TranscriptSelect Board Meeting ~ March 24, 2015

need a few things there. Thank you. [laughter] How are you? [cough] [clears throat] We're here. Good. Is he okay? Yes. stomach or something. I don't know what's happened. Having sat in the ER with small children several times, I totally feel for your wife.

order. We do have all five selectmen here. 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.

Thank you. Do we have any amendments to the agenda tonight? Just what's in the yellow, you should have. So, okay. Well, for me, actually. All right. Public comment. Is there anybody here for public comment? if you could move up to the table there. Thank you.

the Durham Athletic Boosters. Um, I know you guys talked about it. I Well, I found out today you guys talked about this the last meeting. I didn't know that. Um, and I understand the idea of going to the town for some of this stuff, but I brought some pictures of what is these safety hazards on this field right now. And I don't think we can afford to wait to get this thing fixed before kids are playing softball on this field. This happened last year. We had two injuries caused from this from playing on this field after this because we tried to doctor it enough to get it fixed to a certain point where we could still play.

around. All right. Thank you. There's about a 40ft line and then two circles on that field that are completely you'd have to be a landscaper to fix these. discuss that portion of this. Yeah. How we're going to rectify that when the season starts.

We're looking as soon as it stops melts, we're looking probably we're indoors right now. We're looking to try and get out second week of April. So I guess uh the reason for uh what we when we we got your letter like the day that we were finalizing everything and we'd already taken it to the budget committee. So um we weren't really able to put anything more in and that's why the suggestion to come to the town meeting which was April 4th.

Mhm. And uh present when we do the parks and recreation uh department get up and present uh bring this bring these slides. Um what we should be able to have a computer there. if you can get the get a file for her, we can put them up on a screen or something and you can present on the floor to ask them to increase the budget. And um unfortunately that's the the warrants already already printed now and we can't expend money that's not voted on floor. It's that's what I I I realize that there's I can see there are definitely issues there, but um we need We have to do it through the appropriations from the town town's four and um I I think that's about the only way that we can go about getting the funds right now. As soon as it as soon as it's voted the funds are will be available. So you if

this is a town field, right, that we've played on it is I would think it'd be in our best interest to look at fixing this out of a general fund. We don't disagree. We just have to come up with the money. Every all the the money that the town spends

gets voted on at town meeting, every department, every everything. And so we had already met with the budget committee and they had done their line by line analysis. And so funds to do anything with the fields aren't included in the proposed budget. It doesn't mean that they can't be added, but the next available mechanism for adding them is at town meeting.

I guess there there's no general fund then that we would have to fix anything like this during the course of the year. No, every everything we everything we spend has to be voted at the town meeting. Um, right. We get proposals from departments. We review them all. We put the budget together. We put it in front of the town. We don't have any kind of just contingency fund for for lack of a better term.

I guess my concern would be then we go into the town meeting, they say no, we're in a different spot then at the very least you I think if you know if even if it got voted down, you're going to you're going to bend some ears and I think that you at least get some volunteers stepping up. You know,

that's what we did last year and it we're not professional landscapers. Well, I mean, but there are people in town who are that maybe your cause and regardless, it's going to take weeks to grow grass in that. I mean, if you even if you skimmed it loom and and try to put it's gonna you're talking you ain't going to get grass grown in April, second week of April. You go into June till you get grass in that for to be able to play ball on. So, you're not talking till fixed till end of June.

Right. And yeah, that's the other piece of it is that once it is repaired, it's going to have to be fenced off and and not played on. That is not true. If you saw that If we put a saw in it. Yep. That's the other thing we can do. And cut it out.

Do you do you have a Do you have a cost about $1500 to saw that and get that all put in? Right. That's from two different landscaping companies. Gave me a general one because they can't get on the field right now. said, we're saying just bring all that information with you and we'll see what they say. That's I'm I'm likely to I'm likely to support um what you're saying because this is a is it is a hazard. I'm not sure exactly what our agreement is with the with uh I believe there's is there a lease agreement for that field?

I have no idea. Um the boosters took over softball last year because the people who were running it just had let it almost die and they basically handed me all the equipment and said, "Here you go. if you guys want to keep it going. So, I have no idea going back on any of this.

Okay. I just know that that's always been the town softball field, right? And where that is essentially vandalism that somebody went is there any chance that our insurance would cover it which would eliminate [clears throat] the entire need to

we well at least some because we've got a th00and deductible 500 deductible. Uh depends on what it is. Okay. So, we'd still have to cover the deductible, but that's a that's a good I I'm not sure if they've got a time frame when we have to report it by either. But,

um when that occurred, that occurred last May. Um we have a good idea who the individual was. Um Adam Gormley, who was a game warden in town, um did a little investigation for us and chased down a few people and then it turned out later it's the same young gentleman who did the baseball field at the school.

uh angle and would you be able to maybe look through what we have and see if there's a lease agreement cuz absolutely where there's a change in uh in from the boosters we're running it as a separate entity okay as Durham softball.

Okay. So but if it was leased to the boosters we may have to relook at a lease or I'm not sure if it was leased or not. So I don't I don't know what the agreement was. I have no idea. I can ask Janet too. She might have an idea about how that works.

So, this wasn't resolded last year after the No, what we did is we um put some dirt underneath and then took the grass pieces that have been ripped up and pieced it all back together as good as we could so we could finish the year.

so can we check into the insurance piece? Yeah, she's going to look at that. Would you be willing to show up on meeting? I've got to ask a few people to come with me. I'm going to need both. Oh, yeah. Do you want these back?

Nope. Those are for you guys. Thank you. But if you do, I anticipate that we will probably have a computer at town meeting. And so if you've got pictures and you want to be able to to put them up on the screen so that people can really see what you're talking about.

Yes. If you could maybe send an email to to Ruth. Ruth. So I can do that. Thank you. Thanks. evening? the umenda. You're on the agenda. So yeah. All right. Uh consent agenda. I move we accept the consent agenda as presented.

Second. Okay. Okay. And I will make note of a couple things in there. One is the uh scholarship committee uh put in their letter for uh for the award for the scholarship and we're hoping to present that at town meeting. And the second is uh there is a rather wordy um opinion on

the county charter budget committee authority question that's been going around and would be uh might be an interesting read or might be a good read before you go to bed. But it's it's it's rather wordy, but it gets into a lot of the history of of the uh charter and the

different meetings that happened uh before the charter was approved. agenda. Motion carries. Um action and discussion items. Update of warrant for signature. And what what was it? There was a change, right? Well, it wasn't really a change. I just forgotten to take out the double planning board. So, there's there's one less

we just decided that we wanted to have it signed again. That's all. I move we accept the annual town meeting warrant as presented. Discussion. All in favor? Motion carries. Second, please. Josh. Uh, bulky waist day. um put in here May

16th that I believe we typically do it on the 3rd Saturday of May. And so that would be uh we this is basically a vote to set that date and also typically one of the uh board members uh oversees it or it could be the Well, last year instead of having the board members and then volunteers, we did have the public works department,

right? But did the board members still oversee it or did [clears throat] did Sean oversee it that time? Was Barry on the board then? That's that's what I thought over there. Yeah. So um but that is a possibility to have the uh road commissioner oversee it as in instead of a board member, but that's up to the board.

Fine with the road commissioner. Should find out if he's available. Yes, we should. Yeah, I got my own stuff to haul. So, as far as appointing who uh who kind of goes lift ahead with it, we can do that next meeting. We can get it closer.

What's What's the time frame of that? Typically 9 to three or 9 to 1. 9 to 9 to 3. Three. Y. Anyway, I move that we set the date for bulky waste cleanup on May 16th from 93. I'll second it. All in favor? Motion [clears throat] carries. Can we also make sure pine tree waste is available that day because it won't work without them.

Yeah. [laughter] Bible. It's not going to help our field. Animal control update. for the Friday deadline. We got another one on Monday. Since we didn't actually put the deadline in the newspaper, I'm not sure whether you guys want to necessarily stick directly to the newspaper. I mean directly to the deadline. Um so there are three applications. Um none of the people who applied have uh the training necessary for the animal control, which is why in your packets there's a a description of how much the animal control training would cost. And then we'd need probably a couple of pieces of equipment. Um probably a have a heart trap. Um, you may or may not have a set of gloves. Um, and then there's also uh a sheet that is the budget for Lisbon's animal control which is actually going down this year.

Did you figure what how much it would lower our cost? How much? Cuz this is this is their full budget and we No, no, no. Um, we pay I had figured it would be8,600. We pay 8,300 right now. So, it would probably be about the same the 8,300. It It's not going to be as significant,

right? Especially it's only for one half the year that it would drop anyway because Yeah. Right. It would be end of December. Okay. So, we can but when we put together the budget, we were budgeting for 7%. A 5.2% increase, I believe. Yeah. So we had a wave of it.

Yeah. Okay. So what's Well, if we didn't have a deadline for applications, we probably would have set set the deadline. So that Well, we did set a deadline, but it wasn't put into paper. Ah, so it wasn't publicized. So, um, so as far as the three, I think the three that came in there, I believe it was on, was it on the Durham channel and

it was on the Durham channel with with the date? Um, yeah. Yes, I think so. MMA had the date. MMA had the date. Um, it was just the tri town that didn't have the date. And the only place they do the training is up in Oro.

Yes. It's because they have a farm up there and they introduce the animal control officers to big animals and stuff like that. They find it easier that way. Okay. Um, we don't really have the numbers between having to supply some of this and some of these other numbers. We don't really have total figure right now, do we? [clears throat]

Well, it depends on what you want to um put as a stipen. You're talking probably about $6 to $800 for the training. Um then you're talking another $35 to belong to the animal control um organization. Another little less than 100 for have a heart trap. Uh if we buy gloves, it's another hundred bucks. Um,

we we need to look around for that because I'm pretty sure the last uh the last one we did, we bought gloves and I don't know what happened. And I think Jeff Cooper has them, but I haven't asked for them. Okay. So, we're looking at it. It looks like roughly $1,000 in in sort of startup,

right, capital costs and then figuring out what what our stipend would be. Um, but most of those most of that $1,000 would be a one time, right? and we pay if the person stays in the position. If the person stays, right?

Do do we want to have a brief meeting sometime in in the next week or so to review the applications that came in? Absolutely. Review them and and make sure that we're on board with all this down here. Yeah. Because right now we don't have some of that

when Well, this is if we go on our own. Correct. This note is that about for if we go it's for us. Um I talked to MMA today. Um MMA won't insure personal vehicles. So whoever were to take this position would have to understand that there would be no insurance on their vehicle. Um there also is where if you you would

have to decide whether or not the animal control officer was going to carry a firearm. If he does carry a firearm, there's additional insurance that you need through MMA because then it's considered a law officer position. Okay. Um, but if he if we decide not to, then he just he you write that out and he signs it that he's he's not authorized to carry a gun for that reason.

About bear spray is the [laughter] bear. Is the current animal control officer for whom we contract with Lisbon, Jeff Cooper, right? Does he carry a firearm? Yeah, he's a full officer. Assume a full officer. He works for the Lisbon Police Department.

Yeah. I mean, I don't know whether or not really for the the types of calls that we have here whether or not that's even an issue, but the biggest issue I see if you have defer to an expert, if you have to dispatch an animal,

right, and I'll have them in the comment, right? A rabbit animal or what have you. Yeah. So that it just looks like there's some other numbers and a couple other things we ought to decipher before we decide if we're going to change or not cuz once we look at that price and we look at all this other stuff, we may not be far off and maybe we'll want to stay where we are. I don't know.

I'm just throwing that out there. As I was thinking, we'd be quite a bit lower on the pay. So I mean in a one time deal there, we're going to be quite a bit under it still at least 2,000. We will still have to pay the contract with the coastal

that's there. That's that's that. So we might want to put all the numbers together. So we're looking at all the same thing before we when do when do we want to meet to look to Well, we could do it do it our next election speaking if we have all the information together.

We have to we have to make a decision by April 15th. Well, that would be April 7th. So I guess if if we got everything together and Well, then we'd have to get We still have to interview. Yeah. So next Tuesday. Yep. No. No.

Next Tuesday. I got a prior engagement that I can't pass up this time. Okay. Wednesday or Thursday would work for me. Wednesday's fine. Could be. Uh the office ain't open, but I mean Yeah, Wednesday is not good for me, but um

I can't do [snorts] Monday or Thursday. So, well, if we could do it early enough, can we open them tonight? If we could do it, if we could do it so that do it tonight. I could be out of here by quart 7. Next Tuesday. I would I would hope so. If we met at 6, I would hope we could review three applications in 45 minutes.

Next Tuesday would work though. Okay. Next Tuesday 6:00. Yeah. Okay. Okay. All right. Mowing contract. so I included uh I updated the date for the if we were to go out to bid um and included public works in it. Um and then I updated the ad too for certain deadlines. And then um also Yankee

Yard Works. I have not opened it and we obviously won't open it if you want to go out for bid, but this is our our person who does it now. And this is with basically a change order for public works because public works is an additional.

Okay. So depending on what you guys decide. Now the cemetery contract mowing of the cemeteries is a separate contract. Correct. Yes. So that would need is that also up this year? I don't know. But um we need to find out from the cemetery committee because they're the ones that usually do the leg work on that.

Okay. so do we have a motion to put this out or um I know in the past when we haven't put things out to bid we've uh had a lot of questions about why we didn't put it out to bid. So my understanding is that that we really do have to put it out to public bid.

This is what you've used before right here. Yeah. It's Yeah, it's basically carbon copy except that we added public works garage and changed the dates. It's exactly what we have. I uh move that we put our mowings and ground maintenance contract out to bid with the modified specific uh specifications for 2015

and to be back by April 17th. To be back by April 17th. I'll second that. Any discussion? All in favor? Motion carries. Uh congregational church requests for permission to have table at town meeting and um they are requesting a table outside town meeting to or for orders for pies and cheese. Um

I believe that we told the group that wanted to sell quilt raffle tickets that they well we had no objection to it. They needed to check with the school to confirm that. Correct. And I would move that we we take the same position here is that it is okay with us as long as it is okay with the school.

Second discussion. All in favor? Motion carries. All right. Departments and committees, town administrator. Well, I I I did an updated budget sheet. Um the numbers in purple are what's on the warrant. So, that's an assumption that the numbers will stay the same. for which warrant for which year it says

2015 15. Okay. Yes. I forgot to change. So that's that's just for you guys to look at and see where we are financially. And the one number that in here that's moved around because we're being charged more in Yes. Yes. And but it got separated out to different departments. So it right. So it's going to be probably a different line item by that point.

Yeah. Thank you. Code enforcement. of the paperwork that the codes office has been generating that it's just sort of in general for you guys to review when you get a chance so you get an idea about what I'm doing in my time trying to um fill in the holes that

are missing far as the first sheet of course is inspections, the basic inspections that are necessary on a project. And then um this is mainly just for when you get a chance if you want to kind of go through it just to see what's up, get an idea where the office is headed as far as stuff is concerned. Um, uh, an update on a Sand Hill project where we had a little problem with, uh, some concrete that I couldn't inspect, but CW Cole was supposed to be coming by tomorrow, I believe, did the core sample. Uh, the contractor had contacted uh, Eric Ty, which I guess he's uh, friends with, who's a engineer um, at Casco Bay Engineering. And after

my conversation with Eric, he agreed with me that CW Cole should c it and break test it and see if it meets the requirement. So, um I hadn't I hoped it wasn't going to be tomorrow because that's the day I homework, but evidently I'll try to make it over for [clears throat] the Stevenson um where where um David Stevenson was having problems getting a CO for his house because there were no inspections that recorded in that. Uh I got both documents from the engineer and the architect that he had hired to do a review of the structure um with recommending certain amount of changes that needed to be done and if he makes those changes it'll comply. So it looks like we've got that nicely and well resolved. Um

what else have I got here? Uh there's some issues coming up. I'm going to discuss this with the planning board next week when we meet uh in regards to the growth ordinance. Uh there's state requirements in the growth ordinance that require that the ordinance has to be revised and revisited every three years in order to stay active. Um and to to uh document that it's in compliance with the um

with the with comprehensive plan, thank you. [laughter] Um it doesn't appear since it's been written that it's ever been revised. Um, so there's some concerns in regards to that. There's also some newer requirements within the state as to uh affordable housing and the allowances for affordable housing within the growth ordinance. So, we'll have a discussion with the planning board on that next on Wednesday and next week when we meet to see what they think about how they want to approach Cohen about that and they'll probably have some recommendations to send to the board and that met today with a bunch of folks. There's some um

some run some timber harvesting that was going on out on Runaround Pond. Um there was a citizen complaint that went to the D. It didn't come through this office. It went directly to the D. I've been dealing with this a little bit this week. I went out on Friday, Thursday, probably Thursday last week and did a review of what the harvesters were doing. They were doing a good job. It had been marked well. I talked to the forester that marked it um so they weren't in the shoreline zone area uh doing more than 40%. There's some uh some confusion with the IFNW rules around um endangered habitat and there is endangered habitat around pond waiting bird habitat some various other stuff. Um, but if you look a little closer at the state regulations in NRPA, um, timber harvesting is exempted from the restrictions around endangered habitat, but they still are required to stay within the 40% rule uh, or the

6,500 canopy open spot uh, circumstance. So, we met with the DP was a whole gang of us out there today. Um the state forester was there, the state forest r or the state ranger was there. Um who else did we have there? The harvester was there. There was six or eight of us anyway just to kind of get a view about what was going on out there. [clears throat] Um and I had assured them that the project was being done well and it was. So there was no concerns. A little bit of clarification. The woman that's working for the D now is new to the district. There's some rule changes going on with forestry in regards to the state forestry is taking care of NERPA and shoreline zone permits and doing oversight on that. Uh so a little bit of internal kind of softball going on up at the state and I'm sure they'll sort that out in the next couple of months. So we won't have any other issues to go there. Um I did get uh my application to the

main building officials and inspectors association um was approved at the last meeting. Uh which is nice. So we'll be going. Um the last issue I have is a I forwarded to everybody on the board an email from Mr. um in regards to

um what he has has stated is my behavior in regards to his past uh professional uh position here in the way that he managed my office. Um there is a he did in quotes say that I had made a derogatory comment about him publicly to someone. I don't know who. Um and use some profanity. Um I don't recall ever making that comment. Uh if I did make that comment, I would say without a doubt Mr. Fen is correct. I would owe him a public apology. No bones about it. Um but he didn't provide any proof that the comment had been you know there's no proof. So I don't know what I didn't respond to that part of it. Um it does appear that he has made some inroads to sort of further a complaint against me for this particular issue. So it may go on a little bit. Um

in here at this point it appears to be a hearsay. um accusation on his part towards me. If it becomes more than that, I'm sure we'll all know. What more do we know about him further further than the complaint? That's it. That's the only all we've seen.

All I've seen is the email. Yep. Yeah. I I I know I I don't have any idea where he's going with it, you know, but if if he's got proof and he pursues it, then that's that's where we'll go with it. You know, nip that in the butt pretty quick.

I can't speak for the board, but I would say, you know, just watch it when you're out there. try not to try to keep him out of the conversation as much as you can. Yeah, it's it's it's inappropriate to speak to anybody in terms like that no matter [clears throat] what. Whether it's true or not, it's irrelevant. It's just not professionally approved. And I would agree with that and I will try harder to to be a little more. I have not um I have been fairly vocal in in my

assessment as the way that the office and of codes was left here. Uh, and I have a tendency to um I I disdain incompetence just plain out there's no excuse in my mind. Um so I will try to uh tone it down but I also feel in some measure and I had said this a little earlier that um it's not necessarily in my mind inappropriate for a codes enforcement officer to call another codes enforcement officer for the way that they're handling their their position. We're we're both professionals in the same thing. It's some It may be different for someone who doesn't necessarily know the office, the state requirements, and the work that's necessary to do the job well. I don't mind peer disdain. It seems like everyone likes to have uh peer accolades, but nobody wants to have peer disdain, and I think we need it more. I wish at this point that the state would audit my office and the other codes enforcement officers around the state

the way they do most every other public employee to see that requirements that they ask of us are being met at least to some standard and it doesn't exist. Um if it did I would encourage them to look at my records as well in case there's ways that I could improve my performance on the job. So I think that's all I have

and I guess perhaps I just state that that we think about focusing on how the office is running now and from this point forward and rather than how it has been run in the past potential additional conflict. I'm sure you run into a lot of that ain't the way it used to be done. I'm sure you run into a lot of that.

I do. It's hard to not say why you're doing it differently, but we understand. Thank you. Anything else? All right. Thank you. I don't have a I do have a big report but it's not focused on activities in the department. It uh and I asked to do it in this format because it's a lot of times it's done in executive session but uh it [clears throat] uh I've heard a million different things, a million different rumors out there and stuff and I I want to set the record straight. I prefer the town's people to

have an opportunity to hear it firsthand instead of hearing what the ruling has to say about everything. Um, so hopefully hopefully I'll do better than I did when I presented it to these guys. Um, but it uh starting March 2nd, it uh I took sick leave to help my father and stepmother get their affairs in order. their short-term and long-term medical housing house and housing situation addressed as well as spend time with them. Their health had been slipping for several years. Things really went downhill about 6 weeks ago. My stepmother had been fighting cancer for several years. When I went out, my stepmother had been in Central Main Medical Center for about a week and a half. One of my sisters had been staying with my father as he needs somebody with him pretty much 24/7. My responsibility at that time was to make sure that his household was running. When the department transported my father, the hospital admitted him for

infections and general health. Now, both of them were in Central Main Medical Center. My stepmother's doctor was coordinating rehab and then recommending assisted living. My father was struggling with his environment. He sees very little and hears almost nothing and becomes confused with strange environments. It uh because of that he was combative and his health was declining. My stepmother was sent to a nursing home for rehab. Once there, she appeared to give up hope and stopped eating. The doctor returned to the Central Main Medical Center for chemo.

[clears throat] Once again, she appeared to be improving. At the same time, we got my father moved to a room where there was less commotion around him. He became comfortable and he started to improve. Eventually, he was moved to Augusta VA for rehab and a company. Between one of my sisters and I, we would make sure they had daily visits. In the meantime, we prepared their long-term care application and were trying to get their affairs in order. There was no life insurance, no longterm care insurance, no financial power of attorney, no medical power of attorney, and no will. About two weeks ago, I got a call from my sister on the way back from Augusta saying that they were taking my stepmother off everything but oxygen and pain medications. The hospice worker had been in. They had filled out the medical and burial wishes. Now they would try to place her in hospice. [clears throat] Finding housing was unsuccessful. She

would stay in the hospital on hospice. The family from out of state made arrangements to return to say goodbye. My father was adapting and was moved to C company, a full rehab unit. It was tough that day when I had to tell him his wife was in hospice. I arranged to have an emergency release and bring him down the next Saturday to see her. [clears throat] A few days before that, a Thursday, my sister called to say my stepmother was transitioning and [clears throat] it would not be long.

from out of town were still there visiting. could spring him. goodbye, telling him about hospice. was a cakewalk compared to that. She died early that Friday morning. be with him. [clears throat] Now, everyone has returned home. Last Thursday, we had his meeting with the VA to discuss his progress in his placement. He is on a waiting list for long-term residential care, but there is no room

and no money as of yet. [snorts] [clears throat] One of the out ofstate sisters may return to care for him at home, but we will not know that answer for a week or two. His placement at the VA is medical. The [clears throat] insurance has to give us 48 hours notice if they feel it is no longer beneficial and are pulling the financial support. Today I did get power of attorney taken care of. Now we can at least pay the bills. [snorts] These three last days these last three weeks have been an emotional and mental roller coaster and I never liked roller coasters. I went out because of their condition. Obviously, one is gone, but there's still personal and financial affairs to be addressed by my stepmother. I need to get my father situated and his affairs still have a long way to go. I need to keep my request for sick leave active for a few more weeks, but do intend to come around when I can. However, it will

be for administrative activities until I can return completely. change in the department over six months ago. I told you I was not certain I would stay. I formed a committee. We looked at direction, needs, fixes, and the safety of the community. What was in their best interest and how to affordably provide it. In October, I gave you a brief overview of recommendations. I also informed you that I wanted to do this. I would not be pursuing chief's positions elsewhere. The path was to print and distribute SOGS to create a clear vision of expectations. Stop providing dress uniforms to help instill pride and demonstrate gratitude. Increase part-time hours and step to address gaps and coverage and to increase the chief's pay to close a gap on industry standards and improve the prospect of finding someone to mentor or for a replacement upon retirement. The budget was submitted addressing all the items and it was done in a

methodical manner to lessen the blow. The big budget increases actually came from putting load costs back where they should have been before they were cut last year and sliding workers comp over from the administration budget. The only item that was cut was a requested pay increase for the chief. I requested 5% a $2,750 increase roughly. Yet you chose to place the position in a pay pool of one at 2% for roughly $1,100. I still love the fire service, Durham Fire Rescue, and the town of Durham, but I needed this time for me as well. I don't like the reasons, but it has given me a chance to examine a lot of things in my life. I have realized again that real love sometimes meaning means let go letting go for the best interest of what you love or yourself. I have also realized to the management of the community. I am a commodity. I am tired of being told every year that the town has one expense or another. The economy

is tough tough. So we unable to give out increases yet we add material items, expand or add departments. The mindset appears to be we know you care so take it for the team. So here's where I am at. different styles, quality, and size. The price is set accordingly. I offered my services for 5% increase, which I had already mellowed to soften the blow. You feel I should be in the 2% pay pool of one. I am not happy with the lack of communication and the lack of support. So after town meeting, if that is what is on the table, once affairs are in order, then I am leaving.

it would end this way. I always thought I would make it to 25 years as the chief. The department was started over 65 years ago. I've been chief for 22 of them. an accomplishment I'm extremely proud of. However, it is time for me to stop making concessions and secure my family's future in these final employment years. My retirement will depreciate rapidly once an amount is determined there is no cola with it. I have always had the capability of making more as a plumber, but I have always loved the fire service. In a nutshell, I have made my choice. Now it's up to you guys, the department and the community to decide what you want. Perhaps in the end, cheaper really is better.

know where I stand and I have been. It's been the primary reason despite what all the rumors are saying was because of my family's affair and because of their medical conditions. anything, but once they're done, I do have a a moral question I need to put on

the table and ask you about. talked to you the other day. I haven't caught up with you again since, but I intend to get on town floor and ask for your 5%. Well, thank you. I appreciate that. that uh um you Friday and you basically said [clears throat] the same thing and as I told you then um this is not the way I would like to see this end. Um I I've been wrestling and I um and as I said then I'm I'm

wrestling com uh balancing al you know all the different responsibilities of this and um I I feel the same way as Josh that I I would definitely support that that's as that's me as as me personally. um when I present and when I initially present at town meeting I am going to have to uh I'll have to present the budget that we put together because that's that is my that that is my job as as chairman

at after that I can make any I can go ahead and make any comments that I want and makes and I can say suggestions and so on but initially I'm going to have to present because that's what the board my wife to come and give me a second

that's that's what the more decided. Um, and but I from from many standpoints, but um that's that's where I that's where I'm at right now. And you should be the members that department over there. Talk about wrestling. You know, this is you know, we all had to pull together. Not that we have it. You know, it's like the chief said at his meeting, we're all one family. We're sisters and brothers over there and we'll stand behind him tonight and that town meeting. It's not easy to say, but we'll be there. I mean, I look at the different I [clears throat] was in the budget committee for many years. I look at all the things that different departments in this town make and do. One of the big problems we got right now as I watched through budget committee meeting not only this year but last year is we need to cut something in each department no matter what it is or how we need to cut God the school's going up

12% last year it's going up 10% this year I'm tired of cutting town government to subsidize the RSU over there and that's what we've been doing we have pretty much since it was organized there's nothing we can do about it we have no You know, we're against the boards there anyways.

We need Durham as a town needs to show up at the school board budget meetings. We very few people turn out. We had people that that lined up a bus because people said they couldn't get to Freeport to attend the vote. A bus sat empty in front of the Eureka Center. We do have an opportunity to take the school budget and participate in I understand what you're saying. You know, it it's hard to get people to go from here to there just like it is talked with a few of the the higherups in Palmo. They have the same problem getting there residents to go to, you know, but you know, get off that part of it. I look at other things like in the last 10 years, how many grants has he he written has got equipment, whatnot for this town? I tried to figure it out the other night going on back. I went back 10 years and I stopped at a little over $400,000 in grants and whatnot in equipment that this person has provided not only to the

department but this town and it saved them tax dollars. I guess I've said enough so you know where I'm coming from. I've been a life resident in this town. I've seen a lot and I hope to see a lot more. But the guy does a lot for the department and the town.

I think there's gonna be a lot of opinions going on that on the town floor. So, everybody have a chance to say what they want to say? I I do say that you're right, Bill. You did you did bring it clearer than probably you did the first time you came to us. And I don't know if it was because you had it written down or whatever, but that was clearer to me than it was the first time when you sat down and and you was explaining it to us there one night when I said, "Well, geez, it seems like we're not really getting much." And that was that [clears throat] did make a difference. So, and I know it's hard to I mean I'm not one for writing all that stuff down either sometimes, but you know,

and I think the personal part of it wasn't something necessarily I'm I'm glad you did for for your reasons and for like said the rule mill, but those are your personal issues and you know, you could do however you want with them. I mean, that's your business and that really isn't anybody else's. But, but you're right, there is a lot of there was a lot of rumor bill running around. I didn't hear too many of them because I don't think they come up on the stack road very often. But

snow [laughter] they don't stop at the house. I did it. Well, I'm going to campaign, but I uh maybe I didn't explain it as clearly, but I do think I did say throughout the course what I thought we needed to do, what the committee when we reviewed it thought we needed to do. Now, I guess I'm gonna speak for every employee because no matter what the outcome of this is, if I end up leaving, then I end up leaving. Trust me, you I would hope you guys by now realize that I usually think things out fairly thoroughly before I actually act on them, providing I have time and I I know the outcome could end up that I am done. And I'm ready to accept that it uh it's time to focus on like I my paper said on

my family's financial security and I've always been able to make more as a plumber. Any of you that have hired a plumber know that and I've always had my plumbing licenses ever since I came here. But this is what I've always loved doing. So um but I guess I'll I'll speak for everybody. it. Uh, one of the things, you know, it listening to some of the budget committee kind of crushed me because we just brought five new employees on. We impacted their lives. We made changes in their lives and ask them to come work for us. It uh and I that's just in the public works and then we're talking about cutting this and cutting that. It uh we focus on it's

almost like and I'm not trying to trash anybody. It's overall how it's been on town floor. We focus on the employees and it seems to be an easy place to make cuts, but it's the last place and this is whether I survive or not. It's it's the last place we should make cuts, we should make happy, productive employees and they're going to more than pay us 10 times over that uh instead of constantly replacing employees. And the other side of it is is when we being bring people in and we whether we have contracts or not, we we set the stage. They make changes in their personal life based on the offers we put on the table to pull the rug out from under their feet.

I don't think we can get any lower than that than pulling the rug out under some from somebody's feet less than a year after we gave them. We fought to keep the benefits. We fought to keep the benefits. you know, there was some miscommunication on on the salary line. All right.

But, uh, we're [clears throat] but it's something we always every year and I hope everybody has that has recently become employed has a thick skin because every year it's up for grabs and every year is a battle [clears throat] on the town floor

and we're going to have that battle and I then we step back and wonder why employees aren't always happier and aren't always productive. It uh, you know, I guess I love this community, so the fact that that happens isn't going to change. And I'm a resident in this community, but for the people coming in from the outside, it uh they're missing a few of those pieces. And I I really I think it's something no matter what happens with me, we need to change if we want want the town to flourish because I think that's what employees can do for us. It's okay that you shine, but you're still part of the team.

I'm team player. I'm saying I'm probably the biggest team player you will ever know. But I do want the ball out in front and I would prefer to be in the limelight and I want the buck to stop here. That's okay. But as long as it's as long as it's a team. That was my [clears throat] point before.

No, it's okay. I I guess I I'm a little bit the suggestion that we're pulling the rug out from under employees. In many many industries, maybe not sitting right here in the town and what you were looking for, but lots of in many industries a 2% raise

is is pretty normal or some people aren't getting raises at all. So I I don't really think it's fair to to look at the election and say that we're pulling the rug out from under employees by giving them a 2% raise. It's not I wish we could give everybody huge raises. I think they'd do a great job, but I don't think that we're being I don't think we're yanking the rug out from anybody. Yep. It [clears throat] and don't get me wrong, I was not trying to I put in for five because if you guys checked, no matter what you looking for, businesses or industry standards, if if I shouldn't say industry standards because if you check industry standards and you check surrounding communities, you will find that the town of Gurham, at least in the fire chief's position, has been gradually falling behind. Um,

and I was looking at the kind of the town as a whole, not your position. Yeah. [clears throat] in the 2% thing in some cases. I guess to me it's more a case of yes 2% may be satisfactory. Actually there's been years my raise has been 0% because of the economy and stuff like that. 2% may be satisfactory. But I guess to me the bottom line is is I I guess what I was really trying to say is we should try to be make be trying to make and I'm saying this as a taxpayer not as cheap. And uh um we should be trying to make employees happy because if an employee is happy, they are productive.

Absolutely. It's by far cheaper to keep that institutional knowledge and that productive employee than it is to start over again. You got you got to bring that to the top floor. It won't be a town meeting. Oh, that was the next part.

Okay. [laughter] Well, you know, those are those are things I said it I said it at the budget meeting, you know, when they was trying to cut stuff. If you guys think you're going to cut enough out of this budget to make up for what the RSU is doing, we're all done because there's no money there, you know, and that's that's the bottom line. So, you know, it isn't just us trying to tow some kind of a line to make everybody happy. It's all those people on the town floor, all those 3,000 voters that we have that only 100 show up.

You are the leader. I understand that. But you know, you can't ultimately pick them all and bring them in. You know, they said I said about the buck stopping here, but all those sleeping sleepless nights I occasionally have, you should be sharing them as well because ultimately you guys are my bosses. You are responsible to make sure that I am doing my job in providing for the safety of the community. So, I hope you're having the sleepless nights occasionally as well.

I have a lot of them. Good. But uh [laughter] but I guess the next piece is is the town meeting. It uh listening to what I presented to you two to three weeks out it these guys have been managing the show. I I will be honest with you. I have no idea what the final decision was on the budget. I have no idea what was in the town report

have a family event where that's Easter weekend. I have a family event on that Saturday and I struggled with this constantly in regard to whether I should be there and I shouldn't be there. And as my report said, it's up to the department, the selectmen, and the town people to decide what you want to do. I don't want to be there. I know it's recorded. It's on camera, but I don't want to be there to try to sway the vote

or to try to badger people into voting a certain way. They should vote the way they feel. The closing my report is maybe cheaper is better. um because many people will look at it from the perspective that perhaps we could save some money that I caution you on doing that but I don't want to be there and I I guess to listen to some of the conversation that I would hope does take place I can't sacrifice another family event to be there for that uh um so so that

was what I meant about not being there is I have a family event I'm going to go to a family event that uh the first one I've missed in 42 years and I think it probably wisest if I did miss it. So that because to me what what the vote really should be is about direction. It uh and what the town's people want to do, not just the difference in pay.

though. I don't know if other people have things that they wanted to comment on or not, but that was my only question or statement. What I needed to put out with you is I've had a a struggle with this and it's too late to change it and I I need to ask you what you would like me to do. It uh I don't know how much you looked at my list, but you will see based on my list that I am fairly active outside of the department as well. And it uh prior to any of this transpiring, I was registered for main fire chief's annual conference and training in the Sunday River this Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. I am registered for a training on Saturday and Sunday of this this coming weekend. I don't know if I can make them work with the schedule I need to keep for my father's stuff. It depends on how stuff shakes out. more than likely will have to leave. I'm not sure how much of the money the town can actually get back,

but I do think the town could perhaps get some back. So, I guess I need to put it on in your court what your wishes are. Is there anyone else that could go or does it have to be a chief? [laughter] Well, I'm just I'm just asking

I cannot and um the training it's actually a joint the one on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. I will go to the annual meeting no matter what. I read that paper. I am the treasurer for main fire chiefs. I'll go to main fire chiefs annual meeting no matter what. As far as the training itself goes, it uh it's actually an open training. So, anybody for the Thursday and Friday event could actually attend the Thursday and Friday event. It uh that's the piece I'm not sure I can get out of the lodging. I can probably get out of a portion of it. I'm not sure if I'm all of it or not. The training this coming weekend that's actually already been paid for.

What's my feeling would be if there's somebody from the department that would like to go and we've already budgeted for it and paid for it. I wouldn't have any objection to to somebody else attending the trainings if they're interested.

I was kind of wondering what's the probability that you would be able to attend. I mean, you you're kind of not sure and so on. If if you think if I mean I if you think there's a probability that you could that you could make it, then I would say leave it

leave it leave it there. And if you can't, if there's somebody else that's that's interested or whatever, then you can invite them to go. But I I don't know who who would be I don't know what type what type of training it's for and and and who it would who it would help. [sighs]

The management was based on change. Somebody coming up from Charleston to speak about institutional change after they lost nine firefighters in that built that structure. in a in a fire. Yes, it was years ago. You're talking about what they did to change the safety and the conditions of the fire service.

either you or you can find someone else to attend, it would probably be beneficial. I [clears throat] will hit the individual who has actually I shouldn't say individual. There's a several of them. If I could, I'd like to toot their horns. Now, they know who they are. I'm not going to name names, but there's several of them that have stepped up to the plate and made it come off pretty much without a hitch, even though they may not have had time. Uh, and it uh they've done a very good job for the community. And uh I uh don't know if they're charging the community or not. I'll be honest with you. I did tell them they should be, but I don't know if they are or not. And uh you know, you're probably hoping they don't. actually just the opposite because if they're working for the town they they they should be on by by law they should be on the clock

right so I think you should be encouraging them to turn in their time as well because they put in a lot of time and I I know for at least one of them has caused a few little family discussions they won't admit it but I know it's caused a few family

anytime they go that should be put this high if [clears throat] we can't force them we know who they are but if if they're if they're here um this is my encouragement to turn them in. Um, and donation. Okay. Um, any of those you got us all set?

No. Oh, I just like to say uh Wayne Inman that I support I've been there since 94 and I work for a large construction company and I've gone a lot of times, you know, and all the years of lost people and you're putting a burden on the chief gets done, you're putting a burden on somebody else, you know, a deputy and I know I'm friends with all them over there, but it's it's another 40 hours a week you got put in all the 40 hours he does already or any of these guys are sitting here. You know, it's not just I don't go there for the money. I make way more money where I'm at than over here at the D fire department, you know. So, and you got he the chief takes care of all the the behind the scenes things where you got the department of labor standards and all the stuff that's got to get done. You know, somebody go if the department of labor goes in this over the firehouse and there's something wrong over there and we get a fine out

of it, you know, because we didn't cover our cover ourselves and that's the stuff he takes care of, you know. So little 5% is not is nothing. That's you know that's how I personally feel about it. You know it's not a big deal. I don't I don't understand. I mean this is here the first time I've come here is today obviously to talk to you people but I feel that uh it's some something's going to happen you know over there. We're going to miss [clears throat] something. There's all kind of paperwork that's going to get filed all every month that like people take care of over there that's going to get missed, you know, let alone the safety aspect of it.

We have some of the same issues here. We there's paper we understand there's paperwork over there has to be filed. Yeah. Or could be problems there. Same thing here. Some of these girls here that work here have there's certain paperwork they have to file with the state or there's problems. So,

I'm sure it will get done but you know I've seen it get missed. It's no different if you retire. You got to find someone to take to do that paperwork too, you know. Absolutely. But he's going to he's going to get done in a few years anyways or whatever the stand the thing is. But it's going to happen saying like I was on call this weekend. I spent I sat home doing nothing for a fire call for the town. [clears throat] You know what I mean? Then we get a fire call. It's 3:00 in the morning. I'm the guy that gets up. All these guys are behind me and he takes off and do anybody can volunteer to help out that wants to give their two cents. you know that participated joined the fire department. It's not a big deal.

haven't seen me. Um I'm just being being not from up in in New England new to me kind of structure town government. So it's always been a little intimidating to me. Anyway, I so I help out at the department on on emergency management stuff. Um, and really mostly uh because we've been lucky enough not to have any big really significant issues where we've had to activate an EOC or anything like that. Um, basically

uh help out on grant stuff. And I'll echo um here the amount of money that's been brought into this community as a result of the chief's efforts. Um and and and I know I used to work for main emergency management and that was my job was grants. Um and it was it ate my life. Um but uh just in the last few

weeks trying to stay on top of all this grant all the grant stuff so [clears throat] we can uh reduce the amount of money the town um you know the town share stuff. you know, short fused, we could get 2,700 bucks real fast if we acted on it. Chief rushed up and said, "Yeah." And then these things started happen with him and uh and then I just picked up the ball after he had already started moving it to get that in. Um so these are the kind of things that um that have to be

taken into account. Um this is stuff that you guys might not see. You might remember having had a conversation with the chief about $8,800 that that we were going to need to cover down on the tower project. Um, and as a result, you know, it looks like we're going to get this money. It's going to be reduced by $2,700, which sounds to me an awful lot like how much was missing.

Whether you guys knew that or not, I don't know. But that's to say nothing about all the other things, all the other, you know, all these other things that that that he does to make this town safer and make it so that the taxpayers, the rest of us who are taxpayers in this town don't bear such a big burden on trying to keep the town safe.

4th? I know the chief said he won't be when he when he votes. Anything I should. So, I apologize in advance if I slip and say something. I should. I've been here since 91 and I was here when Billy was here. When I started, Billy was here. He was a volunteer man. We didn't give any crap.

I've seen Billy come to be the volunteer chief, the full-time chief, and all these things about the future of the town. I know because I sat through these meetings with Billy trying to help him to say that he wasn't blindsided. I think he was. And I think the big thing here is the supporters selected when Billy came with a 5% increase and then got given a piece of paper with a 2% increase on it.

be thinking about that. That was support for Billy. You guys didn't give him that. Okay. Known Billy a long time. I sat through a lot of budgets with him. I was his former deputy for a long time. And me, I probably would have had to say something at least that piece of paper to him. But that's not me. Billy's different. We used to be a good team as a chief and deputy cuz he was political. I wasn't. But you did blindside me. But a town meeting, I'll be there and if you hesitate to support him, then I will call you on the car.

we've been together. I've never seen a man this place for anything. You know what? I agree. That's why, you know, that's why I'm going to we're going to you are you can personally you can I personally won't be going for the 5% raise. That's just me. You can have everybody has their own personal opinion.

Well, that's it. I could speak for myself, you know, and I may not even be sitting here after April 3rd. So, but April 4th, I'll be there. Sundays. I'll give an example. But you cut the burning the Sunday Saturday Sunday burning permits. I don't know what that is. I think it's like 2500 bucks for a year or something like that. Cut that out of there. I You know what I mean? I I spend two hours over there hanging out waiting for a burning permit. Then I get them online.

Not a big deal. You got to pay me to sit there, you know, wash the trucks, do whatever in between stuff. Something like that. It's got to be something. It just It's too bad it come down to money. That's It always is. It's like they don't get where I work.

Stay to go. It's come down to money. Stay to go. You know, give me your own gone. That's too bad. It's come down to that. I'm sure it's exactly the money. I think it's more the insult that was done. Well, we can only say sorry so many times. You know what I mean?

we'll move on and letting uh there will be regular meetings here, April 7th and April 21st at 6:30 p.m. Municipal elections will be held at the Durham Community School on Friday, April 3rd, 2015. Polls will be open from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and absentee ballots are available at the town office or may be requested by phone uh 3532561

extension 11 or by mail and uh or email. Um you can find the uh addresses on the town website. Town meeting will be held here. Sorry. Town meeting will be held Saturday, April 4th, 2015 at the Durham Community School beginning at 9:00 a.m. Town reports are now available at the town office and get

um RSU5 board meeting for budget review with public comments will be uh March 25th, 2015, believe that's tomorrow evening, um at 6:30 p.m. at the Freeport High School cafeteria. Are there any is there anything else that needs to be addressed?

Pretty much executive session. I move that we go into executive session pursuant to 1 MRSA 4056A personnel for personnel matters. Second. All in favor? Motion carries. And