TranscriptMay 12, 2020 ~ Select Board Meeting

discussion of the uh budget referendum. You want to kick us off, Ruth? I guess. So, um I did hear today that an announcement from the governor is imminent on this regard, but um there has been no announcement yet. Uh, I sent you all the information I had regarding um a possible vote on a secret ballot in town. Um, and I sent you a a warrant and a secret ballot um for you guys to look

at. I sent the final one today. So, last night the select board met, not select board, the budget committee met and um voted to um go with the select board's recommendations on everything. So I I stick with the closed ballot structure since uh there is no other option um to even think about and so each one just says selectman and budget committee um recommend yes.

So, I think if we don't decide tonight, we we probably would need to have another meeting in the next couple of days to decide because by Friday, we need to uh have the ballot ready and sent to the state for printing and and coding with ESNS.

Oh, okay. Well, I thought we weren't coding it. Well, originally I didn't think we could because I didn't think we would make the deadline, but the deadline is Friday. Um, and so I mean I guess we don't have to code it. No, that's fine. I was just surprised, that's all. So you're not So we're going to count them by machine, not by hand,

right? That's the plan. Okay. All right. All right. Um, so if we want to talk about the um the warrant itself and the wording of some of the questions, we need to do that tonight, right? Yeah. Unless you want to still count it by hand. I don't know what a members think.

I I prefer to have it come by machine, not hand. let's do it. Okay. Any Right. I'm not seeing any objection to that. So, so did everyone get a chance to read through um the warrant and did anybody um did anybody have any they want to discuss in terms of you know questions or or whatever?

each article or were we going to vote on it as a whole? What are you thinking here? Um, well, I guess my first my first question, Ruth, is is which one we should be looking at because there's um multiple versions over over the last two.

I I sent one today um and it's called the warrant 2020 final corona. Final Corona. That was in the email that came today at 2:30. Yeah. Okay. All right. other There's not a ton that has changed since my previous uh iterations. It's just that um I just aligned the life board in the budget committee um recommendations. The the biggest question I had um frankly was uh article number 13. Uh, so I did the big budgets all separately, but then I combined a number of budgets together, and we can split those out if you'd like to. That makes for a pretty big warrant article. Um, but I was I was trying to cut down on the warrant articles. So, if you guys look at that, you can tell me what you think.

What do What do people think about that? Pam check my math and I had uh Becky check my math and they said it all came out, but you know, there's always something wrong. Most of those articles don't usually generate much discussion in town meeting anyway, but

maybe the planning board one. I don't know. That's the only one that normally sometimes can. are there no concerns that I mean I was I mean I can be talked out of it but I am a little concerned that how people might react to bunching a bunch of stuff together when we've never done that before. Um

well we've never done this. Yeah. No, true. We've never done any of it like this before. Um the you know there's one thing in there that somebody doesn't like then it affects forever then that question if you want to break out the two larger ones there planning and telecommunications, that's fine. But

I kind of agree there usually isn't much discussion around these anyway. If you guys want to leave it like this, you know, if that's the consensus, you know, I'll go with that. Just leave it. I say we leave it. Yeah. Okay.

Um Ruth, did you have any anything else you wanted to call out? Uh well, no, that was the the most uh that was the biggest one. I mean, the rest of them, they all show the funding source. Um, I I didn't do the revenue um

type with the the revenue question at the very end. Um, I did it like we had originally done it. Um, except for obviously they're closed instead of open. Oh, and the other thing is we don't need to put an LD1 article on it this year because we're not exceeding the LD1,

right? Um, I do have a couple of questions. uh in going through this. Okay. I'm wondering since we have this first article uh well I guess it's not number one on this one so my numbers are going to be off where we ask I guess it's uh

article three. Okay. Um, since we're doing that, we're asking um if something fails, I'm wondering should we for the budget articles in here, should we uh add a note that shows what the last year budget was vers, you know, versus this year's proposed budget and the percent change. Is that do we feel like that's or or are you relying on the information sheet we're going to talk about later to provide that?

I you know I was trying to keep it fairly simple so I was relying on the information sheet. Okay. Do we do we think do we think and will we have they'll be able to people we can have copies of the information sheet and people can if can um well if they're voting from home they'll have them right in front of it right in front of them. If we do have a polling place, they can take copies of that into the booth, right?

Yes. Okay. All right. the Well, I guess that would be the information thing, too. So, skip that one. I am a little concerned with the wording of article 8. Um the and I have two I have two issues with it. Okay. So article 8 is the one about the $77,000 that um

essentially we overt taxed people because our the tax assessment we got from the RSU, there was a mistake in it, but by the time they discovered the mistake, we had already assessed taxes or committed taxes. Um, so I'm I'm a little concerned with the wording that um that it's just a straight, you know, there's an ask of, do you want to take $77,000 out of undesated and apply it to the budget there? There might be people that are just hesitant about just spending undesated funds without a little bit more of an explanation. Um, and it says that we're applying that we're applying it to the municipal operating budget, but shouldn't that say that it's going to be applied um towards the RSU5 tax assessment?

Technically, it's not. I mean, technically, the undesated funds would be I mean, it it's it's crossing hairs, frankly, but it's going to be listed under the municipal um operating budget. Okay. Um All right. I can buy that. But

um then the the second sentence there says these funds lapsed into undesated funds due to an error in the RSU5 tax assessment. Um, and again, this might be a place where the information sheet is will help, but since we're offering an explanation here, I think I think it needs a little bit simpler language that people will follow because,

like, you know, there was an error in last year's tax assessment from RSU5 that resulted in $77,410 in excess tax revenue. revenue being collected. The town held this money in undesated funds and seeks to apply it to this year's tax assessment.

unanswered questions that might pop up in people's mind and uh when that happens people uh fill in the blanks on their own and oftentimes incorrectly. Um, so I'm I don't know. What do others think of that? Does that Well, originally that's how we had done it and and I know that it's different, but that's how we had done it in the original warrant. Um, looking obviously for discussion on the floor. Um, but the other option would be to actually take that that line completely out and apply the $77,410 to one of the municipal budgets rather than just,

you know, rather than singling that out. If you think that might confuse people and that we might have to seriously explain why we're singling that particular amount out, then you could just take one of the budgets and and uh put that towards that budget and we could do it towards the debt. Well, except for the budget committee. It feels like it still needs to be a separate question because it is because it's

if if you want it to show that it's because the RSU5 um lapsing into undesated funds, then yes, it needs to be a separate question. But if you just want to use those undesated funds, then it does not need to be a separate question,

right? So it depends on what your intention is. I just my my only intention is that people understand, you know, what happened and and what we're doing with this money and that we're not just taking um $77,000 willy-nilly from undesated just to apply it to something, you know. So,

I think that's a better basically taking an overt tax last year and applying it to this year, right? I mean it's exactly that's that's the message I'm trying to make sure it's clear is that yeah there was an accidental overcharge last year and we're taking that and applying it to

um this year's you know to make you know so that it's a that says that I mean I I understand it, but I don't know, you know, and I see what you're saying from the general, you know, how people could read it and I don't know what the solution is.

Maybe or could you maybe there's Well, Mar, you might be honest. Maybe we just add one. Um these maybe these um maybe there's one more uh sentence that says these funds are being app these funds were held and are being applied to this year's budget to make to make up for it or something like that.

Yeah. To lower the tax. Yeah. Something like that. Yeah. like that on that, Ruth? Uh yeah, I'm not really sure how to word it, but um due to I would just say these funds are being used to offset the 2020 tax impact or something simple as that.

Okay. So we can just these funds lapsed into undesated fund due to an error in the RSU5 tax assessment and are being used to offset um a portion of this year's tax um impact portion of this year's tax. Do you want me to share my screen?

document in real time? I am. I got to figure out where I put it, though. Not the agenda. Here we go. looking at my dog. No, that we got it. No, we got it. We got it. Oh, you do. Okay. So there it is. So I into Zoom it back in.

Zoom it back in. Okay. Hold on. Yeah. No, I think that's good. I think that helps. Yeah, that's good. Okay. Into the undesated fund. There we go. Do the RSU5 tax sum are being used to offset a portion of this year's tax impact.

Yeah, I I like that. Okay, that sounds good. Okay. Okay. And then did we you don't think you don't think it's somewhat lowhanging fruit to put um most of those fund warrant articles on here? You mean all the fund warrant articles where we switched around the funds? I I think that would be very confusing without some sort of an explanation of what we were doing.

would like to do that, but like really the only one that um that I wouldn't want to put on would be the one about the recreation account because I think that one's going to generate some heat when we talk about that one. Um the uh

but I thought the others were pretty straightforward, but it it's um it's not critical. Well, it's already 23 questions or 22 questions, so I mean I was No, we we we need to do what we need to do. I'm not really that concerned with the number of questions. I mean, if if there's stuff we need to do, we need to do it. I mean, this is our town meeting and you know, I'm sorry. I

guess I didn't consider it critical for this year. Okay. All right. All I was looking through tonight, I think, you know, just a learning maybe for next year if we're going to put the um draft warrants um in the town report um that

we should not put recommendations in yet because we're seeing that those changed a lot. And so if somebody's got that town report now, they're going to look at, you know, a recommendation that in some cases has gone 180 degrees the other way. And so there's something to think about for next year.

Well, I'm thinking this is kind of an outlier. recommendations to change um after the town report goes out, but did you have something? Article 14. Is that right? Read correctly Page three of five. If a town will vote to appropriate an amount not to exceed 5% of the total 2020 net assessment for commitment to pay tax abatements in applicable interest granted during the 2020 fiscal year.

Okay. How did I get this? Yeah, mine says page three of five page 302. Oh, I'm sorry. There was a typo there. I took it out. 20 fiscal year. Yeah, it just says the 2020 fiscal year. There was a typo and I I had fixed it.

I I see. I see what that is. Oh, Typically in the warrant we have kind of like headings for groups of um the articles? Should we put the business article heading in here? um right before that question Todd just asked about you

can those are the kind of like routine and um I could see people almost tripping over some of these having them format versus the at the end of town meeting everybody's ready to go home and we through them like uh bundle them all together.

Yeah. Um, that actually is a fairly new um thing for our warrant that's only happened in the last couple years, but I I don't have any problem with putting business articles in there. I don't even remember how I phrased it in the other one, but I I'll fix that.

warrant? Um my only question is are the tax the um delinquent tax percentages I think I've asked this in the past um the charge for say at this particular one on article 16 9% is that is that um set by the state is a recommendation or is that um how does that 9% come to

yeah that that is a state figure that's the highest you can do I mean you could you could charge less but but that's the highest you can do thank payraises? if yeah before we would certainly want to talk about that before um we approve a warrant. So um I don't know if you guys got a chance to read an email from um a citizen uh that forwarded to me after the budget committee last night. basically um asking us to reconsider

the um decision to have a wage freeze for this budget year and have um zero dollars in the uh raise pool. Um Kevin, did the budget committee even discuss that because it wasn't on the warrant. So, well, no, actually Rob, I told it did come out. We did discuss it and I told them that um that we had that we had a member that that we said if if the budget committee felt differently that um that the board I I would take that back to the board to then discuss putting it on the warrant. It wasn't going to be a because you would ask for that. Um and so if they had come back with a different recommendation, I would be sitting here tonight saying, "Okay, do you guys want to put this on the warrant?" But they didn't. they were in agreement with the um no uh raise pool.

I I think the vote was 8 to one. I think I think there was just one negative vote. Um same so um would there be any objection though to putting it on the warrant with a recommendation of no from both committees? I mean at least ask the town.

What would that accomplish though? What I don't understand the objective there. Well, I that's what I said at the last meeting. I think the town's people need to vote on the raises. You know, I think I think there's enough support in town. I think they support our employees and they'd probably approve it because we know changes are coming next year that are going to be even tougher.

I think we should at least ask. But Rob, if they So, if we if we put it out, so what would the question be? Um, it would read exa it would read exactly like a typical warrant article and says to see if the town will vote to raise an appropriate appropriate 50 15,000 whatever it is um for the race pool and then it could say board and budget committee recommend no but at least it's on the warrant.

Oh, I see what you're saying. Okay. Um I don't How do people feel about that? I think it's a good idea. just so it's out there. on it? Um, you know, if it was a split decision, but I mean, think our vote was 4 to one and their vote was 8 to1 and I'm kind of content where it's at. Yeah,

I kind of think we already talked about it. Um, I think we have we have sounds like we have three that would Well, if somebody wants to do you want to make a motion, Rob, so we can actually make this official. No, I mean, I think we know that it's fine. If it's not going to pass, it's no big deal. We brought it up. That was that's my intent. So,

okay, it's fine. Okay, I don't need to be on record being against you twice. warrant or anything that might impact the warrant? I believe in in the past the last couple years we've just taken a vote on the warrant um as presented.

Um is that right, Ruth? Is that Isn't that the way we've done it the last couple years? Yes. So moved. Roose copy that she shared on the screen. Right. Right. So the motion so I'm going to restate the motion. So the motion on the floor is that we accept the uh warrant document uh as presented by Ruth. The

name of the document being warrant 2020 final corona. um with the edits that Ruth has made uh during this meeting. So that's the motion is that that's that's the warrant that we um send to voters. You've already you guys have Rich moved it and Todd seconded it.

Um so um any uh any further discussion on that? call uh vote. So, if you're in favor of uh approving the warrant uh in the motion as described in the motion, uh say yes when I call your name. Rob, yes. Rich, yes. Todd, yes.

Mark, yes. And I'm a yes as well. Okay, so that's we have a warrant. need to um discuss with regard to the budget referendum and the ballot? I mean, I think we we know we're going to do we're going to do machine count. Um actually, we haven't talked yet about the um the information sheet. What's your what's your vision for that?

muted? um Oh, so I know we just voted on the warrant and everything, but you guys haven't actually voted to have the referendum. So, I would think that that would probably be uh the next direction if that's what you guys want to do.

send all warrant articles uh to vote via secret ballot uh referendum for this year. Second. All right. Yeah. So, if you're in favor of sending all articles questions on the Just one question, Ruth, will that change at all with the additional information from the governor? Potentially, would we do anything different? Um

well potentially if her I mean you could if if she were to relax the um number of people in a meeting uh after July 1st in order to allow uh town meetings then you could actually have a town meeting um after July 1st. But you don't have to um you can just stick with this.

if if there's a uh a um an announcement um in the next couple of days. I will email you guys and see how you feel about having a short meeting to discuss uh whether you want to change your options. So if we approve this and then something changes, we can get back together and redo it. Is that what we're saying?

Yeah. Yeah. And we could also we could also discuss the hypothetical tonight and see where the board is on like for the sake of argument if the governor came out within the next couple of days and said that basically was waving the large group restriction for an in-person town meeting. Um would that would that change anything?

Well, I'm I'm not sure. My my concern would be that even though it might be allowable that a lot of people might not be comfortable and we might have even a lower voter turnout than we normally have at town meeting and given that we've, you know, simplified the warrant and there's not really as much stuff here that requires a lot of attention and explanation. the the meeting at the in-person meeting isn't going to have as much value anyway. So, I I'm I'm my personal thing is I think we should roll as long as it ends up being allowed if some reason she, you know, says we can't do it that we just proceed with the secret ballot um town meeting. And it it's partly almost as an experiment because we've we've had people asking for this type of thing and maybe to see how it might work for a while. So, it's it's kind of a good opportunity to try it. I would agree.

The other thing, too, is, you know, we could have a special town meeting uh in the fall and uh do like the other types of articles if Yeah, I have that in the back of my mind for sure, you know, depending on how things work out um with the pandemic and everything.

motion to have the secret ballot um town meeting this year? Okay. If you're in favor of the motion, say yes when I call your name, please. Uh Rob, yes. Rich, yes. Todd, yes. Mark. Yes. And a yes as well. Okay. I mean, um, do we need to talk about like if we're going to do this information sheet, do we, um, do we

think we can get it in an efficient format where we would actually consider mailing it to every household? Well, uh, what Thompson does is they actually put it in like a newspaper article, just like a couple pages, uh, a couple sentences each. So, uh, in the next week I will look into what the price of that would be and and how, um, how cost prohibitive it might be. Uh, and I'll also begin, um, writing one and I will send a draft out to you guys probably the end of next week so you guys can take a look at it and, uh, and give me your comments.

I I I I don't know why we would want to do it in an actual newspaper. I mean, yeah, I would agree. I was thinking that that would give us the most space. No, not not like it's like a separate mailer, though. I mean, it's not in a newspaper.

Oh, man. So, how does a person get it? You get mailed to your mailbox. Oh, so I'm missing something here. What? Where does So, it's a direct mail piece. It's it's not a direct mail piece, but it's it's it looks like one of the smaller newspapers like like a

So, it's an insert to a newspaper like a coupon book. Yeah. But you don't put it in a newspaper. You just mail it on its own. So they would mail it. So they would So they would produce this. They would produce it and mail it for us.

Yeah. I mean, the other option, I suppose. Well, maybe that wouldn't be any cheaper. I mean, maybe it would be cheaper just to to do a couple pages and and mail it out to people. Well, it's worth required to do question. We're required to do a public hearing.

hearing or that's where I'm confused. Like is the newspaper considered a public hearing? No, no, no, no. This is something in addition to a public hearing and it's it's not in a newspaper. That's just the form that it would have been written in. But I'm thinking as as I'm talking to you guys that maybe that wouldn't be the least expensive way to go. I mean, I'm assuming that's why Toppo does it that way. But

yeah, I was just curious like if it's a public notification would um putting it on our website and you know uh releasing it ver via the Twitter feed or Facebook page etc. Is that sufficient? Well, we don't have to do a anformational sheet at all. We do have to do a public meeting. Okay. But

you know you guys have talked about it. I think I I yeah, it's not a I it's the information sheet isn't a legal requirement per se, but um you know, and in the reading I've been doing on secret ballot town meetings, you know, one because you don't have the opportunity for discussion, they said one of the keys is re you have to take extra efforts to kind of educate voters on on um what they're going to be voting on. So, it's it doesn't have to be a big elaborate thing. It's just kind of article by article almost, you know, oh, this budget is, you know, slightly down from last year for this reason, you know, or um the with the truck, you know, this truck um you know, this is a this price is a significant discount what we paid last year due to the market and it's replacing a 20 whatever year old truck. You know, just something that kind of gives some context to vote. um to uh voters. And I think if if we can

do it for a reasonable price, I think we should try to mail it to every household along with the because we we've kind of said informally that, you know, whenever we have a town meeting, we're going to send in a big public hearing, we're going to mail notice of it to all households um in town. And we um there are funds for that in the budget. Actually,

I'm fine with the direct mail piece. I just was kind of I didn't understand like what she was getting at whether it would be in the newspaper or via you know an insert into like a a smaller newspaper like a forecaster or something of that nature. That's where I was getting confused.

Yeah. I wasn't I think direct mail would be great. Yeah. So Ruth, you look at options. I mean that's that's essentially I think we wanna I we want to get it to every household. Um Yeah. and also online and all that other stuff too.

Yeah. Then we'd need extra copies if we have a polling place and for town the town office. Yeah. what else with regard to that subject? Anything, Ruth? I think that about covers it. Yeah, we have a warrant. We voted on how we're going to vote on it. Um, we've talked about the information sheet. Oh, well, that's kind of in your um in your report. We'll talk about schedule. Is that what you were intending to do?

What's that? Sure, if you want. Sorry. Or do you want to do it? Why don't we do it now since we're kind of on the on the subject rather than have to come back to it? Sure. So, with the secret ballot um for any secret ballot, even if it's just one question, um there is requirement uh uh

to have a public hearing um no more than 30 days and at least 10 days before the vote. And then that public hearing has to be noticed at least seven days before. Um, you're thinking Zoom on June 9th. Yeah, because I I was thinking we want to do it before uh absentee ballots start going out.

That makes sense. It's a Tuesday. It's your regular meeting in um June. Okay. Works for me. Yeah. know what to expect in terms of public participation in that. Um, who knows, Ruth, is the if we had over if we had over a hundred people want to join that meeting, does our Zoom account allow for that?

No, we could we could up our pres our prescription our subscription for a month. I think it's an extra $40 a month. I think we might have to do that. I think we can't risk not having um What does the $40 get us? Like up to 200 people? Up to 300 people? I mean,

300. Is it 300? 300. I think it's only 15 bucks. I have the subscription. I could set it up if you want, but yeah, I think it's only 15 bucks for 300. that one webinar style, Ruth? Uh well, we'd have to pay extra if we did it webinar style. But I mean, we could

That's a different That's a different fee, isn't it? You're right. It is a different fee. We could do it webinar style. We might actually be able to piggyback on uh GP Cog's um subscription to do it webinar style. I think they might let us if we wanted to. Um, and the other reason for doing it on the 9th, frankly, is because, uh, for the 30 days after the the emergency is lifted, and if they lift it on this Friday, we'll still be able to do Zoom meetings, but uh, after the 15th of June, if she doesn't extend it, um, we would have to figure something else out.

That's a good point. um absentee ballots on the 14th and then we don't know whether we're going to have a polling place or not. July 14th. Not 100% yet. No. Any other questions about schedule related to the town meeting?

All right. I think that's it for 5A. So, we're going to move on to the uh 5B, the discussion of the uh taxi anticipation note. quite a bit. Um and so, if you guys are are ready, now is probably the time to to go ahead and vote on it. And um I would get the ball rolling. And I sent you guys the wording for it. It's quite long and verbose. Um, but it's from my bond council, so I think we probably should do it that way.

Yeah, you sent, right? Uh, yes, I can. You want to put it up on the screen? Yeah. Why don't you just share it up there? Share screen. Hold on. I gotta find the right one. Don't want to be sharing the wrong thing. Okay. Can you guys see it?

Yep. Yep. So, you're looking for this is a tan of just over a million dollars in P. Uh, and it would be a a draw down. So, in other words, we wouldn't take the whole money out. We would only take what was actually needed.

Okay. can we just say as written? Uh, technically you probably should read it out. I know you guys don't like that. Scroll it down. It's a recorded video. technically it's um well, I don't know. I don't do we have anybody joining us just by phone? Ruth, can you tell?

I don't think so. Sure. Let's just get this over with. pursuant to title 30- section 5771 of the main revised statutes as amended and supplemented there be and hereby is authorized the issuance of a $1,50,000 principal amount tax anticipation note of the town in anticipation of the receipt of taxes for the municipal fiscal year which commences January 1st, 2020. 20 and ends December 31st, 2020.

That was definitely written by lawyers. Two, that said note shall be dated on or about June 1st, 2020. Shall mature on December 31st, 2020, shall be signed by the treasurer and countersigned by the chairman of the board of selectmen, and otherwise be in such form and bear such details as the signers may determine. Three, that said note is hereby sold and awarded to Androskagan Bank. Four, that said note is hereby designated qualified tax exempt obligations of the town for the 2020 calendar year pursuant to the Internal Revenue Code of 1996. And five, that all things hereto for done and all action hereto for taken by the town, its municipal officers and its agents in the authorization of said note are hereby ratified, approved, and confirmed. And the treasurer and chairman are each hereby authorized to take any and all action necessary or convenient to carry out the provisions of this voting, including delivering

said note against payment. Therefore, that's my motion. Thank you, Rich. Thank you, Rob. Sorry. Rob, is there a second? I'll second. Yeah, just for discuss, can can you guys refresh me on this, Tan? I know we've had conversations in the past, but um how does what what is total cost? And I mean, is there an interest rate incurred on these things? I can't remember what the heck goes on with these things.

There is an interest rate incurred. Um, it's generally about 3 to three and a half%. Um, I haven't actually gotten a quote on it yet, but I would expect it to be about there. Um, and the cost that we incur mostly is through the bond council. So, we do have to pay, I think it's about $2,000 for the bond council to do this. Um, but legally we're kind of required to do that. So, um, if we want to tan, that's kind of the way we have to go.

I lost my audio feed. I I I heard an interest rate of approximately three three and a half% and like a couple thousand dollars as a sounds like an application fee or something of that nature. It's a bond council. That's what you have to pay the bond council to um to do the offering.

Okay. Thank you. Any other discussion on the motion for the tan? can't do that. If if you're in favor of the uh tan as read by Rob Panto, um say yes when I call your name. Rob Panto. Yes. Rich. Yeah. Mark. Yes. And I'm a Yes. Right.

of the town office reopening plan. So, after the discussion last week, I went back to the office staff and we talked about it um and uh presented you guys with a plan for reopening on this Thursday. Um, with public hours, um, we wanted to keep it fairly simple. So, we made them pretty much exact across the board whereby we would be open from 1:00 till I guess 1 to 4 every single day except for Thursday. We would be open from 3 to 3 to 6 and then um, we would

be open in the morning for um, by appointment. proposed schedule? Yeah, I like the idea of the appointment for higher risk individuals in the morning. and I sent it in today's email and and uh you know, we don't know how this is going to go. Um I have no idea what we haven't thought of yet. Um and so if we have to make adjustments on the fly, I wanted to have permission to do that with Mark's approval as Mark being my liaison.

that. I don't necessarily have an issue with it. I I think other than shutting down the town office, I mean, if Ruth has to make adjustments, I think she should be able to make the adjustments. I mean, I think if it gets to a point where she has to close it,

then obviously she should contact Mark and he should bring it to the chair and then if we need a discussion, we can be have a discussion, but I think she should make the adjustments on the fly that she sees needed in her department. I

I would agree with that, you know, and Ruth and then but and if you do have to make a change, you got to just you just inform the board as soon as possible. Okay. Yeah, I agree I mean yeah, we're we're definitely obviously you know the board I think has pushed a little bit to get the office open as soon as possible but it still needs to be done you know in a safe way that the staff um is comfortable with and is not taking you know unnecessary risk. Um, so you're you guys are on the

ground there. So you you've got to make some calls. Yeah. And we also have to keep in mind that if one of us is uh is it, you know, exposed to COVID, then, you know, the town office closes down or if we're exposed to CO in the office.

mean, who knows that that might change with all the new testing there is now. It might be that people could be tested and be okay to work, but but you're right that that is a significant risk if um town office gets exposed. So,

Yep. Any other questions or concerns for Ruth about the um opening? And that's you're So you're planning this starts when? Thursday. Yep. Thursday. that, we'll go on to the next one. the agenda. Um Todd put out there um like to have a discussion about maybe some maintenance that might need to be done at the old town hall. So what do you got Todd?

Yes. Um, we've already talked about the fact that the roof on the porch needs to be redone, needs to be stripped, needs to be new uh new flashing and some cloud boards so that the porch doesn't get wet. We We need to do it before it gets painted. Uh Jan came to me and asked me in light of all that's happened if we're still good with doing that. Uh I know we are we have the money in that account. So

but I just want to make sure that everybody's good with continuing to to finish that porch. already approved and he's just asking if it's still okay? Huh? Yeah. Does anybody have any thoughts on that? any I don't stop the work.

capital? Is that where that those funds are coming from, Ruth? fund. It has they have a specific account, right? Yeah. Especially that. I mean, that's what that money's for. So, yeah. Yeah. We do need to get it done so that the

porch doesn't get wet. It's only fine. Okay. But I want to make sure that everybody's okay with it before we go ahead and do it. Yeah. Anybody not okay with it? Yeah. Speak now or forever hold. Okay. I say just keep going. Todd, tell Jan to finish the job.

All right. Thank you. Yeah. Thanks. Yeah. Yeah. Thank you, Todd. Yeah. Jen Jen was just concerned with where we were at with it, that's all. Yep. Okay. So, we're into uh department committee reports and road commissioners first this week.

town office uh properties of fire station, Eureka ball field. There's a lot of trails that Ruth showed us around the town office that had uh fallen trees across and things. We got that all cleaned up. Um we've been working on changing a lot of driveway culberts. Uh we got a list of ones that we've needed to get to. Winter came sudden and fast last year in mid November. So um we're getting to those and had a few more that have failed over the winter that we're getting to. Uh I was working with Cooker on the bond paving from last year to put the surface on. I had a meeting with him yesterday. Um there's some areas that we always get with a 19 millimeter binder that get end of load segregation that we're going to mill out. So we'll be doing a mill and fill. We'll be going over those tomorrow painting them out. And that's the same thing we always do after we do a binder and they sit. Um, very few. We didn't get very many this

year except for Grant Roads got more than more than most, but I think it's because it was uh done late and um might have been a little bit of uh that was when the winter came and shut us off. So, but they are looking to get to maybe start Leighton Road next week. Uh that just has very a couple of spots that need to be addressed. Um talked to them about the uh day road starting that they're looking at a month. They said as soon as the crew on route nine is done with the shoulders they'll move over to day road start on that one about a month about a month out. Um

restocked it checked it today. Everything looks good. Um so that uh that place is very busy. Um the crew went back to summer hours, four 10-hour days, Monday through Thursday. the truck, the new truck um offer for the bid extension.

Yep. Calvin, question on on the schedule. Um what do you guys have some sort of an an on call um plan for those um those three days that you are not um scheduled? You know like if uh you know a major tree falls across the road or some some big issue do you have um

do you have a plan for that? for a second. you guys work day Yeah I'm not able you have some sort of an on call I think yeah I think I hear you now I think uh yeah no they They the Androskagen County or state police have a list of people to call. They call me first. And if they don't get me, they call Ron. If they don't, you know, they one of us will answer and get to uh but there's always somebody available. But I've given the the okay the dispatch a priority list of who to call first. No answer the road, second, third.

so the freight liner um he's uh skipped on vacation this week but said he'll get me that in writing first of next week. He's uh had to he had to uh check with Viking survey to make sure they were going to hold their part of it. the outfitter that builds the truck from after builds after the chassis part. So, um he said he'll get me that next week. Uh because otherwise I told him we'd have to go back to bid if we're going to put this out to uh town vote. So, he said no, he would get it. Um so, for the next couple of weeks, we're going to be working on uh driveway culverts. Um, we're going to be looking at the working this Thursday. We're going to go back to the fire station, try to get those two piles of dirt out behind the fire station out. Should we're hoping it should be dry enough Thursday to get in there and get that done. Uh, uh, potholes on Route 9 136. Um,

it's like pulling teeth. We've called them over and over again. Finally got him to come out and do something. I think uh Todd, the one you were referring to at the top of the hill, I mean we told them the hole was 2 feet wide by a foot AC acong and they came out and put about two tablespoons of a patch in the very nucleus of the

center where I saw you still fall into the hole. They so got to call him back and get him to come back and do that again. I don't I don't understand uh uh I'd say how they stay in business, but they're not. So, but it's certainly not the way we do things, but I'll call them back. Go over that again.

Just keep keep trying. Um so, talking about the um I would like to Ruth opening the town office. I'm wondering would I be all set to remove my uh uh signs on the doors that say the building's closed here? I mean, we have rarely anybody here, but if I have the engineer come over or pricker wants to come over just to have a quick discussion about something, uh,

but and kept social distancing at them. No, I think if the town's open, take the same precautions, right? Yeah. take the same precautions that um you know the town office is taking in terms of social distancing and hygiene and all that other stuff. And um yeah, you do what you got to do to function.

That's uh that's all I got. Any other questions? No more questions for Calvin? Great. Thank you, Calvin. Oh, is you're up next. Somebody have something. Bowie Hill Road. Go ahead, Chief. The null on Bowie Hill Road. That's one of them. The fixing, right?

Yeah, I think I clicked. Well, there it is. There you are. Uh, yep. There is one hole there, one small pothole. They're going to take care of that. end? They're going to they're going to fix. Yeah, there's uh Yeah, we're going to go over that.

Yeah, we're going to go over that, too. Very good. All right. Thank you, Chief. You're up. hopefully you received a copy of the report that I sent yesterday. Uh we just continue to manage calls as best we can. Once again, they they are they are down. We're not missing calls or anything else like that. It just um depending on the type of call and the illness reported, our our t our call times are up a little bit, but that's just uh there's nothing we're going to do about that. That's the way everyone's operating right now with all of the additional PPE we're wearing. Uh meeting with the chief officers tonight to discuss uh reopening the station and reopening our um our functions like on on as far as regular operations, trainings, meetings, things like that. Um so if there's anything that we have a concern about or a question about in regards to the way the town's functioning um I'll forward that

on. Um other than that we have our annual hose testing working on the well the septic projects have reached out to both uh affordable and cop uh to start those processes. Um nothing else is a major issue. Um the only question that I have is the the only capital project that I had proposed this year that hasn't been discussed is the turnout gear. Um as we do have some of that that is particularly aged and needs to be replaced. Um but trying to be responsible about that as I proposed in my in my report. I'd like to cut the amount um that I requested to spend for the year um and just do the best that I can with it and then defer the rest of it to next year to replace.

of capital, right? initial CIP proposal um at the beginning of the year, it was it was 12 Was had previously recommended be approved for this year? It was. Yes. you have an update on what this does to on where now that we have well and septic bids where with this included where we're going to be with fire capital when all is said and done.

second. I gotta I gotta get it up on my screen. Um, I'm always going the wrong way. Thought it was last week. 28th. Was it the 28th? Okay, let me pull that up. Yeah, I see. So, does this But that I think when you sent that that didn't include the well and septic

the starting point. So yeah, the start. So the what you sent us on the 28 I think it was 171 after it was 174979. So we essentially need to deduct well and septic from that. Right. And then the 24,000 for the SCBA projects that are already listed.

Well, the 54550 included the the safety gear um the well and septic I believe although it didn't have the actual numbers so that was only $15,000. I think I came up with about 59,000 with the actual well and and um septic

bids in there. So we take about $60,000 out of his 171,000 I believe is his. You think that's all in? That's where we are 171. I I I'm having problems finding it. I think I need to do this a different way. Let's see here.

me a minute to pull things up. All right, let's look at public works. way off. I apologize. So the balance at the end of the year was 271,249. tell me if I'm wrong. I think the bill for the SCBA was was about 25,000. Yeah, just under 25. Yep.

Right. So 25 less than also less than initially anticipated. Right. Yep. So then the 25,000 plus uh 10,000 is 35,000 plus what was the well bid? About 15. No, the well was just uh just under 13 and uh sorry, no, the well was just over five and the septic was just just under 13.

actually. So that's less. So you take the 53 out of the 271, revenue this year minus minus the 4120 for the bond payment. Oh, yep. Sorry about that. Yep. So that brings us down to about 180,000 plus whatever comes as revenue

and then another 10 for the turnout gear. No, that no that Oh, that's in the earlier number. Okay. All right. Yeah, I had included that. motion. So, I I think I'm going to move that we um permit the chief to expend up to $10,000 in capital funds for um

turnout gear for the remainder of this budget year. can have discussion. Second. I'll second it. All right. So, discussion. Okay. Thank you. So, the reason I'm making a motion to do this is expenditure of capital funds needs to be authorized um by the board and we

haven't actually officially authorized this. We have recommended it be included in a budget article, but we're actually not putting that budget article on the warrant for the kind of normal um fire capital stuff. The only capital article on the warrant is the uh plow charge. So, so we have to vote to approve for those funds to be spent or not.

of authorizing the chief to spend up to $10,000 in fire department capital funds on turnout gear for the remainder of the budget year, say yes when I call you. Rob, yes. Rich, yes. Todd, yes. Mark, yes. And I I am a yes as well. Okay. All right, Chiefs, you're all set on that one.

Very good. Uh that's like I said that's all I have. I'll just keep the board um up to speed on where we're at with the well and septic projects as they move forward. And other than that, it's business as usual for us. Okay.

Great. Thank you very much. Thanks, Chief. Town administrator report is next. actually think we went through everything in the report. Um, unless you guys had any questions for me. So, um, the only thing on the consent agenda was the minutes for May 5th, and

I don't think we have the final version, or at least I don't because I think Todd called out a correction, and but I'm not sure the corrected version has been back. Do would others agree with that? Yeah, she sent corrected minutes.

Oh, I just got an email from her. says, "Apparently, she only sent them to you, Rob." She didn't she didn't send them to every. So, we'll we'll take care of that next week because we obviously haven't read them um about two weeks from now. So, there is no consent agenda.

next regular board meeting is Tuesday, May 26th. I'm going to presume that would probably still be in this Zoom format. And then, uh, Tuesday, June 9th, which will also be the, uh, public hearing uh, for the, uh, articles on the warrant. Any any thought? Should we start at 6 o'clock that night or are people still okay with 6:30 since the public hearing is going?

Six sounds good to me. I'm sorry, Rich. I didn't hear that. I think six sounds great. Yeah. Why don't Is there any objection to starting at 6 on June 9th? No. Okay. So, we're we're going to make the time uh six. We'll start with the public hearing and let Ruth Let's try to keep the rest of the agenda as light as possible. Um that

I'll try my best. What? I'll try my best. Okay. All right. So, six o'clock on June 9th, I'm starting with the public hearing on the secret ballot town meeting. adjourn. Second. Rob seconds. If you're in favor of adjournment, say yes when I call your name. Rob.

Yes. Rich. Sure. Yes. Yes. Mark. Yes. And I am as well. Okay. We are adjourned. Hi guys. Everybody. Thank you. Take care. Yeah. We will talk. Ruth, do you need me to come in and sign the uh tan? Uh, I I will, but not yet. I'll let you know.

Okay. All right. Very good. Bye, everybody. Take care, everyone. Bye now. Take care.