Capital Planning Committee Meeting - February 5, 2026

We'll call the um meeting for the uh capital planning committee um for uh fiscal 27. We'll start the process. Uh as you know, this is around the time that we meet. Actually, we're meeting a month early uh this year. We did this in in March. Uh so this is good because we also have the budget advisory group that we're working with uh and other um committees including the finance committee. So uh I'd like to just begin

with how I usually this this meeting is being recorded.

Yeah, the meeting is being recorded by DCTV and we're in person also. So, I just like to uh start off with um how I usually start off uh the meetings. Uh back about four years ago, uh the committee had decided to uh you know bring a little bit more uh level of priority to a lot of the requests that come into the town. Uh on on certain circumstances, this is this is doable,

but on other circumstances, it's not. Uh so we talked about priority 1, two, three and four where in essence before they were giving out priorities up until like 15 and 20 which was hard for the committee to make a determination on what the real importance of that particular item was uh to be to be voted on. So I think the departments have done a a good job. I know that some departments still using the older

version, but I think them labeling the the priority ones and twos uh we've seen like you know that that a little bit um more um more in depth for for the for the committee to make decisions on. So I just wanted uh so the public to see that. Also uh what I usually do this time of year uh is go over what is available. So if you remember in the

fall in the fall at fall time meeting we were certified for about $8.2 $2 million in free cash for the general fund. We spent uh these line items via articles uh that went into the stabilization fund, long-term capital, and then the collective the collective uh bargaining stabilization fund uh and uh 3.6 million in in capital items that were requested out of that. So, right now for the

general fund, we have about $3.1 million still um available. Uh we also break that out for the water enterprise fund, the sewer enterprise fund, solid waste, waterways, and DCTV. So you can see those balances here. Uh as you're aware, uh on the water enterprise fund, we did have some uh issues where uh they the reserves weren't there. So, I would still caution the committee to, you

know, maybe look at when they when that comes in from uh Tim, DPW director, to be cautious on what we're actually spending on that because we're trying to still build up reserves in that account.

As you know, that we um we had an a rate increase. So, those bills will be going up very very shortly.

So, we want to kind of see what that looks like. I I would suggest for this remaining uh fiscal year before we start spending that down again. Uh other than that, sewers are looking good. Uh solid waste uh is looking good, waterways and DCTV. And as you know, we get free cash certified in the fall. So anything that does not get spent um is get gets rolled over into free cash for the fall. So um

it's a little bit different than what we've been doing in the past. I think we've spent almost everything at at the fall town meeting, but my my recommendation was that we hold back on some of that spending so there is some availability here. Um does anybody have any questions on this? No, I have some good news though. I did look in the bylaws and you are a member of the committee. So, you could be chairperson.

Okay. If if the committee the committee wants me to be chairperson, I have a problem with that. But running the meetings, no problem at all.

Um, so this is where we stand right now for balances. So, just keep this in mind and I'll I'll have this go through the uh we'll we'll go through this as we uh meet with the departments. Obviously today's schools uh we're going to be kicking it off with Jim uh Kylie and um he has presented a presentation. I also he's g me a presentation to put up here but I also had sent his request to the

to the uh group uh earlier but uh he's done a nice job with a little presentation that he has. I can put that up on the screen if you'd like.

That'd be great.

Yeah. Okay.

Yeah. Thank you. I have a hard copy too just in case. Sometimes I have a hard drop.

Sometimes that's helpful.

Yes. You want it?

No. No. DJ would like Thank you.

Perfect. Great.

Thanks, Gary. Y so um you know as always I'm appreciative of your consideration. You know we have a long list of things. We have buildings that are averaging more than 70 years old. 1922 1955 1955 1956 1967 and the new building that is 25 years old. So that's that's our inventory of of uh you know buildings and um it's a real challenge. John Bernat is here, my facilities manager, um, in case there's

any specific questions that, uh, you know, the two of us can uh, certainly help answer those, but it's a it's a task for us to maintain these buildings and we appreciate your consideration for our requests. U, we tie everything to our strategic plan. Our strategic plan has a whole section on budget and and um, and facilities. Um and it it really just ties the educational um side of our operation to the actual

functional operation of having a learning space that's conducive um for you know performance of of the daily tasks that the kids are uh you know the kids are trying to trying to uh [clears throat] you know trying to undertake every day. And for those that that went on the facilities tour back on January 15th, we toured the high school, our new building, which in and of itself has some issues as we saw on that uh on

that tour, but is a good building. Um and then we toured the Dartmouth Middle School that was originally built in 1956 with additions following. and it's it's a it's a building that's tired and in need of um in need of a change for sure.

So, um I appreciate everyone who was on that tour. It was a good group and I think it was an eye openener and we'll we'll hope we hope to open the building up again for for more um visits from folks in town.

So, our uh list is fairly long. Um, this is just the FY27 list. You have the full list. That's a 10-year capital plan. Um, and in that list, there's a summary page. There's um a a listing of each of the 10 years requests. Then there's a little bit of detail for each request in in terms of a narrative detail of each request. Um, so what I'll do today is just take you through the FY27 requests

because I know that's currently what you're considering possible funding and um and then we can talk about them and answer any questions you might have.

I'll go through each one. So So why don't I go through those on the slides, Gary? Because they're each each one of these requests has a slide.

Okay. Um I won't spend time on this because Gary just really said exactly what you need. That's we try to rank them according to [clears throat] priority um you know priority order with the focus of like continuation of service um you know priority one posing a threat to providing essential town services or or priority two may significantly impact service delivery or priority three done

in line with best practices. Those were the three areas that we kind of you know that that we identified for each of these.

So the first thing on the list is school bus replacement. So we have a we have a one bus is what we own um in the school department. We contract out our regular education um school bus service. So this does not provide regular regular ed to and from home um service. What this bus does is it does extracurricular transportation for athletics, music, and field trips and other activities. And it

also transports every day our early childhood program, which is a a certification program that we have at the high school where students walk away from from graduate from that program with an actual certificate in early childhood education and they can go get a job that pays pretty well and is is in demand right from the start. So, this bus takes those kids to from the high school to the elementary schools each

day to to work with young um you know, younger kids. It has 95,000 miles on it.

We spent $13,000 on it in repairs in the last year. Um it's, you know, we've had it, we just recently, um, you know, had it inspected and our our school bus provider um took a look at it and said, uh, it's this is it's it's the end of the line in terms of getting it um, you know, passing inspection. There's a high standard of inspection for for a school bus, of course, right? this is, you

know, you're transporting 50 50 students on this bus and and you know, so there's a very high standard there. And um this bus is now um you know, at at the end of that um being able to, you know, being able to be approved for that. We put $150,000 replacement cost. It's going to be real close to that. Um might be a little less, but not a lot less. Um, we've called this a priority one because

if we do not do this, I'm not sure we have the early childhood education program because it would require us to contract out um our service each day. It it would really be cost prohibitive to to have a bus on hand from a vendor every day. Uh so we really hope to replace this bus. This this bus would be retired and and auctioned off. It would probably make some money um on auction that would go

back into the general fund. Um you know, it would most like its future would not be as a school bus, but it would be used by someone for some, you know, some transportation purpose. Um so our hope is that you know, we can we can fund that.

And the second item on the list is uh flooring replacement. So we've done a ton of this through the years we've completed. So the 1950s buildings were and the 1967 um Quinn school were built with asbestos containing materials. And unfortunately almost all of the flooring in the Potter school, the dlo school, the Quinn school, and the Dartmouth Middle School were asbestos containing materials. So we

have um gradually gotten to the point where we are we are um for for almost entirely complete at the DLO and Potter school of asbestos removal. We're only about we have 41 rooms remaining at the Quinn school to abate. We can only do about 10 or 12 a summer just because there's a defined window of 10 weeks. We have to we have to get clearance um air clearance, you know, in

the building and the whole process takes time. And so we'd be we'd hope that this request of $200,000 would allow us to do about 10 to 12 rooms depending on the size of the rooms.

And that would be about 25% of the remainder. So that gives you an idea.

We're still looking at um you know, we we're looking at you know, another four rounds of doing this. Um so you you see a picture there like when when asbestos tile cracks and you see the little cracks above the yellow line.

The yellow line is a a wire that somebody taped to the floor for some reason. But um above the yellow line, you see the cracks on those tiles. For those that went on the tour of the middle school, you saw some of that, too. Um so we really we really want to address those before they become a problem, peel up, become fryable, which means that the asbestos could be in the environment. Um so it's it's something

that we have we have to do.

And at this point, Quinn is the worst of the worst at Quinn is the worst. the tiles are coming up unfortunately for whatever reason. I guess they've I guess it's just the end of their life and they're and they're popping up and so we've been tackling the worst rooms gradually. Um but it's it has to be done.

Yeah.

These first floor second floor both both both first floor second floor the worst area of the building is is the east facing side. So the far side from here. Um but and that's first and second floor but um but the whole building I mean it still needs a lot. We've been doing it but it it's a big building.

It was you know built as a middle school. It's a large building and um we've gotten you know 20 rooms done in that building but we have more.

Okay. And uh how many how many more years will it be to be able to complete Potter and Dlo? How much you got left? I mean we've one year we could do it in one year. The problem is if we're focusing like we have to shift focuses.

Yeah. Not I just it so we're doing the worst. Yeah. Right now the the spaces at Potter and Dlo are um limited to very small very small areas where the floors are in good shape. We really need to focus on Quinn, get that done because of the because of the actual deterioration, you know. So, um the middle school would be an area of focus too, but we'll talk a little more about the middle school in

a minute.

So, I I have a question with the limited funds that you see that we have. If we had to reduce this number, would that still allow you to get a portion of your classrooms done?

Yeah. Yeah. I mean, we can scale it um accordingly, but there is an economy of scale in terms of the project, right? So, you have to set up, you know, you have to set up enclosures to do this work.

If we are able to do a whole wing at a time, it makes a lot of sense because you can close off the whole wing. You can, you know, get it get the appropriate um enclosures in place, get it abated, get the clearance, and then go in and and rip through a series of floors in terms of replacing them all at once versus if you do two classrooms, it's going to cost you more per classroom. Ideally,

this would have been handled all at once, the whole school at once, and economies of scale, we would have saved a lot of money.

Would love to do it, but the there's no way to do it in a summer, right? So, we just don't have enough time to do that level. This is the right amount to do in a summer. So, u for us, we just we can't really do double this in one summer. we just don't have the time to get the job done before you have to get the building ready and start school again because that's the other

thing. You get all this done, right?

Okay, now we have to load everything back in the classrooms and get ready for the start of school and you have 10 weeks in the summer. It's not very much time and contractors are it's not we're not the only one that's doing this work.

So, um, you know, it's it's a challenge for sure, but we'll we'll do it if if funds allow.

And I think we've been giving that 200 for Yeah.

I don't know. Is it 10 years already?

It's the right amount. 10 two 200 used to do about 15 rooms. Now it does about 10 to 12 rooms depending on the size, but 200,000 gives us the right amount to do a chunk of rooms that can make an impact on the building. and and you know be accomplished in one summer.

Yeah. I just I only reason why I'm asking is you know would it be worth to be getting more so you can get it more cost efficient on that first floor that whole wing or whatever and if it's 15 rooms instead I'll go back to those. It it probably is going to be I mean a a little more maybe, but any much more than this is not going I mean I don't

want to say no to more money but but much more than this is going to make it more than we can accomplish in the 10 week period that we have. So, it's got to be gradual basically and it's on the list gradually throughout the throughout, you know, until we're done, which hopefully at some point we are.

So, technology hardware replacement.

This, you know, this is something that's on the list regularly. Right now, we have 900 Chromebooks that are over 5 years old. Chromebooks are used by kids.

They're a little simpler, you know, simpler um technology device. They're not as fancy. I mean, not that my Not that my laptop's fancy. It's got cracks and a few pieces missing, but it's not as it's a much more simple device for the kids. Um, we provide a new Chromebook for sixth graders and ninth graders. They keep them, they bring them home, they keep them for three years in middle school and then the four years in

high school. So, as those cycle out, they get shifted to the elementary school for the remainder of their life, the elementary schools, I should say. So um the you know average life of of the Chromebook in the end is probably somewhere around seven years and um we really you know we we have a one we have onetoone technology every every student has technology available to them and um

that's a long time for for a tablet. It is. It is. It's stretching the It's stretching it, but we, you know, we find ways to you, you know, those the elementary students for the most part do not bring home their devices. So, you get a little more life out of them in that way. Obviously, they're not, you know, getting pencils stuck in them when they close the, you know, the screen and

bananas occasionally crushed in them in the keyboard and so forth. You know, the usual. So, um, we are, you know, need to continue to replace those. We have 80 teacher laptops to replace, um, hopefully this year. They're about six or seven years replacement cycle.

Other equipment, whiteboards, um, you know smartboards um, printers, peripherals, things like that that we need to replace. We're proposing 325,000.

We'll do whatever we can with whatever can be provided. So, we continue to supplement this with school choice funds, too. Um the part of our school choice funds is allocated for this. So, you you have a calendar that rotates through and you you kind of do this on a cycle like we do with the police cars.

Yeah. Yeah. The our so our Mr. Galashaw, you may have may be familiar with him.

Jonathan Galashaw is our chief technology officer and he he has a rotation and adjusts the rotation depending on how much money we have. So and we reserve some like because of replacements and emergencies and things that we have to shift. So we try and reserve some of the funding and then move it as soon as we know that we're not going to need it for emergency situations. On the average, we've been giving you about

225,000. Yeah. Yeah.

A year. Yeah. So, now we're up to 325.

I mean, we unfortunately we've we will do what we what we have to do with whatever you give us, but un we can stretch a year of, you know, like probably not the Chromebooks. We pretty much stretch those as long as possible.

I mean, we stretch everything as long as possible, but the we would whatever funds we don't have to use the to replace these items like maybe some whiteboards continue to not be replaced um in classrooms, although those are a primary instructional tool that's, you know, used every day. Maybe you, you know, instead of replacing teacher laptops at six years, you try and stretch it everything to seven years and

do it that way. So, I mean, we we're cognizant of of the limited funding and we appreciate the continued support. So, we'll do whatever we can. We do have a a pretty big list of things to do.

So, again, I I think my question is just to reiterate because of the fact that we're limited dealing with limited budget, sounds like 150,000 is what you need for Chromebooks. Anything above and beyond that would just be to supplement teacher uh computers, whiteboards and and stuff like that. So if we have it certainly that our goal is to to fund it but if not you can still work with

I mean if if we if you elected to do 225,000 instead of 325,000 then what we would we would you know we'll use the school choice funds to supplement and we'll figure out how to stretch. I think our goal is to try to obviously fund everybody, but we're dealing with a a limited buck bucket. So, it's more of if you don't get it all, then you can't do it. That's not what you're saying. You're saying

you can.

That's not what I'm saying. We'll we'll figure out a way to stretch however we need to as we have for years.

Yeah.

Yeah. Okay.

So, playground improvements. So, this this would target um the a playground at the DLO school. It's I know it's I know it's at least 20 years old. I I don't know exactly when it was installed. Um but the playground we're at the point where we're trying to repair playground equipment without parts being they're not manufactured. They're not stocked.

They're gone. So we're in the position where there are certain pieces of equipment that we can't use, we can't replace. we're closing certain, you know, parts of the playground operation.

And believe it or not, playground's a pretty important spot on at at an elementary school. So, um, you know, some for some kids that's that's the highlight of their day. And, uh, we certainly don't want to get to the point where we're closing playground areas entirely and all we have is a field to play in or maybe a basketball hoop. So, we need to cycle through and get through these playgrounds. We're currently um

finalizing the plan for the replacement of one of the Quinn playgrounds. There are three there. There's 700 kids there.

So, there's three playgrounds and we're finalizing that with with funding that was provided. Um we received an addition we didn't have enough money and we received $100,000 at Falltown meeting which we're appreciative of. So, we're we're finalizing that one at Quinn, but this is for the DLO school.

Can you apply for the uh CPC money?

We've So, yeah, Mr. Hadad and and Mr.

Carrero and I have been talking about a little bit.

Yeah, we're going to have a further conversation with um Buddy Baker Smith on on that.

I didn't know if there was a an issue with the schools.

Generally, they've not approved these.

Um, however, I think some of the school playgrounds are more accessible to the general public than others, and those are the ones I think that we can make an argument for. The argument in the past has been they're not open generally to the public, but some of these in some cases are. So, I think we can we can look at that.

Yeah. Yeah. Of course, our none of our playgrounds are open to the public all the time. Right.

Right. Not during school. So um so that is a factor that we're sort of facing in terms of that funding but you know obviously we'd love to love to have some and get these projects done.

Do you know what the usage is after school?

It depends on the school. So there the Quinn school in particular is is clearly the highest use. Um it's we have so many activities. The high school students practice in the Quinn school fields after school gets out because we don't have any fields at the high school to practice at.

So um [snorts] so it's used a lot and a lot of a lot of parents will bring their smaller children, siblings to the Quinn school so they're all over it. It's used on weekends so that that's the one that gets the most use. But there's there's students at dlo there's um children at the dlo and potter playgrounds on weekends and certainly not at the moment with the snow we've got but yeah

so telephone replacement so we have a older telephone system so Mr. Galashaw um is is facing sort of a deadline in fiscal year 2028 when this thing is no longer going to be supported. So where [snorts] where he has a plan in place to replace it with IP cloud-based service more modern service um we're estimating that that will be $120,000.

communication's important and we certainly need something reliable that can be you know the technology can be supported and at some point in the next year um that's going to become a reality where we're not going to have support on that system the high school roof [clears throat] uh so we've as I think everybody knows we've been accepted into the MSBA VA accelerated repair program. We uh I just

I spoke to them u a week ago and they are going to assign the MSBA staff who's work who's going to work with us.

They've not yet. So they they awarded uh they awarded the the acceptance I guess into the accelerator repair program at the end of October right after our fallon meeting at which we appropriated $250,000 for a feasibility study um which hopefully we don't spend all of but um at this point so ne next week we should have their person assigned and in March an owner's project manager assigned.

Now, I'm starting to think that it's unlikely that at the June town meeting, we'll have a request for the project because of the timing if if they don't assign an owner's project manager till March. I'm not sure that the feasibility study will be completed and then we have a hard number in a project funding agreement with MSBA and then can ask for funding in in June June 2nd. I'm not

sure that that's going to happen. So it might be that the funding for that project will be in October.

I don't think the MSBA is in a hurry with this project in particular because if they're not going to if we're not the June town meeting is not a real functional town meeting for a project like this because you can't award at the June town meeting and actually cont bid it out and contract and find a contractor and mobilize for a summer installation.

So, I I have a feeling that they're targeting the October town meeting for us. Um, they know they know all the town meeting dates and everything. So, so that we would be seeking funding at that meeting which would then give us time to um, you know, to do the project. The biggest problem I see with that approach and I've told them this is we don't have an election.

So, I don't see any way we're going to make the April ballot for a um I mean, that's not going to happen for for a debt exclusion vote for this.

Yeah. And to hold a special is about $15,000, right? Something like that. To hold a special.

So, we're going to have to we're going to have to figure this out. It's it's going to be complicated. And it it may be that we have to hold a special, but yeah. Wouldn't it be cheaper to run a special than waiting another year and having the cost go up to 6%?

Yes.

Of that number, you're going to override that 15,000 with no problem at all. So, it's almost feasibility to do it, right?

Not to mention the cost of buckets that you're going to have to buy. See, right.

Yeah. But a one issue uh you know a one issue special election it's a shame to do that but at this point I can't see if there if we don't have the owner's project manager until early March we're not we're there's no way we're doing the feasibility study determining the amount of the project and and going for debt exclusion vote in a month.

Jim is 6 million the entire cost or this the town share town I I when I originally put that number in I thought it was the entire cost. I think it's more likely the town share based on what I'm seeing in terms of in terms of construction cost of roofs. If you look at 50% that's 50% of the total project cost is what you're estimating.

It's going to be it's going to be an expensive roof. Now, I don't anticipate we'll be doing the metal roof components of that building or anything. So, that's good. That's some of the square footage.

What about all the all the flashing? Uh, and the other thing is the HVAC units, mechanical, right? The mechanicals are a big deal on this project.

They're a big deal.

The windows, we'll see some pictures of a couple of things in a second. It's um, yeah, the windows are not going to be considered by MSBA.

I know that, but do they have to be done?

I so I would suggest because of the number of windows that that we that we have in that building, I would suggest we wait till the windows get to the 30-year mark and then we reapply to MSBA for them because Yes. I mean, you saw them as you were walking around every window in that virtually every window in that building. The seals are broken.

It's condensation in between. It's they're they I don't know. They've taken clear windows and now they're frosted windows.

Yeah, the frosted glass look. But um yeah, we'll have to we'll have to coordinate this. Um obviously challenging doing this like in March mid we're talking about, you know, mid year, then we do it again, we try again in the fall. Uh the timing for borrowing has to be right because you know we've got to get a lot of people involved. The FAS, the bond council, it's, you know, it's

going to go out to to the voters if that's the case. Um, you know, but in the meantime, we could also, you know, we have the long-term capital stabilization account, which is a million dollars right now. Uh, if we keep on putting money into that, you know, it could be a hybrid approach.

We've talked about that in the past. Uh, so, you know, not to say that we want to wait any longer, but right that Jim, that's 6 million and is that including doing the mechanicals? So, is that is that even been evaluated? Because I mean, you're at the 25 year mark, so they got to be done. I don't want to see a roof done. Not I know not put that in there somehow because I know

I mean it would be a waste of time and money.

Bruce, the mechanicals you're talking about the all the HVAC systems all the Yeah. All everything that's on top of that roof. All that Yeah.

mechanicals that are on that roof.

All the HVAC. Well, we can go to the next slide.

Okay.

The HVAC slide happens to be right after that. I mean you you see these units like the big units on the right. So those are that's the inside of one of those units and that's the outside. I mean there this is a immense this is like the size of a truck like a trailer.

Yeah, it really is. Um and there's there's multiple units these giant units on the on the roof. Um it would be a mistake not to do them right.

I don't know how much that's going to cost. I don't know how much MSBA is going to contribute to that part of the project, if any. They might not. Um, they might only I I wouldn't be surprised if it's only the actual roofing material and the flashing relating to these to, you know, to these units. I So, yeah, it's it's going to be a very expensive project. to hear though

honestly is that you both Gary and Jim are talking about it and have an idea of the timeline and you're kind of thinking ahead which is a little bit of a change from the past.

Yeah. I mean looking at these photos here um you would think that maybe a new unit would be a little bit more efficient, less less space on the roof.

Um but yeah, that is a big that is a big um Oh yeah, piece of the roof there.

And and now you're right, Bruce. I think if we're looking at the mechanicals [snorts] of this, does a smaller unit take less space up? I mean, what does that do to the roof? Um, the design.

I think I think the So, from doing roofs at UMass, like those what that's built on is made for that kind of weight. So, even if you shrink it down, you're still going to have to wrap that in roof material. So, it's actually going to increase the amount of roof covering that you're going to end up doing. Yeah. So, slightly less splashing, but the roof, it's kind of not really a a change. I

think the thing is is like when I look at it is you're bringing in cranes, all your costs are going to go up significantly because if you're going to replace a unit like that and not to mention lead time.

We're we're you know we're doing a building on campus in Larsson and I think some of the lead time on that equipment is like 12 months.

Mhm.

So if you're looking at next summer at getting stuff done like now is the time and it might even be a little late but now is the time when you get your OPM to to con consider it. I think it's going to in you're going to have massive uh um scope creep, you know, like the scope of this project is going to go up significantly. So, uh I don't think six million is I mean,

yeah. And who does this who would that fall under, you know, because they're talking about the roof and the state paying for their project manager? Will the project manager also include all the accessories that we've got to contemplate or is he going to just say you look at the existing roof and replacing the existing roof and that's it.

I think MSBA has an interest in this roof project being successful and obviously these are weak points from a roofing perspective as well because they're penetrations in the roof that are of significant concern. I I I got to believe that they're not going to just tell us, "Okay, we're going to put new flashing around all your old stuff and walk away." I'm hoping as soon as the owner's project manager, maybe even

before as soon as MSBA assigns their point person, we can say, "Okay, do you want us to start having this evaluated separately? Do you need a you know do you or or can the owner's project manager incorporate this into the feasibility you know study and we get an architect on you know designers on board and let's go let's let's figure out exactly what's this going to cost. I I can't see that's why this the 6 million

that I initially believed now we've been asking for a roof for a long time. Um it's been quite a few years.

Is the OPM to the physicalist I don't know. Yeah. So, so the the OPM is going to be doing the feasibility study. I think what's going to happen to designer once they bring an architect, you're going to have to bring an MEP.

Yep.

To look at the system that you have in place, whether it can be modified because they might just say, "Hey, let's just replace the sides, the guts, and we can reuse the shell."

It may.

So, but I think what they may do is keep that on. They might want to project manage that because you said it might be easier for them to do it and the roof at the same time rather than have two competing. It definitely will be. So, I'm hopeful that that's the way this is going to go, but I don't have a I don't have a definitive answer about that at the moment.

Yeah. I I think part of the feasibility study is is the school might want to push hard on getting them to get an MEP on there to Oh, yeah.

assess the uh the HVAC and Oh, no. And and is that 600,000 that you have here, does that include replacing some of this or is this just like mostly? Okay.

Mostly not. This is for other needs. Um we have Do you have a breakdown per school or is it just the overall Mr. Kylie?

We have targeted areas that we need to tackle first at the other schools. Um, and some of it dep I mean obviously the the high school is would be by far the most expensive Mhm.

part of this. Um, and there is work that we need to do at the high school irrespective of the of the roof project.

Um, so for those that that were there on that tour on the 15th, things weren't ideal in that building that day. Um, they haven't been ideal unfortunately for a long time. in terms of the the temperature control and the and the um you know the operation of equipment in that building. So th this will target the high school making sure that it's um that you know it's a learning environment that you know is conducive.

We're sort of not fixing things a lot at the middle school because some of these, you know, some of these a couple of these pictures are middle school pictures.

It's just the scope of it is just not we just can't tackle it. And um ideally if we replace the building maybe we can survive for a few years but that puts a lot of I mean not having fresh air in the appropriate quantities and like there's there's a lot to consider with things like that. So I imagine these buildings weren't designed to have uh fresh air brought in. So I mean I think

the the reason I asked is at some point you know after doing the tour We don't want to be throwing good money at at a building that's going to potentially that we're looking at replacements and that that will be.

And if you could limp that along, we would, you know.

Yeah, that's what we've been doing though. I mean, no, I understood. But I mean, yeah, Mr. Bernard's like we're not we're not focused on the middle school, but should be.

Yeah. If if and will have to be if we don't do something with that building, then Yeah.

We I mean we've got to do something with the HBAC system. But if the HBAC system does get replaced or uh as part of the roof project that would include balancing and maybe take care of some of the issues that you're having at the high school.

That's our hope. We do have we do have new a new control system in the high school. So, well, new two years old and it's not it's not working well because the the equipment is failing on the ends of the of the control system. I mean, control system's nice, but if it's controlling faulty equipment, doesn't matter.

Exactly.

We're chasing [clears throat] constantly. So, um, yeah. So, I'm just I'm just I think I think for me I'm just trying to wrap my head around what that 600 where is it primarily focused and if you know and it sounds like it I mean that's really it would not be the middle school like wouldn't be a complete unit a whole new unit.

Oh, it wouldn't Yeah. I mean, but we wouldn't be we wouldn't be targeting that. We'd be targeting some of the some of the smaller equipment at the high school, the end the end equipment in the rooms, univvents, things like that that we have to um you know that we have to repair or replace. Um at the high school, at the Quinn school.

Yeah, I know when on the tour when I know when we went on the tour, it seemed like some of the rooms were like the heat was like it was 93 in one of the rooms. There was no like, you know, and it was bad.

I think there's no there's no mechanical way to override some of those and forget about all our techn especially like in the middle school. There's got to be a way that you can mechanically fix so everybody's at that or is it like an off somewhat same the middle school pneumatics still so it's like out of the question do we know what pneumat like pneumatics is is air through tubes running

if has a leak then you hear a history doesn't work and we're entirely on off like for the most part we're on off at the middle no no nohere to share the wealth I think I I think the issue that I saw was at the high school. We were in a room and it was like 93 I think might have that's embarrassing and we told like we immediately following that had a meeting with our HBAC contractor

and said this could not have been more embarrassing for us too. Um but it's reality and unfortunately you know but that's how things get done sometimes. I mean it's it happens like you know like you can't control something breaks it breaks. There's nothing you can do about it. Yeah.

So, we we'll do the best we can. Um the high school track, this has been on the list for for quite a bit. Um I put a couple of the the the photos just to show you, you know, the deterioration of the cracks. The middle photo is a patch that that we did to an area. So, we're doing that in areas where we're we're cutting out sections of the track and patching them. But that's that's a

short-term fix because then you have cracks where the where you patched. So, um it's utilized daily for, you know, for for PE and athletics and a lot of community members walk the track at at DHS. I see it all the time. It's 25 years old, probably designed to be a 15 to 20 year track max. Um so, we've gotten our money's worth. We had scheduled Mr. Bernat scheduled drilling core samples just to be absolutely clear

when we do replace this what what the subsurface is is is made up of and what the quality of it is. Um so unfortunately they get bogged down and didn't get out here and now we've got all this snow and so in March they're going to drill the core samples for that. But we're estimating a $950,000 replacement cost based on the the couple of vendors that we've had visit the site.

Jim, was it not six years ago, maybe maybe longer, that it was only $500,000?

Yeah.

And by us not borrowing or not doing anything about it, now we're looking at a $950,000.

That's what we believe. Yeah.

So, I'm just trying to prove the point.

Unfortunately, the um last administrative was not one for borrowing.

Uh that has almost doubled. Those borrowing costs would have been less than that if we had done that back then. And then it's just another proven point that sometimes we just have to bite the bullet and start doing a lot more borrowing. We've got the borrowing capacity and until we start really taking care of the projects, this is an ongoing thing u for the last six years or so that nothing gets accomplished if

you don't do that.

Yeah, I mean I think I I mean I I agree.

I know there's a limited pool of funds and but but I think if um I mean it would obviously make sense to borrow and get it done and um I think the ultimate bite the bullet is the next slide.

We tal we did talk about combining this project with some other projects and do one big borrowing, right?

Yes. So, [clears throat] so I mean this build replacing Dartmouth Middle School is you have to bite the bullet because you have 1922, 1955, 1955 1956 1967.

Those are your reality and you have to replace a building. And it's the MSBA just rated it our worst building. No, no surprise. Obviously, um [clears throat] we we need to do something about it.

We've talked about, you know, our tour and and it's not a good learning environment and our staff are amazing and do good work with kids and we're lucky for that. But it's not a never this cannot go on forever. Um, we think that a new pro a new school project would offer some some great potential for the community in terms of considering a the possibility of a new high school rather than a middle school

on that site.

It would um allow us to have a modern competitive high school when we're sending kids to other other schools like New Bedford Vogue, Bristol Aggie and private schools. We'd be more competitive.

We [clears throat] would have a high school in the center of town, which I think is a huge advantage for the for the whole community. It's a hub of activity. Um we it would allow us to likely retire a building at the Kush which is the Kushman School which was built in 1922 and that's one for a tour sometime too.

It's a quick tour but it's and I think that's the important thing is that and I had [clears throat] mentioned this at the walkthrough is if if the town decides to build a building is to take buildings offline. Last time we didn't do that and I think we we talked about you know the Gilly School going offline but it was going to go offline anyway. So, we built a school.

We didn't take anything offline. We didn't retire any of our inventory where now if you do build a new school.

Um, there's the potential of taking two of your oldest buildings offline.

Mhm. Yes.

And it still leaves two schools I mentioned that if we wait another 25 years to build, we'll have two elementary schools that will be over a hundred years old.

Right. [clears throat] So, um, it's important that we stagger projects, and I think that you're going in that direction, which is good, but to to replace four schools at once is not something that I don't think will ever won't happen. I mean, it happened in the 50s because of, you know, government subsidies, but it just won't happen nowadays. So, um, that's really something to consider to really keep

the, uh, Potter school and DLA school up to date as much as we can because I don't think those are going to get replaced. anytime soon.

And I think the real selling point for the new high school is what you presented when you first put it out there. There's benefit to everybody in town. It's not just the high school. The reconfiguration of the grades would allow more room at the elementary schools. Um the junior high would be in in a newer school.

So that's important to remember, I think.

Yeah. So, I mean, we're not asking for any money, oddly enough, at the moment, anyway. But I I think that this committee's um support would be key in terms of um we are hoping to in the ne within the next month complete a statement of interest that for the Massachusetts School Building Authority for the consideration of the school committee and the select board.

um midappril is the deadline for submission of the statement of interest for a core what they call a core program uh which is either a major major renovation or replacement of a building.

So [snorts] our hope is to submit that in this cycle and see what MSBA says.

Right. We yeah and we've I mean I think long range we had also Oh yeah.

Yeah. supported this totally and stuff like that after looking at all our major projects in the town and stuff like that. My question is is this money doesn't have to get appropriated or voted on until after the uh Mass School Board uh puts us on their list.

That's correct. I I would suggest we don't take any action outside of consideration of the statement of interest by the select board and the and and the school committee, but I do think, you know, this this committee is an important part of the process in terms of the town's facilities overall.

And, you know, if if you if you um want to consider supporting that that submission, I think it would be great.

Um, you know, we can certainly come back and I can talk to you again once I get have the statement of interest in hand done.

Although it it wouldn't be a vote of this board to authorize submission. I think you know your support for for moving forward in that way. It would be great.

Yeah. And um Jim had put in as you know in the prior years about $100 million for that. I mean that could obviously could fluctuate over time as we go over that used to be the whole project.

Now that's probably our half and I don't even know about that like what there was a town in Rhode Island that just uh they're they're going to be over the $400,000 million million all toll for their school. Unbelievable.

And they're over budget and they went back for an override for a little bit more and they got rejected. So now they're in a world of hurt. they're going to have to downscale their activities center and stuff like that part of it.

Yeah.

Yeah. I think like for me I'd love to see u the report.

I'm sure the committee would too love to see the report before you know I'll certainly certainly very supportive of what you have to do but [clears throat] we'd like to see it first and Sure.

Yeah. We can circulate it to the group.

Yeah. Great.

Can we go back to the track for a minute? Certainly.

Say you got the money today.

How long what's the timeline for doing the work? Do you have to do it? Oh, pretty short. Okay. You don't have I mean, if I had the money today, if I had the money on June 2nd for a First of all, we don't have the money on June 2nd. We don't have the money till July 1st right?

If you voted if the town meeting voted it on June 2nd, that's tricky because how do I contract? I mean, unless I get very lucky and have contractors who have no summer work planned and in this business, that's not going to happen.

And I would imagine it depend on how your your course come back. If they come back favorable, then right, you know, versus like, hey, you need to do some site work to make this drainage or whatever.

Yeah. The length of the project will be determined by the the layers that are necessary and um but but yeah, I I think it'll be a challenge. Now, now Jim, is that only the surface or is that would that does that um total also include if in fact it some subsurface work which we know we're going to have to do some there's multiple layers of you know of material.

We know they're going to have to do some we're hoping not.

That's why you're doing those core things. Yeah.

Yeah. Well, that whole area was elevated when we built stuff like that. So, I would think most of it's all I think settled and won't be as bad as you would think.

I hope so. Yeah, that's what we were thinking.

Yeah.

So, um, we want we need to replace a 2013 F250.

Did I get that right, John? F250.

2012.

2012. Okay.

Um, you you see uh you see it rusting out there. So the we we use our few maintenance vehicles every day for maintaining the six buildings. Um this this truck has surpassed its useful life. They they're actually still using it to snowplow and stuff. Um but this isn't going to pass inspection. We [clears throat] Well, I won't talk about whether we inspect it or not, but we should.

Um Right. Yeah. We're getting to that point where it's going to be the Flintstones. Yeah. What is the mileage on that now?

That was about 125,000 on that.

Yeah.

Gas.

Yeah.

Yeah.

So, we have a couple of vehicles in the list, but this one is the worst top. We have another one that's almost as bad. So, Right. But, well, they were all bought.

We're going to do one at a time.

Unfortunately, they were all bought at the same time.

Yeah.

We bought what? Four. Yeah.

Four of them, right at the same year.

Yeah. Yeah.

And that one vehicle is the 110 or is that Yeah, one vehicle.

Yeah.

Is there any possibility of a truck being available from DPW or from one of the the other departments?

Right now we're going through an inventory list.

I thought would be in good shape.

Most of the stuff we're trying to get get rid of auction auction.

No, they're not in any better shape than us.

In fact, they use some of our equipment.

Yeah.

And and you just cut the brand new one.

We did, thankfully. And but how long what did that take then?

A year.

It was over a year, but funded that.

Yeah.

Yeah. From when we ordered it to when we received it. Yeah. Just came in just in time for the snow removal, which is good.

It's a basic white, you know.

Yeah. It's nothing fancy. It's like It's nothing fancy. Yeah.

Now, this will include a plow.

Yes. So, this is a full setup. That's why the full setup with with um you know uh storage boxes in the back, everything.

We did. Yes. some more talking about bathroom renovations.

We did all the part of school.

Yeah, there was some bathroom renovations. Go ahead. Stadium renovations.

Oh, bath bathroom's coming up.

Okay.

On the list.

She's she's jumping ahead.

Um, so stadium renovations.

I mean, this is a project that I think I began working on in 2013.

Um we we made it took us five years to make a lot of progress, but we did. And um we installed the we installed the turf um which has been [clears throat] an unbelievable improvement to um both athletics, physical education, and community use.

Uh so I I think I think it's been a fantastic investment, but to complete this project, we're estimating 5.6 million and really that's focused on the stands, the two sets of stands and the concourses and and accessibility to the to the facility. I mean, I put this quote here because I think it's important to know that in n in 1947 when when they were building it, community members, it was a joint effort. It was

not um funded fully by the town. It was a joint effort between community members and and town folk who who built it right after World War II. and um you know they they gave it to the town at that point um for specifically future operation and maintenance and for use of all the town.

So um and it's it's an important memorial for the community and it's an important everyday use and it it is a bit of an embarrassment as the first impression of a lot of people who come to Dartmouth. We have a lot of events at that stadium and it's it's it's pretty embarrassing. Um, we want to replace gut the entire insides of the stands and and repair the stands, make sure they're

going to be good for another 30 years, all the concrete work that needs to be done and then do bathrooms and kitchen facilities and um in the stands in a new press box and make everything accessible. So because right now none of it none of it is technically accessible.

Um so our hope is that we do that project I have a question. Uh now that we're going down the path of potentially building a new high school and it's going to be in the goal I [snorts] guess would to be in the similar location that that we have here. Would it make sense to add this as part of that project and limp along or is it something that we need to address

here? Because I know just from seeing recent schools built, uh, you know, Bristol Plymouth, um, uh, Dery, like that was all of their fields, athletic fields were included. We didn't include it when we built our high school, but it seems like a lot of these, uh, schools are including athletic fields as part of their uh, um, school buildings. So is this something process changed after this high school?

This high school was one of the last under the old model.

Yeah. No, totally. I and I I suppose I'm not I'm not trying to criticize how the school is done. I mean, we have a a great school and like I mentioned at our meeting, I think facilities and administration for the school department has done a great job at maintaining the schools that we have considering how old they are. We have, you know, as I mentioned, other communities real close

by that had schools built in the 70s that have been replaced. you know, Westport, Fall River. Um, and we're still hanging on to schools that are 75 years old. So, that's a testament to, you know, the work that you folks have done. But I guess my question is is would that be something that we look at maybe not replacing, but certainly adding it on to that project?

It it could be incorporated with that project. I doubt that the MSBA will participate in that part of it. So I think um you know given that you're likely years away um I mean the the cost of you know construction escalation is going to impact this and it's going to impact it one way or another and if we're not starting it now then I think it's certainly fair to consider it when we do

when we do the the whole high school project. I I I would imagine that when we do a high school a new building project over here, we would have a field component as part of that. I would envision it currently because because Dartmouth Memorial Stadium is is somewhat unique and and um I think an important part of the community. I I would say that the fields that are directly related to the new project would likely be

um other sports. You know, it would not be the primary soccer, football, lacrosse, field hockey field that Dartmouth Memorial Stadium is. I think that would remain as the primary field for those sports. the other field they would be, you know, baseball, softball, and other sports would be part of the new building project for sure. Um, with hopefully a multi-purpose turf field as part of that project. This

could I mean, if we don't get it done by that time, then I think we should certainly explore incorporating it with that project for sure.

Thank you. You're welcome.

So, this is uh we got um a little I I put a little before and after picture because I thought that was better than showing more befores where so you know this is what we're dealing with in the 1950s and60s buildings. We've done a lot of work on this. We're asking for $200,000 which is going to make a lot of headway in terms of updating the bathrooms. It will be in involving both uh plumbing fixtures,

partitions. You'll see that it looks like that partition's crooked, but it isn't. It's just the the scope of the lens there. Um and uh you know, it's making a huge difference in these in these spaces and unfortunately different kinds of material.

Yeah, better material, right? Yeah, better material, um, long-term use, non, uh, you know, scratch resistant, um, and really just making a better environment in those bathrooms. The the thing that I was pretty have been pretty worried about for a long time is little kids in those bathrooms where you have rusty metal, sharp edges, and they're little kids, so they're going to do things that they shouldn't.

And um so we just need to continue this project and and I think um we we made we made we made a great it's been great.

Now now how much will that if that's awarded how much will that do how many bathrooms will that do?

Oh quite a bit. one a lot.

Yeah, it looks nice.

Wanted to use our schools if you could show the people.

[clears throat] And this this one was in the 1960 these pictures were from the 1967 Quinn school bathrooms. But um but yeah, we've it's been great.

It's a huge improvement. And now that's off the list for and for those bathrooms hopefully off the list for 25 30 years, you know, and that is a good idea to do the before and after for sure.

Yeah. Yeah.

Um so we're getting to our priority 3es, which priority threes are like things you're supposed to do basically. Um music and athletic equipment replacement. We had a music equipment article a couple of years ago. Um and then one about eight years before that.

Um we so we we did replace a couple years ago a fair amount of music equipment but unfortunately music equipment is pretty expensive. Like Mima can can run you 15,000. So it doesn't go that far. We need to continue to you know modernize our equipment. Um, we have not had an athletic equipment replacement article in my time here. Um, so we've done that all peace meal, whatever we had to do, Brett, that

breaks. We've done peace meal, but we really do need to we really need to tackle some stuff um, in those areas.

So, at some point, I'd like to Music is pretty easy. It's instruments.

What What are What are the athletic athletics? I mean, so it's everything from your um outdoor athletic equipment for for track and other sports, your indoor equipment. We've done some work on um on like basketball hoops and things like that. We need to continue that and modernize that. Those those are used, by the way, every night in the winter by So they're used all day by us and then every night uh by by community

groups, DGAL, DYA, we have a travel group that that's town um residents. So, I mean, our gym space is really highly used, which is good.

Um it is it's fantastic. It's fantastic and it's a good opportunity for the community to get in the schools. But but you know some of our being older 1922 and the 50s and 60s there's a fair amount of wear and tear on a lot of on the gyms and the related equipment. So at some point we need to we need to tackle that.

Is it is it time to go back to the old ways? We used to have a boosters club.

Yeah. Yeah. I mean, look at the uh DSMA parent group and stuff like that.

If if they weren't around that the music department would be nothing, you know, with the the music program itself would be nothing like it is. They are amazing.

They fund a large amount of our operation as it relates to the experience that our kids have in music.

And at one point, we used to have a boosters club. Yep.

They'd have dances for the, you know, I mean, all the parents, I mean, there was a lot of activities going on and they would supply the new uniforms or, you know, I think the busing for all the events, you know. So, I I hate to say it, but I mean, we got to start relating back to that that these people in town just can't expect just the town to pay for these things that the people

themselves that are using it have to actually start coming up and step up, more volunteer work, more I think. So I will say my my son does play sports and I know for every sports team like uh you know golf, hockey certainly and baseball they have to do they have to fundra and that goes to getting you know equipment uh for hockey was helped like helmets, gloves, it's different things

that goes back into the program. I think that like the the programs that that he's involved in anyway and my daughter too, they do kind of that stuff, but like I know what you're saying like some like padding is we expected to have like you know that should be or like a rim on a basketball that should be provided by the school not necessarily the physical Yeah. the but but for the the most part that we

don't necessarily have a booster club but they do put the onus on the on the kids to go out and fund raise and you know and do that. So, I I will say they they do some of that, but maybe more of a centralized thing for all of athletics might be an idea to go because it's every every season it's like, "Hey, you need to fund raise. You need to fund

raise. You need to fund raise." And it's for every program. It's it's how we're surviving.

It's like death by a thousand paper cuts sometimes. It's like, "Oh, Super Bowl squares, this that that."

Before you know it, you're like, "Geez, like if you charge a little bit more money for the program, then I wouldn't have to." Yeah, but I I so I hear what you're saying, but it's but I think this the individual sports do a good job of putting the onus on the students to try to get uh funds and I I think you could speak to that, Mr. Kyler, like that of how they do with fundraising with

Oh, they do well. They do well with fundraising. I mean, I I I feel like I mean that that is the way we survive as as a you know, as in terms of athletics.

That's that's a key component because we don't have we don't have a lot in our budget um for athletics. We definitely do not have enough and um yeah music and athletics I mean the we're the parents are are making the difference.

In the past you've had discussions I think about sponsorships.

Mhm.

And I just don't know how that I mean I obviously got turned down and they were afraid it was going to get Yeah. It's a it's a slippery slope. I mean, we have a school committee policy on on um sort of um relations with u you know official relationships with um with businesses in the community. Um we do some limited you know advertising on things. Um it's it's an interesting

you know you want to be you got to be really careful. not because you're associating yourself with um this entity and you know and there may be some businesses that you don't you just wouldn't want to associated with um for whatever reason it's not consistent with something you know that should be in schools in terms of substances or things like that. So you got to be careful when you open it up as

to how you how you do that.

Yeah. A lot of it over the time, you know, they've seen like a lot of these corporations, they've cut back a lot on their Oh, yeah.

What they're donating.

Yeah. But you go to like used to give us all the scoreboards and everything, right? Like Coca-Cola, but we can't even have that anywhere on school grounds anymore. So, you know, what's the, you know, like you got the you've got the pornogans, you know, they've got the board set up for their sponsors every year for the for the concert series and stuff like that. If it's set up a little bit more like that,

then you know, is there a possibility or it's maybe it's something that people have to start looking at?

Yeah. Yeah.

So, I think your presentation's almost over, but I have a question more for Gary and and so we're going to need to borrow for the roof and it's probably going to be in the range of 6 million.

if we did an article that included some of these other things, would that is that something we could do because that could maybe bite off a big chunk of that apple that they're asking for in terms of stuff. So like if we you know if we said the track because the track's almost a million dollars, right? So if we said the roof track and some of the larger projects here, obviously like the bus and stuff

which has got a short term shortterm payback we wouldn't do, but like you know a track is a 20-year thing. A roof is a 20-year thing. So, some of these that have a longer time frame, could we kind of put those together and say, "Hey, we're doing the roof and the track and the HVAC system, which is again 20 20 year, you know, things, which makes sense for borrowing versus, hey, we're

going to borrow for a a bus that's going to be replaced in 5 years, and we're still paying for it." So, yeah, we've talked about that uh in the group here. I think last year we started having some real discussions on that.

Um, I would just I would check to see if an MS the MSBA um article would have to be or the borrowing have to be separate from everything else. But it's a good point. I think that, you know, combining some of these and not only just for schools, but you know, let's talk about a DPW, let's talk about, you know, those other groups. I think once we get a

sense of where we are at the end of these meetings, we should then explore um, you know, what that looks like in combination with what the schools need for the roof.

Yeah. The only reason I brought that up is because we have It sounds like we're going to have to go for one for the roof anyway. And if we did one that was just kind of focused on schools, that might be a little easier for people to understand than going DPW schools this that and like you know people's allegiances I would say fall short. We can look at different options. Just um remember that every

time we go out to the market it costs substantial amount of money.

Absolutely. Absolutely. So, we'll take we'll take we'll obviously take a look at that. It's going to be one of the items I think we bring up at the end of these meetings is to talk about going forward with smaller when I say smaller, I mean we're not talking about the $110 million projects. These are the smaller uh projects up to five $6 million that we need to we need to discuss. We talked

about that last year. I think we need to have a a more and that's part of that funding of putting the money away into that long term right is something that we can grab at. Yeah, maybe maybe there's a hybrid approach, you know, uh maybe we we we use some of those funds in combination with either the roof or either some things that the schools need and and we did that last year, remember the $500,000 um

Yeah, I was just thinking like, you know, the stands is 5 million, the roof is 6 million, the track is a million. I mean, that right there alone, again, when you add a few of these things that I think have that long term, it's it's an easy it's it makes sense to folks when you say, "Hey, these are 20-year items that we're borrowing for like, you know, versus, you know, a bus, which again like

we should be able to use a short term.

We should be able to use free cash on something like that."

Yeah. So, I think the strategy going forward is we need to look at that, have more conversation at the end of these meetings as I mentioned. But I mean, you could be north of of 15 million if you started to add up all these, right? But but it but if it solves a problem for the schools and it takes out a good portion of those priority ones, then with free cash, maybe we do fund,

you know, the instruments like because we have free cash to be able to do that, you know, um as opposed to trying to fund large projects with such a short amount of money that we have here, you know.

Yeah. Yeah. Both Cody and I have talked about um potentially uh having to do something shorter sooner than later.

Problem is what what is the timeline?

Because at that point you have to have it for a vote. Am I Am I right? Not just town meeting, but it has to go into Yeah. It would have to be a dead exclusion.

Dead exclusion have to go to the ballot.

Yeah.

Which has to go.

Well, so that's realistically probably not this April. I think we'd be looking at next April. Um, and we've talked about in order to, you're right, as far as kind of allegiance and getting it to pass, but we also, um, there's a lot of, unfortunately, the mindset with some people is I don't have kids in the school, right?

So, so when we look at this, um, and we have needs across town. We plan to put a package together with kind of what we feel are highest priorities. Long range, um, we've talked about this. They have some recommendations. We're going to be presenting to the select board on March 9th what those recommendations are and um a lot of that is you know some sort of borrowing package in the next year or

two probably in that you know 25 to $40 million range to get a lot of these you know5 $6 million projects completed which includes the roof you know the the stadium some u necessary upgrades at DPW water wastewater and so on and so forth and they'll be funded through various mechanisms Um but essentially we'll need the debt exclusion, right? So if you're going to we're going to do a special election that's going to

cost 15,000. Let's make it worthwhile and not just one project and then the next year we're having to do something else and you know I think that if we're going to go out for a borrowing, we're going to make it almost like an infrastructure borrowing that we would we would include the schools and and so on and so forth.

Yeah, that makes sense. You basically could change your timeline then instead of waiting until this April or the April after that, you could actually change it. We could say, "Okay, in the fall if we really wanted to, if we could put together our packages."

Yeah.

Because then we could turn around and eat up a lot of this stuff and everything else that we hear this next couple of weeks. If we could actually put together a package, we can also But it won't it still have to be voted on at a Right. But then if you do the special election, would would a special election would you know $15,000 is really peanuts compared to what you could save if you do it right.

I agree.

I would [clears throat] think.

Yeah. You got to again Yes. But we have to be uh mindful of if you have a special election specifically for a debt exclusion, what will the voter turnout be and what will the mindset be of the voters?

It's going to be on the mindset of what you really want to put that money towards and that's that's it. But and hopefully at this point, I mean, you've gotten so many groups now uh setting forth for promoting the new school, you know, and then we also know we have to do so much with the water and sewer. So, you've got groups that are definitely going to go.

So, if we can combine it all so that way you grab the whole and general picture at the last town meeting, we we heard that there was general support for this. Not we didn't have many specifics to tell people about but um they understand and the point was made that the longer we wait the more costly it's going to be.

Yeah. So the only recommendation and I think this is for not just for the schools but for all departments is I like what you did with the how you did the bathrooms but you know being on this committee for a while it's like we approve approve approve and we never really see get to see what the results are. So if in the future if you could take five or 10 minutes on projects that

are maybe one or two years ago that we that have been completed and especially now that it's going to be you know uh available online so for the the town folks have the uh availability to see you know where that money is going to is huge. I know Tim Barber has done that and it's like and it's a great presentation. I appreciate that you have done that and it's sometimes we only get to see

this is bad, this is bad, this is bad, this is bad like gez like it could be kind of, you know, but to show like hey listen this is what we done and maybe it's a a picture of a of the new truck or like you know the bathroom was fantastic spending the money see the results.

So if you could do that at the beginning of like the stuff we're happiest about.

Yeah. I mean that'd be great because that that will help us see that what we've done is actually you know going well because in the time we've approved articles and like they just sit there for years and they don't get used and Gary's done a great job and Cody has done a great job to kind of reclaim some of that money. Uh it didn't happen for years and it was kind of

tough to see like you see like a 10-year article like well we could have used that money to do something else you know and u so if you could do that that'd be that'd be fantastic and very appreciative.

Okay. Anything?

Just thank you for your consideration. I know um that there's a limited you know pool of funds and I know there's plenty of other needs besides the schools and um but I always appreciate your you know your efforts to support us and support the community and the kids in the community and um I will in terms of in terms of borrowing the MSBA piece is a pretty big factor into that. So I'll be

sure you know we we Mr. Hatad and Mr.

Guero and I meet regularly. Um uh but in between that if I get any idea exactly what the timeline is from MSBA then I'll share that with them so we can start you know start thinking about the the the strategy for timing as we move forward.

Can can you I mean maybe we've discussed it enough or maybe we can ask you enough is you know we've we've turned around and turned around and prioritized things for things that if we hold off into fall yes it still works into your schedule or I need this approved this round to be able to get this accomplished this year or for the summer.

You know what I mean? Because we know we know like the like the flooring flooring can only be done in the summer.

It's only going to be done in the summer. So, we've got to approve it this this round so you can get started on it and get that done this summer.

Yep.

And I'm sure the technology is something that that is important to be It's important too. You got to you got to you got to get that in the schools and get set up over the summer. Um the the I mean if if if we're gonna get money in June, it might not be feasible to actually complete a playground over the summer because you you've you've got a lot of logistics in terms of

so that is maybe more a fall. I mean the my biggest worry with the bus is what happens if it doesn't pass inspection. It doesn't work and leaves. That's and that's a safety issue at this point.

I I I feel like the bus should be done sooner rather than later. Um the telephones I mean so the they they'll stop being supported in 2028. It it would be tricky to do during school but maybe I would imagine that even though the maintenance probably just goes up and like they probably don't make it anymore but your maintenance cost will go up because that's Is that a whole rewiring?

You got to rewire no it's cloud based.

So it's all data stuff.

I don't want to speak it's kind of what I do. So it's IP based. So it's all computer based. So but is that something you look at saying it's the fall? Because if it's not going to it's possible that that could be the fall because if if it's not going to be updated, I mean you got until 2028 really to I know that's coming quick.

Yeah, I know. I know. Well, I would say like there's going to be some logistics like they're going to have to do some stuff on the back end to to make that work like the their network connectivity. They have to get some sip line. There's a a few things that they would have to do that, you know, we've done.

Yeah.

Uh but that's all stuff that can get done kind of like in the back end, you know, all figured out. So when they do go live, it's a But the funding has to be there. But I I would imagine I could probably relate. But that's Well, I'm gonna refer to your judgment on that stuff because, you know, I don't understand most of the deep stuff there.

Yeah. I mean, yeah, that that may that may weigh. I mean, the high school roof obviously we've talked about. I we don't know exactly exactly when that'll be, but I doubt it'll be the June 2nd town meeting. Um, HVAC. The problem there is we're running out of money. Um, we have an article right now. There's not a lot left in it. And um, when we run out, I don't know how we fix that stuff. So,

um, I I would hope maybe we could get something in June for that.

The track we talked about a little bit.

I don't know that that could actually be accomplished um in time if we get the money in June 2nd. So, unfortunately, that might be something for the fall.

Um new renovated school. Yeah, we want that in June.

Um of what year?

Yeah. Ve vehicle replacement. I mean, like like Mr. Brook said it it it's taking us a year to get these vehicles and we got a vehicle that's it would not pass inspection for sure. I mean, we're using it. So, it's a town vehicle. I don't know. I don't know what that means, but it's like So, how many vehicles in the fleet? Six.

We have a dump truck, a box truck. We have Yeah, we'd be

This truck was under ti. Yeah, this is actually so I mean I think we should do that sooner rather than later, but um you know and then stadium bathrooms we can only bathrooms are tough to do during the school year. We did do some though some this fall and you know Mr. Bernard coordinated that where we we just closed bathrooms for a day, 2 days, 3 days and then we

Is there any money any money left in previous articles for bathrooms to a little bit a little bit of money for some equipment but nothing nothing that we would be using like we couldn't redo a bathroom.

So I guess I guess the question is is like I know you're asking for that but if we had enough to fund say half would that keep you going Yeah.

to do bathrooms? I think that's kind of Yeah, but that would be something. I mean, we basically at this point are, you know, we've we're we're doing it systematically and we're trying to tackle the worst ones first. So, um and we've done some of that. So, that's great. But yeah. Yeah. I mean, that's that's one that can be scaled. Yes.

Okay.

And then because right right now, I mean, I just added it up with like 1.585.

Yeah. Uh, if we took all your spring ones right now.

Yeah. I mean, I would encourage Yeah.

You know, that's with that's with the ones that could be done.

That's with the that's with the bathrooms and the truck. You know, you take those off, now you're down to, you know, 1.2 75. So, Mhm. the ones the ones that could be done in in the summer for timing, right?

One one of my biggest fears is the HBA6 because it's an everyday I've got that in there. I've got I've got that and that one point too. You know, I don't say we need that, but some because it's an everyday occurrence where it's a motor, it's a baron pump 5,000.

So my question is that is that a scalable amount too or Yes. Yes. But it's also we just don't know, right? No, I I understand but again like if it could be SC if it's like hey we need the full amount, we need the full amount and but if it could be scalable that's I think that's my question. Okay.

It could be over a couple town meetings or something.

Does doing one bid on those jobs save any money?

No.

No.

No. Because we our jobs are unfortunately it's all over the place and and for that you need specialized. I mean if you're working on HBAC something maybe that John could do but if it's if it's more involved you're going to you need you need to call somebody in.

We're doing some pumps and stuff right now. High school major big pumps.

Right.

Right. It's not just installing stuff in a ton of it, but there's some stuff that goes out. Yep.

Yeah.

And if we and if we were to, like you said, scale this and they happen to really need more than we've scaled, you can always go to the um emergency fund, right, through the finance committee to pull out money to finish something off and then come back to us.

We supply it. I mean, especially since we've got money, a million dollars in the long range, you know, we know we can we have the money put aside for capital.

Is it something that you can go through that process?

Speaking of um so so John took took a couple of pictures of like for instance, our generator is down at the high school. It's not working. So we did lose power by the way the other day briefly and the whole place is black. No heating runs, no nothing, no refrigeration, no anything runs. Um when that is now happening, um we it's going to be $40,000 to fix it.

Is that does that include totally unplanned?

Does that include emergency exits and all those lights? Okay. So that's totally black.

I mean that's that's a safety thing. I a big safety thing.

I mean certainly refrigeration. You don't want to lose stuff. But if if it's emergency exits and emergency lighting, I think that's really what you want to focus on cuz I mean the other stuff, yeah, you don't want to spoil like food.

But if you can't get out because you know people are falling downstairs because it's not emergency lighting and stuff, that's certainly a safety [clears throat] thing. So I if you need emergency funding, I would really focus.

Is that a Is that a repair or replacement?

Just a repair.

It's a radiator. The radiator We're talking about like the diesel generator.

Yes. Yeah.

Is that on the roof? Those generators.

Okay. Good. Okay.

So, is that on the agenda for the finance committee?

It it isn't at this point. I mean, I haven't requested I I have not we we're this is like a developing thing. You know, it's been a couple of weeks and we're trying to figure out, okay, exactly what it's going to take to to get this thing up and running. But, yeah, the whole radiator shot and the Yeah, if you could send me an email, Jim. Yeah, with like what's going [clears throat]

on with it and maybe some pictures.

Yeah.

And um Yeah, I didn't include the pictures.

Voices or whatever backup you have.

Yeah, we can do that.

But those things come up. So yeah. Yeah.

And that was never on the capital improvement list. You just didn't think I mean things fail.

It was working and then it wasn't. So they called me up. They're like this generator's down.

Is it Southshore that you guys use?

No, we use a company power generator.

But thank you.

Okay. Appreciate it.

Thank you for all the work you do.

It's not an easy job.

So, um, as [clears throat] we wrap up here, I'll just go through, uh, what we have coming up. The, um, we have the police on 218 at 9:00 and, uh, DPW, uh, water, sewer, trash on 32 at 9:00. And I've sent that schedule out, but as we get closer to the dates, I'll be sending the the agenda and also the um items that go along with it. Uh intentively on 225, uh we've got all the smaller

departments which only have like one or two requests. So we we don't have to do an hour increment for each one of those.

So it would be parks and wreck, library, DCTV, waterways, and um uh health. So we could probably do at eight, Gary. nine.

Nine.

Those are at nine. We could probably do a session on the 25th with all those.

I'm just trying to coordinate that right now. So, that's a tentative date for the 25th. So, the next time we'll meet will be 218. You'll also have the master schedule with everything on it. Uh so, you can review uh what the totals are for each department. Um that'll be done for the 18th.

Waterways is actually going to do a capital H harbor. Are they looking for a truck?

Nothing from admin.

We had an elevator. We had repairs to the elevator, but that was paid out of the um uh finance committee's uh fund.

The um reserve fund.

I've got an elevator on the list. Before we before we adjurnn, I want a motion that we have Gary as the chairman named as the chairman of this board.

I'll second that motion.

All in favor?

I approve.

Congratulations.

You might want to pick a a vice chair, too.

Oh, you you should make a motion for Bruce to be vice chair.

Yeah, I'll make a motion for Bruce to be vice chair.

Second.

All in favor? All in favor?

I Okay.

So, other than that, uh again, the next meeting date will be 218. Uh does anybody have anything else? Um, if I'm not around, will Zoom be available? I might be able to zoom in.

Yeah, we can set it. We'll talk to DC.

We'll talk to Pete. You want a motion to adjurnn?

Motion to motion to adjurnn.

Second. All in favor?

I Thank you. Thank you much.