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Selectmen's Meeting

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All right, I'd like to call the meeting to order, and I'd make a motion that we approve the 2 June 2026 minutes.
Second.
Call in favor.
All right.
And I'll make a motion that we do the manifest.
Is it due or conduct or accept?
Accept the manifest.
There we go.
Second?
All in favor?
Aye.
That's the minutes.
And there are three sets of man that were praying, pain, dietic card and whatnot.
I got one.
For the tractor and one for the other dose.
A little more demo on one of these days?
Yeah, a little bit.
Yeah.
One for 55?
That's the tractor.
We got a general and we requested.
Yes.
back from the trustees from Caponoresburg.
Yep.
Got it.
Give us an update on that?
On stuff, hitting the guard rail and running it down.
Notice that broke the guardrail post right out of the concrete and everything.
Got an insurance.
Yeah, I did an insurance claim.
Culver did an estimate for a little over $97,000.
So I, and they sent an adjuster last week last Thursday to come and look.
to come and look at it.
And so we should hear back from them in the next few days
because he said it would take him five or six days
to get his bit of the work done.
So we should hear back, hopefully by the end of this week,
when they're going to have us to do with that.
And then hopefully we can move from there and fix it.
It's fairly expensive damage.
Yeah.
So really the only, I think one of the lessons learned from this one is
is we need to make sure we call the State Patrol once we're
control once we notice damage like that.
Because one of the first things they're going to ask for is a police report.
So in the future, if there's any sort of damage that you guys notice,
just let snow and we call us the state police.
The issue with listening, though, was the fact that it was snow.
It was there in a storm.
And so here's pictures of the damage.
Oh my gosh.
However, keep in mind, that's where the snow is put.
So we don't really...
So you don't see that.
I didn't really even notice it.
It was like melted away.
You know, it's like, but I mean,
Oh my gosh.
That's the road.
That's the barrier and that's the river.
That's the river.
That's the river.
Where the border is the forest.
Oh.
Sometimes we have a whole lot.
Do you think someone hit that with a plow on the front of their truck?
No way.
No?
I mean, that had to cause some serious damage to whoever hit it.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Well, we know it wasn't one of our plows because we would have been replacing it.
Yeah.
So whoever did hit it has a lot of serious damage to do you.
So, and there's no deductible for that, right?
Yes.
Oh, there is?
That can just come out of bridge fund.
Yeah.
You know, so.
It's not like we don't have to.
kind of have to fix it.
Because it's our only bridges in there.
We're running out of bridges.
Yeah, we're running out of bridges.
Pretty soon it's coming like, okay, well, you know,
you start in Chesterfield and you just come down River Road, we can get there.
Which if they, we get the money to do that from the insurance company,
it'll be down to one lane, so we're going to have to call Kathy and tell her
any trailer trucks they got coming with hooves, supplies,
we'll have to do Uber Road.
road.
Good point.
Whoa.
It'd be one night for a lot.
Mm.
All right.
Oh, wow.
What?
What?
You can just get for it to see so that they can get his bits in.
Truck bid.
Okay, truck bid brought in $6,200.
What's the highest bid?
I can accept or, yeah.
for Yeager Man.
What was the estimate for the, if we had gone ahead and turned that truck in?
$5,000 trade in value.
So we got $1,200 more than traded?
Yes.
I make a motion.
I'll second that motion.
All in favor?
No.
Oh.
I make a motion.
We accept the $6,200 truck bid from Deals.
Yes.
And I'll second it?
All in favor?
Aye.
Okay.
The other thing is, can we take the 92 case international mower or the old one that's parts machine or can be revived for a farmer,
and put that on the Gov deals and see what we can get for it?
That is why we now have the new trailer.
The new...
Yeah, the new mower.
So, can that trick to pronounce?
We don't have to.
It's either...
It's either that or scrap, right?
It's either...
It's either that or scrap, right?
Scrap, right?
Scrap, throw it on a marketplace,
Gov deal, see if we can get $1,5002 grams.
I mean, the bottom line is you don't need it anymore.
No.
And it's not good for parts for the new one.
No, it's a lawn ornament.
Yeah.
So...
make a motion that we sell it for whatever money we can get for it at this point.
Little money's better no money.
The reason being that not putting a dollar amount to that is when it either closes or we give
an offer on it, we don't have to meet about it and talk again because right now it's scrap to us.
But you're not going to ask it.
You're not going to ask if you can buy it or use it.
You don't want it.
You can ask it.
You can ask that.
I was just waiting.
I just want to make sure there's no seller's remorse here.
I'd rather buy it.
He was going to buy it.
He was his nephew if we were going to do it for cheap.
So you seconded the motion?
I. You could second it or say aye.
Okay. So all in favor say aye.
Aye.
Okay.
Thank you.
Yeah, so this means you can, you don't have to come back if it sells on Govdeal.com, whatever.
Okay, I'll just okay the bid, be thankful and let Joey know.
That's just a reason.
Show her the money.
I mean, the high bits of $500, you probably won't say, well, like you get more on the market.
I take the 500 bucks.
It's probably more than scrapping it.
It would almost pay for a new tire for the new one.
The $500.
It would be a half of thing going up, so it won't even be half of you.
All right. You got anything else?
No, that's it. I'm good to go.
Thank you very much.
Thanks, Dave.
Have a nice day.
Oh, thanks for figuring out those parts from you want.
Okay, cool.
Very nice.
Did that hurt when you took away?
Yeah.
You're a good big.
Both of them.
Northern Borders Grant.
I want to speak about the Northern Borders Grant
so on Friday I received a letter
from Southwest Regional Planning congratulating us
for being awarded the Northern Borders Grant
that Jody worked so hard on about two months ago.
ago, I guess it was in March.
And unfortunately, it did not include the amount.
The letter was just a Southwest helped us get it.
And it was just a congratulations, you got it.
And, you know, talk to your Monday.
Unfortunately, it was 502 in the afternoon.
And so when I made, it was like, this is great news,
and jump up and down for joy.
down for Joy, but I can't figure out how much money we've actually been given.
And as it was, I found out yesterday that we were given the entire grant amount that Jody applied for,
which is $218,000 and some change.
$9,000, $9,000, $218,9,000.
Got a welcome.
So that is $218,000 of non-taxpayer money from the town of Westmoreland
that is going to go into the town hall.
the town hall.
So congratulations to Joey.
That was a bear of a grant.
It's a great grant because it's a federal grant.
And now in the spring I can apply for an L-CHIP.
And if we get that, we can use this as our match money.
So then we may be able to get a lot more done here and finish up this project.
So this is, we're hoping we're going to get enough to get the elevator.
This would be enough for just the elevator.
elevator, but we're hopeful we can get enough to complete the kitchen and master and make the whole renovation.
Yeah.
This would make it a town center versus just a town hall.
Yeah.
We'd be able to do a lot more here because you could have functions up source.
Right.
Yeah.
And we can use it upshare, which is really nice.
Yeah.
You know, and currently we have money in capital reserve that we could use, but if she's able to get the LCHIP grant.
Right.
We'd be able to make her capital reserve go home.
permit and the other little projects I need to do.
And we have the reserves stays and we use,
this is just like what you did with the ARPA money.
You know, we used the ARPA money to go ahead and get the ALPA.
And in this case, we would be using the Norden Borders grant
to go get the ALCHIP.
So huge acclades to choose.
So is there a time limit or that we have to spend this by?
There is, I think it's like a time.
couple of years, but we won't even get the money until probably the end of the year, I didn't guess.
They're not quick.
And then next spring we would apply for LHIP and it would probably take the end of year to get that.
So we might be looking at this start of a project, maybe late 27, which is fine.
And we have an estimate on all that, not a current estimate though.
No, it's not current, it's one that Steve gave us, but yeah.
A couple years ago.
Yeah, so we should be.
We should be able to get a project pretty much done.
Yeah.
Couldn't we actually start this before then?
Well, we have the money.
Because...
We won't probably get the money until late this year.
Yeah, but we could start at the beginning of next year with the idea that,
because we do have the match for the majority of it.
We do.
We do.
We would just have to make sure we have enough to complete the price.
enough to complete the project because it's one of those.
Once you get going, you're going to have to get done.
Because we'll have no bathroom and kitchen.
Right.
That's...
I thought with the bid that we had from Steve,
that we were about two and a quarter
for doing the, not the commercial kitchen.
Right.
But doing...
I think for the bathroom in the lift.
Bathman will lift.
Bathman is going to be two and a quarter.
About that, yeah.
Yeah, so we...
And that will end up affecting the kitchen
Right.
Because that's where the stoves are.
Right.
So if we were able to get that part started,
with our match money,
we would be able to at least do a temporary stop on the kitchen
until we get the ARFA money to...
Yeah.
Yeah.
Then...
We'll have to know the entire year.
We'll have to look at it.
See what they have to do.
Yeah.
We might not have to put everything off a year,
but I'm thinking we'd probably start late 27
to get everything done.
That would be not having the money from Melchip in hand.
Right.
They kind of pay as the project goes on anyways, so it's quite too, but...
But that's not guaranteed we'll get that.
No.
If we did, we would be able to get more done.
The real real...
key to me is the fact that you wrote this grant.
You know, we had Southwest help, but you wrote this grant.
This one was a little bit of the thing.
And I know the amount of time, the weekends,
and the nights that you put into that.
So, thank you.
That was a very huge leg.
This is definitely been like that project, so...
Well.
Well.
Not too shabby.
Not too shabby.
the fact that you've already gotten over $430,000 in grant money to help this building?
Good.
Put it on your resume.
But helped fix a money bit.
Oh, I'm impressed. Good job.
So no new business, unless you have something.
We haven't lived.
I don't know why signatures got a number.
It should know.
The PTA letters, the stuff is already.
Okay.
So, PTA letter.
Sure.
Hi, I'm Sandy Howard.
I'm your neighbor.
I'm the president of the PTA, and it came up at our last meeting
that there were some questions that the PTA wanted to address to the select board.
So two topics.
One would be about the event process and the application.
And we were curious if the PTA
could be held under an exemption since we're a 501c3 and most of the events were doing
they're really just, you know, to support the school and the programming and the students at the school.
Wondering if we had to write an application for every event that we were hosting at the school
or it's possible the select board would consider us an exempt entity.
I believe it is exempt entity.
The exempt entity because on the permit process, it's a permit process,
If it's a part of the town, like like the historical society, you're doing it for a town event, basically, then it's...
You were specifically exempt.
The churches, you know, those are school, all that's exempt.
It's more private parties.
Okay.
So when we made that, we purposely took you into consideration when we created that form
So, yeah, good.
Great.
I think there was some question from some of our members that if the members of the select board were to change after particular terms are up,
that the interpretation of that might be different.
But, so that's great.
If that's just in the minutes for today, then I can go back to them and say that we're fine.
We can proceed with all of the fundraising that we do basically for the school.
That doesn't mean that future select boards can't go ahead and change the permanent process.
the criminal process.
Yes.
But this select board thinks this is all just fine with what you're doing.
So, but don't think this needs now until, you know, we censor it's now.
This is a law of the way because it changes.
Well, they could mix the whole process.
Who knows?
Yeah.
But no, this is...
Nobody's complained yet, so we're all good.
We're good.
We're good and we're grateful for what you guys do.
Awesome.
And then the other thing we wanted to
brainstorm with you was the selling of the HAC property.
It's on Gleeve Road, and that's been, you know,
that family's been very gracious to provide parking for large events
like the annual soccer tournament or the Bulldog 4.
That's the run in May.
And we can't expect that they, the new owners would be so gracious.
So just wondering about other pathways to find parking in town for these big events.
for these big events because it's a safety issue.
So we thought that the select board be the right entity
to address that once since it's a traffic and safety issue potentially.
So looking for guidance on that.
So here's...
I live on Hat Road and I've survived Tim Fest
ever since we moved here.
And I recommend you talk to the hats and see what they did.
Again, we have no authority over whoever buys that place.
I mean, my first practice.
recommendation be go over and ask the new owner.
Sure.
You know, historically we've done this and we really appreciate if you would support this.
But otherwise, I mean, I've thought about it ever since we got that letter in.
And there's, I mean, there's behind the church over here, which is extremely limited.
And I can't think of any of the areas.
So to me, what you're going to have to look at is using one of the buses, I think,
I think, and run on a shovel service, which I think the hats did last time,
because they had some land just off Macadam and also on Hat Road.
There was a plot there.
I don't think they own either one.
But I know they set up a shovel service.
And then didn't, Jason?
Yeah.
Yeah, that didn't.
It didn't go well, but...
Actually, it's...
One of the things I always think...
One of the things I was thinking about is, again, it's going to involve buses because we can't make land.
You know, there is no space.
We run them into the same thing with home days.
And the hats were very gracious and allowed us to use their land as well.
One of the things that Jason did two years ago,
or, yeah, two years ago, yeah.
was contact the county and ask if there could be parking down on the county property down on River Road and then had buses from there.
Where the old, where the old, the jail was.
Yeah, sure.
And the county was agreeable to that.
And that was for a private park.
So my hope would be that maybe the county would agree to allow us to use of that area for town events such as
to soccer tournament of home days, similar large town events.
Yeah.
This is an issue that we've all been looking at for a while.
And maybe at some point it makes sense for us to meet with the school board or at least Mark,
the principal to see if we can barnstorm another idea, but
we don't have the space.
I mean, there are a few people property owners
that might be a little closer.
Like I know, for old home days, the math
he's let us use their field to
begin the parade.
And is that also on Gleeve room?
It's on South Village.
You just go right around.
But it's, you know, you still have to shuttle.
I mean, I don't know.
I think if you just get on Google Maps or any of those apps
and look at a satellite shot.
satellite shot and basically what you were just talking about, look and see who has big open areas
that are closer than, say, the old jail location or McAdamara, those sort of things.
And then just talk to the landowners and see, because I can't imagine, you know, unless it's going
to disrupt farming in some way that they would have an issue.
Well, it depends.
If somebody purchases that land, you're putting horses on there.
putting horses on that.
Yeah.
They're probably not going to want you.
Right.
But it just depends with the purchase of it.
Yeah.
So I would just say, you know, start talking to the folks around here and see what you can work out.
I mean, at this point, I mean, we don't really have any authority over any of those folks.
Oh, no, certainly.
It's nice to hear, though, that there are other large events that there have been discussions about alternate parking.
And we certainly consider the busing topic.
I didn't know if there might be any land if you go down 63 and then you hang that first left.
Is that McAdam?
It's Fawker.
Oh, so second left, sorry.
Yeah.
Or down.
But, you know, Jason bought that plot of land down and he's got a huge open field.
And where is he looking?
It's not wet or not.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Well, it's off of 63 just.
63 just passed Park Hill.
Okay.
Okay.
actually the River Road and you go down the River Road.
And, of course, River, 63 intersect down the river and almost immediately into the field.
Maybe if you help Charlie move the walls.
Clear out the salvager.
So both of those locations are in the same vicinity, even though you can't really get to one of the other, right?
They're on either side of the bridge.
Is that where you're talking?
Pretty much.
There I missed out of the bridge.
Okay.
You know, for Jason's going to Park Hill and go that way.
Yeah.
Okay.
But yeah, you know one of them is a bit far.
Yeah.
Like time.
Don't ask the Park Hill people if you can park in front of the meeting house.
I just give you that warning.
Okay.
This is good intel.
We don't want to open up a can of worms.
Well, I know it does.
But you have a good spot to park because if it's raining, it gets all four.
rain and it gets all four.
Yeah.
Oh, yeah.
So it's really good.
And it seems like it rains for shotgun tournaments.
Yeah.
Well, good.
So if there's any other ideas that you come across, it would be great if you could just let Jody know
and maybe we can be in touch.
Do you have certificates to the people who buy the hat property?
Yeah.
And I think that's going to close by the end of the month, so maybe, you know, we can swing by this summer.
There's a contract on it?
Yeah.
Interesting.
folks from the way, so I don't think it's anyone in town who would be aware of the previous use of the property.
Unless the hats ended up telling them.
And I could actually reach it, is it Debbie?
I could reach out to Debbie and say, did you ever tell the new prospective owners?
You know, maybe she could give a little help there.
Well, it would be nice to let the new owners know, we did this and this is the result that we had.
You know, we did not have, you know, a lot of long damage.
which we didn't have, you know, didn't, didn't, didn't, didn't.
Right.
And it was a good benefit for the time.
Okay.
So they only have to be a couple times a year.
It's not like a good time.
It was basically a home day and the soccer tournament.
Well, we wouldn't have to throw home days.
I mean, that was only because we had the car show.
We wouldn't have to.
Yeah.
Right.
But for the school to use it.
You have the soccer tournament and what, the fun run?
Yeah, but the fun run doesn't generate the traffic.
Yeah.
as much as the soccer tournament.
Right.
We didn't have any overflow parking in that property this year for the fun run.
So really just the more immediate soccer in October.
Well, thanks for taking time to have the conversation just to let you know that we're thinking about it.
And marks in on the conversation too, I think I copied him on the letter.
Good.
All right.
Thanks for all you do.
Thanks.
Thanks for the time.
Yeah.
Good to see you.
Nice to have a solution before it's a problem.
Absolutely.
Hopefully.
Hopefully these people will just be like, yeah.
It would be great.
Take care.
It's great a date.
So the next item is direct deposit.
That seems to be going pretty well.
It really is.
I think everybody's been pretty amiable to it.
We made the suggestion of doing direct-the-cosit.
Having our new accounting people, it's kind of an easier route,
and it also makes it so that if I'm not available here for whatever reason,
for whatever reason it might be,
pay well can still be done.
Where checks, it takes a person to be physically here
to be able to do them.
So it's just a smooth process for everyone.
And I think I have two more people
that need to get into their forms, but so they would.
So I think we will be able to have the quarterly
and the biweekly people all take care of with direct deposit.
The end.
old ones really don't matter because they're, like we get all the firing on at the end of the year.
That's just as easy to do with just a regular check all at once.
But don't you think if they get new folks on the fire department,
or I guess what do you prefer?
It really doesn't matter tremendously.
We can start working towards it, but if we would at least start here and get this part done,
this would be great.
And then, you know, sometimes those are small amounts.
small amounts it's not really a big deal for the animals.
At least they would be cashed.
There are a couple that we need to make sure to do it.
But yeah, I think...
So do we have to sign anything when I, like when you,
when you would normally do the payroll, do we have to sign anything?
Or is it once they're on direct deposit, you don't need to select...
What's the way is on direct deposit?
Basically on there.
on their end they do it with the time parts and I was given a list, I don't know if they really needed that much,
but I give them a list of all the salary and the hourly just to make sure they pay everyone
because it's easy to forget someone.
And then they, if they do the direct deposit, it has to be released by two people.
So whoever puts it in, someone else has to release it.
has to release it. So I would go in and release it or Nancy or you.
And then it's just done. The direct deposits are done.
So, yeah. Where the actual physical check?
Right.
So, having been through this system myself, I think the first couple of months,
we just need to make sure people are checking their accounts,
to make sure it's number one, going into their account and number one,
too is going in the right account.
Yep, and you know, they, we haven't had to have a few changes here and there,
and that's been handled smoothly with MTF, so just right on it, very easy to work with.
They are phenomenal to work with.
I will give them that.
Good.
Generally, the mistakes are when the people fill out the forms and they put the wrong count number
or something.
Or they forget that they just changed or closed that account or whatever, but it's not usually a major deal to fix it.
Yeah.
Okay.
I think it's a good idea, I mean, in the long run.
So that's what we're running towards, and everybody's being pretty good about it.
I don't know if you have to make it as a policy or leave it as it is and just kind of...
I personally don't think we should make it an option in the future.
I agree with that.
I mean, this is the 21st century.
You know, it just makes it easier.
Yeah.
Definitely.
I'm sure.
You can't squawk about it.
No one's really had a problem yet.
I just don't know.
My suggestion is that if someone squawks about it, we need a note from their wife or spouse
saying I agree to this because that's generally the reason that people don't want to
work.
Large corporations, cities, you know, pretty much often that's it.
That's it.
Yeah.
Why is you looking free?
It just makes more sense.
It takes a lot less people to process it.
It's great.
I think it's better for everybody.
It's a lot less of a bookkeeping nightmare
trying to get checks that weren't ever cashed
from three years ago dispersed.
Well, and again, it doesn't, you know,
if you have to be gone, it doesn't stop everything
or doesn't even cause something issues.
No, because either I can release it.
release it remotely or treasurer or whatever because that's all it comes down
is that release it back.
Yeah.
Okay.
So it just makes more sense unless people don't like to get paid.
Yeah.
So do you want to make a motion to make it a policy or
I just have to put it into our handbook, I guess.
Well, yeah, I think we should formalize.
Yes, I'll make a motion that we develop a policy for direct a policy
it for employees.
Second?
Sure.
Second.
All in favor?
Aye.
You didn't say that?
I didn't say that.
Remember, we can't hear.
That'll probably have to be something like.
It doesn't work for us or doesn't.
It'll have to be something that's put in the employee here.
Right.
Yeah, we just have to revise that and then.
Okay.
Okay.
Okay.
I don't see any correspondence.
Sounds great.
I make a motion to adjourn.
Okay.
All in favor.
All in favor.
All in favor, say aye.
Aye.
All in favor say aye.
Aye.
We are adjourned.
Holy mackle.
Did you ever do one in 25, 26 minutes?
Once.
I got to get a ready.