Finance Committee Meeting - September 17, 2026

I'd like to call a finance committee meeting to order on September 17th.

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

and please note that this meeting is in person, but it is being recorded.

All right, got a big night ahead of us. Warrant article review.

So, uh, as we go through, uh, Madam Chair, we have the warrant articles that we can do, the majority of them, I think, tonight. There may be a couple that we have to wait till next week, especially the capital where they're meeting, uh, on next Wednesday to finalize the request from the departments. I invited uh Buddy Baker Smith to come in and talk about article one. Uh and he's here if we want to start.

Of course.

Of course.

Want to join us, buddy. Thank you for taking the time.

Get out of here as soon as you can.

Great. Thank you. We have uh one um the CPC is is bringing forward one article for the October town meeting which is a recommendation for uh town meeting to approve uh $1 million in CPA funds for the past commands valley conservation project. Um and that is um the project will be to um preserve put under conservation restriction about 29 acres um on the property that's currently um I think we typically refer to as a

Hawthorne Country Club uh property. Um this is a joint application from the town of Dartmouth uh and the Buzzer Base Coalition. Um, Buzzard's Bay is proposing to um purchase that parcel.

Uh, and the CPA funds are to go to the town of Dartmouth to purchase conservation restriction um on that piece of property. Um, and a couple of things, we've had a review, we've asked some questions and got responses. Um there are a couple of things that um are outstanding, but the main thing is um they're in the process of getting an appraisal of that parcel.

Um uh the what the value of the conservation restriction will be on that parcel. Um so it's one of the things that we look at because um uh the amount of CPA funds should not exceed the value the appraised value of the conservation restriction. So that work is underway and expected to be done well before um town meeting. Um so let me stop there in case there are questions.

I have buddy.

Yeah. Um, of course, this was this is part of it. The um area that's I guess would be the u inside the uh proposed uh conservation uh that was going to be developed for those 65 housing units if I'm not mistaken. Okay. Now, you've been working with the developer as far as uh mapping out the restricted lands and what he's going to be doing. And then there's some area there too that I'm fairly familiar

with uh that are really wetlands and of course you guys are advocating recreational paths and all that and um going probably two questions. I guess you've been working with the developer and secondly, what are you going to do with these lands that may not be either buildable or used to or for use for recreation or what are your planning plans on that going forward?

Well, just to clarify, so the town has been the one in in conversation with the developer, the current owner and the and the person the developer that's interested in u acquiring the property.

Um so the CPC hasn't been involved in any of those conversations.

Um so what was presented to us is the plan would be um for um uh another developer to purchase the property. Um it would need to be subdivided so that um the back part of the property, the 29 acres um that um uh abuts the Pasamanska uh river would be uh under a conservation restriction and then the remaining part of the current parcel would be developed by the the new owner. Um, and as we

understood it, that would result in a reduction in the number of units that would um, be located in that area. The current proposal, I think, that the town has seen from the current owner would have built on all of that land, right?

Um, and so I think one of the things that was, uh, particularly I think several members of the CPC commented on is just this seems to be a very positive use of the CPA fund. um protect some land. Um certainly along the uh abuts the aquafers uh the the town wells um as well as um come up with a a more reasonable um size development for that site that

seems to be more in line with um what the community and a butters kind of were were hoping for. Um, so that's Are you saying some of those those 29 acres would be handed over to a sold to a developer and then No, those 29 acres would be um that we're talking about here in this article are the ones that would be um um ultimately under a conservation restriction with the excuse me with the

parcel being owned by Buzzard's Bay Coalition. Um and there would be no development. Uh there would be passive recreation. Um the new developer of the remaining uh parcel that can be developed would provide access to the conservation area.

Oh, I see. So that's outside the 29 acres you're talking about.

Yeah.

That additional parcel.

Yes. Outside of the 29 acres. Yeah.

Okay. Now I understand. Thank you.

So, I was just looking at the map. It looks like there's two parcels. One is in the buildable areas where the country club was. It looks Yeah, I think the par the parcel has to be subdivided. So, but so I think what you see is that's the illustration of how it would be subdivided. That's right.

Um I think that the article has proposed um checks a lot of boxes um for the positive. Um I mean we've seen over the last year that um nothing gets people moving kind of like a 40B proposal um you know to be vocal and I think a lot of the most of the town sentiment was negative if we don't want it um with different effects and I think that having the age restricted proposed

community one cuts down like you said on the number of units which is good for um you know concerns people had with traffic. Um, we have an aging population in town. So, the age restricted community I think will be good for people that want to remain in Dartmouth, have a place to possibly buy and then maybe even if they have generational homes that they've lived in, free up to have, you know, more homes on the market

for younger families to move in. Um, also with the age restriction, you're not having an impact on the schools, which I know was a concern for some people. So, I think, you know, it it checks a lot of boxes and and kind of answers the concerns that a lot of people had. Um when I read the documents we got, I just had two questions that came up. One is the um fundraising portion for the million40,000

it said fundraising to be ongoing. Is that through Buzzards Bay Coalition? Do you know? Are they going to be raising the those funds?

Yes, that's what they they that's what they presented. They would raise the the rest of the funds to acquire that property.

And then the second was with the proposed um recreation area, which I think is good. I was just looking at the GIS map and the parcel that the town already owns comes down in a strip almost to Tucker Road, but there's a home there on the corner and I think the only access would be either Country Club Boulevard through the new development or through um Fairway Drive. And so I just didn't know like access-wise if there

was any conversation with Buzzards Bay about how people are going to access this land cuz I think if you're going through someone's street there's going to be kind of a push back. Um but I don't think there's any easy way to get into a you know a parking area.

Yeah, I think that's where what was uh the response was that the the new developer the that would um um take on that front part would in laying out a site plan for development would provide in that site plan access through um to the conservation area. So it wouldn't deal with the fairway or the because I know that would be the next, you know, battle that you you'd fight.

So, okay. Thank you for that.

Y anybody else?

I just had one comment.

Oh, of course.

And and I'm very happy that you're here and I'm very happy that you'll be at the town meeting because this is one of those projects again like I can think of round the bend was one of them. the project that we went through last year. People need to understand the parameters around what this is and what it is and you've done a great job of explaining that to people.

Right. Great. I I will hopefully continue to do that.

Yes, please do.

No, these are the kind of projects we love to see. I realize it's not possible to buy up all the land there is and protect it. I think Dartmouth does an admirable job though, especially with some of the nonprofits that we work with.

Yes, it's fantastic how much land has been protected. I know there are those that will still and have squawk a little bit because there's still housing being built.

Well, it wasn't possible to buy the whole parcel.

Yeah. And you know, it's a it's a balanced balanced development. It's a balanced agenda.

I think that's I think that's one of the things if this would enable this to go forward in a more if you will palpable way um it includes important housing development u which is still important for for people in town and the and the growth of the town and all that but really important protections and a balance so yeah this is a really good example and I'll try to be clear about we're talking

about the conservation restriction here and there are other plans and other avenues or committees and boards that deal with the the development aspect of that site. Um, so I'll try to try to be clear about that and that's more realistic in my opinion the way that land should be developed.

Combination protection and a small amount of units cuz at one time if I'm not mistaken they were I guess going to build perhaps like 200 and something units on that land and it went down to 187. Now we're down to 65 which makes a lot more sense.

Yeah. Well, kudos to the town administration that clearly has been working hard to try to find a way forward.

Um, and this was then brought to us. So, I just also want to be clear that CPC did not um come up with this elegant solution was brought to us um and we support it wholeheartedly. Yeah.

Great. Any other questions or comments?

Thank you so much for taking the time to join us.

All right. Thank you all. Good to see you. All right. See you.

Thanks, buddy.

Take care.

So, we have 17 articles. I know they're not all votable. Uh my question to you is, do you want to go through and vote the ones we can and then go back and look at the rationale or go back and forth? Um, I like to vote the ones that we can and then go back to the rationals.

How about do you don't you usually write the rationals after you vote?

That's rational. There's a draft of the There's a draft of the rationals which I sent you. You mean you didn't spend all afternoon reading it?

I read some of them. I mean, do do you vote on I mean, you I think you talk about the rationale after you vote on the article. You typically we can we can to wrap it all up. I mean, get it done.

If it's a simple one, it probably wouldn't take us long to talk about it.

We could do that. In the past, we've done the articles, then gone back afterwards, everything's said and done, and then does make sense to write about them when you're thinking about them. So, yeah, sure. Why not?

No, no, we can go back and forth. I just asking to see what people preferred.

Um, Carrie, if you could on the uh draft that I sent you, the word doc, can you keep track of the voting? Yep. That way the votes in the votes in there. I mean I could do it but then I my stuff's on the screen so it's going to hard be hard for me to flip back and forth to put the voting in and go back to the article.

That's all.

Um okay.

Seven of us today.

Yes sir.

Seven of us today.

Gary have the gave us a list of the articles we can vote on this evening. Has the selectman voted on these articles?

No. We we bring it to the selectman first.

We make our recommendations first.

They're going to vote on it on the 20.

Yeah. The next meeting. The next meeting on the 28th. So, we'll give them our recommendations and then they'll they like to read our rational rational explain it.

They went through these at the last select board meeting. I mean, Cody went through everything and they they talked about them a little bit, but yeah, there was no voting. No. And then some of them are not final anyway.

28. Yeah. The 28th they will vote on it.

Yeah.

without recommendations with the finance committee's recommendations always.

Anyway, I'm not going to read the entire article. I will simply read the heading of the article. Um, so article one is the community preservation committee pasamset valley conservation project which we just heard Buddy Baker Smith describe to us. Do I have a motion?

I'll make a motion to Carrie makes a motion. Do I second from Patrick? Um, any discussion?

Are we ready to vote? All in favor of article one?

I.

Any opposed?

No. Any abstensions? No. So that's seven. Is that zero?

Now, do you want me to read the rationale and if we agree?

I can put it up on the screen.

Oh, look. Second. Second.

Hang on, let me make it a little bit bigger.

Good enough. Yeah. Um, just one comment before we go to the first uh article one rationale uh in the top part of our template that we use to uh do the rationale. I added that section. The section is not new. The section was in another place on the warrant ration before, but this way it just covers everything that may or may not have a financial implication.

Okay?

You know, basically that we have to make a recommendation to town meeting on every warrant article regardless of whether the article involves a financial matter. So now it's just part of the template.

I think that's good to ask because it was on the other one. Yeah.

Yeah. That way it's there. And then however the articles are listed, they may or not be listed in that order. I think last time for whatever reason the non-financial ones came after. So we had that in the middle of the rationale.

Anyway, do you want to read it yourselves or do you want it to be read to you?

We can read it ourselves.

I like that it clarifies it's a conservation restriction like you mentioned to Buddy and that way it's it's clear what it's for and that it mentions the you know aligns with the objectives and also protecting the aqua aquifer which I think is important right when I went through the document I realized that that was a point that should be made I I realize that there'll be a map passed out I'm sure

um at town meeting and it will show where all the water uh wells are behind that. So I thought that was important changes.

Thanks.

Thoughts, John?

Yeah, I you know a big part of this as we all know is the uh this is a much better alternative to what the town is facing right now with a 40B project.

So even though it's separate, it is tied together. There's no question about it when we view it at the CPC.

You know this. So, you know, why not come out and say it? This this article is tied to the existing approved 40B project and this alternative presents a much better solution to the town.

And and John makes a good point because as I understand it, if this does not pass, it could revert back to the original project.

Absolutely. So I think I think it's important that people do tie it together because if they don't vote for it, it's going to revert back.

It's just worth mentioning.

No, it's fine. That's a sentence.

Carrie, how would you like it to read?

It's just how did I just say it? This go back and watch the video.

This project goes hand in hand with the 40B requirements for the town or something like that. This parcel is tied to the 40B approved 40B project if approved provides a better alternative than the 40B project.

I would suggest changing it from tied to um one component of just because Buddy's making the point that it's not people need to be clear about what it is and isn't. But I think you're absolutely right to put something in about this because it checks boxes as Patrick said not just for that but for the population of the town that is always being brought up that we're not um really you know

prioritizing them. maybe word it somewhere in a way like if if approved this would provide a um I want to say a reasonable alternative or something like that to the proposed um 40B residences at Hawthorne alter to the resident to the proposed 40B development known as the residences at Hawthorne.

Okay, hold on to the proposed 40B development um known as the residences at Hawthorne. proposed as the residences at Hawthorne.

Residences at Hawthon and that's that. Y good.

I got to reword that a little bit, but yeah, I spelled Hawthon wrong. Okay.

Article two, appropriation to the stabilization fund.

Somebody want to make a motion?

I'll make a motion to approve.

I'll second it. Any discussion, comments? Gary, anything?

Well, this will bring our balance to close to about 14.3 million dollars in the stabilization fund, which is uh in line with uh the uh financial policies of the town, uh being a certain percentage of 10% of the operating revenues, operating operating budget, excuse me.

And while it's still fresh in my mind, that would be good to put that figure into the rationale. Uh but we'll get to that.

Um, anybody else have a comment or question?

Ready to vote? All in favor of article two?

I I Any opposed or abstensions? So 70 0 700.

Yep.

What was that amount that I need to add to the rational the balance?

Yeah. Yeah.

Uh 14 say 14.3 million.

Okay. Okay.

Um I would also maybe add that um this annual contribution is important um to ensure the town retains its uh AAA bond rating.

Okay.

Yeah.

And as Gary said, it aligns with our financial policy.

Yeah. And also aligns with the town's financial policy. So we can say that too. That's a good idea.

Let me start spitting words at you.

I know it's I don't type that fast. It sounds I feel your pain.

AAA bond rating. Aa You want to read it when you when you're done it now when I have to that way hear the flow.

This annual contribution you said something about that.

This annual contribution is important to ensure the town retains its AAA bond rating and then and what you say align align with the town's financial policies.

Sure. and lines.

Note to ensure the town retains its AAA bond reading

and what are they aligned with?

Um, and then after that and aligns with the town's financial policies.

Ah, is that what you said? Financial policies.

Yes. Okay.

When you send it up, too, I'll proofread it and please.

Yeah. would be greatly appreciated.

It'll get lots of proof rating.

I would really appreciate that. I'll leave them yellow product at the end of tonight.

Um, you want to read when you're done? Are you ready to read?

I'm done.

I'm ready to You want me to read it?

Yeah, please.

I mean, I I added to the end this article. So, it starts out this article proposes an appropriation of 250,000 from surplus revenue and transfers this amount to the stabilization fund. This transfer amount is primarily attributed to the stabilization fund's current balance of greater than 10% of the town's operating revenues. The balance of 14.3 million. What else do we want to write after that?

Is that just the balance? Is that where it is? The balance is 14.3 million. The balance balance is 14.3.

Okay. The balance is 14.3 million. This annual contribution is important to ensure the town retains its AAA bond rating and aligns with the town's financial policies.

Sounds good.

Okay. All right. I can unhighlight that one.

I would leave it highlighted till we've all seen a final copy of it.

You got it.

That way we can go back and give it over once over.

Perfect.

All righty.

Is article three ready for voting?

Yes. I have a motion to approve article 3. So hang on one second. Is that sum correct?

Yes.

Okay, good.

All right. Article three, appropriation to the stabilization fund for collective bargaining and nonUN agreements. Do we have a motion to approve?

I'll make the motion to approve and a second.

I'll second.

Any discussion?

Well, let's look at the comments on the side there. See? It was just about the um is the number accurate which I just asked um Gary. Gary do you have any comments on this?

Uh maybe maybe the same we could leave out probably the talent financial policies. Uh we could probably put something the balance. Uh let me see what we got.

Are you talking about the rationale?

Yes. Did you take did you vote already on that?

We didn't discuss. No, we just they were discussing jumped ahead.

Okay.

Sorry. We're on article three.

We got to keep up with Gary.

I know. Poor Gary. Sorry.

Anyway, did you have any comments about this article, Gary?

No, this just this will help us out with um obviously, you know, we're in um uh collective bargaining with all four unions and what we typically do with this. We started this fund quite some time ago and uh it just uh continues to fund that so that once we get to union contract negotiations uh we can um uh use this fund. Uh and we need it. We will need it as you'll see in another

article, but we won't be able to vote on those tonight because those contracts haven't been settled. But if remember we also did uh we we kind of gave a little bit to the schools last year when we um tried to help them out with the budget. That's right. So it's this is not just town. It's also available for any kind of uh increases that we may need to adjust.

So, just to refresh my memory, I know we probably have discussed this before, but that $150,000 when you say helps with a collective bargaining, what if you wanted to do a deeper dive, what would that entail? Legal working with attorneys or I don't know. No, the salaries. The actual salaries.

The salaries itself.

Yes. Yep.

And only the salaries itself. Is that That's it. It's just the way it's useful. Yep.

Ready to vote?

All in favor?

I I.

Any opposed or abstensions? So 70 0 0 7 0 0.

All right. And then going over to the R rationale for article three.

So, Carrie, you can obviously take the red away from the sum. I wasn't sure if that was final.

Oh, I did. Okay, good. Yeah, because it's definitely it's the final number.

Gary, what did you mention to add the balance of the account? Yes. Is that So, um, let me see what it reads.

Is this is this is not car's right? Mhm.

This is what Carrie's using.

No.

No, but it's the same. So, we can add that the balance the balance is a 1.1 million.

1.1 million.

Current balance of this account is 1.1 million.

No, Carrie's editing it, but this is this is what she has in front of her.

Yeah.

Yeah.

And we obviously finalized the 150,000.

I got a little help over here. So just trying Patrick is an excellent wordsmith.

He is actually

Yes, John Gary made a point that this is for four unions. I think that's an important uh statement. So in the middle of the first sentence we should uh which is set aside to resolve contract negotiations with four unions for all staff.

Four unions for all staff.

Is that a correct statement?

Uh I would um I want to say four unions.

Uh yeah, we have four unions.

Was there a union that's not settled in this though?

School department.

It does say excluding the school department.

But that was the only one that's not included in this.

Oh, correct. Exclude. Let me just read this for a second. Contact of all staff excluding the school department.

Um, with me standard I just thought at last meeting that Cody had said there was three out of four that were going to be Well, so right now we have there's four units. Right now we have we we're going to most likely have uh laborers and um um steel workers settled.

Okay.

DTA and police probably won't be settled for this contract for this um town meeting.

So you'll see those articles coming up.

We don't have the dollar amounts for those yet, but we'll have to do those next week. Um I would leave this as purely the balance.

And if we also want to mention that there, you know, four unions can I don't know how you want to put it. maybe four unions can um take advantage of it. It's Yeah, but but you have we're mentioning those um the steel workers and whatever in other in other articles articles.

Yeah.

But so what would this article to fund all to fund we could put the fund the four unions if you want to mention to fund the remaining four if you want to mention those four unions because people won't know who the four unions are.

No and and it's not clear you know where do we start and stop. I think it's important when you look at especially the total 1.1 plus another it's like what union is getting this.

Yeah.

Cuz it all appears as one union.

So I think it's important that we say this is four unions.

Yeah. Yeah.

And whether or not the committee wants to let list them.

So maybe after all staff like Karma represented by four unions which include laborers, steel workers, USW, but they have their own articles in here that Right. But that that's the that's to I think what the point John's trying to make is those articles are to spend.

This is the fund. So it could be unclear. Yeah, the public could probably say, well, you know, then you should, you know, be clear and put funding, you know, and then and the other articles put, you know, to, you know spend settle whatever.

Well, those articles are particular for this each union. So, there's an article for each union.

Yeah, but this is for actual funding.

The other ones, this is the confusion I had.

What are we doing? Are we just for spending or is this for just for funding?

This is for spending the spend. The This is for funding. The spend funding.

This is for funding. the spend comes out of each individual article. But but I think to John's point, he wants to mention that what is this to fund? The four unions.

I don't have any problem with that. I just want to be clear what this article is about. This article is about funding to fund four unions. Police police brotherhood. I don't know if you want to label this police brotherhood.

I I think if you say four unions, somebody's going to say, "Well, what what are the unions?" Right? Right.

Which is set right which is set aside to resolve contract negotiations for maybe just do another sentence after this after the excluding the school department and then say the four unions represented or the four unions.

Yeah. This money is being appropriated for is you know are police brother which include Yeah.

four unions include exactly. So it's blown blatantly obvious. This is a funding article, not a spending article.

This money is being appropriated for I would say to settle the contracts.

Whatever you want to say funding, settle the contracts.

Do we want to say which one contracts for four unions?

Yeah, sounds like you have to list the union and put like a semicolon and then list them. I would say then you can take out excluding the school.

Police Brotherhood.

Police Brotherhood. Is it uh steel workers Gary?

Steel.

USW.

United Steel Workers. Or maybe spell it out.

Oh, USW.

Steel Workers.

Steel Workers.

United Steel Workers. Okay.

Oops. Yep. Okay.

Um, missing one.

Dartmouth Town Employees Association.

Dam Town Employee Association. Okay.

Police Brotherhood.

Okay. and laborers.

Laborers.

Yes.

Okay, I will fix my misspelling. Okay, we can move on.

Do you want to read it? You want me to?

No, be wise.

Uh, I got to say, let's just assume. Yes.

All right. So, this money is being appropriated to settle contracts for four unions. and then in parenthesis, police brotherhood, United Steel Workers, Dartmouth Town Employee, Association, and Laborers.

Period. The current balance is 1.1 million. This practice aligns with Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 40, Section 5B. It is standard procedure when existing contracts are nearing expiration.

Did you say this money?

Yes.

So, I say this appropriation.

Oh, this appropriation. Why did it go to money?

Only because it doesn't make sense.

That's why you were just asking.

That's weird. Okay.

Say this article appropriates or this article appropriates.

So what do we want to say?

I'm sorry. Say it again.

This article this article is uh this article appropriates.

Yeah.

What? It appropriates funds to settle the contract. Is that what the word you want? Because nowhere in here did it say well you should put the amount of funds somehow. However you want to work that sentence.

These funds are being refer to it as this article.

That's what it said. These funds are being appropriated.

That's what it said, right?

That's what it originally said. It originally said after excluding school department, it said these funds are being or these funds are appropriated to settle the contracts for four unions. Do you want it to say something different than that?

That's not the first sentence, right?

No, the second fine.

Yeah. All right.

Yeah, that's good.

We can read through it.

I said we'll get another glance at it next time.

That's better. And then I'll just fix my Yeah.

Yep.

Police brother.

Send it out as a draft.

It is still a draft.

It's going to be a draft until we vote on everything and everybody agrees on all the words.

Next meeting.

Yeah, we have time. We have time. Uh where are we?

Four.

Article four. Appropriation to the stabilization fund for long-term capital. Is the figure $300,000 accurate Gary?

Okay. Somebody motion to approve.

Thank you. Do we have a second? Second.

Second. discussion. Gary, you have any comments?

Well, this um this fund a as the committee knows was established a couple years ago to address a lot of the longer term capital um issues that we would have in town and borrowings that we would have in town. We used some of this last year, $500,000 for the uh schools for the fire uh the fire system that they had to replace. Uh we replaced the $500,000 back. So, we're asking for an

additional $300,000 to be uh put in the account, which would bring it to roughly about 1.3 million. Um, and these are for again the longer term bigger bigger uh ticketed projects. Uh, capital uh excuse me, CIPC focuses mainly on those smaller items. Um, this would be for larger initiatives.

I believe this is also part of our financial policy.

Well, this this account um is relatively new newer. Um I have the RFA looking over actually the financial policies. I want to introduce those back into to the committee. So, if there's any changes that we need to add, we may want to add this because I don't think this was around. So, it's not in there now, right? I don't think this was around when um the original financial policies from some years ago were were

established, but we do need to look at those. I have her looking at them and um she's going to come back with at least a draft or revisions to that. So, we may have to change this uh potentially the name.

No, no, no. The change.

No, this is the warrant article we're looking at. So, no.

Yeah, the name doesn't change.

No, no, I'm not talking about that. I'm talking about He was talking about the stabilization. This is a new fund you're talking about.

No, no. This fund has been around for about a couple years now.

We're not looking to It's not a financial policy that it's not attached to our financial policy.

Oh, I see. So, we would want to revise those financial policies to include that we have a long-term capital stabilization fund and that that was my confusion. Now, I understand.

Yeah, we're going to we're going to we and and RFA is looking at that.

Okay, I understand.

We end the um second sentence at capital needs and so first end that with period and then in front of the next section write the goal of this.

Can we finish voting on this article?

Oh my god.

I'm sorry, Terry.

Sketchy. See, first I thought you was changing the warrant wording and I'm thinking maybe maybe next time voting and then go back again.

Okay, so I can make Sorry, Terry. I didn't mean to cut you off.

We need to Anyway, she was much nicer than me, Terry.

Are we ready to vote?

Yeah. All in favor of article 4 I I. Any opposed or abstensions? So 70 z.

All right. Back to now. What did you want to do? Head on over and where it says major facility and capital needs.

Where does that say the second sentence the end?

Yes, I see it. put a period after capital needs because I think we'd need a lot more money in this in this um the goal is to fund to actually reduce reliance on future borrowing. So I would say um the goal of this uh appropriation or the goal of this stabilization the goal is to reduce reliance on future borrowing and lessen the impact of logical differences on future budgets and tax base. Yeah, that's perfect.

That was an easy fix.

That was an easy fix. And don't forget 300,000 is the permanent black. Yes. I mean, and we're I mean, we're rounding when I'm telling you 1. I'll get I think what we should actually put in here is the act the exact numbers and I'll get those for next week. So, we can drop those exact numbers for the rationale.

Okay?

You know, if it's pennies and you know, I think we should probably put the most the current uh we'll post interest to this these accounts every month and everything. So, I'll get those exact numbers. We can drop those in next week.

That's fine. I thought for a minute there you were telling us the numbers in the warrant are accurate that we were voting on the balances.

Just checking.

Don't panic, please.

Just checking. Okay. So, article, we're back to the warrant. Article five is not ready, I'm assuming.

Yeah.

Seeing a lot of Nope. That'll be ready Thursday of next week.

So, we won't bother to look at the rationale.

All right. How about six?

Six is is is ready.

Okay. Okay. So, article six, general bylaw amendment of chapter 37, section six, revolving funds.

I make a motion to move the article.

I'll second.

Second. Uh discussion. Gary, little summary.

Um I, you know, we went over this last week when Cody explained um this is m mainly for maintenance and uh repairs of the vehicles. um you know these a lot of these vehicles and even in capital we looked at um when the chief presented to us uh the maintenance on these vehicles we talked about idle times and even though these vehicles sit it's still a drain on the engines it's a drain on all

all the um the pots and everything so we have wear and tear obviously on these vehicles that we need to address. Mhm.

So, this was set up a revolving fund to capture some of that um the revenue that we we build for like u details and and then be able to spend it on uh maintenance.

And what happens to it right now, Gary?

What happens to the money that comes in from?

It's through the operations. It it's it's it through their operations. So if in like you'll see in the police department's budget you'll see like vehicle repair and maintenance and they're having to pay for all the repair and maintenance out of those vehicles and that gets budgeted every year. This would keep a closer track.

Think of it as like the um bucket for instance when they charge fees and then they go to town meeting and have to um uh ask for additional fee ask for additional um uh to elevate those uh balances that they can use. Let's say they bring in $200,000 uh and they spend 150, but they really have 200,000 in revenue. We have to go to town meeting to up that amount so

that every year they can spend up to what they bring in in revenues. So that's basically what we're trying to do here. Set this up as a revolving fund.

So any revenues that we capture in this account strictly will go for vehicle maintenance.

Do they already have a cruiser use fee or is this a new fee that they're adding?

I believe they do, but it's I think they very minimal.

Was $10.

Yeah, it's just to get the cruiser.

Yes.

Not the staffing.

Yeah. Okay. And I think they looked around comparable communities and it's a lot higher in compar comparable communities.

Is there an admin fee too or is it just cuz I know like I I hire details in Mata poison it a lot and like they don't have a cruiser fee but they have a admin fee.

I think it's 10% that they add on top as like I guess a processing 10% of the of the detailed amount.

Yeah.

I had the impression that they're moving forward in some way to look at that fee and increase it because that's what they said at the select board meeting I think. Yeah, when you think about how many details there are in town, we can do a lot of detail.

A lot.

If I can add to this account and, you know, offset the maintenance, then why not do it? You know, it's Yeah, definitely.

Any more questions? Oh, John.

Yeah, Gary. Not every detail has a cruiser. Some of them are personal vehicles.

So, is there a way personal vehicles?

Yep.

Um, you mean like Yeah. Sometimes they don't have like that. I'd say 50% of them they bring their own vehicle to the to the job site. So, do they get charged a fee when that happens? I the vendor or whatever.

I'd have to check to see whether or not they get a cruise they recharge a cruiser fee because if that's the case, the cruiser is really isn't there. Uh they do get charged a detail fee.

I I understand that, but if there's no cruiser there, he's right.

You shouldn't be charging them a fee, a user fee for a cruise. I'm not sure if they if didn't seem that it was only about a cruise or somebody specifically asked for a cruise. Clarification, right? It's somebody that Right. If they're asking for a cruise like you know Eversauce does a lot of work in town obviously they're working on um utilities they're using they're using probably police

detail but yeah you're right. There are some times that you see their personal many times it's just or it's a mix. They'll have a personal vehicle and sometimes they'll have a cruiser.

Yeah. depending how I think too to John's point I think now a lot of um officers in town especially in certain special assignments they're going to take home cruisers so I think they can use that to go to court they can use that to go to the detail but if the if the person ordering the detail didn't request the cruiser they still can take it there but I don't think you

can charge the person for it if they didn't request the cruiser isn't there um but we can ask I can ask the chief on on the details of this idea if we're if we're um chief if we're um actually charging for cruisers if that if they use personal use.

It's not requested.

Yeah.

To your point.

It'd be interesting how they govern that. So, you know, or is it just a flat fee? Like, did they just charge everybody like and not call it? Do we know that it's definitely called a cruiser fee?

I wonder $10.

Yeah. Yep. $10.

Yep.

Because it was a conversation about how low that was.

Yeah. I can ask the chief. I don't know if that would hold up the the voting on the warrant.

No, I don't think I don't think so. I think it's just clarification.

That's just and we can always revise it if we don't if there's something.

Yes. A point of interest.

And I think the way that they track it is when they do the intake, they have a form they fill out. I think if you ask for a cruiser, they circle that and maybe that's how they bill the fee only to certain um to certain people who actually ask for it.

The vendor. Yeah. Who's ever saw?

Just some clarification.

Yep.

Yeah. We're only voting on whether or not they're going to create a police cruiser revolving. I think we all think is a um we recommend I don't know if you see the lights flashing flickering. If you're saving I would say if I don't know if it's on auto save I've noticed the lights or lights flicker automatically.

Yeah.

But now that you say it double check battery's running low.

No.

Well, I'm not on power here anyway.

Yeah. Okay.

Um are we ready to vote?

Yes.

All in favor of article six I I. Any opposed or abstensions? So 70 0 10.

I don't think there's much to talk about but anyway, this is what I wrote.

Yeah, that seems like it's Yeah, pretty good.

Yeah, it's pretty good. Very good.

It's a winner.

Yeah.

All righty. Article seven we're ready to vote on. Is that correct?

Yes.

So, article 7, appropriation and authorization to borrow for Route 6 Water Main.

Motion.

Make a motion.

Patrick makes a motion. Bill seconds.

Discussion. Gary.

This is this gives us the authorization to to borrow. Obviously, if we were going to do something, it' be u you know, bans at first, but um we also talked about maybe using some available funds and not having to go out for the 1.6 million in um you know, the entire amount. Um but we still haven't we don't know yet. We're still looking at that.

But this just gives us the authorization tomorrow, right? Just to move forward.

We need the authorization tomorrow.

When would you be able to would somebody asked that at Tom meeting to clarify where the money's going to be coming from?

Well, it would be it'd be the authorization.

Yeah, but from what fund would you take it from?

Well, this is um this is water mane. So, we I'm not sure if they said it was going to be Well, that's my point because uh because they said it was going to be I don't think it's water I haven't checked.

You're not going to take it out any enterprise fund.

No, no, it's being borrowed.

Yeah, but that's my point. It's Yeah. If we would if we were to take it from available revenues either way we can find out where it's going to come from either retained earnings from the from the from the enterprise funds or general fund free cash cuz I'm just if someone asks we exactly you need may need to clarify where would it come from?

Y again we we think it's going to be a little bit less than this but we we budgeted one we're asking for 1.6 six.

But again, we um we'll get the detail on someone someone asked about.

Oh, yeah.

Is this the um project that we will be saving because it's incorporated with Masot's project already?

Yes.

So, we don't have to pay for all of the digging and paving. It's, you know, we need to do this anyway, so why not do it, you know, kind of on Masto's dime partially and and save, you know, the town money.

Yep. Sure. Exactly. And also we talked about early payowns on this. If we were to borrow on the ban and we could pay some of that back to Patrick's point that should be mentioned too.

Is it in the correct Are we ready to vote on article seven?

All in favor of article 7.

I I Any opposed or abstensions? So 700,

the only thing I put in there that I thought was certainly a critical point and obviously could you can edit it far more than what I'm going to say is the fact that it didn't say where it was. So I put that in there.

Okay.

May maybe something that says like in in conjunction with Mhm.

the mass stop mass dot project. Yes.

Okay. Yeah, that's a good idea.

In conjunction with the mass project.

Mass do.

Mass do.

Oh, of transportation. I know that we asked the question last week and the select board asked the same question. Cody brought it up on Monday night. This does not have anything to do with the 40B project.

What?

Um, not that we have to say that.

Yeah. No, I wouldn't say.

No, I'm just saying it does not. All right.

It was already in it was already being planned, right?

I I thought about incorporating it was already planned. I couldn't think of how the sentence would go. So, Oh, now you're just letting Patrick do it.

Smith guru.

He is he is excellent at it. Yes, John.

He has more insight on the language.

It's instead of saying the water main project at the intersection of Hatherway Road, we were told it was approximately from France Connor Road to Hatherway Road.

So, might be better route six water main project in the vicinity of France Connor Road and Hatherway Road.

Okay, good. Better detail. Yep. Perfect.

In the vicinity. If it goes a little bit farther, we'll cover it. That's good.

because otherwise, you know, you know how some of the warrant articles are, they're incredibly vague.

Right. I'd like to be more trans.

It's not necessarily our job to explain every warrant article in the rationale. Right.

Right. Yeah.

Because we have, you know, people on stage that Well, that's their job.

Stuff that we added.

Yeah. No, no, I just thought if it's, you know, written out in front of people.

Yeah.

I guarantee you someone will still ask.

Well, of course, that's life. That's life with fast.

I know. We like to think that they're reading these rationes top to bottom, back to front, word for word. We could quiz on them, but maybe not a quiz, but I mean, when I was a town meeting member, I always some do.

Yeah, I think most do. We have a maybe not until they arrive, but others are ripping those envelopes open as they plunk down in the seats.

Yeah. Yeah.

Let me read it.

What they pay us, they should be reading something of that nature.

Okay.

Would you like to read it out loud?

Yeah. This project would run in conjunction with a mass dot project in the area with mass dot absorbing some of the construction cost rather than the town paying for it in its entirety.

I'm assuming you left in the to borrow up to 1.6 million. Yeah. Okay.

Just checking.

Yeah.

But no, that's good detail to have.

Yeah.

And then also John's added up the um victory.

Right. Wait a minute.

Take out room.

You want to leave room?

So up higher. Let me just read the whole thing so that you see how it flows because there is more up above. This article authorizes the town to borrow up to 1.6 6 million for the construction of water manes and related costs for the route 6 water main project in the vicinity of corner road and halfway road. The investment will support necessary improvements to the town's water infrastructure and help maintain a

reliable public water system. This project would run in conjunction with a mass dot project in the area with mass dot absorbing some of the construction cost rather than the town paying for it in its entirety.

Oh, great.

I think that actually sounds very good.

Thank you.

Excellent.

Back to article eight.

Article eight. What?

No, hold on that one.

Okay, so no article eight. Moving on.

Oh, you're true. I see XX's in there.

Moving on.

Article nine.

Hold on. Article nine.

Article nine. Article 10.

Hold on. Article 10.

Article number 10.

Article 11.

Yes.

Yes.

Okay. Uh, article 11 tow service provider license. Someone want to make a motion.

I made the motion.

Go. I'm sorry. Motion to approve as written.

Bill second. Yep.

Okay. Excellent.

Um, discussion.

Gary, have any deep thoughts?

Um, I think that the article Yeah. um we explained the uh you know about rotation schedules for the tow companies um and and such. I mean it's pretty detailed if you if you read it says um the chief of police gives the authority to the chief of the police to do that. Um I don't know if you want if you want to go down I summarized a lot of that the rationale

because yes this is like a page of description which one of the longer ones everybody read in great detail.

I just had a question. Um I just didn't know um two things. One is um if we know why it's limited to six licenses. Um like if there's a bunch of tow companies in the area, are we kind of like precluding you know people, you know, leaving them out? Um and also um is there any fee for the license? I see it renews every year. Um I didn't know if there's any fee involved. I didn't see

it in the writing of it, but um if they have to like apply to operate in town, should there be some sort of fee for them to do that every year since they're benefiting monetarily from, you know, the toes in town?

I can check on the fee. Okay.

Uh if there's a fee, uh I don't know. I don't know what um I know it says six um tow companies. I'm not sure how many tow companies are really in the immediate area. I know that there one in Westport, maybe a couple in Dallas. I don't know who we don't know what the selection process would be honestly but so I can find out what the fee is.

Yeah cuz I know like for the state police they had a big scandal um about like how they were selecting the people for the list and then it became they had to overhaul the whole process. I mean they they love scandals. Um well if you look like cities like I mean Providence for instance it would always be the same co toe company always the same tow company that's been being

called. So I think it I think it um eliminates a lot of favoritism if you will. Yeah. uh and kind of broadens it a little bit and give the chief of police the discretion to make that that used to happen back in the Bedford.

Same thing.

Well, now they have a list and it's next on the list unless it's operated as I remember that years ago. There was a scandal about that.

Ready to vote?

Yeah.

All in favor of article 11?

I.

Any opposed or abstensions? No. 70.

Let's see that is article 11. Skipping, skipping, skipping. Okay,

Patrick, does it need any more detail?

I think you summarized it well. Yeah, I said it took a page of whatever brought it down to hopefully something people understand and you know that there will be questions I'm sure just change that now we're back to

article 12 water department rules and regulations.

Somebody want to make a motion?

I'll make a motion.

Makes a motion. Do I have a second?

Oh, sorry.

Gary.

Okay. Um Gary, any comments?

I think it was um gives the board of public works the authority to make changes to the rules and regulations as far as um the operations for water, sewer trash right?

So on and so forth. Right now it has to go to the select board.

No, it was Oh, it had to go to town meeting at some It was old. There was old bylaws or something that ended up where everything had to go to town meeting.

This is better.

Yeah.

And you have a five person five person.

Yes.

That's much better. John, um I'm assuming we just made I think at the last town hall meeting or the one before that a change to how regulations um can be changed. There has to be notified 90 or 120 day notification for the clerk and to the users of Yes.

Yes. Yes.

Will this fall under that umbrella?

Uh we any changes to the water regulations will have to be given uh under whatever it is 120day notice. Yeah, I I would see that it would it probably would because the there there should be no distinction between the general fund fees that we collect or and the enterprise funds. Um I I think it does.

You could say a fee is a fee basically cover the entire town. Any any border agency that changed the regulations has to give notice notice and can't vote for that change for x amount of days.

I'm assuming this would fall under that.

Yeah.

Joan, you have an excellent memory.

Yeah, that was done um it does have last town meeting or the meeting I it was within the year last year.

Yeah.

Yeah.

I don't know.

And it has to be posted with the cler the clerk has to Yeah, I remember that.

And there was a grace period involved.

Yes. Yep.

Yeah.

And my understanding of this was that it really eliminated the town meeting portion.

That's good. That's helpful.

Are we ready to vote?

Yeah.

All in favor of article 12? I I any opposed or abstensions? No.

700 Z.

Article 12.

I think to mention something about what John said um that it still requires um notification to citizens. They can't just change it immediately at the same Um well I think sitting next to him from now on I think a simple clarification from council to somebody that for our next meeting and say yes they have to follow the same process. I I don't know if we have to put it in

put it in there but I think it should be clarified for I know for me you're going to take the power away from town meeting and give it to the board.

Okay. But you still have to have some sort of process. We we'll um check with that.

I just want to make sure we're not circumventing what we just did.

No, that was a good question. I don't necessarily think, as I said before, that we have to explain every warrant article in that level of detail because somebody's going to ask under a general and we have a whole board of people on stage to answer it.

Yeah, we would follow general pro changes would follow general procedures blah blah blah whatever that is.

Yeah, that's it.

Should I write that in in block for now?

Changes would follow. Yeah, something about general procedures.

General procedures. Then we can get to the detail.

What's that? What the hell that procedure number would be?

I'll say that's it. Any changes would follow, General. Did you want me to read the whole thing?

No. Is that just the last sentence?

That's it.

Okay, that's fine. I'm going put you on the spot to read the entire paragraph.

I don't mind.

All right. Where are we? Article 13.

We're good to go. Yes.

All right.

Article 13, updates to noncriminal fines for regulations of the board of health and board of public works. Do we have a motion?

Motion to approve the article in full as written?

I'll second it.

Seconded. Uh comments or thoughts, Gary?

So this is um to really crack down on these inhalants that um you you know that typically you see the the younger generation using nitrous oxide and things like that. So uh very dangerous uh and so the you know we heard from uh Chris Misho who um obviously the director of board of health's concern was that a lot of these establishments in town they would go in pretty much do a sting go back and then

be back on the shelves again. So, this allows them to actually find find them if they go back and and catch them with this product. So, um it just puts a lot more teeth in in regulation.

And we had an interesting discussion last week about what these products are.

Mhm.

Um are we ready to vote?

Yeah.

All in favor of article 13 I.

Any opposed or abstensions?

No.

700 Z.

I would just say a $300 fine for each violation. It's pretty clear in the uh but I know I'm putting I'll just put in for each violation.

Each violation each violation of the Yeah, it's good.

Carrie, you want to read that.

Okay, back to the warrant article 14.

So 14, if the committee wants to wait, I don't have the um act. Well, I don't have the act. We can vote. You can the committee can vote on it, but as far as detail, I don't have the job description for the beach manager with me.

Okay.

The committee wanted to know what the duties and responsibilities would be for the beach manager.

I'd like to think parks and rerecks can come up with the details for their position.

Yeah, exactly.

Um, anybody have any questions on it?

No.

Ready to vote?

Actually, hang on. I have one question.

Schedule E. That's No, no, I get that. But I remember the question that came up at the select board meeting. This is an additional position. Not so I don't know what they have. Let's say they have 10 employees.

So now they'll have 11.

So they couldn't take one of their existing 10 employees and make one of those the beach manager.

Okay.

Was that posed to them?

I'm I'm not sure what what the discussion was.

That was the discussion at the select board.

Yeah.

I see. But if if the committee wants clarification, we can get it.

Just for me, clarification is somebody they're going to write a job description for this beach management title. Somebody's doing it now.

Mhm.

So where does that role fall into now?

Why all do we need a separate role for someone's Well, the comment was made managing whether it's the the head lifeguard or the the park supervisor or or the director, somebody's doing it now.

The thought was that no one was doing it now. I guess there were comments, complaints, whatever you want to call them that they weren't being managed.

Just repeating what I heard.

Well, this is a little bit disturbing to hear. I mean, is it somebody's job currently? It should be somebody's job.

It's not somebody's job. It might be, but they have to be.

Well, they don't have that title. That's all I want to do.

Yeah. I I Or the pay scale. I don't know the page.

I can get the committee the actual job description if they want to review it.

I mean, that was my com because I thought it was a good comment like why do they need another employee to do this? Why can't when they hire because they hire every year, correct? Right.

Yes.

Every year they hire. So when they hire their 10 employees, why don't they just take number 10 and make or whoseever appropriately, you know, has the skill can be the manager? Why do they now need 11 employees?

We could have I know you can't answer that question.

That's just me rattling on wondering why they're trying to get another employee because you just hire somebody that has the skill set required to manage the other. I know they're all young, but you know, I think they're really being managed anybody's handing out their hours and what they're where they're going to be reporting each day which beast they're going to. So, but they're not managing their behavior

at the beach.

I think is what it's about.

Is that what that means? Behaving at the beach.

I'm just saying from the complaints and comments I've seen that that's the comment that there's a go-to.

Correct.

Yeah.

Yes. Of course, they're getting assignments and there's a person that's going to handle the park and recreation department that, you know, they're not being behaving properly whatever.

But I will put you in charge, Bill.

I'll be more than happy to ask that. I'd be more than happy to ask that question.

I obviously don't know. I'm not there.

Lifeguards are doing that are so they're so bad. What do they mean?

Or maybe what they're not doing.

What? They're doing this text.

Yeah, we don't really know, but I'm just from comments. That's all. And once again, obviously I'm not watching one of the beach.

Show off your phone, kids. I didn't have one of those.

I'm not questioning whether or not they need a beach manager. I'll let Parks and Rex determine that cuz that's what they do. I'm determining why they need another employee to do it.

That's all I'm asking.

Can we get that answer?

Sure, I can I can because I suggest we wait then because I'd like to know because the select board asked.

Okay. Yeah, we we can hold off on that.

I get I get a question from uh whose role is it now?

Yeah, there's got to be All right. So, who's No, no, I agree.

Employees misbehave everywhere and every place.

My point.

Somebody's responsible to That is correct.

And who's handling now?

Never mind on a future position. We'll get some clarification on the um structure handling listening to these complaints.

We can hold off on it.

Okay.

Hold.

Article 15.

So article 15 is um as you know from the historic storm that we had.

Uh there were issues with um mainly you know Route Six area and some other parts in town.

Uh snow removal on sidewalks. This kind of um addresses that. still uh I believe this was also brought up at the last town meeting.

It certainly was discussion.

Yeah, that was very interesting.

Before we get too far into it, could just make a motion to discuss our make a motion and I will second that.

Second. Okay. So, yes, it had to be I felt like it was 30 minutes, but I'm probably exaggerating um how long that discussion was. So, they made changes to it obviously. Um I don't know the what changes, but Are we ready to vote?

This may um let me think about this for one second.

The board of selectman I believe on Monday night made a adjustment to this.

Okay. Yeah, there was they talked about it too, but they wanted to do like um I don't I don't want to say like a like a first uh offense and then change maybe change that. So Oh, yeah.

Yeah. So, let's hold off on this one. We may want to clean this up a little bit.

I know. Just going back to town meeting, you know, and even our discussion long before um that it was never intended to like completely target people and end up bringing them to court and all that that they thought there would be some leeway, but I realized I think even Carrie made a good point last year about like the elderly. Yes, that was that was actually my only concern was that you know if this was

going to affect the elderly in some way that they're not not doing it because you know they're not doing it because they can't do it, right? So then that doesn't really solve the problem to find them if they're already on a but I don't know if that's the issue. Maybe that's not even the issue. I think it's the businesses like I live and you know during that like a lot of the storms no one shovels their

sidewalk on Sacramento and the big box stores on route six and you know I don't think it was specifically the target it was just basically because that was really historic and you know we had people walking on the highway actually because they couldn't the sidewalks it was close to school it was a public safety issue I thought it was in a certain proximity of the schools a mile yeah yeah

yeah this so there's the fee structure The way they wrote it now is it's it's only like 20. Hang on a second. It's actually in my rationale, I think.

You want me to read it?

It was $25 for non-compliance with higher fines going to commercial properties and properties within one mile of a public school.

That's the ch a change that was put in this. Okay.

I don't know. As you said, there was something else that was I would say we hold just hold off on it till next meeting. And then of course the fact that you know it doesn't go into effect until after the declared snow emergency concludes.

So it's not like you know one minute after it stops falling.

Right. Very true.

Anyway, we'll wait because as Gary said, there might be a change.

Y.

All right. Article 16, amendment to fines for domestic animal violations. Do have a motion. I'll make I'll make a motion.

I'll second.

Thank you. Uh comments, Gary?

I I mean, I think that this right here is um just, you know, that there were some issues. There were some instances in town where there were some uh really bad uh dog bites and people got hurt. I think this cleans up the regulations.

And loose cows.

Yes. And loose cows.

Loose cows.

Oh yeah, that's right.

Oh, and police car totals.

Oh no. It kind of Oh, that's terrible.

I think it goes from a slap on the wrist to a little bit.

Yeah. A little more um Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

That's right.

And it's per animal, so it's Yeah. 20 cows get out. Good luck.

Wouldn't be the first time I'm driving home and I have to stop and try to like get a cow off to the side of the road.

No. I mean, fine for each category of the animal, right?

Goat, sheep, you know, cow.

Yeah. It doesn't differentiate.

No, just any animal. Oh boy.

There was a convers there was a lengthy conversation about this Monday night as well, but we fine for the wild turkeys.

Yeah, we did. I mean, there was there was a police officer that um Yes. Oh, no.

Were they hurt or um luckily she was she's the person's okay but uh the vehicle was totaled.

Yeah. And it was a brand new vehicle.

Like hitting a deer. Same thing.

Yeah.

Total the car.

Oh, yeah.

I was raised in a small farm. We had a stick get loose and got hit by a car on Allen Street.

Yeah.

No. Well, had to be shot.

Are we voting on this one?

We are ready to vote on this.

All in favor of article 16.

Any opposed? Abstensions? No. 700.

Rational's up on the screen. Oh, yeah.

Of course. Thanks. You're welcome.

Thoughts?

Oh, sorry.

No, it's all right.

I don't really have any thoughts on this one either, John. No, I I got a question though about this though, about uh if they didn't pay it, you find in a timely fashion, are there late fees that uh apply at least? Like say somebody got again violation is $300 for this animal, but how long does it take for them to, you know, pay the fine? I'm not sure if there's late fees, but what we usually

do is like everything else, if if you have a fee or or um any kind of permit that you owe to the town, let's say we give you a violation, we have the ability to like if let's say attach it to another permit like let's say you can't get a beach ticket, you can't get a you know, so it holds up that whether there's late fees, I'm not sure there's a late fee on

on the teeth. Yeah, there's some type of penalty that's what I'm trying to get at for not paying in a timely fashion.

Well, the penalty is really the Okay.

the the penalty. I don't know if there's any additional charges to that.

Well, that's what I'm saying. They could, you know, not pay a fine for two years.

That is very true.

Well, it's not criminal. So, I don't It's not going to get marked anywhere. I don't think No, that's what I mean. They could hold the town for years without paying that fine. It should be somehow some some type of governance over they don't have it already.

There's no liability to it, right? I don't We're not marking at the registry for Well, I'm just hitting a cow, but I can figure out um I can figure out if we're going to ch if there's any additional teeth in Yeah, let's see. Let's I'd be curious to see if there is.

No, it's good to know what the policy is. I would suspect there's one, but I don't know.

We could probably issue a site, you know, if we go to if they argue it um you know, hearing there probably be a hearings person that listens to it or whatever.

So, not the Supreme Court.

Does it go to court though? Like superior court to them?

Yeah.

But then you're paying lawyers to go for what?

$300.

You have to actually pay to get into superior small claim, right? Yeah.

Yeah. I was saying maybe a late fee might be entertained or something like that, you know, or an aging fee like the, you know, the first nine, the first three months it's this, the first next six months.

Yeah, that's something like that.

Something I can check on that. Some type of governance. Yep.

So, who who does this come under? Does it come under the police?

Uh, animal control. Is that part of the police department or board of health?

They are their own.

Yeah, Board of Health. Board of Health. Okay. I was just curious because that's who Yep. It's Board of Health would obviously deal with it. I'm sure animal control has other um things they penalize people for.

Anyway, any thoughts on this?

No, we voted. So, yeah. All right.

Article 17, amendment to general bylaws, chapter 87, soil conservation board.

Motion to approve as written.

Do we have a second?

I will second that.

Seconds. Um Gary, that's I think it just now it combines the uh brings two boards together.

Yes.

Questions? Ready to vote?

Yes. All in favor of article 17 I.

Any opposed or abstension? 700.

It makes sense to do that.

Yeah.

It's not like they meet every week or there's so much work that they need towards to do it. John's sad now he's off the board.

John Souza, when was the last soil conservation board meeting?

I have never set one as in my time as the appointee on the finance committee.

John, if there's two boards, do you get paid extra?

We get paid extra.

John S is paid and there is there is one active. I couldn't vote on it because it's behind me. But all right, I will send this out to everybody the updated one.

There were two meet there's in the time that I've been here there have been two meetings because we didn't have a person and somebody asked me to sit in on it but it was a long time ago.

Well, it had to be a while ago, huh?

Yeah.

Yeah. Opposite track.

But I'm not sure why there hasn't been any meeting was that there's at least one active um pit in town I'm aware of. The board of health decided it was more easily done that way, which it sounds fine.

So, I didn't count the ones we still have to vote on, but I can go through them with you. Four, five.

So, articles, this will tell me.

Article five.

Yep.

Article eight.

Hang on a second. Article five.

Nine 10. Yep.

Article eight. Yep. 9 10 14 14 has coverage. Yes.

14 and article 15.

15.

That's all she Okay. Not too bad. All right. Oh, good.

Um, did you want to look at the rationale for the articles we did not vote on?

I think we should just wait until we vote on them.

Okay, that's fine.

Unless you guys want to look at them.

Yeah, they're fine.

How many did we say there were? Five.

Five.

Five.

We can wait.

Do you want I mean, if you want to, I can.

No, no. I'm asking everybody if they have Yeah. Next week you'll have capital. So yeah, there may be some changes addition to that added and I'll get the additional information that the committee requested and I'll send it out to you.

Yep.

All right.

Back to the agenda.

Well, we don't have a town administrator's update.

It's really notate not much to update between uh last week and this week, I would say.

No. No.

We talked about the budget transparency portal we're working on. um going for the uh GFOA award to do the budget in the in the in the portal other piece of that um program and um we're going to be working on that now. I think that we've got we've gotten a lot of positive feedback on that people that have already gone in and looked. It's nice that you can put your

tax bill in or your tax bill amount in and get that um dollar amount split the allocation. uh budget advisory group.

We're we're working on this uh RFP went back to the uh uh school committee to look at that and make and everyone on the committee to make changes and uh hopefully we can maybe move that forward a little bit.

And um so there were changes that were made.

Uh we we sent it back to the to the um different uh groups. So we sent it back to the schools to have them do visit with their subcommittee and make any recommendations that they want to see changes in the RFP.

Uh and then we're going to be setting another meeting up. We have a meeting scheduled which is nice. Now we have meetings scheduled on the calendar.

Yeah.

And then you know finally the C like I mentioned CIPC will meet. We have the balances certified and next week um we'll they'll make their recommendations. So you'll have the article. I'll type it up after we meet on Wednesday. I'll send the article to the committee so they have it.

So one update just because of the select board meeting that was on Monday night.

They had a joint meeting with the planning board and talked about the um is it ballot question seven? I have that number right. So Gary is trying to arrange um having the I don't know assistant planning director planning.

Uh we might have we're probably going to have um uh Lori Miller here and Lori Miller who's the chair of that.

Yeah. On next meeting to talk about it.

Correct. So, I thought it be after listening to what the planning board said, and you can all watch their meeting obviously, but after listening to what the planning board said, I thought it was important for us to hear it too and be able to ask questions.

That's why I asked Gary to get it on our agenda, you know, especially before uh the November election so people understood what that um ballot question is and most important what it means to the town of Dartmouth. if that passes and they put through 5,000 square foot lots everywhere that has town utilities.

So anyway, next week um liaison reports anybody the capital we heard from uh MIS and EMA um and health in health that's right because that was an addition um that's where uh Chris talked about the need to do a third year of testing of the Slokum River they're trying to prepare for you'll remember the conversation the town had with um D regarding title five.

Oh yeah.

And as usual, Chris is on top of that and they're trying to look at he said that one of the um unique things about the Soukum River is that the two biggest factors for pollution in that river are nitrogen from um uh storm water.

Nitrogen and storm water, I'm sorry. So they want to get some good data. It hasn't been tested for a long time. And they want to compare it to the I think it was the early 2000s that they had.

did the last testing. So he asked for an additional amount of money which I can't how much money was it? Do you remember?

18,500.

I can't pull up my spreadsheet. 18,500.

Thank you. That's right. Cuz the first two years were 20,000. They took it from NAPA.

Mhm.

Um and also the uh connect and protect.

We're trying to make that a little bit a more robust program. We had that with um buses bay coalition. So also we're trying to get that. So um there's almost like a revol another revolving fund set up. We use the um the state funding which allows for 2% interest loans. So we wanted they want to do some of them inhouse where they you know tie in septic systems renovation I mean replacement of septic systems

which uh helps protect again the the river and um reduce nitrogen levels. So they want to do a program inhouse and that would get awarded to the most neediest right systems.

Right now the very interesting I think to hear Chris speak on excellent idea. um 6% of the homes that have septic systems on uh the Sum River have access to town sewage.

So the he was talking about the the way to incentivize people to connect. Um and it's not income based right now but at some point in the future it could be.

He gave the example that Bonville has an excellent very robust program where they do this for people and um it it does make it I remember I I gave the example I was benefit beneficiary of this program when I first moved to town because I was told that I had to connect and I wouldn't have been able to borrow the money at the time to to do that. So

I was able to get a betterment and then you know eventually pay it off. It makes it easier for people to do what they need to do. It's good for the town. It's good for y everything.

But the point was made Janine like you said at one of the pre recent meetings is that make sure that they have skin in the game. It's not a grant necessarily.

Although the connect and protect program was because there was money available from Buzzards Bay Coalition to to assist with that. Um that's not the system that we're talking about because we don't have it. But if there was funding that came in, it could be set up into a a fund to provide that assistance to other families in the future.

And keep in mind when we do those programs, we place a lean on the property. So the town is always protected any kind of sew septic betterment program. Uh the town would never not recoup that money because it gets placed on the property through the Chris is very interesting. Not that it's necessarily something that we need to take up time to hear, but he he's very very knowledgeable.

Oh, he's very knowledgeable.

Well, he did. I mean, if you listen to the if you listen to the uh CIPC meeting, yeah, he spoke on it.

So, so EMA has um some upgrades on their equipment that hasn't been done for at least 10 years, maybe even 15.

And uh that was uh management of information, I'm sorry. And then the EMA is looking for a truck. A lot of questions about why do we need a truck? One of the things that came up that I had questions about and I don't again it's not strictly in our purview but that was a once in a long time once in a decade event that blizzard last last year and

um I had a question about what is the the uh response in terms of all the town systems cuz um the director talked about how they were you know just a couple of guys running trucks here and there to deliver um oxygen and you know other things that people needed. But I wondered how much coordination there was. I mean, everybody was really busy that day obviously, but I wonder what our town response is in particular

because the fire districts are involved in that. We have no involvement in the fire districts. We don't know what they have for inventory or equipment or any of that stuff. So, probably some work that needs to be done at some point in the future. Um, but they did request a new truck cuz the trucks that they the vehicles that they have are older. Um, I guess they had to hand shovel their

equipment during that ep during that episode out of the uh council on aging storage. So, and these are two guys that would have a little difficulty in shoveling. So, uh we talked about that that need he'd like to get something that had a plow on it.

Um so, they didn't have to do that again. And and also North Dartmouth, that's always a challenging area no matter what the the weather is like up there on Flag Swamp Road.

Oh, yeah. There's snow. Yeah, it's dangerous when there's a lot of snow.

We have good people on the on the uh capital improvement committee. It's it's worthwhile watching. I think you would learn things.

Yeah. Two new members. I think they bring a good a different perspective to Yeah. And you know, a couple Bruce and and Chris who just have so much experience.

Oh, yeah.

Chris's IT experience. It's really helpful.

Yeah. Also a good memory. That guy has a good memory for what's been done in the past unlike me.

Anybody else?

Gary? No, we don't have any minutes yet.

No minutes on this. I'm thinking we're going to be getting a couple meetings.

Yeah.

Next next next next week.

Um any item not known. So we already talked about what's going to be on the next agenda, right? obviously finishing the warrant ration and the voting planning board members of some sort speaking to us about whatever the uh 5,000 foot lots anything else out of the normal. No.

Um that's it. I know that uh so this is all going to be turned in obviously to the clerk before I think we're in pretty good good shape.

Send this off to the clerk probably next week.

We should be able to have it done. Um and I speak for shouldn't speak for Carrie um before the uh select board meeting on Monday night.

Yeah.

Yeah. I think we can that's not the clerk's deadline. The deadines is going to want to see that.

It's just so the select board can see it and see our I just sent it back out to everybody of what the update.

I think next week we can finish it off.

Absolutely.

So in terms of open meeting laws, we can look at that and get it back to you only. Correct. We can't do a reply all.

Can Right. Don't reply all. Yeah.

Right. You mean you have comments now?

Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. Sure. Of course. Let's, you know, that way we apologize that I won't be here, but I will send comments.

Yes. No, please. Because we want everybody's input obviously because you voted on it. So, motion to adjurnn.

Second.

I will second that.

All in favor? Hi.

Hi.