TranscriptSelect Board Meeting ~ June 1, 2026

right now and told I said don't worry about it. Is it on? We live in a living color. Perfect. Is it on? Yeah, it is on. Oh, that's We'll check to make sure we can be heard. I can't see. Do you want me to turn on the light?

Oh, I see it. I see the color now. Are we on YouTube? Oh, fantastic. Yeah. She's an easy kid. Like I'm very lucky. She still sleeps 8 to 10 hours a night. Perfect. Yeah, very. All right, we're going to get our meeting started here. It is 6:32 p.m. Um we do have a quorum with one member with an excused absence. Deb is not with us tonight, but she'll be back at our next meeting. And we'll begin with the Pledge of Allegiance.

to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands one nation under God indivisible with liberty and justice justice for all. Sorry, yeah. It's on the button there. All right, any amendments to the agenda?

I don't believe we'll need an executive session. Nope. I don't believe so either. Uh so we'll just have a motion to remove the executive session. Yeah. I I just made that motion. Does anyone second? I'll second. Uh any questions or discussions? No, all in favor? All right, passes unanimously. Um I don't see anyone here for public comment. So, we're going to review uh our old business, which is just uh we need to vote to and this is why the meeting was moved to tonight instead of tomorrow night is we need to vote to approve the warrant articles that are going to be on uh uh up for voting and that needs to be done 7 days before the beginning of town meeting. And the beginning of town meeting technically begins the morning of the municipal election date. And so that's why we couldn't do this tomorrow because we would have been 12 hours late or 10 hours late. So, do we anyone have any questions? These are all things

we've approved already. This is just all of it in writing in one one spot. Just a just a question. The I noticed one of the articles sets a date for the school board to start. How about like the select board and the budget committee? Is there an article?

Cuz uh article I mean it's not I can answer that question. So, Michelle Richardson, the chair of the school board, had requested that and that is a specific um leniency in the statute because um after the election, they still clean up a lot of things from the year with the superintendent. They do a review and having the new person come in, they wouldn't know. So, that gives leniency to have them start June 30th.

I thought that and then the select board and budget committee start right away. The same day? Yeah, the end the end of the board meeting is the end of the term. Uh or so the end of the town meeting is the end of the term period. So, like um that's would be turnover immediately the next day. So, like the last like when I remember when Josh and I were elected, so we were elected and we attended the meeting, but we weren't a board member until after the end of the meeting or so. But that's a good question. Any other questions? Uh I just wanted to say I know this takes a colossal lift for staff. Um cuz you got to track down all of our musings up here and figure out how to put words to them and then get it all put into place. We just want to say really appreciate town's staff's efforts on this.

All right. As usual, it's uh exceptional. So, um seeing no other discussion, have a motion to approve the warrant articles as submitted. So moved. So moved by Josh. Do we have a second? I'll second. By Rebecca. Any questions or discussions? All right. All in favor? Any opposition? Seeing none, it passes unanimously. Um the only other thing we had for uh on the agenda for new business is the uh town meeting setup. And so um we have our moderator confirmed for for the we the town will still have to vote to enroll the moderator, but we have someone showing up with the intent to moderate. Um and as of right now the the setup is the same as always with select board in the front, budget committee in the front, and then a podium facing the moderator. And so you want you had meant I put this on here Rebecca because you had reached out and asked if we could discuss the setup a little bit. So

and I would like to I did a little research and I would like to um change the setup a little bit and so do it how other towns do it so that we have a select board, we have the podium kitty corner so that it the whomever is speaking faces the community as well as the select board because right now the person speaking has their back to the community. I think that it's sort of counterintuitive in that situation. Um and I also move that we move the select board from the front to

The select board? I'm sorry. Budget. Sorry, I've been traveling for a long time. I don't know what I'm saying. Um the budget committee to the front row of the community where the community sits. Okay, as opposed to on tables?

Yeah, there's no point for them to be up there cuz they're not every time they have something to say they have to get up. They actually don't speak at the budget line. So I think that it makes more sense for them to sit with the rest of Durham. They can sit together as a united front if they want to. They can sit at the front row if they want to. I think that would be great. I just don't think it makes sense for them to have their own table. I think it would be wonderful to have the moderator on the stage. Sorry, this is my event planner

Yeah. coming out, but we should have the select board with the table facing everyone, podium kitty corner, moderator in the center on the stage, and everybody else facing us. Okay. Any other thoughts? I mean, is there a problem with the way it's been?

No other town does it. I think that if we it doesn't make any sense to have them up there. I think that the flow would make more sense if they were sitting. Um I think it makes a lot more sense to have whoever is speaking from Durham to speak to the audience as well as to the select board. Because right now it's just I mean I don't Have you sat in the in the audience but like recently? It's just it's weird. It's awkward to have the person's back to facing everyone as they're talking because then they turn around, they don't speak into the microphone cuz they're trying to gesture to people. It doesn't make any sense.

I don't have any problem with I've six of one half dozen of another on that one. And I have sat in the audience because I I forget bored and move out into the audience and walk around some. Um I get my only con- Excuse me. My only concern is what do we do we say anything about the budget committee if we move them?

No, I don't Oh. You go ahead. Sorry. I Am I wrong in my recollection that we would we would introduce one article and then they would introduce another vote? Move. That's how it's been done in the past. In the past there was a swapping off of of articles.

I don't Uh like the select board were introduced the even odd articles in the budget committee introduced the even articles. So they would introduce their number. Um. But I thought that last year the select board just we introduced all of our numbers.

Select board did it all. Yeah, and so I thought the last couple of years. Yeah, I might have It might have It's been a few years since the the so since I have been on the board, I know that the select board has introduced their articles for every article. Um, but oftentimes gave the budget committee chair the first first kind of right of response. Um, in terms to make a a statement. Prior to that, there was a swapping. Um, but it's been I don't think that's been like that for 5 years or whatever. Um. But uh my only concern is that my thought was that with my understanding, and I could be wrong here, is that the moderator's manual specifically states that the people should be speaking to the moderator. And then it's the moderator who answers it. And so like I know in the past they've made it very clear, your job is not to address the community, is to address the moderator with a question. And if then the moderator finds the

person who has the answer, finds the person who wants to respond. So um But at the same time, functionally you're talking to your community members. Um, so I I I mean, I like the idea of the kitty cornering of the podium. Uh, personally I don't necessarily want to see the budget committee's uh position move because it's so late in the process to make a change, and I don't want folks to think it's like an onion cutting of the budget committee's um role by by moving them. Um, and I think that no matter the intent, whether the flow or the uh layout or anything like that, any movement like that would be taken with with a negative connotation for the committee. And so I would be more than happy to have us move the podium or set up differently, but I don't want to uh especially with an involvement of the budget committee this late in the process move them to that that front row. Um that's just where I kind of sit

on it. I agree I agree. Yeah. That's fine. What about moving the budget committee I'm just it's just uh the flow is really Yeah, cuz like right now what happens is like when I first started going even committee members both select board and budget committee members got up and went and spoke at the podium. And then the last couple of years it's been like if a board member wants to speak the board member can speak from their seat um the select board member. And then budget committee members had a seemed to have a preference like if a budget committee member was against the budget committee's recommendation often times they would go speak against it from the podium as opposed to from the table. And so there was like a lack of consistency. Consistency there, but I do think it's appropriate for all select board members to speak from our station at the front rather than the podium.

committee the budget committee has microphones. Yeah. So they we could just ask them to speak from the microphone. Yeah, I mean it just depends on I know that some of them have chosen if they were speaking a to say that they were speaking as a citizen not a committee member which is a difficult line to draw. Um but

Well, they still get up. Some of them do, but like for example the chair last year spoke from the um spoke from his microphone at at the table not from the podium. Okay, but It seems like there's a personal preference there. So I understand the flow being

You just say that the two groups will just speak from where they're sitting seated if it's an issue. But I do think that moving the podium to be kitty corner and face the community. Or at least on the side. Yeah, cuz I do feel like it's strange when people are uh standing there with their back to everybody. So we could have it so like where we sit on the left on the left-hand side of the stage if you're looking at it. The budget committee maybe the podium can be off to our right. So it looks at the town, looks at the boards, both of the boards, and looks at the um the

Like that, this one down there. Yeah, something like that I think would be a better Yeah. So people are at least being able to like see it. This is us. Yes. Yeah. Yeah. Make the budget committee strain their necks. Well, that's closer than that.

to look like this all night. Yeah. No, or to look to the left and the right cuz I Or or if the select board and the budget committee can be at angle and then the podium is further Yeah. over. Um I don't if we're not moving anyone from the front of the table and as long as and maybe we want to check with our moderator if there's any moderator rules that prevent this. As long as this is all right, I think that this can just be whoever like if you get there early help in Jessica or whoever set up the podium.

We'll set up the night before. Yeah. So if you get you get there and set it up and practice with that, I don't care where the podium sits. I just don't want to mess with the front tables. That's fine. Who's the moderator? Is that Bill Schneider?

Well, who is who we've asked, yeah. Yeah. There we did have a brief conversation with uh Greggy from Gregg. Yeah, that was his last name. From who did the school board meeting. So he's always an option for next year. He's really He's great.

Yeah, okay. Bill is free? Yeah, that's the other thing. isn't he retiring soon? No. Well, not that I know of. I'll ask him at breakfast on Thursday. But if he is retired He's retired, yes. Except he does a couple of commissions for the state.

Yeah. He'll do this as long as he's in town. Yeah. Yeah, um but I think Rebecca starting to look into other people too is good for future just cuz you not not everyone everyone does something until they don't do it anymore. So

It's always good to have options. Yeah, cuz I know that we've used Bill too for like special meetings and stuff like that and we've been fortunate that he's been available. Um but cool. Okay. Um So Jessica, do you want to help the night before?

If you would like to pop in, that would be great. Yeah, just have a second second set of eyes on everything. Okay. Um can I just bring something up to the um scholarship recipients will not be able to be there that day. That's traditionally when we present the awards to them formally. Um would you like me to see if they could make it to a future select board meeting?

would be fantastic. But we can still note at the meeting that you know, verbally recognize them. moderator that does charge, we would have to do that in the budget cuz that's currently not Yeah. Yep. Cool. All righty, no other new business. Manager report.

Okay, thank you Mr. Chairman. Uh first thing, so you all got that email. I think John shared it. Josh was asking about the dispatch services coming up uh next budget. Um that is a 42% increase. It will go from 24,913 to 35,471.

line and that So don't look for that dispatch line to be 35. It'll be more than that cuz there's other dispatch services and When does that take effect? That'll have to be paid 27th September 27th. So, it's in next year's budget.

So, the the not the budget we are approving. Okay. this budget. We'll have to plan for it next year. Um so, just to kind of give you that. Although, I did get a email from uh Police Chief McGee. Um I guess there's a kind of a push not to go with that. So, there's less than dispatch, too. We might be able to do that. So, I'm going to be working with him throughout the next few months.

Yeah, I saw in the article that some municipalities have their own dispatch thing. Yeah, this is just more information as I pull up for you. Um So, if you haven't noticed, the baseball batting cage is up. So, we've got the bill. The total bill was 18,400 and we paid the 8,000 that you all agreed to.

But, I saw that I got some donations as well. So, so I think it's just a good example of us being able to help leverage some some outside uh donations to help cover cover something that can be used by the community and solve a problem. Yeah.

Um next thing, so a while ago, we were going to switch our financial systems to this town cloud. Mhm. So, we're going to back out of that. It's just staying with Trio. Okay. Um we've been using Trio all along anyway, so it's just as easy just to stay with that and

What's the fiscal note on that? Well, we paid Town Cloud a couple years ago some money to develop these modules and they're having a really hard time getting the BMV to sign off. Okay. So, for we have enough money in the budget to pay for Trio cuz that's what we find. So, I just told Town Cloud, when you get your program together and it's operational and all that, we'll go that cuz I got

We don't need to increase any funding this year not not at all. It's just we're just going to switch this Q Trio. The staff is used to Trio. Although, we may upgrade to Trio web. So, right now that we you're on SQL which stands for sequencing query language which is like a DOS program.

Mhm. But, Trio web is like a like a regular web page. It's more up to date and it costs like 4,300 or something like that to switch over to that and we have that in our budget as well. So, we plan on that. Mhm. So, there's really no other fiscal impact to the budget. We're we're all set.

Mhm. Just keeping you informed that we're just going to go back to that. Down there on the corner of Newbrook, Palmer Mill, and Swamp Road, as you're coming down hill or coming up the hill, a solar panel on the right that takes care of those warning lights.

Yeah. I got taken out over the weekend. Someone Why? Someone Someone like it looks like someone hit got in an accident and left. So, there's no police report, no no one showed up. It's just this laying on the ground. So, Calvin will look into getting that back up as soon as we can cuz we we have to maintain that. That was part of that deal.

Mhm. So, if you if people call Yeah, I was going to bring it up in my report. I didn't even notice it. It's working. It's working. Is it really? The lights are working? The lights were flashing this morning. Maybe the solar panel is still hooked up and it's facing up.

It looks like the pole broke and it's laying on the ground. Yeah. At minimum, someone must it must have laid in a way that it still faces up or there's enough battery power left. So, Yeah. So, it's just But, we should still stand it back up.

Yeah. Um the other news that's not so great news is that you all got that fire chief's resignation letter. So, that position is vacant. Uh we'll look to fill it ASAP. The job description's out there. That's a pretty important, critical role to the town. So, we're going to we're going to take our time and fill that when we can.

Is he coming is he going to be coming in as a to help and go? Yeah, so in the meantime, I'm going to enter into a temporary hire of for him to get us through the transition. So, when once we get transition, it'll be less than 10 hours a week, if that.

And that'll be admin, not like responding to answering time-sensitive emails, helping with payroll, that sort of thing. So, it's unfortunate. He is a that's a tough one to lose. It's a big loss for this town. So, who covers in the interim? A deputy deputy

There is no cover in the interim because all the people that would be qualified already have day jobs. This is a volunteer fire department, so we don't we don't have anybody. So, I mean so there has to be somebody in charge. I mean maybe they don't work

if if there is an incident, there will be an in a dispatch if we get dispatched, there's a mechanism so there's people who are trained to become the incident commander um at the at the incident, but in terms of like um An interim chief?

interim chief, it's not But somebody's covering or there's decisions that have to be made. Yeah. covering a cut you know, the people shortage on site, whoever that will be. I I don't know. Yeah, and so Whoever shows up first. I don't know sure how that works.

Yeah, usually there's like operation command, incident command, communication. They have a chain of command and there's a couple of um people who have overlap training and who could provide that. And I had asked Chief about this and I think he had just mentioned that he has reached out to the surrounding communities just to say, "As you all know, we have mutual aid agreements with you. I'm leaving as of this day. Please keep your ears on and be prompt to assist the department should something a structure fire or something like that comes in cuz some of those big things are mutual there's multiple departments anyways that show up. Um so there's extra hands. But in the moment, the incident command will be taken over by whomever the most senior officer who responds is. So, um whether it's some of the captains or or stuff like that. So,

But full-time EMS administrator {slash} administrator is still here. So, Yeah, Monday through Friday to deal with EMS calls. Yeah. far as budgetary expenditures and approving those, chief will still have to help. Mhm. I mean, it's really to help me cuz I, you know, I would be lost. I'm I don't run fire departments. I rely on my chief and department heads to do that. So, Um yeah, it's unfortunate. But anyway, we'll get through it.

It's a big loss for the town. Huge. Huge Um So, are you I'm I'm not sure if you were on this email, but there's this Spirit of America award that gets put out to volunteers mostly in your town. I think we all got it. I mean, I got it. Did you get it?

got it. It's been sent several times. It's really up to the select board to kind of nominate somebody. Um I I think I would recommend Peter Lowe. Uh he's in our uh annual report this year. I think it was two, right? Yes, it was.

Yeah. Um But that's up to the select board. We need to know by June 30th. I don't know if you want to put that Do we have a meeting We We have a meeting June 23rd? Put on that. Um So, we have to get back to them and let them know. So, whoever you choose.

Yeah, I'm just looking at that here. I think that would be a good Um And so, couple thing another couple things. So, July 14th to July 16th, I will be out on vacation. Okay, so July 14th is a select board meeting and it's the first one after town meeting.

No, we have a June 23rd meeting. Yeah, but well, right. It is. Yeah, that's right. So, but I won't be at the July 14th one. That's the second meeting, yeah. Yeah, that's going to be the second meeting. So. meeting is is really starting to pile up. I don't know what you want to do, but I have this a must that we have to. So, obviously, you have to vote for chair and vice chair at that meeting. We've got to hear the audit service presentation. We put that off twice. All right, so there's proposals, you know, get them. I would review them. Mark will be at that meeting to answer questions cuz he's been on that side of the audit, so.

Real quick, before you go too far down this thing, I just want to get people's opinion. So, I think what would be most appropriate is that meeting if you open the meeting and even before um public comment or before anything, you moderate the nomination of a chair and vice chair. I think that's how we've done it in the past.

Yeah, yeah, I can open There as of the as of the end of the town meeting, there won't be a chair or vice chair. Um So, I can open the meeting with the declaring there's a quorum and a pledge of allegiance and then just get right to the nomination process.

Yeah. Okay. Yeah, I can do that for you. So. July 14th through the 16th. So, I'll be in on that Monday, but Tuesday was Thursday. I'll be out. Sorry. Um okay, so you got So, we have to pick an audit service hopefully on that on that day. You're also going to sign the employee handbook on that day. So, if you need another copy of it to review, but it will be as part of the agenda. So, it'll be attached. Um you have that and you also promised the Ag Committee to come in. I don't know I can't recall exactly what that's about. I'll pull my

It the they wanted to present on the re- recommendation to remove fees on greenhouses. Building fees. So, you got those uh those at least those three items other than Tuesday. Mhm. And then you got to think about we have to talk about an economic development committee for that grant that we got from the So, that has to be

Yeah. sort of formalized at some point too. Maybe not on the 23rd, but the sooner the better. I think at least opening it up for people who want to participate. The cock's ready to go. And we have recommendations on George and I have recommendation on who we think should be on that committee, but that's not our decision. So, they're just recommendations.

Do you want George to email the recommendations or come in and say them? Um we can email them. We can email them. We can kind of give you a kind of a memo to to read uh um if you'd like. Yeah. Um and that's about it in the report for today.

So that those are all Excuse me, July 23rd. Those are all June 23rd. June 23rd, yeah. So that first meeting after will be a big meeting. Right, it's pretty pretty big in there. Yeah. Okay. And along the way, you know, you'll have to, you know, maybe not that meeting, but then you'll have to have goal settings and that sort of thing. And then maybe get Kristen in to do some training. I think that's probably pretty important, so. To start off the new year.

Yeah. The new year. I always think of that as like a new new year for the for the community. Mhm. Cool. So that's all I got, so thank you. Awesome, thanks, Jerry. Um real quick for board member reports, I was going to bring up how we run the next meeting. Does everyone think that it sounds good to have Jerry open it, get the chair and vice chair elected, and then transfer over? Okay, cool. Um also just as a note, I attended the GPCOG annual summit on Thursday last week. It The fact of the chair and vice chair are delegates, and that went really well. Um The They approved a very small nominal increase in dues. Dues is based off of per person in your community, and it was just a couple cent change. So nothing that um isn't to be expected. Uh couple great presentations, and then I've been on a working group that's dealing with trying to figure out ways to find property tax relief. So presented to the committee

something we've been working on, and the next step on that is hopefully in the next legislative session finding a sponsor to take it up and try to find some ways to help give municipalities a little bit of relief on their property taxes. Um that's all I have to say. Also, sorry, GPCOG next year is off this upcoming year is now offering a goal-setting workshop as one of their services that they can have where they come in and they facilitate with the board members setting strategic goals and priorities and stuff like that. And so, we've had kind of a homemade, home-brewed goal-setting process here for a couple uh, years now, but that could be something that gets talked about in the future.

I think that would be great. Yeah, and it's nice because if they they facilitate it it sounded like the version that they do is like a half-day like retreat with the board and whatever, but I didn't get any other details other than the fact that they offer it. So, it's something we could talk about. Um, and then just seeing as this is the last meeting before um, the uh, town meeting, I just going to say I really appreciated everyone's hard work this year. Um, appreciate the trust you all have put in me as chair um, and me able to sit in this seat and see, you know, a lot of responsibility and I appreciate everyone who's stepped up this year and worked really hard on all this stuff and especially John coming in late in the process as as a uh, last few 6 months or so. Um, been really happy to have the full slate of of uh, people up on up here and all everyone's uh, really good insight and hard work.

So, thank you for your hard work. Anyways, that's all I have. Um, and sorry, I lied. Again, it's a stressful time because we're going into town meeting. There's a lot of um, communication happening right now that isn't entirely factual about the select board's goals, objectives, things that we voted on, haven't voted on, things of that nature. And so, um, my I encourage folks to just stay above the fray, know that you're putting in good time, good work, and uh, um, understand that a lot of times the criticism is of the positions, not the people. So, try not to take things personally when you hear hear from the bully pulpit. So, uh, keep up the good work. anything?

I'm not done. I I forgot it. Got you. We can come back if you Josh after he's done coughing. I'm good. Um I just I wanted to Thank you, Josh. I wanted to um say thank you to Joe. I don't mean to be laughing, thank you. Sorry. Um I just want to say thank you, Joe, for being a I this is my first year on the select board. And um you've been a great leader. And I very much look forward to next term. Um and I appreciate everybody on this board and all the hard work. And I also want to thank you, Joe, for being the face of the board on social media um because I don't think I would be very good at it. I don't I we've had this conversation and um I think you handle things with grace to a degree. Um but thank you for

handling that because somebody has to and somebody has to make sure that the truth is actually out there for a lot of incorrect information. And so I for one appreciate that. Thank you. I was going to say something very similar.

I mean you showed so I could go. No, I'm good. I'm I but yeah what she said He's choked up with emotion. we can go to John and let you catch your breath there. I'm good. All right John you have any oh awesome. All right Josh final final chance to cough some more all right. All right upcoming meetings and so planning board meeting June 3rd at the fire station at 6:30 solid committee meeting June 8th at Eureka Center um municipal elections and primary elections are June 9th at the Durham Amvets post open 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. but early voting is open at the town office right now and so and what's what's that ends this Thursday in person yeah. Add committee meeting June 10th at the Eureka Center town annual meeting is Saturday June 13th at the Durham Community School the major downfall of us switching it is Girl Scout cookies will not be sold at the town meeting this year. Um because that's usually the because that

since the meeting's a month later Girl Scout cookies sales season is over. The ladies auxiliary will be there though with some food offerings. Yeah um and before we adjourn I do just want to publicly I don't you know I know we've said this several times but publicly thank uh Chief Tripp for his service to this community over the last 5 years you know wish him best luck in his next endeavor appreciate him staying on to help with the town meeting and to staying on to help with admin as someone who's on the fire department the cultural change under Chief Tripp was an amazing thing to watch and he truly was an exemplary leader and everyone there looks up to him looks up to him a lot. Um and he's really did a fantastic job of combining a high level of technical and institutional knowledge and amazing amazing emotional intelligence to to help the fire department deal with a lot of the really difficult stuff they've dealt

with. And just from a facts and figures standpoint, the amount of grant money he brought into this community for our community, the amount of savings he found um is huge and the the rep- reputation of our fire department amongst the surrounding communities, even amongst the professional full-time communities is astounding at this point and so much of the support we get on um mutual aids is because of the great work he's done. So, he had made it very clear he didn't want any final homage or anything like that paid to him, but I just want to say I really appreciate everything he's done. Um All right, motion to adjourn.

Moved. John, second from Josh, did you want to cough or just And All right. All right, any questions or discussion? All right, seeing none, all in favor? Any opposition? I will see you all at the town meeting. You're good.

I'll take you on the back. No, I don't think we should.