Finance Committee Meeting March 19, 2026

Anyway, I'd like to call the finance committee meeting to order for March 19th. Please join me in the pledge of allegiance.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Uh please be aware this meeting is in person and we are being recorded.

So uh madam chair today um we uh have on our agenda we haven't had this in quite some time uh the uh greater regional vocational technical high school to go over as you know uh the assessment for the town and to go over some of the items that they um are looking forward to and some items that some projects that they're working on. I had forwarded that to the group. So, um we like to

invite uh Mike Watson to the the podium.

Good morning, good evening. What time of day is it?

Good afternoon, good afternoon.

They just rolled past into the next one.

So, well, they're going to start picking on you now.

Yeah, they will. Thank you very much for that. And I'm really happy to be here.

Um it has been a few years since we've been back before the Dartmouth Finance Committee, but as you know, uh we're perfectly willing to come every year. Uh these are taxpayer funds and we want to be able to uh speak directly to you folks and and towns people about any questions that they have what's happening at the regional vocational school district. Uh several members of this committee joined uh some of the

town uh administration at the Dartmouth day which we try to do annually if not bianually uh to make sure that we're inviting elected and appointed officials uh responsible into the community. We did one for New Bedford and for Haven uh to make sure they're able to see the school but also to understand kind of the strategic vision of what we're doing every single day. So, uh, it's great to

see all of you again. Um, we did send over the, uh, assessments for the last few years as Gary had asked us to do.

Um, we are in the process, just so you folks are aware of, of finalizing the FY27 budget. Our subcommittee of the school committee is actually meeting the next three Monday nights uh, at 6:30.

Uh, we have just completed an internal review of the, you know, the asks by members of our team. Uh, we're in the process of looking at that. certainly can answer questions that members may have tonight related to that. Uh, but I figured we would at least be able to share some of the assessment figures and things that that will be uh required of the town of Dartmouth while we service

kids. I I'm also able to speak a little bit to the lottery process which was implemented last year statewide. Uh that has contributed in this case to uh fewer students from the town of Dartmouth that are enrolled here and that's what you see most notably in your FY27 um assessment. So I'm happy to walk through this. I'm also happy to answer any questions. I have Pamela Stewart with us. She's our school business

administrator. She's certainly able to speak to any of the financial details that I'm unable to do so. And Zebaruto who's our director of facilities. Um that position obviously is responsible for a lot of the work that we're doing as we expand access to career technical vocational uh education as well as the upkeep and maintenance of a 50-year-old building next year. And so we're we're

very focused on that. And as I shared with members of the administration and finance committee folks, you see a lot of new school building projects that are popping up um across the Commonwealth, we see them in our local comprehensive districts as well. Um that's that's not where we are. Uh the building thankfully is in great shape. Um but I I want to be real upfront and honest as the as the

last note comes due at the end of the decade, our plan is to come back before the town meetings and city council to continue that. Right. Um, we we won't be asking for a $400 million new school, but we will be asking for renovations of a 50-y old building. And my approach to that is basically you're you've been making a debt payment for the last 15 years. Our hope is to be able to keep

that payment the same so it doesn't negatively impact the budgeting process for you folks as we address the next 20 or 30 years uh of regional vocational education in our region.

So, like I said, I'm happy to walk through this. I'm happy to answer questions. I'm not sure what the pleasure of the committee is. Could I ask a question? Um Mike, the um the transportation costs in like fiscal year 23 were way up and then fiscal year 24 plummeted way down. Was there any like rhyme or reason to how that uh worked out? Any scenario?

Transportation fixed costs and debt. And I'll call Pam up if I fumble this one, but they are a percentage of the operational budget. So as your student enrollment goes up, your cost goes up associated with that. So it's basically a percentage of the operating budget. So for example, whatever your your contribution rate is, your percentage of the minimum contribution to the district, transportation, fixed cost and

debt exclusion are the same percentage of what that overall budget is for the communities.

Mike, could go ahead Pam if you want to jump in.

Just wanted to add that the net of the transportation cost for each of the sending districts is net after the chapter 71 aotment that we have provided by the state. So it's our f it's our total cost minus the chapter 71 assessment that we received from the state then it's divided based on operational percentage ratio. I ask a question J.

Yes.

It might be helpful to explain the the um financing because I know that some sometimes when people come on and learn about this and they see that there's no input from us on the budget. Why is that? And that whole thing about um uh enrollment. Yeah. So, I'm going to start with that piece and then I'll pass it off to Pam to kind of do probably a better job on the on the percentage bake

ground the meat. But, so in Massachusetts, the funding formula per student is established by statute, right? Uh the challenge and sometimes where the confusion comes in for members is in Dartmouth, we pay a larger percentage of the per pupil cost whether the student goes to Bristol Aggie, Greater New Beford, Voke Tech, or the comprehensive district in Dartmouth.

That's just the way the statute is. It's based on what the the Commonwealth design determines is the community's ability to pay. Uh so for example, you may see that the New Bedford assessment and they have three times the number of students at least um that their assessment is equal or maybe just a little bit greater than what Faven and Dartmouth would pay per child and that's because of the community's ability to

pay. So from an enrollment standpoint, um that money is pretty much established based upon the funding formula. We're not asking for 6% more or any number like that that you would that you would see.

Okay.

Yes. Sorry.

No, no, no. That's all right. So, thank you for for for um the information and I I totally surfed your website and I appreciate the website, you know, very very much. As you know, I'm I'm fairly new. I appreciate Dartmouth Day.

Yeah. loved walking the building and the facility and all of that and just talking like I do here. So, thank you very very much for that. Um, I found the website really very informative. I read your pause. I appreciate all the events scrolling down as I get to uh be adult learner and figure that all out. I really appreciate the adult ed offerings to uh like wastewater service operators for their CEU certifications

and I think our DPWs and our we wastewater and CEUs for all of those certifications and and those off offerings are are really critical. So so thank you very much uh for that. Um when you say the operations ratio percentage is that October one enrollment from the previous year. So it's O one previous year all operating and debt all October one enrollment driven.

Yes. So fiscal 27 is October one of 2025's information.

Right. But I just see operations ratio but that's enrollment ratios.

Yes. Okay. The total student population your enrollment number divided by the total student.

Can I just interrupt briefly? Pam, can you possibly go to the microphone because it won't picked up the operational um budget number is based on the total student enrollment.

Then it would be the Dartmouth enrollment and then that would be the how the percentage is calculated.

Fabulous. And it's the October one of 2025 that is going to generate the fiscal 27.

Did all three towns come together at the same time in form the region?

I believe yes I believe the regional agreement from 1977 is all three towns signed at the same time.

And could we have a copy of that? I couldn't when I was surfing I couldn't I couldn't find that. Yes. Yes. Um, and I think that's really a very important piece because for those votes that people came in afterwards and debt was incurred prior to them joining you you you see some some communities with some struggles right now. So, it's it's good to know that that is all the same regardless moving forward. So, that's

very helpful.

Yes. I will forward it to Mr. Carrero tomorrow and then he can send it out to the Thank you very very much. I have a fun fact. I don't know what year, but years ago, the town of Dartmouth sued the Commonwealth of Mass because they felt that this was an unfair formula. And of course, they lost because it is law.

Remember that.

Well, it it's true because when you look at the chapter 70 for for the vote as a whole, that's 40 42 million. Chapter 70 as a whole. So 42 million. We're a minimum aid community.

And so that gets factored in in the equalized valuation calculation. So per pupil at, you know, 30,000 versus our below state average at eight is is kind of a juxtiposition that we're we're kind of um speaking about locally. Um in regards to excess and deficiency at 2 and a half% what what is the balance of excess and deficiency at this point?

I didn't bring that exact number with me this evening, but it is 5% of our operational budget. So it's around 2.4 2.6 million at this time.

Four 2.6.

Yes.

Great. Thank you very very much.

So let me just clarify that. So our you know the maximum we're allowed under the statute is 5% and so we are right up against the 5%. That is something that we try to do every single year. I would say you know I don't have the number either but 4.8 4.7% is where we are uh with that same goal uh at the end of this year to make sure when that's

certified that we're adding back to that account.

I appreciate that very very much. I think vocationals can keep excess and deficiency at five. School committees can keep school choice that is subject to appropriation by the school committee. Your towns can keep free cash and stabilization funds. So everybody's trying to stay afloat.

So but I think from from a perspective of understanding and those agreements and regionalizations, I think it's a great conversation to be had. So So two very Yeah, I want to just expound on two points because I think those are great points for us to talk about. um post-secary programs is on our radar. Um so you talked about some of the adult education aspects. Actually next week

we're going to travel out to the western part of the state to visit a school that has a post-secary program for us to learn uh during the day one day for us to think about how we could do that going forward. And these are not 9 through 12 programs but these would be 1314 or beyond. Uh we're in the final stages of uh agreeing to aou with the Bristol Community College to offer a

welding program in the 1314 space that will start next September. And so one of our goals strategically u as as I think I've mentioned during the Dartmouth days and others is to expand beyond the 9th through 12 model into the post-secary model to make sure that we're not only attracting and and uh you know educating students in high school but being part of the greater community uh partnerships

with places like Massire and the career center in order to take undermployed adults and put them back into a training program that can move it. So that is very much a part of the next several years for us. Um, and we're starting to take some of those those early trips now to be able to think about and learn from other successful programs around the state. The second thing that I want to

mention with regards to END, and I appreciate you bringing that up, is, you know, from our vantage point, those are those are one-time operating uh dollars, and, you know, we spend them on one-time recurring expenses. And so, I want to make sure that you folks are aware of the fact that under no circumstances would we be using uh excess and deficiency accounts for recurring expenses. We would only use those uh for

operating expenses. And the reason for that obviously is as they dwindle it creates different financial uh challenges. So I just want you to have a philosophical argument understanding of where we are as a leadership team as well.

Thank you.

Uh Mike, can you talk a little bit about the um uh the lottery system and how that's played a a factor in uh the enrollment uh maybe reducing a little bit like where we were and where we are now and yeah this this definitely this year 284 kids is the lowest number of Dartmouth students that have been enrolled at Greater New Vote Tech in the last 5 years. New Bedford saw an increase. Um

the state statute now around the lottery is that uh districts are required to conduct a randomized lottery where every applicant gets at least one opportunity.

Um we have chosen to add two weights to those criteria where students could get extra chances. Uh those two weights are defined by statute now regulation actually by the board. U you have to have 27 or less unexcused absences in the 270 school days that precede halfway through your eighth grade year. Right?

That's most kids, right? That's most kids. Uh not all kids, uh but that that's a lot of kids. And the second statute is a discipline statute because those were the two areas that I've during the entire debate over the last 5 years that I felt most strongly about.

Right. The difference in chapter 74 education compared to the comprehensive education is that, you know, if your child is homesick uh for a couple of days, we can send the math work home via the Google classrooms. We can send we we can't send a lathe machine home, right?

That's that's a problem to be able to recoup six hours worth of education. And so attendance is it's important in all schools. It's particularly important during a vocational setting because you're going to interact specifically in most of our programs with the equipment that we have on staff. And then the discipline, please, I hope is is self-explanatory, right? U we're not talking about discipline infractions

where two kids get into a pushing match in the lunchroom or or somebody throws a piece of gum at somebody else. We're talking about uh working with blowtorrches and kitchen knives and those types of situations. um you know, we have to just make EP extra sure that we're not going to have one of those situations. Now, the the state has relaxed that standard considerably. You cannot be disqualified under the new

regulations u unless you have a a felony conviction, which is incredibly rare in Massachusetts for a seventh or eighth grader. I mean, I think there were 60 or 70 kids statewide. Um so, pretty much every kid is getting the the ball when they apply. they're getting the ball for the discipline and twothirds to threequarters of the kids are getting the attendance ball as well.

So it's it's almost it's a true application to the to the schools now.

So one of our one of our goals obviously and and I think everyone shares this goal. It's taken some time to build relationships with the sending communities because as you know u it's a largely financial issue to a lot of the sending districts right and to the communities. And I certainly have tried to convey that to to you folks when you're when you're with us. Um, but I say this, you know, as as bluntly and

and sincerely as I can is our goal is to make sure that families have access to the education that they choose. Um, and in in in our space and so, you know, my my child is a sophomore at Dartmouth High School and I have an eighth grader at the middle school. And so I make no apologies for that just because I'm the superintendent at Greater New Before Vogue Tech. But I will also say that if

a family chooses to have a vocational technical education that that child should have access to that education.

And so with that in mind, we are trying to expand access because our weight list is several hundred students per year. Uh we have filed two applications this year to add a construction craft labor program to our facility. We are hoping to open that in September. Uh but there's a process with the department to go through uh to get approval for that.

Certainly, we will not have the entire 8,700 square foot uh facility ready for September. I mean, I think anybody who's watching the construction area today would be able to know that, but we are aggressively working to get the freshman space up and running and to meet the expectations of the department. Um so, uh we've worked with the department on an exe through the executive office of

education on an expansion grant. We've worked with private vendors. The district is allocating its capital funds uh to earmark towards this because our goal is to increase enrollment by about 50 students per year as soon as next September, but definitely by September of 27. And so our goal is to take the school from about 2150 kids to close to 2400 kids by the end of the decade.

Can you talk a little bit about how the students get to try out the different programs before they land into one?

Yeah, another great uh question. So, in Massachusetts under chapter 74, which is the the the guidance for vocational technical education, students are required to participate in an exploratory process. Um, currently we have students going through 15 of our 24 programs, but our plan over the next couple of years is to revamp our schedule. Um, and to try and create a model where all kids can see all

programs. Uh, that's our goal. Um, we are likely to expand. This is not in any way official at this point because we're having conversations about it. the time in exploratory, it's roughly half a year now. It may end up being twothirds of the year, but the goal is to make sure that kids are able to see all of their programs. Um, as I shared at the Dartmouth Day, and I've certainly spoken

about at our own school committee meetings, we are now tracking that data very aggressively over the last three years. So, when kids apply, they tell us what their top six programs are. Kids go through the exploratory process. At the end of it, they tell us what their top six programs are. We're seeing what programs were able to draw kids in at a higher rate from what they thought

before they came. and we're seeing which programs are not attracting kids and that is driving a lot of our discussions and decisions um as a leadership team.

Obviously one year doesn't doesn't create a trend or create a data set but three four and five years starts to paint a very different picture about what kids are interested in. Um and that has led us into some of the construction trades the partnership with Luna around construction craft labor our expansion of our business office tech program. Um as we think about what some of those

roles and workforce needs are in our region.

maybe um now that we've talked about the you know the assessment and and the numbers uh maybe go over some of the maybe the current projects that you're working on and then maybe future projects that the school's looking at.

I'll let him collect his thoughts and talk about some of these facility projects um that are down the bottom. By far the biggest uh is the expansion project for construction craft labor and our revamping of the business model. And as I said, um, we are earmarking north of a million dollars a year now, uh, for the next couple of years around that project. And again, I I what I hope that

the fincom will will hear in that is that we are attempting to be very good stewards of the taxpayer money and making sure that we're investing uh, strategically in the upkeep of the building in addition to our operational costs. We've been very lucky and very fortunate to have partners out in the community uh that we're able to to um meet with and several of them have donated hundreds of thousands of dollars

in the last few years to help renovate and modernize lab spaces. Um we think that those relationships are kind of critical to making sure that our our building is able to not only be good stewards of taxpayer money but also expand its longevity through partnerships with different business owners and organizations. So I'll have Zeb come up and he can walk you through some of the major projects. Um, and I

just wanted to also come back before and let you know about the budget for FY27, a couple of key pieces and to share my commitment that we would happily share that with you in a few weeks when it's ready.

Thank you, Mike. Good afternoon. I'll um I'll go through that list um to give you like a two-minute uh uh brief description of what's going on there.

The first one up there is the engineering visual media programs move.

So over the years what's happened is um we a lot of our shops in the past aren't all together. So uh you you'd have two media classes here, one over there, two engineering there, one over here. So as time has gone by, what we've we've developed a master plan and this project actually started like three years ago and like you know we only got six weeks in the summer to get this stuff done

before the kids come back. So this is part of the part of the master plan where we're we're bringing all the shops together. All the engineering shops and robotics will be together and all our media and visual students they will be together. So at the end of this year uh we will be like 90% there and then the following summer we got a couple of little things to do and then that project will be completed.

Uh CCL Mr. Watson spoke about the next one is a cooling tower. We have a cooling tower, part of our uh uh program, part of the uh cooling system for the school. Um as it's been alluded to, our building is 50 years old for all intents. And uh uh you know, my wife told me the other day, when you get up, Zeb, you're starting to make a lot of noises, right? And it's just like our

buildings, right? Guess what? They look sometimes nice on the outside, but the insides, they're getting old. the infrastructure part of it, your your undergrounds, your your your electrical panels and your your valves and and all of that good stuff is starting to fail.

Well, in our cool cooling tower, the all the pipe work in there, you know, after 50 years is completely corroded. Uh we went down there and I think if we grabbed a hammer with a good shot, we would have we could smash those pipes.

So part of uh one of the projects we have actually starting next month is to replace all that pipe work in our cooling tower. Uh the main entrance wall, if you've been to New Beetford Vul Tech, once you walk into uh New Beech, we've just installed a a large screen TV. that wall right there. The next time you see it after this summer, you will see that that whole wall has been

converted into a uh a wall made of wood.

And all our shop names will be engraved in that. All those wood panels throughout it. Uh completely removable.

So if we get a new shop, change a name or whatever, we can flop those names out, put a brand new planter in the front of it. It's called bofilic engineering. So what we want to do is bring the outside feel into the school.

So, as you know, you walk into Voke Tech, you'll see that it's got that little wall there with with with flowers and shrubbery behind it. Well, we want to create that on the inside. So, if you can envision that beautiful wooden wall and in front a beautiful planter and with a nice seating edge where the students could se sit right on that wall in the morning or during passing pairs

or whatever it may be. So, it'll create a very nice entrance into the school. Uh the next one is cafeteria seating. Um, we're running out of room for our kids to sit. So, it's time to upgrade our seats. Time to upgrade our tables. Um, with this with this move here, we're going to increase the seating in our cafeteria by nearly 75 to 100 seats, and we'll be all set for the future. Uh,

preparing for whatever uh uh renovations or growth the school may have going forward. Um, cafeteria pot washing unit.

It's exactly what it is. It's a pot washing unit that's it's lived it's run its course. It's it's falling apart. Um it's uh it's it's set to arrive in April May uh at the school and that's going to be one of our summer projects to completely revamp that for our cafeteria staff. Uh installing downdraft tables in a metal fab uh program. They right now we have a rather large probably 30 to 40

foot area with a ventilation unit on it.

uh really outdated where our students work in. And so with this uh purchase of all these downdraft tables, we get to move this humongous piece out of the center of the the shop area, bring it out to the walls with all these automatic downdraft tables. These things don't need ventilation units anymore.

They self ventilate themselves. So it just kicks that program into the next step um into into the future there.

Remodeling academic classrooms. So 50-y old building, right? Here we go again.

Right. So we got a lot of um false walls, movable walls, collapsible walls, whatever you want to call them. Back in the day, uh 40, 50 years ago, um they would collapse the wall and two classes would become one. Uh and that fit very well for the then amount of students they had. No longer that happens at VUTEK. um those collapsible walls now have permanent wooden structures on it

etc etc and what what's happening is I teach on this side you teach on that side guess what we can hear each other teach so it becomes a little bit of a nuisance for the teachers and so over the past three years we've been attacking it uh three four five classrooms every every year and I think by the end of next summer we will have corrected that issue for the school entirely um electrical sophomore CBT area

upgrade. Again, um every year we we we always have funding to keep upgrading our programs, keep upgrading our school.

Our school looks good. Yeah, it does.

But it's because of the investment. You know, I mean, you invest a little bit every year into it. 30, 40 years from now, we're still there looking good. So, part of it is to upgrade our our our programs. So, the electrical sophomore program, if you saw it before, we we we dismantled all of their workstations in the classroom, in the shop area. We rebuilt the whole thing in there. I

think some of you walked the the area with me that day and you saw the the new bays that they're building there for the electrical students. And the great thing about it is our students are doing the building.

So, the carpentry students come into electrical. So we we develop a plan in house. Guess who does the plan? Our engineering kids do the plan. Our architectural students do the plan. So they draw it up. Our carpentry kids come along with with obviously with their instructors. They build it. If we need any plumbing, if we need electrical, if we need whatever, we do it all inhouse.

Takes a little while. Yes.

You think the engineering group come over here and do some of the free?

Yes. Great idea.

You read my mind. That's one of the things I had to get used to when I went to Vogue Tech about eight and a half years ago. It takes a little longer, but you got to love this. The labor is this, right? When they do it, right, the labor cost is this. So, it's a beautiful thing, right? So, we just got to have a little bit of patience. That's it. But

they do a great job. Um, and that's what's going on right now. And I don't know, you want to talk about the future or you want me to?

No, go ahead. Oh, so the roof, as you know, uh the roof is uh she's 25 years old right now. 24 25. The warranty has has expired. I got a section of the roof that I got sandbags up there. Remember the old hidden hidden parts of of the building, right? It's it's up there. I got sandbags holding it down right now.

At some point in the next couple of years, and I spoke to Mr. Watson about that, we got to address the roof. Um I mean, we need the envelope of that building solid. so that it can, you know, bricks, windows, roof, you know, we get that completely sealed, the inside stays together a lot longer.

Is there any preliminary numbers on that or I we got some I I think there were either precoid or during co so it was a few million.

Yeah, a few million to to get that roof done the Let's compare. Uh 525,000 square feet roof.

Do you work with the MSBA on that?

Yeah. Yeah, we want to do something, it would be with the MS.

Yeah, for sure.

U, but it's definitely something we we we can't keep kicking that can down the road because you everybody knows in here those costs of roof repair are astronomical and and the damage that can happen in the building is even worse.

So, uh, for the most part, she's still holding together. I just got a small section that up there that that's starting to fall apart. Um, Fieldhouse 88 compliant locker rooms. Uh it is it's exactly what that says. Um built 50 years ago. We didn't look at these things 50 years ago. We didn't look at, you know, ADA compliant, you know, Title 9, all of these things. We didn't look at these things. And uh it's it's

getting to the point where, you know, with the growth of the school, the amount of students we have, uh locker rooms, uh the locker rooms are from 50 years ago, they they don't fit the kids anymore. They don't uh for the needs of the athletic program. Uh, I got boys downstairs, I got girls upstairs, uh, showers that aren't functional in different areas. So, at some point, that's another area of the school, uh,

that we're going to have to uh, invest some funding in there and and and revamp it at some point. Um, Seaman system upgrade, we we that's our building operation system. Um, and we actually monitor that in in-house. Actually, one of our our teachers uh, monitors it with their students. Um uh that system needs to be upgraded. We're we're in conversations right now with Seammens.

We have been for the past two months. Uh we're going to change systems. Um upgrade the system. The system we have now they no longer can support it. So basically if it fails they they go Zeb, we can't help you out, right? Basically that's what they're going to tell us. Uh so we're in the process of of working all the details out with that and how to get to that point and then uh we're

going to upgrade our system.

uh emergency generator upgrades. Um a lot of our systems again due to age um if something fails in the school we don't have home run electrical lines running down to the generator. So right now I'm getting prices from electrical firms to give us some numbers to be able to run uh all of these uh panels or or systems that are in one point of the school to the generator. So, it's not a

lot of areas, but there are still some areas cuz it's critical for us if we lose power. We need to make sure we maintain. Obviously, our two-way radio systems need to continue working. Our PA system needs to continue working. Our it needs to continue working. So, none of that fails. If you lose power, you get a couple of lights come on, but everything else needs to stay running. So, we we're

working through that program right now.

And finally, the outside, the exterior.

Just like our roads, right? The parking lots need to get redone. Uh they they're getting old. Um and before we do our parking lots, uh there's electrical.

It's not on here, but I I'll just throw that out there. The electrical uh underground for all our lights was all direct buried. Uh, so for those who know what I'm talking about, you know, when you direct bearing, you don't put it in a in a sleeve, a PVC pipe, they may tell you it's going to last you forever. That forever was 50 years ago. Guess what?

It's falling apart. So now when when you lose a light, you have no idea where where where this this thing collapsed.

So you got to dig from point A to point B to find the break in this pipe and replace it. And we have hundreds and hundreds of underground electrical feet out there. to obviously to all the lights. We need to upgrade that. Once we do that, put fresh asphalt on it and uh we'll be off and running.

And again, that's in part of our future projects.

So, the last phase was the uh the last phase was a stadium, right? Well, was that one of the last phases of uh the last? Yeah. So, we did redo the uh the turf field. Uh that was in 20. And we just redid it. What did we just do?

The track again.

The track.

The track was just redone the last couple of summers. Uh but yes, the football field will be due again probably in a couple years. So, and the physical plant fields and all is physically in New Bedford.

Correct.

All of it.

Correct.

Thank you.

It's interesting though, that's another spot that we're going to look at uh next week. So, in Belchuretown, uh Palmer, they they leased an old elementary school to expand opportunities. That's the first I had heard about that maybe six months ago. So, as part of this um move next week, we're going to visit um Pathfinder Tech, who is in Palmer, Mass, but is also uh renting uh leasing an

elementary school in Belchuretown to expand program offerings. So, for their vogue, for their vogue, for their vote, it's f it's an interesting idea because the the law has changed. Used to be able to lease property for up to five years.

It's now up to 25 years. So whether that be a community center or an old elementary school, lots of vocational schools are starting to look at expansion opportunities that way.

Is that an intermissible agreement between the district and the Yeah, they're closing that elementary school in Belchuretown and leasing that property to uh Pathfinder.

Uh it's I don't know the details. I I've spoken to the superintendent there a few times and like I said on the way back uh next week we're going to stop and see it just because I want to be able to see it and then you know we'll see where it goes.

Very interesting.

Yeah, it's those kinds of creative ideas that that we just need to, you know, it's worth the time. It might not be a pathway that, you know, fits in our region ever, but um let's let's learn about it. Let's see what it is and and at least we're a little more knowledgeable for it.

Can you go back to I was just thinking of it before and we got sidetracked. You were going to add some additional programs beyond 12 and you mentioned welding. What other types of things were you thinking of in the in the 1314 space? Yes. Okay. So, uh the welding program is a partnership with BCC. We expect that that will run uh in September. We do run several programs uh through the CTI program

which is a a Commonwealth Technical Institute. Um we've run uh marine, we've run we've run welding, we've run automotive, we've run culinary. Uh we've run several of those 200 hour programs and that's in collaboration with Mass Hire in the career center. um they're looking to recruit undermployed uh folks who want to grab new skills and learn new skills through the CTI program of the state. So, we've been pretty

aggressive in that space over the last three or four years. Um I think we're on round 11 right now that we're we're applying for five new programs. Uh that process is underway. Hopefully, we get that funding and then we would run those programs um with them. But those are the kinds of thing again the the goal from from where I try to articulate this to folks is we want the school building to

be open from seven to seven 7 to 8 7 to nine so that we're not only servicing kids during the day but that we have a space available at night for those retraining programs and of course we're running all of our GN uh Greater New Bethford Vote Tech Institute GBVTI Institute class relic licensing electricians relicicensing plumbers those kinds of folks that are already in the trades but need to accumulate

additional hours we run those programs on site at night uh all year So recently we were able to because of a lot of these grant funds we actually created an adult education specialist. So we now have a person that is there from 2:00 to 9:30 1 to 8:30 pretty much 5 days a week u that is overseeing that wink. So that's a sign that that used to be kind of put together by a few part-time

people were supervising but the revenue streams have been have been such that we're able to support that position um so we can continue looking to grow that space and that's one of the reasons why I want to look at the post-secondary space next week.

So most of the projects that most of the projects that you're um undergoing obviously the future projects some of the larger projects will have to be borrowing I mean uh but you're maintaining uh the uh facility with you basically your retained earnings.

That's right.

Pretty much on the short-term stuff.

Yeah. I mean so obviously that's a challenge for every for every district.

Um we're we're very intentional about that. Um you know that doesn't always make you the most popular person on the campus, right? Because everybody wants to find every available dollar, right?

whether it's the teacher unions or it's the, you know, this parent group or that parent group or this program. Um, but we're pretty intentional about making sure that we're investing in the capital infrastructure, right? Because that is a key piece of making sure that we extend the lifetime and solveny of this particular building. So, um, you know, I think we're doing a pretty good job of

it. We I was going to say earlier, we've reallocated funds because obviously we don't want to be taking funds away. Uh, whether it's a cost of living increase for our staff, um, we need to think about how we can do the work differently. Our administrative structure has changed in the last 5 years. Uh we've reorganized the administration. We're probably down about 12% in administrative costs since

2021, reallocating responsibilities.

We've asked a little more of some people, given them a small bump, but eliminated other positions. We've done that typically through attrition uh so that we don't have to lay folks off and create a a culture where that's concerning. Uh but we have been very strategic when folks give us notice about, you know, that they're retiring.

Um and there are bonuses in our contracts. If you give us 12 months, it gives us plenty of time to think about how we can do that differently. Uh we have been able to reduce positions u 10 or 12% of positions and then reallocate those funds into some of our capital infrastructure spaces. So it doesn't impact operations as much.

I mean that's not enough to get to your million million dollars.

But um but in turn doesn't also increase the assessment. It does because you're not you're not having to increase operational.

That's right. That's right.

Mike, I'm just curious. Can a student only apply to Voke when they're entering their freshman year?

No.

There's more opportunities if in this lottery system now. How many opportunities do they two? So, freshman and sophomore year still. Yeah. And that's important to know. It's not a question that gets asked all the time. U for example, last year I think we had 35 sophomores seek admission and they all get in.

So, um Yeah. So, that's I I don't want to call it a secret because it's not a secret. It's very publicized, but um that's not the case for freshmen. U but like anything else, you know, kids come, some kids love it, and some kids return to their districts. And so our our plan is to make sure consistent with what the goal is. We want to make sure we have fully enrolled classes, not only for our

own fiscal responsibilities and running the school, but also to meet the spirit of the fact that there's a thousand kids that say they want to vote education as freshmen. Let's make sure that at least we're offering that opportunity. And last year I think 700 kids out of the thousand were offered a seat. Some came, some didn't. Some came and then left and then the next round of kids were

accepted. Uh but we do do that again at the sophomore year and we will be doing that again this year as we as we expand out our business tech program.

Um going back to the you know after 12 after grade 12 programs um do you offer an LPN program yet or no? I think is that um something that the school is thinking of? Yeah, because there's such a need.

Practical nursing is the area that we're looking at next week out west. So, yeah, definitely thinking about that partnership that's out there. There are a few programs, a few schools that have that, some including in our area, but that is one that we I want to see up close. Um so, we're going out there to see that specifically um at McCann. Uh so that's that's one of the the primary

reasons that post-secondary program uh in practical nursing but also that LPN uh LPN component because there are lots of jobs u in that marketplace for LPNs and so uh yeah we we we see that need. It's it's listed all over the south southeast regional blueprint. U so we want to try to to capitalize on that.

That's nice. Thank you much. Anybody?

Mike, what um what percentage of Dartmouth eighth graders approximately would you say apply at Greater New Bedford?

Uh close to 50%.

Wow.

Close to 50%. I would say in that neighborhood 50%. I mean I can tell you that last year there were 1,600 possible eighth graders in the region and just over 1100 applied. So, we're just shy of 75% 70%ish, 67 to 70% of eligible eighth graders in public schools apply. Uh, and that is consistent across a lot of the state.

And, and again, I go back to what I said earlier. Um, and I just genuinely believe this as a dad and as an educator is we need to make sure in Massachusetts that we're offering the education that families are telling us that they need.

That's our job, right? as taxpayers, as educational institutions, and families need choices to be able to be able to do that. And so, we're trying to do our part. We have partnered um with uh New Bedford. Um and ne next year for Haven, we're running an after what's called an after dark program from 3 to 6. Um what that is is basically kids go to their comprehensive district for their

academics like at 10:30 or 11:00. We bust them over to uh greater be tech in the afternoon and they're in a program um in the in the afternoon. We run carpentry and plumbing with New Bedford.

We're running electrical next year with For Haven. Uh there are grants around that and that's something I I you know I can certainly speak to the Dartmouth folks about as well. Uh they've been fantastic. We've had a great relationship with the Dartmouth administration as well. Um because defending them, the problem with the way that used to be structured is, you know, they can't afford to split the money

with us, right? And so, but the good news is there are a lot of program grants out there that will provide two years of startup costs so that Dartmouth gets to to claim the student, get the full funding, and the grant will pay us to run the program, and we're just charging cost, right? Which is actually a little better every year because I said we have that person now supervising

all programs. So, we don't we used to have to pay for a special person to be the administrator. We don't have to do that anymore. So, that's an option for us to consider looking at in the future to get more Dartmouth kids access to that um in a way that doesn't harm the Dartmouth public schools budget because they would be they would claim the student, right? They would put the kid

through the plumbing program with us, but at graduation time they would claim the chapter 74 certification for plumbing and they would just compensate us for the cost of that program. So, we're trying that with Fair Haven next year in electrical. Uh we've done that obviously for a couple years with New Bedford.

That's great. So the success rate like if you measured a student that went through the plumbing program, electrical program or even carpentry, um that success rate at the end of graduation, uh what does that look like back now into the field like as an apprentice or as a is that is that 100% right through the I mean it different by programs, right? So that's the one of the misconceptions I

think that's out there sometimes for for Vogue Tech Ed um is that some of our programs do require us to go on to two and fouryear schools. I think sometimes people get concerned about the wrong kids are going to the school but you know honestly in in dental assisting folks are going on to education uh often times medical assisting going on engineering going on right it's likely that a carpenter uh could go into the

field right it's kind of one of the things that we're looking at with construction craft labor I don't know how familiar folks are with Lyuna they're probably the largest uh construction craft labor trade union in Massachusetts um we've worked with them uh to help launch this program because the goal is to get our graduates in that program right into their training facility and into the jobs to pay a

living wage and they're the ones doing the work on the highways and things like that where there's a vast need in the Commonwealth around those things too. So some programs the answer would be yes the pathway is a little larger the percentage is a little higher directly into the trades but there are a good number of programs 60% or so of our kids that go on and pursue post-secary degrees.

I have a question about that. So how are you preparing them academically to succeed in a two or fouryear program afterwards? because you know obviously once you get into a university they're competing against kids who have been academically prepared by other schools.

So how are you guys supporting that?

You know I I listen I I I I feel good about the work that we're doing every single day in academics. I think if you were able to look at our you know the MCCAST scores are the really only the statewide barometer that you'd have over the last 10 years. our kids have performed as well or better than folks in the region, right? And and you know, I used to have this discussion with the

Commonwealth all the time. I'm not sure that the test score was the best mechanism, right? We used to focus specifically around student growth, right? Because I think I don't and I I've said this out loud again, so I mean I I would I didn't vote for that, right?

I think that it's important that we get to know how well our schools are actually performing, right? Because otherwise we don't really know, right?

somebody like me can get up and talk about it all that they want, but if we can't measure the progress in some tangible way, uh it's difficult for taxpayers to be able to trust that process. But I to the point is I feel like our students are as uh academically qualified despite only having 90 days in the classroom um as any other student.

And I the evidence I would point to is if you were to look at the growth percentiles or the test scores for our 10th grade students, I would put them up against any of the districts in our area. Are you able to track it to see like did they finish complete their two-year or four years afterwards?

So that's a little trickier. Um we we do a post-secondary follow-up one year that's required under the Perkins grant.

Okay.

But beyond that it's a little bit trickier. What we are able to do and again this is I I think the the whole discussion around the MCAST got sidetracked but um the the Commonwealth can actually provide data now for students who took the MCCAST in 2005.

Where are they now? Right. So they're in their mid30s now and we could actually if we asked or the folks cared to ask we could find out what the wages or earnings are of someone who scored proficient in the 2005 2007 space compared to students who who point needs to improvement. The debate just didn't get there. It kind of got focused on teaching to the test and all these other kind of crazy things. But uh

whatever the new solution is in my opinion it should be focused on making sure that schools are also held accountable. Uh because I think that's where the public debate around school funding and things really falls off the edge is when when you take the position that you don't you don't want to be accountable. No, we want to be accountable. If we're accountable for that, it's easier to

convince people about the why behind those kinds of things. So that's my position. By no means is it uh you know Yeah. Thank you.

Question in regards to the new lottery system. At the time it was being discussed. What was the discussion around school choice in regards to vocational schools?

Yeah, so some vocational schools in Massachusetts have choice. Um, we have consistently oppose choice and I do not recommend that to the committee for the simple fact that there are more students in our region than there are available seats and so we don't take students from outside the districts.

So I I wholeheartedly thank you very much. I could have lost my job 10 times over school choice and vocational education at Whittier.

Um, but during the discussion, was there anyone I was not allowed during the discussion, but with vocational schools?

School choice in vocational schools is critically problematic. So, I'll leave it at that. Yeah. But if if you could continue advocating not to be part of school choice. Yeah. And I think the towns would would agree that that that's a tough one with children wanting the vocational or education that's allowed to them from where they live being denied and having someone from Taton take your seat.

I'm not aware of Yeah. No, I I agree with you. Um that that would certainly not be our position. Um, I'm not aware of that being a position on a broader scale at within vocational technical schools. There are some that take school choice, but my understanding is they are undersubscribed in their respective communities. I could be wrong. I I don't know that to be 100% true, but um certainly my position would be

Thank you.

that we'd be a no on that until such time as there weren't enough kids in Dartmouth, Faven, and New Buffett that wanted it.

Thank you.

One more step on that is we're amping up our residency requirements. um and follow through on that because you know folks want to come to New Beford Vote Tech and sometimes we get reports from Ford Middle School in Cushionid or somewhere else. uh you know, mom lives here, dad lives there or grandma lives here. And so we have gone out and confirmed with residency checks, stayed out, make sure the kids are sleeping

where they say they're sleeping. Uh because, you know, in my my comments with moms and dads is Dartmouth's paying, right? So Dartmouth can't pay for your child if they live in Westport, right? There's a word for that and it's called fraud, right? So um you know, I just want you to know I'm not promising that we've got everyone. uh but we are aggressively looking to monitor that situation

because we want to make sure that kids are actually residing in all those communities.

Thank you very much.

Okay.

Do you vote on school choice every year the way Dartmouth does? Okay.

Yeah. It's required required in the statute.

Okay.

Yeah. Uh we have not had any real discussion at the school committee level for I I never in my 10 years in school leadership there uh for that for the simple reason that I articulated.

Thank you. Good.

Any more questions?

Quiet tonight.

Wow.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

And we will share the final budget uh or as we move to the final budget stays with Gary and Cody and they're certainly welcome to share and we'll come back if you have any other questions.

Thank you.

Thank you very much. Thank you very much.

We look forward to another Dartmouth Jays by the way.

Yes. Thank you very much. Definitely.

Yes, please.

Absolutely.

Cookies. We're going to come up with some new ideas.

Hard to surpass what you did this past time.

They do an amazing job.

They did.

Thank you very much.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

Mhm.

Yes. I highly recommend if you haven't been on I know some of you have, but you should go. It was fabulous.

Great day.

They had their culinary students literally like lining up the napkin with the fork and making sure everything was perfect before they served. It was a meal when I went.

It was great. I gotta go again.

I should go again. I'm sure you'll learn something new even if you've been in the past.

Right.

That's funny.

The finance committee handbook.

Um Gary, were you able to send a copy to Cody of the I did? Thank you.

Thank you.

So, Madam Chair, I don't know if this is the um this is the earlier version, I guess, that you This is the last version to my knowledge that you have. Uh I'm not sure if um you wanted maybe just to discuss some of the changes. I don't know if you we're not probably not going to go through it tonight with editing, right?

No. And the reason I say that just so everybody knows I sent an email out earlier today. So first thing this morning I was greeted with a a detailed email with um suggestions and comments.

And I think I'm sure you weren't all adhered to your email all day just diving in and looking at that line by line. Yeah, maybe you were I read it um and I read it as well, but I want to give it more I for the amount of effort that was put into it, I want to put the same effort back when I read it and go through it. Um because there was a lot

of comments. U and I don't think we can address all those tonight. That's why I certainly ask that we have it on the next agenda, okay?

And make sure you get a chance to read it. Um, one of my comments would be I want to make sure we're not duplicating what's in the infamous 167page finance committee handbook that's put out by the state and I feel like there might be some crossover there because there was a lot of references to certain laws etc.

And I don't think and that wasn't our intent was to duplicate all that information. I mean that's a gold mine of what finance committees should do and the laws they should adhere to and open meeting laws etc etc. Um that's why I just want to see you know where it might cross over so we can you know obviously we'll take into account the changes I'm going through right now to just put

some things that I would suggest and I will send it to you and then you can Oh yeah that's what I I hope everyone will do as I said it deserves our attention because I know um the moderator put a lot of attention into it. Mhm.

So, it's going to be a She did for next week, please.

Okay. We'll put it on the agenda for next week and then I don't know what anybody has anybody that has any kind of comment, I'd suggest send it to Janine and then Yeah, next week we can do some editing dive into it.

Yeah, it's perfect.

And if you have, you know, Terry, I know you like to go in and edit things, too.

So, if you have a way that it would I mean that in a good way. I see the smile that uh it can be incorporated into a paragraph. I what just what I think in looking quick quick quickly at the moderator's suggestions I think it's helpful for us when she came in to visit last year she kind of steered us in a direction that that people may not have been used to doing

and I feel like this committee has developed their practices over time kind of organically it hasn't been with a look at how other committees you know are run and I think her references is will be helpful. Oh yeah.

Um so I'll go through and do what I can do and I'll send it to you and then we can go from there.

Yeah.

Yeah. Okay. Yeah. I think that's what we'll do is sort of move on from there at this point.

So Dartmouth school spelling B.

Okay. So I was wrong last week. Janine was right. She has great memory. The the option for us is to um uh sponsor a team. That's the lowest level of contribution. I don't think we want to go before that. I made that executive decision. It's $300 as a group. First thing I'm going to ask is who wants to be on a team.

It depends on the date. I would do it.

She sent out the date.

Yeah. I got to look at it again. I I for everybody so I got to look at the date again. Depends on the date.

You have to make a commitment. Is it in the evening?

Right. It's in the evening.

In the evening.

700 p.m. on April 1st. I'm probably going to make us lose. But when is it?

Who cares?

It was a Wednesday night. I think I'll be there, but I'm not going to.

Yeah, that's right. It was a Wednesday night.

I remember that because I can't go. But anyway, so it was a Wednesday, April 1st.

Wednesday, April 1st, 700 p.m. at Darmath High.

I know with three people anyway last week, right? Nate did say yes or wanted to.

I can't. I'll be I'll be gone. I can't do it.

You'll do it?

No, I can't. No, he said no. Are you going to do it? I'm gonna go, but I'm not I I can't really play very well. So, no. Terry, I'm not gonna be on a team. You can't play very well.

Well, maybe maybe send Well, whoever's going probably send you um information.

You can send it to me. Then I can tell Jim or let Jim know if you plan on attending.

Oh, well, you you can go just to support. You don't need like Right. It's open to the public.

Well, the reason I ask is that then we'd be sponsoring our own team if we did that. Otherwise, we would just say here's our donation. sponsor any team that you hasn't been sponsored yet.

So either way we should give a donation, right? If we feel like team either way we should give a donation.

Yes. A team.

Yeah. So what give a donation?

I think I gave you the I think I said like $20 or that's a Terry question.

So if who wants to contribute? Raise your hand if you want to contribute.

I'll contribute.

Okay. So one, two, three, four, five, six. Anybody not here? Nate said he would contribute.

Seven. One, two, three, four, five, six.

Can somebody do the calculator? 300 divided by 8.

Can't do it in my head.

I can't do that one in my head either.

It's terrible.

30 something 35 35. Call it even.

Yeah.

3750.

3750 is right.

So everybody should and I will do Venmo if you want. So 3750 if that's what it takes to get the money from Brian. I'll do Venmo.

That's right.

We could uh send uh Bill Bulls. We could send Bill Bulls a Venmo request.

Do you have to know what my You have to know something about how your email or your phone number. You can look it up.

So, my email, but use the old email because I'm sure it's not on the the But I can hand you a check or cash.

Say it again.

Check or cash as well?

She does. Yeah, she'll take anything.

Not credit cards.

Not a check. No credit cards.

I I would collect it all and then I'll write one check. So, next week donations, give it to you and you can handle it.

Yeah.

Okay.

Did you set up your Venmo already?

Say it again.

Did you Did you set up Venmo already?

Oh, I have it set my nephew set it up for me. It's just it's not very I'm not very comfortable, but I will I I should get comfortable because that's the way of the world, right?

There's a name on it and if when the meeting is done, if I can get the name to make sure I'm sending you said my um my It's just my email.

So, it's my old email. t hmm 111176 atgmail.

So they don't take checks.

Yeah, they'll take checks, too.

I write Terry a check because I didn't want to put her on the spot about Venmo.

What if you like?

She's one of my few checks in a year.

She knows that.

I could also write a check. It's no big deal.

Are you doing the team? Cuz uh that looks like the deadline was yesterday.

So we'll want to get it to them.

We're not going to do it. We're just going to sponsor somebody.

4750 to Terry next. No matter what, they'll take money.

Yes. Right. Right.

We'll take money. We'll just do that.

We'll go support.

It's too bad that we It'd be nice to have a team if we're going to I'd like to sponsor a team, our own team. But Terry has asked us every year for at least four or five years. I seem to recall.

She doesn't want to be on the team.

No, no, but I'm just saying so we should anticipate it is my point.

Next year.

It's not like it's a surprise.

Volunteer to be team captain.

Horrible speller.

Thank you, Gary. Horrible speller. I can't spell B. I spell D E A. I'd be I dragged a team down.

Well, that'd be my worry.

No problem. Humiliate the finance committee in front of everyone.

You'll organize that.

Yeah, people will send it to me and I'll send it to uh Best Cunningham.

Okay.

All righty.

Okay. All right.

Town administrators update.

I knew what you meant.

Uh let's see. Uh we've been diligent. We had a budget advisory group this morning uh the meeting and uh Mr. Kylie presented the budget to the group then.

We're meeting again uh next Tuesday to really hopefully start to dive into the overall town budget um and uh you know start to look at you know maybe we can find some areas of um concession so on and so forth. Uh as as you know we are about $1.6 $6 million short in what the schools are requesting. And there's really we don't see an area that we're able to we're not going to come up with

an additional $1.6 million. You know, we you we may be able to um you know, find a couple hundred,000 here and there as we as we get um actual dollar amounts for health insurance. You know, New Greater New Bedford Vogue Tech, you know, was a little bit less than we initially had budgeted. So, you free up a little bit of money there, but not not 1.6 million.

Did anybody discuss an override study committee? Did they not want to use the not not at today's meeting?

Not at today's meeting.

Could it could it be discussed next week because I I ask only because it is um getting late and it would be great for us to get going on that whoever's going to do it um earlier than later.

Yeah, absolutely. Um and also to quoting one thing on the on us on the revenues also we're still waiting for the house the house one budget has the house budget has not even been uh approved yet. So that's we're a little bit late with they're well not us but the state's a little bit late with that. So we're starting to see we'll see what the next round of cherry sheet well called cherry sheet chapter 70 and

chapter 90 monies come in come in at uh we're hoping that maybe hopefully cross our fingers it's a little bit more or at least stays the same and doesn't get cut from the governor's budget. So um you know the house budget and then senate ways and means and then so on and so forth. So we're already in April. I'm hoping that it's going to come out soon.

They're working on it now. You think they'll wait till after April 15th and you get tax receipts?

That could that could be it could be bad news is going to be bad news. Why not wait?

Yeah. We're also concerned um I'm sure you you're acutely aware that there is the potential for a um a ballot question to lower the income tax in Massachusetts from 5% to 4%. If that were to happen, that would have significant um impacts on on our state aid as well. So, we're, you know, we're trying to be cognizant of that. Um, and if they're planning ahead, it could also affect 26's numbers, right?

Do you know if there's any if there's any organizing committee that's explaining what the impact of that would be?

Well, um, there are committees that have discussed the overall impact to to the state, but the it it all would depend how the state allocates what those impacts would be because essentially they would just have less revenue.

They're not saying at this point where they would, you know, pro provide those cuts um at the state level, but I we can be sure given what the budget the state bud the governor's budget is proposed for next year, the minimal increases, you can anticipate that if they have even less revenue, it's going to be one of the places that that gets hit.

Yeah. And it won't be hundreds of millions. It'll probably up to a million.

Oh, yeah. Yeah.

In in in tax.

Mhm. Cody, the budget that school U committee presented this morning, is it the same budget that we saw? Is that number?

No, it's the same budget that you change at all.

Nope. It's I asked that because in years past that's been a moving target up to town meeting and I the school it's still the same number.

It is. They they committee at their last meeting had said that essentially they were um staying strong with that number and going to move forward with that request. Um and so we do have a joint meeting with the select board on Monday over at the schools. That's their public budget hearing as well. We're hopeful that we're able to make some progress there um with that and you know have some Pepsi at that meeting.

Yeah. And and just try to come up with um you know something that that we can afford at this point that you know hopefully isn't too dramatic in cuts to to anybody. So it's it's definitely a challenge.

We uh we also um at that meeting it's not posted as a finance committee meeting but everyone is invited as I said in the past. I'll be there.

Yeah.

Yeah. Um is the 1.6 I'm sorry. When they were when they were here when the school committee was here, there were there was a like a level services and then there was a level services plus or I'm sorry I don't remember. Is the one six the totality of level services plus?

Wasn't level services around 4%. I just don't remember the number.

Level service was um five 5 yeah 5.1 5.2% 2%. Um, and then their full request was a little less than seven. I think it was 6.9, you know, 6.8, give or take. Yeah. Yeah.

And so the 1.6 is representative of the higher.

Gary, can you send us the agenda and time of that meeting next week when it comes out?

We can Monday.

The Monday's meeting. The agenda and time.

Oh, yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

We can forward it.

If it is posted already, is it?

Oh, the school they posted it at the high school.

So, there is a time. What time is this?

The meeting starts at 6. We anticipate the the joint discussion to start around 7:00. They're they do like school highlights spotlights every meeting. So, they're starting with that uh and then the budget hearing in the into the joint meeting. We we Gary and I are preparing a overall budget presentation to go over and just give some baseline information.

Meeting is where?

At the high school um media room.

Yeah.

Media room. Right. Exactly. So, you just walk in the main entrance, keep walking.

So, that'll be next week. Um additionally, some relatively good news.

We we procure our energy. So, um you know, the town procures our own electricity contracts, our own gas, natural gas contracts. Typically, we get a little bit of a better rate because we're we're buying so much.

Um our gas contract timing we didn't think was going to be great because our natural gas contract is up in early 20s 27.

Um when the conflict in the Middle East started, our energy manager approached Gary and I and said, "Hey, I think we should price this out before the market really gets hit with this." Yeah, we we executed the new natural gas contract about 2 days before the prices really saw an increase and so we were able to lock in for another 3 years. Um net increase based on usage across town is about $10,000 a year increase. We

were we were anticipating hundreds of thousands potentially. So and we saw the market that was skyrocketed within days after two days before.

Yeah. Two two days were like Yeah. And now I think you're seeing, you know, one of the largest um natural gas um areas just just got hit. So we definitely got in.

Do they have a backout clause in that contract at all that you know?

We we locked in. Yep. We locked in.

Even for extraordinary circumstances, they they have to honor that. Good. That's good.

Yeah.

To see a clause like that, right? Like no one don't talk about it.

You got to think over time that the profit's there.

Oh, yeah.

To cover. They have they have their own buffer built in for for cases where it's tripled probably known right now although the vendor um no we are using um NRG NRG thank you NRG yeah that's a really an incredible thing to have happen to the town it in this economic environment in this worldwide environment and the efficiency efforts that we're making so congratulations on both of you on that congratulations

yeah it's a team effort And then um on health insurance, just an update there.

We are um we have identified an alternative um for health insurance. We have proposed it to all of our unions.

We have public meetings for all of our employees next week. Um and essentially the savings among the town and the employees collectively is about $2 million a year.

Excellent.

Wow. So congratulations. If we're able to um accomplish this, it allows us to become um much more competitive um in what our rates are increases, you know, our contribution towards these plans will be. Um the one I think one of the the biggest I couldn't believe it if if you go from based on the numbers if you we have we have an HMO, a PO, then we have a high deductible HMO and a high

deductible PO. If you go from the current HMO plan right now, what you're paying with the set, we're it's looking at about an 8% increase as of July 1. What that number is for an employee on a family plan if they if we make these changes and they and they switch to the high deductible HMO plan, the employee will save $11,400 a year.

Holy cow.

That's a lot of money.

No, it's we're leaving. We're looking to leave Maya.

How long can you lock in those rates?

Well, I mean there's that we don't you don't lock in you can't lock in health insurance rates.

That's unfortunate.

Well, we don't we can't lock in rates with nobody.

We're seeing huge increases from that.

So guarantee over the first couple year minimum you can't you can't get that. No JPA will ever Yeah.

And it's because that I mean the health insurance market is is just too volatile. Um but but that is a huge savings for our employees. No, that's fantastic. Was there a buy in?

Um, the buyin is very minimal. Um, it's it's, you know, some of the some of the providers we were looking at were in the millions of range. This was um 220,000 250,000 something that we're able to um make up for. Yeah.

Remind me, I recall you saying something that this is, you know, like a local like Yeah. Southeastern Mass Health Group is the group that we're looking at.

Yeah. Um they consist of about 10 other communities at this point.

Yeah.

Pretty much the same kind plans. So um you know Blue Cross is still Blue Cross.

Yeah.

Uh you know the thing with Maya was we've been with Maya since I think 2012.

Um it's the overhead. I mean Maya Maya is expensive. I mean they do great things for the town and wellness programs and all that but you pay for that you know you pay for that over the years. And um you know if we would have looked at this probably 10 years ago and locked in a rate they would been around since 2019. um no, South Coast um there would probably been potential savings to

the town uh cumulative in the millions for saving $2 million this year. A million, you know.

Yeah, that's amazing. So, wow. Yeah. Thank you for doing the footwork on that. That was a lot of work.

It's nice to have good news.

Fingers crossed it's not it's not done yet. We got to get all of our unions to agree. Um you know, things things look good. The challenge is is we have to have this done by April 1st.

It's a very short time.

Yeah, we're steamrolling towing there.

We may not make the spelling be uh the 11 11 bargaining units. 11 out of 11 or is it 2/3 out of 11?

11 out of 11.

11 out of 11. And they're all at the libraries. I see all the meetings at the libraries when I went.

Oh, yeah. They're all over the place.

They're all over the place. So, congratulations on that. And and and and not congratulations yet, but I know good luck. Really optimistic.

Yeah, I am. I am optimistic. We are optimistic.

It would be a shame to let this pass because you're the benefits that they're going to receive are very similar and it's really hard to get good health insurance. So, this is like the best of both worlds. You're still going to get good health insurance, but you're not going to have to pay as much. And I just we have and the HICC, the steering committee that we have, um we've heard

it directly from the employees. I mean, you've seen it in the past where it, you know, it's it's it's unaffordable. it really is unaffordable.

You're working for your health insurance, right? And and some employees, that's the case. And and so we're trying to make that as less burdensome as possible going forward. And like Cody mentioned, $11,000 this year, but that's, you know, over multiple years that you're going to be saving that for quite some time. And we hope that if you looked at the trend that that the South Coast Group,

you know, they're averaging four and a half, 5% each year where Maya was double digits.

You know, some communities even paying 19 up to 19%. So, you know, that that is a that is not like saving $100. That's thousands of dollars.

Yeah.

19 for us not to do our due diligence.

We, you know, we have to do at least explore it.

Mhm.

Yeah.

Thank you.

Good news.

Yeah, it is good news. So hopefully, fingers crossed.

Yep.

Everybody all together.

Is that that's pretty much the highlights. um liaison reports and I look at you John Souza because I know you had uh CPC met this week and they recommended all five uh good projects are being forwarded at town meeting.

So any special caveats anything like that?

I haven't watched the meeting.

No exc one comment.

Yes.

Um I went to the first CPC meeting and I just absolutely positively. I was thrilled to see that in action, to hear that in action. It was passionate. All five projects were passionate.

And I I particularly enjoyed very much the agricultural presentation. And I'm going to get these names wrong because I'm still learning the area. But the gentleman from Bricks Bounty, which I call the hut, um, when he was speaking about commodity farming, commodity farming in in in in Dartmouth is just a godsend. It's glorious.

Commodity farming is what the farmers that are are struggling out in the middle of our country are struggling with commodities. They're selling to feed kids in your public schools across the country. but to go and get a fresh tomato, one head of lettuce, one onion, and one potato for our elderly community because that's all they need in the fresh backyard. And to save that with CPC money, which was the original

intent, if you will. I just think it's phenomenal. So, John, thank you for your work in that regard. Um, thank you very much.

I'll have um Buddy come in at the next meeting to go over the next like we usually do.

Oh, invite him in.

Yes. Perfect. So, we can hear more about the project. Yes, sir.

I was at the board of health meeting last night and there's really nothing to bring forward to the finance committee.

There was nothing in there that was going to affect the finance committee.

So, I always enjoyed those meetings with some of some of the things that you learn about Yeah.

how high goats can jump and things like that. I don't know. I just found it different because it's not something you think about every day, but they deal with a lot of things like that that you're like, "Oh, yeah."

Yep.

It was unexpected the first time I listened in on a meeting.

Yeah, it has been enlightening, but nothing for finance committee. The capital improvement committee has pretty much they're finishing up and at the last meeting the library and the waterways department presented and they didn't really have a a request for this year but they wanted to put on the radar concerns for example around the the Southworth Library being more updated and um what was the thing from what what I

can't remember what the thing was from what I was but what I remember And what I uh hope continues is the advanced planning because remember that those lists for five years, they're going out longer now. And um the fact that the South Worth Library needs to be updated will not be news and when they when they talk about it when it's going to be done. I I really appreciate the the advanced planning on that.

You'd like to get anything else on capital?

No, no, no. CIPC has wrapped up the um their uh meetings with all the departments. So next week uh actually there's two openings on the on the uh committee. They've interviewed uh four um individuals. So they'll make a recommendation next week on uh two out of those four individuals. They um and then they also reviewed the uh uh master capital plan.

They'll be making recommend they've already made recommendations, but we're finalizing that next week. So uh potentially next week will be the last meeting for the 27 and then um make the recommendations for tow meeting.

Could I ask one question?

Of course. Um, with respect to liaison, the kitchen at our senior center, the alt ads for the floor and the lighting um, in the community center was an awesome alt ad to put forward. And I just was wondering how that might come about or what's the status of of that project.

Oh, sure. We have a COA board meeting next week. Uh but essentially the they had to come back out to add those the the ceiling in. So the engineering firm that we've hired uh was out a couple weeks ago. They're going to have um final design docks to us uh supposed to be tomorrow actually. And then once we approve them, that'll get out to bid.

Thank you very much. That's an awesome ALAD. There it is. It's similar to the what made me think of it was the Southworth Library and when we had the fabric fair this weekend. So I thought of that. So, thank you very much.

Any more liaison reports?

Oh, one thing to add. Carrie had brought this up previously about um parks and wreck, the request to transfer that position. So, I had a productive meeting with them um at their last meeting and they um understand why it shouldn't be transferred now and so they've they've no longer have that request for it to be transferred. They're going to leave it where it is.

Um and we think we have a good path forward with them. So greatly appreciated.

Yeah. No, it's a good um good thing.

I did miss that m that last meeting.

You missed a good one.

Darn it.

Did you want to give the liaison report?

Yeah, I know that that was that was the essence of the meeting.

Okay. Uh minutes sets of minutes you have and I know you had emailed me. Um yes. on the uh you have motion to approve the February 12th meeting minutes uh as printed.

Do we have a second on the February 12th minute meeting?

I'll second.

Seconded by Patrick. Any comments, concerns, whatever. All in favor?

I I have to abstain.

I abstain.

Any opposed?

No.

Motion to approve the February 19th finance committee meeting minutes as printed.

I'll second.

I had one comment on that which I sent to Gary actually. It not necessarily makes a request

long way with the uh new person that's doing the minutes now. But I noticed in the section about the reserve fund transfer. I thought that's one that could have a hair more detail because it didn't say the amount. It didn't say what it was for and it literally just was like they made a motion and they passed it.

Yeah, I I'll contact um I'll contact her and just let her know that whenever there's the committee's making any kind of recommendation or motions. Obviously, when we do the warrant, she's not going to put every single line item on the warrant, but when that gets approved, but any kind of reserve fund transfers or anything like that, I'll uh make sure that she includes those dollar amounts

in the minutes for the record. Right.

I'll contact her.

I thought that'd be more important. I mean, I have to also abstain from February 12th. I just checked my calendar and I wasn't here.

Thanks.

So noted.

Um, but we can approve these minutes with without that, of course. So, I'm sorry, John, you made a motion to approve the minutes. Uh, do we have a second?

Seconded.

Seconded by Patrick.

All in favor? I I abain. Ryan abstains that one, too.

Dear abstains. Any opposed? No.

So passes. Uh just Gary just briefly. So next week we have Buddy Baker Smith.

Yeah.

Finance committee handbook and um any further updates we have uh obviously we'll have would have already had the joint meeting with the schools.

So maybe we can have maybe something will have changed.

Yeah.

And al so we have another uh budget advisory group meeting. uh on that Tuesday Tuesday morning bright and early advisory group um scheduled.

If you haven't had a chance to read the articles on what's happening in Middleboro, Lakeville, Freetown school districts, um it puts things into perspective, I think that it can always be a lot worse. And so I read that. Yeah, I haven't had a chance to read what's going on in Middleboro in their general budget and then also Freetown Lakeville.

They're looking at um if their override doesn't pass eliminating 50 positions in their school system.

Wow.

But they're also got an interim town manager who's the middle. Yeah. Middle interim town manager who's the retired police chief who wants to stop town meeting and move it because at least trying to get a handle on what the budget.

Yeah. He's trying to get a handle on the budget. I think the point is even on the um forget you know take away the schools in that in that in that town that the the the municipal budget is still out of out of whack.

Lakeville boy the point is this is accumulation over a number of years in communities like that that haven't take proactive approach to you know to to being uh good stewards of the of the finances. interesting about that. I recall the town budget side versus the school was higher than the schools and it was just a reverse. What your trend noticed is that we've always funded the school more than we fun the town

and that town it's the trend has been just the opposite. So very interesting to see them you know that school department take hit after hit after hit and they're looking for override.

They're looking for an override too immediately like immediately. They've already scheduled it.

And how do you plan and how that's They've already scheduled. I've never seen so.

Yeah, this is a level of desperation there.

There certainly is.

And Whitman Hansen mentioning that last week or two weeks ago was just I had nightmares for three nights. Thank you, Cody.

Sorry.

But that was something.

We don't want to be We don't want to be in that situation.

And that is all I have.

Okay.

Motion to adjurnn.

Second.

Do we have a second? All in favor? Bye bye.