TranscriptSelect Board Meeting ~ July 12, 2016

Yeah, I don't need to read all that. Anyways, I'm sure you guys handle professional hand. I don't know why we can't just paper. We can't just erase everything anyways. It seems perfectly fine for Hillary Clinton. She can just do whatever she wants.

Well, I can't do that. I I really didn't I really wasn't meaning to speed. I mean Yeah. And I don't think that Josh should be happy. Well, on the same page. Yep. Fix it in the winter. Are we ready? walkie-talkies. Uhhuh.

Intercom. Huh? I'm Mark Baron. New guy Mark. Oh, I'm Bill Simon. No, that's the budget. Budget since June. Oh, all that. All right, call us to order. You have to calm down. We'll we'll call the meeting uh back to order. We're back from recess and we do have a quorum here tonight. Uh all five members are here. Could we please rise for 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.

Thank you. Um on uh next up is amendments on the agenda and I am going to add uh C under seven and that'll be uh assistant uh assistant PIT discussion. agenda? Yeah. amendments, right? No. Okay. All right. Um, next up is public comment. Uh, if we do we have any public comment this evening?

Seeing none, uh, consent agenda. I move we accept the consent agenda as presented. Second. Any discussion? All in favor? Motion carries. Next up is uh discussion of budget with the budget committee. And we are the budget.

So we have what? Six members of the budget committee here and for the for the new budget people and Corey, I need your email addresses before you leave. Okay, did you you got your email from me? Yes. And I haven't done anything because I've been on vacation and just got back.

No, that's okay. I'm just making sure. Did Did everybody get emails from me? Yeah. Yeah. Okay, then I have everybody. Um, I I see there are a couple of uh new members to the uh budget committee. Um, I'm Jeff Wakeakeman. I'm the chairman of the uh selectman. And we have uh Josh Libby and Sarah Hall is the vice chair and Mark Blake and Mike Stewart. Um, and

you I'm Mark Baron over drive. Welcome. Uh Rick Evans from Patriot Way. Okay. Welcome. Thank you for being willing to serve on the committee. And um I guess at this point I'm going to open. Um I think some of you have had a chance to review some of it. And uh um if there you can take some time to review it as well, but if there are any questions or anything that you'd like to ask, feel free. I'm I'm sure there are going to be some. Terry,

he's never gonna No, no, no. I Well, I wasn't actually intend I was actually opening it up for questions if you No, I I figured that I that some may need some time to review as well, but we could take some questions as we went along. Um

well well what might be helpful just to go through are there any changes or any anomalies from the last time we talked about this budget other than the workers comps that obviously is continuing to be high. Yes, I did notice that and uh

that was one of my questions is why how did we underestimate that? Well, the the underestimation came because um they audited last year's and so the the negative amounts are from the audit from last year um which I wasn't expecting. Last year I was expecting the audit to be off but this year I I wasn't and it was significantly off.

We didn't have that audit at town meeting. No, we didn't. They didn't have the audit we didn't have the audit bill until after town meeting. So the second question would be in times past when you've had like an overage like that, how do you cover that? What do you

We're going to have to cover it out of different line items. We're going to have to figure out how to reduce on the line line items. Well, we don't reduce them. We just underspend them so that it makes up for that. Yeah. But and I did check for next year's so I checked against the audit for next year and what I had given um and we're good for next year. So we shouldn't have such a huge um audit bill afterwards.

me was the expenditures of all the elections. Yeah. Isn't that fantastic? Something will be happening in November. Yeah. Um about 83%. I go back and look at I see 50% on payroll. Yeah. 50% on the payroll. And the expenses. What the part of that? We bought the We already bought the uh the the booths on the election expenses. It's at 90%. We bought the booze which was at least 50% of the budget,

right? It's also onetime there. Yes. Yeah. uh I I guess I have a couple questions here and I don't know if you can answer them or not. We we budgeted 1650 to fix the sinkhole repair and it appears as of right now it's not been that I

I haven't I haven't transferred the money we budgeted it to reimburse the undesated fund for the money that we had taken out for emergency last year. So I have not reimbured that yet. It's It's just a trans, right? But it has been fixed.

Yes. And I usually do that a little closer to the end of year to be honest. I make sure that we're doing okay and Okay. Uh we budgeted at town meeting for the fire department and according to this it has not been paid yet.

They're on tonight's warrant. Yeah, they're both due in July. Well, my question is this. If it was budgeted at a town meeting, would the town not get something if it was paid off early? Would there be $50, a h 100red bucks or whatever reimburse to the town because we paid it off early?

Pay it off early. One of the things is because of the way that our tax year is also if we can push some of those larger cash payments out until tax money start coming in. So we're not using bond anticipation note money. We're not using borrowed money to pay the loan payment if if we push it up till when it's actually due in July when some tax revenues have started to come in.

Did we take a a tax anticipation loan this year? Yes, we did. Uh, what was the interest on that? 089%. you're asking percentage amount? Percents don't mean anything with me without a calculator. I don't have a dollar amount yet because I haven't paid it back. So, when I pay it back is when they determine how much interest I owe them because we we could conceivably go to December 31st and not pay it back. But, I do pay it back as soon as I have cash for it. Um, so last year it's about $200, $250, but

we also pay a bond council to help me do the TAN, which is about $1,500. So the tax participation loan cost $250. Is that what you're saying in interest plus $1,500 basically in lawyer fees. So you're talking about $17 to $1,800 to do a tax anticipation loan.

Now, I will ask this question again. is if we had paid the fire station payment and the quick payment, would we have got some of this money back? We don't have the cash to pay the quint payment and the fire station before it's due. It's because we we're having to borrow because we don't have we're having to do the TAN because we don't have enough funds available to to meet all of our bills until we can send out the tax bills.

I understand. When do you borrow the money? About May was May. We borrowed it this year. We borrow it May. We pay it back as soon as we can, which will probably be late July this year. And for new members that that may be a little bit confused, what the essential issue is that we are on a a calendar year budget and with the T

scheduling of town meeting and the school budget, we don't actually commit taxes until June. So the money starts coming in and really this time of year, but meanwhile, we have expenses that date all the way back to January. So we frequently end up having to take No, that I was explaining to for the new members. I know you understand

um recently um we up until a few years ago because of the way the the way monies came in for the school, we always had some cash flow and um that changed and we ended up not having the cash flow. Plus, we used a fair amount of our what we call undesated funds, which are monies that are are not designated to anything in particular. We we had used a lot of that. So, we did not have enough to cover us from January to July. So, the past four or five years, we've had to take out um tax anticipation notes. So, am I correct to understand that um once we get the undesated fund back to where it once was, we'll no longer need to be taking out the tax anticipation law.

Um or I'm not sure if it's where it once was or to where we want it to be. Yes. Um that's that's a that's a goal to have enough in there to cover our expenses so that we don't have to do that. And but it's going to take a it's going to take many years to get us to that point unless we do something and uh where we

add money to our tax bill one year to to uh where we say let's put $300,000 towards that and tax everybody to do that. Um, but otherwise we we have to do it on what's not used on the overlay and what's not used in a few small budget lines. And

I guess I didn't understand it would take that long, but the the message perception of the message I got two years ago when we stop when we said we weren't going to use any monies from the undesated fund was to rebuild that. And then we didn't hit our goal last year. So it was presented that you know we're going to work on that again this year but it's

you're not saying we're years away it's it's a multi well number one we had a setback last year because of our error in committing the taxes. So, we had a almost $200,000 setback last year and um typically we we would roll over about a h 100,000 somewhere between 100 and $150,000 into the general fund I mean into the undesated funds uh through either the uh

unspent budgets or through um overlay that wasn't used. Um, but we're looking I think we're at somewhere around 800,000 right now. We were at 800,000 at January 1st. I believe we want to be somewhere near one and a half million.

I think it's close. And so if you're only put if you're only gaining $100,000 a year, it takes a while. And I believe I I believe I presented that when when we were talking about this uh even two or three years ago that this is going to be it's going to be a process. is going to take a while,

right? And our two largest departments, the any unspent funds in those departments don't roll into the undesated fund. They roll into those departments capital funds. So the amount of funds that that actually do roll into undesated funds is is a smaller percentage of of the unspent funds of the budget.

How much was the overlay this year? 121,000. Yeah, we percentage two two between two and two and a half I think. Yeah, something like that. Yeah, two and a half. About 2%. Somewhere around 2% overlay which 2%. I think it was two and it was close. It was almost two and a half 2.4% I think is what it was. I can I can go get the

See, see some of that money that Jeff was talking about back a few years ago. I remember uh when Allan was on the budget committee, we used to use some of that money to keep the taxes down because of the new school thing. So, that's where some of that money got drained from. So,

kind of at a point we're trying to put it back. Made the tax commitment this year. The overlay, you put a percentage in to that, right? What was that percent? Right. But the the the we didn't do up to 5% because the overlay is not to re

replenish our undesated funds. The overlay is to cover abatements and other abatements and non-payment of taxes. So, um, it we should not be we should not be considering what our undesated funds are at when we're calculate when we're trying to determine what to use for an overlay. We should only be considering um abatements and um unpayment of t

non-payment of taxes and things like that with a bit of a buffer beyond that. And that's why we don't that's why we don't do the full 5% because it's it's not it's not what it's there for. But we do budget for abatement.

The town meeting No. No. The overlay is to cover abatements. There's no there's no line in here for abatements, I don't believe. and and I see the abatement line right now is is negative $2,000 in the red because there's no budgeted line item at the end of the year that's taken out of the overlay

and that comes out of uh administrative expenses. No, it comes out of the overlay. So, in other words, at the end of the year, if it's $2,000, that $121,000 would be subtracted. 2,000 will be subtracted from that and the rest would go into undesated funds,

budget. It's part of the tax commitment, but at the end of the year when the books are reconciled, any abatements get subtracted from that overlay amount and then anything that's left goes into undesated Okay. You have the abasement line.

Yes. So, as of right now, is that coming out of administrative expenses? No, it's it's it's it's there for accounting purposes, but the money is not included in the administration expenses. The money is um taken out of the

at at the end of the year, you'd make a journal entry, right, to the auditors do. Yeah. The auditors make a journal entry to cover that amount, right? So it it it doesn't affect the bottom it shows today because because that journal entry hasn't been made, but it doesn't affect at the end of the year. It doesn't affect the bottom of the line of that budget. It's it's it ends up zeroed out.

Would that not be better to have it online? Probably look better in my budget. We we could do some we could do something like that and and then it's it's something that you'll always see as a z you'll see as a zero at the end of the year but that that might you want to look into what we could do to do that?

I I mean I I don't know. I've always done it as I mean I could put it in a different expense line. Well, I was thinking keeping it give it its own expense line. Uh I could give it its own expense line. then it's not affecting anybody's

right but we can't set a specific number for it during the budget season because we don't have the actual right I I have one other question uh we've had a lot of appeals this year yes uh and I noticed under the uh planning I'm assuming that this all comes out of the planning board or whatever the appeal

most of it would I would think would come out of there. Yes, the postage um which you see in June that has a lot. The other thing is um a lot of the appeals the people who bring the appeals to the appeals board are required to pay for the certified postage um and for any advertising costs that we incur. So when I advertise in the newspaper and they charge me $72 to advertise, I bill the appellent and then they reimburse me for that money.

all of the appeals that we've had this year is not none of them monies are involved in the planning board. Just some of the postage to the members of the appeal board. The actual certified mail postage is actually in my budget and then I reimburse it with the money that I get from the people.

But labor labor lines if we if we're paying them that would come out of here. We don't pay them but we do pay the secretary. Okay. So Oh, so the appeals board is not paid. Okay. I did not realize that. Along with the budget

I did I did realize that because that was at the budget committee committee request many years ago. Meet twice a year, right? I guess that feels three times already. Excellent. Are are there any other questions from the budget committees or any process questions if um from new members or from anybody that has any questions on how things are accounted for or anything like that?

Just to just again for my own clarification, the the two the two places where the workman cop is really sticking out. You're saying that those two amounts are based on the results of last year's audit. The fact that we've had an increase in

right um claims for 2016. Right. So what happens is I get um the bill and we it it's paid in four separate payments during the year. So, I have a spec when I go into budget season, I have a specific bill and I went off that bill. And then in April, they sent me after town meeting and everything, they sent me a new bill from the audit that they did on our payroll from 2015, which turned out to be a pretty large amount. So, the reason you see the negatives in my budget and in fire is because we haven't gotten to the point yet where we're um paying out of the public works budget because I I go down the line as we pay the bills. I separated out. So, first I pay out of my budget, then I pay out a fire budget, and then I pay out a public works budget. So, you will see big negatives on all of those lines.

And should we have um additional claims for this year, is that going to be that that will affect next year's budget, right? Our modification for next year will change and it'll go up. We already we already know it's going to going to go up because we had an additional claim last year and that's going to affect us next year. So annually in April you you'll get the

next audit, right? And so for our planning purposes, we need to be conscious of this every year, right? And so when I got the audit this year and my eyes bugged out, um I went back to what I had sent them at the beginning of the year for our payroll and I checked it against the budget and I checked it against projections and and it looks like we'll be okay next year. Okay.

Do we No. Is April the earliest we can get that audit? That's when they send us the bill. Yeah. That's not what I I I I know what you're asking. You're asking if is can I call them up and have them give me the I suppose, Terry, if I wanted to, I could I could conceivably run the audit myself and find out where we are. Well, the the thing of it is is when we went to the April meeting from March to April, several things were supposed to take place because we were running this a month later, town meeting. All right. We were supposed to have all the audits done and everything else. The the town report was supposed to be ready more than a week before town meeting. Uh, and

my question is is we can't get that audit in March to make sure that our figures are correct or Well, MMA are the people that do the audit and I suppose I could call them and ask them if they could get it to us early, but I I don't know if they could.

It might be helpful to to at least ask that question. At least we could roll it into our budget deliberations. Yeah. Yeah. So, I mean, it's quite a lot of money. Yeah. Yeah, I I I agree that it would be nice to know that, but we're talking uh at least them getting us the number the the numbers at least two months in prior to when they already get it to us. That's that's a

I mean that's pretty tall order, but we can try. We can see what we can do. Even a ballpark. Well, you have a sense of if it came in and the budget committee meetings was over, but you had that confirmed figure for town meeting,

you could change that figure on the floor. That's true. Um I don't I I wouldn't I wouldn't like to do that because uh I can imagine the uh questions we get on that, but I I I we could do that if we happen to know, oh, we're going to get hit with this. We we could do that, too. I mean customer workers one of them bills that you have to pay. I mean it's not like okay we're going to negotiate this. It's not up for negotiation.

No we got to pay. Yeah. You got to pay it. I mean and I think the town's people would understand that. Right. We we'll see what we can do. Um, just out of curiosity, did you go back and look at last year's numbers that you submitted and what and and see that we Oh, we did make we did make a mistake in what we sent and stuff.

Yeah. Okay. Yeah. because it was done it a big part of the issue was we hadn't had a full year with public works yet and so the numbers are due before December 31st and it was my first 3 months and I was anticipating they what they do is they do a certain percentage and we were anticipating a certain percentage and what I should have done is after we had done it I should have changed the numbers

so we we sent the numbers in before we ever prepared the budget Right. Okay. The We're getting back to the work. I'm just asking a question here. Right now we're 7,000 300 and some dollars and I'm just looking at public works. I noticed that there's another line in administration or whatever. Is that figure going to climb between now and December 31st?

Yes. Is uh would it be safe to assume that this figure will possibly double? Let's see here. Not this is only 6 months and we're $7,000 in the hole. Well, the the payments go down. So, the first payment's a bigger payment. The second payment's a little less. Third payment's a little less. the fourth payment is the least amount to the payment. Um I if I remember correctly and I can go look Terry if you want me to. I think that public works is going to be around 9,000 and the fire

department is not fire department right now is in the flush. Yeah, I know. But we got to pay out of that and then they're going to go down into the red about $1,500 I believe. Administration I'm I'm there. I'm a 253 in the red and that's where I'm going to stay.

And that's why you're going to stay on administration. That's not going to increase at all. No. Well, part of part of this is simply having department and getting some feel year in year out what the hits going to be for costs as well as other expenses. So, we're still early in this game, I think. So,

yeah. Is there is there a way that we can what what's preventing us from, you know, for the budget committee and the stockman meeting a little sooner than last minute when come the new budget, we start the process. Typically, we I mean, for the last few years, we met when we've had a week to go. And so I mean we but we used to be we had a little more leeway but

we were late at least on one of those. Yeah, we we were we were we were running a little late though since I've been on the board. It's always been second or third week of February that we've met and I've I've been on the board for six years. It's always been the the first time that we meet has been like the second or third week in February. Um but yes, both both

last year and or for the 2015 and the 2016 budget, we the selectman were running behind. I I'm we going to try to do a better job this year. Um it and I I'm I can't promise that we're gonna but we're going to try and see what we can do. Um, so to give us a target, when would you like to start the budget meetings?

Well, I I mean you you've been on fairly as long as I have. I mean, I remember being early in February. We already had our dates. We knew we were meeting. Well, we were meeting in January because town meeting used to be in March,

but that hasn't been for 15 years or something like that. It moved to then it moved to February. Just like I said, the last few years felt like it was pretty rushed. We I don't know. I I knew things were contributing to it, but I my question is can we address those? So, what's what's your target? Because I I know that we we also had some comments that they didn't like it for during February vacation. So, what are the what what are the targets from the budget committee that you'd like to you want first week of February, second week of February? Uh third week is February vacation, I think, usually. So

yeah, I mean I'd like to shoot, you know, at least by the second week. First the second week, then we're not it's just we're not quite as pressured. If we have to meet again, there's time to do it. It's not like this is it. You know, we can't meet again.

probably too early to bring it up. I'm just looking at my some of my notes. We had requested that the way the budget is presented to us um uh next year that uh eliminate the column in which you know you were showing what was originally requested and instead put back the column that showed one one additional year of expenditures.

Mhm. That one. I I think it's a lot better than what we've done in the past years where it's like come February we all sit down and you guys have no idea what's been going on the year. So, our meetings are till 11:00 at night. So, it makes no sense. This makes much sense.

We're really We're already ahead of the game where we were last year. So, and I just want to say that I'm running into some issues this year with maintenance on this building. And so, I don't know what we're going to do next year for the budget, but remember, I put $800 to the side to paint this place, and most of that is gone for air conditioning repair and generator repair. So, I don't know what we're going to do for maintenance on this building because I I think that there are issues that need to be addressed at some point.

have the high schoolers all have to have um community credits and um for volunteering. And I bet you could probably get a group of high school students to paint out some of these rooms and they would get their community volunteer hours for that. So, my

that was just for the paint. Anyways, I I think I was planning on hoodwinking other people into painting. think and I would love to use them for other things as well. Have we are we doing anything with this million dollar plus road bond project that we got going on or is that

What do you mean? Are we doing anything with We're spinning it right along. I mean, we're I mean, we we're we're well on the way into the project. Um Oh, okay. The the grinding I think is going to be happening fairly shortly, but

Monday Monday. So, so uh we've we've already start we've done most of the culverts and a lot ditching's been started and trees have been cut and you see it down by Runaround Pond. Yeah. Yeah. Good. And I noticed the uh the new privy is

it's in place. Rental no more fishing it out of the pond. I hope that wasn't a suggestion. And we have a new bridge. Yes. Just one more question as a new guy. So the next time that we get together is February or is there something

or do you I mean do you want another meeting before then? Do you want to review it? uh review the budget sometime uh early December or or early January before you meet for the actual budget meetings or how about the previous year?

Well, I feel that you know any information we can get before budget committee meeting is a help. I mean, we could basic like the first week of January, we could send you the the final budget report for last for this year because once once the audit's done and uh once our audit is done, they've done their transfers, we could that can be sent out anytime, early January probably.

Well, if also if you could routinely just send us the quarterly reports, right? That's what I was going to recommend is just quarterly. But uh but but scheduling a meeting um if if one might be desired will only make the budget committee meetings that much less

that's what I'm asking if you want we could meet. I don't know when I'm kind of trying to feel you guys out what you when you would like it. Um we meet every other Tuesday. So anytime you guys I'm more I'm more than happy to have you attend and and go over it.

Yeah. 1st of December. Fine. Okay. that that'll already weed out some of the questions that will be asked in February. Yeah. Do we do we have a a date for that? So, we can actually pin a date on our first meeting in December. Let's

see. can do Okay. So, Tuesday the 6th. So, you you could you're going to notify us anyway, right? Yeah, we'll we'll remind we'll we'll send out a reminder on it, too. So, um yeah, we wouldn't expect you to make the meetings in February that much

y um more efficient. And by that point, um, I the department heads should at least be starting the planning and hopefully well well into their planning for their budgets for the next year by by December because if we're going to meet early February, we're going to need to the selectmen are going to need to start their thing early January.

And in January, you said you're going to send a budget committee year end. Y yeah, year end budget sheet. Yeah. At that point, we'll have all the quarteries and we'll have the year end. Right. Okay. When in December does the do you actually close the books?

December 31st and then we're audited the first week in January. So there's not much of a leeway time for me. I I'm December is my my month to get ready for audit and then I get audited. Yeah. I guess I I guess what I was thinking I was asking which I wasn't clear was do you have any of those numbers or how close do you have to those numbers before you actually close I know you actually closed on the 31st cuz we actually shut down the the building half a day early whatever but is there any of that information that's almost completed before that you actually shut it down I mean within that first that last week

well I mean I could print up a copy of the totals up to that particular date they're already going to have through the end of November mber by that point, which is and so on. And so rather than send them one thing and a couple weeks later send them any corrections that had to be made during the audit,

might as well. And and I Yeah, I I'm not I mean like I could do forecasts and stuff, but to be honest at time I I just was just to try to make it clear. So we had most all the information, right? You know, that's okay. Well, they'll have the November because they'll have all the way up through the November 30th for the December meeting and then right after I get audited in the first part of January, um I can send them and and actually I could send them a preliminary as of December 31st, even before I get audited. I mean, that's easy enough to do.

Yeah, that should be because that's usually fairly close. Yeah, we don't usually have a ton of Yeah, that's kind of where I was. All right. Oh, that's fine. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you very much for coming. Thanks for coming.

Do you ever have any questions? Oh, yeah. Okay. Thank you. Have a good night. See you. Good to meet you. I'm going to take C out of order so that we can do B and then go right into road commissioners. So rather than up and down. Yeah, that works. So, um

Yeah, actually if you want stick for just a second. This one assists PIT discussion. Uh the assistant uh PIT discuss discussion. Um, it had been uh suggested to us that we um allow you and Ruth to um interview and select the assistant PIT and then um you'd still need to

bring it back to us for final approval, but just you could do the interviews and and uh select and so on and then bring it back to us. It makes more sense. You have a better sense of She missed all them already though. Yeah, we did we did meet with someone today, but um you you can call and talk to them and

and uh see see what you feel and I don't know that we'll weigh in on any on it, but um there was a second person that had expressed interest. We have not received an application as of yet. Um we I don't believe we put an an end date on this. So, it's basically until until we find somebody suitable for the position.

Okay, sounds good. So, I will make the motion that we allow our administrator and our PIP um to do the interviews and uh make a selection to forward to the board. Second. All in favor? Motion carries. Just passed the especially since I'm still taking pictures.

All right. Um next up is the Department of Labor inspection report. So if you want to speak to it and what did uh did you get that letter? Yeah, I gave them a letter and I gave him a copy of the actual report. Okay. Oh, they have the report.

Yep, we got it. Well, then I guess Oh, did we kill too many trees? have to rewrite the uh policy because apparently one that we have is missing a couple of things in it that no one else ever picked up on before. It was So I'm rewriting it

Oh, sure. Uh, so this was just a rough I can make this neater before I'm done with it, but I just want to show this for you tonight so you can see where I'm at with the before we mail it in. I'll actually have this uh Michael uh have his name on the front there. I guess I didn't bring that piece, but I spoke with the the director, not the director, but he's the guy that runs everything up there. Michael Glway,

uh and he said, you know, 500 bucks is minor. Usually public works, you start around three to four at least. And so he said, "For 550 bucks, you're doing pretty good." Um, so he said, "Just," he said, "Just write it out just like I did. Send it in." And he said, "We don't, we're not going to come check and see everything that's going on." But he said, "Probably uh um on the one where there was the $550 fine, uh probably we want to see proof of that, which I have. I've already sent it to him." But I've got the records from my prior employer. So

um if you want to go through these uh so so looking through this at this point the only one that has not been addressed is number two. Number two. Yep. Okay. And we have a policy. It's just not 100%. It's missing a couple of components that I've got to but it's not that simple to fix. I have to I have to go through it and basically start over. So,

um when do you think you'll be able to have that? Cuz that one's actually a pretty uh uh pretty serious uh lockout tagout's pretty a pretty big pretty big deal. So, that's where you start. And you know, we do the training on it and we have the policy. It's just that there was a couple of things in it that uh so I've called him and I'm waiting for call back from him because there are two different options. There are there's either the hazardous energy control or there's lockout tag out. And why they're both in there, I don't know, but you can use apparently either one. So, he's supposed to answer that for me and soon as he gets back to me of which one he wants.

They'll be the same. Well, they should be the same, but they're if you go on their website and look, there's two different ones. I do all the training of mine. I have no idea why there's a lockout tagout and there's a hazardous energy control. They're the same thing with the two different titles. And

so we didn't have a procedure at all for lack of tag out for any of our guys. We did. Was that what we got hit on? Yep. But we did have a procedure. It's just that she said there's a couple of things in there that Well, if you look our guys all trained up now cuz our work comp's going through the roof. So we're all trained up and we're all safe, right?

Yep. Okay. we'll just update that. You don't you don't see any issue having this abaded by their their deadline of August 30th? Nope. Okay. the well tomorrow. Theif 15 days is tomorrow. I think 15 business days. Oh, business day.

And he said he said it's their business day. So he said you got till July 20th. All right. And he said just send this in. And he said or you don't have to send this in yet. So just send in that the letter that you guys all have

requesting a penalty discussion and they'll cut 90% of the penalty out. So the electrician came over and fixed all the electrical stuff and took the paintbrush out of the freezer and uh the electrician took the paintbrush out quick. We did that.

So put a sign on the freezer. Do not store paint brushes. I think we all I think we all know that now. And so I think you know you know the having pressure in the tanks in the oxygen settling tanks I think most people probably have enough leaks in there that they wouldn't hold pressure. So I think ours were just too good. So they still had pressure in them but that won't happen again. Um and uh we took the uh in front of the electrical panel and we painted 36 in like the glare.

Yeah, it's all yellow. It's solidly yellow. So you know if it's sitting on yellow, it doesn't belong there. So you don't have to bother to even look up. And then we've got also placards that we're putting on the panels that say 36in clear space required. So caution warning symbols. So, um, didn't do we have did was all this stuff inspected when we bought the building?

This is all safety of above and beyond the building. Some of this I mean some of the stuff is al Yeah, like the the eyewash the stuff that we put in and the and the battery whatever it was we we've put in or we move stuff in front of an electrical panel that shouldn't have been there. Lockout tag was no lockout. That's all our procedures that we should put in place to begin with and we didn't.

Well, lockout tag was in place and safety wasn't off the power. What they us safety works has looked at everyone's looked at it and they had a problem and all a sudden now she's they nail you on then if it was up to power.

Oh, just she said there was some couple of components that didn't have in there that it needed to have. So, it's not a big deal. Didn't our insurance agent do a walk through as well at one point? Yeah, we had the safety works inspection.

Yeah. And we also have MMA inspection. They come through and check all the policies. How many months ago was that? Years ago, Eight months ago. No, that was last fall, I think. Yeah, it was like 9 or 10 months. We were just outside 6 months. Yeah, cuz if we'd have been inside the 6 months, you wouldn't even have been here, right? Right.

But we were just outside of that. Y Okay, that's that you have a Is it a safe? Is that the program? Is the program that you have over there, Bill? Shape. Shape. Shape. Shape. Okay. Shape program. Now, that puts you in a better place so we don't have to go through this.

He said, "As soon as we're done with this, we'll discuss that and we'll go on." He said that's the program we should be in. So we'll go on to that. And then he said you won't have to worry about this. So he said most public works. He said if it's public works and you got $550. He said that's pretty much unheard of. He started usually 3 to 4,000. So

I guess we should congratulate you then. $500 $50 to pay it. And and they're still going to 90% for that. So we want motion. Can we get a motion on the letter? I move that we accept the letter to the Bureau of Labor Standards as presented.

Second. Any discussion? All in favor? Motion carries. And so this is all we have to send by the 20th. Okay. You have an official one. These are just copies. Yep. I have one for you guys to all sign. Can Can you keep us up to date on Yep.

Uh where things are on it? So there so he should send that registered mail just okay I can do that for the sake of and while you're here we'll just do your report okay so that takes care of that now you're back to the for everybody cuz he was the last on the list.

Too bad. I like me too. Perfect. He's getting good at this. Right. And every excavator. Bill came in at 6,900. Those are all on. Uh just finished it today. So, they started it this morning, now and today. So, that's ready to go. Um looking at grinding rabbit road Monday

culverts along the way. We put them in some of them we put in. We just put them in at the depth that we know the ditch is going to be when the road's done. So they might look like they're lower than the ditch, but there's a reason for that. We put them in at the driveway. There was some there was one driveway on Rabbit Road before you get to Route 9 on the right that goes right uphill that there's a ditch coming down the ditch going beyond and there was just his driveway went straight up. So you can tell at one point there had been a ditch there. So as we dug in there the cover was in there just got buried over in both ends. So the ditch wasn't working. But so that ditch that cover sitting in there lower get that much dirt on both sides of it sticking up. But the average person might look at that and say Jesus These guys know what they're doing.

But there is a method to the madness is what you're telling. When the road is built up and gets finished, that will be it. Right. And then we come through and ditch. That'll be right at the 27 in mark. But I don't want to ditch it now because then when we get that done, then we have to come back through and do all the inslope work where we could do all that while we're ditching and fix our inslope and finish it in one shot.

Yep. Yep. I had to go get a couple more. And um the lady with the trees came down and I guess she uh found her she's got her wood so and she's happy. Well, best we can do. She asked us not to work in front of her house for a week or so because her dog went to the fireworks and broke his neck. So, so we will have to be sensitive to working in that area for Ron says what, a day or two? She said, "No, probably a week." So, we got to we got to make sure we don't go It'll be a week before we get to that side. So, we were just there and left. So,

we we'll work with them as best we can, but we can't slow the progress down. Yeah. Right. We'll we'll be sensitive as we can be. Yep. Sean, have you uh have a date for you on the slip liner? Nope. I called him again today and he text back said it's still not here. They're waiting for the um whatever that product that goes in there. They're waiting for that to show up. So

Oh, they gave you a price on the other one? No. No. So the other one, if I don't get a price, if I don't get a price by next, you know, by Monday, I'll just go we'll just do it. Yeah. I went over and cut the trees today that are on top of the trees that big growing on top of it. We took those down today in case we have to either way. I don't want those growing on top of the couch. So,

cable company waiting for them to u finish their hookup so we can back fill that trench and rip out the other stuff. tomorrow and start putting the shoulders on. Boy Hill, we should be in good shape. Yep. That's held up very well over there.

Y with the exception of somebody trying to do burnouts with studs in their tires. Yeah. I'll take my tires off to put the other ones on. Yeah. Great. Did we uh were we not ready for cricketer on the 5th on Tuesday there? Last Tuesday

last Tuesday. Yeah. You sent them away. Oh, we got dumped in my lap. That's why I'm asking. Well, we were in Poundwell actually. They were going to come in and pave a road in Hodden Road. I said, "We're not paving that road. It isn't ready yet." So, they still have roads.

I guess Jim and the other guy go over there dumping me on Tuesday. Yeah, we still have cross pipes to put in. So, that they said, "Well, we'll go to Lisbon." And I don't care. Well, you go. just another one somewhere besides here.

Any anything else from you? Any any questions? Thank you. Hi. Chief, welcome back. Well, thanks. And actually, also congratulations on the uh uh New England camp president of the New England Association. Congratulations.

Yeah. Thank you. Appreciate it. And uh yeah, and it uh actually where I have been gone for a while that uh I really don't have a bunch of stuff going on to report to you. So if you guys have stuff for me, no. Have a good night.

Um the only thing somebody asked about the the park lot over there, I guess because you was going to do some more research on who was going to do it or whatever and the stuff and somebody asked me if you'd made that decision and I said, "I don't know."

What? the uh the concrete and the stuff in the parking lot over there in front of the fire station. Actually, we just talked about getting together and Oh, okay. In regard to him doing it inside the station, we have to meet the outside. I would assume more than likely I think he's the one that does it a lot of times for Kirkland. So, I would assume that will happen. As far as the inside, I got to make some calls. is one of the ones I got to call and go back to the people cuz I actually have three people that gave me price quotes on the job, ask a few questions and stuff based back in the initial stages and stuff. Um,

I guess the only thing I can really I can't speak to the quality of the workmanship, but I the only thing I can throw out there is I do know right off the top of my head he was not the lowest priced one in there. But lowest price isn't necessarily what I want to focus on. I want to focus on it. It wasn't. You're talking about the contract. I wasn't necessarily talking about him. I just had a couple people ask about it cuz they knew that was coming. I said, "Well, I think you was going to revisit that and make your decision." So,

and they hadn't I said, "Well, I know he's been on vacation, so that's that was all I was just to see if you hadn't had a chance to, but yeah, that's fine." No, that's all. Thank you. Okay. Thank you. Thank you. Have a good night,

coach. I bet you'll be glad when fireworks season is over. said, "I bet you guys will be glad when fireworks season is over." Probably keeps people on their toes over at the station. People are usually daily. Yeah. Look at that. Huh?

The other day, I saw it the other day by Mike Boys did a pretty good job. Look at that. excellent job. They really they took a little extra time because it's home turf and um I think you guys can be proud of what he did there. So I did talk to Tom Lindscott about it. He'd swung by and see he was waiting for the apron to go on. I shot him the photographs. They're going to run down and put up the boat launch sign. I'm assuming probably this week coming. But they were they were pretty tickled with the way that it turned out as well. So

good. We made everybody happy in regards to runaround pond. Pretty handsome piece of work right there. I tell you that's That's That's close to a subdivision grade. Did he have anything to go by? Did you give them any There was a Yeah, there's a state plan that they produce, which is tells them the tank size and all of the standards.

Yeah. The only The only thing missing is a toilet paper. So, we're going to have to look into doing that. It wasn't required by state. wasn't included IN for a toilet paper vendor to sit right there and sit in the shade, drink lemonade, and sell it by the sheets. For sure. But, uh, yeah, it's a that's a really sweet addition. And the park is really pretty well used this summer. Folks are really enjoying it. I'm glad to see it.

Are we putting any kind of flex in or anything up around them tops? Close that in. That's just the way that stays. Yeah, it needs to The plenty air is a good thing. And Oh, yeah. I knew that. I just was I I've actually stopped over and seen it and I was half of what I saw. But I that was the only thing I was wondering if they were going to

put something in there. That's just the way they look at a state park. Well, I'd hope not. Yeah. Me dragging a magazine in there when In and Out's a good idea. Well, I I would think that you wouldn't want anyways to the back.

So, you want me to have you want me to have Pat be the toilet paper? He's over there doing the trash anyway. So, might as well have somebody assigned to it so you know it's going to get done. Yeah, we just had that. So, seems like there's a dispenser in there, I guess.

No, no, no dispenser. Wasn't No, the state didn't. Yeah, we got to get one in there. Yeah, I think we got to put one in there. Yeah. Well, what? Come on. I I would I would I expected it, but I could understand why the state doesn't because it just it's a lot of energy for them to have to go cuz it's gone the minute they leave. You know, somebody's doing something about it.

I see why we're doing it, but we got to put one in. I have toilet paper. Yeah. Oh, yeah. We got to have What do you mean it's spark? There's all kinds of leaves. Yeah, we need to put a dispenser. Tail moth season. So, just keep that in mind with the leaves.

Something's got a spare roll. Got to have It's really going to go downhill, isn't it? Should we get on to the next thing? Yeah, go ahead. I don't have much. I'm working more on the mapping. Um, I did want to let you know I I um I didn't ask permission to do this, but I did it anyway. I I've installed a my Rhino program, which is a 3D design program, onto my computer and working with shape files. And what I've learned about GIS is it's mainly geographic information systems is about compiling information about space and not necessarily um the best model for mapping. You use the map structure as a way to contain information. You put little information spots on it. When you want to call it up, it comes up in a spreadsheet. you can get lots of different information on a map, but for actually creating the map itself, it's not the best thing. Um, so using a program that works on a like an AutoCAD DXF format is much better for

manipulating the actual mapping layers themselves. Um, so instead of taking it home and doing it home, I brought my CDs in and I loaded them onto my computer, my laptop. When I leave, I will unload them. It's licensed to me. Um, and the company that owns it knows when I turn it on. It goes through the internet and tells them whether or not the license is being utilized by more than one person. So, it's legal for me to load it on multiple machines. It's not legal for it to be used by multiple users at the same time. It can be used by multiple users, but only individually, one at a time.

All right. Um, is there any restriction to business use over I am a business use. It's a commercial. It's a commercial disc because I I had bought it for my business. So, you know, we're we're legal with everything. It's as far as the software companies and stuff are concerned. There's nothing there. But I just thought it's working out pretty nicely uh so far. And the only other thing I did want to I did want to discuss a little bit with the board is a a a more structural understanding about ordinance and application. Um, for many years a lot of folks in town had been coming to the planning board for justformational discussions and it's really not um, it's not even considered legal to come before the planning board to do that kind of circumstance. So, some folks that have been asking me in the past that they want to come before the planning board and have anformational discussion, I have been

telling them you can't do that. It's not that they can't come before the planning board. In order to come before the planning board, they have to have an application. And I I'm saying this publicly because I'm hoping the public will be listening, too. I want everybody to understand if they have an application submitted to the code enforcement officer, all of their rights of appeal are preserved. That doesn't mean they're going to get a yes on what they've applied for, but their legal rights throughout the entire process all the way to the Supreme Court is preserved. So if they feel like the planning board or the code enforcement officer has made an error in judgment, they can bring it to the board of appeals. If they feel the board of appeals has got it wrong, they can bring it to superior court and then from there to the law court. So um it's important to understand that casual conversation

with the planning board is not allowed. They're an administrative board. The only thing they do is administrate the ordinances. And in order to do that, they have to have a completed application. There's no discussion until then. So the board is pretty clear in understanding that and I understand it's a little different than the way things have been done in the past. So if for some reason someone has some concerns about that and brings it to anybody, any one of us, you know, that's just the the straight out answer is, you know, get an application. I won't refuse anyone an application because I can deny it. I may deny their application or the planning board may deny their application, but I won't refuse them the opportunity to apply. I can advise them sometimes as to how it seems like they may be better off going a different route or what, you know, they may not get it. I mean, when it comes to applying for a variance,

they're very strict rules as to what you have to do to get it. And if you if it's clearly obvious you don't meet those four criteria, I'll show them the criteria and say, you know, under these circumstances, it's unlikely, but you should you're still free to come to the board and let them decide because it's not my decision. So, I know sometimes people get upset. There's a lot involved in what folks want to do. Sometimes folks have a lot invested in where they want to go. Um, and there's a lot of emotions involved. But if we keep the process really clean and straightforward, then we can avoid most of the problems.

So for people who might be listening in, where should people go if they because probably most of these people that want to go before the board and you know just to discuss something, where should they go to get some to get the information they need be I mean before they act before they fill out because sometimes there's a lot of information you need to include in an application. where should they go to get that information

that under ordinance is to me okay I will help them construct it I'll help them try to understand if if they don't quite understand or it isn't working really well they can they'll still come you know I'll work as well as I can with them if it gets to the point where it's just a little bit too difficult or they're not understanding they can come before the board and the board can explain to them about what's missing or why it's necessary or if it's necessary and they either get it waved or come back to the board if it's the planning board But there has to be an underlying application for something to

for the two any kind of board review or absolutely the board will cannot hear the planning board cannot hear anything without an application and the application has to be complete which that's the first thing they do in the process of hearing an application is find the application complete. Once the application is is found complete by the planning board, that's where all the formative discussion starts. The butters, what whoever else might be involved in it. But until then, without a complete application, there's no discussion. And the same thing with issuing permits to the CEO. Without a complete application signed and submitted and paid for, there's no discussion. So I I on an application if I were to deny an application that that was it under my authority rather than the planning board I have to like the planning board issue a finding which tells them why it is I'm denying it what statutes haven't been

met or you know whatever the case may be whether it's ordinance or mubecck or anything else. They have to be it's pretty clear in the ordinance and and the um and the code what's necessary to outline for the applicant as to why it is they are being denied. That preserves their rights. Then when they go to the board of appeals, the board of appeals can look at whether or not I had cause and or reason under what I cited as a denial and make a determination based on that. So, um, it's important that we try to preserve people's legal rights within the ordinance. And I'm sometimes it gets confusing when folks are very upset and we're trying to talk on the phone that what got said and what got heard can differ substantially. All right. So, I'm just trying to kind of reput it out there for folks to help them understand and if there's any question, they can call me. Other than that, I'm good. Any

questions? Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. You'll take care of the go line up. We'll have the the uh Christian. That's right. The runaround pond parade. of the uh I'm not speaking at this. Sorry. I'm speaking at that one.

I'm not speaking of this one. Administrator. Yeah. I always get the fun ones because you're dealing with the money. Cuz I'm dealing with the money. So, we we did send out the tax bills. Um people have gotten them. They've started coming in to pay them. Um however, um I have given you all a sheet of paper and I just want to keep you informed that we are running a little short on cash. So, although we've written checks for these amounts to these people, um I am going to hold on to these checks until we have the cash to cover it. Makes

sense. And so I just need you guys to know that this is what's happening so that when I ask for a tan next year again, you'll know why. Y and your um if if it's any of them have to go beyond the due date, you'll be you'll contact them to let them know why why and that it is coming.

Yes. And to be honest, um there's only one Yeah, that really is a big issue. We can't go beyond the due date. And is that the big one? No, that one I I could call. Okay. And and I'll probably hand deliver that one on the due date anyways.

Okay. Good. All right. Thank you. Any any other items before it's okay. Select That's the one that needs to go out on time. Selectman's comments. There'll be regular meetings, upcoming meetings here. Selectman um on July 26th and August 9th at 6:30 p.m. I'd also like to make a just a couple comments. uh thanking the main DOT and Wyman Simpson, ah Grover for all their work at the uh at the new bridge and also thanking Josh for representing the town at the bridge opening. Uh he did a very good job at that. Anything else? Move to adjurnn.

Second. All in favor? No.