Capital Improvement Planning Committee Meeting September 23, 2026

Okay, welcome everyone to the um September 23rd, 2026 capital planning committee agenda. Uh as uh excuse me um as we know the uh committee has looked over pretty much all the requests that have been submitted from the departments. We've had um pretty good discussions I think with with them and some good questions that were asked from the uh from the committee. So, I sent over over to you the and forwarded the

um capital uh master plan to everyone and I asked that you look it over for the week uh and we can go through those.

Now, I know Chris usually goes through it preliminarily and looks to see what and I sent you the free cash balances.

So, I'll go over those first.

So, let's see.

So, as the uh committee knows, in the past, we've um last couple years we've certified uh I think historic levels of free cash and and really because we were kind of uh in the opera phase. We had a lot opera money. We had rescended a lot of articles. So, that kind of drew up our free cash numbers for the general fund. Uh you'll note here that um we made a change a little bit. It was like

hundred some thousand dollars. We reertified the last last week's certification cuz Donna had noticed that the do um made an error on their calculation. So, uh we we now are up to five 5,57,26.

And this in this takes away the art warn articles that were going to be used for stabilization fund 250, long-term capital stabilization fund 300, and the collective bargaining stabilization fund 150. So, we have to subtract that from the total balances. Uh you'll notice that water is doing very well. Um due to the rate increase that we had uh that was significantly low. Uh we weren't

able to do anything. Um obviously we know that when we listen to Tim the cost of all the uh equipment that needs to be purchased and so on and so forth. Sewer 1.2 1.2 million 1.3 million solid waste 322 915 waterways 53,000 and then DCTV 590,000.

So um as we go through and I don't know if Chris Carissa you want to start maybe what what you've looked at or committee members. So um I mean just looking at if let's start with the easy stuff. I like to just get the low hanging fruit. So if we look at uh solid waste they're at 322 915.

That's a pretty low balance. I know the requests aren't very much. I think uh it was a container and uh what was the other thing? Oh, the the house that they want to build over there or the shack.

Oh, the office uh the um I don't I mean you folks would know better. That seems like a pretty low amount. I don't know if we want to spend any of that money. Um uh just because even if we do the container at what? $39,000 I think is what it is. Let me just bring it up on my here.

36,000.

Yeah. Like I suppose we could maybe do that, but even with that that now we're we're pushing that balance uh below 300,000 and I don't know if that's a wise thing to do because if something happens between now and the spring, they're not going to have any money, you know.

Yeah, I I would recommend that you not approve anything for solid waste. It's the lowest amount um of retained earnings in the last eight years.

Significantly uh lowest. The next lowest would have been fiscal 20 at 776,000.

So, we haven't been this low in a long time. I mean, we do have two or three outstanding articles for vehicles which are, you know, $400,000 each, but still that that's concerning. We're concerned about that operation. I think you see the the retained earnings in um water has taken a great um rebound. Sewer looks healthy. Um, you know, it's it's kind of in line with where it's been,

but solid waste is a is a problem. We just we raised rates this year.

Yeah. So, it's going to take until next year to catch up.

But you're you're right, Chris. If something comes up, Yeah. there isn't a lot of flexibility there.

And and based on the stuff that they have, the containers, they're rusty.

They'll still they'll still hold trash for at least another year or whatever.

And they have gotten I think they got two last year, the two before that. So, and then they have gotten some and you know there folks that are in that shack. I mean it's not ideal but I mean it's one more winter season potentially or you know that they'll have to deal with it. So I would I would recommend from for me anyway the rest of the committee can can certainly u opine but

I would say not to approve anything on that is what I have.

Sounds good to me.

All right. The next one that I looked at, and again I don't feel like I don't want to take control of this, but like this is what I like to do is mess around with numbers. So, um, the next thing I have is Sewer Enterprise Fund.

Um, and they have 1.29 million. I think their requests were, let me just bring them up.

Right up on the screen, Chris.

Yeah.

Yeah. I I'll look at it here because that you'd have to increase the font I think for most people to see that.

Sorry.

All right. So, Sewer Enterprise, it looks like they're requesting um the UV bulbs.

Yep.

Um INI remediation and the mission upgrade.

Yeah.

So, the I think what I looked at is obviously uh priority one was the aeration, but we do not have the money to to fund that. But even if we funded all of their ones which are other than the 5.2 2 million if we funded.

Let's go here.

Their level one and level two requests were at 741,000 which leaves them with just about half a million dollars. And that would be to fund the UV bulb replacement, their all their number ones, the uh INI remediation, the mission upgrade. It will also allow them to do the flow meters and chart recorders for the pump stations, which seems to be uh even though it's a two, I think like

replacing that information and getting good information on that is money well spent.

And then front end loader is something where I I guess we can leave that off and and readress it in the uh in the spring if we have to. So if we if we like knock that one out, I think we're uh We're at sorry just we're at um $491,000 and that would still leave him with uh over half a million dollars in in uh retained earnings.

Is there a target that you guys shoot for for retained earnings?

Well, on free c like on the free cash for the town.

Yeah. Um, under our financial policies, we we like to keep at least uh, you know, last year we kept a million or whatever it was around a million. I have to go back and look, but in typically in prior years we were spending every single penny in free cash, which is not really a good policy, right?

Um, just for the fact that we just talked about, we don't know what what could happen. You know, obviously it needs appropriation for town meeting, but it's good to carry balances over instead of spending everything down to to zero. Uh so whether there's a target um I I don't see I think I think like what we look at is like I mean for me personally like you need to leave some kind of contingency

in case there's an issue right so we don't I mean I think like if we do these projects it'll leave them with just it'll be uh 799,306 which I think is enough where if they ran into any issues um that is a good chunk of money to kind of take care of any like you know like for example with water. They ran into issues in the past where they've we've used way more water

from the city of New Bedford than than uh we had allocated money for. So having that money there allows them to not have to do you know create a financing if you will to have to fund it. So, um I think like for like for me as a target personally I think like a half a million is a good amount because it'll get it'll recoup within the next year and if it takes care of requests that

are kind of important like you know like metering things that like that are really important I think you know versus say like a pickup truck or something like not to say that that's not important but you know having accurate data is more important than a truck that may have some rust on So when we look at the operational budgets, our goal internally is to have 15 to 20% retained earnings certified. So that's

what would be ideally certified before the appropriations. Okay.

And then like Chris said, we don't have a target to to leave, but you always want something in there.

Okay.

But we shoot for 15 to 20%.

Okay.

When are we going to start? We we keep talking about borrowing and borrowing and you know but we if we postpone the aeration project until spring until you know I think we should borrow for it now but that's that's exactly what I was going to say is and and are there other things that we could throw in there that to make it worthwhile to do the borrowing and go for it now

the challenge is um you know I think our enterprise funds are in a pretty good spot right now. The last year was really a year of um adjustment, right? We we've had some major rate increases, some spikes, and so I feel pretty confident about where they are now and and we can move forward with pretty steady rate increases, but you need kind of a year to look back and make sure that that is the case. We

we have projections and you can see like with water, we actually beat our projections a little bit. Um and so I feel pretty good about that. But you have to we have to make sure we can pay the debt because I don't want to make I don't want to come in with a 20% rate increase next year because we didn't project accurately now we need to pay the debt. Um so like that aation project

I think would be would make sense to borrow for to throw in kind of some of these other things for for enterprise funds, right? It has to be out of that enterprise fund. So no matter what so I would be a little bit nervous to do that. But the aerration project is something I mean $5 million we could that's that's a big enough project where we would get a decent rate still

you know a million million five that's where you're not getting great rates but it's been on it's been on this um it's and I was put for a while and the worst part is it it it will help that capacity so much out there you know and it has to get done and that's why I don't understand why we just bite the bullet it now get that going. I

mean you you are capital so you you ne you can make recommendations you don't have to make recommendations just on free cash and retained earnings right you can make recommendations on borrowing too um if that's a recommendation we have the the borrowing language already for town meeting we have a I think the select board would be supportive of this we can follow up with Tim um and I think our budget could I

mean because it would be a short-term borrowing until the project was finished. So you have a year or two anyway. It's going to be a year like we did the AMR. Remember we did the AMR project that was 2 something million 2.6 million because we're going to be getting with the 40B is going to be getting started and there's so much other stuff. I'm sure we're going to be get forced and have to come up with

that we have to turn around and well that's that's start dealing now. I mean it's a valid question like is this sized with the understanding after speaking to Chris if question I think it's seven passes uh that allows folks to build houses on 5,000 foot lots as long as there's town w or town or city water and and sewer that's so accounted for that is this project accounting for the potential

no but because this doesn't expand capacity in itself like we're not actually adding anything it just changes the a method of how treatment so of what's existing there. So, and that's why this would really be because the reality you've heard a lot about the wastewater treatment plant.

We're not going to build a new wastewater treatment plant. That's very unlikely that where would we do it the infrastructure. So, what's likely to happen is a major renovation of our existing plant. This would be part of that regardless. We may need to add an additional aation tank for instance, but the the upgrade of the current aation tanks would be part of that with the fine bubble arration.

So, and that's why when I've talked to Tim about it, it makes sense to do this because this is going to be part of that project whether we do it now, which it's fully designed, right? We we got grant funding to fully design it. We also have a couple hundred,000 in grant funding to actually construct it that we're going to lose out on if we don't do it in the

next couple next year. I think um it's only 250,000 on 5 million, but it's still 250,000.

So um I had planned to go to authorization for borrowing in the spring for this project actually. And then I was unaware we were not on the list for the Clean Water Trust. I thought we had we had applied for the Clean Water Trust. We had not. Um and so I had asked him to work with the engineers to get us on that list and he's he's done that. it's several years

out and so we need to consider okay is it worth waiting to get a 2% interest rate and what are the costs going to increase or do we just do a conventional borrowing and what are three and a half 4% right now probably for aa that's that's interesting because cost escalation is going to outpace that that and I believe one of the pools is down because of this like that they have two

they have a pool the aeration tank yeah tank that like bin or whatever that concrete you container.

Yeah.

But it improves the whole process.

Oh, it's much more efficient.

Yeah. So, in the long run, it's helping that whole plan no matter what.

Yeah, it definitely needs to be done.

There's no doubt about it. And I don't know I don't know any time where we're going to have $5 million in retained earnings to throw at that. That's not that's not the type of project we should be funding with retained earnings.

That's a borrowing project, right? you know that's I mean so so based on that like our recommendation would be to to borrow but ultimately it's not you still have to approve the capital expenditure then right so defin I mean so so if the if this committee is is um supportive of that I would make I would make the recommendation and then it's been on our radar this is this is the

Gary and I just had this conversation had this issue no one wants to pull the trigger for borrowing and we we put all the information out there but at the end of the day the town needs to make the decision to borrow and someone needs to well I so I think that's so the that brings like obviously we'll look at that because the other thing is water there's a couple of massive projects that are

there too that would require would is over that million and a half threshold when you uh look at the two tanks that need to be painted and I know that Tim had mentioned well we can enter in like a a 10 year or fivey year thing you know you pay it off slowly so I I don't that's a question for him so I mean, again, if he's ready for this project to

happen, and it sounds like he is because he keeps putting it in there, then I think that we should potentially, you know, make that has been priority one for a long time.

Yeah. Yeah. No, I I think it's time we just get it done.

And I think we we have to get used to this actually, guys, because we are going to start taking the long-term responsibilities a little bit. we they we shot off to the side, but actually if you read our charge, it actually states of how much we are more responsible. So I know Cody and Gary are going to eventually start working us into this um so we can take on more.

So that so that would be separate though from from this there would be two articles. One would be for the borrowing and the other would be for using the retained earnings. Correct.

Yeah. So the cap so you would approve your typical capital items that would be part of the capital plan and then we would have a separate article on the warrant for authorization appropriation authorization to borrow.

I don't I don't we don't really think we should be borrowing for that one anymore. Retained earnings came in healthier than we thought. Yeah.

And so we have 2.2 million. Yeah. We the one six authorization to borrow. We added $400,000 to that. So the project's estimated at one two. But the last thing you wanted to do was right go up get authorization to borrow. The project comes in at 14 and we don't have enough authorization. So we put in 16. What what we would recommend is actually an appropriation from retained earnings at

15 to just do the project. We're going to pay more the route six the root six water man. Yeah.

Right. because there's there's a lot of pro this between the the painting of the three and the water tower that's over $3 million worth of project. So the water tanks that is something else I'm working with Tim on because he had kind of given me the same thing of you know we can do this long-term contract which would require town meeting authorization anyways but I've asked him to they're not no

company is essentially going to finance this for us for free right so what is the built-in rate that they're charging us even if it's not explicit in the contract they are taking on an internal rate what is that because if that rate is you know four or 5% I would rather us just pay the contract up front will borrow at three and a half%.

Right. Right.

And so he's working on so I don't think that's a take action we take this fall.

Okay.

The tanks I think that's something we probably do in the spring because we need to examine that and that's likely going to be a borrowing anyways. Um and that then gives you the main priority is that Route 6 water main and then we have plenty of retained earnings. Do that rather than pay our we were never going to long-term borrow for that anyways at a million and a half. So maybe a couple

years of short-term borrowings, but the fees are, you know, you're paying $30 to $50,000 in fees every time you do that.

Yeah.

So now if you roll that over two, three times, that's a couple hundred,000 when we have the retained earnings and just skip all that and save the money.

So if we let's stick with because what I waterways is the not waterways, but uh water enterprise is the next one. So, with sewer, I think if we um if we do everything but the front end loader, we're at $490 something,000, which leaves us a retained earnings of $799.

So, everything but the front end loader as well.

All right. So, I what I'll do is I I highlighted them. So, we'll keep So, I think if you if you if you uh highlight those four Yeah. 491.

It's 491. All right. And but do do we actually right now we should just approve or recommend the aeration project also on that all those together and then what I would do is what I would do is at the end make one motion to recommend the uh items that we've talked discussed and then make a separate motion for the borrowing.

Okay.

So you don't combine everything all in one one.

Yeah. So you can say something like um X projects totaling whatever out of retained earnings and free cash and then X projects totaling whatever um authorization to borrow.

Yeah.

So I I think like going back to sewer, we approve everything but the front end loader and then if there's no issues and and they and Tim comes back in the spring and they still need the front end loader, we'll have the money to to be able to approve it then. Uh, this gives us a little bit of breathing room, I think, for that.

Okay.

All right.

So, the water one was the the next enterprise fund or the last one that we really have to deal with before we get to general fund. And I think with that one, I put a question mark because there's a lot of projects and a lot of expensive projects, right? So, um, there's a lot of ones and twos in there.

Like the the the painting of the tanks are Mhm.

ones.

And uh but is that the cost? Was that two? Is that 2 million? Correct.

2.1 million.

See water at 2.1 million.

And it was 1.1 million. So it jumped $1 million in one year.

the I no I think the 1.1 the 2.1 includes more than just the painting. I believe the 2.1 includes that maintenance for for the several years too. It's an initial upfront over a million for each tank because the the the way it was described to me was I think it's over 15 years. They need to be painted now. There's a couple tanks that need to be addressed pretty much now. that initial if we do it separately

it's like a million dollars per tank now to do if we do it through this contract the way that um it was described was it gets painted now there's some annual maintenance and then at the end they paint once yeah that's what he that's how Tim described as well was paint now inspect with scuba pe like diving in there and then every year fix any spots during those years then right before the contract expires they

do one more paint there's the actual request I have a question about just sort of more general how we do things on that project. So, do we have a written spec for the bids like saying we want you to do this performance? Okay.

And is that something we just or we ask for a bid and they tell us what they recommend to do and then we say, "Oh, we want to do that."

No, no. When we go out to bid, we have to have a a written scope of work that all biders they have to apply um reply to the same scope.

Okay?

So for us, the way it works is they go out and get estimates of what it costs to work. They present that to us and then once we issue say, "Okay, do it."

Then they go out, especially if it's over a million dollars, they have to do a file subbid, get all that information, and then hopefully there's enough money that we've approved to get the project done. If not, then they have to come back to us. Fed project come back because it definitely the estimates came in a lot higher than okay but start that first step though we go out and ask for estimates okay

they do yes the departments do so you've written a scope of work before you go off the estimates you issue that with your RFQ and um so two two different um parts so we do an informal estimate process first here's what we're looking for the scope of work might just be a sheet right here are the things we're going to ask for that's to get an idea of what the cost

is going on the market. Then the request comes in to capital here because we can't go out to bid because when you go out to bid under public procurement, there's typically a a time frame where we have to contract at the end of the bid. So if we issue a procurement, procurement is due September 1st, we typically have to say, okay, we're going to be under contract within 30 or 60 days after that procurement. But we

can't contract until the funds have been appropriated at town meeting. So that's why we typically do the the estimates first to get an idea of what it's going to cost. We add a contingency come to capital. C capital approves the expenditure. Once the appropriation's in place, then we actually go through the formal procurement process with a full RFP or RFQ or IFB with a a more detailed scope of work.

Okay.

That everyone must reply the same, you know, they get the same thing.

Okay.

They have to submit. Um if it's sometimes when you're going through that second step of writing the spec infect scope of work you might see some things from some of the vendors oh we forgot about that or we want to add yeah things oh yeah during the particularly during the initial estimate process right if we say hey this is what we're looking for it's not uncommon that a vendor will say hey well you know this

is something we offer you might want to consider there and then when we go out to bid we we may include that in the actual specs but but when we go to the formal bid they have to respond they can't say, "Oh, we're also going to offer you X, Y, and Z for this cost. It it is whatever our scope of work is."

They all have to respond to that same scope of work.

How often do we run into this is I'm maybe spending too much on this, but how often do we run into after the project's done, there's some disagreement, the scope and the work they did.

Oh, very rarely.

Okay, good.

Very rare. I mean, there's change orders sometimes, right? Like anything that, you know, they're they're going through the find something, but no, it's very rare. our um our procurements have to be quite detailed.

Okay.

Um so it's very rare that there's disagreement and we always as part of our contracting documents the procurement is always included as an exhibit. So typically what'll happen is is the contract will will be as simple as the scope of work is um as described in exhibit A which is the actual procurement that we did. So there's no question about it.

Okay. Thank you. Well, you got to make sure your specs and drawings are as good as they can be because well I find that throughout my you know being in engineering many times I've been back and forth with procurement you know we're going to do such and such make sure we write a good scope of work or spec.

Okay.

So with that one I I remember saying that I remember you you folks saying that it was important that we had the Route 6 water mane replacement. Um, but I wasn't sure if there was going to be a borrowing on that. That's why I I didn't I I didn't know the the background story to it. So, it was it was tough for me to say approve this and don't approve that.

So, I I don't that one I think uh requires more in information because some of the number ones like that's a number two the Route Six water but the two tanks are ones. So, I'm like, uh, it was real difficult to to kind of figure out what we're doing here. Yeah, I think um I don't I don't know why that's the case because all my conversations with DPW directors priority is the the Route Six water main

because I thought so too, but I mean like because it's it's the tanks need to be done, don't get me wrong, but there's actually a deadline for the Route Six because MASDOT's bidding that out in the spring and going to do that work. And the matter of fact is if we don't do that as part of that, we have to do it anyways and it's going to cost us more money.

Yeah. It comes out of operating.

So um everything we've talked about with the DPW team has been that is kind of priority number one. So I'm not sure why they would have submitted. Um so I think that's what made it difficult for me to try to figure that out. So uh because they also have like like a number one would be uh the painting was number one.

Yeah. Right. But then they have the filter valve replacement at Chase Road and there's two. So there was 150 and then 350 which again doesn't doesn't make a lot of sense. See how that's one is 350 and the other is in the spring it was Did we allocate 150 in the spring Gary? I don't um see allocate anything in the spring for a while.

It's not highlighted in green. We didn't we didn't Right. So, so that one was at 150 and now it's at 350, which is, you know, I guess we're doing more valve replacements then.

I mean, the committee, so we have we have potent we have the plenty of money in right now in in the enterprise fund for water. Um, the committee can vote on the appropriation for when we get to that at the end for the um for the the pipe there. But it doesn't mean that the committee has to spend every single penny out of that account. We can if we don't spend it, it just rolls over to

the next time we resertify. So, No, I I I know there's a lot of stuff on here that's high ticket.

Well, I know I I understand. I I think the thing was it's I didn't know what to allocate because the numbers the the ones and twos. So, I'm not I understand how totally how it works, but the thing is is now we're trying to figure out like what's important based on the numbers, but the numbers may not be accurate. And that's what's kind of that's what's difficult for me to assign where everything else is pretty

clear like, okay, these are the ones, let's approve the ones. Well, you got cameras. I mean, you've got cameras that are which is which are number two, but then the two tanks are ones. The two saying the two tank I think um the tanks you have multiple tanks that are going to bring you over, you know, multi-million dollar projects, right?

So, we don't have enough in retained earnings to do those, right?

I understand that.

So, so my mentality is and also where we are, right? This wouldn't be approved even if we were even if we did a borrowing right now. It would be October town October 20th town meeting authorizes the borrowing process takes some time. So we're talking best case scenario 60 days after that by the time we have a a short-term borrowing in place to actually go out to bid.

They're not getting painted this year anyways, right? So best case scenario, maybe they would get painted in the late spring, early summer. So I don't feel comfortable where we are. we haven't costed out this short-term contract versus long-term contract. I think we take the next couple months to actually get this information, cost that out, determine what is best for the town, and then go at this at the Springtown

meeting. And although we're pushing it back 6 months or or eight months or really not because it's not going to it can't happen due to the weather anyways, it's not going to happen. You're not going to paint the tanks in the winter.

So, you're really only pushing it out a couple months. So, it still can be a priority if we get at it at the Springtown meeting. Whatever we do, if we do a borrowing, then we could have the bids, the the specs all ready, whether we do a long-term contract or just go to bid for the painting, and they could probably still plan to paint late summer, early fall.

Mhm.

So, maybe we do um the uh Route Six water main replacement, which is fine.

Yeah. And then maybe a couple other small ones. I mean, well, that's that's what I was looking at. So, if you do the Route 6 water, that that leaves you with a million dollars in in retained earnings. So, I I don't know if we use the the logic of leaving like $800,000 like we did with um sewer that would allow us to do another $200,000 worth of projects. The problem is is Well,

my question is, well, for one, yeah, we're going to appropriate the money the 1.2, too, but it's not that's not going to get spent for about if they're not doing that until 207, they're putting it out. So you it's not going to get spent next year.

Probably not. But we have to have the money appropriated to correct. Yeah.

But it will still be in those coffers and that coffers will only be building up until then.

Well, they will.

I'm saying if you even if you earmark a little bit more and not leave Yeah. technically it's in the bank. It it'll be appropriated, but it's still going to be in our hands.

So, yeah. So, it still has, you know, potential if we had to do a little something else, a little creative financing for that if it come, you know, that time that'd be fine. But I think we could probably appropriate some of those other little things also.

Yeah. I know the one So, we could do the 1.2 2 million. But then like again, if we if we decide to do like three or $400,000 worth of projects to leave like roughly half a million in there.

Yeah.

This it's I think you maybe chew off some of the smaller ones like you could do the security cameras if that's important to them. You can do the um I mean the inspection I don't I mean that's well I I think we really do have to do like the font pump station uh centrifugal pump um future water supply source evaluation.

I wouldn't I wouldn't worry about that right now where you've got that water committee all working together on that, right?

I'd love to hear, you know, see where they're going with that.

Want to go a pump station?

Structural inspection of all buildings.

12,000 bucks. I mean, that's That just help.

We can't do that in house. We don't have anybody in house, do we?

Yeah, that's what we just talking about.

You have the building commissioner.

That's But he's not a structural engineer.

Uh, which one is this one? The Chase WTF upgrade design.

It's like a perfect name for that.

That's when you say you see something on camera and that's when you say, "What the heck?" at least the security cameras because you know with everything that's going on now with So if we if we So that that's in number one for for for Tim that's no no the uh that's 35 35,000 no 350,000 the Chase WTF upgrade design.

Oh okay that's 350 and that's a one for him.

Yep.

Um I thought you were talking about the cameras. They also he also has the filter valve replacement at 299 Chase as a as a priority one. But that's what doesn't make sense. It was 150. Now it's 350.

The sign cuz if we do the if we do the security camera the West put change order the 60,000 uh France corner pump centrifugal pump rebuild.

Uh, and that 350, the WTF one, we're at 1.6, which is probably, I would think, the high water limit, no pun intended, for what you want to spend on uh Yeah. Then maybe include the cameras.

Yeah. Know, that's what I have. I have the cameras.

So, it was 1.645 would be the 1.2, 2, the 60,000 for the pump rebuild, the 35 for the security cameras, and then 350 for the WTF uh upgrade design. I just wanted to say, and that puts you at 1 Chase WTF. Yeah.

687, right?

Yeah.

Yep.

Yeah.

Yeah.

What a dream.

But we're not going we're not going to include that. We're going to do this.

That leaves you with 611,000 in uh retained earnings.

I I think we need to figure out from uh from Tim at some point why the filter valve replacement is listed as 150 and then 350 for this year. And that's a number one for him, too.

So, we're saying 60 for the um Yeah.

pumpy bill, 35 for the cameras, 350 for the and then the 1.2.

Yep.

Is 1,645,000 is what I have.

Yep.

Seems okay.

I mean, it gives you 600. It leaves you spend everything down to the to the to the last dollar.

No, it leaves you recommend it.

I I guess it leaves you 611. So, worst case scenario, if Tim comes back in the spring and says, "Hey, we really need that filter valve replacement." and we get a more accurate number on that like because it's like I said it's just it moved around quite a bit more than doubled. So I don't know for the newer committee members anything that's left as a balance can be re we'll do this again in the spring

so whatever's hopefully with less requests.

Yeah.

You don't feel comfortable just go ahead and uh doing the 350 cuz if he doesn't use it it's going to stay back anyway. Right.

But take a year for Yeah. But it's but it's going to take a year for the other things. And that's where it's a one. I I I know. I don't know. I know you're confused on that and we'll get there. But if we just go ahead and earmark the 350.

I don't know.

They can change that number.

That leaves you with 261,000 in retained earnings.

We also put aside 50,000.

I think that number could change though.

And was that I I I think I think we get a more accurate number from Tim on that one because like I said like it you're talking about this one right here.

Yeah. I I think we need to get a more accurate number on that cuz it it just it doesn't make sense that it went up from 150 to 350. So there's got to be a mistake on that. So or a scope change or a scope change or maybe they did added more or less like that's that's a lot. That's a I mean if the delta was small if it was like you know 10 15

I'll text him right now and then we get an answer before the end of the meeting then so just we can move on and go to the other stuff and we'll go back to that. Yes.

All right. Cuz if he turns around and text me back and say it's really 150 to get by.

Mhm.

So yeah. So we'll we'll filter valve replacement at Chase Road.

So we'll leave that off for now until we get a response back. I guess uh Garrett I'll try. Okay. Yeah. So that's all the enterprise ones. Yep. Exactly. Or all the requests for enterprise one. Right.

So now I I just went right in order.

Yep.

Uh for the police. So this is the one that uh that's the one where it's wrong. So the 2028 projected should be in that one column over.

Say it again, Chris.

So right. So the if you look Oh, that's 292.

Yeah. So that's 292 and then the the tases are 39 and then we already approved the other stuff. So that that column was wrong for the police. I think it's because he listed them as FY28 projects, but it's going to get approved at the fall annual town meeting. So that whole all those lines I think need to be shifted over.

Okay. I'll take a look at that.

You know what I'm saying? Because th those requests are what we approved in the spring.

Yeah. Well, either way, if the committee approves the I mean, I'll make the adjustments later. It's not going to be that much of a difference.

Um, if the if the committee wants the total amount of cars, I mean, I don't know.

No, no, no. The cars are fine. I think it's I think the what I'm saying is is the request for the T that should be to the left.

Yep.

The the one below it should be to the left. And then the server upgrade is also in the wrong spot.

Let me just Do you know what I'm saying?

Yeah. I just want to take a look at what they sent me.

Yeah. He he he put it as a FY28. I think he's I think it might be off by a year.

See, because I looked at that too, Gary, and you have it in the right spot. I think he 150 to 350. Is that So if you look, the the request that he made was 428.

See? Oh, yeah. He's got in 27, right? That's that's what I'm saying because we approved all that other stuff in the spring other than the four cruisers. So that's it's in the wrong spot. And I tried to I tried to email that to you, but it didn't probably didn't make sense.

Um, okay. Let me just see.

So that those those cells should be shifted to the to the left. If you just want to just

Sorry. All right.

I I'll fix it in two seconds. I'll just confirm this with the chief, too.

Well, I mean, that's that's what he talked about was the server and the the tasers and the um cruisers. He didn't request the other stuff because we had already approved it in the spring.

Okay. Um I'll I'll see what his number is for 2036 because that's obviously going to change, right?

All right. So, that's fixed.

And then the server gets pushed over uh to this year as well. that 21,500 right there. That should be in that box right there. And then the other two that are down below are need to be deleted because they don't we already approved them in the Yeah, those those are wrong. That's from last cuz he requested new.

No, no, cuz that was the study 60,000 and the other thing was the administrative vehicles which we approved. So those should not be there cuz that's already at and that's what I meant G was shift.

Yeah I went oh from the email I couldn't make Yeah. Yeah. Sorry what it was.

All right. So that's that's fixed.

Um I Okay.

I just approved all three just because like the server we usually do the cars and the server and the tasers are something it needs even though it's priority one, two, and three. The server is something that probably needs to get replaced and it makes sense to carry a light line item for that than to wait for it to break and then have nothing.

Um yeah, I think we talked about the the documentation that the chief gave us for the mileage.

I think that was a real eye opener with the idle miles.

Yeah.

Um that it's not just miles driven, it's miles like Yeah, he does a good job with that.

Yeah, I think that's the first time I've seen that. I just, you know, that's pretty good.

He certainly backs his like his request really well. So I think that if we approved all those that would be 352876.

Mhm.

We're also in the process actually at the select board meeting on Monday we're going to be increasing the um detail rate we charge for our cruisers. We're the lowest like in like the state of Massachusetts right now. Um, so and then we're also at town meeting going to create a revolving fund for uh cruiser maintenance upkeep for details because right now it goes to the general fund

which is good right I mean it's just um revenue but um particularly with the cost of gas right now like he's actually seeing a hit and we had uh 13 details uh one day last week and 10 of them they had cruisers and so and we're for the non-hybrids which most of the new ones are hybrids but non-hybrids idling is using about a gallon an hour and then for the hybrids we're using about a half

gallon an hour. So um essentially it'll double the rate that we're getting for that. Half will go into the just revenue general revenue. So you actually won't see an impact because it'll be the same amount and then half's going to go into this revolving fund.

So you mean by detail rate what we're charging, not what not what the police are getting, what what we're charging uh companies. Okay. All right. Yeah, I thought it was a second. It's a It's a cruiser detail rate. So on top of, you know, what the hourly rate is for the officer, if they if they request a detail, a private vendor requests a detail, we charge a rate for the cruiser rental essentially, too.

Yeah, I understand.

And right now it's like 10. It's like $10 an hour.

Okay. I understand.

We're almost losing money on that.

Factor in the the mileage calculations, the cost of idling and all that. Yeah.

No, that makes sense. So, I think that'll that'll help us too. Um, and it's going to help in the operational budget with the maintenance and repair costs too.

So, the next one I looked at was parks.

They had one request that they said was the most important, which was the the box van. Uh, I think that was the next that's the next one I did because it was just easy.

I'm I like to take the lowhanging fruit ones. Uh, that was school's box van.

Box van. that was the only one that she said that was the most important and she said there was still space in the cemetery that they could forgo another year or two if they had to. So, but the it seemed like the box man was really eminent that they needed it. So, um schools town I I want to go. So, town government uh that I I want to talk a little bit. I

think we have I think I looked at it and I said the most of them make sense. The one that I'm still trying to wrap my head around and maybe get more information. We can wait till the spring to fund it was the 250,000 for the um the betterment.

Right. That that one we talked about like saving money and stuff. I'm curious to see and I I couldn't find any data on this, but what is the what is the cost of us borrowing money versus using that 250 to actually um fund projects where the cost escalation sometimes goes through the roof. We're talking about like borrowing money now because we don't want our costs to go up. Chris mentioned that

we're borrowing the money right now for like 2%. 2% which seems like really cheap money versus if we self-fund that we're taking that 250 away from a project where it can go up 10 10% 15% over the next year. So at what point do I know we're doing it to try to save some money but are we like trying to pinch pennies when we don't really need to because we can use that

money to for projects that you know escalate like crazy.

The 2% funding made more sense to me. I I but so I'm I'm curious to see what how much money are we actually spending on that over the and I'm I'm not saying that this is a bad idea like he presents it and it it makes sense but I'm looking at it going if we're only paying 2% and we're borrowing money at three and four to do projects why not just use the two

just keep that that line. So again I think it's a good idea. I think that I just don't without more information I it's tough for me to to to put that allocate that money towards that until we I think get some more information.

Well, your your comparison I'm agreeing with you. You're just looking at simply alternative funding. But it's also a matter if we push out the costs then we got inflation gets into it in terms of the costs.

So does does that make sense? I know Cody you weren't here for that. I'm just like I can't make it unfortunately. Um it it you're right. My understanding in addition to that though is the administrative requirements of of us borrowing that money is significant and there's a much more parameters on who can utilize that and so with a locally funded program obviously the administration is much simpler because

we're we're administering our own funds and also we can set our own parameters on the requirements. Um, I don't have specifics. It's something Chris has been overseeing, but when when we've been talking about it, that was a big kind of sell because I mean that's my thought too. It's 2%. 2% isn't isn't too bad.

Um, but when he detailed, which I don't know if he got into at all, some of the administrative requirements of the program and um, and the limitations, so the overhead costs go up.

Yeah. or it's just more well I mean we don't are higher to get the money uh used versus if we do it on our own we can yeah we can we can um we administer our own program right so we can set our own criteria things like that where from the state if we take their money at the 2% we can only use it for there's there's thresholds certain criteria for certain people

so that was also the thought it would provide a better community service by doing it locally and then just not I guess the overhead technically but we we bring in additional staff. What ends up happening? It's just, okay, now it takes this much time to do this and I'm taking away from doing this, right?

There's a cost, but it's not you're not seeing it on paper. It's it's a cost.

It's a problem overhead. It's Yeah. Right. Typically, it's a journal entry. That's where it would be for us.

Yeah. I mean, I I think I think like my selling the selling point to me would be if it makes it easier for folks in the town that need it to get the money, like then that's kind of a no-brainer. like then I would say let's do it.

Well, we can get more specifics prior to spring and come at it.

Is it like again I it's I don't want to say no. I just feel like without having that kind of information it just makes it difficult to because I'm like you're at 2%. Like that's Yeah, that program seems like free money. I know there's arbitrage. You can't use that money to to get interest right. That was you had mentioned that before. I'm like throw that money into a CD and you make it 3%. What's wrong with

that? I know that's illegal and I'm not suggesting you do that. I'm not suggesting you do that. I'm just saying that like it just seems like you know it didn't it didn't seem but like you know now that you talk about the that other information if like with the overhead and like and if it makes it if if the entry barrier for town residents to get the money is easier then that's kind of a no-brainer.

It's only 250,000.

Yeah.

So I if you want to hold off we can wait till the I I don't know if if you folks disagree and want to spend it then that's I'm fine with that. I was just kind of like I wish we just had a little bit more information that's all. But if if the Yeah, but I wouldn't make it a extensive study. I mean, you know, I think Chris can probably provide that information um in a

conversation generally. So, if if we want to touch on it upon the spring in the spring. Yeah, I don't think that's a problem.

All right. Yeah. I mean, it's only going to cost us 2% for six more months.

Yeah.

Great.

Yeah. So, I I think based on that, um I was okay with all the other stuff. It was like they're all priority ones. It's 2415, I think, is the other, um things.

Uh it sounds like the the health is it the health department animal control vehicle was in an accident? Is that Yeah, it was totaled. Um so, you're going to get you're going to get that money or a portion of that money.

So, the 45 is the supplement to what we're going to get. We're going to get around 20 is what we've been told. Okay.

So, the 45 is um the remainder of it cuz we're looking at probably around 60 for a new van. All right. All right. I wasn't sure. All right.

Um the the switches are you need communication stuff. Like I I'm endorse like Mike and the work that he does. Like it's he's not he's good at what he does. So, and the water testing is just that's a no-brainer. Mhm.

Um the EMA vehicle, I know, um Terry had some questions on it, but I'd recommend that you not approve that.

Yeah. Not approve the EMA.

Correct. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, here's here's my thought on it. Um the one time that we haven't been able to keep up with them was that blizzard we had last year. That was the worst storm we've gotten in arguably 50 years, right? Close to 50 years. I do not think it's wise to spend $80,000 of the town's funds.

It wasn't a life ordeath thing, right?

It didn't result in any serious implications. Um, our team prioritized where they needed to be plowing. We put plows at the fire stations in each of the ambulances so they could clear a path if they needed to. EMA is a great resource and for secondary things.

I don't and and Gary and I have talked about this. I think if if there were really an appetite to get them essentially a plow truck, which is what they're looking for, it makes more sense to wait a couple years when facilities needs a new truck or something. Maybe we push that up and hand me down like and and give them a newer truck a little bit sooner and then take a truck that's still in

decent condition and put it over there.

I just don't think it's going to get enough use. They have a a 92 GMC pickup truck with 4200 miles on it.

they don't use it a lot. I'm not saying it's not necessary. I just don't when you look at allocation of resources, I'm not sure that's where we need to go.

And I think if if it were a priority for the committee, I'd rather see you guys allocate it to a a more frontline department, DPW facilities, and then give one of those trucks to those guys.

Even if there's some upfitting they need to do, that's fine. But not at the $280,000. It's just that's that's my recommendation. It's a lot of money.

Yeah. I mean, but No, back then when they asked for those two pickup trucks, you know, I thought they were getting pickup trucks that they were going to be able to put stuff in the back. I didn't know they were going to be outfitted with lighting and you can't put anything else in those things, you know, because I would have looked I think they should have looked at trailers.

So, we have we have lots of trailers over there.

But, what I'm saying is no matter what, they could grab that with another vehicle if they really needed to or drop something off. So you're not tying up as many vehicles and spending a lot more money for that type of upgrade. So I would love to see you know him think about yeah I suppose what his priorities are. So, I would say what Cody uh based on what Cody said, then I would recommend that you folks

look at that they talk to Tim because that's probably the biggest department that has like plow trucks that are right. Yeah. Recirculation and uh Tim Barber, not Tim Sheen, right? Talk to Tim Barber and see if there's any way that there's a vehicle that's getting close so they can it benefits, you know, both departments.

And that and that storm you need not a good comparison, right?

you needed front end loaders to go down the side streets and stuff like that. So even a plow wasn't going to do what right what they ran into. So you have to be plowing every Yeah. I mean we we have a very robust between facilities and DPW. We have a lot of plow trucks, you know, for a storm like that. Um and historically facilities, even those other smaller storms we got, facilities kept up

anything EMA needed, they were out there, right? If they needed to clear a path, they were there. They kept the parking lot clear where EMA is. Um it was just that one one time and we prioritize ambulances, fire trucks, and police. That's we had to.

Okay.

And they maintain their vehicles pretty well. If you saw the pictures that they that Tim provided, Tim sh Yeah, they're pretty they're in good shape.

Yep.

All right. So, yeah, based on that. All right.

That's that.

Want to go to want to do uh schools next?

I think um Yeah, we could do schools next. That's fine.

is Tim on vacation. Tim Baba, not that I know of.

Just surprised I'm not getting a response.

So that that I think that puts that last one to like 163 for town government. Um those three. Yep.

Okay. Schools.

So schools. Uh HVAC. I think he's asking for 200,000.

That's another one I think that is not uh 600. I thought that they they got 600. And again, that's in the wrong spot, too. They asked for 600 in the fall. We approved 400. So, I think the request is for 200.

So that's it. The number is just wrong, Gary, because that that was another thing.

Oh, that's Yeah, that's kind of that's what he gave me. So, yeah, I because he because I think sneaky those guys.

Yeah, he it was 200. So, the IP phone, the IP phones were 120,000, which uh makes sense. Oh, while you're there, the bathrooms, the bathrooms are only 100,000 that he's asking for because we approved 100,000 in the spring.

Yeah.

So, that's just 100.

Um, and then the IP phones were 120.

Uh, let me see.

120.

So again, the technology equipment, that's not something he asked for. Um, that was that was something that was not on that was from a legacy thing. That's from the that's from the uh spring. I I didn't there was no talks of that in his presentation at all. Uh the flooring, that was something that was not on there. That was a spring request. It wasn't I didn't see the bathrooms were

the bathrooms were but he only it was only 100,000 is what he requested. We can go through his slideshow. So a lot of these a lot of those numbers were I thought incorrect.

Yeah. The flooring we've been So that's the flooring.

Where where is the IP telefan stuff?

It's up the top.

Oh, there it is right there. Yeah.

So that that's a green I think for me.

Yeah. because it's it's getting to end of life and I mean once they sunset the maintenance costs just go through the roof. the um the HBAC was green for me, the 200,000 and then the 100,000 for the uh um that. So, I'm going to get on my soap box a little bit for the 400,000 that they're requesting for the for the um playset or the what playground.

And my thing is this. So, you know, Mr. Kylie had said something out part of school. I confirmed with um Miss Brooks that the the playground at Potter School was replaced in I think in 2022 or 2023 and it was the PTO that that that that paid for it. And I'm not saying that the PTO should pay for the DLO school. I'm not going for that. I'm not trying to say that. But I think that

they should participate some of it in it. Um, now my kids didn't get to go on field trips because of COVID, but like that money that they that PTO usually pays for those to rent the buses went towards that and that's what paid for for that playground.

Another thing that I don't understand that they don't do that we don't do as a town is and we did at one point is use community preservation money for the playgrounds. In 20 I went to communitypreservation.org Oregon in 2004, this there was a CPA grant for DLO school to do ADA accessibility at the playground. Uh towns like Salem um used CPA money to do playgrounds at schools.

I'm not saying it'll cover everything. I mean, we've done I think Tim Lancaster did a great job at a Ponagansa and at Dartmouth Parks where we got a 50% uh reimbursement on uh on uh the playgrounds. I don't understand why we that why this doesn't happen for the schools.

Yeah, we can talk to Buddy Baker Smith again at um at one point they changed because we've brought this up before and they didn't they had no interest in funding any school playground projects because of the access not physical accessibility for like ADA but accessibility as far as the public being able to access them all the time, right?

Um but we can bring it up to them again.

Well, it's just I'm just curious because again when I went to you know communitypreservation.org or it seemed like other districts in Massachusetts have don't seem to have an issue with it.

Um, and I'm not saying that we don't approve it. I like, you know, Miss Sky said that there's a lawsuit for because of the the playground not being and again, if it's just getting fixed, then that that's not a capital project.

That's a um operational expense.

Exactly. It's an op budget. So again, if it's if it's going to be fully replaced, then it be easy to endorse something like this. if we're using the 400 just to fix it, that's I don't think that's a capital expense. I think that's just an operational budget issue. So again, I guess my question to him would be are we replacing it?

Um, and can we look at getting, you know, CPA to maybe even if it's a little bit even if it's again back in 2004 was a 25 $25,000 grant that they got. Um, so there is a precedent for us using CPA funds to do school stuff. It just for some reason stopped and I don't know why.

Yeah, I don't know either.

We can revisit it.

We can revisit that in the fall.

I think that can probably wait I maybe to the to the spring to get that information. If not, then you know if folks feel differently and I know it's a priority one and I know it's important to them and I strongly agree that it's important but it's My impression where he's describing it was more of a replacement just not an improvement.

So, but I think he said any money towards it would help to like I think fix it until they can get the money to is what it sounded like Mr. Kylie said like any money towards this would help to at least well then but then then it's two phases.

One one is you know a maintenance cost and opex and the other is a replacement project. It sounds like two different projects.

Yeah. when Tim was replacing them at um they they were close to 700,000. Now these are going to be millions at Dartmouth Parks and Recreck. It was I looked it up at that on that website and it was 500. It was our portion was 512 and the CPA was another 512. So it was over a million. Yeah.

Wow.

So that's why I'm saying I'm think 400,000 seems really low for a replacement on it considering that. Now the other ones are much larger I think.

So yeah. Yeah. He just the one down here is a little bit smaller. what he just did at at Quinn School and stuff like that.

And we did allocate some money for the Quinn school to to get that done. But again, it's like these they he did mention that Quinn's going to need another playground soon because they have three of them.

We one got replaced. There's still two more left to go. And that one gets used, I would argue, by everybody because softball plays there. you know, the one they Yeah, they mostly use the one that they just did replace, you know, or improved.

Um, that's the one that really gets used in between all the fields and stuff like that, right?

I was there the other night and there was nobody on the ones inside the tennis courts of the one, which I always felt that should have been parking where Well, the reason being is when a high school sports start, high school sports start at 3:00, right? Well, the elementary school's starting to get out of there and the parking and everything is a nightmare on that street and I didn't understand why they didn't try to

utilize that for more parking for either pickups or anything there, you know.

So, um I based based Yeah, based on that I I'm we're at like $420,000, I think, on uh on school stuff because everything else we we the track is 950,000. Uh I mean, I thought we had talked about maybe pulling some of these together to like with the roof and with the roof. Yeah.

To try to Yeah. that that's going to end up preliminarily being um a debt exclusion in April and then a town meeting vote in June just because we're not we ideally we like to do town meeting first, right?

But the way the timeline is going to work with the MSBA for the roof, we're not going to be able to do it first because or we'd have to have a special election which really doesn't make sense. Um, so you'll likely be convening earlier in the spring than you typically would because we may need to get that on the ballot first for April and that's when we can decide, okay, which one of

these other ones do we want to throw into this, right? Because isn't Jim Jim's waiting on pricing of like all the AC units and stuff then finding out because this is going to turn into a little bit of a bigger project than we thought. I said that right off the getgo when But it makes sense. I mean Oh, it does. It definitely does. if you have to take the stuff off the roof to

do the roof, you might as well replace the 25y old equipment. So, um, so the track I don't think made a lot of sense and there, you know, especially if we can combine it with this work. Um, and then obviously the Memorial Stadium is so DPW what that's I think that's the last admin engineering.

Yeah, that that last one was and that one was there's a lot in there too, I think.

Based on some of the numbers, I think the road work which was 650,000 uh we approved I think 600 in spring he's looking for the remainder of the 1.25 so it would be 650,000 for road maintenance. I think that kind of a no-brainer.

They're using it and and then everything else was a two I think. So, I wasn't sure we wanted to wait or if we wanted to cuz there's really not much that's getting approved.

I think well, you know, he's got tr I mean, everything's a two though.

Yeah.

So, I don't know if we wanted to wait to see if there's more requests in the spring or if anything jumps to a one.

I mean, we're really not spending right now. I think we're at like 1.5 or 1 point uh 1.7 million I think is where we're at in spending and we have 5 million of money. So we can certainly pick out more of these projects.

I do I would recommend the sidewalk snow machine. Yeah.

Only because um we're looking you recall in the spring we had that potential bylaw change that is coming back this it is going to come back in the fall with the revisions based on the feedback we got from town meeting. So, and the whole idea with that is compliance. So, if we are finding someone, I do want to be able to send out DPW and say, "Hey, can you guys clear the sidewalk?" Um, and

right now we don't really have the best equipment to do it with the school department actually lets us use theirs for like the bridge and stuff, but it would be good to have that particularly as we make these changes because that's been our whole thing is we want compliance. It's hard to say we want compliance, find people, and then we don't actually go out and do the cleaning. Mhm.

So that would be something I ask that you consider is that in particular.

Yeah. And these lot these other things like like the backhoe the um you know the dump trucks we've we've held off in the past and and voted those in on the in the spring.

Yeah. So I mean like it's we're not approving a ton actually. Like I think it's if you add that up G it's like 1.7 million. So that gives us quite a huge amount of money to spend in the Yeah. I mean I'm fine. That's I think that's a good I think that's I think it's really good to like I mentioned forward some of this on to the spring.

We don't know what's going to happen between now and then. Obviously we don't we don't we can't predict that but uh and maybe they fine-tune a little bit more of these requests that are coming in uh you know.

Okay, Cody, on the on the bridge thing, do we need to put any money aside because that's going to be like an emergency type situation that we're going to possibly Which bridge? Russell's Mills.

Well, the state has earmarked a million dollars to to that.

Okay.

So, we do have a million dollars that they are going to be um yeah, that there we think the state's going to take care of it. Which is why we think some of the restrictions are going in place. There may be some requirements that there be restrictions in order for that money to be released.

It's part of the whole fair share funding. So, there's three bridges that the state is allocating funds to in the whole state and that's actually one of them. Um, okay.

So, we don't have to worry about that.

I don't think so. At this point, I just didn't I just didn't know it because we're not Yeah, I don't And I don't My understanding is there it's so like we don't have any designs or anything. It's And it's not like a thing we can just throw in some temporary like fix to get us by. Um, it's interesting actually. This old stone structure is actually the one that's okay. It's the new concrete slab structure.

Yeah, that I say new, it's not.

That's not that old. I don't think either.

Yeah, I know.

They did work to that 2016. They redid they did some work to that.

So 1.7 1755076.

That's kind of what I had.

Yep. And so yeah, leaves at least quite a bit. A little over three mill. Yeah. which is I mean normally we spend more in the fall than less in the spring but this will kind of this year will kind of but some of that equipment like the trucks and all that we've moved to the spring in the past yeah because by then they it takes almost a year so they'll get them for the following spring and

get ready to go into service and you're not going to get in time for plow season so and I think from the from the from the school standpoint I think for the playground it's just We just I would like to get more information in terms of is it a full replacement and can we use why why is there such a well it goes well together with timing.

We could um pursue CPA funding um that opens up I want to say December for their initial process and then if that were to go through they could both be on the springtime anymore. You guys could approve a portion. If CPA approves a portion, it makes sense. And then you're not doing at multiple town meetings. It's one project, just two different funding sources.

And if there's a reason why, a legitimate reason why, you know, Buddy Baker can't doesn't do it like it's, you know, it's no longer whatever, then at least we'll have it.

if it's just because he did they did they did um when they were in they talked um Jim talked about this vehicle replacement on the truck the utility truck that they use for plowing. I I think that that I mean maybe the committee would want to reconsider that. I think they're at the verge where they can't even pass inspection with that vehicle. Uh that that's this one right here. I think that

um that may be something that obviously purch before before the winter get it before next winter maybe. Right.

Right. Takes about a year to get it in.

Um I I would only recommend that they that we include that because that wasn't it was an issue. I think that he's saying that it's not the the frame is now going the chassis.

But then the priority two Well, I I think I think this doesn't have all the right information because if you go to his his um and I'll find it right here. Oh, I think it's a little different. I I think that I think Gary is right. That truck is on there, but like a lot of the other stuff isn't. So, I'll see if I can find his PowerPoint.

I thought it was a request.

Yeah, I can't priority. Oh, that's priority two vehicle truck replacement.

Yo, it's Wait a minute. Let me make this thing bigger.

See?

Oh, yeah. So, the But that's um bathroom renovation says 200, but it's not because we already had it already approved. So the these Yeah, we changed those just now.

No, but like I'm saying like the the HBAC repair like that says 600, but it really wasn't because we had already approved some of that.

But but the as far as the vehicle, we we haven't done anything with the vehicle.

Why it's a priority, too?

I I know I I remember when he was here he did mention that the the chassis was rotted out inspection.

So So it looks like we're going to we'll take care of the most of his requests that were outstanding. It looks like and not and not the big ticket obviously other than the big ticket items. So yeah, I I'm okay with adding the I'm okay with the with a truck.

Yeah. Okay.

So it's 18.

Yeah. Still in good shape.

1 million860 or something like that.

Okay. Does anybody have any other comments or so? I would only suggest that we we have two votes that the committee votes on the items and then votes on the appropriation for the uh water main.

So, yeah. Let's make a motion to approve uh the general fund spending at I I just need the numbers. Uh was it 1.86 million?

One second. Let me just

What the heck am I doing? Let me go to the top.

Talk amongst yourselves.

It's more fun watching you trying to shrug.

What's lunch?

I get nauseous the way he scrolls through things. What's the What's the lunch?

We have to have drama mean before we do this.

I'm so used to it. It doesn't even bother me.

Oh, let me see. General. Okay, this is the last piece.

As long as you're not typing, I think we're fine.

Yeah. Should be like 186 or something like that.

Yes. 1865076.

186576.

Yep.

All right. Well, while we're at it, let's That's for that one. Um, let's do um water was uh let's do sewer next.

All right. Sewer was 49160.

491 160 160. Yes.

And then the last one was uh we're not doing solid waste, so it would be water, which was one point. Uh well, we're going to do this, right?

And the we're going to do four four items.

One more further down, right? We're going to do all those 445.

Huh?

Even though that's one that's not right. We're talking.2 million just for the water man, right? But I thought we were going to vote that separately.

No, no, that's in the No, that's theation project.

Oh, aeration. Okay.

In the sew. Okay. So, yeah, we'll add that in.

So, would you say four? What? It's way up at the top.

Stop right there.

One. Two. 645. Even 645. That's right.

All right. Well, let's see if I can get this motion right. So, I'll make a motion to approve waterways enterprise funds spending of 1,645,000.

Water department, not waterways.

I'm sorry. Water. Water. Yeah, I know.

We'll be running a big deficit.

No, no, no, no. Water. Yeah. The water department. Excuse me. I'll start over.

Water department 1,645,000 spending. Sewer 491,160.

And then general fund spending of $1,865,76.

Yep.

A second.

Okay. Just do one thing here. I just want to double check.

1645.

Where's Where's the to?

Oh, I think that's why.

Yes. 1645.

There was a second.

Second.

Second.

Any discussion?

All in favor?

I.

Thanks.

And then there was a second motion. Do you want to make that one, please?

Well, a motion that we uh recommend to borrow for the aeration of 5,200,000.

Why don't you do 55 off to 55?

That way up to 55. Yep.

Second 5,500,000.

Yeah.

So, the motion that was seconded was 5.5.

5.5.

Okay.

Any discussion?

No.

All in favor?

I.

Okay.

When's the last time we borrowed money?

Uh, aation. Oh, aation.

Uh, AMR.

AMR.

AMR. That was 2019. Three years ago about 3 four years ago now at least I think 2.7 million.

Yep. Roughly that amount about time. That's all.

We'll double it.

Yeah.

Okay. So, um we'll I'll uh draft this today and uh finance committee will see it tomorrow.

They'll hold on and make the recommendation and then the motorcycle will obviously have that as part of the warrant for Monday's meeting. Um when is town meeting? October 20th.

Okay. Anybody else? What? Old business.

We have no minutes to approve, right?

No minutes. No.

Motion to adjurnn.

Second.

Okay. All in favor?

I.

Thank you. Thank you.