TranscriptSelect Board Meeting ~ March 8, 2016

into the uh so it was only one bond payment. I I thought they had rolled it but maybe not. Yeah, she just told me that that piece cuz somebody had asked me if this was the last year because we're paying on a roof that doesn't just

Yeah. So, are we all set? We do have a quorum. All five selectmen are here. Could we please rise for 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.

Okay. Amendments to the agenda. Um, under consent agenda B, that's actually going to be approval of February 23rd selectman meetings minutes. C is going to be approval of March 1st selectman's meeting minutes. Um I have a bunch of things and I guess we need to figure out where they're going. So we have I think uh because of what you said we'll put the uh discussion under warrant as uh 6B

but those can go under consent agenda uh one uh there's attorney communication and there's a communication from the Tritown track field project comm um because we had informed them that they were not going to be on our warrant.

Right. I see your feel comments. Okay. Uh there's the proformer budget for Durm as standalone and estimated tax impact. Um and this uh was put together by Kevin Nadu after sitting down with the uh finance director over at the RSU. Um as with any proformer, it's it's complete. It's it's a educated guess and it may or may not be accurate. I don't know where you want that. Whether you want to discuss it at all or just put it on the consent agenda.

I just put on the consent agenda. All right. Chance to look at. So, we'll add that as uh well, attorney attorney communication is E. Um, Tritown is F. Proformer will be G under consent agenda. What's the employee handbook? Was was there something that we

That's for the executive session. Okay. All right. So that Thank you. Um let's see. The apology letter that we discussed last week can go under consent agenda as H and that's in there. Uh we'll add a one executive session 1 MR

SA456A missed, Ruth? No. Did you guys want to discuss what you're going to do next week at the the public hearing as far as like we can put that as C and we can discuss as much or as little as you want. public hearing under six. Okay.

I'll move we accept the consent agenda as amended. Um okay. Before we get there public comment, I doubt I don't know that there's any, but just in case. Okay. So, it's been moved. Second. Any discussion? All in favor? Motion carries. Uh, a I don't have that in front of me, but act on town of Lisbon dispatch contract.

Well, I I thought we would discuss it again tonight and determine because we're coming up to the end, right? We either have to do it tonight or Mar or the next meeting, but yeah. Did you have any thing to say? I do have it dispatches included in my report, but

um I don't have anything new with the town of Lisbon otherwise than what I reported at your last meeting. um which was basically that I would like I've met with them. I'd like to try to make things work. It uh we have the presentation scheduled for March 14th at 7:00 at the station. Selectman and budget committee as well as the officers or actually anybody that would like to attend is welcome. [clears throat] Purpose of that is to at least at this point in time to try to continue to make it work with them. I have received additional correspondence and it's attached to my report. I can actually pass it off now. Um [clears throat] it's a kind of you know I left actually the last

on dispatch is actually still on here. But anyways, the only additional piece of information I have besides that is um page two of your paper. Did I give you page two? Page two is actually just an email I receive from which is actually page one.

Okay. [laughter] Yeah. It's actually from Phyllis Kamash is the uh LA 911 um director. and she basically she [clears throat] wants to know where we stand if we wanted to keep moving forward. Evidently from her email I'd say um Sbatus must have approached her as well and uh I'm assuming what she's probably putting together is a package based on hey both communities are in still interested or may be interested um I'll keep I'll take this to my board of directors. I can uh I'd like your input on it. I can tell you where I'm kind of at. It I hate to see her waste our time if if we don't honestly feel it might be um

something we'd be interested in the first place based on some of the costs I have represented because we're going to have the IT line cost with LA 911 which is going to be probably $150 $180 per month reoccurring cost. Uh, then we're going to [clears throat] have the initial setup cost, which off the top of my head, I think LA 911 was not sure I put the exact number.

Almost 8,000. Yep. Almost 8,000 to do the setup cost. Um, capita number yet because they have to crunch the numbers, right? They'd have to hire somebody. Didn't you say that? I'm assuming if she's putting proposal together for us and Sabatis that

there's three towns. I don't know if you guys saw the write up in the paper. It was bad us and it's going to require one other a new Yeah, I think it's going to require at least one new position, maybe two new positions. She might be I don't know what she's doing, but if they have to do a full seat, like I said before, it's four positions, which Yeah. even one position or two positions with us in the town of Sbatus are going to make it [clears throat] to me when we started this process I said I didn't think we should look at it just based on cost if we were going to do this we should look at it based on service one thing LA 911 does offer that Lisbon can offer is they do offer they can offer the PAP as well as the dispatching under the same roof but I have no idea where the cost is going to be. I guess I kind of wanted to put it to the board and try to get your input to it to see if you're still interested

in looking. Uh if you want me to see if she's comfortable with maybe throwing out a ballpark number there. Well, it's going to be somewhere around here. I don't think she's going to until her board gives her permission or I think in the body of the email.

I'd like to see her go to a board and get a get a get a figure to or something. I mean, how can we say yes or no if we don't know what the price is? I mean, that's that's kind of vague for her. Uh, and she's just trying to get see who's who's interested. I know Sabbatis is. It must be a reason why Sabbatis is interested leaving Lisbon to go over there. Um, so that's where I am. I like to see some numbers from her. Side for me to say yay or nay either way. Well, seeing it,

right, we're sort of in in limbo right now. you've got the upcoming meeting [clears throat] with Lisbon and we don't have hard numbers on we don't have any numbers from Brunswick and we don't have numbers from Lon and we don't have

even I'll be honest even if we look even if we say well now we're thinking we're going to transition out it uh it's unless we want to pay substantially more to do an emergency move or something it's going to eat up three months at least to do the move in the first place to get it set up and operational and So um

the issue I guess for me is is service. Are we is product? Are we getting the emergency dispatch services that we need in the the time frame that we need? And is there a significant advantage from from your perspective? And I'm not and this is a rhetorical question. I'm not asking you to answer this on camera right now. Is there a a advantage if it's not if we're not looking at a huge cost savings one way or the other? Is there a a a product a service advantage in having PAP and dispatching together?

Yeah. Well, it uh first as far as Lewon Auburn 911 um and advantage versus, you know, staying with Lisbon. Probably the biggest advantage is there's no more transfer of call and that that doesn't matter who's doing it. Um

or if they were all the same price, which one would you choose? If they were all the same price, all were the same price. And uh Jeep Brooks isn't going to like me for saying this, but in all honesty, I'd probably choose LA 911 is because they currently do the box alarms. uh they do a lot of the services that a lot of people write off as is big city features but I actually think as we as the fire service EMS service changes that it's it's services that all of us need because we need to maximize not to say we never did before but it's becoming more critical that we maximize reduce any response times or anything like that yeah as volunteers dry up,

we need to make getting in earlier, we need to make the best use with what we do have and try to make it so that the the numbers are more effective and more efficient. Uh so I uh yeah I think you know not in in all fairness to Lisbon and Jeep Brooks that uh we have talked about trying to transition into it but that we'd be transitioning into it if we if they were all the prices were the same LA 911 Durham would actually we'd be behind the eightball trying to get set up and get ready to go because that's currently how how they they use the box alarm system. um they roll apparatus up and down within their electronic software system that they're pretty much all electronic and they're pretty much no paper. So that's the other side of it is if we can granted there can be computer errors but if we can take that human aspect out of any function we tend to be a lot more efficient. I think for this budget year, I think

because of what we've put in the budget, we don't have enough in the budget to do a switch. But I definitely think it's worth pursuing um to try to find out, you know, what will it what will it cost us if for next next budget year we go we we make a move and and what um and what

services do we get with each with each of them? I I think it's I I I think it's time to reook at things again because it's been a few years since we've really taken a close look at it and just because I know from what I understand even the town of Lisbon may be um looking at looking at changes. Um I've heard that there might be a ballot item coming up in November on it and things like that and but

I have no idea. No, I don't want to get involved. I I don't know. But that's what I' that's some of the things I've I've heard. I do understand that, you know, both sides are kind of trying to work in good faith and are going to sit down and have a meeting and kind of talk about where some of the differences have been and and try to work through them and and move forward in a

page. To me, it's an opportunity to try to build what all of us in that system consider an ideal system. We'll never get around that transferring the 911 call. Not as long as we would live. We'll never get around that. You know, and I [clears throat] I know what the statistics say, but I have a hard time with the statistics that it's a flip of a switch and it's there based on my interactions with people that have utilized the system. No matter matter where they are, whether it's a town of Durham or elsewhere or people that have utilized the system where PAP's one place and dispatch is another place, they usually express concerns over the time. So I guess it's a yes tell we're we're interested to see numbers.

Yeah we're still working. We're not a we're probably not able to we're not three months out. We might be 12 months out. Yeah. Right. But I mean and even with Lisbon you know discussing with Lisbon what what changes can be made and and things like that. How can we get better service um and so on. Um I think it's a good time good time to start looking. I just don't think we're going to make a be able to make a decision this year to do it this year. Yeah. And I think this gives it an opportunity for our existing system to make it better and make it something that's workable. So [snorts] yeah, but I will I will approach her and let her know that yes, we're still interested in the cost, but I'll try to give her a better picture that we're in our budget year. So in reality, changes are probably not happening in this budget cycle that it would be for research for the future. And I would give the same information to Andrew

Scoggin too because they're talking to their count they're talking to their and so on. And um I want to make sure that they know what we're we're not we're not ready to jump jump ship already that information. Okay. I think that article you read in the paper had a little more to do with marketing than it did anything. [laughter]

Thank you. Um so for next meeting can we have the actual have the have the contract. Okay. So, my question is um I've I've had conversations with Diane obviously. Um do we want to ask them to write up a contract through December 31st this year or do we want to go with the contract that they had sent us back in December which does have a sixmonth date of termination. So, you have to give them six months notice. So, in other words, the original contract was supposed to go January 1st, 2016 to the end of 2018.

Okay. With the six I think six months is uh if if we're going to be making a change, I think we'll know well enough in advance. Uh I mean, he even you spoke that it takes takes quite a while to do the change. I think 6 months is probably doable.

Okay. So, you want to do the whole contract for three years and we'll see where it goes from there and then we can with the six-month out clause. Yeah. It has it has a six month out clause, right? And the alternative is just a contract to

six month out, no penalty. Uh it says this agreement may be terminated by either party for convenience by notifying the other party in writing at least 6 months prior to the date of termination. Okay. I don't think there was any penalties that were on it.

Yeah, it says six months for convenience. So I mean it wouldn't be very convenient if they penalized us. [laughter] So, Okay. So, yeah, if we could have that and um is it the consensus that we'll adopt that I mean at next meeting just Okay.

All right. Uh next up is the warrant. Um there there were some changes made to the uh articles regarding uh the alternative warrant. um committee suggestions uh from the suggestions of our of our attorney. Um and basically

the suggestion was that we this has to be done basically every year. Um or you're binding future boards with with a vote that they right in the absence of a charter. Yeah. It's it can't be binding. So just just be aware that those have changed kind of back to how they've been with a few few other minor changes that I think were mentioned in the email. And Mike, you wanted to look at article 18.

Article 18. Yes. I would like to see if we could uh instead I know it just says capital improvement project 66,400. I like to break that out and say capital improvement and say what they're voting for just not a vague number because no one knows what the what the projects are. Be nice if they knew what what the projects were. 18 or 17?

18. It's 18 is what I have. 17 is 45,000. He got the old ones new ones in there, but it's 18. Oh, why did they change? Did we add an article in there? Yes. Yeah. [laughter] I was going to get there. Okay. I thought I'd let you go first. The the article. Do we want to go to the article that I added that we were going to talk about, too?

I see it. I see it now. Okay. But, uh, let's let's continue. Let's stay on the 18 and back. So, so you wanted there were like three items on that. Just list the three items. Yeah. And the P and how much each item was, right?

If you put it in the body of the article if I understand correctly because I'm assuming this is the one for the five. We would put it in after the recommendation. Yeah. On the recommendation. So, it would say transfer. Yeah. And it would Yeah.

Just so everybody knows the body, right? Just so everybody knows what they're voting on when they raise their hand. I actually think that's Yeah. Is that a motion? Yes. Second. Any discussion? All in favor? Motion carries.

Do you remember the breakdown, Chief? Chief, do you remember the breakdown? We'll have to get or the budget book. I I can look it up. Don't worry. Yeah. What was the one was added, Jeff? Uh six, I think. Yep. So, I I have a call into the lawyer, although he had not gotten back to me by the time we're here, but I was I was thinking about the article for the withdrawal, the article number three, and it talks about expending $50,000 and not to exceed $50,000. And it talks about issuing notes for $50,000, but nowhere does it talk about raising the money. So, what I had done is article six I had put in to see if the town will vote to raise and or appropriate $50,000 for the RSU5 withdrawal committee. And this obviously article is only necessary if article 3 is an affirmative vote and we would know by town meeting.

And this way we wouldn't have to take we wouldn't have to take a loan out, right? And the question though that leaps to my mind is the vote on the actual withdrawal on Friday is by the regular election process secret ballot and then we get to Saturday morning and a 100 people show up or whatever random group of people shows up the town meeting. What if that article doesn't pass?

Then we borrow the money. Well, just like it said in in the and then next year we come back to raise it. So, it ends up coming back to the town and only this time as long as that's probably just clarified at the meeting that that we've already committed by the previous vote, we've committed to spend the money and

and this one just allows us to borrow it or pay cash. Right. than what what I mentioned or and what he mentioned. The only other Yeah, that was just putting the the um alternative warrant ones back. Yep. Um Oh, and then the other change was for the public hearing. Um so it it originally had said for the um public hearing seek accept grants. Um legally by state law, we don't need to have a public hearing. It's just been in there. So I just struck it. Yeah. Um,

article number 40 to see if the town will vote to authorize the selectman to seek, accept, and disperse grant funds from private, state, or federal agencies for the purpose so designated in each specific grant. on article six that that we insert a new

article um at article six to raise an appropriate 50,000 if if the budget passes the RC passes. Any all in favor? Motion carries. Um, so is there is everyone all everyone set with the rest of the warrant so that we can send it off because we're getting we're getting a little late now, huh?

Yeah, this is Yeah. [laughter] Okay, good. Drop dead date. All right. Um, action and discussion item C, our public hearing on the RSU5 withdrawal. Um we are going to try to get just so some of the information we may try to get ourselves. We're going to try to get the uh presentation Freeport did uh last year when uh that details each of the steps that we have to go through so so we don't have to reinvent the wheel um so that we can go through that with them. Um we do have this proforma budget. Um I think it's worthwhile to at least have this out there for people to see. Um but I also wanted to make I want to make sure that the people understand this is complete estimate and um it may or may not look anything like this. This is this is just one person's

guesswork as they go as they went down through. Right. And and I don't know if the group that that is originally circulated the petition if they have any handouts or if they want to make a presentation. They're more than they're more than welcome to bring handouts and they're more and I mean it's a public hearing so they're more than welcome to make any presentation they wish.

I mean that's that's the purpose of the hearing. Do do you want to set time limits or anything like that? In the the Freeport one, I know that that every side that wanted to speak had a 15minute time limit and then beyond that, people would come up and ask questions and there was a three-minute time limit on the questions that were asked.

Um, I don't know if you guys want to do some I was a little hesitant. And I mean, I feel like it's this really big issue and that people should have opportunity to to ask. I don't want to cut off questions that people there aren't there aren't I mean, you've got there's no real um organized efforts really on. I mean, there there was the petition people that started to petition and so on, but I'm not sure if they have a real organized group or not to speak. And I don't think there's a a big organized group on the other side to speak either. So I think if we just

public hearing public yeah public comment um if we have the option of doing a PowerPoint do we want to offer that to anybody who wanted to come to speak? they if they if they want to bring a PowerPoint that we can get it up onto the screen for that type.

We'll we will try to get it up onto the to notify us, you know, a couple days in advance. So that we should know within like I would say by Friday we should know whether or not we can do a PowerPoint. Can we get that out on the uh town channel and the town website, please? Just I mean those are the those are the best places for this short amount of time. Okay. Um any

do we want to have a I don't know would you call it an independent try to get an independent moderator or should one someone from the board kind of moderate things or how how should we I mean the board called the meeting so we can basically run it but do we want [clears throat] to have an a moderator per se

where the board has not taken a position I I don't think that that the board [clears throat] has taken in a particularly strong position or any position on either way. I don't feel like there's a conflict with the board moderating it. But

so I mean just so you're aware um because of questions uh that were asked as me running for selectman I one of the questions was do I support or do I not support and I have I have actually answered that um as my position as a selectman I have not taken a position as selectman but I have answered that question. and it'll probably be in tomorrow's paper. So, so just so you're aware, I I was asked, so I have taken a position on that.

Yeah, I was asked to but um anything else to discuss on that? Any any other suggestions or Okay. So, I'll try if if you can get that and so on. I'd kind of like to see the uh presentation and so on because I expect we'll be the ones that'll be running through running through that and I want if I'm going to be running through

email it to you. Yeah. Yeah, sure. I want to see it ahead of time so I know what I'm doing. Hey Jeff, can we go back to the warrant be for a second? Yep. Um is anyway we get that on um up on the internet so people don't not going to make it at least they can look online to see what the warrants are before they come to the town meeting. There shouldn't be

and it'll also be in the annual report with So it'll be all right there. I mean just it's always in the annual report. So and that's online um open ahead of time. It can be. Yes. Ahead of time so people can Yeah. I think we wait till the day with the town report. I mean that's kind of

available around town. I mean we can we can uh we can get this up anytime now that because we have it right and then and then when we get the uh town report back they usually give us an electronic copy or do we use our own electronic? I

they I [laughter] I just one one way or the other we could get an electronic copy. I'm just trying to get it up. Maybe get some people interested in maybe seeing [clears throat] something they want to come in and vote on. That'd be that'd be nice.

Yeah, we can get it up sooner, you know. Absolutely. Okay, that's it. All right. Anything else under action and discussion items? All right. Um departments and committees, chief. Mine's going to be really brief. Did you get my report except for the one pole there? Uh just asking about the concessions at the town meeting that department's always had concession set up in the entryway to town meeting and uh believe you're the ones we need to ask and then I need to get clearance from the school.

it's not it's not in here. That's right. The first Oh, there it is. [laughter] Okay. Not even offense. Okay. Um and keep them there. Motion. Yeah. I didn't hear that. [laughter] Say they've been there every year. I think they should keep going.

I'll second it. Have any other fundraising groups asked about uh having I know there's like a the Girl Scouts are off in air. There's a quilt raffle going on. I've seen signs for that. I mean I I don't know the name. wanted to do cookies. I thought,

but nobody else has really asked about concessions though. I don't that not not us anyway. So, all right. So, it's been moved and second. Any other discussion? All in favor? Motion carries. Thank you. I had one question.

Oh, I had an answer. I didn't have I had someone asked me a question. I didn't have an answer. I just wanted to ask. I've been uh talking about volunteers and struggling in all the fire departments. Uh I was asked, do we have enough men to cover all our apparatuses? I mean, do we have enough? I mean, if you had to empty that barn, do we have everybody to run enough people to run all the equipment?

Yeah, if everybody's there, yes, we do. Okay. It uh your tanker, your ladder, your both engines, whoever. Everybody's there. Yes, we do. Um we are struggling. It uh everybody is seems we're struggling bad especially during daytime at uh daytime. Um yeah, I usually try to if I'm there, I ch usually try to establish my response because under state law, we have to do two and two hours. I'm going to actually perform structural attack and stuff like that. So, I try to

I try to, you know, and I can use my pump operator, I can use my incident commander, but a lot of times, at least in the initial stages of the fire or the response where, you know, I might send a ladder with uh one per two people on it and send the tanker with one and an engine with one. But it's not totally different than what if you think about it, full-time departments do all the time. It's just it's a different world for the volunteer fire service. We're not used to operating that way. We're used to having people coming out of our ears. So, that's what I was talking about earlier when I said we need to do everything we can to maximize our effectiveness and our output because we are

how many how many volunteers do we have? I'd say right now, I mean, it no good. We're probably pretty active volunteers. We're probably around 40. There's probably 46 47 on the list, but probably active volunteers, probably around 40. And not all of them are firefighters. Some of them are EMS providers. So,

did do you have any respon I know you were going to be doing you did some recruitment attempts previously in the year. Did you have any responses from Do I have one? Weren't you going to start doing some recruitment events?

Yeah, we we did that one recruitment. That was a total wash. Uh yeah, it we've been actually focusing on the the structure. Um, actually, I guess that is part of my report, too. I forgot about that. I had that little piece there on the structure. Thank you. But, uh, we implemented that no EMS response cuz one of the things that help or hinder is when I talk to you about how how this organization or that is going, um, my decision to volunteer or participate is going to be based on how I perceive or you perceive or present that organization. So, we've been trying to make it more positive involvement for the people in because the other side of it is we want to keep the people that are there because we've invested money into training them. Um, they they know the system. So, anyways, we implemented, it was in one of my previous reports, we implemented the EMS response system. We used to do it based

by companies and you know, you are on duty this particular night. Well, one of the things we've tried to do is get a diversified crew as far as their primary work schedules. that doesn't fit with that. Um, so we've actually gone to you select so many nights, so many weekends to do coverage. Um, it uh and actually most of the

people there were pretty enthusiastic about that. Participation is is good. I'm not going to lie to you. At some point in time, it's going to be an issue that well, hey, you going to put stipens on this or something like that? It that's definitely going to come up down the road. I just like I see Panel's got [clears throat] got signs all over town just there just always there sort of a standing advertisement and I've seen other towns do that and

I don't know if they have any success with it. I I have no idea. We actually we we have one on the way in to me I need to make our organization so that when I talk to you about our organization you're telling me yeah that that is I have a great time there that you want to be part of it. So that's actually cuz the recruitment thing [laughter] that was a waste of a couple of three nights for me and a bunch of scheduling as well that that was a flop. So um what I want to do is try to get us organizationally cuz you know it talked about here about a couple other things we're doing and we're actually got a couple more in the works that coming in behind it. I get all that there so that people are enthusiastic and excited about their participation. They're going to be my best.

It's easier to sell it when Yeah. When people are happy, it's easier. And then if I can put up the signs after that, maybe I won't be sitting here telling you that was a total waste of my time. [clears throat] At least that's what I'm hoping. So,

how many um out of the 40, how many do you kind of need to have show up when a fire gets called? I suppose it depends on the type of fire, but you said you have enough. I was just curious, what does what does enough mean? 10, 12?

Depends on the situation really. I mean, it's pretty high. Obviously, I said two in, two out. Before I can do anything interior, I got to meet that requirement. So, that means I have to have four people that are um firefighter one certified before I can do anything interior. I can do exterior operations, but I I got to have at least four people on the scene. In reality, you know, if we get up around six or eight most most

average size residences, that's you can make do. You're going to work. Yeah. And we're going to need the tankers coming in for water. We're going to need the mutual aid engine maybe coming in because with six or eight we're not going to be sending our engine to the pond. Um many times we tend to, you know, if it comes in for something structural, we tend to run 15 or 20. And that's actually great because then all we really need is the tank is with 15 or 20. And then you got people that are used to operating together, understand where the hydrants are, which one's good, you know, the little uh intricacies with every every water source. believe it or not, actually has its own little intricacies as to well this time of year it's not that great or you can't pull more than this and more than that. You don't have time in an emergency to convey that to a mutual aid department and stuff. So and actually a

lot of them depending on where they're coming from are not extremely proficient at uh drafting in the first place. They're used to hooking up to a water source and having the water come at them. Right. Do you think there'd be any [clears throat] benefit to doing like a volunteer of the month kind of thing where you

We do we do actually it's in the town report every year. So it's in the town report. We actually have every year we put it's not a volunteer of the month. It's actually firefighter of the year. Firefighter of the year. So we do try to recognize them and actually that's what we're trying to do with a again enthusiasm and excitement and a positive

image and and you know we do the uh you could do like a write up in the tri town the uniforms I put the uniforms in two years ago and what I'm actually I'm hoping we can gradually do is is make it so that our membership is actually our best advertisement for recruitment purposes and then we put the signs out there occasionally ally saying, "Well, we we need more people because in all honesty, no matter going back in time, we used to bring three or four in a year and really alls we were doing was maintaining because and I guess the other thing we can do is make property values in the town of Durham cheaper cuz I'm forever running into is getting them the younger guys trained and you know, if you look at people that move to the town of Durham, how many people do you know that move to the town of Durham that are first-time home buyers?"

Not anymore. Time you're a second or third time home buyer. you're ready to retire. You're not ready to sign up for a volunteer fire and EMS organization. So, our [clears throat] the community itself because of our cost for for homes is not conducive to having

a massive volunteer infrastructure for the fire and rescue service. And we have I mean, how many rents do you guys have next to you that somebody may move into and rent and be interested in participating in stuff like this? rents in the town of Durham are pretty few and far between. So, espe and even then when you find them, it's whether or not they're really affordable for the type of people within track. So, so we got a bunch of things going against us, but I think if we can get the enthusiasm and excitement level up, then I can maybe put the word out and periodically we'll get a few volunteers. We'll get a few as it is, but it's not enough to it's not enough to keep pace. The other thing is if you look at the demographics for the state of Maine, state of Maine is an aging population. So that means your volunteer services are an aging population. It uh um you know I think when I started our

average age was probably in the 30s whom our average age now is somewhere in the mid-4s or something like [snorts] that. So you know you have a good portion of your force that's always ready to move on because of their age in the first place.

with those, you know, mid-40s remarks. [laughter] much we can do about the aging population. There's not much we can really do about housing costs and stuff. So, the only thing I can really do is try to make the people that are there really feel appreciated, design it so that it's a working system for them. Uh, and hopefully it'll become our our advertisement to hopefully entice membership when we do put the word out.

Good. Good kind of add that uh to me it all feeds into it. Anything else? Thanks, Chief. [clears throat] Um, coach is forcing. next generation. One for you. project. Um we're moving forward with it. We've um issued the plumbing permit for the pit privy. Um in my email

conversations with Tom, he thought he wanted to make sure we didn't have to come before the board. And I emailed him today saying that under the circumstances, I didn't think we had to. There's an existing privy on site um and we're just replacing this basically replacing it with a pit privy same location about the same footprint. But I will bring uh the project before the next planning board meeting just in case anybody there has any issues. We can discuss it if they seem to think that for some reason the ordinance requires me to bring a permit before them I will. So, um, it's on it's on the the program with the state to move forward. Uh, Tom hasn't got a timeline on it yet. It'll be going out to bid soon on this stuff. And it looks like we should have a spank and shiny preview there before the season's over.

Awesome. Let's put a sign that says camera on premises. If we could put that right on the door, that'd be good. As long as it's on the outside. [laughter] So, I've also been I've also been talking to some of the um some of the folks the Royal River Land Trust has gotten involved in some property there. Um [clears throat] LL Beans has uses the site um pretty regularly for their canoe project work. Um it's actually one of their principal sites. It's not just a backup site for them. So, I've started some conversations with them uh with Paige Crowley uh with the Yurt program up there on the lake and a few others. And I really wanted to start to get some public input, kind of public private input on how what might really be helpful for community development of the runaround palm project and expanding some of the recreational applications there um to see if maybe in the future here coming before the board. I know

Alan Sterns is is pretty handy at looking around for some additional funds to kind of help the municipality and some of those types of struct you know structural support stuff, infrastructure things. Um, and so [clears throat] if the board is is feels, as I do about it, that it is something we ought to look at and and get the public involved in, I' I'd like to try to move forward with some more of that dialogue and maybe formalize some of that stuff. If the if the folks have an interest,

it would be great. I think it's I think it's an underutilized resource. Um, and if some of the other folks around it intend to do their own property development that would dovetail into it, I think it could be pretty valuable.

I don't utilize it much as I used to when I was younger. Yeah, I swim there all the time. Moving right along. [laughter] submit the permits to? Um, it says you with approval from the board or is the very first line under Did you need a vote from us?

Well, no, not necessarily. I mean, I thought you'd already kind of Okay. I thought I thought we had two, but I I saw that you you wanted approval and I I wanted to make sure you you know with with the approval I have moved forward as well as what it meant and I should have been clear about that. I'm sorry.

Cool. Uh update on some of the addressing. I know we talked about trying to straighten out some of the E911 database. Um I started working uh essentially beginning with subdivisions because they're the ones that seem to be either not done well or not done at all. Uh, so we got u the Beaverwoods Drive. I got a

did Hunter Hill today. I've got three of them in now. So as soon as as time allows, I run out, measure everything out, map it out, bring it back in and input it into the database. U so we're moving forward with that snow hill or snow road extension off of Bowie Hill. Uh the letters are ready to go out on that. Road signs been ordered now because that's there's three existing structures there. I'm trying to be really careful about the transition from the old road to the new road and the information that gets to the authorities as regards to, you know, emergency access and stuff. Um, so that one's kind of it's it's a bit of a dance. I've got to have the sign ready to go, then inform everybody, then populate it. Now, the road name change will will occur within within one day, within 24 hours on the database itself. So, I just want the homeowners to know that

if something happens, this is the address you need to give them after today. You know, you want to take a few days to get your mailbox up. You got that. But they want to be really clear with him about what's happening because I know it's for for at least for one person there, he's not real happy with me. So, that's that's moving forward. And I it actually feels really good to get some of that stuff, you know, lined up and straightened out. There's I was surprised at what kind of relief I was feeling in getting forward on some [snorts] of this. Um, in looking through the last few permits that we've been putting out since about mid December, I was a little bit surprised about the amount of new home interest that's going on. Uh, seven of the last 10 permits have been for new homes.

I've got three more waiting in the wings that are ready to submit. Um, so it looks like they at least through this spring building season maybe have a significant impact. I'm getting an awful lot of inquiries from builders and developers and who are looking at purchasing subdivision lots and and moving on them. Um, I do want to move forward with some of the stuff that the chief and I had talked about. Once the ordinance changes come through, we will have uh if if the new ordinance is passed, the new ordinance, one of the changes that the new ordinance [snorts] carries is an entrance permit from public works for bringing in driveways on Tom Roads. And with that going to come an address. So the first thing to get a permit to build, they'll have to have the permit for the driveway entrance and an address. And the chief brought up a really great thing is if there's a carpenter crew on site and we

usually wait till they're ready to turn the house over to address it, somebody gets hurt. Emergency folks got no idea where they're going and carpenters get hurt all the time. No. Yeah. [laughter] Well, the way I do carpent um so I'm going to I'm going to make that there's no cost to this for the builders that are doing it and stuff. So, it's a really easy thing to implement and I'm going to move that implementation to the beginning of the permit process rather than the end of the project and I think that'll help both emergency services and stuff and it won't it won't encumber the project at all in any way. So, [snorts] um it appears that the uh the appeal from the Durham the appeal to superior court of the Durham Board of Appeals on the Bab on the Babcock permits is on hold. Uh evidently the two parties have asked that it be put on hold while they try to resolve it. So I think we're heading in

the right direction on that. I don't know if it'll ever make it to court. Might I don't know. Um but at least they're talking and things seem to be moving forward that with that. And then um we're going to I'm not wanting to lose momentum on the ordinance work that we've been doing and the continually looking forward on how to improve and change it. So, I'm hoping we're just going to keep just keep moving forward, different ideas and perspectives.

Yeah. We don't want to lose momentum on that mess. No. And there's there's been some significant um decisions that have come back from the law court in regards especially into the way that boards of appeals and appeals within municipal ordinance are handled. And I really want to make sure that we're on that. Camden got themselves into a position where uh in order to um in or in order to bring forward an application to the planning board for a use permit that first had to get a variance from the board of appeals. And what wound up in a in a multi-year suit was one of the abutters who wanted to challenge the appeal for the variance because every step of the way allowed for someone to have hearing and challenge and the law court has brought back saying if you have a multi-tered permitting process all challenges must wait until the permit is issued. At that point, whatever your perspective is can

be brought in on appeal and brought to the appeals board and it should short circuit some of the long-term multi-layered situations. We really need to dissect our ordinance that way [snorts] and look at it through that lens and then reorganize it because there's some

there's some situations where coming before the planning board if you needed a variance you had to get it before you come before the board. And again, our ordinance allows for any decision made by can be appealed. So here you are. You're right in the middle of, you know,

and steps you don't need and it's just the lawyers are having fun. Nobody gets done. So good. Um there is [clears throat] one other thing that that Ruth and I had talked about today and this is more of a personal issue in regards to the um if the if the town decides that I go full-time my participation in the retirement fund for um persp PERS

main pers um so I've been looking into this because if you get involved in main pers [clears throat] that means you're no longer involved in social security I'm turning 60 this year it takes five years to get vested in main pers and the return value of main pers is directly related to your time in service

is that how we do it here you would you would you can you don't do both I'm pretty sure I do both where I'm at I pay to main pers and social security really well what I was hoping to do is if if it's possible would be to not not go into May in person, just stay with social security. The financial burden to the municipality is no different.

Do we have to do You don't have to. There's no waiver. Is there a waiver we have to do for that? I don't know yet. We've been working on that. Volunteer. You don't have to. It's up to the person. Well, we were anyways. Well, would social security still come out is the question. I I don't know.

Well, there's a penalty to social security if you go into main pur. So, it's not just that I don't get much out of main pers, but it it takes a 30% hit on my social security benefit when I hit retirement age. And with such a small window to work in for any of those eligibilities, it's a it's a substantial disadvantage. Um, but I fe I felt after discussing it with Ruth today that before we I decided to move forward and trying to get all the mechanics and find out what the legalities are that I wanted to hear from you guys about it because it's it may impact other employees in town or some other things too. I'm not sure. Yeah, I think it's a worthwhile to look into what we can what we're allowed to do, you know, how we can do it because it's it's definitely worth it for you and I I think we should

and it has come up in previous discussions, previous interviews when we've been doing hiring is is that yeah, dance between uh yeah, if you've got enough time to work in the municipal structure over years, the main purse is a great advantage I think even over social security. But if you're in if you're in under a 10ear window, it it can really hurt you.

You're only working on 65. That's you're going to quit after that. You ain't going to stick it out to 75. Well, I'm eligible at 65. That doesn't mean I'm quitting. You might be the best way to go for you. I think the long term here.

Are you offering me a 10-year contract? The same price you are. We car you in. You got it. [laughter] Second. Second. [laughter] I think that's it. Unless you guys have anything. Any other questions? Questions? Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you. [clears throat] Anything from the administrator? Um, just the annual report seems to be complete now. Um, and I will send it to the printers tomorrow morning after one last glance at it. Um and then with fingers crossed it will be available the 21st of March.

Okay. In the office. [laughter] Thank you. All right. Road commissioner. Kelvin. this. I read your submission for the annual report. I really like that, too. Well, no. I guess I was looking on the number. [snorts] [clears throat and cough]

Yeah. Wow. Do you want one? We was coming back to put it back on, but you already took care of it. Yeah. Yeah. [laughter] There's a monster storm. Monster storm. Take mine. Mine gets hit even if there's I picked mine off the ground along with all my mail. I like that.

Mine's in a bucket. It has been for months cuz there's just [laughter] no point. Go ahead. Uh we've been out looking at runaround ponds. Um [snorts] painting it out, stationing it out so we can work on layout and different procedures that'll take place up there. Uh, we're going to start cutting trees up there in the ditches and roadside next week, maybe this week if it doesn't snow again or we have to wash trucks or there's always potholes or frost heaves or there's always something coming up lately. Um, and a lot of uh what I've been doing with the guys a lot lately is um if they come in early or they come in overnight, a lot of them will go home early. So, it's cutting down on the overtime drastically. So, that's uh [clears throat] but this morning we came in at 3:00 and they went home early. So, that's makes

sense. Um ongoing road patching. That's that's we're going to be in full swing on that. I've never seen I' I've never seen this much patch. You you never keep up. [laughter] I've never seen I've never seen some of the heaves in some of these roads. I mean, even in my house, there's one on the left hand side of it, but that's never been there.

But the right side, it's always there. But definitely an interesting year. Cold patch that you're using is is lasting better though than what was tamp it in there. Is that what you do? Just Well, we got a different supplier getting it from getting it delivered for less than we were paying for it before going to get it. And I used to use it where I was and so I've got them delivering it here and it's

that's it is I used to see them do little holes on like day road and you know within a couple months they're holes again and the ones that you guys did last summer are still intact. So I thought that was pretty cool. So hopefully that that's helpful. But you know we've got some frost heaves that are appearing out of nowhere and I'm not familiar with where the local bad spots may or may not be. So it's a matter of going out and trying to find them as they appear. Well, there's some out there that ain't usually there. So,

before you get phone calls that call everybody and their brother. Yeah. Yeah. So, we we uh was looking through some files and I see it's nothing new. Looking through some old folders today, sorting things out and it's been going on for a while, but uh so we'll still patching roads. We'll be we'll [clears throat] be doing that on an ongoing basis. uh currently taking inventory of all the cross culvets uh in the town and putting them mapping them and taking an inventory. We don't we don't we don't have one. So the D matching grant applications are available from now till

April 5th and can't really do that until I know where they're all at which ones would be candidates. So [clears throat] I looked at the packet today. It's about that thick and a lot of stuff that they want uh supplied and I don't know, you know, that's it's going to take uh a lot of work for for the grant and so and I hear there's a very small percentage of them being approved like one out of one out of 60 or so. That's but we'll see what we got and uh unless anybody knows of any read off quick that stream crossings. Um so Ron and I attended the practical math class for construction techniques in Portland last week. That was an interesting class and I'm going to be attending Thursday a class for personnel [clears throat] uh dealing with discipline etc.

and the bulky waste day that is scheduled every year I guess for the third Thursday third uh third Saturday of May. So we want to keep that the same this year. I talked to them and they want to come out and I would I would think we'd keep it the same day.

Okay. So that is we'll leave that. I guess we can get that on the website or because I I'm starting to get calls people want to know when this is going to be and I've called I called What is that? What's that? What is that date? Do we know?

Uh 20. I don't know. We put out a mailer for that or is that the thing that will go out? No, we never we never do a mailer, but we put we put it on the said it would be the 20th. 20th. It's usually 21st. 21st. We want to stay with that.

Yes, we're going to stay with the 21st. That was the consensus. So, all right. So, I did call her back and left a message, but I haven't heard back from her. Hopefully she did. You CC see her on that email back? I I No, I didn't.

Okay. Well, I'll just confirm with her that we stay with that. So, um it kind of sort of the same setup that they did last year down there. Yeah. Should they're going to come out looking all over and go over it with us, too.

I think there were a few few changes that might want that might need to be made or something. But, yeah. So, it it went it went for doing it that way the first time it went pretty smooth, but there's, you know, a couple tweaks. There's something new you can always do. So, if anybody [snorts] has any ideas, let me know cuz I wasn't here. So, if there's something that didn't work well, we ought to try to address it. But

Well, that's right. Cuz we did it down at work. Yeah. Well, the only thing that I noticed last year was there was a couple of u compactor trucks up closer to the building for the last whatever it was they was taking out. And guys had trailers, they made that swing and then they had to swing in because they went right through the garage, you know, to get out of the building. The way it was set up, it worked well, but they was it was kind of close. It made it hard to make that swing sometimes. So, I don't know if it can be pushed back further or not, but that was only really it was mainly anybody that had a trail up.

We'll [clears throat] look into that. Any questions? All right. Thank you. Thank you. All right. So, uh selectman's comments, upcoming meetings. There will be regular selectman's meetings held here at the town office. Tuesday, March 22nd at 6:30 p.m. and Tuesday, April 5th at 6:30 p.m. Um on

please note on the uh Tuesday, March 22nd one, we are going to have um a candidates forum. And if we if we can make sure we get the note the word out to all the everyone who's taken out papers that um they're welcome to come here and uh like a five minute

have them. Yeah. Are we going to do it at the beginning of the meeting or the end? It'll it'll be probably at the beginning kind of along with the public comments or something I would think. Okay. Easier to tell them that that time than uh try to guess when the meeting will end. Yeah.

Um, also there will be a public hearing at [clears throat] the Durham Community School on March 15th, 700 p.m. uh regarding the RSU5 withdrawal referendum. Uh it was mentioned uh in the fire uh fire chief's report to uh just a reminder that um next Monday night at 700 p.m. at the fire station there'll be a presentation from Lisbon on dispatch.

Um the election of town officials and the RSU5 withdrawal referendum will be occurring on April Friday, April 1st from 8 to 8 at the Durham Community School. The annual town meeting will be held Saturday, April 2nd at the Durham Community School at 9 a.m.

mention there. So, I make a motion that we go into executive session pursuant to one MRSA 4056A personnel fire chief. Second. All in favor? Motion carries.