TranscriptSelect Board Meeting ~ March 21, 2017

Thank you. We'll call this meeting to order. Uh, all four of the selectmen are here this evening. Can we please rise for the pledge of allegiance America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. you go.

Um, amendments to the agenda. I am going to add, um, 6G under the consent agenda. Uh, second BYOB permit. Are there any other amendments to the agenda? Okay. Uh, public comment. Any public comment this evening? Uh, if you're here for the candidate form, we have another uh, item for that. Okay. Okay, seeing none. Consent agenda.

I move that we accept the consent agenda as presented. Second. Any discussion? All in favor? Motion carries. And if we can sign I put you guys in order. Done. All right. And uh next up is the candidate form. Um if you're here for that, if you're here for that, I'll ask that um each one come up to the uh chair here to the mic so that you can be heard on the video. And whoever wants to start is more than will

Was it two? No, there's just one right now. You can sign the other one later. Yes, we are. And you you probably will have to get used to it if you want to be on the board, right? Oh, I'm used to it. Yeah. Oh, that's true. In the planning board. Yeah.

Kind of forget. I'm Todd Bolier. I'm running for uh a three-year selectman term. I've lived in town since 1969. That's uh 48 years if I count right. I've been here in town building houses since I could swing a hammer with my father. Um, I married my wife Lysa in 1984 and we

settled here in town, raised two children and uh, they currently live in town. Would like to stay here. Um, we all love this town. I think I'm pretty fiscally conservative and I'm a little worried about where my taxes are going these days. Um, I've looked up and since ' 07 my taxes,

my own taxes have gone up by two. Uh, so I I know a lot of older people that have are really struggling to uh make ends meet and with the increases we're looking at with the school. That's where I I stand on the conservative side. We need to break put the brakes on somewhere. Um, I've been on the planning board since 2003. I've been the chairman for three or four years now. Um, and I'd just like to

continue serving the town as a selectman. It's all I got. Thank you. Thank you, No, I'm calling me out. I have to cuz nobody wants to jump. like the record to show I'm good at following directions. So, so um so my name is uh Kevin Neto and I too am running for one of the three-year uh seats on the board of selectmen. Um I haven't been in town 48 years. So, um there's probably a lot more people out there that don't know me. So, a little bit of background. Um I was born and raised in Maine. Um a graduate of the University of Maine with a degree in business administration. Uh for the last 20 years I've been an employee uh at LLBAN working primarily in product development for outdoor equipment products. I'm a very avid outdoorsman, hunter, fisherman, camper, skier, cyclinger, uh pretty much uh anything that goes on outside. I am married with two children, both of whom attend the Durham Community School.

Um a lot of viewers may know my wife uh better than me. Uh her name is Ruth Dodge and she's the speech language pathologist at the uh community school. And we moved to Durham uh 18 years ago because we were looking for a small rural town uh where we could really be a part of the community and not just, you know, lost in a sea of people. Um we were attracted to Durham by the the size of the community, the good schools, um and its proximity to a lot of major uh employment centers. you can live here and you have a lot of options for where um where you can find work. I've been uh uh always been interested in town affairs and been involved in a lot of different things over the years. Uh I've never missed a town meeting since I moved here. Um some of the things I've done, I've been a youth basketball and soccer coach with the Durham athletic boosters. In 2012, uh, I

was chairman of an educational exploration committee appointed by the board to look at various school administrative structures. Um, I'm currently treasurer of Cub Scout Pack 145. Uh, member current member of the budget committee here in town since 2013 and current chairman of the uh, comprehensive planning committee. So, uh, definitely have an interest in the town and and seeing it um, you know, do very well. some of the issues as to why I'm running. You know, the my work on the comprehensive planning committee has really opened my eyes to uh a lot of the growth pressures that Durham is going to face over the next few years. And I think it's really important that uh not only that we have a good comprehensive plan that kind of lays out what the vision for the town is on how we manage that growth and uh preserve what we love about the town. But that's just the first step. the real work comes in the

implementation of the plan and that's really the responsibility of of the board and the other town committees. So, um I'd like to be a part of that work uh going forward. Uh I hear uh people's comments about taxes and I share some of the same concerns and so I tend to be fiscally conservative as well, but I am also someone who would say that I'm I avoid situations where we we're pennywise and pound foolish and I think our road situation is probably a good example of that. If we had a more regular long-term program for investment in our roads, if we had had that over the last, you know, 10 or 15 years, we might might not be in the situation we are now and may not be faced with the investment we're going to have to make to bring them up to standards here. So, I believe in um spending frugally to avoid bigger expenditures uh down the road. Um, I also think the town ought to consider um changes to the the budget year and how

we structure that. I mean, currently we vote in April for a budget that began in January that we don't collect any money to support until August and I think that makes it really tough uh to uh manage the finances of the town efficiently. So those are just some examples of things I would um like to look at and explore if I were uh to be elected. So thank you very much.

Thank you. Mr. Stewart since the well since all the threeear positions Stewart everybody knows me pretty much. I'm a selectman already. I'm rer runninging for another three-year term. Um, everybody that knows me knows I'm very voice. Uh, I say what I what I mean on my mind right right there, which sometimes gives me a lot of trouble, but I um I'm not a bobblehead. I don't say yes yes yes to everything. Um, it's a hard balance now that I've been on the board to uh the taxes to balance the taxes and what we got for departments is a real hard thing to do. We can't make everybody happy all the time and we can't make every taxpayer happy all the time. Um, but I am uh I'm excited about

the new we got some new members coming. So, regardless whether I'm here or not, we're going to have some new faces, some new ideas, and I can't wait to work with them if I'm here again. Uh, if not, then I'll be uh I'll probably still come to the meetings and voice my opinion. I don't want you guys getting used to me not being here.

have fun. Thank you. for selectman as well. I can heckle the oneear seat. Okay. Well, let's let's go ahead and take you so that Okay. That way we get all the selectman all at once. Sure. Good evening. My name is Rich George. I've been a resident in Durham um with my wife since 2003. Um my reasoning for running is is strictly just to be involved with the town. I think I have some skills that um I use in my everyday practice in business that I think fit this particular position well. Um I you know I don't necessarily have a bias in terms of the political agendas of the town other than the fact of being um open to everybody's opinion.

older folks, younger folks, new Durham folks, the older Durham folks. Um, and and and weighing the options so it so it suits everybody. I think this town's great. I love this town. My wife loves this town. Our two kids, we raise them here. Um, we we can't imagine living anywhere else to be honest with you. And, you know, going forward, you know, we we we I feel we could be an asset. Um, and we would welcome the opportunity and the challenge to be able to participate. So,

thank you. Awesome. Oh, if I could I forgot to mention, I've been here 32 years. I've lived in Durham for 19 years. Um I grew up in Brunswick and um my husband and I after college decided to come back and um live in the area and we built a house here in Durham and have loved it. Um I have three children that are in the school system. Um, one of them is still at DCS, a seventh grader. I have two in the high school, one who's graduating this year. So, I have watched um the

entire K to 12 um you know, in the school system and I've been around and um with all the RSU5 um everything that's gone on with that. Um from Keen State. I started my career in the public school system um teaching in Brunswick and then I switched to um adult education. I currently work at the Cumberland County Jail as a teacher um and a librarian there. So that's kind of a different perspective um on education. Um I've been involved with the school since day one. I've volunteered. Um I've, you know, been involved in the PTA and um you know, I I I have a real love for the school system here in Durham. Um and I have that has been carried over to the the whole RSU5. Um I'm a huge supporter of the RSU. I was I have been since day one. Um both of my children that go to the high school have had a really good experience and I think that um my agenda I guess for wanting to run is just to keep that going. I think that

um you know I'd like to be a positive person on the on the board of directors for the for RSU5 and keep things going in the direction that they they seem to be going in which is a is a really good direction. And I I spoke to Michelle Richardson for quite some time um about being on the board. So I think I have an good understanding about what what it involves. And you know, now that my kids are at an age where I'm not, you know, as I don't have as much going on with them, I I'd like to put my effort into something else. And this is kind of the direction I I think is good for me.

Okay. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you all for coming today. Um I don't know. I was wondering is it possible uh whether Alden or Shannon can actually cut this portion out and create just a candidates form portion that we can have a link on our website too. I don't know if it's possible.

I don't know. If they can that would be really nice. Thank you. And the other candidates to make it. Um everyone was invited correct as far as I know. Shannon was All right. Uh next up, act on waving building permit fees for Parker Morris and this was uh with the uh house fire u

and so on. And this is I think this has been past practice. It was actually brought to us several weeks ago, but there's no record of us actually voting on it. I think the only part we can't wave is the state plumbing fee portion, but I would move that we wave the town the town portion that we we do have the authority to wave.

I second that. Any discussion? All in favor? Motion carries. Thank you. Uh Spirit of America award. Well, nobody's really come up with any ideas on the Spirit of America award. Um, and so the three of us had been sitting in the office and we were thinking maybe Gary Wood would be a good um, candidate for his service to the town in that he's been the moderator for town meeting for I don't even know how many years and has never charged a scent.

I think it's over 30 over 30 years. Yeah. He he took over sometime I think in the early 80s and Yeah. and he's he's also on the on the appeals board and he doesn't get paid for that either. So, um even though he doesn't live in town, he's still doing that. Um yeah, I haven't had any other suggestions. So, that's where we were going with it.

Okay, I will make a motion that we uh uh name Gary Wood as our Spirit of America award this year for his uh service to the town as a as town moderator for over 30 years and also on the appeal his service on the appeals board and many other items as well.

I'll second that discussion. All in favor? Motion carries. Um, can you make sure that he'll so that we going to be at town? He will be at town meeting. So do a presentation then and I believe uh just for your going to probably be doing things. We've got that. We've also got a scholarship award winner. I believe that.

Yeah. Okay. I will have to sit down with you beforehand and make sure I have all the names pronounced right. I make no promises that I do that. Gary Wood. position. I was Yeah, but I was not able I don't know that that's something that that we can

not at that at the rate that that was proposed for that fill-in position. I I know we have talked a little bit and and I don't know kind of where where those discussions are as far as as eventually transitioning that into a joint position,

but we go ahead. Oh, okay. I was thinking we need to do something though because Kelvin has a lot on his plate with what we got going down down in Bal till June. So, so Ruth had actually talked um reaching out there to at least one other codes officer in the area and also putting something out is seeing if there's a list served for codes officers like maybe there's a retired codes officer that wouldn't mind coming in on an interim basis and or and things like that because um with with the changes with Panel I I don't think we want to look as a full-time replacement until we look at are other options like but you know but

but at the same time it's building season is going to start gearing up at spring and we want to make sure that that people that are building in the community have access to right a couple hundred bucks a week for someone make sure someone's here is to me

would you like a um to have a special meeting if if there if Ruth reaches out and and guess well you can have Ruth reach out and and and see what because this is only a couple hundred bucks a week I mean to make sure someone's here for the for the for our taxpayers I to me is and plus that that involves that involves mileage for inspections and everything. I mean to me that's pretty reasonable to make sure that someone's here for four hours a week to make sure that our our taxpayers have someone coming to talk to.

Well, I'm I'm kind of I kind of agree with Sarah because of some of the issues we've already talked about with uh hourly uh pay and stuff. We're kind of pushing our luck with that. And my only other concern, and I voiced it before, was what I don't want to see happen is have someone come in um that's not movec certified

and we start putting out permits and then when we get somebody comes back in and they start looking at, you know, finishing up the inspection, we have a issue back and forth. So, I'd rather see some kind of consistency. I know we're kind of looking for somebody temporarily maybe for 3 months, maybe four months or less or more. But

I just want somebody here for the taxpayers. Yeah. Oh, I agree. But I'm not so sure giving a piece of paper through the window ain't really what I want. I want some one-on-one with with the code imposting office like we used to have even with Feny, you know.

Absolutely. And I think, you know, it's something that will when we have no idea. It's easy for you to say this is just going to be a couple hundred bucks a week. We don't that that's we know what his hourly rate is, but we don't have any idea how much time that's going to

Oh, he says it right here. That's office hours, but then that he's talking about additional time for Well, inspections are included in that in that time. You ain't charging for the inspections? Well, it looks to me like it's uh at least two hours on a Friday and and Wednesdays and Thursday evenings it could be

inspections in between. It could be it could be four hours, it could be 10 or 15 hours. It all it all depends. So yeah, I mean but the but the 60 50 60 an hour which would includes my time is mileage and inspection. So that's includes that's

you know what I mean? I don't I just I just want someone here for a for we we we Paul left and we need someone to Right. I guess I I think I read this differently than you do. It does it sounds to me that it's 5650 to $60.

I'm looking I'm looking at 800 a month and I don't know what you guys his time for in his office hour time and he would also be billing that for his time for inspections because I spoke with which is fine but we just need to figure out what those numbers look like and and what we have in our budget.

Yeah. because I spoke with him and he said this is the same thing he charges Bowden and and Bowden's 10,000 a year. Absolutely. Which is 800 a month. If if I could just just want to be sure that you understand that nobody's waiting for code work. I've been responding to everybody out there and I we've responded to all and there's a lot of other work besides just inspections. You've got appeals. You've got and I think Mark experienced some of the Mark and Jeff both one of the dealings I had today with somebody coming in that the land use audits have changed. There's a lot more to it than just inspections and there's a lot of land use legal stuff back and forth with attorneys but

and I don't want to hang another hat on your head either. I mean you got Palmer, we got you got Durm, you got spring coming, you got roads to do, we got ditches. How is your time going, Cal? Been been keeping up with it pretty well. I think I think um I think you know you're going to pick up after mud season it'll pick up a lot more right now. It's been trying to get trucks to job sites that I've been having to issue waivers early mornings but those are probably going to run out this week and then you're going to be at a standstill for a while excavation.

So question to Ruth too is um because you you mentioned in your email anyway that this is putting a bit of a burden on the office. It is. Um Calvin and I um sat down with Donna actually on Monday and we went over some of the paperwork involved. Um and then I'm going to also have Calvin sit down and talk with um myself and uh Pam regarding what he wants us to do as far as the the um permits are concerned.

And I I think we're getting to somewhere. Um, we're working on reorganizing the files and and we're starting to get a bit of a a thing going. But I do agree with Mike in terms of I don't know how much and that kind of defers to you, Calvin, as to how much availability you have with your other responsibilities in terms of of being able to sit down with permit applicants and and address questions or concerns that they may have.

Well, I mean, he has the Fridays, too, because he doesn't have to be too much. I would let you know, but I mean I've got evenings. I've got Oh, because you have Fridays because we have because you you guys have moved to the 410s in public parks.

Yeah. So, I mean, I've been keeping up with him till he does spend actually quite a bit of time on Fridays. Yeah. I had 12 hours last Friday. 12 hours getting budget, but Well, for me, it's it's like I said, I mean, I know what he was offering. I know what he's asking. I'm I'm not really comfortable with that. I And I am more comfortable with somebody if if Calvin can keep up. I mean, I don't want I know you got budget coming up for panel, so you got to be working on that.

Pretty much finished that Monday, yesterday. Um and then like Mike says, we got stuff that once I mean, I know it's probably going to be another month before everything really starts to open up. But for me, it's a consistency is what I'm kind of looking for. I don't want to end up having uh cuz we did have that when we went from where we was to Paul coming in and there was a lot of hiccups and going backwards and frontwinds and I don't really want to do that again. So, and I I think with this with what we was offering, I think that's for me that's kind of too far out.

And and I I got to put something out there cuz the one the the cost the what the price that he's putting out there is one of one of the things. Even if he came in at what I would consider more reasonable, I I'd have a hard time with this one only because of appearances where where this was initiated by by you,

Mike, and he's your boss. The whole the whole process was initiated by you. I I I have an I have a issue with that just because even if even if there's no even if there's nothing wrong the appearance it looks it looks bad and if some if somebody came back

like I said just reach out to other coers and see what they'll charge you know I mean I have no problem with that and I I'm I'd be willing to uh call a a meeting if if we get something this week call a meeting early next week to to discuss to to try to because I would like to see if we can alleviate some of the issues.

Well, I guess to the extent that you know we are looking at at most likely the the joint road commissioner position coming to an end in June that the panel does not intend to move forward with that. We have Calvin. He is certified.

He's a MUB licensed inspector. we're going to need to figure out how to absorb moving him from a part-time road commissioner to a some other kind of position. And so if we could keep some consistency to the extent that he's got the time, I I would my vote would be to keep it in house for right now until such time as Calvin says that it's getting to be

review it at the next meeting and see how things are going. That's kind of what we've been doing for the last month, month and a half. And I'm just concerned that the office is saying that it's it's becoming a burden. And and and we're looking and we're looking at another 3 months of this. And

I think the burden was that the filing system is just so archaic. And so it was just there was stuff over here. There's stuff over here. There might be three files for the same same map and lot. And one's over here, one's in there, one's it just

I mean I I came in the other week. I came in the other day and and Ruth was on the computer with building permit stuff. I'm like, I don't want to set her time up doing the code influence officer that he should be doing to begin with, but he's too busy cuz he needs help from you to do it cuz we need someone else coming in and do help, you know? I mean,

but but it wouldn't make any difference because I'd still be doing that. I mean, we because I somebody has to have the organization to be able to know where all the permits are and whether they've been So, you did that for Paul?

No, I didn't do that for Paul. And that's what I'm trying to say. But she would be doing that for any part-time person that just came in a couple hours a week. This piece wouldn't change. So, we're developing a system and getting some normal normaly in place. But, you know, where I came from, the permits were all there. And that's what we're trying to structure is all the permits there. The ladies in the office would hand them the permits. They'd fill them out, collect the fee, and then I'd put them in my box, and then when I came, I'd go over them, and then I'd call them, and if there was any inconsistencies, we go over it. Or if I needed, if they wanted to meet with me ahead of time, they could just call They just give them my cell phone number.

Well, and at one point we even talked about having the forms ideally as the new website comes up and gets developed that the all of the applicant forms would be available on the website. They actually are. Okay. I don't know how how that works with with people out there.

Todd, how's that work? Getting forms. I mean, you must be awesome. Well, they are available on the website. Yeah, some people that for for for people builders and people that do this every day, that would be great for for a homeowner that's trying to fill it out themselves. This it's a uh convoluted form right now.

A lot of it's just NA it's not applicable and and it's adjustment on our part, too, because Paul was very um he did everything and he he wouldn't let us do anything. We weren't allowed to hand out even permits without his knowledge. So I think it may be a learning curve for us too because

we went from a very hands-off system to a very hands-on system and now we're trying to find a happy medium. The normal way of doing it in most places is you go in, you get the applications whether the code is there or not. You fill them out, you bring them back, pay a fee, and you leave them with an ad with an assistant or with some administrator. The code officer looks at it and comes in.

Does that sound logical, Todd, to you? It does. I I I guess probably part of the issue is they have the questions up front and they're asking you guys and you guys don't have those answers. Yeah. Shouldn't you shouldn't necessarily

my number. Yeah, right. I was going to say in that case that they if that's what's happening or I give them the land use ordinance and we have just have them call him directly. That could be missing. Well, and to the extent at least right now that public works is on 410s and so Calvin does have Fridays available. I think that that making some Friday just office hours so that people that do have questions or homeowners that are walking through the form can come in and know that there will be somebody here on Fridays or one evening a week and a Friday or whatever it is and get some hands-on. You know, I think there there's a there's a middle ground that that we can come up with. I'd have to say having your the office people anybody other than the code enforcement officer answering questions

that wouldn't be it's tough. Oh yeah, it happened before the wrong answer. You you want one person. The questions should definitely not be answered at about the staff level because he said he said stuff other than can I have the form that's planned for question should come to the code officer first and if he's thinks it's pertinent run it through the the whole form system and onto the planning board sounds good.

So basically you guys if you can hand them the forms if his number's not on it write his number on it for him. Any questions they just have to call him. Actually, that's a good re way to do. We should put your number on the

forms. there. That's what I had on my last job. It's GPS locator. And I and I and I agree. Maybe we should put out some feelers still, but maybe we can I know we kind of been reviewing it every couple of weeks to see how it's going, but I I like the consistency better. I don't want to go backwards where we was before. So, I guess in the event I thought was even even if if we do have to add somebody in to give some more hours that we'd add him as like an assistant.

Um and an interim assistant so that um for now Calvin would still be the the codes the acting codes, but this person would be an assistant that could help fill in if there were gaps. In bigger towns where they have in some cases two and three uh of each inspectors because of they have different quadrants or sections that they're responsible for. I think that's different. But in a town like this where we only have one inspector does it all. When you get too many involved sometimes interpretation can kind of get people messed up. Not on purpose. It's just

we found out more for the homeowner that they don't quite understand all the We found that out last year when we had to have somebody fill in and um their interpretations were completely different. Do are the lion share of permits issued to contractors or do homeowners get them themselves or is it mixed?

I haven't had a chance to right now most of what's going on as contractor. New a lot of new houses. Y about 50/50. Typically, I would think new housing would be contractors and maybe uh making modifications might be the might be the homeowner more often. But

contractors are the easy ones to do it yourself. I just looked at one yesterday. Oh god. I don't know where to begin. Well, that that permit I mean I filled them up in the past when I was doing that for people and that permit and can there's a lot there that doesn't apply as you said.

Oh, it it definitely and especially when you look at it and there's nothing saying that you can fill in NA here and so on and you could just write NA. They're they're asking for sketches of the property and this and that and um to go measure all the setbacks and like

when you're remodeling a bathroom. Yeah, exactly. Or they start looking at live load and dead load and they want to know what the span is and yeah, that really kind of messes them up. I I agree. So So yeah, just put the number on there.

So if Yeah, if you can put out some more feelers um and just see if there's anything and I'll let you know if I get any hits. Please let us know if it if this becomes a burden more of a burden to the office, more of a burden to you, Calvin. We don't want this to get out of hand.

We we we need to kind of go as smooth as we can at least up until June here. Well, even after that, we want it to be smooth, but in this interim we chief, um he asked to be excused. There was only one item that he wanted to mention and that was that they had elections of uh the the deputies and um

the the two deputies that were in place uh were reelected. So Lisa Groves and Keith Russell have been reelected to their respective deputy position. I just want to make sure that we're going to have engine 22 at a town meeting out front there. Make sure he knows that. Can you can you make sure we uh

I want the voters to see what they're voting on. Yeah, I think that he said he said there wouldn't go that we talked about that. Just make sure. Okay. Um anything else that we need to pass on to the chief? Okay. Road commissioner CEO.

It was unfortunate that we didn't have more people at the information session about the the outside outside the fire department. Mostly fire department. Yeah. That was half of them were there. Yeah. No. I I have heard that people have been seeing the presentations online.

And I know the a reporter from the forecast there, but I've not seen any. Right. I'll give you one. Stay seated. It did kill a couple trees. I only killed a couple trees. Okay. As long as it's on his budget. Uh, so storm Stella hit pretty hard and the crew hit back with the heavy response. We kept up with the storm, but you know, you plow and then 15 minutes later, it didn't look like a truck had been through there all night with the wind blowing snow in and but we kept up with it. We stayed at it. Uh so crews been continued patching potholes. That's uh that's our March routine. So we've been chasing those for the last month. And um noticed one today up on the

up on the um Old Brunswick Road. Only one. Well, noticed one big Well, I say we noticed one. One of the one of my guys came back and said he thinks it looks like somebody's dragging a dragging a bomb in the car there. So, we're going to go look at that tomorrow and see if we can add some reclaimed asphalt or something to try.

Yeah, some people just don't know when to slow down anyways. Like, I mean, we can't have the potholes, but there's one that goes by my house every day. The same car hits the same spot and they don't seem to slow down. So, I don't really have much sympathy for them.

If they're doing it every day, there's something wrong there, right? Yeah. If you ain't figuring it out the second time, then just keep going. So, been continuing uh work on the uh 2017 paving plan. I have that I'm going to pass out uh to you guys and prepared the bids for the RFP. Uh that is I've got three of them. I didn't want to print them all cuz I didn't want uh didn't want Mike to get mad at me. So, I've can pass these around. We can just look at them and and we'll put it out to bid on why don't you guys look it over and it's joint with uh Durham and PaloAl

um I saw it earlier. Are you asking for us to allow you to put it out tonight cuz I saw the date for returns was the sixth. Yeah. Okay. So my thought was I go out tomorrow. I went to panel last night. Panel's all set if look at it. That's awesome.

Well, I just wanted to get that out there. I mean I can change the date if I have to. Uh, I just want to get that out. The earlier you get them out, the better prices you get. So, Right. And so, this would be shim and overlay projects for the most part.

Yep. Shim and overlay and chip seal would be well most chim and shim and chip seal. Inch and a half of cold mix and chip seal surface. So, uh, does anybody other than All State do the chip sealing? It's going to go out to bed. There are some that do it. It'll go out to bid and we'll see who gives us I mean there's several people that do the cold mixing. It could be too. And then I And then I've allowed for an alternate in here. If somebody wants to give us a price on uh on PM wrap or hot mix, we we can look

at it. If if somebody wants to give us an alternative alternative method, u we'll open to look at that and that's in there. So somebody might come to us and say why don't you use this and we'lling to do this for this much money and then we'll re you'll consider those options and come back and make a decision. It's just to get it out the door to bid.

And are because I haven't seen the the three of them that are over there. Are those bids um project specific or just really for the for product? Oh, there I can give you these. Actually, why don't I just pass these around? It lists the projects for Durham and Powell.

Thank you. And that's spelled out in in here in the RFP. U there are bid tabs for them to fill in for each for each road. Libby Road, Royal Road, Stackpole, Seed of Poland, uh Poland Range, they're all they're all in here. So they can put their dollar amount in there. So I have, if you want, how do you want to look at these? You want to pass them around or

I name Sarah? only four members. I guess I could have printed one more and gave you one, but I I took a quick look at it beforehand. Um, enact a new digital online uh cooperative purchasing program. Um, we've been going back and forth with emails and um trying to get that that filled out and for some reason it's coming back half the time and to one town and not the other. And so I'm still working on that with them. Um, I know we put some money in there for road line painting for road center

line and so that's this is one of them that's got to go out by April 1st which once I get the new system up and running will be in there for that. Um, can I ask a quick question about the RFP? The um the RFP indicates that that all the shim must be placed by July 14th

which is fine. And I have no problem with do we don't commit taxes by we aren't going to have the money by July 14th to pay them potentially. So is that an sort of an industry understood when you deal with municipalities you may get paid a little later.

Um actually I hadn't given that any thought. Uh uh yeah we don't usually have a lot of cash until the end of July. Yeah that's something we'll have to discuss with the u is there a reason? The reason is because you have to have a 30-day. It has to be in place 30 days before you chip seal it.

Okay. So, we did it last year. We did 30 days and we we did it on um Auburn Panel Road Stack Pole. Could is there is it possible we could push that to the end of June because typically we try to commit at in near the end of June if uh assuming that the school budget passes and that would give us um several weeks of tax money coming in. We would probably not have an issue if if we did it at the end of July, but middle of July, especially if the school budget doesn't pass. And it may be if it's the same company and that's how they worked it last year and it was fine, then it may not be an issue. Just saw the date and

you know how our finance work. Yeah, it's interesting. Well, that's speaks to what Kevin was talking about with with not getting not getting your tax money till after you've already spent it. So, yeah. We've talked about that in the past, too.

Yeah. So, we will uh I'll look into that tomorrow. Um um let me talk with Um subject to approval at town meeting but still that's right. So just maybe as you as it goes out that people maybe I just uh yeah I don't know let me

and and you did actually right after that you put an unless otherwise agreed upon by director and contractor. Right. So, you gave you did give some wiggle room in there, but Right. I just wonder how I could put that out to bid. Um, I'm asking for it to be done by a certain date.

As long as they say if they if their bill is is net 30, it's fine, right? Which should be pretty standard. It's pretty standard for uh so I can't I I can't imagine I can't imagine it would be a problem. But but we'll put it out there and I'll explain that to the biders as they call in and as they contact me. I'll just explain it to them and either they'll put the bid in or they won't or we'll put that in the actual bid. I'll have them put that in the bid.

I would guess it's I guess most of these guys have dealt with a lot of towns in the past so it's probably common for small D. They know a town that's I mean I can walk into any store and tell them I'm from a town and it's like your account's approved without even it's they treat you completely different than they would a private contractor or so I can't imagine anybody's going to have a problem with that. So

I would still better be upfront. Yeah, I'll tell them as they come in that that could be an issue. But my my experience has been by the time they get it done and we actually get the bill it's couple weeks later anyway and then

then you got 30 days on that. So this it wasn't a problem last year whether that was just due to my you know ignorance of not knowing not knowing any better like I think that came up one day Ruth said something I don't know if we got any money now what if it's all state then their local salesman will know that.

I said we don't have money. Well, they're all working, so I hope we come up with was a new one on me. Um, so yeah, I'll be a little more upfront with that this year, but it wasn't a problem because, like I say, by the time we got the bill and yeah, you know, it all fell into place. So, um, hope to hear from D regarding the stream crossing grants. Um, but they've informed uh me that it'll be the first two weeks of April. So

is is there a time on on that if you've been accepted? Is there a time limit in how how long you have to uh perform the work? I don't know. I don't recall cuz I know you're you're concerned cuz it's going to be about half the project

and um we don't have enough set aside right now for the other half and I didn't know if we could delay it a year. Y um and then and have it on next year's warrant. Don't know what I was thinking is that maybe at town general meeting I just asked for the ask for it and if we get the grant we willatch it and if other

and we won't know but if we don't get it that we just go ahead and replace it in in kind with a with culverts. So I do yeah I do know the they don't like town meaning they don't like surprises like this. um uh if if we could if we had the sheet of paper in hand saying, "Hey, we did get this,"

then it would be it would go over much better. But if we don't have that, we could if we had to call a special town meeting because if we're if we're just appropriating it from uh the capital fund um and we don't have to raise taxes, we could have a special town meeting if to to do that if we needed to as well. Yeah,

we have a culvert up on the Auburn panel roll road that is relatively close to four of them four of them that are relatively close to failure that we have applied for a grant that if we get um because it it's a safe streams for wildlife for fish or I don't know but we've applied for this grant which will cover about half of it but we don't know if we've gotten it and it is located such that if it were to go it would really be an issue and it would be an issue of access for the fire trucks and it would an expensive repair.

What was the amount that you're looking like 90 100,000 or something close to that? Yep. Yeah. Yeah. Is that down near Heel Drive? Yep. On power. Yep. The bottoms of the culverts are gone and they're just just uh this Well, they keep Yeah, there's two separate crossings. The stream splits and goes like this. So you've got one and two and uh

and the road keeps um well we keep getting holes in the road so we have to keep going putting more patch in there and well that that material is going somewhere. So you keep looking down in there and it's yeah it's through the holes and um

eventually that stream's going to get blocked. I'm thinking at this point the the best bet's going to be is wait until we get it from them and and call for a special town meeting because if we don't have the paper in hand that says we got it.

It's it's not going to go well on town floor asking for an extra $100,000 out of the capital fund. Yep. Is that something we're sharing with Po? Nope. No. It's all it's all Durham. It's all in Durham. Oh yeah. That's the water's coming from.

that says pound? That's pound water right there. with u Carl's been working with uh Scott uh and I guess we'll discuss that later. Yeah. Okay. So, that's what I've got. Any questions? Any questions? Are we all set with the RFP to go?

Um, actually, uh, can I get a motion on that? If if somebody touches to let him put it out, I'll make a motion that we have Kelvin put out the RFP for the shim chip seal overlays. Uh, you want the price in there? No, there's no price.

There's no price. We know it's all I was looking at the wrong face. So it midful. Yeah. I second. Any discussion? All in favor? Motion carries. Okay. Uh anything from this codes side that you need to let us know because typically we have the codes enforcement officer.

No something I need to talk with about later but so if we'll nothing nothing uh pressing at this time. All right. Thank you. Yep. Uh administrator. Yes. Well, I had an idea and actually Calvin I I haven't spoken to Calvin about this, so this may be a surprise. April April 22nd is Earth Day. Um, and our last report that we got from the people who um inspect the river park said that the trails at River Park are overgrown. So, I was hoping that the town might uh do an Earth Day at River Park where we get volunteers to come um and uh work on

the the trails at River Park and help maybe even paint the the benches. And the reason I mentioned Calvin is because I don't know if it's possible, but I was kind of hoping that we might be able to get a couple of the public works guys to help us out as well. um especially with the equipment that they might have access to at at the public works garage maybe instead of working um on Thursday coming in on Saturday and doing some work for

so the 22nd to Saturday 22nd to Saturday we spent 15 minutes the promo meeting last night trying to figure out what our day was all looking at iPhones if if iPhone doesn't have it can't be it's a Saturday and it's birthday I sounds like a good idea actually if we could get people to come out to volunteer conservation committee that I know technically exists because we reauthorize them every year, but

I don't know if I want that maybe something that they would like to get involved. Yeah. I don't know if I want to tell the guys they're going to take their Thursday and make it into a Saturday. I want to volunteer, have them volunteer, do that, not tell them they're going to do it. If my boss come and told me, "Guess what, Mike? You're working Saturdays on a Thursday."

Well, that could be an option, too. Right there. Doesn't that happen to you for the Moxy Festival every year? No, I I volunteer for that. So, overtime for me. So you're you're saying ask them to volunteer to come to come in that day and pay them then then you'd pay him that day and let them take a couple hours off during the week or something. Okay. So not telling them to come in asking him to volunteer to come in. Okay. I see what you mean

and then still pay. Um is that something we can put on the website too that this is absolutely I think we would want to try I would put it out there as much as possible. Yeah. It's April 22nd. And I was also thinking that the comprehensive plan committee might want to have representatives there as well to discuss um you know uh environmental things with people who might show up.

You have something else. Yeah, we talked about it at our April meeting. I think the chair would be real good to be there. I will be uh I will be doing duty with the cub scouts at the Museum of Science that day. We uh that trail was cleaned up what two years ago or so by an outside entity. I thought

Land Trust came in and did some work. Volunteers did some There there is a group that comes in um every year and does some work, but I I think there may be more work to do. I I'll go take a look. But and I think that's one thing that we're going to need somebody kind of have a plan of what needs to be done that day to so when people show up they can assign otherwise you're just going to have people running around not Yeah. not knowing what to do. You want to take your chainsaws.

We'll give you give Ruth the chainsaw when she goes down take a look so she can make sure she sees it properly. I I've never used a chainsaw. Thank you. You wanted to go down through here with some of I can manage that for you.

Okay. Okay. Thank you. I something else just came up that I ought to discuss. I forgot to mention. I I had written I thought this morning, but I have a meeting next week with main department of transportation regarding the metro road. They want to meet to discuss the closing or barricading that M coming on the 125. I told them to bring with them all the legal aspects. I said, "I need you to tell me if it's going to be a discontinuence, what the legal proceedings would be or if you're just blocking the end within the DOT right ofway if that

and that's totally up to watch. I just give the office to information." I said, "And we can go to the SWAT board and because I mean we definit Yeah, we're going to want to do uh some hearings on this and stuff like that. it it can it'll I I mean I I understand the the reasonings behind it and so on, but it's going to affect at least a few

uh homeowners in that area and stuff. So, we definitely there would be a hearing and they're aware of that, but they said they'd like to just sit down and discuss it because of the access because uh be well the intersection coming off of Meadow on to 125 is is very blind.

Um, absolutely. And it's been a there's been a number of accidents there. And so the Yeah. Well, the one the had absolutely nothing to do with the meta road intersection. No, the the motorcycle death there. Uh, that was all on 125. Had nothing to do with the intersection. But

125 is a state road. I think it's probably the state's fault. They should fix it. Well, they're talking about fixing it. That's how they want to fix it. Yeah. I don't mean that way, though. Now their alternative is to redo that hood and spend a bunch of money whereas if they could just barricade that end off and we come up they come up the other way.

So anyway it's just yeah I mean it's preliminary right now but but if if they if we if they want to go down that path we need to uh involve this. Can we negotiate a deal with them that yes, we will do it if they repave Meadow Road.

passable. No. Well, exactly. Meadow Road is one of the roads we get the most complaints about. That is awful. That end is, you know, not as good. But so anyway, I mean, if your GPS tells you to go straight, I think if any if most people knew that going

going down silver road made more sense, but I mean, yeah, you may you may say 15 seconds going the other way, but it's been destroy your car. It's been a major throw. I mean, I lived there 20 some odd years. I lived I grew up on that corner.

I built my one of my houses on that corner. I mean, everybody goes on that road. You're trying to tell me you're going to cut off metal road. They're going to get a lot of people in here kind of it's up to the public to decide

just cuz the the state wants to do it. Make it easier for them. Well, and actually Soap Soer and 125 is is a quite a dangerous intersection, too. So, you're going to be adding more traffic to that intersection. So, it's another one of our more dangerous intersections.

And that's what DOT will provide all information, traffic count, and they'll they'll and then the public can make a decision. Yep. Okay. Okay, that was my big idea for the day. Okay. Um, just uh note there are regular selections meetings that will be held here at the Durhamtown office Tuesday, April 4th and Tuesday, April 18th at 6:30 p.m. Um, elections for the select board, budget committee, and school board will be held on Friday, March 31st, um, from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Durham Community School.

Yes. Yep. Okay. Absentee ballots are available uh for the March 31st election up until March Monday, March 27th at 4:30 p.m. When when do they have to be turned in by? Um by the close of elections on election day. All right. So, um I'm going uh there we go. Town meeting will be held on April 1st at 9:00 a.m. The town reports are available at the town office in the getandgo. And I will actually put out there um an apology for me that I will be unable to be at the town meeting uh due to uh work

constraints. Um they chose that weekend to do some do something major. So I didn't have a choice. But um any other announcements that we need? Um u to add that uh the town warrant is actually online. You can download it right off the website

that the what is the warrant. Oh the warrant. Okay. Yeah. So you can get the town warrant online. Don't have to have it printed. Yeah. Right. And you can and it's in your book as it's in the uh the downloadable. Yeah. And you can also watch the information session on the the

trash and the fire if I can make that one. But the slides are available anyway. Right. Okay. Um I move that we go into executive session pursuant to 1 MRSA 4056A personnel personnel matters public works. Second. All in favor call option carries.