TranscriptFebruary 23, 2021 ~ Select Board Meeting

Okay. I will call this meeting of the Durham Board of Selectmen to order on February 23rd uh 2021. We are obviously still in the virtual Zoom format. So that means we have to call uh a roll. So when I board members, when I call your name, please say something so that we can confirm that anybody listening or watching the meeting can hear you. Rich George

here. Todd Bolier here. Rob Panto here. And my name is Kevin Neto. I'm here as well. Uh Mark Faren is excused tonight. He uh had a work commitment um that he couldn't get out of. So um any board members have amendments to the agenda?

here for the public comment portion of our um meeting? or if you don't know how to do that, you can just wave. on uh from that and we'll go into action and discussion items and uh 4A uh region 10 information. And Nancy Weed is with us tonight. Hi Nancy. Nice nice of you to join us tonight.

Hi. Thank you for having me. So Nancy is gonna uh tell us talk to us a little bit about some um potential changes I guess you you you'd term them or ideas about uh transforming uh region 10 technical education. Yeah. Um there's a lot of ideas. It's our it's our vision for our board. So I did send along a packet. I hope you all got the packet and had a chance to read through that. It saves a lot of time at a meeting like this. Um, this is really a time for me just to share information and make sure we keep everybody in the loop. I appreciate you giving me a few minutes to do that. So often we focus on just our school um, you know, colleagues and and getting out and talking to like school boards and things like that, but we really believe very strongly that everybody should be involved in this because this isn't just about um, proposing a four-year technical high school for the landing for the sake of

four more years, you know, four years of a technical education. This is a major economic um development project that's tying in with the at the landing. And we're in a very unique spot here in the Mid Coast as we all know. Um and one of the things that we know is that everybody is hurting for skilled people to fill um businesses out there. So um I wanted to take the show on the road. I've been hired this year to do that. I was the uh technical um dire superintendent director at region 10 for four years and I loved every minute. I will tell you I worked 70 hours a week and I could have worked 100. Um it was a fabulous place to work. So um my my role this year is to continue what was started actually before I came on board in 2016. So um we have students obviously from Durham at our school. We love your students. We have panel students, Freeport students. Um we don't get enough students quite honestly from our

sending schools and I know there's a lot of reasons for that. You know there's a lot of reasons. You know probably more than I do. We know that there's obstacles and one of the things we realize is that students really need four years of a technical education and they need a place to put their feet and call it their home school and their base and not have to have the conflicts back and forth um you know uh through scheduling problems and also senses of community. They like Freeport but it's very hard to get up in the middle of the day and leave and come back and forth. So um the um the proposal is that we'll be a school at the landing. We have a very strong advisory board made up of businesses and educators from around the state. Um we're pursuing legislation to do this as a study to see if it's they're open to a four-year technical school for us. Um so that'll be coming for the legislature this year.

Quick question just when you refer to the landing just for people that maybe aren't familiar with that term yet. You're talking about the old Brunswick Naval Air Station, right? I am. Okay. Yes. Yep. Thank you for clarification. and I just get so used to to thinking about it. Um, but yes, they they have an educational component as part of their redevelopment at the landing and they're looking to create a pipeline of workers so that they can create bring in businesses from literally around the world and we're the missing link. Uh, University of M Augusta is over there. Southern Maine Community College is over there. There are other a few other schools, the real school, Harpsville Coastal is over there. um they have land for us literally over there waiting and um we know that four years of a technical education is going to give a lot more training the opportunity for our students to get more skills so they

can either go back go out right to work or they can go out into college and and further their um training through college um avenues. So we're very excited. Um but what I do know is that not everybody knows what we're doing. So, I'm here really to help answer some questions that you might have, keep you in the loop, also to hear feedback. I'd like to know what you think. You're the Selectman of Durham, and we know that you hear a lot of things from employers, people looking for um you know, young people to come and work. Um so, I'm going to stop for a minute and just um ask first of all, if there's any questions that you have about any of the paperwork that I sent along or any questions that I've shared and and I'm being very brief. I could literally you let me loose. I could talk for an hour and you're not done everything that we're doing there. I'm so excited about what we're doing. But what questions do

you have or what are your thoughts? I had a question on is would this be done under the umbrella of the current RSU or is it more of a separate almost charter school type of proposal or what what does that look like? Well, the it looks like for funding um and setup we're not going to go charter. We're looking at setting up a magnet um a magnet school that has been u we've talked to the department of education and they feel that that's the best way to set this up for this area uh for this proposed school because it's very different than how we offer technical education and this part-time model that we currently do. Um we plan to have the same board which means um we have representatives from RSU5, SAD75 and Brunswick on our cooperative board. we have to change legislation because we are set up according to legislation um and that would have to be changed. So that would be in the statutes coming you

know as we go forward. So how is a magnet school different than a charter school in in terms of how what kids have to do to get in and also in terms of the funding model? It it it's um there has to there's an admissions process in terms of students getting in in a magnet school. Charter schools um you take the first whether it's 100 or whatever you take them um and there's no real screening for that. Um they also um just the governance and how that's all set up. But a magnet school has to be very very clearly defined about what your goal is, what your you know what governance, everything is being spelled out to the letter. And how about the funding model? What is that? Does the does the funding for the does the funding follow the kids? So if if they didn't go to Freeport High School, would the funding follow them to this regional technical school?

Um the funding for a chart for a um charter school follows the kid. For a magnet school, there's a separate line. And if you asked me to go deeper into that, I'd say I would honestly look at you and go, "That's really as deep as I know." Um, but this is a whole separate block of money that they're looking at. Obviously, if a student is not enrolled in RSU5, then that there would not be subsidy for that student going into RSU5. So, right now, um, RSU5 does get

subsidy for students going in, but we also get money out of part of that. I don't know how the formula works, Kevin, but we get money from that. So, I don't know if it's 5050. We don't get some money doesn't follow them into it. For instance, um we have a very high percentage of special needs well not special needs students who have educ

our school because it stays for instance at RSU5. So um in a chart in a magnet school you would have all those services would be part of the amount that would be allocated by the state. So what does it look like to the town in terms of finances? Is it is this like an

additional like school budget we would have to be involved? I mean, what is what does it look like for my knowledge, Kevin, it isn't? But that's a good question. And what I'm going to do is write it and as soon as I if I can get when I get clarification on that question, I will ask that um and send that.

I mean, and I don't I believe I should I definitely I think the vision is great. I and I agree completely that there's a need more of a need for that type of education and I hate to just get into all the money stuff, but I'm just I just know the questions that we're going to get and a lot of it is going to be, oh, here comes another school bill, you know, and I I want to have factual information out there on, you know, what that actually would or wouldn't mean,

right? and and as you should truly have have more as much information as you have quite honestly when we've met with the state um we met with the commissioner the deputy commissioner we met with um Sarah Forester who is their general counsel and we we looked at what would be best for funding because we don't want to in any way draw away and have a separate bill come to you but I know for instance how the magnet school is set up in Limestone um and the one in Searsport they get a chunk of money and um that money is used for students who go to that school, but not separate bills go to towns, for instance. So, if you have a student from Durham that's going to the magnet school in Limesaw, you don't get a separate bill for that.

That's right. Okay. That's that's u you know that's the I I don't want to say the beauty but that's why looking into that funding um because we don't want to get into that you know with tugofwar but realistically and common sense would also say that if that student is not at that at your school at RSU5 then that student wouldn't have there wouldn't be subsidy coming in for that as the count and I don't know what you get for your subsidy

right um what I do know and what I do feel very strongly about is when schools such does this come into a community and people are excited about it. Families move into communities to go into a school like that. And um my feeling is not all families when the families come in, you're not going to have every student who's going to want to go into this type of a school. You may have more some that want to come into Freeport or some who want to go to the school, but it certainly is a draw. I know the schools in Massachusetts, they're they're waiting list to get in. Um

so, but you I appreciate your questions because I think you're spot on to ask those questions. I mean, after all, you don't want a separate bill for $50,000 for five kids going, "What the heck?" You know, the idea is great, but she just sold us a bill of goods, and we don't want to do that.

Um, we can't get full answers, quite honestly, either because the other piece of it is that you have to change how things go. We just can only um um we only look at how um the Magna School and Limestone's working. And that's how they they explained it to us that a separate check was went off to them and took care of that. And I know when kids stay there, um the state pays the tuition for them to be there and the parents pick up the um there's a boarding piece of it. So the parents pick that up, but it's there's no cost to an individual town to pay if you know Joe Smith wants to go up there.

Yep. Okay. I mean, I suppose there is if you talk about taxes going that way, but Sure. Other other board members with questions or comments? Well, we we we um we're a long ways from it becoming a you know, I always say when it happens and a lot of people say if it happens. I believe it will happen, but this won't happen for quite some time. There's a lot of work that has to be done. We're at the very core, the very ground roots of this. um we have people are very supportive but there's a lot of questions to be answered and we know that we know that um the task force that they're um that they're looking at we hope that they'll create I mean it was actually a LD that was approved last year but there was a wrong date in it and then the co covid hit and they couldn't carry it off but it's really to look at a 4-year technical high school model so there'll be information coming out about that um the LD when I get that

I'll send that on to you and you can you can read that at your leisure um And that will just be to study the feasibility of it. We are also at region 10 looking at having a feasibility study done so that um we know that you know can we sustain this? What's going to happen with it? So there'll be a lot more information coming out as we proceed and my goal is to make sure that everybody you know you folks and everybody else who um aren't directly sitting at our table have that information in front of you. So when people come in and say, "Hey, this is what we know about. What do you know about it?" That you have knowledge of it

and it's not just kind of, you know, blindsided. I did think of one more question as you were talking. Is your vision that this would ultimately replace the current model where kids spend part of their time at the, you know, the call it for lack of a better term regular high school and part of their time at the technical high school. Um, is the vision that that that hybrid would still be an option or that it would be no, you're either at your town's high school or you're at the technical high school?

The the It's funny when you move, you just moved over there, Kevin, to me. I don't know how you got over there, but um the vision is that we would um be that school students would come for four years, 9 through 12. However, we know that there may be some students their senior year who might want to take a class and or program. And one of the things we're working with is looking at other technical schools in our area that would be close enough for them to go to. For instance, Bath and it would help their enrollment. So if someone says, "Well, look, I really want to go me and my buddy from down here want to go up the, you know, we'll go to Bath and take a course at Bath or um at Lewon if there's room or at if if someone's parents are going to Portland and there's room. I mean, there are other schools that are around. We don't want to exclude them, but we know with this uh what we're looking at is how much

more training our students are going to have. The other thing, honestly, there's a big stigma of students coming to a school part-time and leaving. And um we want them to feel that there's pride in their school and they're getting the skills that they need. Um and we know that this can happen with a four-year school um when it's their own and they can take ownership um for that. So,

Okay. Well, uh, last call for any other questions from, uh, board members. You guys are really quiet. Yeah. You know, you you gave me I tend to do a lot of the talking. Well, no. Um, but if you have questions, you have my contact information, I hope, on there, and I when the bill the LD 1036, not 1036, but when it's assigned a number, I'll I'll send that down for you to have. Um, I'll try to make sure that you're always in our loop so that you're aware of what's going on. I think the biggest thing that would be, um, when we do a feasibility study, I think that will help answer a lot of questions for a lot of people. Um, you know, the state will take a while to change whatever they have to change. So, that won't happen overnight. So, if there's concerns with it, people have a chance to voice those concerns.

Yep. So, thank you very much. I'm not going to stay for your meeting, though. Yeah. I can't really say I blame you. Sorry. I appreciate it. All right, take care. Yep. Alrighty. That was pretty interesting, I thought. Um, okay. Next on the agenda is 4B, the

uh townwide mailing. Ruth sent us all um a draft of that um which I thought was excellent. Um, I had a couple of minor, um, you know, really nitpicky things at the very beginning, like one including the, um, phone number to call in for the public hearing and in addition to the Zoom link. Um, and Ruth, do you have the

um, do you want to put it up on the screen? Do you want to share it? Sure, I can. I actually changed the things that you were talking about. Oh, you already did. I was doing that. Well, she was d talking. Okay. Do you see it?

Yep. All right. So, yeah. Good. So, there's the information on the um public hearing phone and Zoom and then look for additional information and links to the budget meeting recordings on our web page. Yeah, great. Those are the those are the two things that I had said um called out. Any other board members have any um comments or questions as about this as they were reading through it?

No. And and then um Ruth, can you bring up the uh the estimate sheet so we can clarify that because I don't know if you guys noticed at the bottom of that estimate sheet, they basically added up all the options and because there were several options listed, but they just added them all up for the total. So, we're not looking at $4,000. We're looking at around what it was like 15 or 1,600 for the total eight page mailer.

Can you see it? No, I was still seeing the the first box. Okay, let me new do my new share. Where is it? open. All right. Yes. So, you see it now? Yeah. Yeah. So these are the different prices. I requested a a quote for six, seven, and eight pages. Six would have been really crowded and difficult to read. Seven would have been okay, but I was I was thinking, you know, if seven and eight were very similar in price that we'd go with the eight page, and actually eight is less.

Why is that? I suspect it's because uh it's two-sided and it's just two sheets of paper folded together as opposed to having cut something. Okay. Yeah, that's what makes sense to me. Okay. And then the postage, which is the 51180.

So, we're just over $1,500 for the Yep. Um Yep. Okay. Any other uh any other questions or comments? uh approve the townwide mailer as uh presented and authorize Ruth to um mail them out. Second. Rob seconds. Any further discussion on that?

Yeah, I would assume you'd want to mail it as the eight page. There was three options there. Yes. Yeah. Yeah, we're talking the eight this Yeah. Sorry if I wasn't clear to to mail the eight page option of the mailer. Yeah.

If you uh if you're in favor of the motion, say yes. If not, say no. Todd Buller, yes. Rob Panto, yes. Rich George, yes. And I am a yes. And Mark Farren is not here. So, okay. Um, we'll move into department committee reports. Uh, Calvin, you are first this evening.

Speak up, Calvin. So, I sent you my report. Um, so we seem to be fighting these every other day storms. We're actually about 100 100 tons ahead of last year in salt usage. We're about 1,400. Last year we were, 1300. So um

certainly certainly been busy with the uh weather pattern and the rain uh so I've been in communication with the surrounding towns uh Freeport Yarmas North Yarmas Brunswick Panel all looking to post the roads on March 1st. Uh so that's that's the plan.

We're a little late this year but we've had some cold weather the last couple of weeks. Um I put that out uh today on the Facebook. So uh people have already started calling to see about the waiverss we can people can still get on the road if it's um below freezing early mornings. Uh sent out uh the draft of the vehicle weight posting ordinance. Um if you guys have had a chance to look at that. Um well my the one I sent just has red letters the changes which are very very minimal. Those were my recommendations.

Uh just basically added uh added metal road rabbit road plumber mill road then yeah I misspelled I get plumbers mill. So we'll take the s off that. Um and then on page uh two number four permits uh uh section uh well well it just says gross registered weight of the vehicle. I added the word legal because sometimes they don't register them for what they should be registered and so it means what it's supposed to be registered at legally. And uh the only other change was on number seven and seven and eight. Uh

there was a typo in the other one that said property noticed and it should have said properly. So I struck the uh word uh property and put properly in there. And uh number eight, I've changed the word selectment to select board and just changed the date from June 19th, 2012 to February blank 2021.

Uh due to the fact that we don't have an attested copy, we don't have a signed copy anywhere. Um so I don't think it's legal or enforceable uh what we have. So this uh I think if you just adopted this here as new today, then signed it and we put that in the book, we would be good.

Yeah. Well, I I don't think we're going to do that today. We need to have the lawyer look it over um first and um and then but I think if we have um Ruth, if you're if you're listening, if we could have Jack review this and just make sure we're um and just confirm that

th the those state regulations do give the board the power to set this ordinance without going to a town meeting. um and that the that the wording here is fine, then we can um uh review and vote at um either our next meeting or the one after.

Okay, great. Thank you, Calvin. That's good. Good stuff putting that together. Appreciate that um that effort. So, we'll have a lawyer review it and and go from there. Yeah. And I I sent uh an email yesterday. Um Oh, and yeah. So, the final thing here is I've got the the uh contract documents for the paving uh completed the revisions and uh just like to get that sent out uh out to bid out for invitation to bid. U So, it's the same basically the same thing as we had last year.

You mean you mean the the request for bids? Is that what you're talking about? Yeah. Yep. Yeah, I think uh I think we've already authorized you to go out to bid. Um I think if you want, you know, probably Rob would be the logical choice if you want Rob to look it over and you know, if he hasn't already and um look see look like if it's good to go in his opinion, then um I think we're I think we're good to send it out.

Yeah, I looked it over. Calvin, go ahead. I don't have any concerns. All right. Thank you. And then I sent you an email yesterday about the uh so both of those back in November the board authorized me to apply for two grants. That was when uh Kevin was out I think in November on hunting trip or something that uh Rob was filling in for you. Um so I did apply for those and we did get both of them. So um one on Swamp Road, one on Quaker meeting house road. Um, so I would uh uh from here I'd like uh authorization to get the permitting process started and the uh design process the the design work.

Can you just give us a quick recap on that again Calvin of exactly what the what that entails and not necessarily to get the permit application but in regards to scope of work what's on our end what we're actually doing there. So, we would uh same thing we did on Auburn Panel Road, we would uh go ahead and get the design, get it designed by the engineer and uh get the Army Corps of Engineers permitting and the D permitting uh done and uh get that to the D so we can get the money panel wrote if my memory was a match program I believe or something of that nature. We had to come up with funds. What what's what's the dynamics look like for the funding slash payment of this?

So, they're both non both non-matching. Last time we got 95,000 a piece. This time we're getting 125,000 a piece. Um, but we have to pay whatever the cost difference is. And you see the estimates are 165 and 170 and we'd be getting 125.

Those are estimates. I mean, they could come in lower, they could come in higher. So would we work that into the scope of the budget for this coming year or do we have to do another special meeting like we've had in the past for some of this stuff?

Last last time we took it from capital and the board was authorized I believe to do that and talk to Ruth today and meeting Yeah. Yeah. Last time Calvin we took it from undesated funds and we had a town meeting to um do that but but you could conceivably take it

Yeah. You could conceivably take it from capital. Yeah. and and Ruth, we do have $98,000 in the bridge account. Yeah, that perhaps the board could use that. I know that's on the uh is that one of the warrant articles to have that converted or or or transferred to uh capital?

Yeah. To put it into the public capital fund. Yeah. Some or some of that money if if needed. Y So, Calvin, we Sorry. Go ahead, Rob. I was just going to ask what's the timeline for spending the money? Um, it is, uh, uh, trying to recall. I

think it's, uh, one year and we have two years to complete it, one year to, uh, uh, actually get it. Um, I think it has to go out this year and be finished by next year. Okay. So, we could go through, do the design, accept the accept the grant, do all that stuff this year, pay for the grant, pay for the design out of the grant, and then get bids, and then we could build it into our budget for next year so we'll know what that extra cost is.

I'd have to I'd have to get uh the details exact on that. I'd have to talk to I think I think we should just do a one-page or simple timeline on you know deadlines like when the engineering work will be done you know just just so we can see it written out and and confirmed on you know deadline to accept the grant deadline the grant money you know all that stuff so that we can see it in black and white. Okay, I can

Yeah. Now, just Rob, you just mentioned can you I have no idea when it comes to stuff. They all seem to come up every couple years, but did you say we could pay for the design, do the design with the grant money, and then therefore decide whether or not we're going to use the grant?

No, we would have to decide that we're going That's what I thought. But yes, we But so we might have an out of pocket expense before we know what the actual cost is what you're saying. Possible. Yeah. And for the engineering work probably

we we may be on the hook for the engineering work if if we don't end up accepting that five 10 grand. So the engineering in that those cost estimates included engineering in the U estimates for the uh completion. Calvin what's the I remember when the Auburn panel wrote the there was um pretty that was related to like environmental and and fish issues wasn't it? and and there was almost a sense of urgency about that. What what do what's the case here? Are these are these like these it'd be nice to do but yeah, you know, if we don't it's okay or are they is it a pressing matter or what's the status of these?

Well, the window of uh ability to work in the stream is from uh Jul uh July 15th to September 30th. So we have a very short time frame and we ran into issues last time with uh we couldn't get the steel and then they had to switch to aluminized and whether

I guess I guess maybe my question wasn't clear. I guess I'm asking how is important that we do this work at all? You know, like is it is it a really pressing matter or is it hey there's this public there's this grant opportunity. Let's take advantage of it and get it done while we have grant funds or is is it something that's pretty urgent and we're going to need to address this whether we get grant funds or not? Where where is it in in there?

Well, the swamp road uh floods every year. We have often two or three times a year it's on the water and we have to block the road, send traffic m several miles for a detour. And so that's been a pressing issue and um I think that really should be done. The uh sooner than later the um Quaker meeting house road is um it's it's something we're going to have to do eventually and it would be nice to get it done now but doesn't have to be done right now. But

that's fine. That's what I was looking for. I mean, both of them have trout in it, I believe. Well, they're they're critical salmon habitat. What's what put them very high on the salmon? We have salmon in Durham. Well, it's considered critical salmon habitat. So,

if there was a salmon there a lodge uh list. So, okay. Good. Good. Great. Thank you. All right. Well, uh, yeah. So, um, I'll get to the timeline. Put together that timeline of, you know, the key grant dates and everything and then, um, we'll go from there.

Okay. All right. So, that's all I got. All right. Thank you, sir. Thank you. Going back to my agenda here. Um, town administrator Ruth, do you have anything that you wanted to discuss tonight? Not Not really. I'm afraid I didn't get to do a report for you. I've been um, yeah, working on stuff. Okay.

Um, nothing really pressing. Um, everything seems to be going fine. Okay. Um, just an update to the board and anybody watching. I did um because we're going to get into uh announcements here pretty soon, but I did confirm with David Barrett from MMA that he's available on Tuesday the 9th um at 6:30,

which would be our regular meeting time. So Ruth, the plan there on Tuesday the 9th is um we want to we we'll do a very quick like uh agenda. So no um no department head reports, just only critical business like you know approve the warrant and if there's something else critical we need to address we will. But that's when the board will meet with David and we'll be um going through our first round of of uh resume reviews for the town manager position. Um, and just to let people know, you know, how that's working right now. Um, we received, um, around 40 applications. I mean, they were still coming in last time I spoke to David from MMA. And so, there were there was a lot of interest in the position. We asked him to um, kind of take out, you know, the top 15ish, excuse me, as the the the resumes that the board would would review. Each board member is reviewing the um resumeé packets independently and we're each

coming up with our own what we think are the the top six and then at this meeting on the 9th uh and this will be an executive session because it's a personnel matter we'll be meeting with uh David Barrett from MMA to kind of compare our notes on the top six and with the objective coming out of that meeting with the list of candidates that we wish to uh bring in for a first interview. So um that is where the uh process for town manager is. Uh also to later tonight in executive session um we'll be uh discussing and appointing the people that expressed interest in um participating in the citizen interview panel that'll uh have the opportunity to interview the finalists that are selected um out of the round of of first interviews. So, we'll be doing that um tonight after the regular meeting and executive session uh as well. So, that's the update on on the town manager search. Um okay. So, I'm going to move uh we're on to the

consent agenda and I'm going to move that we accept the consent agenda as presented. discussion on the consent agenda vote. If you're in favor, um say yes. If not, say no when I call your name. Todd Bullier, yes. Rob Ponto,

yes. Rich George, sure. And I'm a yes as well. Okay. So, I just uh gave details on our March 9th meeting and then our next regular meeting after that is March 23rd. But in between there, please remember on Tuesday, March 16th at 6 PM, a little bit earlier than our normal time, will be our public hearing for our referendum secret ballot town meeting. Um, that will be held on April 6. Did I get that right? April 6.

That's when the in-person voting will be, but absentee ballots are available um probably end of next week. Probably next week. end of next week. Okay. All right. So, at this point, I am going to move that the board uh go into uh executive session pursuant to 1 MRSA section 4056A

for discussion of personnel matters. Rich seconds. Uh if you I'll call board members for a vote. Uh Todd Bolier, yes. Rob Panto, yes. It's George. Yes. And I'm a yes. Okay.