Board of Finance - Regular Meeting

Call them call the meeting to order at 7:02 p.m. This is just a financial report. You guys can do all that stuff and I just sit here. I'm glad you tapped with me at this table.

Everybody ready? Congratulations on the schedule. So the first u the first order of business is approval of the October 14 minutes. Um they've been distributed in hard copy tonight. If you didn't get a copy previously, let's spend a couple of minutes just taking a look at them. And just an agenda have an updated person. What else? Thanks. else. Thank you. Anybody

have any comments before I um ask for a motion? And I am asking for a motion to approve the October 14 minutes. So David moves. Who seconds? Kim seconds. Is there any u discussion, corrections, additions? I just had one. Yep. Um on item number four, the first paragraph we say uh the project was finished under budget by 172,659. And then in the third, at the end of the third paragraph, it's 651. Tiny but

I don't know which one it is. It's approximately It's approximately that number. Eight bucks. Eight $8 is not nothing. Let me see what I've got. I don't I don't know which is correct. I think I think the 51 is correct. Do you Did you hear the question, Anita? We'll correct it tomorrow. We'll we'll guarantee it. Yeah. Okay. So, whatever whatever the right number is, we'll get into the final minutes. Not material motion not material.

Okay. So the motion has been made seconded. Any further discussion? just on that. I mean, if you I haven't done it, but it's got the the budget number 6,424542 and then it has a final project cost the six point 6,251. So, if you subtract one from the other, you get the one. All right. Well, let's let's change the 659 to 651. And anybody who complains about the $8 can talk to me. Um, all in favor say I. I. I. Any oppose say nay. Any abstensions? Abstain.

Fred abstains. And Tom, you'll abstain because you weren't at the meeting. Yeah. Yeah. Sorry. Yeah. I'm not seated anyway. So, you're seated tonight. You are seated tonight. Voting. No. Oh, no. You're you're an alternate, but you're not voting. So, I'm not seated to vote. Correct. If I Maybe we can go back. We're We're new board now. Yep. So I So you're a voting member. Okay. These guys and that young lady are alternates.

Um approval of the October 22. Interesting. The the agenda says October 22. The board of finance minutes say October 20. What was it? 22.

It was 22. So, change the minutes to October 22. Take a a quick look at them and then let's vote on them. Motion to approve. Second.

Who who was okay? Kim first. Uh Andy second. Any discussion? I I was not present by phone at that meeting. It has me as president. So that so that's absent. Okay. So, strike Fred Behringer from alternate members and add him to absent alter alternate members absent after Candace. Any other comments? I wasn't present so I'll abstain. Right. Um all in favor say I. I.

Any oppose say nay. Any abstensions? So the uh Candace abstains. You are welcome. You don't have to abstain. So as amended, the minutes are approved. Financial reports. So Anita sent around a a helpful summary of the um material issues in the reports. I hope everybody's read them. Anita, do you have any additions, corrections or comments that you want to make right now about the month of October? Um there's a month and it was just because upgrade Um so we see that they get posted just we can answer that question.

Thank you Anita. in the revenue reports um the the uh investment income you noted the investment income is going to be down because the rate of return is down. What what was the assumption that you used or that we used in establishing the budget for uh investment income or for 3.5. Okay. So we used 3.5

and obviously as of the first four months it's significantly above that 3.5. 41 41 4.1 um it was last year this time over five so we're down to four and probably down it was 3.9 or 3.8 eight post. Okay. But above what we we adjusted. So predictably, we're down from last year, but still probably will do better than budget.

Um Anita, on your notes, it says debt services for the senior center bonding reduced by $82,000. Correct. Now over what time period is that reduced?

Okay. was it will be again the numbers like that the senior center committee gave you are a little bit different than our numbers because ours included bonding in bonding because of the difference so our conclusion bonding is all um at the end when I consolidated everything and balanced everything out we had to report to the financial advisor because they have to oversee how we spend it for so many years out until we spend it all um at the end there money left over. We were left over at the I think it was like almost like bring on rent change that is enough that we have a clause in bonding that we can pay three years of interest payments. So the 82 that is coming out of the debt service on the fund or the 01 account is going to be coming out of some leftover money that is in the fund 33 and that will pay the interest portion of the debt for almost the next three years.

But is debt service reduced by 82,000 or is our borrowings reduced? We've already gotten the full the bonds were paid last year, right? So, we've got all the money in the bank and this is just the expenditure, right? The money of the bonding. We got the premium. We're allowed to use that to pay interest. So, that's over the life of the bond though is my question. Right. Three years. We'll use it up in three years. So, the 82,000 is over three years. No, the 82,000 is just one payment if it's this payment. But for the current budget year, we're going to save 155 because the second payment that is due in March will also come from bond 33.

But we're not saving interest necessarily. It's simply it's coming from a different pool. I I got you. That's what I That's what I thought. Yeah. It's coming from a different pool of money. You still owe the same amount. Right. Right. Right. Yes. Yeah. But the point is that we we we got more dollars in the bank than the face amount of the bonds. Right. And that's what we're using to pay the interest. Yeah, that that I understood. Plus the savings from the the project that money can't be turned back to the general fund to just pay us back or you can't turn it back. So you have to prepay the interest. Yeah. Thank you.

Any other comments or questions of Anita? Um I had one. So all the way I mean you don't even necessarily need a page number. So we paid all of the social services agencies that we usually pay. When did we pay the LD on page 12 that was it's been directed. They're being paid half of their payment now because most of these that we paid the 50% is they don't us and

okay and their check is being process 50% because they normally do it in July and January. Okay. Thank you. Have a question on the last page. Uh general fund um capital. Okay. Emergency management.

Oh, that's the one that Yes. Okay. So, what that is is that was the one that originally was 140 and then we took some out. Well, they charge 40,000 of the building to that fund, but that fund is supposed to all be furniture owners. So, I had to move the $40,000 out into the carryover. And then from there, the $900 that is in there is actual furniture that was purchased. And that is where all the furniture for the ESC will go. I I guess part of my confusion is you know we had the 120 we took 432 out so ended up with a budget of 768

but really it's only 40 the other 36 will be turned back in you cannot spend because they are not going to reimburse 36 okay but I see it said period expenditure 39,000 seems probably negative because that had to get moved to carryover so why would there be a balance remaining 75 something right. Yeah. Okay. Um the original amount for that account was 120. Right. From the 120 we move to the millstone was it 39

39 change leaving a remaining remaining balance of I think it was 768. Yep. Yep. Right. for the 768 he's allowed to spend 40. He spent 40 but it was for the wrong to use carryover. So that had to come out and then the furniture is 900. So the extra 36 is going to show till the end of the year in that we just can't remove it unless you want me to move it to another account. It's a He's just not allowed to spend it. That kind of

it's it's bookkeeping magic. But we we actually spent just the $93. So that's the only expenditure. Just odd looking. Yes, I agree. That's why I sp it up. Hopefully the front page might a little bit. But anything else? Yeah, I have two questions. Um the VNA is um 100% left right now and at the last meeting you guys had said that the VNA is going to charge us for the town nurse. When do we start paying that? We just started paying that. This the entry went in this month. Okay.

So we'll start seeing that. Um I end October. So what we decided and they said would be easier for them is I will build for the hours for the reimbursement like the Medicare plus workers comp um what we would be paying for stock pay um until the 50,000 is used off of what we were getting and then at the end we'll see okay so everyction Okay.

And we have a legal agreement with them, but it's they're it's gone through our legal if they're just have a few questions, so they'll vote on it at their next meeting in December. Okay. Um and then I had one more question on page 14 in capital outlay public works. We have a deep groundwater monitoring line item that wasn't there last year. So, I was just wondering what that was and it's 100% left. It's down towards the bottom, isn't that? That's the the wells that they've been put in over at the public works department because

Yeah, but when are they going to start getting monitored? Well, I think they have started monitor, but they haven't built us. Oh, they haven't you? Okay. So the wells were put in taken now. Okay. A bill soon. Okay. We haven't been mil yet00'll tell us the first and are they going to do that four times a year? Depending on the results. Okay. will dictate what the state plan is to do. Yep.

Okay. Anything else? Okay. Let me let me go back a couple of items. And I was remiss at not welcoming Tom and Maria, the new additions to our board. I think everybody knows everybody, but um you were seated today. Welcome. And you have become a regular rather than an alternate member. You knew that. Um, approval of the uh, finance meeting schedule that was passed out a few minutes ago. Take a look, please.

Are you skipping? BJ's got the Oh, that's So, I've got an old agenda. I'm sorry. Right there. You want that one? Okay. The mailed one is not correct. Extra copy there.

Oh my goodness. We have 11 new items on the um request for town's approval of town building fund for transfer station upper building alarm connection. Who was going to tell us what's going on?

Eric is. This summer we updated our R1 systems throughout the whole town. Um when they went to do the transfer station was determined at that time that the existing system was not compatible to be upgraded. It was an old residential style system. So at that time I think it was July I requested an additional funds uh with Suckman. They did came to you guys to approve the additional funding. So in September o I guess October now they went to do the upgrade um everything went smooth until they went to test the system and the upper building at the transfer station the big large building in the back nothing was working up there. They investigated more when new scale house was built. They never reconnected upper building. So, in order to do that and get our SIP that whole site up to snuff, uh the estimate or the quote for that is $1,125 to uh get that the upper building tied into the system with the equipment that they need and the labor to do that.

And that wasn't on the the work order of whoever did it originally. No, it just we you know, when when they did their site inspection, you know, when you walk into that building, there's you know, heat detectors and pull stations. you know, you assume it's all working. And when they actually did the work, that's when it was determined that why isn't it working? They looked around and wires come into the building, they just cut off and that's where where So you're you're comfortable there's no third party obligation to to do this. When you say third party, well, whether this was in the scope of work for a contract that we've already

No, no, I mean, I wouldn't say that they would know. I mean, every other building would assume, you know, everything was hooked up and and worked as is. And when there's a spool of wire that's cut off, you the wire coming into the building and then they could trace it to, you know, they bring it out, they determine that's the right wires and just would never hooked into the system when you scale house many years ago. So, the request is for $1,125. We'll be all set for that. I'll move to approve the use of $1,125 from town building funds for the transfer station upper building alarm connection. Second. Any discussion? All in favor say I.

I. Any oppose say nay. Any abstensions? Motion passes. Thanks, Eric. Thank you. You too. The the next is request for funding approval of Rogers Lake dock proposal. See a familiar face chair. I'm just going to introduce that Mark and the Rogers Lake Authority have done an absolute amazing job of formulating this proposal working with region 18 and um line and old line. Oh, thanks very much for this um and it has also been approved by the board of selectmen. You want me to pass these out?

Yeah. Would you please? I only made eight and didn't know how big the board was. So, excuse me. I made some other ones. Are you passing them around? Are there more? Got eight. Yeah. Yeah. Once or twice. They are. This is

Maria. Do you have one? We're sharing. Unless somebody else want you have one. I've seen it 16 times. Anybody need one? Yeah. Thank you.

So, um, just as background, the Rogers Lake Patrol Boat is currently docked at a private residence up at the north end of the lake. Um, it's not an ideal spot. Um there's not very much parking for our patrol boat operators. There are no restroom facilities and um you know the gasoline's just sort of stored outside. So and also the owner who I know is uh lives mostly ino in Florida. He at some point is going to be selling the um his house. So I got thinking where are we going to put the boat? and I happened to ask Candace if there was any possibility of moving the boat down to Hannes Park. There's bathrooms down there and there's parking down. Uh we did a site visit down there and realized that where currently the rowing association has a dock for their chase boats that's 30t long. It's wood. It's in bad repair and could be replaced. If we added 10 ft to that, we could dock the two chase boats and the Rogers Lake patrol boat. We went out and got um quotes for it and that's on the front page there. The cost came in at $8,724. Um we have um talked with uh or Candace and we've talked with um the school system uh RSA 18. They use the um the dock for their pro for their rowing program. So they're willing to pay half the cost. I've gone to talk with um the town of lime and they're happy with using

they're already allocated funds for this year. They're happy with us reallocating funds um to uh all right you know to pay for their to pay for our portion of the the overall cost. Uh we've talked with um the local town attorney to see if there's any issues with um I thought they were repairarian rights. They're actually latorial rights because it's a lake. Um and the answer came back that as long as we don't infringe with the abuing land owners um use then there's no question there's no issue and and the ab budding land owner actually has two really nice docks on the north side of their property which is uh the water's deeper there and it's a much better place for them to put boats and they put in a paddle board cart next to um near where we dock we we will be docking the Rogers Lake boat. So, what we're asking for is to reallocate to fund the new the new dock and um reallocate current budgeted funds from the Rogers Lake Authority budget to pay for the portion that's not being paid by the school district. So, so by reallocate, you're saying you have enough money in the current budget to cover this?

I believe so. We had allocated $3,000 from miscellaneous other that was because we're, as you unfortunately know, we've had this issue with DEP that we've been working through. Um, we thought we may need funds to cover additional legal costs there that those aren't coming up. And the other main source, there'll be $300 if we build the dock. We won't need a docking. We won't need to rent the dock at the private residence for May and June. And we had $4,200 in the budget for newsletters. We thought we were going to do an additional newsletter um this year dealing with the hydrella problem. Um that's not going to come to pass probably till the next year's budget. So, I didn't think we'd be spending $1,700 on those funds.

Good job. Um, and as Martha mentioned, Park, we've reviewed this with Park and Rex and they're they're comfortable with it. Questions? Motion? We're really just looking for a motion. We're not spending additional funds. It's a reallocation. There's reallocation of the 218125. Well, it's actually 4,000. We get reimbured from line, right? So, we get the gross, but yes, I'll make the motion to reallocate the 436249.

Second, docs. Okay. And Dave seconded. Uh, any discussion? All in favor say growing. It looks by the blind it looks tighter to bring shells in. We'll be okay. All in favor say I. I. Any oppose say nay. Any abstensions? Motion passes. Thank you. Thank you very much. Mark, you can place that order before December. I've Yeah, we were wanted to move this before, but I should have mentioned that we get it. We'll get this year's pricing when pricing is going to go up next year. So,

and a row is discount. Yes. Thank you very much. Good night. Okay. Now, please turn to the meeting schedule.

Thank you, Marsh. Thank you.

Martha, are you still working on populating these dates with the specific commissions and awards? Yeah, we will we'll Anita and I are going to have some meetings over no the end of November and December to start to formulate all that, right? But she's sending out budget and stuff this week and to our departments. Okay. So, these are the dates of the meetings but not the listing of the substance of each of these meetings. I'll move to approve the 2026 schedule regular meetings for the board of finance. I'll second that and second. Any discussion?

Yeah, I have a discussion. None. There's no regular meeting scheduled in February and March. Usually one of those we also do some kind of regular meeting discussion with our budget meeting. Are we not doing that this year? Part of the agenda. You can put it on. It's part of the agenda. Just to let people know that there's regular stuff getting discussed at one of these meetings. Well, if you'll look at the title though, this is your regular meeting schedule. I don't think that it should be called budget meeting. I think they're regular meetings. Yeah. Just board of finance meetings. Yeah. And then you're just dealing with budget. Yeah. Your agenda items are budget, but you're still a regular meeting.

So, let's change So, let's change the words here from budget meeting to regular meeting for everything. Yeah. Okay. You can put dash budget for those except for the 20th which is your budget public hearing. That's different. Those are different and that's on Monday the annual meeting.

Okay. With that change, all in favor say I. I. Any oppose say nay. Any abstensions? Motion passes as amended. Um, other business, Martha. So, I want you to to describe the topic and then we'll move it for the agenda. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Have you got a vote to put it on the agenda?

So, we had an executive session yesterday with our labor attorney and um Peter Ross, who is the chief for the MS. Um, we had a employee that filed an OSHA claim against us because their uniforms weren't delivered in time. And we also had him uh file a labor board dispute because he felt that he was supposed to be paid time and a half or double time on Memorial Day. Although no one was paid time and a half or double time, it amounts to about $131. Uh, so he filed the claims. We had to count motions. It was $3,000 just to file a motions at both places. Um, this is someone who is hired prior to Peter coming on board.

Um, let me let me let me just interrupt you right there and say the the other business is to for the board of finance to discuss this issue and then to hear what the board of selectman wants to do about it. So, I need a motion to put it on the agenda. Okay. So there's a settlement agreement basically to discuss. We've approved it. We had executive session and then we approved it at and we can't we need to move forward through your approval. So a motion to put this item on the agenda. So moved. Anna second. Second. Kim. Any discussion? All in favor say I. I.

Any oppose say nay. Any abstensions? Okay. I'm sorry to interrupt you Martha but keep keep going. So basically um in doing some things we realized that this person will probably become um more constant with latigious um filings and um the EMS group would like to see such person find his way to a better home. so that he works uh two 12-hour shifts that amounts to about $600 per week. Um we came up with a settlement agreement of $6,000 sorry 6,100266 and the 13266 is what he would have made at the labor department of labor claim and then the 6,000 is the OSHA claim. um working with Peter that's 10 weeks basically salary um and basically um he's we're not going to be paying him anyways right now he's out on doing some medical for some medical issues so this can come out of their budget um at this time under salary um this will cost us much less than if we had to start going to the hearings at the OSHA board and the um because we're still in that process this, but the OSHA board and the labor board have both approved this settlement as well. They've worked with Pat McCale to approve this. I have a copy of it. This is still a draft until it is approved. It is signed off by both parties. So, it's not public information. It is still a draft form until it's been signed off on. If anyone wants to see it, I have copies. Does anyone want

So, if this is not public information, we need to be careful about discussing this in Well, we had to I said this exact same thing. It's in our public meeting yesterday. It's a draft form. It's therefore not voyable because the draft form once it's signed voyable. Good question. Uh the six 6,000 in OSHA, could you explain that number? Is that a potential fine or I understand that it was what we would cost to go to more than that was less than what would cost us to go to court to go to court and defend. Okay. Just trying to clarify. But we had to come up with some figure that was would be approved by the party.

Well, did they offer it or did we offer that? We offered So, it's going to be 10 grand to take care of this guy who remains in No, it's 6,100. No, you paid You've already paid $3,000 in legal fees. I was gonna pay that anyway. I had to to I know, but the total cost of this. Well, it would it's potentially another potentially I'm not saying don't do it. I'm just clarifying how much it's cost us. I know, right? And it comes out of my legal budget because of the fact that we don't have legal budgets for each of these departments. So, it comes out of mine.

I'm not disappearing. letting you know that I'm just providing information. So what what should we do tonight? Basically, I just need your approval to move forward with this. Then it will be presented to the party and it will be, you know, blessed. I'll sign, they'll sign, and we'll be done. If it's in your budget, why do we have to appine upon it? Well, I'm letting you know because it's being paid out of their salary. But if they go over their salary, I wanted you to be aware of the issue in case they went over cuz they're still an employee at the end of this. No, they won't be. Oh, but I thought it was being paid out of your legal 6,000 to the

the employee is coming out of the salary for EMS. The 3,000 came out of your legal. So, it's we just want you to know because I like to keep you informed that they'll take it out of their salary line. If they go over in salary this year, then that is going to be part of the reason and hopefully they'll be under budget in their other lines and they'll be able to cover it. But there's nothing for us to vote on. This is justformational, right? Making us I think that makes sense because at the moment we're not authorizing any additional appropriations, right? We're simply being informed that which is good

money that would otherwise be paid a salary is going to be paid as settlement and that might come back to uh being an overage a budget overage later in the year but not tonight. That makes sense. You want those back? I do want them back. Um does he is he is he at all aware of the settlement might be saying no. I know he's had his lawyers have said that he will Okay. Yes. The OSHA and Department of Labor all worked with him. Okay. To meet everything up. How long has he been working for us? Since March. Oh, from what I understand. Is this a global release of any future claims?

Yes, there's just related to these two events or anything else that may come up. I think if you look on page number two, David, um, it talks about that you can't stop him from doing anything else, but he can't bring claim, but it, as our labor attorney said, it's going to look unfavorable on him because he's already signed an agreement and he's not going to have any other claims because he hasn't worked, right? And he has to return the uniforms and he has to sign off on everything. The old uniforms,

the only uniforms the Eddie's had. He had t-shirts. He didn't like the size. They got him new t-shirts. So, he's giving us back the t-shirts that he didn't like the t-shirts. He did like the jacket, the pants. But he's still employed. He is. What's he going to wear? He's on a medical issue right now. Right. When he comes back though, he's not coming back. This this is going to be this is a separation agreement. This is like a goodbye. It's a settlement and separation. That's that's different. So if it's a separation agreement as well, it's kind of mushing like three things together. But

well, but it's not uncommon, right? If you're if you're terminating in terms of somebody for clause or without cause and you want to pay somebody some money that you don't otherwise owe them. Yeah. You say goodbye to the person and I get a say I'm going to pay you X and you release all friends. Yes. But separation agreements are typically not part of settlement agreements. But it doesn't matter if it takes care of the issue. It was again there's nothing to vote on, right? I don't I according to Patrick McCale he would have liked your blessing on the agreement. That's what he told us. He said he wanted our blessing and yours. So I don't finance deals in the money side of it. We don't deal in the management part of it. Yeah.

Let's just say that you I mean making us aware is great is perfect. I appreciate that. That's fine. Yeah. I the minutes will probably reflect that we were made aware of a situation. That Yes, it is. I'm missing copies that can't run. Well, it doesn't say that it releases everything. But if you read if you read through this, it's it seems to cover every base. Well, 21 and 22 I think would are are addressing the concern of severability and cooperation. Goes

and enumerates Yeah. a million things. So to um to to the extent that the attorney wants some comfort, let me just ask whether anybody on the board of finance has any present objections uh to the town entering into the settlement agreement. No, I don't know enough about it. So yeah, I just think we were made aware of it. Yeah, I mean that's I think right right thing here.

Okay. Any other business from anybody? Then Madame uh Madame Selecman, this is going to be short. You have a report?

I do. So, I'm sure most of you have heard that we received a community can activity grant in the amount of $800,000 for um false road sidewalks. Um so, this money, this uh grant is to be used for construction. I'm still waiting to speak to the con um the grant coordinator. He's supposed to be in touch with me. Yesterday, I was notified we received it. I'm supposed to hear from him sometime this week. I'll know more. I believe it's three years from the date that we start the project that it has to be used. That money has to be used and I'll have more information for you at the December meeting on that. Um my thought process did begin with an RFP for design and engineering. I'm not just going to use uh our current engineer. They certainly are willing to bid on it, but I would like to go out to see and I'm also going to talk to some of the other towns who they've used for their sidewalk designs and invite those people to propose uh to us. Let me finish and then you can ask them question. Uh then but I will bring that forward to the board of selectmen to see if they're in agreement with that. After that, that money would have to come to you and that request would have to be budgeted or an agreement would have to that money for design and engineering would have to come most likely from a special town meeting or at a town meeting. I know we don't like to add too many things to town meetings. We'll try not to. Um for financial approval uh and then proceed forward with that aspect of the project. Um hopefully that would be completed in 26 and then we would um go out to bid for construction sometime at the end of 26.

Um what are the conditions of the grant would be a question to be answered in in the future. That's a big question because connectivity grants I know we experienced it down at um Sound View. There are some strings that could reduce the ability to actually use that 800 grand or rather reduce the amount that we're able to to end up spending on construction. There's also oversight requirements there. There were at least in sound view

that also reduce that 800 grand. So trying to figure out a net number of what we will end up being able to spend on actual construction will and design too will be important. Um those are the the two items that I would look for in the future. Okay. It is it clear though that it does cover design, not just construction? No, it only covers construction. It only covers construction. So the town would have to make an additional appropriation for design. Right. But we won't know what that that's why we would go out to RFP first. Right. Right.

No, you don't because you haven't Well, we have other another bill or two for that. So, we just aren't because we have to talk about that. That's in December. The board of selectmen will play out Halls Road and decide how we proceed from there. But that's why we're not spending any money yet. We're just telling you that it can't came in. Do we have a clear idea where we want these sidewalks to go? It's not going to be the whole thing.

It's most likely going to be from the Limeart Association to somewhere around the Hangry Goose because DOT is going to be the one that's in control of that section over the Lieutenant River. In five to seven years, they're planning on updating that. I had a meeting with 12 engineers for DOT a while back um to say to them, hey, this is in not great shape. What are you going to do about it? And they said, oh, we're probably going to, first they said 20 years before the bridge is done, and then by the time I finished the meeting, it said 5 to seven. So, I'm going to work with them to determine what they're going to be responsible for at that section. Then we would continue on the other side towards Andy's Market and then down to uh Chestnut Mart which is already done and then beyond Chestnut Mart over some people's property perhaps and probably not where Treasures is because they use that mostly that parking lot is usually used for um pickup delivery etc. But we'll talk that would be part of the talk and then to Essex Savings Bank. We did not do the we did not ask for requests for the southside because of any changes potential changes with any possible new owners for that um maybe changing some parking lot design or entrances etc. So we felt it best to stick to north side only at this point in time.

Yeah, we've got the plan. We've got a plan. We do. We have a design and concept.

Well, it's not only concept. We we've got um lots of different uh construction specs and that sort of thing too. But just again an admonition of making sure hey we've got 800 grand but you got to net that down to what we've actually got and figure out whether we've got 50 yards of sidewalk or you know more. And I would suggest that we probably start budgeting for that in the next year's budget for construction and we'll but we'll get some rough numbers. Um Grassy Hill Bridge, we continue to make some tweaks to the design to as we work with the old line fire department to fulfill their needs for um refilling the pump truck. Um, I've not spoken to the attorney who's working on the easements uh since the month of October, but I know there's some property owners who have mentioned being financially reimbursed for the use of their land. Um, I was wondering if for those of you who have served on boards and commissions, if you'd heard of that before, um,

the construction easements, construction easements for people being paid. Yeah. Because just so you know, there is a fee we have to pay for an appraisal of the land and to determine the amount of land that will be disturbed. And that's how you get your fee. Yeah, that's right. Okay. Yep. All right. So, well, it's usually not that much, but if it's for a year's worth of construction, it'll be 15 grand or something like that. Six months is what they're saying. I mean, six months, but

Okay. So, I'll work with Eric on that. um sewer project. I have a timeline of a possible referendum which has been put together. I'm going to pass this around. This was also passed through the board of ed. We didn't um so working with the registars etc. This is a draft. We would ask uh we are going to have a special meeting of the board of selectment on Monday um to further discuss this and then send it. What our bonding attorney would like is if you would also plan a special meeting next Monday night. Yours could be virtual because basically this is just moving it to referendum or to a town meeting I should say for referendum. So, if this is the case, you would be on hold for a virtual meeting for next Monday night at 7 o'clock and we'll start our meeting early at 5 um to hear public comment, etc. And also bring uh John Misham up to speed on and I working on that providing him with enough documentation so we know WPCA is meeting tonight upstairs. They're working on finishing their cost sharing agreement with the other beaches. They're also working on sewer ordinance is really 95% done except for some comments that Ledge Light has given. So once that would do, we would try to put that on perhaps the referendum. Then if not, it would go to the town meeting in January because I don't think it's basically the ordinance we already have with three paragraphs included. So it's not lengthy and it's all been worked out. Um, and so basically I just that's more of an FYI and if you have any questions on that I'm happy to

answer as much as I can but Jim really is the lead on this because he's lived it for 10 years. So he's meeting with them upstairs. I mean he's virtual but he's meeting How does it work with voting? Because it's property owners, right? It's not just it's the whole town. this it's property owners though it's not just registered voters it's any property owner in Sound View and even Old Lime Shores Old Colony and Miami get to vote on our referendum as well as you do and you do but it's it it's not just registered voters that

right the registars keep a separate list not registered voters the registars also keep track of that No, I I understand that, but it's a much bigger endeavor conceivable absentee. They're going to do Yep. They're going to have it here. They're going to do it here. 12th to 8 on that particular date. December town meeting would be December 19th and then we would follow with December 16th here. December 9th is town meeting. Yeah. December 16th, I believe, is the referendum. That's what this says. So, essentially the town meeting would be similar to what region 18 does. It adjourns to the referendum. Yes. And it the only purpose of the

And this is exactly what Ponyie did many years ago. I think it was 2009. We had the first referendum. Anyway, it's exactly the same. Michael Batello said you come in. He said that that town meeting is literally five minutes. It's a five minute town meeting because you're moving it. The board of selectmen is moving it to referendum. So the absentee ballots that come in can be from property owners and so the registars are aware of that as they come in they can check property records and all that stuff. Yeah. And Vicki would start the day before Thanksgiving. I don't think we've ever had a referendum that included absentee. No. And I region 18 doesn't do that on a much larger number.

Yeah. Um they don't have absentee ballots for our budget vote every year for region 18. So, so how did the absentee ball balance I mean how did the decision get made? And I'm wondering obviously there's a change in the law uh for regular voting as early voting not so much for absentee ballots. There's a change with respect to the criteria for absency ballots. In any event, I'm just wondering whether there's a change in the law that now for referendum. Yeah. I mean according to our registars they are according to the registars they are. And why does it not to create more problems? Why doesn't

you know what? Can we have that discussion after this? Can we Yeah. Well, we're just posing the question. Yeah, because it would be any I mean that's a bigger number. That's $35 million. I don't know. Is it because it's a regional school district and it has a different question? Have to come to town that to vote. Yeah. We've had other referendum where referenda where property owners are allowed to vote and we haven't done absentee. Right. Yeah. Whether it's in a town meeting setting Yeah. or an actual referendum. Do we need to approve or are you just telling us? No, I'm just telling FYI. So the the the schedule here is pretty compressed.

So Michelle would depending on what happens at WPCA tonight. Tomorrow we would put out special meeting agenda basically for you and for the board of selectmen. For us it's on next Monday. You're putting the agenda out tomorrow.

Okay. we would put the agenda out. You would meet at 7 virtually. If you choose to come in person, that's fine, but we can just do it as a virtual component because you're just moving it along. And then and that's if we So, I would be, you know, I'll start your meeting, but if we don't vote on it to move it, then and we I like I said, all the ducks have to fall into a row. And so, we're just trying to make sure that we're ready for it if it happens. If everything thought lines up, this is what it would be. So, we know that there are people in town who have strong opinions on this. Oh, we do. Okay.

At what juncture would we expect them to show up here with their That would be next Monday with us. That's what I thought. Sure. So, that would not necessarily be a five minute meeting. No, that's why we're gonna It's not you. Two separate meetings, right? Your meeting that goes first. could be we'll start like at 5. Okay. And we'll have a cut off date. You have to publish notice in the papers of the referendum. Yeah, that's I think on there. Vicki has that all put into play. So, there was a time when we had a meeting like that and we had to reschedule it because everybody wouldn't fit in fit in here. Fit in here. Should we be concerned about that now as well?

Right. There wasn't room. Yeah. Yeah. Just Yeah. What do we anticipate is going to raise the same issue. That's why we're going to see what happens tonight and see what the numbers are and then we'll make a decision to move across the street if we have to and already planned that but you can still be virtual through teams if you want to if you want. I mean the last time we just we just met afterwards we just or I wasn't a part of it but you gathered on the stage. Can you move across the street on a school day? It's not for the referendum. Okay. It's for meeting. Oh, just for the Oh, just for the meeting.

Well, just kind of back to the question of the referendum. Our voting location is the middle schooling.

You have to understand that Miami Beach had a vote the other day and it said 61 people said kill the project. That was the winning vote. So, we're down to two beaches that have agreed. That's Old Colony and Old Lime Shores. Well, their their referendum didn't have any money on it involved in it. They had three things on their agenda. Sewers and storm water drains. Storm water drains only or kill the project. Most people voted to kill the project. If they go out, it's totally unaffordable. They have had some people from their uh association go to a lawyer to say if we took the two votes though for storm drains only and sewers and storm drains and we combined those it would be more than the 61 people who said kill the project. But I don't think that's going to stand up in court. So that lawyer was supposed to get back. I don't have the answer. That's not my purview. My point is more where would the referendum vote take place?

The referendum vote will be here but it will be a day 12 to 8. Can you change the voting location because we went through this before? We this is approved voting location because of early voting. Early voting. Okay. But that is an ordinance that we will have to look at this year to change because it is not in the ordinance but it is approved through 2025 because I know what we have to do to move it from the firehouse. Right. So much middle school was not I can't move it around. I have to tell you voting obviously changed a lot of things. Your two registars and your town clerk, we've had many meetings and we have they check boxes left and right.

So they're on it. Is the absentee ballot process in their budget? Because that seems like it's going to folks. We'll just keep an eye on their budget, but they were pretty far under as far as Yeah, but that we just had $3,000. It was $3,000 for the recount. Well, about 2600 plus food. And it'll be posted on Friday. Okay.

Yeah, but Jen ran it. She knows. She knows that it came in. She budgeted F. She she thought it would be closer to five, but it was closer to three. She came in absentee ballots would be printing the 30 cents each. So that's that's also Vicky process for well then they have to open all the stuff. So how many hours is that?

Okay. All I know is there was a lot of discussion today. I'm going to let them work it out. That's their job, not ours. They will figure it out. But I know Vicki said it's 30 cents a ballot if it goes through the tabulator. She was wondering why we couldn't just use a postcard, but you can't do that if you send it out as an absentee ballot. So, because then people could run them off and send him back. So, I'm going to let her work that out with Jen and Kathy tomorrow because that's their job to figure that out. But, they've got a plan and we've got a plan. So, we'll see. Like I said, it all has all the ducks have to fall into place. And if they don't, there won't be a vote. So, let's just see. There's a lot of things that can happen between today and Friday. Okay. Resident state trooper. I spent the day today in oral interviews over at TURF. Uh the interview team there, I didn't really get to ask questions. I just got to watch and observe. Um and um they will make re their recommendations to this upper levels of state police once approved and then that person um has the option of course of taking the position or not and then they offer it to the candidate

and and you we have no say in it. Um I get to weigh in but it wasn't they they have a pretty strict process because of union like they have to score the oral interviews. So, there's points and then they had other things that are on the thing like they they get points for perfect driving records, absenteeism, seniority, seniority. There's a lot of things that they play into that I didn't even get to see those score sheets. So, how many applicants did we have? Like six.

They had eight originally. Six were interviewed. Okay. Um, we did the settlement. Um, also election changes. All the changes for elections were made on on board today. So, if you have a committee or you want to look at your name to make sure your term is right, it's on on board as of today at noon. Um, I'm also waiting for notification that public works has ratified their contract. Um, so the board of select men can then proceed to ratify it as well. and we'll have that hopefully information we did have to use um legal for that rat for that contract dispute because their rep they brought in their rep and their rep was um I don't know but Anita and I decided that we didn't get paid enough to put up with his shenanigans so as soon as we put our lawyer in front of him he toned right down and we moved through uh they accepted almost all of our proposals. Um, and we're there was just two at the end that we sort of had to work through and we're happy with it and but it has to go to board selement and then of course let you know once it happens it would go back to July 1st of 2025 if that's when I also signed the beach cleaning contract which I'm not happy about because I really wanted to find an answer for that. That's $22,000 for beach cleaning for next year. And I really think we need to start to look at some other options. Um it's a lot of money. Clean beaches.

How much does it cost to buy a machine? Well, last year we had the option to buy a machine for about 95,000. It was the um demonstrated one, but it like I don't know 300 miles on it. It wasn't a lot.

Um Woods does their own cleaning. They have a gadget that they pull with a tractor and they do their own. Um but they also have rules. They don't allow food on their beach. Um I guess they use you can have water but or drinks but it has to be in a Yeti cooler. No pot. I don't think they allow plastic bottles and things on their beach either. They have rules, so they have less garbage, but that's how they handle it. Um, the other beach associations use the same person, uh, except for Hawk Nest who uses Garbins, and they were asked, but they don't want to do our beaches because we want it every day, especially the sound one. So, they don't want to do every day. So Hawk Nest only uses them partial partially during the week and that's why they do Hawk Nest for Nancy, but put your thinking caps on because maybe in retirement I'll be your beach cleaner. Michelle and I, we'll start a business, right, Michelle? Um, that's it. That's pretty much it for us. Um, if you have any questions, I'm happy to a answer. Oh, I do have some EOCC updates because I know you like to know, but Dave did present this to us last night. I will just show you. He shared this. Um, there's no money needed, but I know you all like to know keep up to date with EOC. He is hoping to have I think now he's opening is like the third week of December. Sorry, you can just give me one of that just in case. Thank you.

So, it looks like we've got 78 77 grand to go and we've got a balance remaining plus contingency balance of 113 plus 111. So, we've got 225 grand available to cover that 77. Is that reading that right? Do you think Martha? Um the contract with Newfield is got 77 left on it, but our contingent we have a owner's separate owners contingency with 33 and then the construction budget now the fir the first

oh it's 111. If you add the 77 David under construction budget we have 111 total left to finish to pay. It says balance remaining 113 and then in the third and then 111 has he mentioned this to you but they are not done there's a punch list so we don't have final right um as of 1031 and the carryover for the EOC did 167 36527

and he hasn't done bid bid and leaping out to the ARPA funding that you got for it. That will come out of ARPA money that was 50,000. I'm just wondering whether he's thinking it's going to come up short or under. I know which one I'm hoping for. I know, but I can't figure it out. What's the own I don't understand why he's got the owner's contingency balance. Is he spending that 33? Well, if you look, isn't that included? If you look at under construction budget, he has new field balance plus the owner's contingency balance comes up to 111, right? That's what he has balance remaining.

77 and the 33, but I don't He's got balance remaining 113. It's a tight margin. It's very tight.

But see that but that doesn't include the ARPA, right? No, that seems to be a separate bucket. That's a separate one. Stone funding is a separate separate. And then he's also got the grant. Has he spent the 151? No, remember see it projected end of December. That would be the remaining reimbursement. So that covers Eric Olson has been

whatvenue the other place. Okay. So that's already Okay. So you're waiting for 151,000 to come back. Okay. Okay. Yeah, I just don't know sources in use because it's all mixed up. You said Eric is tracking this too. Eric is the financial guy. Eric put this together, not Eric put this together.

Okay. I'll have a conversation with Eric tomorrow. You don't necessarily have to pay spend all your owner's contingency. No. No. That's only if you do if you don't. Right. Yeah. Based on this, we're supposed to get 151 grant reimbursement and 50 from ARPA, right? So that's 200 grand. But I think that that's separate and apart from and she said that this is already spent. That's already spent. The 151's already spent. Oh, and the ARP is just for it. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. You can think of that as like a separate project. Yeah. So, these three are one, right?

That's the question. That's where that's where the money is. So, we've got a $2,000 margin. So, yeah, that that we can see, but that assumes no change orders and lots of other things. Well, right now it's just the punch list. Um, there were most of the constru the construction is mostly done. I mean, except for the punch list items. One of the things was that there long paint was used on a wall that's not that's being eaten by Newfield, right?

Those types of things are just being taken care of. The slowing the slowdown is is that all these contractors have moved on to another project. So getting them to come back and finish some of our things is taking him longer than Dave would like. But if something clear they haven't been paid in full. Uh no, evidently not probably have and Newfield was extremely um was wonderful to work with them for the senior center. We had a different person in charge of the project, but they were just very easy and understanding. When do you think the operation center will be operational?

He's hoping to have a grand opening in December. December. Oh wow. So, no snowstorms until then. Any any questions? Further questions or more? Andy, once I talk to Eric, I'll send out a a reply of what they're anticipating there. And if he's over budget, if he's going over budget, then he's going to have to not order some of his furniture. He's just going to have to wait till next year till July. Well, isn't that FFN? Yeah, it is. But that that can't be used towards construction, can it? Yeah, it's Milstone.

No, I'm just Let's just put it. We're just going to make sure he's Yeah, he needs to give us a heads up if he's going to go over.

Well, set. I'm good. Yeah. Public comment from Elizabeth or Francisco. Hearing none. Motion to moved. Second. Good night everybody.