TranscriptSelect Board Meeting ~ August 9, 2016

place. I don't know if they've got enough to put parking and they must have enough. Well, it's gonna be a couple of half acres. Three acres. Yeah. So, put some parking in or something. But you ready? I bet they'll have Oh, it is 6:30, [clears throat] isn't it? Thank you.

Um Oh, I guess we've got everybody here. Yeah. All right, Shannon, we're on. reconvening. Um, we do have a quorum tonight. Four out of the five selectmen are here. Uh, could we please rise for the pledge of allegiance? United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

have no other amendments other than the ones that are kind of highlighted in here. Uh, you're not aware of any. Um, no. Okay. Uh, public comment. Any public comment this evening? Seeing none, consent agenda. I move that we accept the consent agenda as presented.

Second. Any discussion? All in favor? Motion carries. Action and discussion items. Uh pay for planning board members during ordinance review meetings. Um this the question has come up. Um the chairman of the planning board was uh questioning it. Um up to this point I believe they have been paid for the ordinance review meetings. It was uh that's what Ruth has been doing. Um, and I'm not sure exactly

why the why the chair was asking whether he didn't think it was they were supposed to or not, but there was the question and so they wanted it posed to us. back a while if they if they ever weren't. Did we budget for it, I guess, is is the bigger question. [laughter]

I believe we we considered we considered that when we were budgeting. Uh, I think I asked Ruth about this the other day. I think she said four four meetings or something. Four workshops, I think. So, yes, workshops. And and I mean, I don't know if they've had any other extra meetings or or if they've had to if they've ended up canceling any, but um we also

they did not hold a meeting this month. There were no applications. So, that Okay. So, that's an extra. Yeah. Um, so consensus that we're okay with. Okay. Well, let's go budget. I'm pretty sure we I think I'm pretty sure that's I thought that's what we and and I think we may have even put in something in there for the uh for some training at one point or another too.

Yeah. Okay. for this work. I think unfortunately long term I think a lot of our volunteer committees are going to be looking for some kind of retribution payments or whatever. Retribution. No, not retribution. I didn't mean that Congress. Yeah.

Uh rewards. Rewards is what I meant to say. [laughter] Uh because uh it's just like with the fire station, people are got a lot going on and and really the driving factor is money. It really is like it or not. Yeah. Can you pass that on to uh Ruth that

it is a yes. Yes. Uh B is we are striking because uh it was due August 5th and we're beyond that. C MMA um annual election for um they've vice president and directors um the ballot. They've given us lists. Uh, one for vice president, vote for one, and three for director, vote for three.

I move that we vote for the slate as presented. Second. Any discussion? All in favor? Motion carries. Yes. Yes. That's that one. Nice. Just check them all. Um Yes. And then Yeah. Okay. Um RFP for public works roof. Um so we have we sent this out for RFP.

We have four that came in. Um none of the four come in at what we have what we had available um through the through the initial bond there. Um somewhere between 8 uh the lowest is between 8 and $9,000 more. What is the process for putting this out for RFP? Where is it posted? um

or do or are people just called or typically we post it on our website on the channel? I believe we usually put it in at least a try town. I think it was MMA. I think I saw it in there too. And we got usually put it in MMA cuz

Yeah, it was on MMA site. MMA is that's free to post, right? Yeah. Yeah. So um and uh sometimes if there if there's known that there are some contractors around um calls will be made to let Well, that was the only reason I asked is that there

I'm unable there were no local I'm unable to answer that at this point because uh Calvin's not here yet. So um do we want to table discussion on this until he shows up? I vote to table it. Okay. enforcement officer. Um the there have been a lot of meetings recently where that he's had to attend and it's been putting over or close to over his hours aotted hours and so they're asking right now I believe we post his hours for the afternoon. [snorts] He pref he's uh we're being requested to post them for the morning. Uh what would what would that be? 8:30 to 12 or something like that.

Correct. Okay. From 8 8:30 to 12. So that if he needs to um save some time, he can uh leave in the afternoon and not have to be here. The 16 weeks since the um town meeting have gone forward 34 hours. So gone a little bit under, but um and it's like right now we're kind of in the doldrums. It's a little quiet. the guys who got started in the spring are kind of accumulating, but there'll be a pickup again and stuff this fall. And I'd like to not burn up the budget between now and then.

Sounds good to me. A little flexibility. I It make it a lot easier to manage the budget stuff and the timelines and things. I appreciate you being sensitive to the budget. So, I'll take a motion on that. I move that we reduce the posted hours as requested.

Second. Okay. So it's actually not reducing. It's just it's changing. You're changing the question. Making it more convenient to be flexible as well. Okay. 8:30 to 12:30 or 12? 8:30 to 12. 12:00. Yeah. And uh this will be effective starting this Friday.

Yeah. Okay. Um it's been moved and seconded. I needed more discussion. All in favor? Motion carries. And budget committee caucus. Um um for the budget committee where the each district is allowed two um budget committee members one of them must be a um a city official or a municipal official. And of the two um we have three here that have been nominated. Uh Wade Kaplaner from Durham, Anthony Renie from Green, and Jolene Landry Beam from Lewon. Um Anthony Renie is actually a current member of the budget committee. Um and um just from my knowledge of what goes on, I my recommendation would be uh Wade and Anthony. Um but oh

well you have a more of a firstirhand I mean sight of it so I mean I I mean I I was up there the other night at the caucus with you kind of first time for me but sounds get the gist that some walking through what on everybody's favorite list but

so I will in that case I will move that we uh uh vote for Wade Kaplaner and Anthony Renie. Second. Any discussion? All in favor? Motion carries. chatter on the email from Kim Moore, who was the uh the wife of [snorts] the party that filed for an appeal of the planning board's issuance of the conditional use permit for Pinkhambrook LLC to be putting up a cell tower on Pinkham Brook Road on property owned by the um the Quaker Meeting House, Friends of the Quaker Meeting House. It appears that they're preparing to take that to uh Superior Court. So, [clears throat] if that's the case, we'll be getting in touch with Jack. Um, they've got a couple of weeks yet to make their final decision to to stay within the 45 days uh required by the ordinance. So, I'll keep you posted how that goes. So, there may be some more involved in that. [clears throat and cough] Um, Jeffrey, this is part of the comp plan

work that's been coming up. We've started a subcommittee that's going to start looking at putting together some surveys. Uh Chelsea Stewart has some background in that from college. Uh so she's heading up a subcommittee that's going to try to be prepared to deliver some um preliminary formats for the next meeting. Um so as I had mentioned to

Jeffrey in the first meeting, I talked to MMA about uh personal contact within the community by the comp plan committee as well as the subcommittees acting uh what was necessary legally for them. So what what I got back from MMA is um the comp plan committee is not a committee that necessarily votes on things like application and ordinance. So it's a little less clear in regards to the law as to how they need to handle themselves through public hearing and public meeting. Um but the basic rules for public meeting should still apply. So including the subcommittees, it was recommended that they that they be posted as they would post any other meeting just on the town website or some simple stuff. Um take a simple notes uh as far as minutes for the meetings and and who was present. um [clears throat] and and keep that as part of the record for the committee. Any votes of course that'll happen can't happen in a

subcommittee format. They have to happen on a full committee meeting anyway. Um so it's a little it's a little loose, but she said just you know keep it consistent through that process. So that's the way we'll guide those guys is how to handle those.

So I'm just I'm having trouble with the wording on something. Any subcommittee meeting should be advertised but does not require posting. What is that? Well, there's it's not it a planning board application requires to be posted. Public hearings are need to be posted. Public meetings don't they need to be they need to be out there somewhere, but there are different requirements for a meeting versus a hearing,

right? Yeah. Poed means you have to put it at certain public places for there's a and there's certain timelines that it has to be put in, you know, so many days before the meeting and so many different places and so on and so forth. So, it's not it's a much it's a much lower threshold requirement for that.

Um, and uh Jeffrey Dit has gotten back to work on the Meadow Road property. Um, the repairs have been done um as as requested by Joe Neville, the um engineer that we hire to to go in and evaluate the process to try to stabilize it. And they're back up and running. So, um, other than that, we're about 20% ahead of last year on permits,

including new homes. Uh, we'll see what happens this fall. I'm expecting it to kind of keep moving in that direction, but it's a little hard to predict at this point. So, um, the comp plan committee is hoping to have some stuff ready for the November election. It's a really good opportunity to get face on with the public. a lot of people show up at in comparison to most other public events for voting and so on in November on a presidential election. So hopefully there'll be a good chance for some exposure for them and what's going on and get some folks excited. It's pretty much all I got.

Terrific. I uh I've asked Paul to uh come up with a price for our a cost. As you notice, his little nookie is in right now and he's full-time [snorts] and the workload he has on him about taking the the fireproof room and maybe building one over across the street and uh instead of moving him over there, move that room over there. Um and what it would take to do that and get all that and move him into that bigger room.

Oh, the on back left. Yeah. Yeah. That makes more sense to me to keep everybody under this roof than it is to send him over there than him have to come back over here every time someone looking for a permit. So, um I think he's going to get that amount to us cost of it or maybe we can do it, maybe we can't. Hope we can cuz I like to get them out of that little nook and into a real office.

Well, get the prices. We'll see how it all falls into place. Yeah. Well, if we don't have any heat in there, we don't have to worry about it, right? We're saving money. Thank you. Yeah, we're not going to put heat in there.

Permission. Call it a day today. Thank you. Actually, I would think you would want to as far as heat if we if we did do that, you would need to keep it somewhat climate controlled because of what we keep in that room. I mean,

yeah, if if we move easier climate control over there for the archival stuff, right? Um without using the system that's trying to double for the for this, right? Um humidity and temperature, you keep them both low preferably for archival work. Speaking of archival work, just before you step out, it was my understanding that the original town charter was converted to a digital format and or that somebody had taken a digital picture of it or something.

Someone had taken a digital p Shannon had taken a digital picture of it, I think, with her phone. Okay. I have spoken with a um professional conserver that that's what they do is is conserve and and repair old documents who would be willing to review the pictures of it and donate time to do what needs to happen to conserve the the charter. If

that'd be awesome. If you can email me that with that information, I'll I'll be the go-to person. Yeah, absolutely. If we can just get me the pictures and I can shoot it over to them. They are out of state and so they just want to look at the pictures and get a sense of what it may or may not

I'd like that. Thanks. Absolutely. Good night. Good night, Chief. [clears throat] Do you want to backtrack and do any of the previous week two weeks ago or no? Just move on. Think anything that I made to what I I think anything from that one that was

okay interesting you put it this one too. I didn't know one from this week or last week. I've got one here. Oh no. I got it. Okay. Y All right. Well, we start off at the Smileys. I've got Smileys lined up to do the floor. He's just trying to work out the date that he can have his people to come in and do the tile and everything. So, I don't have a finish date on it. Truck 24, it it's been for his pre-est and it's uh pre uh it's [snorts] inspection and service and it uh it's all ready to go. Uh not to say when we go to do the ladder test they might not find something, but as we can tell at this point, it's all ready to go. Pump test will last Friday. I don't have the test results back from the pump test. Um, word of mouth is that we're in pretty good shape and I don't have to do much of anything. Few valves here and there. That's about it. Um, but I don't want to guarantee that until I get the

report. Now, the uh the big one that uh this is something I've been going back and forth with trying to fix. We've discussed it a couple of times, participation and membership and it uh I just uh yeah, we've been trying to change systems over at the department so that we increase enthusiasm and morale and stuff and and we're there. It's just we don't have the members to handle the call volume that we're seeing. Um you know last year last year was a 15 20% increase and um we were at this time of the year we were at 201 calls last year

at this time uh the call on Sunday was 234 um it just [clears throat] the members can't keep up with it. It's having a an impact beyond us missing occasional calls. They feel like they're letting people down when they end up missing calls. So, it's impacting morale as well that way. So, I've been kind of looking at what [clears throat] can we do. We've had the two recruitments. We've talked about the recruitments. We did the two recruitments and that brought in nobody. I have brought in a couple two maybe three new people that are uh but they're only interested in fire police and driving. [snorts] What we really need is EMS providers. But uh firefighters right now we can get by. Okay. But EMS providers are starting to decline. Um

the just a question on the increase uh volume. Is that almost totally on the EMS side too or is it Yeah, actually I think I'd have to go back and review it. Um, but I actually think if I actually reviewed it from that perspective, I wouldn't be a bit surprised if we'd seen a slight reduction in the number of fire department responses and a very sharp increase in the number of EMS responses, which the EMS side, it takes fewer people to handle the calls, but they tend to be longer duration is the downside. It your time commitment at a minimum by the if you do a transport is 2 hours. more often than not it's three hours. So um

right now days we're relying on you know if we don't have staffing at the station we're relying on primarily probably three people maybe four people that I'm actually you know and we joke around about it I'm the I'm the kid in the group when we go on a call and stuff and that you know as much as I like being the kid in the group that's pretty scary when you think about our system relies on somebody my age being the kid in the group. Um, so it it just I've been looking at it trying to come up with fixes. I don't see a fix it. Demographics in the community, they're not conducive to, you know, we bring young people through the system. Not many firsttime home buyers move to the town of Durham. It's usually second, third, or people that are close to retirement. They they're not looking for volunteering for something as demanding as fire or rescue can be. uh because it really is almost a second career. It has

to be a hobby that you really have a passion for. You're never going to last very long in it. Um they're not looking for that. And people we bring up through the system, they can't afford the housing costs in the town of Durham. So they end up moving out of town. More often than not, they hate leaving the department, but ultimately that's usually what happens is it just the long distance connection doesn't work. Um, so I need to make sure that we've started to miss calls. It going back in time, we might have missed one or two before this year, but this year, you know, I think I put in my report that we've missed probably a half a dozen. But um, yeah, it we've [clears throat] missed at least a half a dozen calls that we've we may have had somebody to do first response. we may not have had somebody to do first response because the thing of it is is with anything with EMS and a transport you got to have two

people. Um, so it's putting a burden on that. It uh, you know, I [clears throat] can't guarantee that we're going to be there for every call. It uh, I put some stuff out there, you know, I guess to compound the things that the daytime person for the Friday shift, um, their full-time job, they've got opportunities there, so they want to get done. Um the other three day a week person actually

has had changes in their personal personal lifestyle and they'd like to reduce their hours. So the last week week and a half uh because that was in my last report I've been doing a predium thing which that seems to be working okay right now just putting the word out to six or eight people that um work full-time somewhere else and saying well hey I got this day this day or this day open. is anybody available to staff it? And so far it it's worked pretty good. I I don't know if it would work long term or not, but I needed to put it out there, make you guys aware of it. Start the I I think we need to talk about it. See what people's expectations are. I know what my expectations are as a taxpayer. As a taxpayer, not necessarily as fire chief. As a taxpayer, I hope if my family or myself needs a rescue that you're going to be able to staff it with qualified people in a in a timely manner. Um, and I analyzed different

ways that we could do this, even going outside the community, and the best way for us to handle it, in my opinion, is this. But I guess I wanted to bring it to you guys, make sure the town's people knew about the situation because ultimately I think they're the ones that need to I don't think I can fix it without it costing money and ultimately they're the ones that need to decide what they want for a level of service because that determines what it's going to cost and what we have to do to give them that level of service. when we don't have coverage on these half dozen or so times you were talking about when we don't have service who does service those calls

post service and what is the time delay depends it depends you know I'll be honest with you I said I've analyzed this for many people if we didn't have the rescue was emergency in most cases to the lower end of town down by the bridge they can probably be there

just as quickly as we can in some cases perhaps quicker Um, so it depends on location because I've actually looked at it from the perspective of what would we be be better off to do first response and do a different service. But for many of us, we're going to go back to the days of waiting 30 to 45 minutes for a rescue to get there from up in that corner of the world for the citizens that are close to the say the Freeport line. Um maybe maybe right up near the Orin line and maybe down

so probably probably close to a half of the community without really analyzing it closely would get probably the same service as if we were available but for the other half of the community we're going to be back to where it was when we started the rescue of waiting for a half hour 45.

I did also want to compliment your crew. I was happened to be driving through on Sunday just after that the accident occurred and the speed at which your people were on the scene was was really commendable. Thank you. Thank you. That was kind of a mess and hard to sort out

but they were right there. I mean it was very difficult to sort out but thank you. Yeah. Yeah. They we did get a good response on that. Um, yeah, it uh usually stuff like that our response actually, you know, I I hate to say it, but our response improves on stuff like that. Uh, it's VMS medical calls that are 2:00 a.m. in the morning and stuff. And people are faced with, okay, I'm going to lose 3 hours of sleep tonight. That means I can't perform tomorrow. Um, you know, and we've been doing the sign up. The sign up for the most part has been working better. We did company assignments before this which were, hey, this is your rotation. This is when you're supposed to be available. Well, it didn't take into consideration people's personal lives. It didn't take into consideration vacations, their work schedules for anybody that's working odd shifts. Um, so we actually do signing up now and most of them are putting their

best foot forward in signing up, but we still have gaps in the coverage where we rely on hopefully somebody's kicking around that didn't sign up that can do it and stuff. So, um, you know, I put out suggestions. That to me is the ideal situation. I'm not sure the taxpayers would want to pay what those suggestions are, my but I needed to I needed to bring it to you guys. are needed to we need to have I think we need to have the discussion and you guys need to tell me whether you want me to do more research. You think we're qualified to make the decision and recommendation if you want to put it out to the taxpayers. I I guess I don't know where to go from here, but I needed to make sure that people [clears throat] knew where the service was. Well, I I I think that you guys probably are the more qualified to do the research and kind of come up with the recommendations. As you said, ultimately

the taxpayer is one that's going to say we want it or we don't. So, we need to have something to bring to them, you know, and whether or not we should have a public hearing and have 12 people show up or 800, we don't know how that's going to go down as usual. So, you know, that's a question, too. But,

yeah, you need both sides of the coin, too. You need for keep it that and plus if we outsourced. Yeah. They're going to know. They want to know both. You know, everybody's going to any taxpayer going to want to know. Yeah. They're going to want to know cost and and then what's going to happen to the service if you out if you if we do end up having to outsource. You know, the the people you mentioned that um would be affected. you know how much would they be affected and

what's pound do pound contracts with free port free because they're out in the boonies too over by pine land I mean it's we've actually weighed the going because we used the contract but uh I got to you know some [clears throat] of this pains me to say that I but in all fairness to the community and to do my job I needed to look at it when I went back and I didn't do a thorough study but when going back in time we used to contract with Northeast was the last service that we contracted with we did first response which got the people there, somebody there to do some go into a holding patent hopefully until the transport service could get there. Um, and we [clears throat] had Northeast and we used to contract. I'm not sure. I know the contract kept going down in numbers the last time with Northeast. Um, but there's many aspects to the contracting thing. I'm not sure where where the industry is now. I haven't

really done any research in regards to what different communities are paying and stuff, but my estimation is the town of Durma, if we did a sole source contract, we'd probably be looking at 10 to 20,000 a year would be what our contract was. They'd still bill the patient and then we'd lose any transport revenues that we're collecting that, you know, that go into the capital. So, I I actually think in the long run that [clears throat] Yeah. If we were using rescue revenues to offset operational costs, I don't think it would be cost effective for us to do that. When we start weighing in the cost of paying somebody, I don't know where the breaking point is. I haven't really gone to that point to study it. But then there's the service.

A service would definitely go downhill. It would and nothing against the other services. It's just based on distance, right? like new Gloucester I think contracts I think that they they did they actually do their own transports now for a long time they contracted with United and they've switched over to doing their own now and they they do actually do um I think they do PDM staffing I'm not positive um

but if you get that information that would I think what we need well I can definitely do more research on it and stuff it uh um if that's where you guys want to go with it but I I just I don't want people to be blindsided when they call and you know and I'm sure there's already some people that have been shocked when they get a a rescue from a different community and stuff and I I don't know what the venue is to make sure the citizens realize where we're at with membership and our ability to handle the volume. I guess that's the other thing I'd put to you guys is somehow we need to make sure the citizens understand cuz ultimately I hate to waste a bunch of time going one direction when really the citizens I mean the citizens I know what I want but I'm getting older so you know

ultimately the citizens may be good with settling for well now we'll get ourselves to the hospital and stuff. I actually wonder I think so, but wonder if what Mark suggested might be a good idea before we get in heavily [clears throat] into the budget season is to have some sort of a public meeting um to I mean the problem with that is you you just don't know who if you only get five people it it doesn't do us much good. If you if you get 50 to 100 people there or more that can you know express how they feel it helps it it could help us determining a direction when it comes to budget. Yeah, [clears throat] maybe.

And the other the other side of it is we have to do we got to do something. Um right now, yeah, I don't right now. I think I can we can keep it together and keep it moving this way. But long term, like I said, I it's gradually impacting the morale of the members when they they can't make calls and they start to question their their dedication, their loyalty. They question the other guys dedication and loyalty. So, it's having an impact on the department. Um,

far as the budget, I think no matter what, like you said, it's going to cost either way. It's going to cost if we hire some, it's going to cost if we outsource. I think we need both those figures when we go in front of the for the budget and we go town meeting. I mean, it's going to be voted by the

that's what we need. And and maybe we can put it out there, even if we have to put it out there 6 weeks in advance or 8 weeks in advance, just keep putting it in the paper to remind people that this is coming up and we'll pick the date six or eight weeks away that you want to have this public hearing and this is what it's on and this is why. And so we have to do a reminder every week or every other week so people will pay attention and you know it's kind of like putting up a [clears throat] pink sign for safety you know after it's there forever and you don't remind them it's just second nature and you just walk right through it you know so

yep okay well anyways in the meantime what I have been doing and I'm I'm going to keep my eye on the budget and stuff and I think it I think I can still make it work doing the pdm thing you guys will good with that. I'm going to just keep doing the pretty damn thing and put it out to the group of people that do have days available periodically and and try to cover what I can out of the the daytime and stuff.

Do what you can. Any questions? Thank you. Oh, sorry. W and liability for smile is what? W9 and liability insurance. I just noticed it. Yeah. for which one? Smileies. Yeah, the United I have their certificate as a liability.

I got that from him the other day. Okay. But I'm just saying I see smileys and I just checked and then smileies. I don't have it firmed up yet the date yet. So once I get the date firmed up, I'll hit him up for it. Just a reminder.

Yeah. Did [clears throat] you get Mo's painting from Gary as well? Cuz Mo Gary's doing the woodworking and that's who's the invoices for. But I have more actually as well cuz more is subcontracting through Gary to do the painting.

No. So I'll need it on him. I just got Gary's I have more over there as well. Okay. Listening the town as additional insurance so I can get a copy of that. Thank you. Thank you, Commissioner. And u before we actually get into the report, we started taking up the roof replacement bids. M

uh and we table it until you were able. Um okay, one of the questions that came up on it is what methods did we use to advertise this? Do you have to remember Ruth put it on MMA website. Okay. I got one already. Oh, you did this right. Thank you. right on the

uh and uh put on MMA website and I think I'm not sure u I think once it goes to MMA it goes to all the cuz I know we got people from Pennsylvania we get people from Right. And we we did I'm sure we did the town channel and the website. Um do you know if we did try town?

I think so. I think I we just wanted to make sure it got out there. Yeah. Um the uh the uh so yeah anyway if you want to jump down to that fourth one up from the bottom a roof RFP. your note says if you don't do the office area addition it would be

29,000. And I was curious about whether why would we I wouldn't anticipate that the office area addition would need to be done. It was just built. Yeah, it was Yeah, I mean those shingles were okay. I It would be nice to have it all look the same, but I don't think I think we can as long as we get the same color scheme going on, it would be be okay. So, so question is,

um, if we did that, do you have enough in your current budget that you could, uh, do that as a maintenance to cover the gap? Uh, probably not under maintenance, but uh, but I mean, but if we don't have to keep that line as long as the whole line, the whole budget line, but would you have enough to be able to do that do the rest of it as under your budget? I could let you know at the next meeting. Um, so I did talk to the low bidder today and he's eager to go. He's got great references and um, but the other thought is or we could just say, look, why don't you do this uh, next year? It's not leaking [clears throat] and we put the put the extra money in the budget for next year to take care of it. I I don't know how long that 24,000 can kick around, but

um that that we'd have to ask cuz we're I mean I think it can we're I think we can hold on to it now, but uh the problem is we're also paying we're going to be paying interest on it and things like but I I could probably find it, but I'll give you a definite next meeting.

Did we um did we contact anybody? I know you had it in the paper, but I I don't know how some of these local guys look at, you know, bids out there. Did we contact any of the guys that you asked to come down and look at it the past?

Yeah. I called the uh guy that gave us the quote last time. Yeah. And left him a voicemail message to please I said, "It's going up to bid. I need you to call me back to submit something in writing for and he back to me." So,

reject all the reject them all and go back to that guy and well I mean I mean he was he was the only reason I was asking is I didn't see his name on there and I just I mean I I knew that he had I saw him somewhere and he had told me that he had looked at it

once we already have a formal bid out. You got to stick with that. You just can't chuck that in the garbage. Well, we can accept or reject any of all these. So it might be I I'm not I just want to make sure that the guys that had looked at it before had opportunity. That's all.

Yeah. No, I I called him up and but without I would say that we can't make a decision till we determine if there's enough money in the budget to cover the gap. And if could you find out um actually I suppose from I think it would be fair to find out from all the biders what it would be if if you didn't do what the final price would be if you didn't do that.

Okay. Right. Give them all the chance. Yeah. Yep. I mean two of them two of them are within $150 of each other. Right. I realize I'm just I just think it would be fair. I mean it's just give them all a level playing field. Yeah. just thinking thinking about

working with a company from Pennsylvania. I don't I I don't know. Well, we we can we can take that into when we when we were looking at it, we can take that into consideration, but I was surprised to see that was there. Yeah. Well, I I get them off some website that goes into some builder's journal. Once it hits MMA, it go somehow it gets I [snorts] would assume it's that or it could been through the Sun Journal actually. Somehow they're getting it. It gets into

There's no jobs down there at all. I don't know. So, uh I assume you guys have this. You guys must already have this. Yeah. Yeah, we got that. Yeah. Yeah. So, why don't I just I wouldn't put the numbers out there right now till we

Yep. Okay. I I think all the biders know the numbers. They've all called and gotten them. So, they're actually public now. Yeah. They're actually public now. They've been open. Okay. So, okay. Here's the You guys probably have this too.

the bond at this point. What we've paid out all looks good. the rest of the project. Yep. Assuming we don't have any issues that I think got about $40 or $50,000 there if something we got to to play with at this point. ditching on the rest of the rapid path that we already have.

It is. Y. Yeah, that looks great. See, how's our rubber tracks working out? Perfect. You'll see that in the report there. Number three. Three. All right. The third I was on the report still. Yeah. Ted Berry line that cover.

Yep. So, how'd it come up? Came out good. And the bill should be in your AD. So, I see. Are you you want to go go right through? Are you going to go down them or just I can Ron back from vacation today. That's uh that's that's good news. I've been carrying his load, my load. And so so it's good to have him back and uh have a full crew again. Um rabbit route, we've pulverized that since our last meeting. That was pulverized. Um added additional recycled asphalt material and um applied the 19 mm base pavement.

That's hoping everybody understands that's not the final pavement is still got more going on. That'll the final surface layer will go on the 1.5 in of 95 once we're done ditching, once we're done anything that could chew up the pavement. I just

That's why I thought it was all done. Is that planned for this year or are we going to be doing it? I think it'll be this year. Um so they [clears throat] have enough material on the sides. So are we going to go back and redo the shoulders?

We'll go back and shoulder again. again. Okay. And we'll just go up that inch and a half and we'll feather it down to the existing. Okay. [clears throat] Um so had to make a few changes. So we ran into a few u extra costs.

Uh we ran into some extra costs about $13,000 in extras by the time we got done box cutting some areas that were weak and found some springs. And by the time we got done with that and adding material, we're [clears throat] about 13,000 um and extras. So that's well within our

comfort level of what you'd expect for what we had for [clears throat] contingency fund. U finished up the plans with Krooker on Friday, so we should be ready to go. We made a few changes with a few curves and hills and going to pick up some areas to try to alleviate that hill up by um Barry Baldwin's to try to pick up to

leave it at grade on the top and then pick up in the bottoms to try to take some of that blind curve out of some of that blind hill out. And um in a few corners we've change made a few changes. [clears throat] Um so that's we're looking to grind down on Thursday. Um, and they're going to do they're coming to do the I still haven't decided. I might just gr I might just have them grind the first piece from the bridge, run around back, and then add material and pave because all stage is looking to do the injection on the other piece on the 20 something. And I don't know if you saw what happened on rabbit road, but once that's ground, it becomes a dust bowl just nightmare. So, I might have them just try to but then they're going to need some time to put the to put the reclaim in. So, uh one way or the other it'll get done. It'll either be that I try to push them off a little bit and get that done just a few days before all states

get otherwise we just got to keep watering it non-stop and or it becomes very very dusty. they I bet that they'll put up with some of the dust right now. that's that's just a that's a lot of dust right now. It's bad. Yeah.

So um Ted Berry's done that cover. Um [clears throat] [snorts] um so that's done lined. It was an interesting process to watch how they put that in there and a square box and then that light comes back through and it's got sealed gaskets and containers and smoke's coming out and look like look like some science fiction project when they put that blue light in then it expands and takes shape of the culver and once that's done it's stronger than the culp itself. It doesn't even need the cover anymore. However, it works. I don't know. It's an engineered product. So, and it has more volume capacity than it had before, which is somewhat mindboggling, but smaller, [clears throat] but yeah, more so the water goes water goes through it faster.

Yeah, it's less ribs. They are friction. Um, so we replaced all the rest of them in house. Some of them I was on the fence about, but we just went ahead and we got them done. So, [clears throat] Time Warner cable finished rewiring the street. So everything's overhead now that was on the ground except for one little piece that we dug for them to get it from the pole to the transformer about 80 ft. But all the rest of the road that was all underground. You saw them orange flags everywhere. It was just going to be a nightmare. We would have been right in the middle of our project. We wouldn't have known how to ditch or dig or grind or So we negotiated that all out of the way. It's all gone. So that all those old wires will probably rip out when we're there and people will see those wires and be horrified and [clears throat] but they're all dead. I confirmed today they're dead. So we just got to back

fill that trench and start digging. Um so the roof we went over [snorts] shouldering and stack poles since our last meeting's been completed. I think it was done the day after our last meeting. [clears throat] Um the main department of labor rewritten the lockout tagout policy and

we're just going to go over it this week once Scott's back tomorrow. Maybe tomorrow we'll go over it and do the hands-on. We did the hands-on on our old one and now that we've rewritten it, we got to do it again. So then that's all ready to go off to main department of labor. [clears throat]

2017 Freightlininer HP Fairfield should be ready in about a month. It's here. Just add HP. Trucks all built and they're just putting the stuff together. So, within a month, we'll have that new truck and they'll have our old one and that'll be that will be done. Um, except for paying them. How do we pay them? We got the money somewhere, right? All we got to do is all we got to do is give them the check. So, I'm assuming that that's that was approved. So,

yes, we had When do you start sort of tuning up and and gearing up the trucks? Is that a fall project? Yep. Yep. Well, we're working on it all summer. So, I've been staying on that more aggressively this year and [clears throat] keeping Scott in the shop more. So, we're just staying on top of that to make sure that those are done. And then with this additional new truck, that's going to help. So, um, with the flaggers, it's much easier this year. We don't have to have half of our crew out flagging when when now I I can

have three people out there and one in the shop and still function. Whereas last year, we had to have everybody just to do the flagging. I'd like to request uh that the personnel handbook state that all vacation time must be pre-approved by department head.

You mentioned that that right currently it says should. It says should right now. It says all it says uh uh uh vacation time should be pre-scheduled. It says should. If it said must then something a little more aggressive

are people that are using are calling out sick but then they're getting paid on Friday using vacation time and that's not what it's intended for. So it's it should be so there's no incentive to to it would give people more of an incentive to go to work if they knew they weren't going to get paid. [clears throat]

I have to mine I have to get mine approved. It has to be approved. Yeah, it I I think it makes sense that um and that that that it should be approved. Vacation time should be pre-approved even I mean if it's a single day even if it's a day before but it needs to be preapproved to use vacation time

must. Yeah. Well, fine with me. Well, you change one word. It is if you're out of sick time and you are out sick because you are sick. Yep. There's a provision, right? you could approve the use vacation time if well it I'm just asking that

well the way it's worded now under the sick time policy it says that the it it doesn't say I can it says the person can request to the select board that they be granted and you the board could grant it to them but it wouldn't happen it wouldn't happen in a timely fashion whereas if they want to get paid this Friday it's not going to happen so it probably wouldn't

so so there's a provision that can be used but It it it's a process. Well, it's not it can't be used for vacation time. Under sick time, a different section of the policy. It says if you're out of sick time and you need more, you could go to that and you could borrow sick time.

Okay. Borrow sick time. Okay. And then when you make it up later, you'd give it back. But Right. But that's a different whole different animal. But right now, what I don't want to see happening is vacation time being used as sick time.

They're two separate things and they should be utilized separately. [clears throat] Not me. I'm not sure if I'm self-employed. I [laughter] I'm not sure if that was if that if we I'm not sure I understood what you just said or if you wanted what I was asking. So I I understand that if vacation time needs to be approved, whether it's the day before or whatever, I get that. But I guess what I asked

if if someone's out of sick time, they kind of they're out of sick time and they truly are out cuz they are sick and whether it's a doctor's own, you can verify it. M you can't okay as the base case time as sick time would come to the board that's what I'm asking

the board would have to approve something like that I mean it would be borrowing of sick time basically well no use the vacation time that's what I'm saying you could actually use the vacation time if you have 20 at that point it's pretty much preapproved because if you're out for a longterm illness

right and you know you're going to run out of sick time then That's what I'm asking. The polic at at this point from what you said, the policy states that they can come to the board and request to borrow sick time, right? But I'm not talking about borrowed sick time. I'm talking

using the vacation, right? If you've got zero sick time left and you've got 20 hours vacation time and you are out sick, you're saying that you can't use that vacation time for that particular sick day. That's what I'm getting.

Right. Vacation time is vacation time. The intent of vacation time is to be pre-approved. I understand that. But what I'm saying is if you truly are out sick, you've got the 3-day doctor's note that says so. What I just I just want to make sure that we're clear.

So the board can always u make adjustments as they see fit. But um as of the as right now, the way the the policy is written, that's not an allowable use of vaca. that wouldn't be if if we make this change especially um it would not be an allowable use of vacation time but they can always request that the board wave that

right one of those six that's what I was trying to and the way that a lot of employers get around it is that they just have a bank of time and it whether you use it as vacation time or sick time or personal time or right well I'm not suggesting that if you're on a s you call out sick and you get to use that automatically I just want to be clear that

if is you know if it's I mean I don't want people just calling out sick and using time and his his request is basically I think trying to make the policy say what we wanted it to say anyway um you should not use the you should not use the word should in a policy

it's that's a nail and jello wall is like what does that mean um when you're when you're doing a when you're doing policies and things like that, you should use definitive statements. I agree. Now, is it do we have I because I don't remember what we read in that policy. Do is there a one day notification on vacation day or two days?

I don't think it doesn't it doesn't really say. It just says pre should be preapproved. So, or or in this case, it's going to be changed to must be pre-approved. If they call if they ask you the day before, that's up to you. Yeah. I just want to be a little more because if it's the day before, at least I can either cancel the flagos or I can right

I can take some. That's what I'm ask. Yeah. So, no. I know. I think I think ours is 48. Yeah. Mine's 3 days. But they, you know, they work around that. Unless it's a Well, maybe I should put Maybe I should put an hour in there. So, it's not an hour.

Right now, I I'm fine with making this change. Um, and you I mean, at this it says preapproved. They can ask for the vacation. You don't have to approve the vacation. There's nothing that we say that you have to approve a vacation day,

right? If there's two other people out that day, just no, it's not a good day. I mean, and ours is 48, but they have done it the day before occasions and you can tell if it's if it's something that's uh continuing. It's it's a pattern that's kind of a being abused and then you can

deal with that. Well, I am seeing a pattern and that's why I'm talking to you. [laughter] I'll I'll make the motion that we uh change the personnel handbook to uh change the word should uh to must in the statement that says all vacation time must uh should be approved by the department head that we change it from should to must. Second.

Any discussion? All in favor? Motion carries. from you guys? Anything? Um, do you have anything from Ruth that you need to bring forward? Okay, good. Um, there'll be upcoming selectman's meetings held here. uh Tuesday, August 23rd at 6:30 p.m. and

Tuesday, September 26th at 6:30 p.m. There will also be a special selectman's meeting Monday, um August 15th at 6:00 p.m. Um historic district commission uh meeting will be held Thursday, August 11th at 6:30 p.m. here at the town office. Are

there any other comments that we need? 6 PM Monday, you said. Yes. Uh yes, 6 pm Monday. Okay. Move that we go into executive session pursuant to 1 MRSA 4056A personnel public works.