's school choice program. So, if you're not a resident of Actton or Boxboro, um you cannot come to our schools. There is a caveat which is if you are uh a child of an employee of the district, there's a a couple um that can come in that way.

And that that's great to know because I didn't know that. I thought and maybe you're going to you're going to say no, Bob. Um that it was it was advantageous to have out of out [clears throat] of district children because we made money on those kids. Possibly, Bob. [laughter] I won. I won. So, so I I I it really depends. There are some communities that um do uh

uh take the the money that they get for school choice students and have that sort of in a ready day fund and can use that to support their programming. Um there's there's a lot on either side of this. The opposite concern is that particularly in a community like ours where we're very high performing, but we also have a lot of supports for students with needs. You can't say no once you open up to school choice. You can't say, "I want this high performing student and not this student who may have come with an IEP with all extra needs." So, it's kind of, you know, you never really know what you're going to get. So, the cost for that student may not equal the revenue that you're going to get from them. Um, and so we've been fairly conservative in that regard for the past few years.

Okay. No, that was kind of my question. I thought we were getting the the real cheap students here at a at a high at a high benefit to us, but it doesn't appear that that's a given. No.

Okay. Go ahead. Um, and then the other thing that I want to share, and I did email this um to both the select board and finance committee earlier this evening. Um, we are starting to get some uh more concrete numbers in for our budget. I know we're talking about sort of the budget planning process and what um the the town of Oxboro is planning for. Um, so I've sent you a spreadsheet that includes um a couple of the different budget numbers um that the the school district is looking at. Um at the meeting before our last one, we did vote our budget guidelines for the for the school district was which was to deliver an operating budget increase uh sorry an overall budget increase of 3 and 3/4% to 4 and a/4%. Um what that means through to the [clears throat] town of Boxboro. Um if we had a 3.75% overall budget increase, that's a 3.8% operating budget increase. Um and the town of Boxboro would see a 5.64 um percent increase in their assessment. Um and as you all know when you when you work on these budgets, you first start with level services. What does it cost to carry the services you're bringing forward today um into next year uh to reach that $3.75% budget increase number um there's actually $2.8 million in cuts that we have to make um to hit that number. Um, and then as a placeholder, and I'm not saying that this is teachers or anybody, but just as a placeholder, we carry about 90k per full-time equivalent employee. So, we're already looking at needing to reduce 32 positions somehow to reach that 3.75 number. [snorts] Now, looking at a Budget, and I've I've shared this before and I was incorrect, so I do want to correct the record um here. If we come in with a 2% um Boxboro uh assessment number, that means that the school's overall budget goes up by 79%. The operating part of that budget, which does not

include the capital, um is a 69% increase in the operating budget for the schools. Um that equals a $6.3 million reduction from level services for the schools which balances out to about 70 FTE that would have to get removed from the the schools. The reason I highlight that is because I would request that we come in with a 2 and a4% as the Budget number for the for the schools. Um the reason being is remember we split everything with Actton roughly 8020 75 or yeah 8515. So for every $20,000 that Boxboro can put towards the schools act puts another 80 towards so for every $20,000 that we can dedicate towards the schools it's actually $100,000. So that's another teacher that's another person in our building. So, um, when you look at these numbers and as the finance committees and select boards, um, sort of discuss this, just sort of bear that in mind, sometimes it really doesn't help us that we're the smaller side of this. Um, but there are times where if we can scrunch together a little bit more, it does mean a lot um, at the end. So, um, that's what I wanted to share with you for our budget. Um, I mentioned at our school committee meeting and we have we're moving forward with this um, what was originally our budget Saturday, which was February 8th, I believe. Um, we've actually decided to move that to the following Monday, which is February 10th. And I'm I'm almost certain I've got those dates wrong, so give me a second. Um, [clears throat] February 7th was the original um, budget Saturday and we're moving that to February 9th now, which is a Monday, which happens to be a select board meeting. Um, the reason being is twofold. It is also the Boxboro um, capital Saturday. Um, and so we were concerned that we would miss out on participants from both finance committee and select board. Um, and so moving it to the Monday, we have a chance of getting some more of you to show up. And secondly, the materials that we're going

to be able to present at a budget Saturday are going to be significantly reduced from what we've done in the past. We'll have the main operating budget lines. We'll have a bottomline budget for sure, but the 500 pages of details will not be done yet because we will have only selected what our reorganization option is a week prior to that. Um, and so all of the paperwork and all of the budgeting that needs to get done for that, the detail level won't be completed. So, um, we're going to do our budget Saturday now on a budget Monday. Um, and I will send an email out to everybody to just confirm those new dates. Um, but as you can see, we're working a lot towards the budget. We're waiting to see what happens for the reorganization um, in terms of the details, but the bottom line numbers are starting to come in now.

Thank it. You first mentioned um, you know, for the A budget 3.75 to 4.25. What did you say that equals in a percent assessment increase? Uh, a 3.75% increase to the overall school budget is a 5.64 64% increase to the Boxboro assessment, which is a total of 17,746,152. Go slower, he's writing. Well, it's it's in his inbox, too. [clears throat] Did you also run a percent for what what the assessment would be for 4.25 or just lower? Uh, we didn't. Um, because we're we're as we move further in the process, we're realizing that that's not going to be palatable or possible for either town.

Okay. Thanks. Y Adam, is this the A B budget? Then our A budget is 3.75. Our B budget is 8%. 8. Yeah. 79. Less than a percent increase. Um 2% increase, right? The B. Oh, no, no, that's the assessment, but our overall budget can only go up by point8. And this is this is this is the challenge of comparing assessment versus overall operating budget. and and school budget. Okay. So, our budget Saturday is January 30th. So, I I think it's going to behoove everybody to really study these spreadsheets. January 3rd. What did I just say? 30th.

Oh, that was Freudian. January 3rd. [laughter] Um, yeah, January 3rd. So, it's it's coming up pretty quickly. So, I think Yeah. And if you have questions, if you don't understand the spreadsheet, definitely reach out. Let's get because we'll be able to have a much more productive conversation if everybody at least understands what they're looking at. Adam, I'd be prepared to walk us through it or or be part of the fincom discussion in in case y members do need I I guess what I want to make sure is that as we go into budget Saturday, everybody's on the same page so that we actually understand what we're all talking about. That's really important. Adam, I understand what you said [clears throat] about you're not going to have the 500 pages of detail, but will you have some kind of highlevel detail? Oh, yeah. Yes. Okay. Okay.

Yeah. I mean, we're running all the iterations now because of the reorganization. Um the problem is as you get deeper into those budget lines, I can't tell you what school is going to have how much budget because I don't know what schools and how they're going to be structured. Yeah. Um and there are some one-time costs that we have to plan for too, which is, you know, moving costs and and teacher movements and all of that. We don't know the scope and scale of that yet either. So, you know, we we can work from the bottom line up to major cost centers, right? Um but we won't be able to get, I don't think, much detail in that um beyond that. And honestly, I've asked the district not to do that now [clears throat] because they're just going to have to do it again after we take the time. Right. But just, you know, like obviously Go ahead.

No, you go. You go. You know, like we health and health insurance, what's that going to how what's the teachers going to cost? What's the administration going to cost? What's the business? What's the facilities going to cost? That type of detail at a high level. Yep. Do you Okay, so I think I already know the answer to this question. Um, you just mentioned that you've got a factor the cost of change like the the the dollar restructuring cost to the restructure, but we probably have no idea what that might be because we don't know what is being restructured yet because I I where I'm going with this is where it's an override year. Let's let's say the override fails and we're in a BB budget situation. Would that be a reason to not reorganize this year?

I don't think we have the option to not reorganize this year. I'm just asking, you know, because I'm being asked as a select board member and I'm like, you need to talk to the school committee. I do not. I I I mean the the costs and overhead for that for the extra building um particularly as we've looked at space analysis and recognized that we don't need it um okay we would just have to cut more people just to keep that building open that's what I wasn't clear on is um what the costs of the change are relative to the cost of status quo for 12 more months

and and remember that the cost of the change is a onetime cost so it's you know once we know a little bit more you know we might look at our END which is our version of free cash because it's a onetime expense it's exactly what that that money should be used for. So it it may be that we can pull those expenses from that line and then any anything off of our budget that we pay for from END reduces the assessments to both towns.

Okay. Any other questions for Adam right this minute? I I think I'd probably be prepared to revisit this on the 22nd with any new information and I think that'd be a great opportunity if the select board has a chance to really go through the numbers as presented so far to be able to ask good questions. Again, let's make January 3rd as efficient as possible. And my and my only request would be [clears throat] um both from the select board and the finance committee we get some reaffirmation of those assessment numbers that are in the sheet because you know we're talking

we're talking hundreds of thousands of dollars of swings from just a couple percent on the assessment line. So that's why I I shared that with you so that there's some [clears throat] opportunity to talk about that so that as the district's planning you know that two or one or one to two and a half $250,000 means a lot to us. Sure. Oh absolutely. No, good. Well, Michael will be doing his um preliminary budget presentation next. So, can't wait. You're going to learn. We're all We are all so excited. Michael, I wish we had these numbers an hour [laughter] or two. Do you want us to like do minutes or something while you No. Are you sure? No. No. No. It's Could you use an extra five? No. No. No. Okay. Um so the uh presentation is actually going to be Thank you, Adam, by the way.

Thank you. Rajan is going to give the the presentation. and Hungwa and I are here to assist.

Okay, take us through it. All right. So, um, so in in preparation for this evening, um, I've put together the FY27 preliminary budget presentation. Um, I know we've got some new numbers from Adam, but I I'll just go over what we estimated for the budget for, uh, this fiscal year. So, um, starting it off. So what how I'm going to go over this and just an aerial view of tonight's presentation is the first we're going to go over the budget roles and responsibilities as well as what uh with what role each state stakeholder group has in this do a little bit of a budget overview uh go over some of the goals and assumptions that we had coming into this fiscal uh um budgeting process. Go over the current status and then get a little bit of a budget summary for where we are currently. Uh just kind of uh a primer for this is this is essentially our first crack at the budget. Um we haven't made any major reductions or cuts yet. Um based on some of the information that the board asked for as well as knowing what a level services budget looks like without any significant cuts. So we have that information for you this evening as well as um just looking at kind of what are some key factors that are coming into play for this budget. So,

so you're just showing us a level budget tonight? Yes. Okay.

So, just to go over some of the roles and responsibilities. So, we've identified these as the key stakeholders when it comes to this budgeting process. So, the select board um is essentially the chief policy board in town. Um and a big role that the select board plays in this uh process is essentially setting the policy direction for the budget. Uh the budget is the biggest policy tool for the town. So the select board plays a key role in um essentially notifying not only staff but as well as some of the advisory committees what is the guidance what is the direction of the budget going to be for this upcoming fiscal year. Going to that the next uh stakeholder is the department heads which serve [clears throat] as the stewards of the budgets as well as managing and putting together budgets for each uh for each fiscal year. Um it's a very collaborative process. uh Mike Hungwa and I meet with each one of the department heads leading up to um any decision that's made regarding any budget. Um we've been meeting with department heads up until this afternoon. So it's still an ongoing process, but uh the department heads play a key role in making sure that we are fiscally responsible for um bringing a balanced budget to town. The next uh um person that comes into this role is Mike, our town administrator, as well as the town administrator position who is essentially the implementer and manager of the day-to-day operations for the budget as well as preparing the budget for um not only for the select board but for town meeting and um with the feedback and input from the finance committee. Um and the next uh key stakeholder in this is the finance committee who essentially serves as the financial stewards for the town. Um a big part of what they do is they serve as the oversight review and a recommendation for the budget as well as pre presenting a a recommendation to

town meeting for uh them to approve the budget um in good confidence for the voters at town meeting. And the the biggest stakeholder uh when it comes to uh the budget is the vote of the town meeting. As you know um town meeting is our legislative body and with this process they have the final say on what's approved what goes forward. So we play a we play a key role and a big responsibility in making sure that when we bring budget to town meeting um everything is good to go. people have the necessary information they need and um everybody's informed on what they're voting on for town meeting. Um just a few areas that we wanted to just um notify and just talk about as far as when it comes to any additions or reductions to the budget. Um typically when there are cuts to the budget, it happens in three areas with the department heads um with feedback from the town administrator as well as uh uh select board and finance committee. the town administrator and then um voters at town meeting who have the final say on where uh what happens to the budgets. Um so looking at FY27 uh I would say from a high level is the biggest budget recommendation we wanted to do is continued stabilization. Um and so with this knowing that there is a potential um override especially with the uh horizon of a proposition two and a half override. We were tasked with preparing two budgets for um town meet uh for this fiscal year. budget A which is um essentially our level services budget with the hope that you know the Proposition 2 and a half override happens passes and also with a Budget with if the override fails that we will have a budget that uh is able to bring

forward um being able to navigate any of that uh risk that happens from an override failure. The [snorts] goal um going into this is to protect the fi town's financial position and manage any risk that we may face. And we wanted to develop a budget that navigates the upcoming override in case in the case of any passage or failure. Looking at the goals uh for this fis upcoming fiscal year, we wanted to develop a a budget within that policy guidance. We want to continue to deliver highquality public services and we want to set a sustainable and predictable fiscal trajectory for all parties involved. Along with this, we still want to maintain the the quality of services that the town provides despite a challenging budget year. And we want to maintain we want to have Boxboro being continue to be a desirable place to live and do business for uh not only our families that are in town, but also our business community as well. So looking at some of the budget assumptions, uh one thing that we uh had as a projected increases um for the uh the school district budget is between 3.75 to 4 uh 25%. And then we also estimated the uh school assessment projected increase between 5 and a half% to uh 6.17% increase. Also another um assumption that we had is healthc care increasing at 20% and also the upcoming uh notification that we will be having decreasing new growth for this upcoming fiscal year. So looking at the current status of FY27. So looking at our estimated revenues uh which include um an estimate for local receipts and state aid. Uh we estimate

that our revenues will be coming in at uh 31.4 million. Um and then for the A budget uh we had our operating expenses coming in at 31.3 million and then the operating expenses for the B budget coming in at 31 million. Um, one thing I will add it in there as footnotes for um, the operating expenses for both the A and B budget is we we estimated that the assessment will come in at 6.17 for budget A and for the uh, operating expenses for budget B, we we put the assessment at five uh, and a half% for the assessment for the school district. So we wanted to uh prepare for both scenarios but we also wanted to make sure that the budget like wherever it is that we budget effectively for it.

So while Rajan has been presenting I we're just doing a little scribbling and texting back and forth with Hunga and we've uh folded uh the the numbers that Adam shared with us. So, just as an update to this, um the the A budget would actually be uh $31,216,213,000 for an overall increase in the budget between town and school of 5.74%. And then for the B budget is also a little bit less uh because we we had made higher assumptions. The B budget overall for town and school would come in at 30,512,000. Um um and for a 3.35%

increase. So a little better than what you're showing there. So there's a little more headroom between the expenses and the revenues for both the A and B. hung while you're frowning. Are you sure? Okay. Just making sure. Well, I know. I frown when I'm trying to read that. So, I wanted to interpret your frown. [laughter]

Okay. All right. Thank you. So, of course, these numbers have changed um in the last few minutes, but as far as a balancing act of what we had for uh a preliminary budget um is if you subtract revenues and expenses for budget A, we had um a remainder of 1 uh 178K uh for budget A is how much we would have left over. Um so, we wouldn't be in the negative to have a little bit left over from that. And for budget B would be 425K um for budget B from the estimates that we had for the school.

Why don't we get through the whole presentation? And I I did want to ask for Tony's initial thoughts if you're even prepared to offer them and and Hungwa's thoughts. Okay. All right. Thank you.

Yeah. And um basically to respond to the select board's request for a level services budget. So we took into FA factor for town only expenses uh what will level services look like between FY 26 to 27 and we calculated a 5.9% increase and that's in budget A and then for budget B it's a 4.8% increase uh for town only. So for this we factored in what are all the expenses minus the the school district assessment total expenses uh we calculated a 6 uh.04% 04% increase for budget A and a 5.2% increase for um budget B for total in expenses that include what we estimated for the schools. Um some of the major drivers that we have these are things that have increased the budget that are essentially out of our control as far as how we're able to increase or decrease the budget is debt um contractual obligations, insurance and pension. um that we've looked at the budget and um town overhead is essentially a big part of the budget next to the um the school that really uh causes those increases. As far as with the departments, um the departments have done a really good job of really staying within that five and a half 5% increase. Um and then for budget B, really trying to work within the trying to get as close to can they can for the 2% increase for their budgets. Um, but this is what we've estimated and coming out if and come out with as far as expenses increases for both budgets.

Rajan, before you go, I'm sorry. You go. You go. I didn't realize it. How how much did debt How much is debt a factor? I didn't realize it was that you're calling it a major driver. I didn't realize that debt was a major factor. How much of the total budget is the debt? We only had like three million something in debt left. I thought we had relatively low debt right now. I did too. Yep. Uh Hungwa can pull up that [clears throat] number for us while Yeah. while we take the next question. Yeah. Between our bands and our long Do we even have any long-term debt right now or is everything retired? Yeah. Yeah. We do still have some long-term debt. Okay. Long-term and short-term debt. So, how do you have that? How how much how much the debt is? Oh, longterm. Well, you know, in total,

the debt service. Oh, the is it the 724,000? 724,000 in long-term debt or total debt. Total debt. That's total debt. That's debt service. Oh, debt service. That's what we're paying every year in debt service. Okay. All right. Okay. Thank you. Yeah. Okay. You got it. Um I Sorry. The previous slide. Um does that mean the preliminary budget is $1878,000 below our levy limit? What what does that what does that mean? I realize as I'm processing I needed to go backwards and ask you what that meant.

What what that means is now with the new numbers just over $200,000 up from the 178 uh room from balancing this budget um to our ceiling. So we're under our ceiling. We are. So we still I mean everyone has to remember an override is to create space. It is not a tax increase. But you could argue with these numbers we don't need an override.

That's correct. and uh Tony and I and Rajan and Hungwa had a conversation about an hour and a half before this meeting uh about that exact thing. So uh what we've presented to you is a balanced budget basically about 2 thou 200,000 in the good for the A budget about 500,000 in the good for the Budget um and then it becomes really a policy decision for the town. Do you feel like you need to go into an override to create more headroom for your upcoming five to 10 years? Um, our job is to present you a balanced budget and no matter where we are, we're going to come back to you with a balanced budget. Um, and that's what that's what we've done. So, it's really a town policy. We're not telling you you have to, right? But you need to discuss between the finance committee and the select board. Um, you know, policy-wise, what do you think you need to do? And it's probably a longer conversation,

right? So, and we might need more information, but when I see that in budget B, which is a pretty draconian set of cuts, we're going to be $425,000 under our levy limit, I have a hard time explaining to people why we're cutting cutting cops, firefighters, and DPW workers if we are not over our levy limit. Just throwing it out there. I I don't see a reason for a Budget if we have $425,000 of PER. And and and I guess and then my other question unrelated but hopefully we I mean that Budget we hope we don't need to go there, right? Like

Right. Well, that's what I'm saying. I don't see but we don't have to we don't we don't even technically need an override. That's what I'm saying is we don't need to spend time, energy, and money on a Budget figure out from we need input from FINCOM because we also want to set aside certain amount, right? But that's so well so what I'm thinking is that we still have an override because it's that whole public education piece that an override doesn't mean higher taxes. It's a mechanism to make sure that we're financially healthy but I I don't see a reason for a Budget. I can tell you that um and Tony give me Yeah. Let Mike go and then you

So today um Hungwa Rajan and I uh redid all the revenues both budgets uh numerous times like four times over just to make sure because this is a nice surprise and we keep coming back saying you know we're we're better than balanced and at the same time actually earlier in the day Hungwa Tony and John Connor who's the vice chair of were doing the same thing they were going through and going through and so then I made a phone call and the three of us got on a call with Tony and then he can explain the rest but we're thinking okay so there's not a lot of room but but we're balanced plus a little

yeah and please know I'm not saying that we're not fiscally conservative and that we make cuts where we need to but but again that Budget is not necessary Tony thoughts okay yeah so well let's not get carried way. [laughter] Um, we firstly terminology here. So, balanced budget, we'll always balance the budget because the balance budget just means whatever comes in has to be matched with whatever goes out and we do a calculation from that and whatever is left has to come from taxes. So, that's that's balancing the budget. We also have a balanced budget whatever happens. The key metric here is what is the levy limit that we can go to

without an override. So that's about then so so first you need to estimate what that's going to be. So we you need to model that based on 2 and a half% plus new growth whatever that's going to be. So we've got to you know so we are modeling that. So so part of the fincom model has that number is $29 something million. Um and then the question is well when you put in then in then in then all the figures of the the town budget the the school budget and their various scenarios for each of those and that includes chapter 70 circuit breaker it includes the revenue revenues um and making sure you you've captured all of the costs that are there. So you got other things in there like

town meeting warrant articles that are raised and appropriate need to be factored into that. There's obviously warrant articles which are which are bonded and which are free cash that you can sort of balance out with what you what you have in bonding and free cash. So that doesn't really count towards the the override limit. But you got to think about all those factors. You think about is there going to be an over um an overlay reserve allowance? Probably not this year, but we need to know that. So actually we need to take money back from the overlay reserve maybe. Yeah, maybe. But we you know we don't know yet. So we're still working on that. So I think there's a lot of there's a lot of stuff in here that needs to be thought about. So and we have 4.2 million in free cash

which we can't really use for balancing the budget. You can actually statuto statutoily in we absolutely can. It's not recommended but I am going to go I'm going to die on the hill of saying you can use that if you're in dire straits. Okay. So that's that's another topic. Anyway, so we have we have models that look at all of these scenarios. Um, my models are not directionally that far different to Mike's. And that's the conversation we had tonight. I haven't seen his figures at that point.

Um, on my models, we with the with the sort of numbers that Adam's talking about for school budget, we're talking about a half a million dollars below, you know, above the override basically. So, we would need an override on what I'm looking at. So maybe we maybe there's a way we can actually trim down the town budget numbers and get to within that number. But I think it's it's going to be at least very very close if not over. So I I I I think it's very optimistic at this point to say, "Oh, we can do this without without an override." I I think Well, I'm just going by the chart we're looking at. I'm just using the chart we're looking at.

Well, right. Because I because to your point, I don't think we're saying we're not an override, but we could even if we go with budget A, we and and we do approve the override, that's a win-win for us in the sense that we we we have the budget A, we have level services and with an override that's approved, we have the ability to raise that that that levy limit. Thank you. Levy limit in the future. We're not going to do it now because clearly we don't have to do raise taxes right now. Right. There's [clears throat] there's an argument for saying if we're if we're very close, we should do an override anyway to to build ourselves. Right. It's two different, right? It's two different issues. Exactly. Yeah. This one doesn't include any warrant articles, right? Correct. Correct.

Well, we'd already had the discussion with free cash where it is that warrant articles could be funded out of free cash and that [snorts] all of them. Not all. Well, I wouldn't do all of it. I've had some discussions with FINCOM members saying that we should be using our savings account like we don't have to bond a truck if we don't want to you know so so we'd be looking at bands bonds raise and appropriate free cash I mean we and then we still have a stabilization fund so there are options we can't use stabilization fund we we're already down to our limit for stabilization fund so we top that up putting enough into it right okay we need to be well no I I just think that we have a little more flexibility than I thought yeah I'm [clears throat] just saying Don't get carried away because I think there's a lot more math to do here yet. Yeah.

Before before we get that point. I think I think we are. Yes. I think we're in shooting distance. I think of that. I like that. Um but we're not but we're not there yet. And I think Oh, this is preliminary and and there's a lot of there's a lot of unknowns in in this in this um in this picture. So So I'm not So I'm not saying that we we're disagreeing. I'm just saying that we are cautiously optimistic. Not even there. I'm not I'm not even I'm not even cautious optimistic at the moment. At the moment, I'm saying I still I would like to think we could do it, but I'm I'm I'm very unconvinced at this moment of that, but I'm I'd be happy to be convinced at some point in the in the in the future,

right? And and what I'm saying, and I and I don't want to speak for the board, but what I'm saying is it's two separate issues. We know I think we should approve we should approach in and the town hopefully will approve a a override. That's one. But we [clears throat] can go with budget A and which it appears from the numbers right now that we would be okay. And again, as you've said many times, Tony, just because we approved the order, right, doesn't mean we're going to start increasing taxes. We It just gives us the town the ability to have a higher levy limit.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And I think if we Yeah. We if we can get to a budget A, which is we can get through without an override and and do an override, I think that would be the thing. And then if the end of the overype fails, at least you can go back next year and do it and try again or even do it in the fall. Right. Exactly. Exactly. Yeah. So yeah. Yeah. So uh and Tony, my last question is I'm sure you're not going to answer for the 31 million which you could keep it round numbers. That's 200,000 under the um revenue. What what was it last year at this time? Well, what numbers are we talking? I I think in different terms to that to re revenue I see is what's coming in the door which is which is the local receipts and the um and the uh um state aid basically.

Right. But I guess my question is right now with the preliminary budget we're showing $200,000 to the positive on budget a right what do do we have that number from last year by any chance? I I don't look at the numbers in the same way as same way as this in terms of this this this this split. So I I've got a different model which I can share with you. Okay. I got it. Okay. I wasn't sure you'd have it. That's fine. Okay. You know, and I still think we have to tighten our belts. I think still think we have to have fiscal prudency. Um I still think we have to cut where we can cut, but this is a lot sunnier. I I thought we were going to start out in the negative. I thought budget A was going to be in the negative. So, this is a positive

a positive to me. And what I would say is that um you know when when [clears throat] we sent out the the budget letter um we said if if you got anything uh on your budget a that's um either individual line or your department that's over 5 and a half% you've got some explaining to do when you come in to meet with the three of us. Same with your budget B. When you come in, any line or any department that comes in over 2%, you've got some explaining to do. And that's what we did. And so we've worked very hard to provide a level services budget, meaning we we're not looking to cut services. We're not looking to cut or let go of people, but there are a lot of other deep deep cuts to make sure that we we got to this point. Um, and we think we can do that and provide global services. So people came in to the table with their budgets with those understandings.

So everyone's taking it very seriously. Absolutely. And that and that's what you see is is and we were um you know pleased to see that we didn't you know come in at the negative but that's how seriously people you know the the school as one of our departments and all our other departments have taken this this whole uh approach to budgeting this year. So I get and I appreciate what everything Rajan or Tony I'll ask the question. How solid is the revenue numbers? That's actually a very good question. Does anyone have a clue how solid those revenues? I can answer that. Sure. Go ahead.

Um, so revenues are projections. Um, and and Tony has told you that when he talks about revenues, he's talking about state aid and and and local revenues. When when we show revenues, we're talking about everything everything in which is personal property, real estate property, and state aid and and cherry sheet, you know, which is localates. So, and we'll know more on February 1st based on what abatements I can tell you um solid in that um

we have budgeted our our revenues conservatively. Um, so when we come in, if we think we might get 300,000 um, in a long shot on new growth, we're not budgeting 300,000. Okay? We thought 200,000. We came in at 150. We always do that on the local receipts, hotel, meals, things like that. We always come in conservative. So, we'll feel confident we're going to come in with those revenues. They may be more than that, but we never want to come up short on revenues. So when you say solid, we don't believe we're going to come in under our revenue projections. Okay, that's my point. That's my question.

But not exact. Our revenues are never exact, but we never aim to undersshoot uh on our revenues. So So the revenue So you're basically saying you're relative I'm going to knock on three on the bus. You're relatively sure that the revenues will be 3.1 31.4 million. Yes. Um and again this is first blush and literally Hungwa and Rajan uh met with the last department head this afternoon. So DPW couldn't meet on the day that they were scheduled you know to do it because we had the snowstorm and they were up and our DPW directors up. So literally some of these numbers are coming in you know.

Yeah. But I just want to make sure the revenue because as you said this is where we all start with is the revenue. I want to make sure the the revenue is as solid as we can get on on um on December or 7th. I just or whatever is the 8th, whatever. And we've we've budgeted conservatively for the revenues, even new growth. We've tried to be conservative, not get too high, not to get too low, but to look at the trend and what we've uh what we've been getting these past few years and kind of stay within what the the median is for. Great. Good. Thank you. Before I get to you, Adam, any other comments from the board just on where we are right now? No. Adam.

So, I just want to provide a point of perspective and a challenge your language a little bit. Neither of these options are level services. So, the select board in the town of Oxboro is responsible for the municipal services and the education of our students and we are not providing a level service budget in either of these for the schools. And so, I think it's disingenuous for us to talk about that being a level service budget. The municipal side, that's absolutely true and that's fine. and that's the the priority that we want. But I think we need to be really careful um about calling the overall budget level services because we are reducing services to the schools. Remind me what percent increase for Boxboro to provide level services at Actton Boxboro.

Uh so the the increase to Boxboro would be an 8.65% increase, but that point is moved because Actton can't afford that either. So our our I mean AND THAT'S FINE. MATCH match affordability. Then if we were to match Octton's affordability, what that's the 3.75 the 3.75 overall budget increase which is 5.64% assessment increase. And remind me what we have for the school in the summary I think before the page before this 5.5 to 6. So yeah, so we have that Adam. We have that 5.5 to 6.17. That's your assessment number,

right? But you just told me that we need 5.6 64% increase to match our 3.75%. Right. But that's not level services. So neither town can afford level services. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So I just vocabulary, but we are meeting our obligation. We're meeting our if you want to call equity, not equal. We we're it's an equitable um match of Actton's ability to pay. Right. Yes. But Right. Stop right there. That's it. Yeah. Yeah. [laughter] Yeah. Hold on.

But it's not level services. I mean, this is important. This is important for obviously for the school committee, but it's also important for our educators who have faced cuts over the past four coming on five years. Even this number equals somewhere in the round realm of 30 people getting cut. No, please know how empathetic we are to that. It's important for the parents to understand that. Absolutely. that we're trying to get level services at the town and that as you're saying that means a different thing at the school. So level services at the town does not mean level services at the school and we understand that and we and and so I think it's fair to say that both communities cannot afford level services. Correct. At the school at the great

period for the community. It's not the school versus the town. It is the community. You're right. You're right. I get it. No. No. Exactly. But I guess what the way I'm looking at it is if if Actton knows they can afford X and Box first percentage is Y and we can afford Y it's equitable. We're all doing the best we can because you know unless for some reason you were saying well Boxboro pay a little more. I guess the way I'm feeling Adam is it's been a little bit presented that if if Boxboro doesn't fund their full share it'll be our fault that 90 teachers are laid off. And and that hurts.

You know what I mean? Because you're saying a gonna do this, but if you don't if you guys don't come in at 5.64% for the schools, it's going to be your fault because if our if we don't pass our assessment, everything goes to hell in a hand basket. And so when I look at this, I think, okay, it's not it won't be Boxboro's fault because Actton can't afford it either. We're we're going to be equitable in terms of figuring how we afford what services we can pay for. And please know I'm pro school out of everybody on this board. I am probably the most pro school.

I think that the B budget we have to be careful with because there's clearly going to be, you know, a challenge. If the town doesn't approve, and this happens either way, if a town doesn't approve the budget, then there is one of those two two communities has chosen not to support the costs that the entire community has set forward that they need,

right? Um, and so I think we I I mean I think we it would be good to dive a little bit more into the B-side budget because it does feel like the schools will have to cut another 40. And I'm I'm unclear about how many um staff on the municipal side might have to get cut for the for the B budget. So I think we should look at that um a little bit more. But I think the the the one thing I just want to cautious caution us on is the language that we use since we've got a fairly engaged parent community now, right? Um, and we we we have been out and about telling that we don't have enough money and that we have to do all these things. And so I think it's really important that our town leaders equally mimic that and echo that so that we're not talking about the us and them of schools and municipality. It is the community. And right now the community cannot afford and and most around the Commonwealth cannot afford level services for everything that their community needs. And I think

and I think that's a key word what you just said. The community cannot afford for everything. for everything. You might be able to afford to level service your DPW, but you can't level service your education. And I think and I think that's what we need to say to everyone. And and I will recognize here that it would be almost impossible to level service the schools with the cuts that you'd have to make on the municipal side just given the size that we have. So if I were to say I want to have level services, I want to have a 6% operating budget increase, it would destroy both towns municipal side. So I I totally recognize that. Um, but we also have to recognize that these are choices that that we're all making when we

So I want to know if you could offer if the school committee has got other language to offer that. If it's not level service, what do we call it to explain to people that you tell tell me what the language is because you're saying be careful with your vocabulary. I'm double underlining this and I'm at a loss at what vocabulary might be. Well, we're putting forward a budget that the community can afford and that we expect that they're going to be willing to vote for on either of those counts and it involves clearly cuts on both sides. President Trump said there's no such thing as affordability, so we can't use that. Pick another word. Just kidding. I'm being palatable. Sorry. Sorry. I'm just being a jerk. [laughter] Oh god, here comes the lightning.

Um, all right. So, a budget a community the communities can afford. All right. and a level of services that the communities can afford. But I'm not even sure that's we'll have to work on that. Yeah, I I don't we we have bantered around that term level services a lot on our side and it's not even it it it is a starting point, right?

But you're never providing the same services from one year to the next because you need new things in different areas and you don't need things in old areas. It's a it's a measurement point to say if we were to continue doing what we're doing today tomorrow, this is how much it should cost. But then inside that, your administrators and your operators get to decide, well, I don't need to do this anymore, and I need to do this. So, the dollars are the same, but where we're putting them are different. Correct. And so, you know, what we're putting forward is a budget that supports the the needs and capability of the community, but it's not level services because we're not spending the same amount of dollars next year that we are this year or we're not spend spending the relatively same amount of dollars for next year. We're not putting forward a budget that allows us to maintain all of those services,

right? because some of them as as they described be very there's going to be increases contractual increases. So something has to give just to bring that just to bring that down. Yeah. And and if I were to speak under Mike's control the town next year is not necessarily even in their a budget delivering the same level of services. That's exactly what I'm saying. Right. That's exactly they're using that same amount of funding but things like health insurance have gone up so much that other things are going to go down. Exactly. And that's exactly what I'm saying. Right. Then we just have to find the language. That's my It might just be A and B and that's all it is is it's A and B.

We don't call it level service and level funded. We just say budget A gives this level of services and budget B gives that level of services. Is that thoughts? All right,

Tony. So, I've got a concern about budget B in the way it's modeled here because it's not that much different to budget A really in terms of the the um the increase in the budget from from last year. So we do need I think to present um two clearly different budgets because budget B at the moment is you know we have I need you know when I model it it's not that far um there's not a lot of wiggle room in budget B either for an override you know we so we need we need to have a situation where we have a clear distinct option I think and I recognize that may mean some more draconian cuts in that budget to make it, you know, correct. But if the strategies have two budgets, one which is um an override which we maybe we can squeak through without an override but it's very close and one is you know a sort of like a like a safety one and no override then the safety has to be a reasonable safety margin I think in in that number given given all of the um uncertainties in in the numbers that go into the budget.

Okay. Yep. Thoughts before we go on to the next page? Go to the next page. All right. Sorry, Rajan. It it just seemed it actually made more sense to have a discussion before we went too much further. Um that that's fine. And essentially the last two charts are the last two slides are just charts of how the breakdown of budget A and B is. Um so education makes up 58% of budget A. Um and it's not too much different um with budget B. makes up 57%. Um, where are senior services? Uh, they fall under health services

and health I can't read the colors, you guys. I I apologize. The colors are all too close for my eyes. What color is health service or what percentage? Just tell me the percentage. Which one is health services? So, health services that's the eight 8%. I think it's I think it's the Ah, nobody can tell. [laughter] I feel better. I feel less old. So, town government is 8%, public safety is 12%, education is 57%. Um, town overhead is the 15%. Uh,

and town overhead includes that is the debt and the health insurance. All right. And benefits. Perhaps next time throw the percentages next to the words. I was just going to say overhead. Put a and then and then underneath, you know, write debt, right? If you if you just put the percentages here, if you could. Okay. Yeah. All right. Thank you, sir. What's 1%? So the 1% is culture and recreation probably health services. No, it's called a see none of us. No, health services was 12%. No, go do it again. I'm sorry. So public works is the 5% and then the health services is the 1%.

And health services where is where seniors are is how much? 1%. 1%.

Okay. [snorts] So, and the reason I'm being sensitive to this is that based on the numbers that we got from the town clerk, a significant percentage, I mean, everyone takes advantage of everything, but when you look at the difference between health services and education, and you've got the 20% of people under the age of 18 who don't work, and then you've got the 30% of people over the age of 65 who may or may not be working, you know, and then and then the bulk of the taxes are being paid by the 54% that are you know. So, so when I look at this and I and again I'm looking at it for the whole town's perspective. I want to be sure that we're taking care of everybody equally or meeting their needs. You're never going to take care of everyone equally. It's is it gets back to the the word equity, but is every community member getting what they need,

right? Or some semblance thereof. Yeah. You we really need to put the percentages inside the names. Okay. Okay. Thank you. Great. Thank you. All right. And that's all I have for the presentation. Great. That was a lot. That's a lot of work. Oh boy, that was a cascade. Okay, so I guess we just are going to have to dive deeper into it and get a better understanding. Good times. Okay. Is everyone shell shocked? Everyone's just like,

well, well, I think I I think I'm not I don't I don't know if I'm shell shocked, but I'm I'll echo your I think I'm pleasantly surprised. I was expecting to see negative numbers on both. I Yeah, I was expect I I thought it was going to be a lot worse is I guess what I

and the fact that we can show the fact even if you showed zero, you're showing 178,000. I was I was expecting, you know, $24,000. But the fact that we we can show Bob positive right now and I go back to my first thing. I understand and we need to communicate to the to the residents that this is two different things. The fact that we can afford the 175 if if that magically becomes through. That doesn't mean we still don't need an override because we are way too close at $175,000 to not be able to provide payment to our for the services that we provide because without the levy limit increase we can't pay it. We can't pay those services. So

this is going to be a random question. Um I believe there were two override votes today. Frammingham and Stonem. Yeah, Stonem approved it. I saw Stonem approved theirs. I I didn't I don't know what I I guess I guess I guess what I would like to understand and this is that random question is what's the purpose of a fall override and where I'm going with this is do we have the override in the fall instead of in the spring? I don't know. I'm just throw I'm just throwing it out there because many other towns are having overrides in the fall. Why is it because they failed last spring or because they're looking forward to May and needing headroom? Sten failed. Stonem failed

stom failed last year. Okay. Okay. No, I'm just trying to understand other town strategies and and what would make sense for us becing off Well, that's why that's why I'm thinking if we Framingham was the other one. Mhm. I thought it was Framingham and Stonem. They have a mayor and city council so that it wouldn't be there. There wouldn't be a town meeting. Oh, maybe it wasn't Framingham. Well, [clears throat] you could probably Google it. Who's having overrides in [snorts] Massachusetts tonight? There were two towns having overrides. Yeah, maybe it was on the ballot, but I'm just saying the timing wouldn't Oh. Oh, I see. I see. Sorry, Becky. Could I just mention next fall you'll probably be looking at an override for a fire station hopefully. So you probably won't want to do an operational override and you know a fire station override at the same meeting. That might fair enough. That might be like you know counterintuitive. Okay fair.

Plus the other thing I was going to say Becky is like I you know I I would prefer putting putting one on now [laughter and cough] so that if it fails we can bring it back in the fall and say now we really got to do it there. Yeah. Yeah. No, I that was just a a rhetorical question. It was not any other than trying to understand why so many towns are having fall over and was there anything beyond failing. That goes to you like to Tony's answer. I think if you know Stonem failed and then they passed today. So I think if we fail in the spring we could potentially pass.

How do you guys know the ballot? Okay, whatever. I'm not going to ask. Okay. That they passed it. All right. Um are we ready to go to select board and town administrator goals? Okay. Who who did this? Because somebody is in trouble because if you think I I mean really bring that up. It's gonna go up. Okay. Because I was like much bigger. Mine bigger than it's mine's bigger than yours. There you go. I blew it up up on the screen. You'll There we go. Much easier to read it. Okay. Let me share.

So Priya and I met with Mike. Just so you all know, we did meet with Mike. um created some categories that will hopefully make it easier for us to manage and not um no I'm teasing um and you know to manage the goals. This is an opportunity to add input um and really direct Mike on how to lead the town into 2026. So take it away Mike. We'll start at the beginning.

Okay. So, um, the last time that that, uh, you as a board, uh, discussed town goals with me, um, one of the recommendations you you said was a different [cough] a different presentation in instead of a a list at at the top of of one-year goals and a list at the bottom of 10-year goals, how about let's break them into buckets. U, so starting with the first bucket, and I'll just show you the buckets first, and then we can go, you know, dive deep in each of them. So the buckets are financial contracts, public safety, land use, communication, infrastructure, personnel, organizational, and community. Um that's as a starter anyways, right?

Um that that's where most of them seemed to fall. Um and then um there was there was also a suggestion of instead of uh one year and 10 year that we uh break them possibly into either short-term and long-term or one year, five year, [snorts] 10 year. So I'm open to uh the desire of the of the board, you know, to to organize them, but this is just a a place to start the conversation.

Sure. So creating financial stability, we're talking about now fee structure analysis. You know, we know that many of our fees are below the fees of our neighbors, which would also increase revenue. I don't know by how much percentage wise, but so you'll be looking at all permit fees, application fees. Yes. Any anything else besides that? That work has started uh this summer through fall. Um yeah, everything that we charge for for a service. Um fields, transfer station, building permits, job licenses. I'm thinking about all the different things, right? Yeah. Everything that we charge a fee for service.

Now, this is an opportunity. The fee structure analysis. Remember you all that this includes transfer station stickers and thinking about, you know, there's no question in my mind that the box for transfer station is the best bargain around. When you look at Does anybody hear of a private hauler? And does anybody because I my understanding is private hollers are significantly more expensive annually. It's $300 a month. Do you have a private holler, Pria? As well as a sticker. It's $300 a month, right? Isn't about 300? Yeah. See, I've even heard up to five or six, but that might depend on the size of your family and what you're doing. Yeah. But I mean, just right there. So $300 a month times 12 is $3,600, right? 30 $3,600 for a private hauler versus $175. 150 150,

right? All right. So, that's probably going to be something to talk to Ed about because that would be a significant and again, I don't think we can jump to $3,600, but I would say that's probably our biggest opportunity for revenue is transfer station stickers. Yeah, Ed and I have talked about this in depth and and we have the numbers uh to to present to you. Um not only um are you paying much more for for a private hauler, it's the same way where I live. we don't have the opportunity for a transfer station. So, it's it's all private hauler. Um, but our private hauler, you know, there's there's a recycling bucket and there's and there's a solid waste bucket.

There's there's no bucket for mattresses. There's no bucket for for computers and all the other things, you know, the the the uh black earth, you know, all that stuff. Everything is included in the in the 150 a year. Um, so but yeah, we we have lots of data to share with you on that one. All right. And I think we I think we get there. I mean, I I remember you guys when we went from 0 to 25, people flipped their lids. Then we went back to zero. Then we went back to 25. Then went to do we do an intram before 150? I don't remember now. But people don't like change. Yeah. But but for a while we did one sticker for 152 and then we did two again. Yeah.

Yeah. again, all sorts of iterations, but I think that's something we work on because that that's a significant revenue stream. And and I would also argue that um pets um dog license fees are lower than neighboring fees on the table with this with this analysis. Okay. [snorts] So, budget forecasting, I mean, this is your chance to jump in you guys. We are setting the administration's goals. So, please jump in. Okay. Um I would say I would like for us to remove new growth and have a separate focus for new growth Mike where the last one from where

uh where last thing right increase revenue including new growth I think if we don't separate category separate category and we need to like have real goals set up because all our financial ws right like we are trying to But we never think about how can we increase the revenue right like so I think new growth should be front and center for us for moving forward I think it's important and then somewhere in here we should also look into grants um yeah that's there too maximize grant

grant opportunities right like so that one the grants should be like we should probably categorize them right like what are the different ones and how are we going to it does call it out it more important. Yeah. And and I will say at BLF um we did all come to agree. Again, BLF takes no votes, but there was an agreement [clears throat] that we probably should have a task force looking at a five-year new growth plan that can be executable and that we include economic development committee planning, finance, select board, basically all all of all of the big players that factor into bringing new growth to town and and creating very tactile

goals to achieve whether and and I don't even know what they are. It could be filling existing space. It doesn't have to be cut down trees and build new buildings, you know, I want to be clear about that, but but we do need to encourage people to want to come to Boxboro. Yeah. So,

um, so I had a thought, um, I've kind of been zoning a little out through the financial stuff, but in terms of, um, re, uh, generating revenue for the town, um, have we ever considered doing any kind of mutual aid program with other, um, like larger cities like LOL or Fitchburg um, to perhaps um, set some sort of uh aid for um housing or um mental health services.

Well, we already belong to the consortium, the the Nishoka Regional Health Consortium, and that that's that is where we focus. But no, we haven't looked into um partnering with other large cities in the area. But that I'm going to have to put a pin because we have to get through this. But that's definitely something you could ask the select to consider. That's something that's been mulling around in my head. Right. Well, I remember at a housing board meeting I was at, we had some conversation about that, too. So, okay. Thank you. Um, settle or win ongoing legal cases. [laughter] Help me out with that one. Good strategy. That's a good strategy, Mike. [laughter] Um,

I assume that means be realistic about our about our ongoing cases and if we can't win, then let's figure out ways to exit. Yes. Exit strategy. Yeah. about that and I think that also um includes you know preventing getting into it [laughter] and that's and that's the one to the right create litigation reduction strategy. So, as an example, I heard several times when I first arrived in town, well, you know, we don't like the way that's going. Let them sue us and then we'll end up splitting the baby.

And three and a half years later, you know, we're still talking about splitting the baby on those. And I think there are there are ways to um settle and have an exit plan for something that's going on. And then there's also smart ways to um you know we can't always deny and say let them sue us. It just isn't a good litigation strategy. Uh so I think those two go hand in hand. Does this board have the ability to make that call in all cases? No. In any cases? No. We'd have to talk to the land use boards. Right. I I I'm going to go out on a limb that the majority of our legal wos are land use or no uh the litigation, not all of them, but

No, I said majority. Yeah, a fair number. Right. I I I can't make a list in my head right now of what we have going on quite frankly. So, you'll have to catch us up on all that. Okay. I would agree just deny is not a good strategy and it's probably appropriate for a town goal. I just don't know if it's a this is a select board exercise. What what exactly that's doing there? Is that a question or a comment? Just observation. An observation. Okay, Finn, I'll let you jump in, but we want to get through all this.

Question uh regarding the settler win. What do we utilize as a town for alternative dispute resolution services? So um it's it's multi-level. So you know often it starts with a conversation. Um it can it can it can move to a negotiation. It can move to mediation. It can move to arbitration. Okay. Uh or it can move to the courtroom. So do we have town like in the town like a mediating ser a mediation service that assists and supports with town stuff?

Uh we do and it depends on the type of a of of case it is. If it's a public safety thing, there's a vehicle for that. If there's other things, there are. Okay. If you've got ideas, I'd be interested in I just have an interest in mediation services. A lot of times people don't realize that's an option with legal disputes and like my landlord issue. Like I had offered like mediation services right off the bat and he just completely refused to engage in them. I'm like, "Okay, I guess I'm just going to stay here and not pay rent until this is resolved." And it took months and months and months and months and months before he would even consider mediation as an option. Yeah. I would say it's we get ahead of that. Yeah. I'm just saying I'm just saying it saves so much money if you just do mediation. You can save so much money doing mediation.

It's often a better path especially when it comes to housing disputes. Yeah. Absolutely. Thank you. Okay. So, so we're going to pull new growth out into its own category and Pri did you say you were suggesting pull grant opportunities into its own? No. What was your other own category? No. Um I just I I guess we have to like kind of divide the grant opportunities and like [snorts] what are the different like there are grants for everything really. Every Yeah. I don't know how you would but like so I I anything that brings money we need to have like a focus and a strategy.

Mhm. We we just like put grants if we don't specify it it becomes like people forget right like we want to be able to specify [cough and clears throat] these are the different things that is available so that way it's somebody is in charge of that right within our departments right across all the departments so just like spelling it out would be helpful okay in in here or if this stays on the goals then to have an operational tool operational tool break. Yeah, that that's definitely I think that would be the way to go if this stays on here as a as a goal. Then we use an operational tool to actually capture all the grant opportunities we can.

Yep. [snorts] All right, moving into contract negotiations. [clears throat] Um, so [snorts] so the these ones are pretty straightforward. I mean, the uh the police chief and the DPW director's contracts um have been settled. The board voted on them last time, and I know that, you know, Kristen's going to make an announcement at the end of this uh meeting when we get to announcements. Um and then the the the school one, I'll be following along, but not actually a voting member of the of that negotiating team. So, that's the ABW, the actin box education. Uh what the W is? What's the W? It's not a W. It's an A. Association.

Ah, association. Ah, okay. Thank you. Because I'm like, I don't know what ABU is. [laughter] There was something really wrong with Okay, I feel better. So, it's So, it's aba ABA. Okay, got it. Well, I figured it was active box for something. Yeah, we got that. I actually wrote him a little note. I'm like, what is ab I can tell you what it is. is that the A and the W are right next to each other on my keyboard. Okay. And [laughter] so I diagonally hit the W instead of the A. Sorry. All right. Now we know what that is.

The next thing um are are goals that I asked our our department heads um if they would also send if they've got strategic goals that they would like uh the the select board and the town administrator to look at to send them to me. And so these five came from our police and fire chiefs. Um and so I wanted to bring them forward for for our discussion. Um the the the SEMP which is CM is um is something that the team is is working on.

So the the the fire chief, police chief, uh administration, finance, uh the library director, our human services director, our DPW director, and our land use director are all working on this on this SM. Um it's being led by our emergency management director who's our fire chief. Okay. Um and that's something we're working on to bring you in uh in the spring in March. Okay. What was the So Mike is the analyze the risk factor is that related to the co-response clinical clinic strategy or or is that two separate things?

They're separate. So the um analyze injury risk factors is something that the the fire chief wanted to bring forward and I'm gonna let him give us more details on that. But that's what are some of the things that are that he's they are seeing a high prevalence of of injuries in in the community um as well as within our work. Oh like resident Oh. Oh, I was thinking that was staff both personnel. So also how many legs are being broken on the playground?

Yeah. So I think Yeah. I mean, look, what are the injuries we're seeing at the Flare program? What are the injuries we're seeing in in the home? What are the injuries we're seeing in the workplace? Um, and analyzing all that with the with the uh goal of mitigating and reducing and eliminating. Did anyone say those? I don't know. Um and then and that after that analysis would lead to the right hand column at the top community risk reduction program uh to reduce the risks that have been identified within the analysis. Could that have insurance implications? It could. Okay.

It definitely would. I I can tell you that um one of the the big driving factors for not having um hardly any workers comp um claims is our DPW director and his team. Because while while workers comp claims can happen anywhere, um they happen I would say a lot in your DPW or water departments um and in your special needs classrooms um and you know and then you know ice ice falls right

but but the fact that you know the programs that our DPW director runs um redest those sort of risks but there's other places we can reduce risks as well. um the co co-response clinician strategy as you know we've we've had a co-response uh clinician that that we've been you know one of the communities involved in that but the uh police chief has asked us to talk about a strategy for that and I think he'll [snorts] be able to pres present us some ideas for that strategy okay um and that that last one um relates to the to the upon the risk right okay that's fine um land use

um so complete streets that's one that the land use director has has presented to uh talk about and I think he'll have some ideas on how we step into that and which parts of that program we can that would be beneficial to uh Boxboro um and then uh bylaw zoning and code enforcement um do we act I mean I I'll be sar sarcastic do we even have that we do well it appears We can't enforce anything. Um, we actually are. Okay. Um, good. Yeah. Just tied up in courts a long time. That's all. Do we really need to update our wetlands bylaw? Didn't we just do that?

We badly need to update our wetlands by law. Badly need to update it. We did it. Oh, we badly need to do it. We badly Oh, that's true. We did it poorly. Is that what you're saying? The wetlands bylaw is in need of an update. Okay. Okay. We updated the zoning bylaw. Okay. Okay. Yeah. So, we passed. [snorts] So, that's something that needs to be worked. So, all right. So, Mike, what would your role in that be because these are your you know, ours this is our goals and like so in terms of um updating our wetlands bylaws.

So, you know, that that comes under land use. the land use director reports to me and um and I and I think that's something that you know if that's something the town wants to do then under [snorts] our guidance you know yeah because remember this is these are our goals also everybody so that means that we would be passing that along to concom land use etc and saying all right I'm hope I'm hopeful that we can support an effort between planning staff and the conscom to keep the project on track. I know I know that Liz wants to see it rewritten also projects or project I'm sorry

this project of rewriting the bylaw okay is something that I'm hopeful the select board and I'm happy to take it on on our behalf can can make sure uh stays moving okay okay anything else on land use questions for Mike or or additions this is an opportunity if there's something in your head that you're like geez we should be [clears throat] doing this this is the chance the next one down is is [laughter] now I'm teasing you. You're like, I don't know the next one.

Yeah. No, no. The next one down actually is is one that Sam had recommended. Yeah. And that's now that we've uh the town has spent a lot of time and money on on with Western and Samson and the water resources committee on looking at the the quantity of water. Now, it's time we put a focus on the on the quality of water. And one of the ways that Sam suggested is that we find ways to encourage people to test their their private wells and then we aggregate those those results u and provide some education on on how we can uh you know increase the quality of the town's water. What they miss or at least or at least have a picture of what it is of the quality. Yeah.

Yeah. That might just be I mean I'm try not trying to solve the problem now but but I know in my world a lot of people will say oh yeah I tested a year ago two years ago five. It might even be just encouraging people to voluntarily share the results of their tests. A lot of people are already doing it and a lot of people haven't tested in 50 years. I can't imagine and this is talking about your world now. Yeah. I can't imagine buying a home with a well and not testing it when you move in on day one. buyers. Yeah, they do not test because they don't want to pay the money for it. They figure if you were drinking it, I can drink it. Wow. Yeah, that's bonkers to me.

So, Sam or Mike, should we move this to as opposed to long range over to short range? What do you hear? I don't know. Is there capacity to take it on? I I mean, the the water resources committee is very active, but it's going to take some staff, town staff. Uh uh uh yeah I don't think capacity I I think it's a long long term and maybe there's some some interim steps that get started to get to the long term but I think it is a long term and a carrying on sort of process. I'm sure there's grants available to do this work as well. Um that that

I would like to slide that one to short term because let's because we didn't define what longterm and shortterm is. Short-term could be two or three years. It long term can be five to 10 years. We don't know. But I actually do think that [snorts] it can be really easy to leave those long-term goals languishing on that side. I don't know thoughts. I that's what I that's what I was thinking. That's why everything should have like the operational steps like what are how are you going to go because as Sam you know Sam as you said you the water testing is already you know you got past it. So let's make sure we stay on top of it right now. Yeah. And I'm not saying it's not longterm, but I think I think we can

I mean like how many people if the town put out, you know, through its channels it said if have you tested your water in your well water in the last year, we would love to have the results for a town study, share them with us. Even that even if you got 50 Even if you got 50 Yeah. I just share them. I agree. Easy. Sure. Okay. Yeah. There's there's got to be strategies to to to just do this to get information at a low just ask just ask. Yeah. Yeah. Right. Great. I share it with my neighbors so that way they don't have to [snorts] test. Hopefully it's all we are all drawing from the same aquafer. That's still a hope. But yeah,

that's a hope. Yeah. Right. You just wanted them to pay you pay pay something back to you. That's all. [laughter] The next one I noticed I've got it on here twice. I'm not sure how this one came to me, but the increased smart economic development and I'm not sure um exactly how that fits in or if it should be long-term or short-term or if we've already caught it up above when we talked about uh right because I think this that new growth it'll we talked about new growth and maybe maybe we can eliminate this because we've captured

because it doesn't because I know how I know how it got under land use but I think it goes up above I agree with you. All right, while we're talking about land use, and I forgive my shiny squirrel brain, we still have not appointed an associate member to the planning board and we're halfway through the year. So, we need to raise that and get the support that they need, you know, and get that done. Okay. So, yeah, if you could facilitate that with Alex so that could be perhaps even on our next select board meeting and just get that done. Because I I believe we have candidates that are interested. Yeah, we have two. Yeah. And and I think there's even another one. Is that a um

it's a joint select board planning board decision and what what we had said is hey planning board why don't you put forward now you know whomever you want because they have to serve on your board and and then we'll be second and they haven't I know they've been super busy but if we need to put somebody forth first then we should just do that and then they can just decide if they're happy with it or not but but that was my idea was hey you guys tell us who you want to work with and um it just hasn't happened yet. Yeah, I'll talk with Alec. Thank you. Okay, sorry that was a shiny squirrel moment. But hey, it's a goal. Let's get an associate uh planning board member appointed before the end of the year. To appoint associate member of the planning board. It's associate, not alternate, right? Yeah, associate or is it alternate? I always forget. Is it alternate? Okay. Yeah.

All right. Okay. So, yeah, that should be a short-term goal. Okay. [snorts] So, we'll take off the smart economic development. [laughter] Yeah. Yeah. Get this. Yeah, you can take it off over there. Yeah, that's shortterm. Okay. Where's the uh where's the fill all board vacancies? [laughter] Well, actually that should be in in community is you know I saw that somewhere [laughter] right yeah that's kind of an ongoing thing but you're right Sam I mean we we've all been talking about that anyway and Rajan's doing a great job with that too but we should add to the list. Yep. Okay. Okay. Under communication we've we've got a bunch of them. Uh one is to [snorts] roll out the rave alert system. Is that only for emergencies or can we can we use it for any kind of communication?

Um, so it can be used for a number of different types of communication because that might be where you say share your water results. Yeah. Y and what it what it has is a number of different ways that you can channel that information. So there's pure public safety stuff and then there's um urgent stuff and then there's less urgent stuff. What we want to do is and and that's being set up right now to to roll out within the next month. Oh, good. What we don't want to do is overuse any of those channels so that it becomes white noise to people. I hear you. Uh but but yeah, but we're setting it up so that we can use it for hey town meetings coming up. You know, this this your opportunity all kinds of different levels of and types of communication.

Great. Uh so that'll be coming out soon. um communication methodology and and the reason I put PSC [snorts] there is that uh uh Rajan and and the library director and the police chief and uh and our land use director are all working on a a project at PSC which is the public sector consortium down in Cambridge. Um, and this is one of the things they're taking on as their project is to so we'll see that uh unfolding and we'll they'll commit to brief us and let us know what they're doing on that. Great.

Um, uh, ops update. That's something we could probably actually take it out because that's something we're already already doing as far as the the updates at select board meeting. Well, that's email to select board and then you also have reg and then you have [snorts] increased depth of TA updates at the meeting. Yep. I think we kind of talked about instead of email doing it so the public hears it too what those updates are. Yeah. So we'll make that happen. Um let's see. Um Mike I I like these two on the because I went obviously went through it the civic academy and the civic but I guess my question is that a goal for you or is that a goal for Rajan?

Um actually that when this when these goals were written back in the spring it was it was for the fall civic academy. We've already done it. Y um I [clears throat] I think we'll do it again in the future, but we could probably take it off a great to be honest. Yeah. Um let's see. Regular communication with with legisl legislators. Um and that's that is happening. They should be included in your new like in our growth thing. They should be part of that part of new growth for new growth like helping us with that. Right. Agree. I'm I'm sure like some of the businesses that went to another state there was

some involvement there. They left major level. So we need to make sure that they are involved [clears throat] in that state meaning not Foxboro the state. Right. Right.

Um okay we already touched the the next one uh website redesign. Um the wheels are moving on that one. And then um the next one I think is important is that we now have two classes of civic academy graduates and I think the next step is for us to involve them um as some have become in um you know in in town uh government. Um revisit strategic goals regularly. This was something we heard mentioned I think at the last meeting. Um I don't know if that belongs in there as a goal, but I noted it just to make sure we didn't Yeah. lose sight of it.

Yeah. Just a mental tick.

Yep. Um okay. Um infrastructure. Um West Boxboro water line. It's It's in progress. It's It's not done. Um so I I wasn't comfortable taking it off yet because it's not complete. But you know, maybe we know we're going to finish it. Maybe we can take it off. I don't know. Uh, new fire station obviously belongs on there. It moved from long-term to short-term. Uh, I don't know if that was a mistake, but uh either way, we've got to do that. [snorts] Um, this next one is is one that actually um, you know, was is a goal that maybe we talked about a little bit earlier tonight, which is at 126 Mass, which is the force land, uh, using that as a water resource uh, for both fire and and and drinking water. And that's allowed if it's conservation land.

Yes. If it if it goes back to it still has to go back to town town meeting, right, to do that. But yes. And can [cough] you add um water district having discussions about water district because having water commissioners? Yeah. If we are part of a water district, right? like if we even like tag team with like Littleton or with like Actton there is a lot more grants and things available to kind of help with again that might I don't know the pros and the cons but that's something to definitely explore and make sure because

even now that we have the the western part of our town with water we have to see like what can we do to like keep expanding that right eventually I don't know the answer to that but maybe that's explore becoming a water district but then in long-term goals okay maybe talk to a [snorts] neighboring town and see if they would want us to be if they would want to join us and that might come with some pros some cons but it's important for us to at least explore those right okay and then and I would argue that um the long-term infrastructure goals are not in an order of priority. They are just goals.

Yeah, I just want to be clear about that. You know, people say police station, community center. I would actually say the Liberty Square road culvert if we facilities review and the culvert and the sister and fire pond are probably going to happen before we get an additional water line at police station or community center. So, okay. Personnel. Um, okay. Um, so employee health and wellness. This is something that we have been focusing on and um I assume this is something that the board wants to continue focusing on. That's that's a question.

No, it it is. And I'm and I I'm I'm going to throw this one out again. Is that you or is that I I know I know I know Rajan rolls up to you. I know it's yours, but I'm just wondering is it your goal or is it Roan's goal? So, in in my opinion, [cough] these are town goals. So, it's not my goal or John's goal. These are the town goals. Um Oh, I see what you're saying. In fact, in the future, like I think I think we're selling ourselves short if we just make this a checklist to evaluate me in the spring. I think if you make them town goals, you can still use it for that,

but you elevate them to a strategic level of these are the things that we as a town want to accomplish. And then you bring in the other stakeholders that that can help us to do that. Okay, I get you. Yeah, I get you. So, all right. I'm going to say something that I don't know that anyone wants to say, but it has bubbled up to me a couple of times, and that is the volunteer appreciation spring cookout. And I understand, is it a $3,000 budget item? What is it? Um, I don't know. And I'm not asking for. So, I guess what has bubbled up to me is do we need a volunteer appreci appreciation spring cookout? I I can appreciate an annual lunchion for the for employees, you know, as as a thank you. That that just totally makes sense to me. And I think you do it in December typically. Yeah.

Okay. Right. Because we don't even get invited because we are not staff. I'm teasing. Um, but but there's been questions about the cookout, whether we really need to have a cookout or not. And that's coming from volunteers saying I don't need to be appreciated if it'll save the town some money and some effort. So I am just I I guess do we have any count [clears throat] has has it been well well attended the volunteer one? The the volunteer cookout? Yeah. Oh, I don't know. That was before I got here. Yeah, I think that was a done one before I got here. Do we Oh, we haven't done one since. Okay. I Isn't I think there's a line item for it in the budget though. So So we do we do the holiday lunch, right? Right. Um we have if we haven't done it, let's kill it.

Yeah. Here's here's what we have done. We've done a holiday lunchon which actually the first year I had proposed, you know, all employees, all volunteers are invited. Um and then and then we did a a recognition lunchon in the spring in April. Mhm. And uh what staff at one point suggested is can we can we just do an employee lunchon where we can actually congregate like the library folks don't get to see the DPW folks and then we're fine with that. I was teasing that we weren't invited. We're fine with [laughter] that.

And and then but then I've also been asked instead of a recognition lunch in the spring, could we do a volunteer cookout? I'm fine with any of that. I think it it's it would cost the same thing if we moved the the April lunchon to a spring outdoor cookout for just volunteers, not staff, just volunteers. Uh I would I would show up and cook burgers if you'd like. Um [laughter] but like the volunteers if we do something for the volunteers, it should be on like a weekend when everybody could everybody can attend. A lot of them work. I think it was suggested as a Saturday. Yeah. Yeah. I think maybe a late Saturday like 4 p.m. That's something we can explore.

Okay. I It's only because it was on there as a goal. And I was like, so to not do it doesn't save money. All it to do it would just move one event to from an indoor lunchon to an outdoor cookout. Okay. All right. Well, we can talk about that later then since it's almost 10 o'clock. Yep. Um. All right. Okay. Next, succession planning I think is something that we have been working on and I think we should keep uh focusing on. Um and then employer of choice is something we've talked about. We've made strides. We haven't gotten there but I think that's something we should continue. And the personnel board is working on that or um Rajan's nodding his head. Yeah. Yeah, we are. Yeah. With with administration. Yes. Okay. Great.

And to Mike's point, I think you know employer choices Mike, I'm going to correct you. It's not something that's going to be done. That's just an ongoing thing, right? We're always going to be changing. We always want to be an employer of choice. So it's not something we can say, "Yep, we're an employer choice. forget it now. Right. And and some things you want to you, you know, get to and then you plateau and you got to maintain. Well, we're not to the point of maintaining yet because we haven't gotten there. So, I think we're still climbing on that one. Yep. [clears throat] Okay. Can I ask I uh sort in the interest of like adding something that you can hopefully soon check off? Uh [laughter] um should the uh ongoing project with the with the payroll systems be on this? Yeah.

Yeah. Actually, it should short term. Sure. Over here. You're right. On the personnel s, right? Yeah. In other implement the new payroll and approval software. Yeah. Yep. Absolutely. It's something that seems to be top of mind. I I think we have to add the clear gov also because I know the FINCOM is you know you know working with um Hungwan the finance director and the fincom on clear gov and if that's truly the right software program if we need to investigate something else or if we have to learn how to use it better because that that has that's come to my attention a couple of times too. So I I would say I would put both of those in your shortterm short-term goals.

Are they on the personnel though? Uh organizational now. Where do you want it? Or finance. Okay. So, yeah, the finance. So, just put re review uh budgeting [clears throat] software and payroll software. Yeah. Budgeting and payroll software. Yep. That' be two separate. Yep. But the payroll and acrual one that can stay under personnel and I think the financial one. Sure.

It could go either. It could either go financial or by personnel actually. Yeah. Put them both on financial. Be great. Um All right. question, professional development. Um, this is an area um that's that's been trimmed back um significantly in the budget that we're reviewing tonight. And I and I think that um it's it's something that you don't want to um cut away or continue to cut back on. But if it's something you you have to do to survive a budget without cutting people, then then that's what you do. you cut out some training and some conferences and and things like that. Not that they're not necessary, uh, but it's it's less drastic than than cutting people.

So, that's something I think that the organization should stay focused on. Um, and which is too bad because we've worked so hard to increase our professional development. You know, it's so hard, but you're right. Yeah. Before we lose people, right? Yeah. Yeah. Because when you lose a person, you also lose all the professional development that you invested [laughter] in them. Yeah. Um, okay. So, update the organizational chart. I think that that's something you're working on with the personnel board. Um, governance roles and responsibilities. Um, I forget how this one got here or you're probably anointed at us for overstepping our bounds. [snorts]

Well, that I think that might be one that Lee Slate recommended. So, it's probably a good one. He's not here. Yeah. [laughter] Yeah. Um, I mean there's there's some defining roles, but then there's a level up from that and it's it's um actually a charter for the town and if that's one the town wants to take on, it's a big one and it's definitely a long way. I just don't see that as a good use of our time and energy. I mean, if you want to leave it, I don't know how the rest of youall feel. If you want to leave town charter on there for a long-term goal, I I do not see that as a priority right now. It's not on there at all yet. Okay. All right. Well, I I I thought what you basically were saying is it's underneath governance roles and responsibilities. Well, they relate to each other. What I'm saying is we can set up roles and responsibilities. That's one one

level component of it. Another level is setting up charter. It's okay. Um it's interesting me to that that a a town as progressive and complex as Boxboro doesn't have a governing document. Um because we just rely on institutional knowledge. We don't like change. We don't like change [laughter] and that's okay. This is uh it's it's what when we all die goals need to be where it [laughter] wants to be for itself. That's all right. Um all right. And the last everybody governs. [clears throat] The last [laughter] the last bucket is uh community um customer service survey. I think that's something we should do this year. Um it might be the wrong year to do it, but [cough and clears throat]

Well, that that kind of gets back to that open on Fridays thing, you know, like I mean m You know, this board has said we would like to see a plan for being open on Friday and maybe a customer service survey is a way to get there if you can get a reasonable number of people to participate. Yep. I think we I to me I think we need to open like even if it means rotation like we need to have a date. Can we do it beginning beginning of January? Yeah, we just need we need to see a plan of how it could be implemented. That's what we need to see in January. Can we have a plan for that? Absolutely. If that's what the board wants, then that's what we can do.

If if it's rotation, I'm okay with like rotation like however one person, but we need to have it open. So, I was joking with someone that we should leave a checklist on the door on Fridays cuz it's I I equate it to ID. I freaking go to Idawal every Tuesday and I am not I am never the only one in that parking lot. So, we were joking, let's put a checklist in the town hall door. So anyone who shows up on Friday has to market. You know, if you were here, market and then if you get more than X a month, you have to open on Fridays. But I also just like Priya's idea. Just go to a plan. Just get a plan in place. Well, the first step is to get a plan in place. Then we'll see how how we can operationalize and I I can see Wes Wes is like dying over there. Okay. So like we need something to start in January. Mike,

I know. [laughter] Come on, Wes. Give it to us. We've discussed all of these goals at least like four times. Yeah. In one form or another. I am dying inside and I have to drive into Boston tomorrow. Okay. I don't feel that we have discussed these four times. I know they've been in different places, but now we've got them into one organizational chart so that we can actually follow up on them. I I I don't disagree that we have talked about all these, but we haven't formalized them. So, all right, let's buzz through the rest of us and see if we can get out of here in five minutes. Okay, sir. [snorts] There you go. [clears throat]

Looking looking for a vocational high school to call home. Uh, that's proven to be a a challenge, but something that we I think we need to keep on a on a goal to to keep pursuing to figure out how do we get Well, it's because it's it's more than one. Is it, you know, is it Minaman? Is it is it Asabet? Or is it NHoba Valley? No. We're actively working with Shoba to see if they'll accept us. That's the only one that that will accept us. But challenges, but I think we should keep it on there to keep pursuing it. Yep.

Yeah. [snorts] There there has been some push back from community members saying before you touch Actton Boxboro, why don't you go tell Minute Man that we're not going to pay their fees either and we're only going to give them X dollars next year. So, so there is some of that and I want to be very careful that we don't pit vocational against traditional or whatever we collect in Boxboro. But I I think we do have to escalate that whole noba see where you know maybe you could give us an update on where we are with that. Understanding that there was because we're in year three of the process. Didn't we meet with them? Met with them last year. Was it only last year? It feels like a much longer time ago. It was last year. So where are just real [clears throat] quick? All right. No, we're going to get out here by 10. All right. Okay. Fine. Go ahead. So put that on a future agenda to address, please. Please.

I'm not sure who gave me this one. Educate stakeholders through civic academy. Well, that should go up with the other one. Well, I'm not sure what it exactly means, though. Okay. Because it says educate through Civic Academy. [laughter] I think it just got dropped in both places. It's the same thing. Yeah, that's I think it's encouraged more people to to go through civic academy and then use that as an opportunity for volunteers. Right. So, yeah. Now that you understand everything about the town, how would you like to participate? Great. And I'm just noticing way up at the top if can you make a note to change the spelling of thorough. So it's not thorough. Yeah. Or the wrong spelling of thorough

with the community. Should we also talk about like affordability and like we talked about like how we can help some of our seniors and others in need. Maybe that should be something. It's not like it's again all our goal to look into like how what resources how can we get So how do we put that in there? So it makes sense. um community resources. I mean, because that that's everything. That's grants, that's tax relief, that's I mean that that's changing our zoning to encourage moderately sized homes that would be more affordable. I mean, there's a lot there that we could be talking about. Can we start with a dialogue about about because I think that's where it starts. So, we need to put it on their

we have to define it and and then yeah, I think right community is a great one. A dialogue about about affordability. We'll start start there and that might give us some other ideas. Okay. Um, [cough] this next one, communitywide public engagement. That goes hand in hand with the other part of the project that they're doing from above down at Cambridge. Public transportation. Um, I think we've accomplished much of that actually just [cough] with with getting MR um fully funded. Yep. Uh to to continue that and then invest educated stakeholders in town's future. I think that's just getting getting people that have gone through um

Oh, that's I mean it's the same. It's that it's after people gone through the civic academy. How do we then encourage them to be engaged? I think it's the same thing. That one already. Yeah, I think it's the same thing. Mike, do we have all the important features from the master plan? What's that? from the master plan. Do we have anything like I mean have we have you looked at that one? I have. I've made sure that we didn't miss anything from what we said. Yeah. We're going to do

and and in fact um Alec and I have discussed that I think the next time they do a master plan that we should be, you know, the select board should be working with the planning board and find out what town goals need to go into the master plan and and vice versa. Um, so we've got some standalone documents. This is one of them, the the town goals. Another one is the SEMP, which we referred to earlier, the community emergency management plan. Yeah, I think that, you know, the the um the the land use boards are working on the the

right now on the on the um 2030 master plan. Next, they'll roll out the next one. And I think some of these and the planning board talked about this. Let's let's figure out how do we hinge some of these documents together so that they work together. Yeah. And that's that's all I've got. Any additions or deletions we need to think about? I think we already added them. Great. We'll bring it back then as as a as a [clears throat] refined document with these addendums and uh for you to vote next time if you're ready. Excellent. Sounds good. Um warrant article placeholders. Can we do that at our next meeting? Yeah, I can list them to you for you real quick. It's It's No, no, next meeting. That's fine. Well, it just gives people a little more time. Absolutely. That's fine.

Okay. Um, reports and announcements. We can start at the end. I feel like we've integrated a lot of reports and announcements into tonight's meeting already, but why don't we just if there's anything that has not already been spoken about, please jump in. We'll start with Rajan. Um, I can just give a few staff and updates. Um we've advertised for um the police officer position. Um how many positions are we advertising for? How many? We have two. Two. Okay. Yeah, I saw that on the website actually. You think? Okay. Okay. I'm going to I'm going to just skip to a couple of really high level ones and I can defer the next the other ones till the next time. Um I just

I know after we asked you for detailed updates, we're like, "Yeah, get it up. Get it up, buddy." Um, first, uh, remember that next Tuesday at 2 p.m., uh, we've been invited by our legislators to meet over at the library for a photo op, um, to recognize that we were granted $100,000 to put a generator over there. So, Senator Eldridge and and Representative Cena will be there. They've invited officials from the town, so the select board, administration, library director, and library trustees to be there. Tuesday or Monday, Mike? It's I'm sorry. Next Monday at 2 pm. Monday. All right. I'm out of the country. Yeah. The 15th. I won't be here. I'll be there. Yeah. Okay. All right.

Um next I just want to call out the uh you know DPW for the amazing job they did in this early season um snowstorm. uh they were on task and um you know I was coming from Boston um on Route 2 at about 7 a.m. when that snow started and by the time I got to the Boxboro line the salt trucks were already out and then later in the day I had to go up to um to to Devon's and leaving Boxboro was horrendous. I mean you could tell where um where two of our contiguous town lines were. Not that we're naming names. Not naming names. No, we don't do that. And also the state roads, you know, even

they I was driving to Fitchburg, Lemonster. Fitchburg was horrendous. Yeah. Ouch. It was bad. Our team was ahead of the other towns and the state and they just did a great job. Speaking of DPW, uh Greg Martino, who works over at DPW, um he just had his second second child. Oh, congratulations. Within the last couple of weeks. And so Alio Martino, seven pounds, 10 ounces, 21 inches. and and and the baby and and the mom are doing great. Congratulations. Congratulations. Welcome, Amelio. And I I'll save the rest of my announcements for next time. Fire station if you can update. I wasn't there if there was anything. Yes.

Yes. Um so there's a they met last Thursday. They'll be meeting again this Thursday. Uh there's some engineering um at least early verbal reports that will be coming in. We won't get to formal reports a little later, but um Let's see the 8th to the the 10th and 11th. Two days this week they're going to be doing the test borings up at 984 Massav. Um they've already done some of the other work on 1300 and 984 Massav. Um and I think that's what I have for now on that. That's it. Okay. Yep.

I really don't have anything. I mean, we've kind of gone over pretty much everything that BLF discussed. You guys can fact check me in that. Um, Adam updated you on the school. I attended both the AB forward and school committee meeting and I intend attended the planning board meeting, but there's really nothing there for us right now. Planning board is still working on the Campanelli application. Do you want to talk about the two contracts? Oh, I forgot. Yes. Um, so yes, the the select board did um approve the police chief's contract and the DPW director's contract. Um, both contracts have been signed and are entered into the record.

Okay. And that's the last outstanding contracts for this [clears throat] year. All all the other personal contracts that are due to expire, you know, on June 30th, as well as the union contract, we are all all in good shape for next year. Okay. FY27 and beyond. Bob, I'm good. Wes, I'm good. Bria, good. Sam, move to adjourn. Second. All those in favor, please say I. Wait, wait a minute. You took that front. Oh, we didn't do minutes. All right, we will do minutes at the next one. All right. No, wait. No, we can do minutes at the next one. It doesn't matter. All right. Minutes are fine. Yeah. Well, I mean like we already adjourned. We have to reopen.