Board of Selectmen - Regular Meeting

flag for it stands one nation under God indivisible and justice for all right so public comments um who wants to go First is it is it just a general is it just a general question and answer thing like can I ask general questions or

so and I'm I don't want to be sound like a descending minority but I I do have some genuine questions and I'm trying not to force the audience or get caught up in that And my my question is I I manage a business myself, a hund00 million business. So I do have a background in this. So I'm not I'm not talking just a hold of my head. So my issue is actually the select board, right? My my issue is the select board and I'm trying to understand the process and how you arrive at your decisions. The example I have to use an example. So you the the select board voted unanimously to support Warren Bry the library and that's fantastic. I went to the meeting the warrant meeting and asked for a popular budget. I approached the bench after the meeting the select the select board didn't have the budget. I had to write an email to the library committee to request the budget which I got. There's two major two big ticket items there. the bal budget which is $3 something million. So I wrote back and said may I have the details of that please? There is no detail. We haven't got that library doesn't even have it. Then I asked for the the second big line item which is the architect's cost and I said may have a copy of theirs please. What's their budget? We don't have it. So that was over 3/4 of well that's the bulk of the budget. I said, "Well, how can you make a decision based on a budget when it's not even a budget? It's not even a quarter budget." And yet the selectman didn't do their due diligence to ask these questions and say, "We need more details." There's 3/4 of a million dollars alone in um what do you call it in uh

inflationary and contingency. I was trying to find out if there was a contingency in the Balman budget, but there is no budget. Nobody's seen it. So my question is, you as the select board of the town, how did you support something like that when it's not acceptable? You didn't do your due diligence. That's my problem. Did I have I explain this or am I confusing people? passed the budget, but I wasn't here. How can you vote for it? You unanimously voted for it and you're saying yourself you didn't see it.

I know. You have to understand I've been only here for the last week. Okay. I'm taking place of the black person who left. So I was not in any of the processes through that time.

I asked for the budget. There is no budget. There is no budget. Is that piece of paper a projection of costs it's called or something? And yet the selectment of this town all approve that without doing the due diligence and that you're the elected officials. I respect you guys. I'm not attacking you personally. I'm attacking the process. The $4.5 million isn't more than enough. That's the free money wasted as you as you see fit. But you're dipping your hand into my pocket for a million dollars that's not required when you didn't do your due diligence. Not acceptable. And I hope that doesn't sound like an attack or anything like honestly. I don't mean it that way. So that's my concern. I think it's a fair objection and I don't I'm not going to make up no excuses.

So going forward, how can we make sure that this doesn't happen because our like our budget has gone up by a million dollars in two years. Except you can't talk from you. Anyway, that that's my point. Um, how do we make sure that this doesn't happen going forward? That you look at a budget, the police budget, the fire budget, like everything line by line so this doesn't happen in the future. Oh, because we have to put total faith in you and we can't if you're not doing fire. It seems that we do go line by line. Yeah,

you have to make a differentiation between the budget and the warnings that stand alone.

So therefore, you will find a budget for the town that goes line by line for each department and has been broken out and those are available and have been available and have been through the warrant, you know, the budget review. Then you get the ones coming at us that are the one. So they're proposed by possibly the department heads and they bring them to the board of sight and select and then work through it to figure out if the money that they're requesting makes sense to what they want to do. when yeah

when we I got one more when we reviewed and I was here for this when we reviewed specific one for the police department we decided that we did not want to put those warrant forward you'll see in the warrant that we vote on that there's two items that said dollar oh no we're very aware of that so so you can see that there was some work yeah uh continuously before we know that. Thank you.

Uh I'm further down on the um agenda now. I'm here tonight uh to ask for the board's approval for an Atlanta tomorrow night. Um this is a candidates forum. It's that was uh pulled together quite quickly by citizens so that we have an opportunity to hear all of the candidates running for town office. Um, as you probably remember, this has happened in various forms in the past, but as I understand it, the state has decided that it's not okay any longer. So, um, hearing that people missed that, um, a group of us put together um, this program for tomorrow night, we invited all of the candidates. We have a nonpartisan moderator, etc., etc., and federal liability insurance of police detail heat in the graange. Um so we're all set to go but um as I understand it we need the board the select board's uh approval now and I apologize we didn't come that come two weeks ago but it hadn't really well it germinated at that point so here we are. Thank you for stepping up and doing that first of all. And are you you're paying

a Gemini? Okay. Yeah. And and Kathy has copies of all of the paperwork. I have a note here that says $150 check. Yeah, we have they wrote the check out. Okay.

So, the deposit and the the fee were put in the bank check. So, we took care of that check and and we gave ours last night to the county. I would highly recommend you never shred a check. What you do is write void on it and send back to the people. That way they have all their checks that were written and they don't see one out floating in the atmosphere. But that's invited her to shred it. I think I invited her to tear it up. If that's what you want, that's fine. But um Okay.

It'd be best if you haven't at least avoided you have to check so you can see what you've done. Okay. Anyway, You have paint. We have the heat work. Yep. Works. Yep. But do you see the monkey? Yep. Right. I'm seeing all this. I'm going to check next.

And we are going to add as well. Yep. And the parking, I know we got a question about the parking. The the um the school has given us their approval for the parking across the street. Okay. For regating the police detail across a motion to approve the use of the in green hall as presented. I'll second that. would be very high.

Okay. Awesome. So, the only thing I would is that before next year we can come up with a different way of doing this. Yeah. It's already have a different way of doing this.

Well, in the past it was really simple. what was here, you know. So, there was no cost. Um, no detail needed, no liability insurance needed because, you know, it was here. Um, and it also um, you know, just feels a little bit more um, community minded to have it be not necessarily sponsored. I don't know how you get around with the standards you're requiring, but um it would be great perhaps to have a discussion with some about how we might be able to do that next year.

Start earlier, you know, start when I say after the names are posted, then you got to see if there's going to be any competition. Honestly, sometimes the whole slate's off one person. So, it would be nice to meet and greet, but there'd be no real differentiation between if only one person running for my office.

Yeah. I I think what happened this year was that everything kind of people became aware of the fact that there was this fairly recently and you know, her tried to explain what was going on and and the town's concerns, etc. So, this happened really quickly. Perhaps people next to you can sit back and have a conversation. So, it happens differently next week. I'll be happy to take part in that. Great. Hope to see you all tomorrow.

Okay. Y police chief. How about a fire chief? Sure.

Um on the fire side, we only thing I have couple things to report. Uh we had a roof leak over the ambulance bay. Um due to the weather was jammed. Um, we tried to keep up and clear the roof as much as possible, but unfortunately, um, we're getting some leaks in there. So, I talked to Kathy about it. We put a claim in with the insurance company and they're going to come out and look at it sometime this week. So, I'll keep you posted on that. Um, our new air packs, uh, we're going to hope to have them in service after, uh, tomorrow night's training. So all the guys get trained up and then we'll put them in service and we'll be good to go. So um for uh EOC uh the only thing I have to report is myself and uh Peter Gaffne uh sat through radoff training. So him and I are all trained up to be right officers if we need to. Uh which was kind of interesting. We got to play with the wands and check out the building for radiation. It was kind of neat. But uh that's it for ENC. So that's all I got.

Good. Uh last Monday's blizzard uh was something. We haven't had a blizzard in quite quite a while. It took 22 hours to mitigate and several tons of salt at the end treating the roads. And with that with that bl with that storm pretty much the winter maintenance budget is getting up there being exhausted out of the 138 and change I have um we're coming in at like 124 and change 124,000 by the time you figure if it didn't snow now the stip the remaining stipen payments to the end of the to the end of the year. So, let's let's hope let's hope winter sort of takes a break

and that we have a late or warm fall. Exa. Exactly. Yes. In December, a couple of storms at the end of the year. Right. Well, that's what that we were fortunate enough that I was able to put the storms that we got early December on last 2025, which which helped us in 2026. So, but yeah, we're we're getting up there. So, but this is the first real winter we've had in several. So, any any problems with equipment or people's calories or anything?

No. No, we pretty much pretty much, you know, we wait till 2 in are on the ground and we call everyone in and we're there for the duration of the storm and then uh usually takes two or three hours at the after the last lake to do our route and treat with salt and and put put the put it to bed really. So yeah, but no issue with personnel, no issue with with uh equipment, just mother nature. In the last year, 2025 and that budget, were you able to encumber any funds for this year?

Unfortunately, I was actually over budget by several thousand with last year's with last year's winter maintenance budget. So, no, I was wasn't able to. Okay. Thank you. Can I Can I just add Thank you very much. I think you guys did an awesome job. You're welcome. Thank you. You made me over this guy. You're joking. You have to say and hopefully the storm tomorrow. Oh, hopefully Thursday. Hopefully it just amounts to us all. We don't have to get out there. So did a great job. Thank you.

Thank you. I appreciate especially you cleaning out the triangles so that you get clear clear sight line of sight around corners like triangle bed and sp you you do tend to appreciate it when you come to an intersection that hasn't been and you creep creeping out into the travel way, you know. Yeah. And you can't see until more than happy there. Exactly. I appreciate that very much and I echo all of your good thoughts. You're welcome. Thank you. Thank you, Matt.

I only have that this Thursday certified letters will go out to the unpaid taxpayers to let them know they have a month and then a taxing will take place. There's only about 18. So, yeah. How does that compare with the usual kind of number? It's about the same. About the same. That's all I have. Thank you. Okay. Thank you. What do we have here?

We have a lot a lot of signature stuff, right? Yeah, there's um there's the ALS agreement. That's first off. There would be a motion needed by the board to continue for the next year with the new updates. Um not sure if you saw that change the contract or you able to review that contract. Did you have any questions about the contract at all, Jeff?

I'm going to follow up on that. Um, when we found that the fee for if um we don't make it to the call, I got a bad which I was going to just see what that's all about because I didn't think that um the last ALS meeting unfortunately tied up anything else. So, So my father and he died. Find out what that's all right. I'll make a motion to enter into the one-year 12 month intermunicipal agreement with the town of Classile for the advanced body support program to expire on March 31st, 2027 at 11:59 p.m. I have a second. I'll second that. Any discussion in the session? Okay. All those in favor? All right. Bye. All right. We got a whole bunch of sock please.

You can just start right after class signature. So if you want to just start

just Yeah. Yeah. That's okay. Um, the next is the gravel intent. We have two this year. Um I did not get a grab on the tent from Wes and Wes and they sold me have the the sale went through. So, I talked to the gravel in um Stephen from the gravel department last week and he was stating that they're the owner that wants to do gravel or if there's if they want to do gravel, they pretty much have to go through again because it's a different and they might want to do different things with the pet. Um but at this point it's not claimed environmental. So

right just tell me again whose pick this is. Welsh. Welsh. Yeah. They're here.

Um the six and the two the the lock against go with it. Both retained the same ownership. Um if they do the subdivision, which we we've heard that they're going to, um there is a section on the intent that is for what is the RSA? Sorry, RSA 155 E2 is part of their incidential construct 1552A. And then they would have to fill this out if they're going to do any removal of gravel over a thousand.

But we still have to reclaim. We have to make sure that this property is reclaimed. Right. But I don't know if at this point we send Christian over to the planning board and just let them know that it's been sold in the process. most sense because it's not really a select anymore. Yeah. So, I'll say something to Peter tomorrow. I don't know if they're going to be having a meeting. I don't know if I got a Wednesday night or not for us.

Okay. All right. So, that would be the time to bring up any specific session. Yeah. So, how did you say just the two one for felch and one for review? Okay. Kathy said that the lots on on road were not part of that development. Is that the like the entrance that's right here? Um, no. Like that was part of what was just there's two lots down further that have trailers on them. Oh, okay. I think it's 90 and 90. Oh, okay. I didn't I didn't realize that.

Yep. Yeah, those two were part of that parcel that were subdivided years ago. Um, those things go with the

motion. Yeah.

I'll make a motion that we see in the tents. uh submitted by Octan and Michael from Bel. So the only two that we're doing and it's the other one that we need to get back over one. Yeah. So second I Amen.

Credit. Yes. So this was an individual that already had the veterans grit. Um they are applying now for the disabil disabled veterans the and the what's the time for this until I can have a meeting? Yeah, I don't do I don't do that until My thought is yes, right now we have we have a war that would change potentially change this. Mhm. Um because you can only have one right now. Right.

Right. So if you want if you went disabled then the changes for the dollar value it would he get he get the correct amount. Right. Either way, the disabled is going to be the one. The disabled right now is 1400. Yeah. Yeah. I think I'll make a motion that we approve the disabled veterans exemption as presented. I'll second that. All those in favor say I. Right. Yeah. Cuz I think signing it right now doesn't mean doesn't hurt it because it will either be the old number or the new number.

Right. Okay. Yeah, I think we do. Perfect. The next one is a solar exemption. And the way that we've been doing the solar exemptions, um has suggested that instead of putting the exact amount on the approval, um the approval state that it's going to be assessed amount because sometimes that changes and if it changes, we have to write back for another approval. So if the approval states that it's for the assessed amount of the solar, then we can change the amount of the exemption with the change in agreement. I think we're talking about this. I think we should at least say that they're not

Yeah. being different from what we were seeing. So,

yeah, it's uh 6:39. I make a motion that we approve the uh sole exemption for that lot stating that it's as assessed versus dollar amount at this time. Again, that's 6 block 39. I'll second that. I'll approve. I all in favor I back.

Yep. Thank you. The next is um the Boeing contract with I've got a couple others here. The elderly deferral

the elderly deferral we have to go into public but I don't want to hold that until the end. Yep. That's and then road use permits. the road use permit. I'm not sure if they've obtained all of their details and the chief had asked to confirm that before they are approved. So believe those they're all in June. Yes, Kathy. Yeah, I don't think I got anything for the tri-state track. I got the I got the Alzheimer's and I got the PTO one, but I don't I don't remember seeing anything for the tri-state track. Okay, that just come in. Nope.

Okay. Thank you. So, those all need to be done. Okay. Speaking of next meeting, I see that um the next meeting of March 10th in the voting room from 8:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. has that actually been noticed that you haven't read that night for that day?

Well, I can notice it. So, they can I mean they know you're going to be there. So what I usually do is just put a thing saying you know select the movie is not the election I'll be and then but if we need to make a decision we have if we have meeting right so you're going to put something okay thank that helped me out pretty close sometime y okay you have to figure out who's who's going to show up and when I Okay. The lights will be

Sarah said that she would be available all day. She just needs like a little corner to do some of her work. Um to be able to answer few emails and stuff like that, but other than she can be by the day. Yeah. I'll be there most of the day. Okay. But I have to drop the dog off early and then they want to be further closing. Yeah. All right. Yep. All right. Thank you for letting me go.

Sure. At the moment contract though, we did not put it up to bid yet and with all the snow, we're probably going to be into a little bit before. So people really can't see what's on the ground to to bid for it. So we were hoping to extend the contract for another year and with the knowledge that in the fall we'll put it out and I had talked to Sarah before she left and she thought that was that would be fine. Okay, cool. And so if you are to approve it, the minimum amount is the 19840 for the year, which is the 7% increase, right?

Put the budget that way. Yes.

All right. from the motion that we contract lawn maintenance with the York landscaping dealing for the properties and extension for 2026 at the cost of $19,840 with a monthly payment of 248 second all say Jason

um it doesn't matter if um one of you wanted to just name or sign up. Okay. Thank you. Next one is the engagement for the company. This is the new No, this is just for this um 2025 audit that they just did.

Oh, okay. We went underwent the audit last week and we took home.

Yes. Okay. Are you going to estimate? Um, just in the budget. I can see what it is. 19750 make a motion that we engage company to do the audit for the new December 31st. Oh, this is for the current year.

Yeah.

Okay. It's always for the for the December 31st 2025 year at the budget about $19,750. I'll second that out. The next one is the open air assembly. This goes with one of the road permits. It's forensic. So, we want to hold this one as well.

Yeah. You guys to match it up with

I did get a hold of the trust and they had gotten a permit from them already. So, okay, they were happy with it. Um this is for the adjusted amounts for the treasury selected.

Yeah. Um Bob was here and then I fell in and then I walked out position to approve the financial for the swine.

This badge is why we got the March for exactly this. Yeah, exactly what you want. I know.

You know, you can always donate to something. Thank you guys. Thank you. Um the next are going to be the appointment. So we have um Norbert Leude as a committee member and Tim Rafier. I hope I didn't butcher that too much. um as members and then we have Emily Seagull for the summer camp coordinator. Yeah, the two w

they're all w but one has a distinction on being the summer camp coordinator that needs to be in the motion. So you can do two together. I'll make a motion to approve the appointment list for the recreation social committee in regards to um Norbert and Timier as members. Is that correct?

And then the summer camp coordinator will be Emily Steel. I'll second that. All those in favor? Right. Right. Thanks for doing fast. That's great. Um, next one is just the pay rate performance for Emily. Um, the department has to sign off on it, but it guess didn't want to sign off on it. So it had gone through and I got an email from the records attached to that saying what they thought the um the hour should be.

This in relationship to what it was last year is it? Okay. So it's not Yeah.

Motion on this. motion pay rate at $24 an hour. What's up with that? Those favor by this. Yes.

Thank you. I'm just going to put the tape in here. Oh, here to the library. I don't have it. I don't have it thrown up, but is a confident for when they have low membership. Um, they're they're having no trouble getting members for happy. We don't we can make a motion like we do for you. We have a good sign. this week or I could bring you in for two seconds.

Make a motion to approve the Pina Gaff. Second that all favor. So sign for some. Yes. Okay. Thank you. You're welcome. It's just good to have some more people on the board. There is. Yeah. Most definitely. February 2nd, I believe, was your last meeting. Yep. Did you guys read those minutes?

Y I'll make a motion to approve the four minutes of February 2nd, 2026. Second minute. All those in favor. Name old.

Yes, I have I have a few other things too. Okay. Um, so there there was talk about um a municipal complex and parcel of land and the board had motions for um DTC to research that land. Um, that's the photo we're up to so far.

And 1625 so far. Yeah. 18. Are they making progress? Uh, yes. I have no idea what the old number is.

Not sure what right I believe we have to pay for the work they've already done. But do you have to stop in the middle of it or do you finish it? That's the problem. I hate to say let's stop in the middle, right? We can discuss more public if you mind doesn't state in a public session. Right. Um way of reading this is that so far she's getting 60 and a quarter plus 188,000 copies. Yeah.

But we're talking one or two more to get it done. Yeah.

Okay. So, make a motion that finish. I'll make a motion that we uh our doctor reserve as stated in the email. I'll second that. for the failure by

um all this stuff. I did. Thank um there was a notification um from the DOT that they are going to do an allway stop and they wanted any comments from the board or public officials by February 13th. I mean on March 13th always stop where? uh the 150 or the 107 intersection. That to me is the first the first move that you need to do is get it stopped the hallway.

I believe Chief said that as well. I I didn't mention that in my comments. I said, you know, it's better than what we currently have. I also said that I prefer a traffic light there, thinking that would be the ultimate solution. Um, but I said the four-way stop is definitely better than what we have now because right now we have a two-way stop and that's one of the two places we have most of our accidents and it's an only a matter of time before we have a serious injury there or a fatality. So that that was my best two cents into it.

And that's the bad part is that you won't be in a stoplight until that you have the right thing. Yep. And I've listened because you'll avoid that major accident, right? Yeah. Because you're going to have low speed, but everybody's moving and and it's a much less expensive Yes. thing to build, right? Yeah. They put some signs. states only like $10,000. Yeah. Sue that much, but that's funny. Yeah. So, I those were my comments with the police chief um made comments about pretty much. Yeah. Yeah. So, we we stopped this family for years. Yep.

And to do anything before the stoplight, you need to go forward stop. Yeah. Then after a couple years a you might end up having 107 and a few through rookie which puts you back basically the same position you're in now. However, you're you're crossing the mo most of the drive but I I didn't feel there possibility to get a stop with those flashing lights. It can be solar. I don't know how expensive our at least people would really see. I can see four different ways long lines. Who goes first? Me.

I think I think the you know the DT with us, but I think this is a good move on on our part. Yeah, they have a bunch of different things that they were going to do in that in different plans and they kind of explained it out. I just don't exactly. Yeah, I know they were doing signs and yellow signs and flags and um because it will be a change. Yep. Yes. Because people try to go Yeah. people coming out of Y will not realize they have to stop. Okay.

Or the other way going to be. So yeah, it's better than what we have now. So that's better. I'll make a motion that we divide the BT that we have agreed to having the intersection of 150 and 107 to be made a four-way stop with whatever signalized information necessary. Okay, I'll second that. All those in favor I thank you.

Um the other thing was there was a an issue in town where somebody had called the police department to go over and have them support them to a residence in town. and they sent a certified letter to the town as well as the police department. Um, but the police department doesn't support people, you know, to people's homes. It's a civil civil issue.

Um, so, uh, she paid me that he person is I haven't further Yeah, it's so much the town gets involved with that. The only other thing is um bills in payroll as well as just the nonpublic to go forward of the deferral. Is there anything else that you have or that the department had for the board?

Dad, where do we you have a near rental of the town property? The discussion for the green hall is that we had we had that. No, no, this is for they wanted to put a store in there. up. I've heard a little bit about Yeah. So, I was just curious. I haven't heard anything and those people next door neighbor, right? I don't think they're okay.

I haven't heard anything else anybody that's the branches as well as the person that wanted to rent it. We're going to assess a few things and then get back to the board. Yep. Um on what they came up with. Yeah. There was I know that there was one range trust that was not for the rental. They wanted to keep it as a public and not just rent it to one person. They keep it that way. Um and then it would turn into a long-term rental as well as parking. You know, the parking back in it. They were from the I haven't heard anything else.

That's what I Yeah. Okay. Um, do you want to do bills in reference if there are anything? Yeah. Yeah. is

where the department has and then we have snack too. Okay, go away. We got snack. Um, I got you, too. cuz you know that's nice. Very just a little momentum your time with the town six years as plus all of the time. Yeah. 15 or 20 on top of it.

Right. Right. you've been your knowledge has been very hard. Thank you. Hi. I'm totally late. Just trying to catch what's going on today. Are you done? Almost. Yeah. Uh, did you have a question? No. I just wanted to try to understand. Oh, sure. What's happening in town?

Oh, great. Wonderful. Um, that's the agenda. Um, we've pretty much gone through all of the all of the stuff. The boards are just going to do the bill and um maybe have a little snatch tonight. Okay. Well, I apologize. I Oh, no problem at all. No problem at all. Okay. Anytime. Thank you. Yeah, there's quite a big stacking. We haven't had a meeting for a while.

Was one set of initials coming? Yes. So, we're going to be done for about five minutes and 54.