TranscriptJanuary 28, 2021 ~ Historic District Commission

say the pledge of allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Okay, took care of that.

And can you tell me who PIL is? That's what I was just going to ask. I think that's probably Tammy. Okay. Timmy, I just want to put you in as a guest in our minutes. Just say technical difficulties person. Okay. Hopefully we won't need that. Um

I'm not aware of any amendments to the agenda unless you guys have any. Okay. No. Um, any go get my phone. I'll be right back. I want to be able to see the agenda at the same time. Okay. anybody have any information to share?

No, not for me. Give you an update on the on the Methodist church if you want it. Sure. Go ahead. So, they've been working on the sill for about three and a half weeks. Wow. And um they found some problems that they didn't expect. So,

one of the things was that the the church when they built it, they didn't put stones underneath anything. Oh. So, there were stones this way, but there weren't stones this way. So when they dug it out, the reason that the corner was sitting on the dirt was because the corner was sitting on the dirt. No stone to hold it.

Wow. Oh wow. So we've had to go ahead and purchase some I think it's called curbing stone or something like that. And then new granite blocks to make sure that they're big enough and strong enough to hold it up. So, it's a little it's more work and more money than we expected, but

yeah, it always we're trying to stay in budget. So, he's giving us a break on it. So, hopefully we'll still stay in budget, but And is this the guy from down southern Maine? Westbrook. Westbrook. I I was thinking some way way down south.

He works in Buckton. He's got a church in Buckton. He just finished up. So, Oh, okay. Maybe that's why. Yeah, I was Yeah, I was trying to remember. I was thinking somebody you had working on it was pretty far away, which

Oh, he left Alma. Were you thinking of him? The guy, who's the roofer from? Where was he from? Oh, he's from I think he's from Westbrook, too. But like Lmington or some place like that. Is there Maybe it was that guy. He actually Yeah, I think they're actually in Westbrook. But

yeah, so we'll be we'll be getting done. But as you said, today now the weather's turned, so it's going to slow them down more. Yeah. So, but we'll get there. Wow. Okay. Um, yeah. I just have a couple quick things. I think I told you this at our last meeting, but in case I didn't, I wanted to say it again. And Lois Lois helped on one of our assignments in the comp plan was to get some old pictures and put them up. and we we framed several with, you know, descriptions and they're in the town hall. So, if you're in there, take a look.

Apparently, they put a couple of them in the um Eureka Hall, too. I think they did. Yeah, I think that's what um somebody said when I was in there at one point. Yeah. Yeah. And Tammy's here, so let you all know finally. um we're going to be able to finalize getting all the surveys we did getting a database with all of the surveys. Um so

that's a good thing too. Okay, moving on to um continuing business and um okay oh the ordinances membership um the our request to have two more alternate members passed. So, um, and we can kind of do whatever we want, but one of the things Ruth said was that, um, oh, we could put it in the news blast, you know, advertise it that way. Um, and we may not want to do it till after whatever the town meeting is when we can kind of look at our organization. And the only other thing I would say is that Jim Cherry quite a while ago, um, who's an older gentleman here in town, he's interested in it. So, we'd want to make sure that he knew about it if he still was. But other than that, we can,

you know, that we have a and let me see if I can find it on, you know, on Facebook. We have a Facebook page, right, that Seth set up at some point for us and and you know, I don't know why it keeps popping up on my Facebook thing, but a lot of people have liked it in the last while. I have no idea how to do anything with it or put any more on it, but that would be a place we could put something because obviously people are are interested. But yeah, without I don't I have no idea what Seth did. But

he did it and put us all on there. I don't know how he did that. Right. And it's probably something we want to think about, you know, doing some more with it at some point. Yeah. Maybe we can just ask Seth to do it from afar. He might be willing.

Yeah. kind of knowledge or expertise or anything. We need to find somebody who was good at that. But but yeah, because I keep getting with you guys do too, keep getting the notices that people have looked and they like it and whatnot.

And that kind of said to me, we really ought to think about putting some more stuff on or whatever, right? But anyway, um we can add who are our two alternate members now? them? I don't think so. Oh, no. Paige is aren't you Aren't you an alternate now, Paige?

I thought I was an alternate, but it but I'm the secretary, so I It's okay. Well, I'm I'm happy to be an alternate. I could I could just switch whatever. I'm not, but I'm happy to be one. I could switch. I don't know. I think it's it's Mary. I think it is Mary.

Is it Mary? You and Mary, right? I'm pretty sure. Yeah. Okay. Well, um after what would be the the April town meeting, um that's when we can, you know, put it out there about two more members and any reorganizing we want to do kind of thing. Okay.

Okay. And then we've got um members, where did I put that? And their terms. Okay. Because we have to um need to reup go and take the oath again. And the only one for 2021 is Anita. So, Linda, will you tell her she needs after after April 13th? Um, was said to me after what would be the town meeting, she has to go take the oath again. And, um, just so everybody knows, Linda, you're 2023, Paula 2022, Paige 2022, and Mary is 2023, Lois 2022, and I'm 2022. And one thing again, we can talk about this at after the town meeting thing and reorganizing that Ruth said if we if we wanted to, we could relook at some of those. We've got a lot of 2022 ones and if we want to staggered it wanted to stagger it somehow, you know, we could do that. So that uh you know that like we we'd all have to

well we can talk about how we want to stagger it but she said we could do that with those memberships but tell Anita in you know middle of April she needs to go do it again. I will. And will you just run through the years one more time for me because I didn't get pages but if you'll just do them all I'll try to make sure I've got it all right. Linda's 2023.

Paula 2022. Paige is 2022. Got it. Mary's 2023. Lois, you're 2022. And I'm 2022. Okay, I got Thank you. Okay. And um then 751 Royalsboro Road is the house directly across the street from me where they put in that tiny little shed without, you know, asking or doing anything. And Linda's working with them to fill out the paperwork. But Linda, go ahead. Yeah, I haven't seen them because of the COVID and stuff and I'm kind of in lockdown, but um I thought they bring it into um you know the CEO. Um but I guess they haven't. So I'll get in touch with them and find out.

They need to bring it to us. Oh. Oh, I thought it had to go to him first. No. And he gave it to you. No. Well, that's that is if if it was something that had to go to him if it was big enough and it's not. So, it would just come to us.

Okay. Okay. We might want to get in touch with them on the phone again. I I had to run over there one day to ask a question and she came at me with papers. So, they may have already done some of it because I wasn't going for that. But, you may want to get in touch with them again so we can get that taken care of.

That's at the Hodgees house, right? Yeah. Right. Okay. Is that the people that own it now or the people that used to own it? People that own it now. The Hodgees used the Hodgees. No, the Hodgeges are the people used to own it.

Used to own it. Sammy Zen. Yeah, that very unusual last name. S call it Hodgees House. It's got it. Hodgees house. That always works. It used to be the Lichfield House. We could call it Lichfield House. Right. There you go. called that for years even harded it longer

right and then the union church I would just wanted to let you know um that I asked Ruth where that was the selectman have done nothing about that committee that they talked about forming so nothing has happened with that and at one point you remember when when everybody was talking about this at one point they said that we were the had responsibility for it and the the historical society could use it. And I said to her, you need to let us know what it is they think we're supposed to be doing. So she said she would ask them and let us know.

And that's the committee the committee for the Union Church, right? That they haven't made any motion on at all. Okay. No, haven't moved forward with that. we actually didn't do the acceptance of the minutes as I look at the at the

Somebody want to make a motion? I make a motion to accept second. We need to we need to accept November's minutes as well. We didn't do them in December when we had our guest Okay. So, we need to accept November's and January. No, wait.

No, December. December and November's. Okay. December. Is that okay? Yes, I'll second it. Okay. All right. Now, we get to some of the tough stuff. No, we have to vote on that. Oh, I'm sorry. Yes. All those in favor? I I guess I haven't read them yet, but

oppos. Okay. Reaction there. Okay. Um later, I guess. Okay. Uh, and the next the other stuff on the agenda has to do with the the four um comp plan things that we talked with Megan Ryout about. And um I just have to say I'm really frustrated on a couple um

oh I don't know just we're being in some of those things we're being asked to do things that are way over our head and our you know and also to do it during COVID is just ridiculous in some ways. I I think we ought and it's up to whatever you think that we at least ought to let the selectman know. We haven't forgotten about it. We're working on it, but it's going to take longer with COVID and with what they're asking us to do because it's way over our heads. I don't know. Or do you think we just keep our mouth shut and keep going? Anybody have any thoughts?

Do you think that they actually are going to come and check and see how much we've done in the time slot? I mean, I I'm wondering if that was just like I've said, I think they copied that from some other comp. Well, Paige, you would know. Where did that Where did all that come from? All those things we're supposed to do.

Am I am I'm not on mute, right? Okay. Um, so those came from like when we I think Jake and I had come to interview the commission. It's just things that were brought up from the commission like things that we wanted to work on like the preservation commission is just like other words of saying remember how Seth used to always talk about putting different houses around town

in in their own little zone. Well, that's that's the legal term of what he was suggesting. So, honestly, I don't think the Sleman are ever going to ask us if we've done any of this. I don't think they really even care. Remember?

No. And I like Yeah. And so it's it's honestly just a it's not something that we're going to get in trouble for if we don't get it done. And I mean CO's a good excuse of saying, you know, this is this is a lot of work and it would be a lot of work even if it wasn't COVID season. So I

what about where the comp the comp plan committee do you guys is part of your role or responsibility to look at it as yeah that's what I so you there's you're supposed to and like the committee is supposed to keep up but I mean the the comp plan hadn't been redone since you know 20 years ago and it was never accepted from then

it's more just a vision it's they're like vision statements in what the town wants. I honestly like I I think it's just pressure we'll put on ourselves to get these things done. There's I don't think anyone's going to come to us and say, "Well, you didn't do this like

right, you know, you don't you know, whatever. I I I Yeah, we we need to get it done." But I don't I think it's only our own self pressure we're going to that's going to make us do it. Well, and I I'm guessing right now the selectmen are going to be they're in the muck of of budget and stuff. So So if we go in there that we're we're likely to just annoy them that we're saying we're not doing our stuff.

I mean, I'm thinking we just kind of Yeah. The select board finished the budget on Tuesday night. Oh, now it goes to the board. Now it goes to the town. Right. Right. But there won't be a town meeting. And I guess so it goes to referendum.

There won't be town meetings anymore, right? Goes to a referendum, a vote. All the ordinances and everything are going to go on on a ballot. Oh. Um, so when we when we met with Megan, yeah, she made the point that her organization could help at lots of the points where we aren't where we're um

right on our heads where we don't have the capacity to do the work because we don't know what the work is and we don't know the information about it. I mean, like when I looked down through the minutes from that meeting with her, she said several times and she gave us names of people. Mike Johnson, um,

Andrew Decki DC, I don't know how you pronounce his last name. Awesome. Um, yeah. I mean, we've got all different places we can go. It seems like without the direction from the select board that we should take advantage of those resources,

right? I I'd kind of like to suggest, you know, we talk about these points and maybe pick one thing that right now we feel like we might be able to move forward on. Was that, you know, because a lot of these we need to work with them, meet with them, work together, not over Zoom, you know, that kind of thing. So anyway, the first one, advise and

assist individual property owners on available federal and state tax credits for historic preservation and assist them in the application process. Okay. Um and um she suggested talking to Mike Johnson who's the person who's kind of in in charge of that. And I did I called

him and talked to him and I passed on to you guys what he sent to me. And one of them is a brochure kind of thing. Both Mike and Megan said that helping them is way over our heads. that they usually recommend that that folks hire a consultant. And one of the things he sent was a list of consultants. So, you know, this and it's only on income producing properties. It's not just on any old house. It's only on income producing properties. So, um

to talk about, I guess. I don't know with selecting or whatever in terms of um down the road that all we might do is you know pass on that brochure or say here's who you talk to at Main Historic Preservation and not take on ourselves any other responsibility other than that we can give that information to people that Anyway, anybody have anything else to say about that one? No,

I think that's good. So, let's just mark that one off our thing. We're done. Yeah. Well, we'd have to put out some information to the town's folks, but but not take on assisting people with it, you know, kind of thing. I mean, we're talking about like maybe the the inn what else would be an income producing property.

I guess my feeling is I'm not sure we'd need to advertise that it can be done. I think it's it's letting the people at the town office know that if if somebody came to them and wanted the information, then it was given. But I'm not sure we want to put it out there. Like I think I think people in town could get confused with that. Too much information, too much to them. Well, if we put it out, we'd have to be very, very careful about how we put it out and whatnot because I think it's also only for properties that are on the National Historic Register or eligible to be on the register. It's not just any

right, you know, old property. So, but I don't think that's really one that we want to take on doing anything about right now. All right. The next one, revise the historic district ordinances to consider making it a historic protection ordinance that applies to all listed structures in Durham, both inside and outside of the current historic preservation district. Um, and there's a long list of towns, Augusta, Topppsum, Wisconsin, Camden, Castine, Dipssburg, Yarmouth, Dammerscotta, Rockland, and Searport. Searsport that been mentioned in different conversations and I've looked at some of them. Um, I don't really think this is something we want to do anything about right now. This is really something that it needs to happen when we can get together and look at things and really talk about it and have them come and help us kind of thing. This is, you know, that's my feeling. And but our big decision really would have to be the

big biggest decision is if we're going to to move forward to expand it. Are we going to have other districts in town or are we going to talk about just individual properties like maybe only those on the national historic register? I don't know. What are people's thoughts about that? Well, I think from in the past people the conversation has been that people in town probably won't go for it. So maybe it would be more

individual properties like the Eureka Center or like the Methodist church when you you know that or or just specific the cattle pound specific places that we could maybe do. I because I I I think the com the thoughts always been that, you know, I mean, I think it'd be great if you could include from the the um from the Eureka Center all the way down to the current historic district because you've got an old schoolhouse in there and you've got some really old houses in there. But I I guess the thought is that won't ever happen. So, um plus it'd be nice to preserve that some of that land that's right there. But, you know, so that's Yeah, I just don't I'm not sure. I'm not sure. I think I in an ideal world it'd be nice to include have different areas like the Methodist corner, you know, around the Methodist area, Methodist Corner. I mean, there are a few places like maybe near the Friends Meeting House. There are a few

places in town that could be districts, but um you know whether people would want to go that direction. You're right. I mean it would be nice to somehow in it capture Shiloh in a way that um I mean I think when we went on that tour the talk was that you know they're they don't have enough money to to they're have you know I think they have a struggle trying to to keep those buildings up

and I think cop has a uh gravel pit not far from there and he's he's attempted to buy their property before so you know somebody was to buy it, they could tear it down, which would be a horrible shame because that's pretty expensive. That's unique to Maine.

Um, so, right. Well, there is also something you talk about tearing down. There's something called a demolition delay ordinance that I mean, we could put something like that in our ordinances if we wanted to where if somebody was going to tear down an old building, it was a 90day, you know, delay. And if somebody else wanted to do something about it, you know, they could. That kind of thing. But again, looking at the ordinances is a major major undertaking. I don't think that's something we my own feeling is that's something we don't want to do right now. I don't know what the rest of you think.

looked at um are m are much more oh what do I want to say detailed about you know these are the things that you can do to a structure here are the things that you can't do without coming for for permission and much more detailed about the process as well than than our ordinances are I don't know that we need to do that but in looking at some of them that Um, you know,

I would think that not reorganizing ordinances unless we like if if we switch to a um a protection ordinance, that's when it would that's when we would overhaul them, right? That makes sense. Like you wouldn't we wouldn't do any we wouldn't change any ordinances now if we're going to work towards changing from a district to a protection.

Let me ask you Paige about that protection because that's not what any other ordinances are. All the other ordinances are preservation. That's what I thought it was but I thought it was preservation. I thought it was a historic preservation.

But in the in the ordinance it actually says protection. But so that's something, you know, we might want to talk to the comp committee about or something because preservation is really what all the other towns that's that's what they are.

However, yeah, I think I don't think like so I don't know how to say like the comp plan the comp committee is not going to like the we're no longer anymore. There's no there's no committee anymore. Like we've Oh, really? Okay.

Yeah. like we're not we're not a committee like you know it's it's over now. So stuff like this is like we we would just take it on and just if we want it to be a historic preservation district that's that's what we go towards.

Okay. Yeah. Because I mean it it got accepted by the town as it's written now, right? So if it's written now as as whatever you said protection protection then we would have to go back probably sounds like we'd go back to the town and well we want to change it

and that would just be changing it like in the comp plan like but it would have to go to the town to approve it right well any change if you wanted to change it in the comp plan itself but like oh the word doesn't matter It doesn't matter like we Yeah. Right. Like it's just it if we want to work towards a preservation if that's what we work towards because I like you say like I'm not sure exactly. It can be something I we can ask George. George George would know because he's the one that edited it and put it into this language.

That's planner. Yeah. Yeah. Uh the next one the next one is actually about doing a survey work with Maine Historic Preservation Commission to assess the need for a comprehensive community survey of the community's historic and archaeological resources. Okay. some of you who were here when we worked with Chris Clauss who told us that that's the very first thing you need to do is to do a survey and um we did um and the

obviously the um the database still has to to be finalized. Um, I will say that in my my uh conversation with Megan when I told her we had decided to do everything 1920 and before, she said, "You ought to be doing 1970 and before anything that's older than 50 years." So, you know, whether we want to get into that again at this point, I don't know. But I'm just throwing that out there. Um, I did talk to the person also. Um

I think it's Michael Goelbane. Um and um oh he he said there's a um something out there called map viewer which um I this is way over my head that um he talked about that it had you can look at your your town and it has markings where there are historic properties and he would be willing to work with somebody to work them through that um

and um I guess one of our things maybe that we want to know about um is you know because we've done all the structures you know 1920 and before but um we may want we obviously know we we can find out for sure which ones on the national historic regure register or are eligible. But we also ought to get a list of what ones are important to the

Durham's town history so that um you know we could put that kind of information out there and he was willing to to help somebody. Um, oh, I al the whole archaeological thing. Um talk to the Greater Port Portland Council of Governments about that and they finally called me back today after leaving lots of messages. and um

they might be able to help us do some of this looking at um you know structures in town that would be considered historical. But they said and they're the they are the organization that worked with the town to establish the district, the historic district, you know, way back when. Um but he they didn't they couldn't help with the archaeological stuff. I'm not sure just what we would do about that except that this Michael Goel Bane who I talked to at at MHPC also said that there are and he could help people, you know, find out about it that that there are there have already been some oh what not survey is not really the right word but any kind of things like putting in um you know the what like the

bridge that they did or highway stuff or um like the towers for you know um electronic stuff said that like the Department of Transportation and other departments have already looked at some of that kind of stuff and they might have some information. But um so I guess at this point

and you guys tell me what you think. Um we ought to the first step would be to finish the database for what we've got right now and then go from there. Do we want to do 50 more years? do we want to um pull out of there um for special

you know recognition national historic register and you know structures that have to do with town history I don't know what are your thoughts the churches or anything did we did we only did houses, right? We did houses, but then after that, we asked I think Lucille Hunt was the person who did it. We asked her to go out and do the churches. So, we have the churches, too.

Oh, okay. Because I mean, I think there's still there's still a bit of a foundation for the mill over by Runaround Pond. I think there used to be whether much is left. I mean, I wonder if you know it's those kind of places where the mills were.

Yeah. And the cattle pound again cuz if the rocks fall down in the cattle pond, that's it. I don't even know who owns that piece of property. That's Faith Baker. She lives down there, I think. Oh, I don't know. Um so but I think you're you're bringing up something that we ought to think about in terms of um you know do we want to identify some of the you know important

spots or structures or you know kind of thing that are important to the history of the town. All right. coordination between the code soft code officer planning board and historic district commission in incorporating information provided by the main historic preservation commission in the permit review process. This is the one that I think might not be too difficult to happen. Um if we talked with the town planner and got those three groups together, we it would be easy enough to you know put something in writing for what happens if you know something well we already have something with the code officer in terms of the district. Um

but I I don't know but that I think Megan said that um excuse me that um the state has a process for this kind of thing and we would need to get it. But anyway, I don't know looking at those things. Um they're all kind of hard to do on Zoom.

Yes, they are. Absolutely. I totally agree. Anybody have any thoughts about what uh obviously we're going to finish the database for the survey kind of thing. Yeah. And I guess in order to to do any kind of a process where if somebody wants to demolish a building uh and to at least let us know that 90day kind of thing that's a whole another that's a whole another can of worms that is it for us to do. Um,

yeah. Well, because right now, um, I don't know. We'd have to ask the town planner, I guess, if it could be in any other ordinances because in ours, it would only be in the district right now. Yeah. Yeah. Do you remember, you know, way back when Paul Baines was on the committee? He he talked about, you know,

they couldn't build next to within a certain number of feet of an old house or I can't remember now what he told us. And that was kind of to, you know, it was kind of a little bit of a pacifier of well, don't worry, they can't do Do any do any of you remember him talking about that?

I really remember it. And he was talking just about the district at that point. Well, no, because I think it was further out because I remember being worried about the like the Methodist church and stuff and and I thought he said something about but I and it's in and it's in the town ordinances that that can't but I I have no idea what it was and where it is and yeah,

I vaguely remember him talking about that, but I don't remember specifically either. We'd have to ask, I guess. Um but uh yeah, I mean I mean I go back to the same old same old that you know it it it's it's fine to make the survey but it it sort of feels like we we should be

able to protect some of the buildings in case that somebody decides to tear something down or you know Shiloh for instance, or parts of Shiloh, you know, at least at least some mechanism where they have to let somebody know that they're going to do I think you have to get a demo demo permit. I guess I don't even know what you know at what stage people have to get a demo permit, but you know, so that and who knows if the codes officer would think to tell us, oh yeah, that you know, 300 year old house down on think that we're they're going to demolish that. He we wouldn't be told. Well, we certainly could meet with the town planner and ask about that if there's any way to do anything about that.

Yeah, probably would have to go through town meeting. Thinking of, you know, the one on Quaker meeting house, Linda, that got taken down. And other ones. I don't think he he didn't let anybody know. I think he just went and did it, actually.

Yeah. Well, I I think what hap Well, we probably don't. We need to go there. We go over that all, but I mean, it's just something like that is what I was thinking about. And I I was I don't know something on the Durham Facebook page. Somebody was asking how did they have to, you know, if they want to demo a a they called it a shed on their property. They want to demo it, how who would demo it? And I thought, yeah, there's another, you know, I sure it's just a shed. But what if somebody decides I just want to demo the barn that I have in my back, you know, they

they can do that without so in most towns. I don't know the Durham you do, but in Freeport you have to get a permit to demo. Yeah, I don't know if you do in Durham. That's the thing. I have no idea. Um and whether people actually do it, you know, but because the comment on that Facebook thing was we'll hire the fire department to come burn it, you know. Another example of a house that got taken down was the one on I don't know what's the road. I call it the swamp road, but between 125 and the meadow road I think it's got a different name. There used there was soaper so there was an old house there. I didn't think it was that old, but it was Anita that said it was old and it did and it did have granite granite foundation. So

the foundation's there. I got I think the fire department maybe burned that one down. But you know, we didn't we didn't document it in any way. You know, that's I guess my thing is is is a way that that to me should be our biggest thing we do is to at least document the buildings that are coming down.

So that that's the reason to move towards a preservation commission because then it protects that that's the reason. We have no say about them now. right outside the district. Like if that's right, Paige, go ahead. No, like if that's like our biggest concern is, you know, taking down people taking down old structures and stuff, that's something we probably should focus on is going to a preservation commission because it'll protect more than just the district.

You know, it'll protect Shiloh. will protect the Methodist church, you know, and with that it I'm sure the ordinances change to saying that there's there's needs to be a 90-day demo, you know, it would completely change the whole the whole town, of course, and that's something obviously that needs to go to town meeting, but if even if we want to add in a 90-day demo that we need to be notified of it, that's that would have to go to town meeting. It's not something that just

right we can just throw out there. So I mean I guess the option is what in another year they're going to have a town manager. So then there won't be a town meeting. So maybe the whole process will be easier to switch the ordinance when just a town manager. I I assume then it's a town manager and selectman do everything than how it works.

I don't know. No, that's not that's not Is that true? I don't know. I thought the whole point of a town manager is you don't have town meeting anymore. So, so then um they make all he he just change. He makes all the decisions.

I don't know. But I I I guess I that okay, so that leads into my other thought is perhaps we we need to have a little bit of input on who the selectman select because it would probably be important to have somebody who has an at least you know maybe somebody who's not from Boston or you know some someone who has an interest and desire to to preserve the historical part of Durham and all that that entails. and and yet keep it in a budget that the people of Durham can afford because we're not we're not Felmouth and Cumberland and Freeport.

So, did you submit your name to that committee? That's been they've been advertising for people to submit their names, right? Sit on the review committee for the town manager. Oh, I didn't I I didn't been on Facebook like 27,000 times.

I in the town news. And we we did go to the meeting and tell them that we thought that that they that the town manager ought to have some appreciation of the history and blah blah blah, but it would be even better to have somebody on the committee.

Lois, are you going to be on that committee? I'm not saying I'd have a problem with it. Oh, okay. I'm hearing you. So, you didn't turn in your name, Lois? I did not. Ah, when's the deadline? I don't know. I can I mean, I can submit it. I'm pretty sure after the way I Well,

yeah, I I They weren't happy with me, the budget committee. So, I'm not sure they'll put me on another committee. either, Lois. So, I'm not sure. I I don't even I don't think not sure I want the frustration of being on it, you know, but

depends on if I know any of them, any of the people that apply. all on Zoom, I I just I hate this. So, but Oh, I agree. Who knows how long that will I guess as soon as we all get a vaccine for those I had mine, my first one. Oh, cool.

Tuesday morning Monday. Do you do it? Made my arm hurt a little bit where they stuck it in, but other than that, nothing. But I understand that the reactions for the second one Yeah. Yeah. So, do you know which one you had?

Fiser. I had You had the Madna one. Did you have a reaction at all? I just had a sore arm. Yeah. reviewing the ordinances, working uh the survey and coordination with the codes, planning board and whatnot. coming out of out of this meeting. Um, what do you think? I mean, we can talk to the town manager about the demolition thing and see see if there's anything any place or any place it could go other than our ordinances moving forward. And I would guess that there probably is someplace that could go in in the town ordinances.

All right, I'll ask him. forward from this meeting? Anything at all you think we might do? No, I I I vote for having, you know, shuffling this around on the paper at work until we are done with Zooms and then we have this Megan come back and we look at it. We ask the town, we asked a new town manager to come sit in on our meeting and say, "Okay, how much of us you really want us to do?" Because that's, you know, what it's really going to amount to.

able to do that last one and ask the town manager or planner rather, excuse me, to start with to get the codes officer, planning board, and our commission, you know, together for some little little meeting where we might be able to talk about how, you know, we'd communicate. That one wouldn't be that difficult. Well, it would on Zoom, but

Well, it might Yeah. But but uh anybody else have any thoughts? I mean, I think that's a good idea. I think even doing it on Zoom, I I don't think it's that difficult as long as Well, we're not focused on it. I mean, I think we can do it. If we want to move forward on anything, I think that's the one that's gonna be

Well, that's kind of the way I felt that of all of them, that was the easiest one to do. Otherwise, just wait till Right. Well, if I can't think of anything that doesn't use a swear word in it, so I won't even finish that sentence. um when I talk to the town planner about demolition, I'll ask about I'll ask him also about the possibility of um those three boards, commissions, whatever getting getting together to talk about that and we'll see if there's

Do any of you know do you know when they're when they're planning on hiring a town manager? Like what's do you know what the time frame? Do you know? I was gonna find it. is taking longer than I there. Um I think it is after town meeting I think.

Okay. have friended because apparently all she does is be on Facebook. She's she's home and doing nothing. Kidding. A radio station. You think she'd be busy? Oh. But like things like ordinances and stuff would still have to be voted on by the town. That's not something

I would think, but how it might end up being in a referendum kind of thing or what, right? Okay. Or or the manager recommends it to the board of select the select board and then the select board determines. I mean, it's going to be a different governmental structure once we have a town manager. So, right, we'll see.

So coming out of this meeting, the two things I will see the town planner and ask about if there's anything in any of the ordinances about demolition or if there isn't, could there be something like that that it would have to go through somebody's ordinances at town meeting, I would think, but I'll ask. And then the business about the planning board, code officer, and the commission getting together to talk about how

things when we can actually get together or do something. And are we supposed to start coming up with alternate people to do the the alternates? Well, that after town after what supposed to be town meeting, right? We put out, we'd advertise.

Oh, yeah. And certainly if anybody knows anybody who wants to do it, you can tell them just to, you know, let the town office know. I not exactly sure how they'd Was somebody going to try to reach out to um Jeff Wakeakeman for that?

Anita said Anita Yeah. talked about that. I'll have to ask her that too. Tell her that. Yeah, tell her that too. Linda, I think we assigned that to Anita because I haven't seen Anita hasn't been been at a meeting in a while.

Well, she doesn't have computer. Right. And she was coming to my house today, but she's not feeling well. And the last time she tried to do it by phone and couldn't make it happen. Right. so we'll ask her. I mean, when we put it out there, she can ask Jeff. And we should let that Jim Cherry know since he was interested. Who knows where that would go, but he was interested.

we can actually get together again and do something. Yeah. Oh, that little baby's been so good, babe. She She's good. The good sister so far. How old is she, Paige? Uh, six weeks. Wow. She's sleeping through the night. No.

Oh, okay. No, not yet. She's 16, isn't it? No. 16. Before we sleep through the night. Yeah. Do they ever? I think it's when they move out of the house and go to college. No, they don't ever sleep through the night then, but that uh doesn't affect you.

It's funny. I thought Maxine had been sleeping through the night, but now that I'm up at night, I can hear her at night and I hear her. She'll be talking in her room. I'm like, "What do you I thought you'd been sleeping this whole time."

She's up quite a bit. She just doesn't ask for me anymore. up. Okay, folks. Um, there are things we need to do, but uh now's really not the time to do them in the middle of all this. Oh, I think we can regroup too on once the weather's nicer.

Right. Right. You know, even meet outdoors if we had to. Yeah. This is just a hard time right now, right? Yeah. We can meet at my new little tiny house. It's on my sideyard right now. I love page. I love it where it is. Well, not for my Yeah,

I didn't I didn't know you had a tiny house. What are you going to do with it? Use it as a studio. Well, anybody have anything else? committee now, right? Yeah, we just finished on Monday night. Oh. and we sent it to the select board and the select well actually we finished last week and we sent it to the select board and then we met again on Monday night but and the select board went over the budget on Tuesday night and I believe it's finalized now

and ready to go to the town meeting. they needed to get it f we needed to move really quickly this year because of the way that it's going to be presented because it has to be printed and you know everything has to be in place before April. So um so yeah and then today this I don't know if you saw Candy but today the state or perhaps before today but it only came became public today the state released their numbers for education next year.

Right. Right. Yeah. Yep. Yeah, that was interesting. So, is that going to make our taxes go up? Freeport RSU five much money. They're going to give them $400,000 less than they did last year. Last year. Yeah. So, somebody makes it up or we take cuts, which I can't imagine we can cut.

There are a few things that that they're taking out. We just did our first look at the budget. Oh, you did? Wednesday night. Um and um I don't have the numbers in front of me, but um the budget the school budget is basically staying flat in terms of um you know, percentage increase or decrease, you know, that kind of thing. So, they're making an effort.

but they have more money coming in from the CARES Act, too. Yeah. So, that's that's helping enough money to buy two two or more portables. Portables. Yeah. What What were the portables for? That'll that'll be so that it allows us I want to say it's prek through five um to come back full-time. Oh, and to spacing space the kids out,

right? Right. Yeah. Okay. I'll get the minutes to you guys. Thank you, Lois, very much. Absolutely. My pleasure. Okay.