TranscriptPlanning Board Meeting ~ January 2, 2016

night? Operation. Oh, well, still still Jeff's going to go over it. It does seem very sad to be honest. Sure, but old enough to leave you home. Exactly. Depends upon which day it is and what it's agenda for this. Oh, yeah. You know what this is? Hey Ruth, is this the one you're talking about?

This is for No, that's a sign balance. That's our balance sheet. Okay. Oh. Oh, this is just information that came in last year. That's right. We have kind of a strange situation, Wade, where we take the money that we had last year and we appropriate that for this year.

So, we have actual figures. We don't forecast our income. I I'll looked through I guess the one for all these go anyway. No, no, it'll come out a couple weeks before town meeting which is April. Vice chair can bring then you've got the little one, right?

She ready. Sorry, Shannon. She's still Okay. All right. I will call the meeting to order. This is a budget workshop of the town of Durham Selectman. If everyone would rise for the pledge of allegiance America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

We do have a quorum this evening. Three out of the five selectmen are present. Uh, Chair Wakeakeman and Selectman Libby could not make it this evening. With that in mind, we had originally intended to get through the fire chief's budget tonight and with several members of the of the select board not here, chief, my thought would be to defer until we have a full board. It's

fine by me. It uh you have any idea when you'd want to reschedule to? I know that we are planning to do another budget workshop tomorrow evening as well. Public works. So that's public works. So I don't know how long it'll take us to get through public works.

I'm only asking because I have a couple of classes until I have class work to get done. So we're on his schedule. Set it for next Monday or something. Yeah, we can set it tenatively set it for next Monday. Whatever we don't get through tomorrow night.

All right. I just think where that's such a a fire department's a big part of the budget that we should have the full board. Okay. Monday the 8th of February at six. Correct. How are we doing on time, Ruth? As far as getting with the budget committee and and making sure that

we get everything finalized in a timely fashion after next week, then we'll have two weeks that we can meet with the budget committee. So, if we can do that part in two weeks and then the following would be the 23rd of February. we'd have a a select board meeting and then we'd have to go over the warrant in that one night and make sure that all the warrant articles are correct and um approve the the warrant.

Okay. And by that point though, usually once we've been through all of our meetings and all the budget committee meetings, that's a relatively it should be at that time. Yeah. Except for there are a couple of interesting more articles that are going on this year.

Nice way of putting it. plan on the ETH unless you hear differently. I will confirm that with Jeff and Josh. But yep, rather than than wasting your time this evening. Well, do you want same time I put that back in your mail?

Yeah, I got it. That was my fault. I guess it should have been five. Yeah, my typo. It's going to be able to be that much of a deterrent this year because we have to the meeting so early. We have to get the the report to the printers by the first week in March. Um maybe we can start the end next week and then

I don't know how it took like only three nights last year with the budget committee. Right. I think we went we got through it pretty quickly. I don't think we'll need two weeks but Right. which I was hoping on that far apart, we're in trouble.

Animal, you want to go past the You want to wait for Jeff to do the and Josh and do the administrative? Yeah. Yes. We start on the animal control, right? You want to start with animal control? Yep. Absolutely fine with me. I'm sure we'll pick it up tomorrow.

the animal control? What we find out on the license of the dog license? Was that going to pay? Well, we can't change it for last year, right? But going forward, but we can go forward. I can change it to so the $25 late fee quite a few today, too.

Right. So, the fees were not weren't going towards the animal control, but it was going towards the regular administration. Right. So, we wanted to go towards animal random control officer. That's fine. Yeah, they get $2 of the licensing fee and then $25 late fee goes to animal control. So, I can, you know, just take out of Peter to PayPal. But, yeah, I can

It all ends up right. It just makes sense if a dog license go towards animal, right? At least it shows up as as being a Yeah, I understand takes a little bit away from Ruth's, but going to end up in the it's going to end up same place. That's just the speed,

just a bigger umbrella, right? So, the overall animal control budget with the new changing from the the contract with Lisbon PD to hiring our own person is down. The budget's down about 10%. ACO gets two, right? The acco gets two and then the $25 late fee for all dogs that are registered after January 31st. And I don't see We've got to do the rabies shot in the vest. I don't see anything on this that

No, no, he he didn't say he wanted anything else. He just He's No, he he kind of makes do with what he he has. Um I can see that. I mean, the only other thing that um we might want to do is get a um have a heart trap. He has one that he uses, but there was an instance um there was a woman in town who wanted to borrow it because um there's a dog by the river that she's trying to get to come to her and he didn't want to give her the trap cuz it's a very expensive trap. Whereas if it were a town's trap, then we would probably lend it to her and let her try and catch the dog.

Thought we was purchasing one. We were thinking of it, but nobody ever actually came to it because he he just he's like he's always like, "No, no, you don't have to do it." So, we didn't end up purchasing him one. But, I mean, we could put like 300 bucks in there.

Yeah. I was going to say, but wish and purchase. Yeah. Let's get a little equipment every year. Personal one, right? I know at one point you had run down all those numbers and it's less than than $500, I think, for the the have a heart.

Yeah. For a regular old have a heart trap, it's not that much money. He has a big one and it's one of the fancy ones where it's open on either sides. Although that may be what it takes to get the dog to come. So we would just add that into the supply line for

Yeah. So it' be 1300 instead of a thousand. And there was some question about his rabies shots. He needed one more or something. He hasn't gotten any of his rabies shots yet. He wasn't able to get it last year. And we had budgeted, I believe, about $700 for that because we were going to pay up to a certain amount. He could go and get them wherever he wanted them, but we were only going to pay up to, I think it was $700,

right? Because at one point we had discussed splitting that with him because he needs it for his other business as well. Yes. Yep. Okay. So, that's So, that would bring that total to 13 42. So that just is there's a a slight reduction in the postal actually a big reduction percentage wise but

upped the tax map because we had lowered it last year and we had actually over spent that line. So, um, we were able to cover that because of the supplies, but, um, we figured we should up that one back to what it was in 2014.

Do we need to have a motion on each of these as we go through them? Not yet. I don't think so. Okay. I think that's when the warrant comes up. Yeah. Okay. We'll have to approve all of these for that. Yeah. Y that one staying the same, right?

So, that one I think is staying the same. Jeff had indicated that he wanted to follow up with the cemetery committee about the fact that they weren't doing any repairs, any projects or repairs. I know that there is a memo from the cemetery committee from December of 2015 indicating that they weren't planning any new no major projects were needed. But didn't Jeff say he wanted to follow up because he felt like some of the cemeteries maybe needed some attention?

is until we find out if he got more information. Right. Yeah. Some of them look like they do need a little TLC. Right. And there is some money in the perpetual care fund that can't be used for mowing and those kinds of things, but it can be used for major projects, rehabilitation, maintenance type projects. I think that's what we used when we redid the stone wall.

budget. It is, isn't it? And all of that comes out of the the recreation fund, which Do we know how often the conservation committee meets now? I don't know. Back when or has the conservation committee met at any point? John Aman used to be kind of a putting that together, but he's not with us anymore, so I don't know if they've done anything or not. I don't even remember who's all on it now. Um, oh, I'm I'm missing the name. The tall gentleman.

Rest your bone. Thank you. Yes, he's on it. He is on it and he's the one who who contacts me about this kind of stuff. The recreation fund that that pays for conservation and some of the other things. What is that funded by? What is the source of funding for?

Well, you have to ask me that. And is that something that we have to is that revenue driven or is that something that that funds get appropriated to periodically? Um it's revenue driven. Let me see. Recreation fund that comes from um snowmobile

Snowmobile registration. Yeah. State park fees. Now the state park fees that we use for runaround pond. want to move on to the donations? The current budget reflects everybody, all the nonprofits that have asked for donations from the town this year.

We did what, 3,000 last year. Mhm. Kind of let the town pick out, right? We did well, we did the one group advocated on the floor at town meeting to increase their to by $71 from 500 to 571 based on services expended to town residents.

what that is. Bo excise tax. Bo excise tax. That's what funds that snowmobile pay. No, just the boat excise the snowmobile goes someplace else. So the recreation fund is is boat excise tax funds. Yes. Okay. So last year we did

Androskun Home Care and Hospice, Community Concepts, Western Main Transportation, Lifellight, and LEO. We had requests for Safe Voices, which is a domestic violence advocacy group, Androskogan County Head Start, the Red Cross, and Tri County Mental Health.

I would say we go right back to what we were going to do last year, but just take the 71 out, round it off to 500 again. And I know that was a motion on the floor that that changed that, right? But do 3,000. Yep. Yep. Again, I mean, we wish we had money to give everybody, but we don't. This is taxpayers money,

right? And as as members of the budget committee have advocated on several occasions that taxpayers should be free to to make whatever charitable donations they choose to make on their own rather than having their tax dollars donated. Um, but these are all organizations that that focus specifically have done a great deal for members of this community within this municipality, which is why they they come to the town to

that's my Tucson worth bring three grand. No, I I Right. Which is the same as we did last year then the previous year and I think the year before that. Okay. Just the standard I believe. Yep. with the same saying what the mark up to 71 the seniors plus knock back down to 500.

Okay. Same out there and then right on the floor they want to change it on the floor they can do so. Absolutely. Okay. So we're going to take the other people out there. lines you have in is the amount that they actually asked for.

Yes. that. Yeah, I just there supporting documents from the from behind. Just looking at that. Okay. Where the money came out of the emergency fund for the foundation issues at the Eureka Center, is there a does that have to be replenished in this year's budget? Is there does that have to be accounted for or it doesn't have to be because it's already been taken out of one of the funds, the assigned balance funds, the emergency fund. So, you could replenish it if you chose to. Um, which I believe the budget committee at least Mil was intending on asking for it. I did not put it in there. I You can decide what you want.

I I kind of think we should put it back anyways. I mean, it's Okay. They have the money, but we couldn't touch it because it that took a big process to do. That's why we took it that way. We did. But I mean, if we can put it back and in the event that they got to have it again, well, it's there. But

Um I think it was 1650. Yeah. So for the capital projects, we would Right. They've got take it out of their capital account. They've got 7,72866. would be it would be 1650 1650 and we wouldn't have to raise any because it would come out of their capital fund.

just regular maintenance, cleaning, repairs, utilities. that ahead to the general assistance budget? We budgeted 5,000 in 2014 and 2015. I don't think we've ever spent more than 2,000. Right. And so the current proposal would be and also in the this past year there has been an increase reimbursement from the state. Used to be 50%, it's now 70%. So there's a proposal to reduce that to

allocate 3,000 to two general assistants instead of five. Sounds good to me. It's also one of the few lines that we can overspend without a town meeting. So, nope. Sounds good to me. Get down. Makes sense. Yeah, right? There's a couple unusual things in in this section in that it does include

Eagle Scout project on the right War Memorial Park which is an additional Um, and also the Durham Athletic Boosters that runs all the the sports programs, the so Saturday morning soccer, Saturday morning basketball, softball, all of those things has put in a request for some funds for field repair.

Some funds put Yeah. a big amount of funds. I mean, it wasn't that wasn't that put in. Yep.$7,500 7,500 to to do some repair in that on that field. I read through that a couple times and I kind of think the biggest part of that request is all should be handled by the school with the exception of possibly the property that that's the the fields that they use and that belong to the town that doesn't really affiliated with the school. We could put some maybe a little money in that, but I'm not so sure that all them other requests when I was reading that, it sounds like it's

Well, I think school related. Most of it was a list of the a lot of it was the things that they've already raised money for and paid for on their their own. Building new baseball dug dugouts. Uh painting the softball dugouts.

Once again, that's all on RS25 property. No, it's all right here. No, that one that one that's right on the other side of the Eureka Center. Yeah, that's So, it's not the ones over here then? Oh, no. It's It's the one right behind us.

All of that stuff, unless I misunderstood when I read that, all of that stuff isn't all for that field, is it? Well, I from what I read is is it's all for that field except for they they want to Yeah, it's all for that field. And they want to at some point put an additional field. Um and they want to get rid of that that um concession building. They want the fire department to burn it. But the Cal Ripken is also

part of that part of that, right? That they've done and they've done, you know, the the dorm athletic boosters, there are a lot of kids in this community that that use the the Saturday morning soccer. If you drive past the school fields on a Saturday morning in the fall, there's

Oh, there's a bunch out there. I understand. A lot of kids. And there's a lot of kids that use the the basketball. Oh, I understand that. And RSU benefiting a lot of kids in in the community. Oh, I understand that. We pay RC5 quite a bit for those fields too,

right? But they don't run I understand programs for for but far as the upkeep on the field. That's right. Well, the the field maintenance is all for this field that the town owns. That that's not for upkeep on the school fields.

I wish they could have broke it down a little bit more than just some, you know, saying they want this much for the soccer, this much for that, this and he didn't. He just lumped it all together. So they want it's only $500.

Yeah. Right. Well, in the back and I mean it looked to me like there there was a list of of very specific things to roll the field level for the playing surface because there's a bunch of tire tracks and and the field's been pretty torn up. To add an outfield fence to keep the ball in play, to level the infield and get a load of rock dust to to repair the pitcher mound and the batter's box. to remove the concession building, to repair the dugout, and to replace the back stop and fencing. And I I think that's all specific to the town owned field and and not for the for the school owned fields

and and all the money to um I mean, they'd have to take get the money from me. So, I'm just We would have the receipt, right? I mean, the receipt stone dust is $50. I mean, that's that's cheap stuff. That's, you know, I'm just I'm not trying to be a How much is Cal is Cal Ripken looking for?

I think that's I know. I know it cuz he mentioned that in there that they more than Cal Ripken, but we've been supporting Cal Ripken for a long time. Yeah. Right. And they I mean the Durham Athletic Boosters do more than just softball. They do all those different programs. And I think some of the the money would also go I think he uh he says in his letter to offset the costs of the insurance and some of the the equipment for the other programs, basketball, soccer balls, that kind of thing.

My only my only concern about putting this money aside for them and it may be that we end up just putting it on the warrant without my one of Slipman saying this is what we recommend. We don't recommend nothing because I know all their programs are maybe played on town field, but all them programs are also played on school fields. And you're going to stand up in front of the town and ask for $7,500 for that field so that kids can play on that field when they've got these other fields. Probably going to get a lot of spots going on the town. That's that's I always

I always wondered why they were over there and there's nobody on that field. And we paid good money for that field. Yeah. I mean, I always wondered why they're over there in that field, not playing on a nice field that we pay money for.

I mean, I I think we should keep that smooth so they anybody wants to use it. I mean, if the tire tracks and stuff in their ruts, but you know, we got to put a fence up there so they don't have to chase the ball. Do you have a propos a a different proposed number that you'd like to see or do you think are you advocating zero money to the athletic boosters? Well,

want to My share of this vote is going to be not to give them $7,500. No, no. I was just trying to see if there was an alternative amount just to to keep the discussion moving forward. I really have someone stand up on the floor and discuss it in front of everybody.

Is that what you're saying, Mark? Yeah. I mean, at this point, when I I read through that twice and I'm thinking, geez, it seems I know it's our field and we should and I agree that we should take care of some of Now, if we want to put some money aside to take care of some of the field a little bit, that's one thing. But the dug belts, I think, were volunteered. I don't think the town paid for them originally anyways. That was all money that was put together by volunteer people, whatever. I mean, taxes are going to go up bad enough as it is. And you know, not everybody should be paying for just a few in this situation. If

it comes down to they already are, right? If it comes down to RSU5 saying, "No, you're not going to play in our fields," then we'll open that discussion up with them. And I'd love to have that discussion with them. They field should be open to any of them kids that want to play. I can't imagine why they wouldn't be. I know the first two years they was talking about all the grass needs to grow and all and that I don't believe any of that either. They put saw down every day in fields all over the country and the next day they play on it. So I don't really know what was going on there, but I'm not going to get into that. But I think them fields are available. Should be available.

What about the other groups that are asking for recreation funds? the the snowmobile club is looking for $1,100. I think we've always given them money out of that registration money. I think that's where that's always gone. I think we've always done that.

And the youth baseball is looking for 1,500 and put Right. And what is that? What are those funds being spent up on? amount to keep the field, you know, I'd say 1,500 bucks. Yep. But we give K Ripton, right? I would I would Yeah, that's what we give them. I would hate to think that we're going to after supporting K Ripken all these years, we're going to um turn them away and give it out to somebody else.

they're doing with that money this year. You'd have to we'd have to ask Rod Stimson. We can Right. And I'm just looking at the number of of people that are impacted within the Cal Ripken program that does get money every year versus the number of people that are impacted in the boosters that that run sport programs for kids year round.

right? We could table this till next week and see if we can get some more information. I call and ask Rod what he's doing with his. And and then the school outing club, the Durham Community School outing club is also looking for $700 to help subsidize, outing club trips, events, and equipment rentals that they get no funds from the from RSU5. They do some fundraising with some dances at at school.

dollars should pay for that. this the RSU doesn't support the Yeah. of school club. I would I would question that too, especially with all the money they get. everything for that school that they're already paying for. I mean, we send them quite a jar of money every month. and some of these extra things, you know, if you got I don't know how many kids are involved here. And it's not that I don't advocate for these clubs cuz I think they're good things. But, you know, if they was coming to me personally asking me if I'd donate $10 or $20, that'd be different. But when we're asking the taxpayers to do that, that's where I kind of say in my opinion, no. Um, you know, when

I would like to cry stuff, my parents had to pay for it. I would like some more information as to why the RSU isn't doesn't support it at why the school is not supporting a club that's in within their school and and only open to students of their school. It's not open to to students in town that that go to other schools.

Is anybody you can ask them Ruth to give us an explanation about it? I'll see what I can find out. Yeah, I would love to have that conversation with them. And if we're going to ask those questions to be fair to everybody and we're going to get this information from Rod, it wouldn't hurt. I know I kind of roughly know what they do with the the snow club, but we should have that information as well.

So that we're not looking like we're trying to one in the other, right? Because that's not that's not my intent, right? Well, particularly for expenses of maintaining and grooming snowmobile trails. I don't think they're doing much grooming this year.

Oh, this. Yeah, I'll agree with that. Ask Duncan if he's building bridges or something on what what's going on with that. Yeah, I know they have. I have seen a lot of new bridges. Well, I've seen newer bridges in different areas where I've been, but I haven't been all over the place. Obviously, there ain't that much snow. But,

I mean, those ones we've kind of been supporting for a long time. So unless there's good reason not to, I'd say we keep doing it. But I mean, and I don't mind, like I said, I don't mind sending out 1,500 bucks to help smooth out the field and do a few things there. But so we're going to bring that one down to 15. Is that what we're what we're saying?

Well, that's that's my suggestion for the part of that they were asking for for the 7500, but we can table that till the next meeting, get some more information, and make a better decision on that if you want. Well, we aren't having votes is my understanding anyway in the workshop.

Okay. um the $5,000 for the phase the Eagle Scout project? I think last year we discussed that when they was doing the one that they was doing it, right? This the person that came and did phase one. At one point in in those discussions, my understanding was that the project was going to also include some fundraising on on the part of the scouts and that none of the the numbers that we've gotten seem to reflect,

right? Any fundraising? What what are we paying last year for phase one? Well, we paid the entire amount that um that was in there and then they reimbursed us. Hold on, let me find out how much they reimbured us. So, um Justin's parents actually came in and um reimbursed some of the money.

Oh, so there was some fun. We allocated the money to cover it all and then they backfilled as the fundraising materialized. Got it. I think it was the tune of 700 bucks or something like that. Let me see if I can't find the right

here. And phase two would include the inclusion. It would include the coast adding the Coast Guard. Yeah. Right. Co. And I think I heard Jeff say something about National Guard. Oh, somebody mentioned it. It was Coast Guard and another flag. I thought

Yeah, they were thinking of putting in another flag and they were going to do a walkway. Yep. But 79551 is what came back to us. We paid out how much? Uh 51 5150 was what it ended up being. We went a little over on that line because of electricity that we weren't

right. 526 or Yeah, 5151 was expended. Yeah, electrician stuff was something. Should have had that anyways, but the gazebo because if that's Yeah, cuz roof is falling in then we got to there's not really much point in having them put walkway up to that till we decide what we're going to do with that. Um

we had talked at one point about calling region 10 school that's the one that does the RBTI in Brunswick. Yeah. Mhm. to see if any of the teachers would want to take that. That would be a project project. Yeah. Ask. And we would pay for materials for that. That's how that's how those normally work, right?

Yep. Yeah. Um is is Paul going to do that or is that just been thrown out there as a thought? It's just been thrown out there as a thought at this point. Do you want me to ask him to? Yeah, why not? It' be a good project borrow for sure. We um I guess you find out if they're

interested, but I guess we need to find out if we're going to kind of put it back to exactly kind of the way it is or if it was actually going to lower it. I mean, I'd like to see it so it was easier accessible for some handicapped people. I know we have a couple in town that I'm sure they would gladly go up in

I mean, I've seen people there last year before the picnic table got thrown down over the bank and rotted away. Sitting there having a picnic, you know, driving by, park, and hey, that's kind of what it's there for. Have a picnic, take picture and spread that around. What great town Durham is.

Yeah. How's Jillian doing? Huh? I'm doing good. Be nice to have that done by Memorial Day parade, too. Yeah. And I seems like that was Was it Memorial Day or Labor Day? One of the ones they had some kind of a little band up in there.

Oh, yeah. Not too long ago. It might have been Labor Day maybe. Right. So, we're going to check on the e bill. Okay. I know. That's you, you know, and I don't know what the rehab of that's going to cost as opposed to building a new one. I know it could be 15 grand, 20 grand easy.

Yeah. That's absolutely going to change what the bottom line for the the parks and recreation budget and and whether or not there's any money for anybody. And it may be you'd have to do it over two years, too. I don't you know, I mean, we got to do something soon because right now you can't use it.

So, you want the option of of replacing just the rotten poles and then the option of possibly doing something different with the Yeah. I mean, of course, asking for options, we'll get them. That way, we'll know where we're staying. But, I mean, I just trying to make it more user friendly for everybody. So, I don't usually go down there very often, but You

yep. That's a plus. So, right, it would be two additional flag poles, Coast Guard and merchant marine. Either an additional plaque on the existing monument or an additional monument and a walkway and potentially a memorial brick walkway, which would be I guess as a as a fundraiser, people could buy much like they did at the front of the school. people could buy bricks and have people's names or have you put on them.

And there was some talk about where placement of the flags and you know if the flags were placed kind of way the walkway is now so that the walkways in the middle of the flags but the flags were placed a little differently. The walkway could come out and go into one too. It wouldn't necessarily have to go down the middle but said we need to know what we're going to do with the gaze before we put any walkways in.

Right. And I assumed since four of the flag poles are already up that they would just be Yeah, that's that's but I don't know. some more information. Uh the planning board, the historic commission and the appeals board have all been consolidated into the the planning board and the historic district commission were in the same one last year. Um, we had not had any appeals for about three years and last year we had three appeals. So, we're anticipating more appeals this year.

appeals. Yes. then. that's also why you've doubled the legal line. Yeah, superior court too this year. So Yeah, And does that factor in the the money for the ordinance review stuff that's currently going on? Uh, it gives another $5,000 to the ordinance review committee to continue paying Nicole to continue working on the land use ordinance.

So, it covers that. Um, it does cover that. It doesn't really cover much as far as the comp plan is concerned. Um I really probably should call um the Portland COG that we're right be my next question kind of program that they have for a comp plan cost

if we call we have to move forward on on upgrading our or revising our comprehensive plan this year and so we are going to have to include some money in the budget for that. Okay, I'll call GB code. contract I think essentially is what it is with the exception of that we have to by every few years we have to order trash tags and so that's on the

Those are expensive. Yeah, I think they came out to be a little less than that. We did actually order them and receive them this year already. Seems like the revenue was up for trash tags, too. It was up a little bit this year. about $1,000.

three-year contract, right? Yeah. It ends in uh June 30th of 2017. So, this summer, we're going to have to look at at renegotiating renegotiating or putting it out to bid. Okay. did it the last time, they had talked about moving to the automatic trucks where you have a specific

Yeah. can and and they have the operator some of these right here. Right there. Right. There was some unresolved discussion about the who bears the cost of those. And then there's a new insert for the telecommunications budget, I think. Yep. To update you.

Leighton and he's wanted to add some hardware, software, um training, killings. Well, killing us. All this money is appropriated from the finance franchise fees, which we have $91,000 in the franchise fees. And of that, $10,000 is specifically earmarked for um video equipment via grant. So, um

the franchise fees cover the entire amount. So, it's And does that account get replenished every year? It gets replenished every year. This year we got one of the highest amounts. Without the 10,000, we got 37,000 which is one of the highest.

I know, right? Then I did see that he added one of the things we had talked about when we were hiring to replace um the public information position is that that our prior person had been able to do a lot of the IT support in the office. Um so we have it looks like he's added some money in the budget to the extent that we have to to farm that out.

Yep. security cameras for the fire station just keep showing up. We approved them last year and they weren't purchased and now and they're on the fire chief's budget that we looked at briefly and now here they are on the telecommunications budget and what department's paying for them? Are we actually buying them? And how many times are we buying them? I think that Jeffrey's understanding was that the telecommunications was going to pay for them.

Okay. And they would come out then of the the the chief would remove them from from his budget. Right. budget. we talked about the other night. Well, we didn't get a capital budget. Oh, no. That's right. We didn't. That's right. We didn't cuz he was asking questions about that's what it was. And we were still asking about what they were on there, too.

Yeah. Okay. So, I guess we have to see where that is. Yeah. So, so some of the things that are in this that that although the overall line reflects a big increase, some of them appear to be movement from other places like the fire station security cameras. Also, it looks like some the report the printing of the town reports.

Yeah, that had been paid for by telecommunications last year, but it wasn't moved into telecommunications. It was in my budget. Okay. And then also it looks like purchasing some new software to probably to facilitate the preparation of the town reports. The publishing software.

The publishing software is for the the annual reports. Um and then um he he wanted to buy a laptop for Shannon so that she could work from home and do um her updates on the computer and work on the website. Um, and so he had it Microsoft Office for a laptop.

What about the big screen TV? Well, I just see it on here. I wonder where it's going. Who's getting out? That's for the Eureka. um he wants to talk to the the Eureka committee regarding the possibility of you know I guess they had talked previously about putting wireless internet um in the Eureka and and uh doing other sort of things to try and get classes to be taught in there and things like that.

So why are we why is it coming out of here not Eureka? I guess I'm just going into because it's part of the it's technology. It would be part of the the full techn and it comes out of the franchise fees. I don't know. Do you want to watch football on it?

Well, I mean, maybe. It's pretty good size. You could rent to Eureka Center and watch football on the TV. Typical football weekend over there, right? It's there. I mean, there's it's a it's $4,200 to include a laptop, monitors, big screen TV, and then various Eureka Center expenses. So, I don't know. Erica Spences. What what do they mean by that?

Once again, I'm just just asking. No, I know. Um um vague wireless. So, I put wireless in that one. Yeah, putting wireless in there. And he's also talking about changing the television. And when you say he, you're talking about

Jeffrey. He's the This is not height. Yeah. Uh right. Jeff Leightton is the chair of the telecommunications committee. this particular goes back into the franchise fees next year. So if he asks for 4200 and he only spends a,000 then that 3200 goes back into the franchise fees.

So we we raised just shy of 40,000 in in revenue in that. So we would be in addition to the revenue from last year, we would also be dipping into to the the savings in that account to the tune of of just under $13,000. Oh, the 10,000 is for the grant.

Yeah. Yeah. any other thoughts on that budget? A bunch of thoughts, but Well, now is the time. I mean, I suppose I I mean, everybody's going Well, everybody but me is going to computer systems, but Yep. the old wave. Just

I think ways of making the Eureka Center more useful and more rentals. It's a great old building and and I think I think that's to see it used. I think they've been working towards that pretty vigorously. So, if this stuff is coming out of this fund, so it isn't really coming out of taxpayers back pockets, I'm gonna have a hard time saying no.

Right. Be absolutely would be. And I think that that the money to upgrade the website and make it more user friendly. I know they've been talking about being able to do building permit some of the building permit stuff and

right and making it makes sense a little bit more proactive I think would be useful as well. If we're not doing fire administration or public works then you're missing the big ones. that I can think of? Return. Second. All in favor? Okay.

So, tomorrow night 6 o'clock 2. Tomorrow night 6 o'clock 2 and going to be covered tomorrow night.