Finance Committee - Regular Meeting

[Music] We go ahead and get started. Amber recording in progress. Hello everyone. It is 700 p.m. on Wednesday, September 24th, 2025. Uh and this is the fall meeting of the Grafton Finance Committee. Um let us do roll call. We will start on line. Mark Mark Hatad present. Greg, hi. Dan present. Victoria is here. Kyle here. Skip

president. And Samir, hello. Welcome Samir. We're really really excited to have you. Thank you for having me. Um, so the first call to action before we open the public hearing is to reorganize the finance committee. I'd like to make a motion and nominate Victoria to remain as chair for another term. Second. We have a motion to keep me on as chair and a second. Thank you guys very much. Um, do we have any further discussion on the motion? Seeing none, let's vote. Mark, yes. Heather, welcome. I Greg, hi. Dan, hi.

Victoria says, "I Kyle, hi." Maybe I should have stay. I yourself. I Perfect. Thank you guys very much. Really excited to be chair for another year. Really appreciate the vote of confidence. Um, next, do we have a nomination for vice chair? Nominate Kyle. A second. Second. Perfect. We have a vote for cal for vice chair and a second. Do we have any discussion on the motion? Okay, seeing none. Greg I. Dan. Hi. Victoria says I Kyle I. Skip. Hi. Samir. Hi. Mark. Yes. Heather. Hi. Perfect. That motion passes. Up on us.

What? What did I do? You did zoom first the first time and zoom last. I realized I realize I did that. I apologize. like to keep you on your toes. Yeah, you should have a recall now. Make it through one. Challenge to the ruling of the chair. I'm very very unbridgeable. Um, okay, perfect. And lastly, do we have a nomination for clerk for this year?

I nominate Samir, new guy. Give him a give him a roll. Oh boy. Second. I got you get that's going to put you up in a different tax bracket. Oh man, you he's ready for it. Perfect. Uh we said we have a motion to nominate Samir as the clerk and a second. Any further discussion on the motion? Seeing none, I'll start on Zoom. Mark, yes. Heather, yes. Greg, hi. Uh Kyle, Dan, Dan, hi. Sorry. Victoria says I. It's already been a long day. Kyle. Yeah. Hi. Skip. Hi. And Samir. Hi.

Perfect. That motion passes. We have our reorganized finance committee for this year. Thank you all. Okay. With that housekeeping out of the way, do I hear a motion to open the public hearing? So moved. So moved. Do I have a second? Second. Okay. We have a um a motion to open the public hearing. No discussion is required. Mark, yes. Heather, yes. Greg, hi. Dan, hi. Victoria says, "I." Kyle, I Skip, I. Samir, I.

Perfect. That motion passes. The public hearing is open, so we can get to the meat of this evening, which is of course reviewing the town meeting warrant articles. Um, so let's get right to it. Uh, thank you, Amber, for sending us the updated packet that was signed off by our honorable select board just the previous evening. Um, so article one that we will be reviewing and making our recommendations on is the movement of the $600,000 from free cash for the municipal solid waste program.

Y I I can speak to that. Um, so this was part of our budget plan uh in the spring. Um, but it did not make it into the motion even though we discussed it a 100 times. So this is just us correcting uh what got left out of the motion. Evan, what's the balance in free cash right now? Was it certified? $6.8 million. No, I didn't have any. Thank you. I want I want some. I move we support the passage of article one as written. Second. Uh we have a motion and a second to support the um verbiage and article one is written. Do we have any further discussion on the motion?

Seeing none let's take roll call vote. Mark yes. Heather I. Greg I. Dan I. Victoria says I. Kyle I. Skip. Hi. Samir I. All right. That motion passes unanimously. We will support that as written. Me being unprepared, do not have my notes set up. Okie dokie. Number dose. Um, this is a transfer for $62,500 for bills incurred. Are there specific uh spaghetti cooking?

What's that? Is the spaghetti cooking? Is that what you're doing? I'm pretty sure they're doing uh traffic detail right now. Um $62,500 is for Eel Harvey for a bill that we received after July one. Correct, Mary? Correct. Move to support article two is presented. Second. Um we have a motion to support article two for the payment of $62,500 to Eel Harvey and a second. Do uh any additional discussion on the motion? Was this like a monthly payment? They just submitted the bill late. Yeah, correct. Do we not acrew for it in the previous fiscal year? We did. That's why. So this is just the movement. This is

this is a movement. This will require a 9/10 vote at town meeting. Um it if it comes in after it's really technically July 15th, but um we have to we have to go back to town meeting to pay it. It could be literally 8 cents and we'd still have to go back to town meeting because it's a prior fiscal year. Yeah, 9/10 is fine. Yes. We should vote by hand so the trolls can't just Well, let me let me ask a question, Evan. At the end of the at the end of the fiscal year, was there $62,500 left in that account? Do you want to speak to that, Mayor? No. No, Mark, there was not. There was some money and and I did encumber what I could.

Okay. Because the only reason I asked that, Evan, is if there was enough money left in the account when the bill was incurred, even though it comes in the next fiscal year, it's a majority vote at town meeting, but since there wasn't enough money, that's what makes it the 9/10. Correct. I just wanted to ask that question. Thanks. Thank you. Any additional comment? Okay, seeing none, let's vote on the motion. Uh Mark, yes. Heather. Hi. Uh, Greg. Hi. Dan. Hi. Tori says I Kyle. Hi. Skip. Hi. Samir. Hi.

That motion passes unanimously to support as written. Um, article three. This is a transfer for the sum of $1,655,719 from the road stabilization fund to the improvement capital expenditures fund. Yep. So, this is a standard article that we do every fall. Uh this is just moving the money that we raised from your two uh excluded accounts, your road improvement and um your capital improvement, right? Yeah. Just road improvement.

I think it's road improvement. Oh, yeah. To the capital improvement. Yes. Thank you. Sorry about that. Do I hear a motion to I move to support article as written? Uh we have a motion, a second to support as written. Um any further discussion on the motion?

Seeing none, do you do you want to say something? Skip. Okay. Seeing none, I'll take a roll call vote. Uh, Mark, yes. Heather, hi. Greg, hi. Dan, hi. Victoria says I. Kyle, I. Skip. Hi. Samir, I. And that motion passes unanimously. Beautiful. On to number four. Uh this is to transfer free cash $100,000 for funding the field data collection engineering services for the Mariam Road Culvert replacement. Will we support the article as written? Second. There's spaghetti on the pod.

I guess we got to do it. No. Evan, can I can I ask question about the issues there? Yes. Mark, what what's the what's what's the expected cost to fix that cover? Yeah, the full has it been although obviously the engineer is going to tell you that, but has there been any guesstimate at this point? Yeah, I I I believe we're at about a million dollars. Okay. I think it's technically in the sevens, but that was a year ago, so rounded up, we you know, just the way things are going for us. Yeah. No, that makes that makes sense. And Mary, this is the one. We also have a grant offsetting some of that design cost. Yes.

What do you remember the total amount for that grant we received? Um, William May, it's $67,000. Okay. So, this is this is just offsetting that rest of the grant that we need to fill this up. Great. So, this is in to this 67 is against the 100,000 or so. No. So, it's $167,000 project and we got a grant for 67. And he's doing this uh the engineering services field data work. What vendor or I could pull it up, but I I'd have to take this down. I think it's Tyian Bond.

Yeah, we we go through the regular procurement process. It's either tying bond or it's VHB. Got it. We'll we can get you that data in just a second. Does anyone second? I was about to ask. Okay. Any additional conversation on the motion? Hearing none, we'll take a roll call vote. Mark, yes. Heather, I. Greg, I Dan I. Tori says I Kyle I. Skip I. Samir. Hi. Madam chair of Steinbond. Thank you very much.

Um, that motion passes unanimously. support as written. Moving right along to um article number five. Um this is to authorize the select board to acquire parcels of land in order to for the um

the Providence Road space that 4.47 acres. Yeah. Please give me the please give me the rundown. Yes. So, these are um three parcels. They span between our um sewer treatment plant and Fair View Cemetery. They straddle both sides of the Blackstone um down that way. Um it is 41.47 acres. It is almost entirely in the floodway. Um so its use beyond open space is questionable. So, um, we've entered, we being the select board, which I'm not on, but I was in the room. So, um, so the select board entered into a purchase and sale agreement with the owner of these three lots to purchase the property for $450,000.

Um, I have gone to CPC. CPC has uh supported the project. Thus far, they have not taken a vote um in its entirety yet because we don't have the appraisal back on the property. So, because this is a just straight land sale, um the the town cannot purchase this land for more than the appraisal cost. So, you know, $450,000 becomes the upper limit. If the appraisal comes back lower, then we have to renegotiate with the seller um or the purchase and sale is is nullified and they can go back out to the market.

When when are you expecting the uh honor before honor before October 10th? I move we support this article. Second. Will there just is there a just why are we I I guess maybe I should know but I don't. Why do you want it? Um, why are we buying? So, why do you want it? Uh, well, I don't want it, but why does the town want it?

I don't live here, so I got to phrase that. Um, no. So, uh, the the the general intent is so there's there's a lot of um open space value to the property. It's right down along the river. It gives us uh a portion of the original Blackstone Canal. Um, it abuts other land that's owned by the Grafa Land Trust. And so it is just basically potentially conservation land. Um we are going to investigate adding athletic fields. Um it's not impossible, but it it uh requires further study of whether or not we can put them in the floodway.

Was there anyone else interested in purchasing this property? Um so the Grafted Land Trust is the one that brought it to us. So, the the seller approached Grath Land Trust. They came to us and so we had negotiated the purchase and sale with again um their $450,000 price tag um with the understanding that the appraisal comes in lower because it's not usable for anything else, then the town has to renegotiate that price.

So, how would this work with CPC if CPC doesn't have an article on the warrant? So we we have written the article uh with the understanding that we will utilize the motion to designate where that money is going to come from. Doesn't there have to be a approval on on a CPC article to or can can that all that be rolled together? That can all be rolled together. So we we have been working with council on just that question to so council crafted that in such a way that we'll be able to use the motion to to do that.

So a few years ago I remember there was um the wrong number of like the wrong dollar amount number in some CPC articles and we had to pass over them at town meeting because you couldn't change that. Mhm. But you could there's no number in the article. No number. Yeah. And then you could put a number in. Correct. The motion will have the number. Yeah. If very interesting. If if it wasn't for our our desire to be transparent, I would write every single article to just say a sum of money. Uh because then you can just change that in the motion right up until you you vote on the town meeting floor.

Gives you gives you a lot of flexibility. It's not the way to I'm not saying that's how you should do it. I'm saying that as a town administrator that gives you the ultimate flexibility all the way up to the end. But when we know a finite number, you put it in the article and and move from there. Would we be able to have supporting maps for this showing existing partials and all that? I have them. Okay. Uh I have them already drawn up and will have to take this down to pull up that that map. So if you'd like to see them now, we can do that. Would you like a copy? I'll send it to you now. I just I think this is something that people would have trouble visualizing this. Yeah, we've done Yeah. No, we we've done the work to

It's in a different It's in a different PowerPoint. I have lost control. I think Amber kicked me off. Amber's doing it. There they are. Look at those little guys. Yeah. It goes across the river up to the Providence of Worester Railroad. Not far, but Right. So you'll see there's one access easement coming right along Fairview Cemetery in the south of that.

Uh and then in the north it touches Providence Road with that little parcel um that is adjacent to the sewer treatment plant. Um on the the extreme west of this uh northwest you'll see that little pond area. That's Grafton Land Trust land. Um, and we do own actually a parcel across the street from that on Depot Street that we may be able to use for a limited parking area to be able to access some of this. Yeah, I think it would be helpful to point out the color the uh the sewer treatment plant, the raft to water district and the uh for town meeting. Yes, absolutely.

Um, this was just for the select board. Most of them know where that is. Yep. cemetery. What are the chances the appraisal comes in higher than 450K? Um, I would say low, but it als Yeah. I mean, that's our It doesn't matter. So, so the way that you negotiate a purchase and sale in this particular case is that the agreed upon price becomes the high water mark. Yeah. So, we've agreed to buy it for 450,000, but if the appraisal comes in lower, it doesn't matter if we want to pay 450. We have to go with that appraised value. Yeah. So, you know, uh, from our standpoint, we hope it comes in way lower. Any feeling for how long they've been trying to sell this piece of land?

Uh, no, sir. Do you have a feeling, Skip? I choose not to speculate at this time in public. I just felt like you asking that question meant you already knew. So I I have a a concern about the um so it says including community preservation funds but it doesn't say which community preservation funds uh it sounds like from you know listening to all the conversations it would be conservation. if it comes if the appraisal comes back and they say that you know some significant part of this is uh developable uh and therefore it's worth a lot more money

um I feel like then we should probably have a conversation about what is the best use like if you know obviously like the parts around the river are going to be best used for conservation you don't you know just to like protect the water but if there's if there's parts that could be developed. I mean, looking at the grading there, I would be surprised if this is the case, but if the price is really high, because something could be built there, I think we should consider the possibility of of building something there, including possibly affordable housing. Mhm.

Um this uh I I just concerned about going forward a town meeting with or at the very least I'm concerned about the finance committee recommending this without knowing what the price is and without knowing uh if the price is affected by the land possibly being uh used for some other purpose. So we we we know what the our maximum exposure here is. It's $450,000 the negotiated purchase price, right? So, I mean, I would not support $450,000. That sounds like a lot of money for land that you can't build anything on. But

the appraiser will fix that, Dan. The appraiser will fix that if 450 is too much money, right? But if you can build something there, I don't want to spend CPC conservation money uh or open space money on on this when you might be able to do something else with it. Well, well, at least without without considering it. Like it this sounds like this has not been considered. It it would you then suggest that we not purchase the land at all? I mean, possibly. I depends on on what the what comes back in the appraisal.

I I'll say from my perspective as as well. I mean, if nothing can be built on this land anyway, why does the town need to buy it? Does it not become self-fululfilled conservation? The question is what can be built upon it? Is are we talking about affordable housing or athletic fields? What if building we've just spent $450,000 on a piece of land that was never going to have anything put on it anyway? Well, no, because if it comes back to be just strictly conservation land, what's the what's the value for that? What is it like 39 cents a square foot or something? It's low. Yeah. So,

but Evan, didn't you say you were going to put potential for uh athletic fields on there that you're going to investigate all sorts of uses that way? So, yeah, if the town doesn't own it, you can't do that. So, if you if you purchase it under general municipal purposes, you can you can give it to conservation eventually or you can do it what you want to do on the property. I think we're making a mountain out of a molehill here, guys.

Exactly. So the the other things to consider here are one this is along the Blackstone proposed Blackstone bikeway. So that gives us some access there. Um and two while it would maybe become default conservation land is not public land. So there's no public access to the property. So that's why you purchase conservation land that you want to preserve and that you want the public to have access to. Sure. Do we have an idea what current tax revenue is from the land? Uh, you know what? That's an excellent question.

Yeah, it whatever. Look, just look on the tax map and Yeah. No, I will. I just didn't pull that up before I got here. The value is $450,000. What is What do the assessors have it at? Are you taking in a hundred bucks a year on it? Yeah. It's not It's not a lot of money. A couple thousand bucks. I was just trying to see what the value was. I I couldn't remember at top of mind yet. I I know that that's something that comes up every time we talk about taking land off the tax roles is what what is it going to cost? We were we were just talking about that today um in regards to um taking back land for subdivisions. Yeah. Yeah.

And why we might not want to be doing that because the land again is open space by default because they didn't develop it, but also it takes it off of the tax rules and you know Yeah. We would we would have that potential. I think we had that connection that conversation with uh the one off of Adams Road for last one. Yeah. Yeah. Yep. Hold on for one second. Just can we just look at the flood map? Yeah. So the biggest the biggest parcel land the current value is $40,600. Yep. The assessed value. Yep. It was last sold for 135,000 in 2006.

The little piece of land that has frontage on Providence Roads 184,000. Show it to me before you put it up so I can show you. And the other piece is 18,300 that abuts the cemetery. The tiny little guy. Yeah. No, no. There's there's a 21 acre parcel that ab butts the um Fair View Cemetery. The one that's on Providence Road is right next to the old Farnumsville Cemetery. Gotcha. And then the other one's kind of like back to the river and stuff. So, it looks to be about $15,000 tax- wise for all 47 acres.

That's a that's a back of the envelope calculation just so we're clear. The flood map is also up by Miss Monk. There's the sewage treatment plant, the the old cemetery, and there's the one with the frontage in this one. And then this one here, and the cemetery is right down here. Okay. Yeah. See, there's the shed at the cemetery in Milford Road, right? Thank you.

So, Amber, can you zoom in a little bit? Enhance. There you go. So if you look the light blue shading there is areas that are in the flood plane. The red and blue stripe is the federal floodway. So, highly unlikely that this is going to be available for um development for any kind of housing except for maybe up along Providence Road with that most northerly parcel. Um I've looked at it. It's topographically pretty steep drop off right there. Um Amber, can you also put on the the wetlands the national inventory.

Thank you. So, it is right along the river. It is very flat, which is pretty interesting for, you know, New England, but it's flat because that's where the that's where the water tends to go. Um, which is why you have a sewer treatment plant right there too. That's how that works. Um but so I think it's I have I I when I met with the select board the what I had told them is that you should consider that you're buying conservation land to preserve the land for open space and passive recreation with the understanding that we will explore uses like athletic fields. Um, but if they can't come to fruition, you didn't go into it thinking that that's what you were going to be able to do. And the appraisal will come back and tell us whether or not they think that that lot by the by the road there is developable. Yeah. I I'm just concerned about the um the warrant article not specifying which kind of community preservation funds. Mhm.

Um like so if we use open space uh funds that is there a deed restriction that has to go on the land for that? We would do a conservation restriction. Yep. Yes. So but if but if the land comes back so oh

if you look at how this is written uh this gives us a lot of latitude to raise appropriate borrow and transfer from available funds include the CPC funds. So, if we were to get that front lot, you would, you know, it it is developable. You want to put um affordable housing there, you would just allocate money from a fund that would not restrict you in the future, right? But we won't know what that looks like until after I get the appraisal because I I have to go to CPC. I've got to go back to the select board. There's a lot of steps. Um

and so that's that's the thing. CPC needs to vote on on supporting this and also vote on which uh which category of funds. Yep. And I I just feel like there's there's way too many unknowns here for me to support this tonight. Like I don't want to vote in favor of this and have uh the CPC vote on uh funds that I don't necessarily agree with. Like I I feel like there's there's a lot that can happen that would make me want to reconsider this. And I mean we can reconsider it, but I just don't see why we should rush into uh something when we don't have all the information.

The s their source of categorization of the funds has absolutely nothing to do with us. Yeah. If they if they use CPC money, that's a little line on your tax bill. Nothing to do with us. But we're we're making a recommendation on the article, right? So it has to do with be if you want to argue with them where it's coming from, then go to them and argue with them.

No, they we are voting on whether to recommend it or not. If they wanted to put affordable housing funds into all of these parcels, I would vote against that, right? because like most of it is very clearly not going to be developable. Like just as a clear example. Oh, sure. Come forward. Comment from the public.

Colleen Roy, I'm on CPC, but I'm not speaking on behalf of CPC. But I will say you guys typically don't know where the funds are coming from. Like even if it came from an undesated fund, projects in the past aren't specified ahead of time for you guys to know that necessarily like you don't know where all the bond payments are coming from previously, right? Does it? I thought we did. I thought that is sometimes they do, but not always. Not all the time. Sometimes it's just in the motion which fund and sometimes they don't at all. I have some past uh warrants up here and they they specify um uh from the historic reserve account from uh from the undesated fund balance. Yeah. The

So that can go towards anything. So if it's from the undesated fund balance then you're unrestricted. So you could but there needs to be a deed restriction on the land when it's acquired. If you use undesated funds, then there doesn't need to be. I don't believe so. All right. There's restrictions on what we can do with it after because you can't you can't buy it with CPC money and use it for something that's not allowable by CPC in general. Yeah. But that's where the lion share of the money is. I think you're close to $600,000 in undesated fund.

But those warrant articles in the past have said which category of money it's coming from. when it was a CPC uh sponsored article. Yes, Dan, the CPC designates in their articles. This isn't a CPC article. This is an article from the select board and and Evan has given the the the town a lot of options in the article so that when they draft the motion, they can decide where the money's coming from. They could decide to do the 450,000 from free cash. I think it's a good CPC. If it comes from CPC, CPC has to vote on where the money

That's right. But maybe they won't. Maybe maybe CPC won't take it up. I I think right now, and I I agree with Roger, I think we're just deciding whether or not we think it's a good idea for the town to purchase. If all of a sudden they come back and they say to us, listen, it's going to be CPC is going to do it. They're going to take it out of their conservation uh bucket, and we can say, "Okay, we reconsider. We don't support that." But right now, I think I think it makes sense to purchase the land to give the select board options for either field use, open space, trails, whatever they want to do with it. any source of cash. I I

it's any it's any source of cash. If we want to start spending on the CPC money from one of the their buckets, we have they have to move it at the town meeting out of their budget. See, I I just don't see how I can vote to support any article that could possibly have an some unknown restriction on what the land can be used for without without knowing what that is. So, I I guess I just have a problem with with a Warren article saying that it might use CPC funds. We don't know which one. It could be any of them. And unless I'm open to unless I don't really care what the purpose of the land is, then I really can't.

Then you get to vote no on this motion. Right. Right. Yeah. Exactly. And I and I and I think um unless there are any further conversation, I'd like to take a vote on the motion. I have one. Do we have an idea how much money you looking for from CPC for this? Any kind of estimate at this point? Up to $450,000. Okay. Right. That's a great answer.

Yeah. I we we weren't the intent was not to use other funding in this and that's why I had approached CBC. Um however, as we discussed earlier, if there was some component of this land that had a a higher and best use that was outside of the scope of CPC, then that would be up to the select board to try to figure out how to navigate. So, you're thinking this could be fully funded by CPC, correct? Okay. And then if it did come back and there, sorry, there's a piece of it that was funded by free cash, we then have to reapprove that amount or does select board have the authority to say $100,000 making this up of that. The motion the motion will have the allocation in it, Kyle. Okay. That hasn't been decided yet. Okay.

Yeah. Just just double checking. So this is obviously an atypical warrant article to how we normally do it and we're doing that because of the time constraint that we're under. So if we don't vote on this on the 20th, the purchase and sale is by the way it expires, right? So it's a it's a much different process than uh you know doing a chapter 61A right of first refusal or something. It's it's just different. Okay. Thank you. Okay. So, with that, let's vote on the motion that has been on the table and has been seconded, which is to um support article five as written. Mark, yes. Heather, yes. Greg, yes.

Dan, Nick, Victoria says, I Kyle, hi. Skip, yes. Samir, yes. That motion passes 8 to one. So, we will indicate that in our um recommendation blurb. You mean seven to one, right? Is there only eight of us here? Wow. Thank you. I'm sorry. No, I that would be for the clerk to decide. Oh, see, you need to pay attention to the vote counts. I was writing things down. I counted the number. You forgot to count the Yes. Same Z's. All right. Article six.

All right. Um, article six is um once again um asking to take control of two parcels of land. These are the 27 Milford Road parcels.

Yeah. So, the town actually already owns these parcels. These were um taken or accepted by town meeting in 1996. Um but they were not designated for any specific use. And so what we've been trying to do is go through all the town land that is owned that has not been identified for whatever use and record it properly. Right? So, uh, if it was supposed to be conservation land and just never got recorded over the decades as conservation land, we're we're fixing that. This is one of those uh times. So we did receive um feedback from the open space and recreation commission or committee that uh they believe that this should be put into uh care of the conservation commission. Um we did go back and review everything from 1996 is not very detailed um and does not give a use in the motion or the article as written. Um, so what we've done is a little micro study to make sure that we doing our due diligence and not putting this land into conservation if it had a different use. Can you put up the heat map? So, this is a heat map of the parcels that we're looking at. If you look at the southwest corner, um, you will note there is red and dark red as well as green. Uh what that denotes is uh a large sectional ledge where the driveway would need to be for this access. Um as well as grades um exceeding uh 25% or 25 degree uh inclination. So it's very steep and it's very rocky. Um once you get up to the top, it is still pretty hilly, but not as bad as trying to get up there. Um you show up the adjacent land map. So this map shows um

the green is what's already owned by town. That's uh Hineset Woods. Um the yellow is grafted land trust land and the red would be these parcels. So, um, it is contiguous with a whole bunch of other conservation property. Um, and I believe that the intent of taking this as one of the conversations we had about the subdivision uh, gift to the town, um, was to make this as a contiguous part of the other conservation land that is there. There's also one other parcel that's not lit up here on Milford Road.

I was going to ask that question. I thought that was what we were talking about. So that that's Milford Road dump. So we're not talking about that at all. We're going to just leave that alone in the woods. And be careful. No, we're not. The little wedge that goes over there. Yeah. About staying away from that.

Fantastic. So, we're not going to do any development in there. That's not the plan. The plan is to just put this into conservation. And you might have um you know, a hiking trail that comes from uh the north there and then all the way down out And then you could just hop over Milford Road and you'd be at the land we were just talking about purchasing is right there as well. Um so again just that kind of greenway idea. But move to approve the article as presented. Second. Um we have a I'm going to withdraw my second. Oh second has been withdrawn. Second.

Thank you. So this is care custody management and control. So it's it will still o be owned by the town but the conservation commission manages it. Does it actually apply any deed restrictions that aren't already there or so we would record it as conservation land? Okay. Um we would then um you know do the whole conservation restriction component and all the rest of it. so that it stays conservation and purpose. Does that need to be part of the motion? It does not. Okay. The town can just do that on its own.

Yeah. So the the it's been a whole chicken egg thing with council for trying because we're we're just trying to create a process by which we can do this repeatedly. Yeah. Because we have a lot of it that's not recorded. Um and it's just sits as town land, but no one's really specified what we're going to we're going to do with it. That's I mean that's like behind my house and there's tons of trails with markers. I mean don't they already do something back there? So So yes, there's already some stuff back there. Yes. Um Okay. I thought so cuz I mean I've walked there since I was here since I moved here. So there's definitely stuff that comes off Hassan Woods into that area. But this would make it all a little more informal.

It just puts it under It just makes it so conservation manages it. That's the real That's all we're doing is is saying, "Yeah, we agree this is conservation and uh they're going to manage it." Yeah. I walked out of the woods on a for an eagle project into one of those developments that was just being built off road once. So, there's there's no conservation restriction on it currently. No. So, and this wouldn't would it put a restriction on the we we can put a conservation restriction like in within this article you can. Well, I don't think I I don't believe I need the article to say that once it's under the car. You don't the conservation commission would do that once you give it under the rules.

I'm thinking like one of the benefits is like if neighbors are dumping you know their yard waste into the conservation land like they can stop them, right? So, yeah. Well, the the town can do that now. Yeah, I guess so because it's town only, but then it's also like a violation of the conservation. Yeah. So, this this gives them all the authority to do those things that they see fit to make sure it stays conservation. Cool. Conserved. Perfect. Any additional conversation on Not from me, Madam Chair. Love that. All right, let's take a vote um on the motion. Mark, yes. Heather, I. Greg, hi. Dan, hi. Victoria says hi. Kyle. Hi. Skip. No. Samir. Yes. What?

We're losing way too much upland bird habitat. I'm just kidding. Skip. I enjoyed hunting that land so much and now it's not going to be available anymore. What if we make it an upland bird sanctuary? Well, it'll be a sanctuary because the first thing that's going to happen there is no hunting. Sorry. That motion passes 7 to one. on dubious personal grounds. All right. Well, hold on. I wish you said that during discussion because I feel like that's it's a valid point. So, I might not have changed my mind, but just to be clear, just because it's conservation land doesn't mean you can't hunt them. Exactly. Can you hunt on town owned land in general? I don't want to talk about it.

Okay. It's a whole different can of worms, but uh you know, in theory, yes. Yes. Okay. You certainly can. Yeah. We just have Skip obviously has been illegally hunting on that for the last 20 years. Skip Courier Poacher. No. Well, since I since I moved, I haven't been up there, but when they built all the houses off of Milford Road, you you know, be walking through the middle of it used to be the pipeline. You walk the pipeline all up into the back of the woods and everything, but not more. It's it's a it's a noted it's a it's noted. Article seven. I love this stuff. Do you? I really do.

Article seven. Um, this article is authorizing us to take any, uh, easements we need to make Harding Street a public way, part of the making private streets public streets mission. Yes. So, uh, this may be passed over at town meeting. Okay. Because the town did vote to take Harding Street in 1947. Excuse me. Wow. Yeah. However, um, there's there's disagreement of how it was, uh, recorded. Um, and the town's perspective since 1947 has been that this is a private way. That's what's been told to people for oh,

decades. I'm not saying it's the correct assertion. I'm just saying that's what people have been told. So, um, thanks to Skip and, uh, our council and our office, we've been working on this diligently. So, we've decided to leave the article here and if we need to pass over it, we will pass over it. But if it is not a bonafide public way already, then we will proceed with this article just as written. Has it been paved since 1947? Yeah. Skip shaking his head. Yes. Oh, yeah. It doesn't look like it's been paved in since 1947. 1947. Yes, that's my question.

Right. So, there was the school up there and that shows up on the old uh you know, deeds. But there's also an interesting issue that the road is 400. The road is laid out and recorded in a document we have from 1939 shows it shows it as 437 ft 437.66 feet long, but the warrant article has the town vote for 347 ft. So, they typoed it as well. So, that all complicates it. I I did ask council, do we really need to do this much digging or can we just vote to make it a public way with the new meats and bounds

and be done with it because I don't want to spend all this money on council to answer a question that you know happened in the 40s. Did So what did he say about the one the the vote in was it 81? Yeah. I I don't have all everything back on this yet. Okay. Okay. So he's he's reviewing that currently. Should we defer until town meeting then, Evan, or do you want us to take a position tonight? I I would have a difficult time voting. Yeah, you can defer way on this one. Yeah, I I move we defer uh decision or defer recommendation at town meeting. Second. Well, I think we're charged with making a recommendation so that we

we will at town meeting. I'm deferring till town meeting. We we have done this in the past. It's nothing. We did this at the last meeting. Yeah. And I'll just make the recommendation at town meeting. Um, all right. Motion to defer our recommendation until town meeting when we have more information from council. Um, any further discussion. Seeing none. Mark, yes. Heather, yes. Greg, yes. Dan, I. Victoria, I Kyle, hi. Skip. Hi. Samir, I. Perfect. That motion passes. just like to say this is what I would have preferred for article five about the uh but

you're like a dog with a bone tonight there Dan I don't see a reason to rush just like I don't see a reason to rush for that one we have we don't have all the information for either one we have enough information to make a decision on that article that selectman negotiated a purchase and sale agreement for $450,000 in my opinion it's worthy of that purchase regardless of where the money comes from that's why I made the motion to support. Second motion. Fair. And I believe that is complete. Um okay. Article eight. Um this is um easements for Faulner Road.

Yep. This has none of the issues with the previous road. So this is definitely not a public way. We have the layout and we'd like to move forward with making it a public move to support the articles presented. motion and seconded. Any further discussion? So, was this something that we we started the process at a previous town meeting? Yes. So, not not at a previous town meeting. So, select board Okay. Under under what is it? Chapter 81. They vote to order the DPW to create a layout and then we Okay. bring it to town meeting once we have the layout. I just have a just a curiosity question. Because it's not a public way, do we plow it? We do.

Okay. Just I was just curious. We have done some minor road repairs over the years to make sure that it's accessible for fire, ambulance, and whatever else we need to do in there. Um, public safety. Yeah, public safety. Great. Excellent. Let's vote on the motion. Uh, Mark, yes. Heather, I. Greg, I. Dan, I. Victoria is I. Kyle, I. Skip. I. Samir,

I. That motion passes unanimously to support as written. Um that brings us to article nine. Um this is the vote to accept the town of Grafton master plan which we completed. Oh goodness. Was it March? Was it May? Was it May that we Your your master planner Fiona is online. She might have that information hopefully. I was there but you you'd think I'd remember. I'm not answering because I don't remember. That's why I defer to I know. I think Colleen's I think it was May. Fiona. Hello. How are you this evening?

Hello. I'm well. Hi members of the committee. Thank you for having me this evening and giving me the ability to discuss this. Um so the master plan working group uh wrapped up in I believe it was late May. Um, and then this planning board voted to approve the master plan per MGL chapter 41 at their meeting on July 20, I'm sorry, June 17th. And then they took another vote at a subsequent meeting in July um to place um this warrant, I'm sorry, this article on on the warrant. And the purpose of this is to garner um more townwide support for the plan and offer additional opportunities for people to provide feedback during the implementation phase. Um just a point of clarification that when the plan is approved by the planning board per master law it is already in effect but the board wanted to take an extra step and um um include this uh in the town meeting process.

Move to support the articles presented. Second. Seems how we have no option anyways. So does does that so what you're saying is that what however which way this article is voted it's it's already been approved by the planning board and therefore is in effect. Yes, that that's correct. But I do a lot of communities do take this extra step and you know a bit I think one of the key things we'll be looking for is feedback um from and from town meeting to um address during the implementation. Um so that's kind of the the main goal.

So will will there be a presentation on the master plan during the meeting? Is that what you expect? Yeah, that that's a great question. Thanks, Greg. Yes, Dave Robbins will be presenting um on my behalf. Okay. And we should have a we we are examining the um possibility of having a hand like a handout as well. And has the approved master plan already been published on the website for people to review beforehand? Yes. Okay.

Okay. Great. Any further discussion? I think that that information would be useful to include when we publish the warrant article descriptions. Sure. I agree. Greg just volunteered to write our recommendation there. Victoria, I don't know if you picked up on that. I did. I heard that loud and clear. Yeah, she's picking up stuff like that, Mark. Yeah, we just need to get that all that information from William. So, this deflection is masterful. All right. Seeing no further discussion, motion is to support as written. Mark, yes. Heather, Greg, I. Dan, I. Victoria says I. Kyle, I. Skip. I. Samir,

I. That motion passes unanimously. Support as written. And Fiona, as long as we have you, I believe article 10, um, amendments to the zoning bylaws. We would also love your your rundown here.

Sure. Absolutely. Thank you. So, um this uh proposed the proposed changes to the zoning bylaw are to bring the um town into compliance with the um affordable homes act which was signed um into law uh in 2024. I'm sorry, became into effect and is officially the law as of February 2nd, 2025. So, Grafton does not have a local ADU bylaw. We do have um limited provisions for accessory apartments which are not the same as what is covered in this law. Um the proposed changes that we are uh suggesting here are very limited because again, you know, the law is in effect and we don't want to basically regurgitate the law in the zoning bylaw. just a quick um you know a summary of you know the changes which will primarily include changes to the definitions um particularly what a protected use ADU is which is the main subject of the law um adding a subsection 5.13 just to add some additional details and um provide uh um clarity on what the town has discretion over which is quite frankly limited under the law. The main things that the town can control really is if you wanted to enforce more flexible dimensional standards, which the board is not doing here, it's going to be the same setback um setback uh area, etc. Um as typically allowed for a single family home. Um the will the protected use ADUs that meet that definition will be allowed by site plan approval. Um which is essentially by right um if you meet the minimum dimensional standards. Um these will not uh protected use ADUs uh will not be allowed to um become short-term rentals um which is something that the town has control over. The town does not have a

short-term rental bylaw and is not interested in that. Um and lastly, uh we uh the board did um agree to allow a second protected use ADU on a lot via special permit. So those that's kind of the that's the reason why that section 5.13 is there to just provide that um elaboration, but the rest of it is like quite frankly pretty much boil standard um language from the model zoning bylaw that came out. We did not want to try and get too creative because the AG's office and EOHLC have been very clear like the law is the law and don't stray from the law and that's what we're we're trying to accomplish here. So, I'm happy to answer any questions that you may have. I know it's a kind of complicated. I'm trying to give a high level overview of this topic.

So, on the short-term rental topic, Mhm. Is there currently a bylaw preventing the primary use used as a short-term rental or will this restriction only apply to the uh protected use ADU? as presented, it will only apply to the protected use ADU, but the town um does not allow um short short-term rentals even if it was the primary dwelling.

So So there is already a bylaw preventing other preventing short-term rentals of other structures or is it this this is this restriction solely for the new ADUs? It's it's solely for for the new ADUs. Um that was something that the law provided flexibility uh for towns to do so to prevent um them being basically Airbnb out. Okay. So the so someone could have their primary uh structure be a Airbnb but not and then use the protected ADU themselves. It would have to be something like um

supposed to be accessory to the principal. Um you're and we are not we don't allow my my understanding after talking with the building commissioner we we do not allow um short-term rentals of of principal dwellings or accessory dwellings of any kind. Um so I don't think that would be be feasible. I think if I'm understanding your question correctly. Okay. Well, I thought you had just said that we did allow short-term rentals of the primary uh structure. That's No, no, no. No short-term rentals in uh in Grafton. No. Okay. Sorry.

Uh 4.2.2 off streetet parking schedule. Uh the no parking required in within half mile of commuter rail, subway station, ferry terminal or bus station. Is this the mentioning subway station, ferry terminal and bus station because that's something that the state requires or is that just in case we suddenly get a ferry terminal?

Yeah, I thought it I thought it was you know we I guess we kind of had an abundance of caution we included it. Um the issue came from the the reggg saying p you know kind of public transit station and then a lot of when the draft regulations would came out it was kind of general public transit and then people were asking you know oh well what does that mean specifically so we thought okay with you know we have um a regional transit authority here we have the commuter rail um you know if anything else changes at least we're encompassing everything okay

sorry it won't be happening anytime soon I mean those uh those properties from article five could put a ferry station right there on Blackstone. Okay. No, I'm kidding. Okay. All right. I hate to say it, but my mind exact right to I have a real thing. Um so uh the uh under the appendix A 3.2.3 use regulation schedule. Um the it's the page with the number eight at the bottom. Um

the number 17 more than one protected use ADU. So would that allow like a third or a fourth or etc.

A second. So you're entitled to have a one protected use ADU as an accessory to a principal dwelling on a lot. you are entitled to to to that um subject to site plan approval which if you meet the minimum dimensional standards you get it. You the the planning board cannot vote no if that is the case. So it's essentially by right you can get a second on on a on the same lot with a special permit. So the wording of more than one uh and would not then allow a third. A third is more than one.

I I I had that same kind of hangup there. It the way it's worded, it looks like you can put two if you have a uh principal structure that contains one. You can put two, three, or four, but you can't put one. So I I think that would be more as one one detached principal use ADU on a lot with a principal dueling that already contains one other protected use ADU. I think yeah, we may need to consider a floor amendment to say special permit for a second and clarify that language just so people can understand that it's

the intent the intention is not to um allow you know three four plus um limitless ADUs. I I personally would support, you know, allowing more, but I I would be worried that the whole the whole thing would get voted down if uh if people are too worried about, you know, limitless ADUs. Are we trying to micro read just this one part is standing on its own?

No, it be because of what this is just an addition to what the state has kind of dictated to us. Much like the planning board did to us, we're voting to support something that it really doesn't matter whether we do or not because it's already the rule of the land. The states adopted this and we're just making our stuff fit in with the states. So, actually that that was going to be uh my other question was what what exactly would be different if this is voted down like what what pieces of this are would then not apply. So, we wouldn't be able to have any control over um these turning into short-term rentals. We the planning board wouldn't have any um site plan approval oversight prior to filing for a building permit, which is um preferable. Um and obviously you know there would be no um permitting pathway in place for um a second um the other the kind of standard the the parking requirements the definitions and um you know that type of thing that right that that wouldn't change but whatever the you know the town um can exercise discretion over we wouldn't be able to do that because we don't have local zoning to state that we have that ability. So, I I think having a slide that that lists those things for people would help a lot to make sure that people understand that like if they're opposed to ADUs, voting this down is not necessarily uh in their, you know, the interest of uh reducing ADUs. Like I I feel like it's uh

Mhm. that having a slide that actually spells all that out would really help to to get across that this is not a a debate over whether to allow ADUs. I I it's just how to allow them under the state law. That's all that's all you got to say. Yeah, I do have um a a slide deck prepared um with that information. So I I will make sure to um send that to Don and William um to for a town meeting as well. So I think with that piece of clarity, move to approve the articles presented. Second. Perfect. That's exactly where I was headed. Mark, any further discussion? Seeing none, uh, vote on the motion. Mark,

yes. Heather, I. Greg, I. Dan, hi. Victoria says I. Kyle, hi. Skip. I. Samir, I. That motion passes unanimously to support the article as written. Wonderful. Thank you so much. Really appreciate your time. Thank you Fiona. Have a wonderful evening. You too. Byebye. And now on to article 11 where we have a guest speaker. Please everyone welcome Dr. Cummings. Yeah that's right. Pause. How are you this even? I'm very good. Thank you guys very very much for having me. Of course. Thank you for uh coming. You want me to give just a quick summary? Please do.

Okay. Um through a grant that was secured by Evan and William last year uh in the spring of 2025, all of our school roofs were assessed. Um I shared with you the thrilling 150 page report. It did not on that that full assessment. It included no surprises. Um, the Grafton Middle School, our current middle school, former high school, um, is 62 years old and is in dire need of replacement. Um, as a town, nobody's fault, but we've delayed replacement, um, for literally decades. Um, so this warrant article is the first step in getting that roof replaced. Uh, the warrant article warrant article will cover costs of the roof design. If approved, we'd have to go out to bid. So, this is just a a ballpark figure that's well informed. We'd go out to bid for that. If it was approved, the design work is approved, we can then apply for MSBA funding in January. The MSBA, as you may recall, used to do an annual, I think it was the green roof and window repair program. Um, years ago we tried to get new roofs for I I think the the reimbursement was 51 cents on the dollar for North Street. It ended up getting voted down, but that was that program. They've scrapped that program and now the MSBA every other year has a funding program for school roofs. Um, it's super competitive, so I can't guarantee that we'd get it, but I guarantee I'm 100% positive we desperately need an entirely new roof. It just cannot wait. Um, so if this is approved, we can apply uh for the funding in January. Ideally, I don't know their exact timeline, but u they're certainly keenly aware of the

need to respond to biders so that they can go to Springtown meeting and take action. U so that's kind of the the thinking um behind the warrant article before you and I can move to approve the articles presented. Second. So, do we have to start the design before we can apply or do we just have to have approved spending the money for the correct? That's my understanding. Correct. So, if if we we approve the money and we go for the grant and we don't get anything, do do we still go forward with the design or

um any way we slice it, whether we get MSBA funding or not, the town has to move forward. I I don't know if you've had a chance to look at the report. I isolated for you the GMS part, but um it it couldn't have been outlined more clearly. I I certainly hope we get the that roof is horrendous.

Been literally for decades. So the idea is we spend this money that'll tell us how much more we have to spend and hopefully by doing by starting the process now we can get the state to cover some of the funds. Again, ideally, and it's a super competitive, there isn't a superintendent I talked to where their roofs aren't the Achilles heel. Um, it just isn't. Um, so ideally, we move forward, have it approved, and by the spring town meeting, put that before before the town. So, the go the goal is to have a design or at least enough of a design to have have a cost.

Yeah. They're really looking for a commitment from towns, not just I randomly putting in for a bid for a roof. I I recall being a requirement to have this vote in from the town before the MSBA will even you really they and if it's if you don't have the design done, you're going to be way down the bottom anyway. So, we got to get it and get it in there and get it anyways. It's got to be done. Okay. And so, so Jay, does the does the design have I'm sorry. I think you said this already, but the design doesn't have to physically be done. It's just we have to be able to vote that we will Correct. Yep. Yep. There's money allocated. The the bidding process can take some time. They want to see the commitment from the commit the town. Yeah.

Yeah. I I went through this process six or seven years ago and maybe it was a little different but they did rank you higher if you had a completed design. So yeah, the first hurdle is identifying that you have a funding source for it. But if you want to be competitive, you really need to have a design because they want it to be, you know, shovel ready and before they put any money out. If if approved, we've done a ridiculous amount of work with the help of William and Evan on this already. I we will be ready to go out to bid the day after town meeting. Okay. If it's approved. Samir, you had another just on the MSBA funding. Like how do they determine like the amount that they would fund? Are there various categories based on need of the town?

Um I'm going to have to get back to you on the specifics of it. Generally, it's been I think in the reading I did and I'll find out the specifics obviously. Um they've got this pool of money dedicated to school roofs and a lot of it's based on how many applicants they get. Got it. Um historically used to be 5153 cents on the dollar you'd get back. Thank you. Any additional comments, questions? Great. Let's vote on the motion to um support the article as written as our recommendation. Mark. Yes, Heather. Hi, Greg. Hi, Dan.

Hi, Victoria is I Kyle. Hi, Skip. Hi, Samir. Hi. That motion passes unanimously. Thank you so much. Thank you so much for having me. I appreciate it and thank you for the support. Anytime. Um, that brings us to our last article for this relatively short Falltown meeting warrant. Uh, article 12. This is a citizens petition. Um will you give us any context?

Sir, the citizens petition uh the petitioner came to the select board meeting last night and after talking to uh the board um stated that they are going to withdraw this uh article for town meeting. We have not received anything official from them withdrawing it. Um but that is our understanding that's imminent. So move to pass over this article. What's that? Where there's a procedure for withdrawing an article or are we just talking about passing it over? They're going to withdraw it and not show not not come and and make a motion on town meeting floor. So what will happen is it she'll just call the vote. No one will make a motion and then it that'll be that. Cool. Yep.

Second. What was the motion to pass over and a second? Any additional conversation on the motion hearing? Hearing none. Mark, yes. Heather, I Dan Hi. Victoria says I Kyle. Hi. Skip. I. Samir, I. That motion passes unanimously. We will be passing over. Just put in move to close the public hearing. Second. Second. Thank you for staying with us, Mark. By the way, I'm having a grand old time. Oh, you poor guy. All right. You're getting redder as we're going along. All right. We have a a motion in a second to close the public hearing. Uh Mark Yes, Heather. Hi, Greg.

Hi, Dan. Hi, Victoria says. I Kyle. Hi, Skip. Hi, Samir. Yes, that motion passes unanimously. The public hearing is closed for the town warrant. Perfect. Thank you all so much. Um, so just a couple other housekeeping pieces before we adjourn for the evening. Mark, if you could hang with us for just a couple more seconds. Thank you, sir. Um, we have a few reserve fund transfer requests. Do we need to do recommendations first? You already Sorry.

Oh, yeah. We we stopped doing the recommendations partway through. Probably when I made a big deal about article five. Well, we didn't we didn't do we didn't talk about the recommendations. We just voted up or down. Doesn't let me ask a question. Doesn't uh Amber usually give us a a rough draft on a summary that we can that we can play around with. Am I putting pressure on Amber? No, not at all. So, Amber, that's nice of Evan to volunteer you, but that's uh Yeah, I can do that. Awesome. It's usually the um the spring ones where we always have Yeah, the canned blurbs. Yeah, the these aren't

I can take a stab at these if you'd like me to. So, there's a couple that are would be canned because they're typical things like the easement pieces the sort of the easements the um Yeah. The public ways we've done before, right? Yeah. And Greg volunteered to write the master plan one already. Yeah. Yeah. And Dan's going to write And Dan volunteered to write the uh ADU one, I heard. Yeah. Oh, I thought you were gonna say article five. Yeah. No, no, damn. We're not letting you anywhere near article five.

No, you're you're right. Sorry that I did just completely my brain said we're done with this now. All right, let's go through this then. So for the the writing the recommendations um one two and three um moving the funds those those are are all canned in my opinion agreed. The only difference will be the one the the Harvey's bill we'll have to put in to add the part about 9/10. Yeah that gets done automatically.

Yeah that'll be like it requires 910. So the only thing we just mentioned that article one was something that got left out of the Springtown meeting. So just well so can I make a suggestion? I I would love you to. So we put explanations on every article anyways. We're going to say that this was left out in accounting area or however we're going to write it. So, why don't you let us do the explanations and then let Amber take a stab at your recommendations because she's been listening to all the things that you've just said and can make those into kind of a concise little recommendation. So, moved. Yeah,

I I think that's a a wonderful idea. And and I I I will say that one of the reasons I specifically like that is I think over a few of the last town meetings, we've actually gotten kind of redundant with ourselves because the explanations are so well written and then we kind of just say that again for another five sentences and that's not helpful for for anybody. So I I really really like this. Okay. Excellent. So then we could do a meeting the week of the 6th for publication by the 13th. I think that sounds wonderful to me. Thank you, Amber. Thank you, Amber. Sorry, Amber. We literally don't know what we would do without you.

Week of the 13th. Okay, so um if we're meeting the week of the six, let's just quickly look at our calendar since we're all here. I can do the eighth. I can also do the eth. Yep, works for me. All right, have fun, kids. We'll miss you, Skip. I'm sure you will. Like a whole Ned. All right. It can like just a Zoom meeting. Yeah. Oh, if it's at seven, we'll be done with cards. That's our first cards night. I can do it on the way home. Yeah. Just call in in your car. All right. Perfect. Okay. We got

She froze. Yeah. At least she froze in a hat. Mary Mary was laughing and then frozen. Oh, okay. That's fine. All right, we satisfied with that. That's fine. Excellent. Thank you very, very much. Thanks, Greg. Um, okay. So, now on to the next order of business, which is indeed the reserve fund transfer requests. I was scared for a minute because they weren't on the agenda that I had, but they're on the published one. So, do you would you like me to please speak to um Well, since Mary froze and left us.

Yeah. So, the the first one um municipal center suffered um some pretty catastrophic plumbing failures. Um we were actually closed for a couple of days. We redid the water man from uh Brigham Hill Road uh into the the building. redid all of the plumbing in that localized area uh and then did all of re rebuilt all of the toilets and sinks in the building. So we we had a our our pressure regulator failed. We spiked the building up to 168 PSI which made all the toilets fail and it was a big thing. Um and then we found out that we couldn't turn any of the water off because the valves are this original from the building.

They're all 4 in mains. It's and you can't get a then we couldn't get a 4inch main for 30 days. It was a whole thing. So, what we w up doing is pulling a new main through the old main. Um, we reduced the size because we're not out of school anymore. We don't have 500 kids using the bathroom at the same time. So, it's not really the same flow requirement and um then that we fixed it, but we don't have enough money to get me to the end of the year with the maintenance budget that we have. We we have $75,000 in the reserve fund. Yes. And this is for what? 27,000. 29127.

You got to do it. Um although let me ask let me ask you this question. I hate taking that much money. That's a third of the uh more than a third of the reserve fund at one meeting and at one fell swoop. Would it make sense to have an article on the warrant to do a transfer into that account from free cash since your free cash position is so high? Or do you want to do the reserve fund? What's your pleasure? We wanted to do the reserve fund and then we can um make a transfer for the reserve fund later if we had to. Okay. 601 half dozen on the other. Yeah, I got you. You're right. You're right. I move to approve this reserve fund transfer as presented. Second.

Uh the reserve fund as presented has been um the motion is to approve and has been seconded. Any additional compensation? Hearing none. Mark yes. Heather. Hi. Greg. Hi. Dan. Hi, Victoria says I Kyle. Hi, Skip. Hi, Samir. Hi. That motion passes unanimously. Um, we will sign off on this transfer of funds and then there is a second one. Yes. Yes, much less money. So, Mary's requesting a $8001 transfer. Um, we added an insert into third quarter billing to try to help stem some of the confusion that we have that we went from quarterly billing to by annual.

So that the 800 that extra insurance would put that line over by the end of the year. Correct. Yeah, that's very move to approve. Second. Okay. Uh, any additional conversation on the motion? Hearing none, Mark? Yes. Heather I Greg I Dan I Tori says I Kyle I skip I Samir I that motion passes we should fund that with money for the interest money and stuff for people being late because we did an inadequate explanation because people were confused. Yeah.

So we pay for the confusion suffers with the confusion money. I I mean it's love it. brains scope. Incredible. All right. Next next piece of discussion is attendance at the annual ATFC meeting. Um Samir, this is sort of the gathering of the Massachusetts Municipal Finance Committee members. Every year they meet. Usually it's in at the Sharon in Sharon. Um I I personally found it super super helpful my first year. you get an opportunity to network and and and meet with folks and and the town will we'll pay for you to go. So, I highly recommend as a as a as a first year you you go, but of course it's up to you if you're not available or what have you. No, no pressure.

It's in Alaska this year. And if anyone else would like to go wanted to go to Alaska since you know, I went a couple years ago. It was very good. I haven't been able to go last couple years. I don't Do we have the date? I I found it 18th from 9 to 2. Yes. I think first year finance committee members it really is helpful because it really does kind of lay out a lot and then you I mean when I went they had like little breakout sessions. I don't know that they have that but yeah they were there were four sessions.

Oh yeah the workshops. Yeah. And the workshops are good if you can choose what what you know what most interests you. So yeah, I know one of them was on Prop 2 and a half overrides. Yeah. Yeah. So if you'd like to go, just let Amber know. Yep. Definitely. I would be very interested in going. Excellent. So we do not have to approve anything for that, do we? Nope. Just a conversation, a discussion to remind us that it's occurring and that we should take advantage of it if we would like. Um, very very last thing. I believe we have three sets of minutes to approve.

I move we accept the minutes for May 1st, May 12th, and June 17th, 2025 as presented. Second motion in a second on approving the meeting minutes from those three dates. Any further discussion? Seeing none, Mark? Yes. Heather, I. Greg, I. Dan, I. Victoria says I. Kyle, I. Skip. Hi. Samir, I. That motion passes unanimously. those meeting minutes are finished and thank you Amber for scrambling to get those after uh the town clerk told us that we were we were late. It's also sort of my fault. So really really appreciate that. Okay, I think um any further conversation for this beautiful Wednesday evening I want to talk about article 5 again. Is that um

um disagree with everyone again? The meeting is adjourned. Good evening everyone. We'll see you on the 6th.