Capital Improvement Planning Committee Meeting March 23, 2026

Okay, uh welcome everybody to the Monday, March 23rd meeting of the Capital Planning uh Committee um here in room 315. And just a reminder that the meeting is in person and being recorded. So, uh if the committee doesn't mind, we have one additional candidate uh here um as we talked about last week, we had some candidates that we have a couple of open positions. Uh we'll take the agenda out of order to have

a little bit of a presentation, I guess.

Uh you want to come up introduce yourself and uh your interest in the committee and a little bit of a background. Okay. Hi, my name is Matthew Medeiros.

Um I've been living in Dartmouth for a couple years now.

Um [snorts] started So, a little bit of the background is I work for a local credit union out of Bridgewater.

Um I run the finance team on that side, so we do the consumer lending. So, I run the the the budget on that side. I run the the actual team that does it. Um we have a portfolio size of about 400 million that we're running and we're trying to get up to um 600 million in the next couple years.

So, it's something that I'm used to dealing with is budgets and constraints.

Um the reason why I wanted to join the community committee or actually just put my name in the ring is um since living here, loving it.

And I wanted to find a way that I could give back a little bit instead of just take take take.

Um so, that's that's the main reason why I wanted to at least um put my ring my hat in the ring and see if it's something that I could do.

Okay.

Do you have any questions?

I usually ask the question about working with teams, but you talked about that.

How does How does it work when people don't dis- don't agree on something?

So, I think disagreement is is right, it's going to be something that's common. It's something that we always deal with. I think it's coming to the the middle ground and finding a solution.

Especially on a committee like this, it's not going to be right, it's it's not going to be everyone's all in on the same idea. Right? So, it's coming with a solution and saying, "Okay, if it doesn't work for the next year or two in the budget, we can make it work and still appease something that I may have or or that they may have or you may have so

that we can work it out and say, "Okay, this is what we're willing to move on with propose. Now, let's let's do it as a team.

Um I think the disagreement has to happen in this room.

But I think the the when when it's being presented, it needs to be a unified front. It needs to be something that we all agree on.

Even though it may not be something we all agreed on 2 weeks ago, we're going to work it and say, "Okay, this is as a team or a committee, this is what we're willing to do."

If that makes sense. Thank you.

Welcome.

Any other questions?

Yeah, Go ahead. I was going to say, have you seen any of our meetings? Have you like uh really gone through to see kind of what we do and uh the limited budgets that we sometimes have in the massive requests that we that we get or I have not. Uh I know or very limited know of some of the plans that may be happening just from from like I guess got the gossip will, but um

what I will say is that I I would imagine that the budget is tight and the requests are are many.

Um that that it's not something that I would be scared to be a part of. I mean, it is what it is, right? We we you can't you can't rob Peter to pay Paul, right?

So, we have to kind of work with what we have.

Um so, unfortunately, there's going to be people who are upset for now, but I think again, as the committee comes together and learns or as since I'm I would be newer, right?

And you guys are more more tenured, um I would learn from you and then and then we would go from there and say, "Okay, this is the budget we have. We have to deal with what we have. There's some items that are more pressing now than they are right? 5 10 years from now. Like the the truck example.

If it's still, you know, running fine 50,000 miles regardless if it's 10 years old, um I think I think balancing that where it needs to be in the list of priorities is more important than appeasing appeasing uh people we may know just to make it hap- make them happy, you know what I mean?

Okay. Thank you. What other kinds of interest do you have uh personally of different things um besides uh accounting or financial? So, I'm a avid runner. I'm running Boston Marathon this year for the second time.

Um I have two kids at home just to get a little personal. One is 2 years old, one is 6 months as of yesterday.

Um so, those are the joys of my life and my and my wife. Um and then I actually serve at a local church here in Dartmouth, Congress for Christ. Um I'm the music director there.

So, those are some of my hobbies. I I dabble in a bunch.

But the running is the one that I I always go back to. Um it's just something that especially with the with the what I'm doing at work and the responsibilities I have, it just helps me like clear my mind and move on to the next thing. Cuz there's always a lot of right, as you guys may be aware, there's always a lot of balls we have to juggle, right? Um and the running helps me

juggle more some sometimes sometimes it allows me to be more flexible.

You do have to clear your mind. Yeah.

Sure.

Any other questions?

Okay.

No?

Okay. Do you have anything else you wanted to add? No, that's it. Okay. Uh thank you guys for the consideration and I appreciate your time. Thank you very much. Do I have to stay or you can you don't have to stay. You want to? Okay, if you want, but we're going to Oh, yeah, I do have a question. Um I have a couple questions if you don't mind.

Sure. Um what's the cadence of the meetings usually?

Say it again. The the cadence. So, when you guys usually um so, uh I'll send out the budget message in November, December time frame, which includes the capital requests. Uh we'll then stop meeting February January February uh and that lasts up until potentially today could be our last meeting for the fiscal year. So, that happens every single Okay. And is it And then again and then again and then

again in the fall. Yeah. It's two seasons of meetings.

two town meetings. We have a winter and fall and spring town meetings. So, it's not every week. Yeah. And we You You have a problem with the time? Mainly in the morning. It's mainly in the morning, okay. Well, I can As long as I know ahead of time, I can make plans around it. That's where I was getting at. I just need to make sure like if it is something that I'm going to uh be

considered in attending, I want to make sure I give it the time it needs.

Um so, if it is 10:30 on a Monday morning every month, every Usually it's a little bit earlier, like say 8:00 or 9:00 sometimes. Oh, okay. It's just Terry said she couldn't get up that early this morning.

Okay. Yeah, so that that was more of my concern cuz I don't want to like, you know, waste your time if it's not something that would work for me, but that So, it's more it sounds like it's it's heavier in the fall season when when budgets are being prepared. Uh yeah, well, and the reason why is because there's more well, it's the same amount of requests, but we get free cash

certified in the fall, which is what funds a lot of these capital projects.

Okay. So, there's probably a little bit more double deliberation, I think, but we hear from all the departments that put requests in Okay. uh throughout the um this this process. So, fall and then and then winter for the spring town meeting. Okay. Awesome. I think that's all I have then. All right. Thank you very much for coming in. Thanks, man.

Okay. So, um we'll go back up to the top here.

Uh the FY27 uh capital plan review recommendations. So, what I did was I pulled it out of the big schedule that we had last week um when we went over those and um the only thing I know that we we got a message through the email about a recommendation for the gate for Parks and Rec. That is not included on here.

We we couldn't include it if if the committee feels that we should, but I'll go back to um uh the um balances so that we can get a just look again at that.

I don't think we really uh talked about Parks and Rec because they presented that day. So, we didn't Okay. Right.

I'll go back to that.

We mentioned it afterwards that we sort of skipped over that. So, I you know, Yep.

So, again, this is what we had for balance.

Um [clears throat] And then also uh let's go back to uh Parks and Rec.

They had three requests. Yep.

[snorts] Gates, box van, and the Evergreen Cemetery.

So, [snorts] I was just impressed a resident used the process to ask the question.

Yeah. It's good.

Okay. So, Parks and Rec. Yeah, we we should mention it was a uh precinct one uh constituent that had a request to us about uh considering a considering the gate for the DPRT or DRPT. Yeah.

Um And with some of the some of the uh problems they've had up there before being down that long laneway, I know the police would probably be very happy that we Correct. do that also.

So um again, here's the price Parks uh priority one was the gate as we just mentioned at 94,810.

And then the box van replacement 108,000 700 and then Evergreen Cemetery expansion Becky had showed us the plans at 250,000.

I think we we also had her break down the request for the gates because there was a second one for Round Hill at 20,900.

Jones Park at 22,200 Apponagansett at 24,950 and then the Dartmouth Parks and Rec was 26,000. Mhm. Um I think we will reason we were talking about it or the reason I was looking at it is because I and it's too bad I don't I can't ask that question here but for example like Apponagansett and even Jones Park, those are pretty visible beaches, especially Apponagansett. It's on a main strip. It's not hidden like

the Dartmouth Rex. Mhm. Is there really a need to keep people out of that location?

The idea behind it was those are more like overnight hours. Mhm.

Where we've had some issues. I think in some we they came back they came and met with us a while back and the the police when Tim was here that the the police had been called on a couple occasions after hours. Yeah, I I think so. For Apponagansett or for the north one?

Apponagansett as well.

Apponagansett. Almost Apponagansett no matter what they could park at the town landing if they're going to hang out there. So you really one gate's not going to make It's not going to have a restriction there.

restriction. That that was one of the questions I had even with Jones Park because I mean that one I could be talked into because it's at the end of a dead end street and you know, there is something but the second one at Round Hill we were told it was really because there's a gated community down at the bottom and it's to restrict those people. I mean is that really an issue that that we're

having? I mean Yeah. I and the only reason I'm saying is because it because this is a pretty tight fiscal budget that we're dealing with this year.

Could we take that money and use it someplace else that maybe makes a little bit more sense than to put a second gate at Round Hill. They already have one.

They said it works really really well.

Mhm. Um So so based on that I'm I think it was Bruce who asked for the breakdown. I'm glad he did cuz I think it it I think we are going to approve some of that. I don't think we're going to you know personally I don't know if I feel comfortable approving all of of that request.

Okay.

need a fence as well as a gate?

She didn't mention anything about a fence. I don't know. And that's and unfortunately we didn't have the time to really like ask these follow up questions because it was a quick in and out and we had a lot on the agenda that day so The Apponagansett always just had you know the we had pressure treated and we also did granite and then on the roadside they did the highway things

that rust up and brown up so they don't look as bad. We had that discussion. We did chains actually. Yeah. So we've done a lot of that stuff over the years and that's all they requested.

That seems like a difficult I to put an electronic gate I don't I don't see the need myself. Okay. Um yeah, I kind of agree with Chris. I think maybe um if we pull some of that out of there it maybe addresses the needs that are like the most important right now for that for the gate situation. I recommend we appropriate just the money for the uh the park. Which one was that one?

Which was I think a little over 26 I think 26,000.

at Apponagansett, do you know?

Cameras?

Camera, yeah. Oh yeah, we have cameras.

Yeah.

So that's helpful. Yeah.

And believe me I I travel that area a lot and there's always a police officer sitting in one of those parking lots.

You know, facing out watching waiting for the traffic to come down the hill or whatever. Yeah. I always know to Mhm.

be within reason when I'm traveling Keep it under 30.

I mean that's probably a good thing to have to have the ability to do that.

do we want to make we want to um If we do that I think I think the request was just it was just under 26 cuz I wrote 26,000.

Um I suggest like if my math is not correct we probably increase that to like 27 or 28,000 this way if I Nice even number.

Yeah, if I transcribe it correctly, yeah. It'll give them enough to to get that done. The other thing is I don't know if this quote was done on economies of scale like to bring the price down because they ordered four versus just ordering like one or two.

So I think if we Maybe make it 30,000.

it Maybe just make it 30,000 and then the turnback comes back and so it's not going to doesn't get spent and we get it back so it doesn't really matter.

And I think we we 30,000 for the Dartmouth Parks and Rec or Dartmouth Recreation Park Trail or whatever. Yeah.

I'm getting closer. I called it DNR T last time.

Well, it is what What what do they call that park? It's yeah, Dartmouth Parks and Recreation I think.

DR Dartmouth Regional Parks and Trails DRPT. Yeah.

So automatic gate for uh DRPT. DRPT.

Okay.

All right.

Let me just do this quick.

And Gary, I think that the other question that I had I feel like [snorts] I'm dominating that. The only other question I had was do you feel comfortable with the sewer enterprise fund going down to being drawn down to $50,000? Um so that I was thinking about that [clears throat] after we had talked and um I guess uh let's see what we're going to let's see what we're looking at for us.

So so it's 400,000 for the Mac rear loader packer and we have 450 in the in the account.

Yeah. I I think you're okay because we did just raise the the fee. Right because because I I know we were going from 450 a year to 550 a year.

Well, we went Estimated estimated, right? For next year's Yeah and then the the annual fee just went up by 20. 100 to 110. Yeah, so we just went up by $20 so we're anticipating additional revenue even with the cost. So I think you'll see this account replenish this fiscal year and and slowly build back up.

Because there's requests for that account the five year look or the 10 year look forward it calls for another large piece of heavy equipment next year at the tune of $550,000.

When you look at that budget who is there a big users and somebody that rises to the top of the list or are they kind of spread out?

You know what I'm asking?

Like the amount of solid waste, is that what you're saying? What whatever, yeah.

Whoever is using it, whoever is paying.

Is there Does something stand out? I guess that's my question. Um no, not necessarily. We don't have great data behind that though because we can't pinpoint the bag purchases, who's making them. Okay. So everyone pays the annual fee, right? And then they then they purchase bags.

We don't know who's Right. We don't have the data who's buying what [clears throat] bags. Same thing with water?

Uh no, water we we have all that data.

We're able to pinpoint all of that data.

Terry, you talking about solid waste or sewer?

Sewer. Oh, sewer solid waste. I'm sorry.

Sewer yeah yeah, we we have all that data. I'm just wondering if there's need for a difference in price. We have a tiered system. Okay.

We do have a tiered system. Yeah, so basically as you use more the cost changes. We You don't meter you don't meter sewerage. You meter water.

We meter water and then And then at UMass I think at UMass you meter sewerage because because it's so much higher, yeah.

We we can see who's high utilization for that.

Um So automatic gate for deep DRPT? Mhm.

Yep. Yep.

DRPT. Dartmouth Regional Parks and Trails. That's DRPT.

I mean we I go there with like I used to go with the kids all the time so I should probably know the name of it.

Okay, so that increased that by uh 30,000. Yeah, so 2.1 million but out of the 2.1 million I think it was let's see. I'll tell you how much is um I think it was 1.29 is what I

1. Yeah, 1.2975.

So uh we'll look at this. So 3.1 so leaves us with 1.

Yeah.

I can do the math here. 1.2975 So 1. like 1.8 yeah, 0.9 million something like that.

Um There was something that oh that we were going to talk about I think with regards to the schools which is the HV race HVAC repairs and replacements.

Do we we're talking about putting some kind of money in there to keep those repairs going on especially at the high school where they've had like massive temperature swings and stuff.

wondering if we should do the smaller departments before the schools cuz the schools is like a Mhm. you know, huge.

And then you We're not doing the smaller departments in the context of the schools. We're kind of doing them Well, we kind of Yeah, I think we did that last We kind of did Maybe if you look at the if you look Dartmouth Police, we kind of went through that. Uh public when we small small but so the library study Okay. Uh so kind of went through these DCTV.

But are those all approved? Those are the ones that we had So I pulled them out of the big proposed, they're not Proposed, right. Proposed. So I pulled them out of the big schedule just so we had something easy to look at.

Yeah, I think so. Like the the parks and excuse me parks department, I think they had two other requests which was priority two, the box fan and the cemetery upgrade.

And I think she said with the cemetery they had like 75 lots available and they use about 40 a year, so we could probably delay it and unless there's a lot of people that decide to That'll push us out. And and we're going to be approving stuff again in in September of this year.

Yeah, so whatever Right, so if if the if the group feels comfortable with presented here, remember at the fall town meeting we approved 4 million in plus in in capital, so if the group feels comfortable with this list this just rolls over to the spring. I mean in the fall.

I think I think the only question that that we had was do we keep do we keep the do we keep some projects going on for So again with the police we we approved four vehicles in the um in the fall.

So we didn't approve them this this year, but we did approve four in the fall, so they'll be and we approved one at admin vehicle versus the two, so they can get the study done. So you think those I'm assuming those vehicles that were approved in the fall are probably now going to get online probably now in the spring sometime.

So if we approve again in the fall once we recertify So I know he was I think he requested them again because they fell behind a couple years ago.

Yeah. Yeah, we had only Yeah, we don't we have a limited budget and I think you know they're getting some of their vehicles replaced, but um and then I think I think with everything else we've done a pretty good job. Only other like again recommendation where if the if there is any money available to keep projects going like the school is one of the few departments that has the ability to keep

working keep working if we if we give them an article like on HVAC or that was really the only one I think that Mr.

Kelly had said that they could um We're going to give them the same amount for the flooring, right? Yeah, the flooring yeah, so the flooring, the school bus and the technology they were all priority one that And he had a one um Did we do the intercom?

No, that that was That was a priority one. The telephone, but he said he could wait on that. That was $120,000. He could wait till the fall. Uh yeah, musical S3 priority three. So the flooring yeah, we did 200,000.

Uh HVAC he had requested six. Right, but know how much to the I mean but we it would help.

it he said it was partially scalable. I asked them at the the meeting and he said that was something where even if we partially funded it they could continue to work on projects. Yeah.

It'd be an open article that they continue to work on projects.

the um you know and this is just from the before and after pictures that I that we saw with the bathroom renovations, I think that it like proof is in the pudding, you know.

That was money that was not to say that none of it isn't not well spent, but I think visually you see exactly what's going on with that. I think maybe a little bit more for bathroom renovations cuz they you know as they these schools get older obviously these bathrooms become a lot more dangerous for the children.

I think the only reason only reason why I didn't consider it is because he put it as a priority two.

And the and the HVAC was a priority one and that's one that's that's the only reason why I uh was reluctant to put cuz for other departments we really didn't fund much of their of their priority two stuff.

I think I think the police are the only ones that got a priority two, but they didn't get their department heads, which which ones would be best bang for your buck for the audience as well as you know the the money because you can't see the H vac.

Yeah, and I don't know like not that I'm not that I said that it's a bad idea, but I don't know what like let's say it's let's say we do 400,000 towards that or whatever the number I was even thinking like a quarter of it, you know, or a third of it would probably get them going if we did like 200,000 that would that should be enough to keep them going until

But what would that what could that do?

Like are they replacing like compressors? Are they Well, because well, it's in all it's more of the controllers really.

And so most of the equipment is already there. It's just a matter of uh coordinating the controllers for you know, especially at the new high school.

Yeah, and I think that's what he was saying. I think a a majority of it was at the high school balancing the system cuz when we did the tour there's one room that was 98° and we were in there for 2 minutes and it was it was unsustainable and students are in there for you know, 45 minute classes, so So is this for purchase of one thing? I took it to mean

No, it's it's just general because it each each area has a different issue, you know. And that's the whole thing is getting to these issues. So so you're asking could we do one area rather than Or or the prioritize of that but get going on some of it. That's a good point. So so if you had [clears throat] 200,000 and they had like four projects at the high school and each one was

50,000 they could now do those four projects.

You know, or one project at 100 and then maybe something else at the you know, Quinn school Right.

that was they would be able to prioritize those HVAC. Yeah. The one I thought I thought the middle school actually had the worst in this wing.

That one wing um Oh yeah, middle school was was tough. And I know you don't want to really invest in too much money, but either either way we haven't approved the new schools, so we can't just deny not doing something just because we think we cuz it's too many years down the road and you just can't be living in that situation. So somebody's got to spend some money to look at

what they can do about it. Yeah.

Okay, so if we if we did 200,000 what what um still leaves That would yeah, that would that would get definitely get them moving on some things, you know.

And I think what that does is I think it still leaves the town with enough money to carry forward if there are any emergencies that there is money there to And then next year if if there isn't and we we can just use it to fund you know other priority ones.

Right, and we usually certify not I mean obviously things change, but usually about $5 million 5 and 1/2 million dollars are being certified free cash, so that would just add to the balance or complement the balance if in fact we don't receive those kind of funds you know, going forward, but um yeah that's that's good. Terry, what do you think?

Is that I agree. Okay, yeah. Yeah, I agree. I think that makes sense. Yeah, definitely.

Okay.

So those are the projects that we would put through the the article.

All right, does somebody Does somebody want to make a motion?

That we move this forward to uh town meeting or make the I'll make the recommendation for these projects to that leave us with for money? It leaves us with 1.6 million. And you you needed that Yeah, one in case So we got six if we really needed to.

And then all the enterprise funds are still left with money on them. Yes.

Yeah.

Yeah, and because So in total out of everything that was certified for the for the um uh for fiscal 27 is close to let's see.

Capital 3.6 add another 2. um Well, that's right. Cuz some of it is from enterprise, so this was like Right, yeah.

1.2 plus about almost a million and a half. Million and a half, right.

75 So 5. Yeah, five about 5.1 million is what we'll end up spending in capital this this fiscal year 26. Just on the general fund side. Just from the general fund. Not not right, not including any of the enterprise funds.

This is what I have coming out of the Yeah, plus the capital plus the 3.66 Yeah. That was approved at the fall fall town meeting.

So Right at five, pretty close. Mhm.

A little over 5 million, so that's that's a good amount. Oh yeah.

Um okay, so somebody does want Does somebody want to make a motion to um What's the bottom line?

Uh 2.3 [clears throat] million in the entire capital. I'll make a motion to approve the 2.3 million um projects that we've already discussed. So 2 million 337 560 for the projects that Yep. um we've vetted through the departments Yep. uh for the spring town meeting.

That include general and Yeah, and enterprise funds.

Second.

Okay, any further discussion?

Any further discussion?

Do you want to say I I was just going to say what was the bathrooms for the the value of the bathrooms?

200,000. 200 Yeah, so that was a priority two.

Priority two, but if it's something that he can get done in the summer time And he said and he said I wrote down he could maybe do with half.

Cuz I said if we had to break it up I said if if we had I'm I'm just I'm just curious if we just you know, tackle a little bit of that right now but you can get that done during the summer time.

You know the presentation would be there and then you're going to you know, people are going to say well, you you still had another 600,000 dollars and we did still leave or you know, 1.6. I mean, so we are putting some aside for the fall.

But when is it going to be, you know, would that be something that that project can get done, clear it off, and I did make a note that he said that he could maybe he could probably get half of that and still accomplish um some of the bathrooms that that he had.

So that would That's in the notes that that's in the notes. I think I think I just throw in another little project, especially if you just even if you're doing half of that. Like you said, if it's 100 or 125, at least he can get something done and it wouldn't be um a big project at the school during the summertime to do something and keep it down low.

Yeah, he said there's some things he can't do during the school year anyway.

I just want to just you know, grab a little bit of the small hanging fruit that we could grab.

Yeah.

And still be conservative.

When it benefits the students, right? So like they have bathrooms that are usable and Yeah. that get used on on a on you know, It's a safety hazard, too. nine out of the out of the 12 Right. It's it's it's it's kind of a dangerous uh um Yeah, and I think the the point I was trying to make was that you know, people are seeing these projects being done

um that it just doesn't go into a you know, a vacuum somewhere.

Um I think you know, I think Jim did a pretty good job with showing that.

Yeah, with the pictures and everything.

Jim talking about what what they've accomplished already. Yeah. That's very helpful for people.

Okay, so that changed it by I'm you know, I'm only putting in what I think 100,000. Yeah. So that changes it by uh 100,000 on the bottom, so do you just want to make read um do the motion, Terry, to include the 100,000.

For [clears throat] what? How much?

You're You're going to make a motion for 2,000,000 437,516.

Yeah. Okay.

I'll make a motion for the 2,000,000 five 437 437,500 560 560 So, for the projects here for uh the spring town meeting um which includes general fund and and the enterprise one. So, Mary Terry um made the motion.

Chris seconded it. I'll second All in favor? I. I. Okay, thank you.

So that's that. Gary, uh I know you were going to look up what the um Yeah, 6,000 um for the motors. 6,000 uh 6,750 for engine uh pump out for the pump out boat. That's all that's up there and it was done on the June uh spring town meeting February 2022.

That has to have been spent. 6750. So 4 years.

Was some of it spent?

No, none of it was spent.

Cuz I don't know how he could buy he can't buy a motor for 6,750 Maybe it was repairs, but it just said engine The article was written written engine pump out boat.

So I don't know if it means repairs to the engine or a brand new engine, but I don't know. You can't buy a new engine for that. Yeah, probably repairs.

You know, especially that size motor, that's the 20,000 I'll follow up with him.

That's the harbormaster.

See where we are with that. And that that request is under 10,000, why would it even come in front of us?

I I don't know. Must have been requested to put it on yeah, I'm curious about that.

Unless it's because it's an enterprise fund and I don't I don't know how that works. Yeah, it must have been that he was requested to put it on.

Um I'm not sure, but I'll find out the details and I can get back to everybody on it.

Uh so the next thing on the agenda is the uh obviously we've we've heard from uh a few candidates that applied for the two open positions.

Um you know, we had uh a few last week and then the gentleman this morning here, Michael.

I I I don't know if someone wants to make comments on the I do. Let's start.

Um I think too bad you don't have five openings, but we only have two, so Yeah.

When I think about the four that interviewed last time and then Matt today, Matt Mike or Michael Matt, right?

Matt. Um Matt. I I would be comfortable with either of the first two candidates and Matt.

You know, one and Matt. I think I think it's good to have people first of all who are new to the town, who have you know, different perspective. I think that's very helpful. The the other people the other people that interviewed at the end of the day are very good people. It would be great to have their input, but I think it's my opinion I'd like to have an outside perspective.

Yeah, so I [clears throat] can just maybe weigh in a little bit too on how I envisioned the candidates that came through. I think that our first candidate that we met with Mark brought a perspective of business a business sense took over you know, pretty much in a in in his development where he lives and was sort of me saw a need and addressed it. I think he would have a good perspective

as far as like the business sense. Um Maria also with a financial sense or accounting I think would would also help uh the group. Um so those would be those would be my two choices, Mark Mark and Maria.

Yeah, we could Not to say that the other candidates weren't, but I think that um you know, we have like mentioned before we have construction, IT, finance, Yeah.

uh business maybe a business sense now if Mark came on and then Maria with you know, adding to the to the Matt, is that the first person? Yeah, what's his name? Yeah. And this is Matt, the last person. Okay. Yeah.

Yeah, I don't I do know I mean since we've talked about the two committees really joining in, you know, us getting back into doing a lot more evaluating for the long term and [clears throat] the financials of the what we've got coming up.

I think you know, I I pretty much agree with that because Yeah.

you have to have that.

Help Gary out, look at different perspectives. I remember Yeah. listen to Debbie sometimes and she'd throw out some stuff like, well, haven't you thought of that? Why didn't you You know, and I thought it was great when she was really you know, because that was very helpful because they looked at it a different perspective, though. That service guy questions all that good stuff, you know. Right, you know so

knowing that that role is going to get increased and needs to be increased, you know, I can see that happening, so but I'm I'm going to leave it to you guys. Yeah, I think we have a lot of longevity uh on this committee. Bruce has been here a long time. Terry I've been here for 40 47 years I've been here. I don't know how long you've been in a while.

Yeah, a while.

So um so we have longevity and it's interesting to see uh what some of the what the perspective is for some of the of these newer uh candidates.

So yeah, I think it's important to have a good mix and I think that allows it uh to happen.

So Yeah, I think we had a lot of good candidates from vari- various backgrounds that brought in you know, some folks have been with the town for a long time are the ones really focused on sustainability. Um and I think they're all good. I think it's it's we're just we just have I think what what you said is it right but picking two I think that best fit the need right now. But as

Terry said, I think if we had room for five, then all five would certainly add um good value. Yeah, to to this committee, so um So who did you land on?

I agree with Terry. I I I I would have recommended with I would agree with what um you had said, which is the first two folks that we interviewed. They seem Maria I feel the same way, too. So I'm going to say one more thing about this guy. One of the reasons one of the other reasons that that I would support him is he's young, he's enthusiastic about the town. He wants to

give back. We have boards that have mostly retired people.

And we need people who are young younger to get invested in this um so Matt's a certainly a a valid point, you know, it's uh I think you know, one of the things that I always say is uh on the outside I see I hear a lot of complaints and I was told years ago many many years ago with sports and stuff, if you're going to complain, why don't you just do

it and volunteer. That's and so Yeah. My grandmother told me that when I would complain to her when she was on the school committee. Yeah. And so I I did it and uh you know, Bruce didn't know me, but he request he we we sat on a committee together years ago on the police building committee and he asked he's like, hey, I think you'd be great for this and you know, back then there wasn't really a

It was five people applying for No.

I was it and then I think a phone call and said, Gary not Gary, Greg said you're in. Yeah.

Okay. So Yeah, so certainly this is this is good that and I agree with what Terry is saying. It is it's that is a perspective that I think is missing from this town because a lot of people complain and when I say, hey, there are open committees, there's always a reluctance of I don't have time.

I I coach youth sports.

I umpire. I busy. I We all do it. No, but what I'm saying is is we all do these things from a from a from a youth perspective. We do all these things and we just have to find the time to to volunteer and and try to make the the a better place and you know, [snorts] I and I applaud the the five people that came in and and and did it cuz it's it's

a huge huge thing to do civic engagement and go in there and and do that. And so, for the folks that don't get moved forward, town meeting is something where, you know, I'm a town meeting member as well and you could just write your name in and chances are you're going to get up. Yeah.

Well, I think Terry said it many to many meetings today. You know, there's a lot of openings. Uh town meeting being one of them, you know, uh to join board and committee yeah, if you feel that, you know, the need to do that. Uh but I agree. I think maybe if if we had made a recommendation for Mark and Maria and had um Matthew as maybe an alternate in case maybe they don't they don't, you know,

change their mind their mind or things like that, you know.

that's That's probably a good idea. Like if you if if you put that in that order, that might be a good idea cuz it might be that the first two might not be able to make the the time commitment or or they they expressed that they did and we'll assume that they they can, but um having uh having that put that way, Gary, so this way cuz it's the select board that ultimately makes the

final approval, I think.

Yeah, yeah. We can make that recommendation, so. Um so, I would need Terry said yeah. Terry has changed my mind a little bit. You know, it's funny cuz I was never a, you know, I look at the residency and, you know, they just moved into town. Yeah. Just moved into town.

Just moved into town. And I'm always afraid they come in and they think they're going to reinvent the wheel right off the bat. But then on the other hand, you know, we've been doing this a long time and maybe it is somebody else that I need come in and say, "Hey Bruce, have you ever thought of doing it this way? Maybe we can do it that way." And maybe I have to step back and say,

you know, I've been doing it not wrong, but let's look at it a different perspective.

Yeah. So, I get I guess I I would be definitely open for that because I think we do have enough years of experience here of the town itself. So, to have a little new fresh just a slap us in the face every once in a while. I think that'd be good. Yeah.

I agree with Yeah.

So, um would the would the motion be for Maria, Mark and um Matthew as the alternate?

Okay. Or to just recommend those three and if the if the select board wants to read their letters of intent and like Well, I think I think they're going to they would they're going to Well, they're going to want our recommendation in order Yeah. cuz they're not probably have to have all the interviews over again.

Um so, I would accept that as a motion if that's Yeah.

And I think that's a fair way to do it cuz we're the ones that have to work together. Yeah.

So, somebody want to second that? I'll second that. All right. All in favor? I think I. Okay. Thank you.

So, um the last is the minutes for March 5th.

I circulated those to the committee.

motion that we approve and let her know that that those were excellent minutes.

It was very helpful to have the summary or content. It wasn't like transcription. It was just uh So, when you go when I go back and read it, I'll remember the conversation.

Yeah.

Yeah, no, it's it's great having them done like that now.

Second. Second.

Any discussion? All in favor? I I. Okay.

So um that is it. I just like to thank the committee for all their work across the board.

this done on March um We started early.

We started early. I mean, I I in the On the 11th hour. the work this committee does and all the departments that put their effort into getting all this information to us and then um letting us be able to do this. I would like to recommend or something that we actually try to get up a joint meeting with um long term. Yep.

The next time long term meets or something so that we can try to get everybody together so we can start getting an idea of what we've been dealing with and how we've been dealing with it so you can uh get involved, you know, that way. Mhm.

So, we can keep the ball rolling. Yeah, Cody and I have had some uh some discussion we're going to have to morph these into a group uh down down the road. I mean, sooner than later if we're talking about these big projects Right.

coming up. And even if we just [clears throat] do joint meetings for a little while until you can figure out, okay, we're ready to just get back to our normal set, you know, because especially since it does it is in the charter. That's that's what it we're supposed to be doing is also. On the March 9th meeting of the select board, we did present the the long term debt and they'll be Cody

will be presenting it to the finance committee on Thursday. So, I would suggest if you haven't watched it, maybe watch it.

It just talks about all the projects, but to Bruce's point, a lot of those projects that we've that are the long term projects, this committee has tried to get a move along for the last few years, you know, to you know, treatment of plant upgrades and things that we had done with ARPA funding. But yeah, I think eventually both of those groups are going to have come together.

So, we're working on that now and see how to see how that's going to look.

What do the rates look like now?

careful to not lose the reason that that group was formed and I think we need to Right. I I don't want to lose that. I just want to, you know, cuz the more we talk of like which projects we feel that can get done on, you know, did they know that, you know, we're trying to do the roof and the stadium and all that stuff into a borrowing thing and so it really

comes off of us, but really we've been talking about it how to get it done. I think the strategy we move forward with this we we'd have to have a common We're going to have a common We'll have to have a conversation.

Oh, absolutely. Absolutely.

It's great having the input out of the the the board that we have, you know. I'm still learning about the borrowing part, so I'll watch that process as it goes along to see. So, right now we're getting about uh 3 to 3 and 1/2% on rate triple A bond. Okay.

Where if, you know, you're double A, you're probably around 4 and 1/2 maybe a little bit more.

Massive difference. But but there's a Oh yeah especially school project or $65 million sewer treatment plant, the difference in that 1% is millions. Yeah. So, plus the plus everything else that goes along with it.

So, [clears throat] I think that's really what we need to hang our hat on is to that, you know, if we're going to move forward with these projects, this is the time to do it because we have great great credit rating. a little bit What's your what's your thought of what will happen to the interest rates if we end up going to it like a 40-year high school borrowing? Well, you you know, they will they will

will stay the same, but you just you you it's a longer note. So, it's like a mortgage. You got you're paying more on that note, you know. Okay. That's enough because I know So, I get comparison yield reports from other communities and what we're tracking what I'm tracking now is like the school districts that are building obviously school schools, brand new schools, or repairs and

they're hovering around like a double A stable, a double A plus, a double A minus would be closer around four. Some some of them are higher. Some are like in the fives.

Yeah.

So, the smaller the note, the higher the interest rate. The larger the note, typically the lower the interest rate cuz you're dealing with volume.

All right. So, the talk of the school and stuff like that, I actually there was an article that talked about the top 10 most expensive schools that are either in construction or just finished or just got approved in Massachusetts.

And the cost of schools are not going down. I mean, some of these communities are closer to Bo- Boston, but I think the most expensive one was like $697 million.

Oh, yeah. I mean, Plymouth when Plymouth was built back in the day I think it was like 300 million and that's already a while ago.

those that was that was that was on there and I think it was like it ballooned to like I think it it went to north of like $340 million.

Yes. Yeah. And you look at even out of state, look at look at um uh East Providence.

I mean, I think that's like close to half a billion dollars after said and done. It was interesting is is the the had the list of the top 10, you would think that most up north, but and I would think that the vocational schools would be the most expensive. You would think that would be the but according to the top 10 because they need wet labs, they need a lot of different things that

You know?

Yeah, a lot of it's labor. I mean, look at Bristol Plymouth is being built right now. I forgot what the price tag on that thing is.

That was that was on the list. And again, What about Fall River? What was that? Diman Votech. Diman Votech. Uh 200 something million, I think. Yeah, and they went like the interior walls they put drywall, which I heard was a big was a big problem.

Yep. Huge problem. Yeah.

You know. So, they even tried to cut corners and still it's, you know, Well, I think it's because they went way over like they went over budget. They had to they had to value engineer, you know, things out.

of tariffs? Is that why it's a big problem? No, this I mean, Diman was built before the whole um it's just just COVID. I just think it was the whole the lack of Yeah, there was holes in the walls and everything else. Should have cinder blocks in your walls, you know. with HVs. It was a lot of different issues over there. They had I think they might have taken a bond out on one of the um

uh on one of the construction But keep in mind, communities like Fall River, uh New Bedford, Springfield, Lowell, you know, they're like 90/10.

They used to be 90/10, so it's pennies on the dollar they're building building multi-million dollar school. Now, Gary, are you have you been involved at all with the some of the voc I understand voc is coming going to be presenting a lot of upgrades. Well, they presented to the finance committee on Thursday. They talked about some of the projects they have going on, which is already built into their into their

assessment, but they're also talking about some of the projects they have going forward. Right. What kind of what kind of money? Right. Um you know, they're still getting estimates on a lot of those things and which is going to Yeah. Which I think it's important the reason why I invited voc to come in was we had first we hadn't heard from in a while. Um you know, they talked [clears throat] about a lot of their

programs, uh talked about uh the assessment uh decreasing a little bit cuz of the lottery system.

And then uh just talked about the projects going forward, but I think and they're willing to come back too to talk about those. Well that's good because that's going to hit our capital too on a long term capital.

Well it's going to increase our assessment.

You know. If some of these guys sounded pretty good though. Yeah it's going to increase our assessment. That that article if you ever want to check it out it's on the Boston Herald and it lists Diamond as a top 10 at 293 and lists lists and that was 2021 is what it was approved at and Braintree and Plymouth was at 305 and that was approved in October of 2021.

Well it's such an old built the the buildings that were there. They hadn't been in through through They I mean these are schools these are that have been approved like 2018 Belmont High 295 million dollars like obviously Lexington High is the most expensive at 659 million dollars.

Well everything is north of 300 million. Yeah I mean that's you're not going to get a school for 100 million dollars anymore because it's a just a footprint the material the labor it's Yeah for even for a smaller like And then if they're trying to move a lot of these locations to other parts of town and that costs money too.

So definitely things that we're going to be discussing going forward so um So Next meeting date?

We'll have a joint meeting with our long term and this Yeah well I think Cody and Cody had talked about organizing that.

And that's it. That's all we have.

Great so motion to adjourn? To adjourn.

Okay. Oh she beat me I'll second.

Second by Chris all in favor?

I okay thank you everybody.