Budget Committee Meeting 9/09/2026

Speakers are labeled SPEAKER_N. This transcript is machine-generated.

Recording

very much. They were just throwing
darts. It's uh six o'clock and calling
the um September 9 budget committee
meeting to order.
Uh let's do an attendance. Mr. Arbur is
absent. Mr. Berseron is here. Collins is
here. Mr. Dwinsky is here. Mr. Percy is
here. Mr. Reese is here. Mr. Seuss is
here. Mr. Stone is here. Mr. Swift is
not here. And
>> I just talked to him. He's in the
parking lot. He's coming in a few
minutes. So,
>> we're not here right yet.
>> I know.
>> We'll mark him as present and give him
to the spot over there.
>> There's no room for you.
>> Well, then you know,
exactly.
>> What do you want from me?
>> You lose.
>> I did my best. You know,
>> this is going to be the thing to make
sure nobody's late is you only have we
have one less chair than we need and
whoever's last I have to sit like over
there.
>> Yeah.
>> I don't want to put anything in front of
the the world, right?
>> Um so that's attendance. So that's good.
Um, one of the issues that we always
have every year is about um, you know,
um, board members,
committee members who um, show up on
teams versus in person.
Um, and whether or not we allow them to
vote.
Um, so we should have a quick discussion
about whether we want to allow make a
motion to allow team members
who are on teams remote to vote or not
to vote.
>> I'll make a motion.
>> Go ahead.
>> I make a motion that we don't allow them
to vote. If you're not here in the room,
you can't vote.
>> Is there a second on that?
>> All right. Is there a discussion about
that?
>> Yeah. The thing is teams is so bad it's
you can't even bless when I tried to do
it I couldn't hear half the time you
couldn't hear me
>> but
skyping was better and is really
>> yeah I I think that the previous
software was better whether it was Zoom
or whatever it is but my reason for the
motion is I think it uh gives you more
of an incentive to actually be here
present Any
other thoughts?
>> Well, I think the only reason somebody
would be doing that is because they
can't be present, you know. And I would
think that if you're trying to I keep
I'm saying Zoom like Kleenex, you know,
if you're trying to zoom in, um, you
know, you're making the extra effort to
be here. You know, you could just you
could say, "Well, I can't make it
tonight, so what's on Netflix?" But
you're at least trying to attend. So, if
we can improve the technology, I would
be in favor of letting people vote for
that reason because I think they're
going the extra effort, okay? Because
they can't be here. I mean, I'm not
staying home because I don't feel like
driving. I'm staying home because I have
a broken leg or what, you know, I'm out
of town or I'm on vacation. You know,
whatever. That would be my thought.
>> And I'm not against voting when you're
skyping in or zooming in or teensing in.
But the fact that if you can't hear the
whole conversation, you shouldn't be
voting because you might have missed
something that was significant. You just
didn't hear it. Yep.
>> Or you dropped out and when you came
back, all in favor and then you jump
back in. So until they improve it, I
wouldn't be against it. But if they
improve it, I wouldn't be against it at
all.
>> So we know Maybe Monica, you know, I
mean, is has it been better experience
with this team since there was last
year?
>> Yes.
>> I mean, I don't know what other groups
use it. We used it and it was horrible.
>> And so far, everything's been working.
>> What sort of like select board meeting?
>> The whole time I wasn't there.
>> She's not.
>> Can you remind me again why we went away
from Zoom and went to something that
doesn't work?
>> Well, it does work.
>> Well, we just heard from most people
that it doesn't it last year. that when
we were learning how to use it, it was
under instruction and people there was a
learning curve using new software.
>> So, let me rephrase my question. Why why
did we change from Zoom to this?
>> So, it's compatible with the entire
conference room setup
>> and Zoom wasn't
>> No.
>> And and Teams is I mean it's been around
a long time. My wife working at Lego,
they've used it for years. Yeah. So,
it's not I don't think it's I don't know
if it's our
>> I haven't used it on budget committee,
but I've had good luck with teams on
other sites. Yeah.
>> Yeah. And the entire town at Kanan uses
the Microsoft platform.
>> Yeah.
>> I know the conference center is on the
same platform that all of our email and
one drive and SharePoint on.
>> Okay.
>> I don't know if that's how we're
>> that's all foreign to me, but it answers
my question. like I
>> you did make some changes in the room
here with the speakers and the
microphones.
>> It's been getting better. I can tell you
because I lose it for the CIP committee
here when we hear and stuff and it's
getting better.
>> Sure.
>> Um I think that um
I just think I could testify that it's
getting better
>> and I think that people would be better
suited to use it.
I mean, I think your point is flaws in
it. Are they going to be jumping in and
out? I I So, that's my concern is I
don't think there's anybody here who
would be lacking that kind of integrity
that they would be, you know, not paying
attention and jumping in. I mean, I have
confidence.
>> No, I I seem to think in this in the
select board meetings that people have
dropped off and then signed back in.
Yep.
>> That's what I'm talking about.
>> You can do that,
>> huh?
>> You can do that,
>> right? If you missed half the
conversation because the system dropped
you or your computer dropped you and
then by the time you got back in we were
ready to vote unless we make some kind
of rule that if you didn't hear the
conversation you should abstain.
>> I favor letting people zoom in and
>> teens in
I think that's the direction we're
headed in over the next 20 years. You're
going to see a lot of change and we
probably won't be meeting like this in
20 years. I'll be dead, but the rest of
you will be meeting
with you. Okay.
>> Well, they said the news AI is going to
kill us in the next 10 years. So
>> I'd like to modify my motion then to
that um to say yeah then I guess I would
agree that we should I mean if that's a
general consens you don't have to modify
your motion
>> we can vote yes or no but I'm choosing I
appreciate it I'm choosing to change my
mind
>> it sounds as though the hardware is
working better than it was before Bob is
what I'm saying
>> and you know I know it's a mixed bag but
um
I Guess the reason why is is Michael's
point. Honestly, it was a pretty simple
point to be made that if you are making
the effort to be here, I was I was more
along the lines of it might give people
incentive to not be here, right?
>> But I didn't put enough thought into
like if you're on vacation and you're
actually stepping away from your whole
family who's doing other things and
you're taking the time and I've done
that, right? So when it was Zoom, so so
>> uh would it be would it make sense to um
say that provided that they have a uh
reasonable excuse for not being present?
>> Yeah. Right. I mean I think that's what
it was before too.
>> That's the that's the only way you can
do it.
>> I mean on the budget on the planning
board if somebody is on Zoom has to
state a reason why they can't be
>> Yeah. So maybe that's if you want to
modify your motion to, you know,
incorporate.
>> Well, that is that is state law. State
law says they have to specify why.
>> Okay.
>> I guess I'm I'm withdrawing my motion
and leaving it to somebody else. How's
that?
>> Okay.
>> Because I I don't know how to modify.
I'm not enough of a tech guy. I think I
kind of jumped in above my head. So
>> that's all right. Hey.
>> Yeah.
>> You know me. I want I want everybody to
have their mindset. By the way, since
we've now dropped that motion, before we
go on to anything else, we have our new
committee member, Mr. James W. Swift.
>> There he is. Uh, just so you know, let's
take introduce everybody. Let's go
around the room. Jack
>> Jack
administrator,
finance director,
>> Bob Souza, regular guy.
I take the minutes. I've been doing it
for two decades, I think.
>> Good man.
>> Stone,
>> John Bers,
>> D Percy, a regular guy and I know
Michael and that's Monica Ro who
critical to all of our success
there.
>> Okay, good.
>> Amen.
>> All right, so again, now we're faced
with what do we want to do about uh
someone who's on teams? Are they allowed
to vote or not allowed to vote? And do
we have any motions one way or the other
after that little conversation?
>> Well, I would make a motion that they
zoom teams attendees be allowed to vote.
Uh
as long as they have been engaged in the
entire conversation through a valid
connection, you know, and among us, we
have to have an ethic and a moral that
if you couldn't hear, then you you got
to drop out on that subject. Something
to that effect.
>> Or how about asking for a Quick summary.
If you lose a minute,
you come back online and you say, "I
missed the last minute. What happened to
the last minute?"
And yeah, I've never like I've never
been a fan of that because then
everybody in the room's going to leave.
How How many times you going to do that
and waste everybody's time that's in the
room going over again? I got I got
crappy. I have 30 meg at my house.
>> So, if I did it, shame on me.
>> Well, you'll have to come here then.
Yes, I'll be here.
>> I think you just abstain. If you can't,
there's an integrity issue and if you
can't you can't voteain.
>> Yeah. I mean, I have confidence in
everybody but Mr. Swift because I don't
know him that um
we have enough integrity around the
rooms around the table there that it
would be fine.
>> Um
so, um
>> I think if you could be clearer,
Michael, on your motion, that would be
helpful.
>> Sure. Um then the motion would be that
um budget committee members attending
via teams remotely be allowed to vote
on any motion that comes before the
board.
>> Simple as that. Do we have a second?
>> Second it.
>> Okay. Any further discussion on that
motion?
>> I have another question. Are we going to
have to do that roll call crap we had to
do last year?
>> That's required.
>> Yes.
We passed a motion to not do that.
>> We We could get around to that. Let's
see if we keep this simple and just get
this done
worry about that.
>> Is there any other discussion on that on
the motion on the floor?
>> No. Okay. All those in favor?
>> I.
>> Any opposed? Any abstains? Motion
passes. Thank you all very much. Okay.
Uh, can we get a uh discussion about the
April 29, 2026 minutes? Can we get a
motion to approve those?
>> No move.
>> We get a second.
>> Thank you. Um, okay. So, there comments
discussion about the April 29, 2026
minutes?
Nobody has them. I can probably find
them.
>> Yeah, I don't have them. Was it online
by email or something? Mr. Reese,
>> I I admittedly have not paid much
attention to this this
>> Yeah, they've been emailed. Um, that
would be from um Michael, you sent that
out, right?
>> Yeah.
>> I'll just abain. You don't have to wait
for me.
>> You were not.
>> I'm not sure you were in.
>> Oh, Sean. Jeez. Sour. I got so much
garbage in my life. Actually, um,
according to the minutes, you weren't,
um, Dan, you weren't present, so you
would abstain anyway.
>> Yeah.
>> All right. Does anybody want to see them
before we move forward on this?
>> Does anybody have any comments on the 29
2026
minutes?
>> Okay, good. So, we have a motion to
approve and seconded. Uh can we vote on
it? All those in favor of accepting the
minutes as presented
>> I.
>> Any opposed?
He abstains.
>> Mr.
Collins. Okay.
>> Thank you very much. Um meeting
schedule.
Okay. Next on the agenda is a review of
the proposed committee meeting schedule.
Um this is subject to change uh the um
question of uh carrying we've added
something called uh the Z account number
and you'll see that when we actually get
into the budget
detail themselves so that it's easier to
reference um on the um
document that we'll see. So that's that
DRA account number. Um the
first meeting, this meeting is
specifically to review the current
budget status just to get us all
thinking about the same thing, see where
the performing car and I together will
move us through that eventually.
Um other than that, uh it's fairly
standard. Um, and you can see that the
first meeting to get into the actual
detail won't be until the next meeting
on the 23rd.
And that's going to, you know, who Jack
and Kianne will be discussing those. And
then the next meeting, we have the
actual department heads go up to discuss
their parts of the budget. Um, and we
just keep moving forward. Uh, we get
hopefully to
uh December 8th. Um then we have uh most
of the you get the final version on the
current world about what we think
revenues are going to look like. uh the
capital improvement plan uh which is a
substantial
uh part of the budget because that's all
of the reserve accounts
um that will show up on that meeting and
then we're going to actually vote at
that particular time on the uh proposed
2026 budget have a fallback meeting on
the 23rd and basically screw up and we
can't get things done. we'd have a
meeting to, you know, adjust that. And
uh then uh after that, uh we have a
meeting on the 12th where the select
board will be um presenting their um
budget comments if there are any on what
we've passed and their recommendation on
warrants for the year. Um and uh we'll
then vote on the warrants and then we
have our public meeting, the budget
public meeting on the 13th and then we
all have to attend the the deliberative
session on the 30th.
So that's, you know, it's pretty
standard
performance.
James, if you have any questions at all
as we're starting to go through this,
don't be shy. Just jump right in there
and ask.
>> Thank you. Thank you. Yep. Right.
>> Just a couple things I noticed on this
was the the um that was sent out. This
was the schedule that was sent out that
you just reviewed. But if it says
December 9th on here, and it should say
December 8th, Thursday, December 8th,
this was the You see that?
>> Well, December 9th,
>> that's a Friday. December 8th is
Thursday, right?
>> Am I looking at the right
>> You're probably in the wrong year, but
>> you're on drugs. We're not getting paid
too much. I apolog
for water.
>> Oh yeah,
>> it is a Wednesday.
>> You'll be doing that.
>> Jack said he would be.
>> Yeah. Well, we also probably have Ann
Lee. Is she still on or did I update
her? Is she gone by then?
Let's see here.
>> No, I got Christina as sure. We got that
one updated. So, that's good.
>> Okay, good.
>> Um, so we just have to update Mr. Copy
with uh Jack, right?
back and
this is nothing personal, but or um
JR, he always had John as his frontman
for these.
So, is he going to be okay or is he You
should watch out for him is what I'm
getting at, Jack. Yeah, I think um
I think we'll
>> Yeah, just
>> probably have a pinch hitter.
>> Yeah, but we'll get to that when we get
to that.
>> Okay. Um
any other
questions on that?
Oh, good.
All right. Um,
okay. So, let's take a look at the um
what we really here for today is the
review of the 2026 budget status and
related items. Um, there were a number
of uh things that were um
sent to everyone.
Um,
but Carianne has gone a step further and
and included most of those I believe in
here. Some of them been updated like the
thing that says the employee listening
and the cost of living issue which is
basically the same thing with salaries
and stuff. She's updated that
dramatically. I have a
um soft copy of the updated version of
that but it is in your book and it's the
last
item in the book
which um we can start with that which is
kind of easy just this is
moreformational for everybody so that
they can start to get a feel for um a
substantial part of our budget which is
employee related and salaries.
So Kianne, if you want to just talk
about that page and
>> help us, you know, understand what
you've done here and and, you know, take
it away.
>> The majority of the questions are always
about what positions are budgeted to
align. So I gave you this breakdown by
CL code. So it's going to go in order of
the account number and then show you the
staff that's budgeted to that line. Um,
I made notes to show you if they're
elected full-time or part-time. And then
the notes field, if it says split 5050,
I highlighted in green. There would be
another split 50/50 line and that would
be one full-time position. There's two
positions like that. Um, the highlighted
purple ones are open positions.
Um, the highlighted gray, that's just a
general line like the police overtime.
It's not an actual person, but we're
still budgeting for that overtime. And I
gave you the calculation like police
overtime, they run about 600 hours. Then
we have an average overtime rate. And
then that's how I got the dollar amount.
Um, and it's really just there. So you
can look by GL code and see what dollar
amounts are in that budget line in the
main budget.
I do have one uh quick question on that.
Um that particular item, the police
overtime business.
>> Do you think that's going to hold steady
with the hiring of a new officer?
We're going to have an extra person
around.
>> I only go off the history.
>> No, I understand. Yeah. So, I'm just
again just the you know thought process
for us as we think about you know this
kind of stuff, right?
um we might not have as much overtime if
we actually hired the additional
officer. Just I'm speculating, right?
>> I think keeping a full department is
going to be a challenge. We can't keep a
full department with six. How are we
going to keep a full department with
seven? So, we're still going to have the
overtime.
>> I think it was all in vain.
>> All right.
>> Yeah.
>> All right. So, just a thought. Just
>> good thought. I I agree question too.
>> Sure. I don't know if this is the right
the right conversation to ask the
question, but um where Ryan transitions
a little bit towards town administrator,
have we figured out how like how that is
going to be accounted? In other words,
he spend he spends 90% of his time as
the police chief and 10% working with
you. You going to show that or does he
get paid extra for the extra time?
because he, you know, I don't know how
the split works anymore. Yeah.
>> Well, maybe it might be helpful if we
got a understanding of um
>> Sure.
>> in case anybody's wondering um I missed
it somehow. Um the um solution. Well,
Jack, why don't you explain what
happened because you'll be better at
that than
>> Sure. basically what we did was um um we
recruiting is is kind of difficult in a
lot of communities. um you do this in a
number of communities and the the the
pool of applicants is kind of shallow
and the qualifications are pretty low
and it's a struggle. So, um um Kenya is
actually one of two communities where
I'm actually working with a police chief
that's either is retired or is heading
to retirement and helping them
transition because they're not done
their work. they put their 20 24 years
or whatever it is police officer which
you can still retire from that pretty
young and then you transition in um and
they come with a lot of experience
obviously in terms of municipal
uh life and and finance and that sort of
thing as well as operationally and
interacting with the other department.
So it's pretty good mix. The other
benefit is that frequently um you do
that uh and you you make the town
administrative position exempt from
participation in the retirement system
because there's a law that prevents
somebody from basically double dipping
to the retirement in the other one. Um,
but that actually saves the town
potentially can save the town money
because it could save 13 13 or 15% of
salary also otherwise with retirement
system. Um, so it gives you some
flexibility, but it also keeps somebody
that has a familiar face local history,
that sort of thing.
>> Um, it's a two-year transition
because he's not actually eligible to
retire
uh at his vested time until then. And so
you'll gradually pick up uh and do more
functions fundamentally just to get
oriented to some of the non-p police
departments like water and sewer the
things that are tend to be a little more
complicated he has no experience with um
and then more of the finance structure.
So he'll gradually kind of absorb more
finance related orientation.
Um obviously they will get balanced
against the pressures in the PD like
he's been pretty busy actually you've
arrested a lot more people last week or
two then you have in a long time but
there's some issues but so so he'll get
>> it's not a firm you know transition
because he still has to run the
department and and and concurrently
he'll have to think about succession
planning um so that maybe hiring
somebody in one of these vacant
positions who has to
ability to gradually learn the
department perhaps take it over if there
is an already an internal uh person
that's strong enough to to do that. So
um that'll be that'll be a transition.
Um at the moment it doesn't have um I
don't I don't think a dramatic impact on
the town administrative budget because
he he did get an adjustment based on his
current contract. So that he would have
gotten that anyway. Um
we just gave it to him literally two or
three months early. Um
>> as police chief though,
>> his paycheck is police chief paycheck.
>> His interim thing is just a gentleman's
understanding that I'm going to spend 10
hours a week in the office.
>> Right. So we're just barely at the
beginning of that. And so there's no
real financial offset to to to track
really.
>> Um so I um you know we can look at that
through monthly budgetary things through
27 and kind of see what that transition
looks like. See if he can backfill some
of those duties and offload some or
we'll have a better sense of his ability
to take on some of the administrative
duties. It's just an unknown right now.
I think in general it's going to work.
Um or like we're literally just we're
not even a month or two into it. So too
early to predict much.
>> What's the retirement date?
>> July 28.
>> The 140,000 for town administrator is uh
basically in 2026 salary. Is that what
it was for 2026?
um 140.
>> I think that might have been increased
by your potential cola holding place.
>> Well, that's the 27.
I'm looking at the uh number that was
the 2026 number. I don't remember it
being 140
for the town administrator. I could be
wrong. I just don't
>> not what it currently is, but we were
trying to budget for what we needed to
hire someone.
This was the number that was given to me
when I was trying to draft it.
>> Yeah, I see.
>> I think it was one. So, you're thinking
it's
>> Yeah, the 2026 budget was 1118,
>> right?
>> 48, not 140,
>> right? But
>> from a market uh point of view, it's
very difficult to to get under 130 and
hire somebody that you can live with.
>> That's my experience. And I think we've
learned that right here.
>> We already knew this
>> two two times around.
>> We knew this. But my my point being that
um when it says 2026 yearly salary, is
that what we expect to be spending in
2026 because it was not what was
budgeted in 2026?
>> Or is that what we should expect to
spend once we hire someone or going
forward? Right. Or is that right? Is
that what we're actually going to be
spending in 2026? Yeah.
>> Yeah. I'm just I'm just trying to
understand the number. That's all. And I
think if we're if we're saying that we
>> Well, there's
>> on this particular
>> Yeah.
>> There's there's some there's some mix in
the math between
>> how much you actually paid Chad, how
much is left from that and what you're
paying MRI to to the injury,
>> which is substantially more than Chad's
rate.
>> Um
I'm not so sure. uh in the aggregate
because you're not paying health
insurance or benefits or retirement or
anything.
>> Yeah. It's a different kind of it's a
>> a different balance.
>> It's like a contracting rate versus
>> Yeah.
>> Okay. So, what you're saying, Carrie, is
that's the number that we want to use as
a base number for projecting what we
want to spend in 2027. Is that
>> Yeah. We're trying to get to a
competitive rate.
>> Understood.
>> Yeah.
>> Yeah.
>> Um how do we get to the total cost of
employee number? It's employer portion
of the taxes plus the retirement that
the employer pays plus the health
insurance, life insurance, short-term
and long-term disability, unemployment
insurance.
>> What was the first one?
>> Um, employer taxes. The employer pays
Medicare and Social Security.
>> Okay,
that's a 7.65 right off the bat,
>> right now. Yeah, we just
>> Yeah, like if you look at the
expenditure budget, every department has
a retirement line,
>> right?
>> Okay. That that's what I expected that
the magnitude of the increase
in some of the cases surprises me. Um
the state retirement plan the employer
matches 12.75%
for the regular employee. Police is 33%
and fire is just a little bit lower at
32%.
So you take the yearly salary times it
by 33% and that's what the town's paying
for a police officer's retirement.
>> It's expensive but and that's just part
of the part of the cost up above the
their actual salary.
lawyers didn't have that kind of
crushing pain.
>> Should have been a cop.
>> We had our own tricks and believe me,
our own stupidities.
>> I'm still struggling with this.
>> Yeah. Go ahead.
>> Well, that's why we're having that's why
we're having the discussion about.
>> So, if we had a budget of 111,
>> right?
Who has the authority to change it to
140 without anybody voting on it?
>> We haven't voted on it yet. This is the
draft.
>> It's a select board's position that they
would
>> No, this this document starts off with a
2026 of 140 applies cola to that and
proposes 146 160 for 2027. How do we get
there without who just changed that and
said this is what we're going to do?
That's
I don't see that happening.
>> We're This is drafting the 2027 budget.
>> So I 140 which is the comparable salary.
Put the cola on it and then that makes
up that GL line in the expenditure
budget.
>> I understand your logic but I don't know
how you got to 140 when we were at 111
because you projected that's what we
really should be playing paying. And
then
>> well I think this is what's what's being
um used as the basis Bob
>> but why is it the basis
>> finish and then you can jump in.
>> Okay.
>> It's okay.
>> Yeah.
>> Um and I think that we're what we're
saying is we want to there's going to be
a proposed line item in our budget for
the town administrator sal.
And this committee, by the way, has the
ability to set that number and that's
what ultimately goes into um the full
budget and then gets approved or not
approved by the taxpayers.
Okay. So, we're going to ultimately have
the ability to recommend not recommend
but change literally whatever number we
want to physically put in there. I think
what Carrie and and has done here is to
say that we should be using
theoretically 140 as our base number if
we want to try and eventually attract
you know a good enough uh person to run
as our town to run the town as our town
administrator. So I don't so I don't
think that uh any of this is cast in
concrete. This is a uh
>> and I didn't make this up. This came to
me in conversation. So this is the draft
budget that the department heads
compiled.
>> I don't think anybody's blaming you,
Carrie. We're just asking how we got
there. Yeah. You know, I thought
>> you're just doing
>> You're a numbers person. We did it.
>> I'm certainly not putting a blame on
anybody. It's
>> No, no, this is not a blame issue. This
is a
>> Yeah.
>> So this is what they're proposing,
right? This is what
>> Who's they,
>> right? But they would be the
>> Who gave you the number?
>> This is the department head track,
>> right? Okay. Got you.
>> Right. But the 2026 yearly salary was
already
>> Yeah. When I talked to Jack and asked
what is the comparable town
administrator salary and when you look
at job postings online 140 is on the low
side.
>> Yeah. So Bob we'll get to what's been
actually expended at some point in time
in this meeting hopefully.
>> Yeah.
>> In 2026 the town administrator and then
maybe that will help clear up.
>> I don't remember even the cola is a
little arbitrary at this point. That's
right. They That's what they're guessing
it's going to be. Could be 3.5, it could
be 5.2, it could be 2.9.
>> Yeah.
>> Are we missing kind of the obvious?
Didn't we just have a discussion that we
already have a town administrator in the
works? So, who's getting paid that 140
this coming year and going forward until
Ryan actually comes on board? Hasn't
there been a decision that we have a
town administrator already hired and
he's going to be starting to onboard?
So, if that's the case, is this what
we're proposing that we pay him in 2028,
or is this what we're paying Jack's
company, MRI, up until then? Because to
me, it seems like we're missing the
obvious. We just had a conversation that
we have a town administrator coming on
board.
>> Well, I I I think that
>> So, is this what MRI is suggesting that
we pay?
>> No, let let let's just back up a little
bit. So, one of the things that has yet
to kind of flush out because we're we're
new to this arrangement is
>> we'll do some cash flow uh estimates on
what you'll pay MRI,
>> uh what you'll pay Ryan and kind of what
that transition will look like and see
if we can articulate what the town
administrative budget will look like
kind of at the end of that or kind of in
the middle of that because we got two
years to go through it. So there'd be a
gradual shift where uh with with good
luck I I'll work less, he'll work more
in that and and whoever his
uh successor chief takes on. So it's a
moving target right now. We just don't
have enough information to know.
>> But is that is this number based on what
we project that target will be for MRI?
>> No, it probably town administrator and
that would probably be closer. I think
what he's saying is if there was no Ryan
and there was no Jack and there was
there was just Sue or Sam as a town
administrator, that's what it would be.
>> Sure. But the scenario, as I understand
it, that's not the case. There is a Ryan
and there is a Jack and Jack is going to
stay here until Ryan comes in. So, we
should have more of an idea what that
>> Let's put it this way. Excuse me.
>> Interrupted.
>> Yeah.
>> Yeah.
>> On uh September 23rd.
>> Yeah. the uh first topic of discussion
will be the uh budget for executive town
administration.
>> Okay.
>> And so they will have to present some
numbers.
>> Okay.
>> In the actual budget, what they're
recommending and what the components of
that will be.
>> Okay.
>> So we'll get at that when we get at
that. This is the sheet that you're
looking at is Carrie's
due diligence trying to figure out what
we might be looking at in the general
context. So, we're getting too far in
the weeds right now.
>> I think that's correct.
>> Okay.
>> I thought that column was what we voted
on last year. That's what I was
>> Okay. I just is asking why it was so
different. That's all that was my fault.
Jumping ahead.
>> Yeah.
>> Some of the point is is that 26 is
existing and it's real. All these
numbers are real except for hell.
>> We're going to see 2026 in a minute,
>> right? But I'm just saying that
you could put for 27 any number you
want. You can put Yeah. The thing is is
what I'm saying. So it's like that's not
an actual.
>> No,
>> it will be close because Ryan's close at
that now.
>> So,
>> right. So, that's what I'm saying. There
is an actual to base off is what we're
paying.
>> Oh, yeah. That's in the ballpark.
We're in the middle of a transition.
We'll see.
>> We'll see. It'll be fine. We'll get
there.
>> And again, remember that we we this
committee
>> sure
>> the ones that propose the budget. So I
guess
>> we take recommendations from town
administrator. We take a recommendation
from the select board.
>> Right.
>> We then meet with all of the department
heads and they do their recommendation.
>> Sure.
>> Okay. Right.
>> And then we decide what number wants to
go in there.
>> So
>> So is there any way that we I'm sorry,
Jack. Go ahead.
>> No, go ahead.
>> Is there any way that we can see what
the actual is that we're paying MRI?
Because we're not paying Jack anything.
All right.
>> The 2026 budget boom.
>> Okay. We'll see it. We'll see it
tonight.
>> You can look. It's being coded to the
town administrator.
>> We'll see. It's coming.
>> Okay. Yep. I think that might answer a
lot of questions because that is the
actual that some of us are thinking
should probably be there. Understanding
why you put that there, Kianne. Don't
get me wrong, but it seems as though
there should be an actual that we can
look at.
>> Yeah. So this so this sheet is you know
it's a
>> this is telling you what's in the
proposed line.
>> So go ahead.
>> So if you look at the expenditure budget
in the other section it gives you the
actuals as of today when the report was
ranked.
>> Yeah. So we'll say that and I'll just
know for the record what the bud what
the town passes is the bottom line
budget. The line items are useful but
the select board always have the ability
to move that around because they have
to.
>> Well once the budget is an estimate.
>> Yeah. Right. Once the budget is passed.
Yeah.
>> It then goes into the executive
prerogatives, if you will,
>> based on what's happening,
>> right?
>> Right. They have the ability to do
things. They have things like they have
a contingency budget that they can use
for $5,500. They have
>> uh money that's not been spent because
we didn't hire a person and they can
move that around. So, they have
discretionary powers, if you will, to,
you know, help the town run as
efficiently and and effectively as they
can. That's their job,
>> right?
>> Right.
>> Stay within the bottom line.
>> They try to stay within the bottom line
as best they can. Right. Things pop up.
Stuff happens.
>> Sure.
>> You know, you've been there. I mean,
>> I was going to say, I get it.
>> You were there. I mean, you sat in that
chair and you know what it's like,
right?
>> Yeah.
>> Okay.
>> I do.
>> So, you know, they they they you know,
you have to give them some discretionary
things and ultimately if we don't like
what they do, we don't like them next
time.
>> So, no, that's absolutely right.
>> That's that's the way that works, you
know. Okay. All right. Thank you.
>> Yeah. No, that's fine. Um, so we did
schedule, we did the living business.
Um, the other thing that is of somewhat
interest that I think you guys should,
you know, pay some attention to was
something called the funds thing. We
talked about that, didn't we?
>> Yeah. Oh, that was offline. Um, this
report, um, Kianne, this is kept by who?
Again, the trustees or
>> trustes of the trust fund.
>> Yeah. They, uh, it's a separate group.
>> So, where are you? um
>> in the book.
>> I don't know. Is it in this book? I
don't No, she didn't put it. It's on the
screen.
>> Yeah.
>> Yeah, it's not in the book, but um these
are all of your bank accounts, if you
will, trust funds,
>> and they were all maintained by a group
called the uh
>> the trustees of the trust funds,
>> right? And those that's folks like um
Nate um
Nick Mali and
>> Cindy Ney still on there? Uh yeah, she's
still on there, you know. So people who
have some real integrity, you know, and
we trust them to watch after the money.
>> Yeah.
>> Um you know, and so they maintain these
things. They meet with the bankers and
do the investments and some of these
things are restricted to certain things,
you know, the cemetery funds and yada
yada yada. But um so this is where all
of the um reserve monies, if you will,
in the town sit.
Okay. And so, um, you know, it's just a
may want to look at it. Uh, this came in
very useful last year. Um, the, uh,
cemetery folks came in initially looking
for 140,000
and, uh, they didn't realize that they
had enough discretionary funds. I met
with them and, um, you know, offline and
we went through the thing and got them
down to I think it was like 92,000 or
something because they were able to use,
>> you know, funds that they had available,
right? Uh, and we're trying to build up
I'm working with them to try and build
up the smaller funds so that they can
actually use those funds to deal with
smaller cemeteries. So, um, and they're
going to have a um I don't know
Nancy Burkeman, I think she called me
the other day. They did they come to you
with a request for um some additional
funds? They're going to overrun their
treeing fund a little bit.
>> Yeah, they'll come around. So, they're
going to come around, but it's small.
was a couple of thousand dollars. So
said, you know, you got choices. You can
encumber things. You could do this, talk
to select boards, see if they'll use
their contingency funds. So, so they're
going to eventually show up and ask for
through my dollars. But, but anyway, so
it it this is a helpful piece of
information just so you know what's
available and different things. And if
anybody has any great ideas how to use
it, don't be uh shy. Um, okay.
>> Where do we find that? only online.
>> Um,
>> it was in the email.
>> It's in the town report.
>> Okay.
>> Yeah. But I think you can if you want it
uh I think you could just make a request
to the trustees of the trust funds and
they'll give you an updated uh you know
counting. Is that accurate carrying that
they can give you a
>> as of that
>> there was an email sent out with it as
well at some point. Was that
>> I think it's the one you sent with all
the updated ones.
>> Yes, I did.
>> Right there.
>> Yeah. But that was I think a report as
of 6:30. So yeah. Sure.
>> But it's available to everybody. If
anybody wants to, you know, access it,
just contact the trustees of the trust
fund and they can send you a current
version of the world.
Right.
Okay. Um the um so that's what we got
here. Is there anything in particular
you want to start to get at Carrie in
that in your um package here that uh
would make sense for us to take a look
at at the moment? I don't think we want
to um
let's just go through it real quick. The
first section, the expenditure for
budget,
it's just that one thing. The second
section, the revenue budget, and then
there's sections for personnel because
it's such a big portion of the
expenditure budget.
>> I'll slow down too fast.
Um,
>> everybody has three tabs.
>> Yes, got it.
So the first section of expenditure
budgets
>> that's Z.
>> It's different.
>> They're all different.
>> It's the first tab.
>> I was saving money. I just used old
alphabet tabs.
>> No, that's I'm fine with it being Z.
>> Tab tab one.
>> Section one.
>> Tab one out of three.
>> Section one equals Z. Is that correct?
>> No,
that's just yours.
>> Yeah, mine is D.
>> I got
>> Oh, how exciting.
>> Yeah, there's like 26. There's like 26
different artists.
>> We really got to find some younger
people.
>> That's why we have you here.
>> No. Yeah. I don't know if I'm I think
>> Don't look at me.
>> Look at me and then
a tab.
>> Sydney be the old Alzheimer's meeting.
>> Honestly,
tabs are more my language than
computers. So I All right. By the way,
take it back. Look at this particular
time.
By the way, James, in case you're
interested, we like to have fun around
here. We know this is serious, but we're
gonna have fun.
>> Depends on what your version of fun is.
>> Go ahead, Carrie.
>> So, your first tab, whatever letters on
it, takes you to the expenditure budget.
>> Okay. And that's for the uh proposed one
for future, right?
>> Yeah. This is the department head's
proposed budget.
>> Oh, is it is it complete? view. Is this
uh
>> I think cemetery is missing. The library
just got their bin.
Um I think cemetery was the only one
outstanding.
>> Okay. So, by the way, if you wanted to
get into the weeds on this, you could
start studying this now. Um and as we
get to each section uh in the meeting,
right? You can we'll get through it, but
you'll have a this is the detailed
version of it
on the 23rd when we start to do the
executive thing. You'll look at the
first one up here that says, you know,
general
executive and that'll be the detail,
>> right? Um, we're not going to get into
that any of these today.
>> Okay.
>> So, what's our fiscal? When did we
start? January or April or May?
>> January. We're calendar year.
>> We're calendar year. Okay. So, this is
how weird. This is 912.
>> Your 20 the 26th actual is the date in
the lower leftand corner. So September
9th, if you look at that actual, you
still have three and a half months to
go.
>> Yeah.
>> So in the full-time executive wage
align, we already spent 97,000 and we
still have three and a half months to go
for that.
>> Yeah.
>> So the reason that I asked Kianne to put
this together for this meeting was so
that you guys can have, you know, a
couple of weeks to uh review the items
that are coming up on the 23rd,
right? and you can be more familiar with
what goes on and that way when we get
into the actual discussion of it,
you'll, you know, be more familiar with
it. Yes, Bill.
>> Just backing up. So that so on the
budget worksheet revenue, the 2026
actual column isn't a full year.
>> That's correct.
>> Right.
>> It's it's today in the bottom leftand
corner
>> on this number down here.
>> Right. Well, it it what it says down
there is printed 99.
>> Yeah. And what it doesn't say at the
head of the title at the head of the
column is actual
date.
>> Well, okay. But
>> where the day was printed was off of the
light system. So that day,
>> right? Okay.
>> Doesn't do that.
>> So you're talking to a dim bulb here.
>> Yeah. No, we understand.
>> Yeah.
>> So look, we're saying the actual
>> yourself.
>> We understand. I mean, I've been there.
I am there. I'm okay with that. The
actual spent on full-time wages is
9773117
and it was budgeted from 111 and we
still have the rest of the year to go.
So it seems as though like it was under
budgeted.
>> Well, if it if it stays on the same
track it is now, I got 13373 by the end
of the year.
>> Right. Well, there's something that will
be more helpful and I hope that Kerianne
will um supply this for the next meeting
which is the sheet that you now see on
the U
screen there. Um Kerian, you want to
take us through this? This is in the
actual
>> Yeah, Carry.
>> Yeah, this is our budget update that's
emailed to the board and department
heads once a month. So I estimate our
year-end projections based on the what
it looks like we're spending every
month.
Um so you'll see the excess you can see
the departments that are probably going
to go over spend by the end of the year
and it's just how I keep track of um our
bottom line essentially. So, this is me
doing real time budgeting and looking at
our year-end estimates to see where
we're at on a whole.
>> Yeah. And now that will come to um
Michael every month, right? And then
I'll send it out.
>> But if you And do you have one through
the end of August? Did you get the
August one to Michael? Have you gotten
that one recently?
>> The August 9th one. I you sent that one
to everybody.
>> Yeah. No, I'm just saying we have one
through
>> Not this one.
>> I just updated it today. I haven't
emailed anyone. Right.
>> Okay. So, if you would before next for
the next meeting just send out this so
that we'll have this is they can see
where you know what each of the
departments in general.
>> Everything in the red is what you're
estimating we will we have under
budgeted and we will be overspending. Is
that right Karen? Is that what you're
saying?
>> Um column E everything that's red with
parentheses around it. They'll probably
overexpend.
>> Okay.
>> Like bridges we already spent that
money. We didn't plan to spend that
money on bridges, so that's
overexpending. Transfer station. Uh we
had a $50,000 bill for hazardous waste
removal.
Um that got charged to the transfer
station, so that's why that one's off
budget.
Um my finance budget is off budget
because the board allowed me to hire a
summer intern to help me get through a
lot of projects.
>> Yeah. And again, that's the
discretionary that the select board has.
I made an assessment that, you know,
spending whatever we spent on Aiden.
>> Yeah.
>> Was, you know, a way to move things
forward that we needed to move forward.
So, they have they had the discretionary
ability to do that. But it's important
that everybody when you get it, this is
just a tab. I think when you, if I
remember, when you open it, it's
actually going to be the budget, the
revenue bud. I mean, excuse me, the
expenditure budget, right? But then
there's tabs at the bottom that you'll
see. It's gonna you're gonna look like
that when you open the file, but then on
the bottom there's going to be all
these,
you know, extra things, right? So, but
this will give you a feel for, you know,
so according to this, we're going to be
theoretically once you produce this
report, we were going to have a budget
surplus of $750,000
this year. Now, nobody don't get too
excited.
Start complaining,
>> right? because there's been, you know,
uh there's a number of things that go
into that uh that um don't really can't
really come into the thought process for
budgeting too much. Meaning um there's a
the biggest item that you see there is
the debt one. There it is. Yeah, that's
also can highlight it for you, right?
one um you know where there's 354,000
that we didn't expend and the reason for
that was pretty straightforward car and
it was exactly what was the
>> the bond was delayed. We had to take out
a bond anticipation note to pay the
papers last year and we didn't actually
apply for the bond until this cycle in
this year. So our first payment's going
to be next year in 2027.
>> Yeah. So there's things
>> timing. Yes.
>> Right. So there's timing issues that,
you know, you got to, you know, take
with a grain of salt. Like police, for
instance, we didn't hire a police
officer when we thought we were going to
hire a police officer. So that's why
there's a huge surplus there. But you
can't when you're thinking about the
2027 budget, we can't say, "Oh, we
should cut the police department budget
because, you know,
>> it's not going to happen again. You
can't budget it that way." But, uh, you
know, so it's just this is more trying
to get a as much information in your
heads and feel for what's going on as
possible.
Um there is one other thing that I would
point out in this document that
eventually when you open it up uh these
are things called encumbrances.
Everybody familiar with what that means?
>> No.
>> Sort of like a pregnancy.
>> Yeah, kind of like that. So um what you
can do is if you have uh like there was
a let's take the um highway one right
off the top. Uh there was $400,000 that
was uh in the 2025
budget
uh that uh was supposed to be used for
paving money for Goose Pond in 2025,
but it was not. And so the the U
department head and I don't know who has
the authority but you can
>> the board
>> the board has the authority to the um
petition to say well we want to cover
that $400,000 to be spent in 2026.
So it's carried over and you can't spend
it out of the 25 2025 budget meaning
they don't have the discretionary power
to use that 400 if it's been encumbered.
Right? So that's the difference. So if
there's any department heads or things
that you know want to have uh
>> Right. You can't spend it on other
things.
>> That's correct. You can't spend on
>> spend it on that. That's correct.
>> Yes, that's correct.
>> The board decides that you're either
already contracted and it's just not
going to be completed by the year end or
it's it it's money that the taxpayers
have allocated for it can't be used for
anything but you still want to get the
job done.
>> Right. Right. It's basically carrying
the money over.
>> Yes. Absolutely.
>> Yeah. So that's the thing behind
encumbrances. J
>> lot to lot to take in.
>> Go ahead.
>> That's all right. If you have any
questions, you know, you can call me
anytime and I'll try to answer your
questions. But
>> so it's encumbered for 26 and it's not
being used that year either.
>> Correct.
>> And that's correct. It has not been used
yet.
>> Yeah. Because that's why not here.
That's why Shet's not here. That's an
inside joke. That was the former town
administrator.
A lot of these construction projects
have a multi-year timeline. And so you
try to put the money in the budget when
you think something's going to happen
and then if it doesn't happen, you can't
get it done that year. You the project's
already underway. You got design, you
got engineering, you got permitting and
so forth. So you you you can't let that
money go because at that point you're in
for a dime for a dollar because you
still want to rebuild Goosebond Road.
It's just with 30 40 wetland permits and
delays and other things, it's just it's
tough to get things done on a rigid
schedule. But you still need the money.
You have to you can't can't do the
project until you've got the money
appropriated and then you just keep the
money until you can finish the project.
>> You probably need more money.
>> Cost probably went up.
>> Well, that's a key.
>> That's right. I mean, we probably have
half the money that we need to actually
finish the entire font road project. I
think we covered that a lot at the
select board meetings two or three
times.
>> Yeah.
>> And I think,
you know, it's it's pretty easy to to
say and blame it on Chad, the town
administrator, but the reality of it is
a select board is the administrator's
boss.
>> Thank you.
>> They should be making sure that the
shit's getting done.
>> That's right.
>> I've been saying that since I ran for
select board. That's why our previous
administrator isn't here. And yeah,
>> it's the select board's responsibility
to make sure that our roads are getting
paved and the things are being done on
time.
>> That's right.
>> So, show up.
>> So, it's not your fault, Jack.
>> No, it's not Chad's fault either.
>> Understood. No. No. True.
>> And it wasn't It wasn't Mike Samson's
fault either, by the way.
>> Correct.
>> Yeah.
>> I agree.
>> No. Sorry. You're never going to
convince me that that
>> How about those Red Sox?
>> How about those Red Sox? I like that,
Bob. Very good. Patriots are playing
tonight. So, let's not, you know, let's,
you know, and I don't get real sore.
>> Exactly.
>> To the agenda here for a moment.
>> Um, so I think that All right. So,
carrying. So, we have So, you have the
2027 um pretty much what's going to be
presented to us, you know, each of the
departments other than cemetery and
library or whatever ones you mentioned
there. So you should if you have time
you know at least prepared for the ones
that are coming up on the 23rd you can
you know look at this and you know be
prepared and have your questions ready
that would be helpful so that would help
us get through it faster.
>> Okay. Um and uh you know any questions
that you have should be directed at me
and I will then direct them you know
wherever they got to go. But uh we don't
want to tie up Jack and Carrie in you
know they got real jobs they got to do
all
>> I have a question for now but I don't
know if it's okay
>> um in typically in the past the the
numbers that you've plugged in early in
this process for health insurance and
stuff where sort of guesses because you
don't usually get the real quote until
like December or something. Is that true
this year?
>> Um our quotes will come out 60 days
before our renewal. So, we'll have our
quotes November 1st.
>> In November. So, this is your best
guess. This increase is your best guess.
>> Well, the um our broker told us the
increases are coming in around 10%. So,
I budgeted for 10%. And if we get a
lower increase, then it's good.
Hopefully, we don't get higher.
>> Right. Last year 13 or 14, wasn't it?
>> Yep. We've had doubledigit increases in
insurance for a few years now.
>> Right.
So, I budgeted for the 10% increase that
the current renewals are coming in at
for other people and we'll see what we
get November 1st.
>> I just wanted to point that out mostly
for the newer members that number that's
a moving number.
>> All these numbers are moving somewhere.
All right. So then that's that. And then
the next tab my Y somebody else's
different letter.
>> They're all different. They're all
different. 26 letters.
That's the revenue budget worksheet. You
want to just touch on that quickly,
Carrie, for
>> um revenues. You have actuals for 2024
2025 and then I you have the 2026
budget, what we budgeted for this year,
and then the actual is what we brought
in as of today when the report was
printed.
Um, so you can see like the very first
one, the uh land use change penalty. We
thought we were going to bring in
110,000
and so far as of today, we brought in
148,000
and we might bring in a little bit more.
I'm not sure. Um, but it's like that
motor vehicle tax will be the big one.
Uh we budgeted for 880,000
and as of today we already brought in
699,000
and we still have three and a half
months to go. So we'll hopefully come in
a lot better than the 880,000.
>> Way to know if that's more vehicles or
is it just because vehicles cost more
today.
>> I don't understand how it works. I'm
guessing based off of the history
>> pickup truck $65,000 now. So yeah,
>> I mean it's obviously it's a function of
the average age of the vehicles, the
cost of the increasing cost of the
vehicles,
>> right?
>> The cost of financing a vehicle, the
inducements. I mean, it's always a
guess. It's always a guess. And
>> just I didn't, you know, it could mean
that, you know, we get a 100 new people
move to town, too. You know, I don't I
just didn't know if we break it down.
>> We don't let people with old vehicles,
>> right?
>> But it's always a guess and we try to be
conservative because you can't, right?
It's very risky to overshoot your
revenue because
>> yeah,
>> you're then you want to spend it and and
the revenue doesn't line up,
>> right?
>> Then
you're in trouble.
>> Yield yield taxes. We budgeted 35,000.
We brought in 2500.
>> Yeah. Bad idea, huh?
>> Big year for yield taxes.
>> 31.85. Second one down. Yield taxes.
>> Yeah.
>> Yeah. A lot of times you look at a three
to five year average and plug a number
in and
>> take take a shot.
>> Well, you know, budgets the budget the
budget.
>> You don't know who's going to you don't
know who's going to cut treatments,
>> right?
>> You just don't know. The only thing you
have is your history.
>> Yeah. So the down to the last page
there, you can see that uh we budgeted
to take in about just over three million
and to date we've taken in 2.6. to
>> you know it's uh relatively on track I
would think.
>> I haven't seen anything that alars me.
>> Yeah. Yeah.
>> Right. Kind of implode. Right.
>> Yeah. Down.
>> Yeah. Somes are up or down. It's a
budget.
>> Yeah. And you might you might think like
registrations would be fairly
regular, but like the timber tax depends
on if they cut or they don't cut. So
that might be done for the year might
double in the next month. That's exactly
right.
>> But so some of them you can predict some
of them or
>> Yeah. But I think you know so overall I
think that the what what we're we charge
you know the uh finance people around
here to do is to be relatively
conservative
on the revenue.
>> A lot a lot of times if you know you
have two or three parcels in town that
are going to be developed and you know
what those look like you can predict
that well there's a lot of trees on it.
Well it's in current use. So you get
some timber you get a current use
change. you get potentially some other
permits.
So, but it's otherwise it's just guess
work.
>> But if the pound owns it, we don't get
any of that,
>> right? So, let's sell oursel
and we are trying. We're trying.
>> Give it away.
>> We're trying.
>> You can get taxes if you give it away.
Well, you know, there are two
properties. I don't know if you there's
there's one property that um I'll give a
quick update on that that the uh break
shed. We put out a kind of put out an
RF8 for the break shed and we have a
bidder on it
and uh so we're trying to work through
the details on you know finalizing that
now. That would be terrific. Um, we have
a very serious um,
>> and I think that RFP is on the website.
>> Sorry,
>> it's on the website. There's a link to
it if you want to read their proposal.
>> So, an RFP though isn't selling the
property to get in taxes. The RFP is
spending money to to upgrade the
property.
>> Well, no, actually actually
the proposal is that they want to buy
the building for, you know, something
like $10,000. They want to invest. They
want to they want to their plan is to
find about 540,000 to actually restore
the building, renovate it, turn into
something that's useful and productive
part of the community. But but we would
actually sell the property. The property
took for taxes.
>> So the amount of money we're going to
get from that is diminous anyway just by
the nature of the laws. But they'll
actually their their their
job really as a pres preservation is to
actually restore it, find some grant
money and turn it into something useful
that can ultimately come back onto the
tax rules.
>> All right. My mind in the contract RFP
means request for proposal,
>> right? And this was the proposal we
received.
>> Oh, I see what you're saying.
>> So, we have one in hand.
>> Now, the question is, do we execute go
forward with it? Right. That's kind of
where it stands.
>> And the other tax deeded properties are
being auctioned October 24th,
>> right? There are some others that
>> October 24th. There's a tax deed.
>> What do you about 10 or 12 properties?
How how many is this? There's a a fair
number of them.
>> I think it was seven. It was what the
planning board recommended.
>> Yeah, the smaller number. Yeah, that's a
number.
>> Where do I get a list of those?
>> Um JSJ Auctions is handling everything
for and he told me to recommend everyone
to him that I questioned.
more online stuff, I guess.
>> No, he can email.
>> Do we have his contact information by
any chance or can I get that from you,
Jack?
>> Yeah.
>> Okay.
>> And
staying with buildings, there's a
serious uh someone very seriously
interested in the log cabin property. uh
the log cabin property that they're
interested in. There's two pieces that
went with that. There was the actual
building and one acre.
>> Um and then there was the uh land piece
that went with that.
>> He's only interested in the uh building
and uh the one acre lot
>> and Jack and I are trying to see if we
can wrangle that deal and get that done.
So theoretically
what that would do is that would you
know start to revitalize the uh end of
depot street there um you know into some
very useful things and um we would still
have the opportunity to uh do something
with that back property there um which
is about two plus acres right so two
acres I think the back piece there could
be yes
>> are you able to disclose who that
interested party is and
Not at the moment, I don't think.
>> Okay, that's fine.
>> You know, I'd rather leave it
confidential.
>> We're still negotiating. So,
>> it's but it's a but but it's a it's a
reasonable party. It's just
>> Oh, yes. Serious.
>> Yeah. Near as I can tell. Yeah. He
>> Yeah.
>> owns all the properties in town.
>> He owns a pro. He owns seven pieces of
property right downtown already. And so
it would be his best interest to turn
that into something nice because that
would not just give him more revenue
there but would also elevate the value
of the
>> probably going to be a small data
center.
>> Si told me she's she's opposed to a data
center. You told me the other day said
well it depends on where the data center
>> you don't you don't have the water or
the power.
>> I don't know. Samson told us we had
excess.
>> Yeah.
>> Thanks. Um, so you know, from a revenue
standpoint, uh, you know, it looks like
the reuse is going to be within, you
know, reasonable bounds. Carrie, you
think we're going to be okay there?
>> That's straight to the shield. I don't
see anything in here that scares her.
>> Yeah, that's good.
>> Word on the street.
>> And the next uh thing is something
called the personnel budget.
>> And we had a lot of changes since my
first budget season in 2024. So I just
took together a small presentation of
the changes to headc count because it
comes up year after year.
Um so if you flip through the
presentation
uh and get towards the back I just gave
you a list of how our personnel has
changed since 2024.
We're functionally asking but I just
wanted to give you a brief overview of
the last three years.
So again, when you see the numbers come
up with things like insurance and this
other kind of stuff and benefits, you
know, you'll have a feel for what's
driving the uh increases basically.
Thank you. This is helpful.
Um
>> and then that led into the first thing
we looked at the personnel.
>> So there was like a methodology to it.
Yeah.
>> Um
Dan, you know, to some of your earlier
issues about, you know, hiring people
and that kind of stuff that one of the
things is staffing changes from 2023 or
2026.
>> Yeah.
>> You know, you have three full-time ads,
four part-time ads, you know, so you see
where things are, you know, moving along
there.
Uh and then obviously just the listing
that we discussed first thing on the
business. Um so that's that. Um there
any questions on what we've covered so
far that you want to ask now or you want
to study it or whatever.
>> I have I have one question
only because we have a department head
here. That's why I would ask it Monica
on the welfare. I noticed when I went
through the August one that the uh
vendor paid is way down. Is that is that
a timing thing or you just not giving
people as much money as you have in the
past for fuel and rent and whatnot?
>> Correct.
>> They're not asking or you're finding
other sources.
>> They're not asking and just doing more
research for them to get funding
>> and finding it elsewhere
>> for the state. Yep.
>> Outsourcing it some more.
>> That's correct.
>> Thank you.
>> Y
>> and I brought back quite a bit of money
this year, too. So
>> yeah.
>> Yeah. Remember last year we talked about
that
>> the revenue
>> about we had to budget you in case you
didn't find any money. But you always
seem to find money which is a good
thing.
>> That's what Monica does.
>> I know. Thank God for Monica. She knows
things.
>> Yes I do.
>> You know things too.
>> Thank you very much.
>> You had something Kianne or you just No.
Um all right. So then uh let's move on
to other business. What other business?
Anybody got any other business they
would like to get on the table before us
out? Start by throwing all the things
out that he like to do.
>> Okay, good. uh things that I would like
you to uh start thinking about.
The uh one of the um in case everybody
isn't familiar, not only do I chair this
committee, but I also chair the CIP
committee and I'm the acting chair of
the economic development committee. So,
I have lots of things that keep me busy
that all have to do with uh financial
stuff and things that go on. Um, we
don't currently have a uh grant writer
uh on staff or contracted with and uh in
town here. And uh one of the things that
I would like us to consider putting
somewhere in the budget know exactly
where yet. I have some thoughts on it,
but uh is some dollars for grant
writers. Um we um I've had some
experience working with nonprofits in
the course of like 77 years of running a
ranch. Um, and I've uh worked with grant
writers before. Uh, the one of the the
formula that I personally would be
recommending
here uh would be to hire a grant writer,
someone who's familiar obviously with
municipal grant writing folks who have
some experience in that area in
particular.
Um, I would like to hire them and pay
them some amount of money, a fixed
amount of money to do research on
grants. general town has projects that
we're looking at. Um even committees and
nonformal government committees like the
friends of Kanan village or these kind
of places that are looking for grants,
they can you know uh come to the grant
writer and say would you please research
and see if there's any grants available
for this kind of project. And the grant
writer is uh one of their functions is
to research grants that would be
available for any projects that the town
has. and we would limit that to uh you
know a specific number of hours and pay.
So I don't know what grant writer would
be charging these days. I'll I'll have
that before and actually put something
before the committee but um you know
it's something like 50 bucks an hour to
research 10 hours a month and then
produce a report that says here's the
ones that I found that associated with.
So it's not a big would not be a big
investment in that context. The way it
would work, which would be an incentive
for everybody and particularly for the
grant writers, if they find a grant um
and the town decides or the group
decides to move forward with the grant,
then uh they receive some form of
compensation um from the grant if it's
actually
come to
>> um one of the concerns that Jack and I
talked about briefly on this um was, you
know, you can't have too much as as
would be an administrative expense
otherwise it would knock you out of the
consideration for the grant. So it's
kind of a yeah you got to finesse it a
little bit but you know usually it works
out pretty well. So just put that in the
back of your head and you know
eventually I'll come up with some kind
of a proposal to be added to the budget
this year. Um I I don't know if it's
going to happen or not, but um when I
was meeting with um
Bob Henry and uh guy the mechanic, um
there was some guy mentioned to me, the
mechanic, that when he was hired back,
uh he was promised a trainee.
And I don't know if he's even mentioned
that to you yet.
>> No.
Um but um so I talked to I he about that
and they made it coming up. I don't know
if they have or not. They presented for
another position.
>> Nope.
>> Not aware of it. But
>> that could be problematic. Um
>> we have more than one person down there.
>> Well, they help out. Other people help
out. But what they were hoping what what
the conversation I had with them was guy
said I was promised a uh by chat a uh
trainee.
>> Okay.
And uh the way that would work is he and
Bob were trying to come up with a
proposal. They've been so busy with some
other stuff that you know may have gone
out of their brain but it didn't go out
of mine when people were asking me for
money. We got so um I think you should
look into that. um you know talk to them
about it.
>> Do you think there's any money in the
budget that he proposed for?
>> Well, that's what I'm asking. I don't
know. I don't know. So, just would you
check on that?
>> Nobody asked me to add to headc count.
>> Yeah, because he's retiring in two
years. The guy's going again, you know,
and he's terrific. But, uh you know, we
really need to have some continuity
there. I mean, the town went for two and
a half years, as you well know, without
a mechanic. And uh, you know, the
equipment, we've been paying for it now
for the last several years. You know,
lots of money trying to get back up to
speed there. So, let's let's not let
that slip by us, Jack.
>> Sure. Um, it's not bad because the town
still, my recollection from a few years
ago is the town owns about 50 pieces of
equipment and and I can remember a few
years ago 15 of those equipment of those
vehicles wouldn't even run because you
didn't have that didn't budget the money
and you didn't have anybody to repair
them, right?
>> So, you had tied up all this money in
capital you couldn't use it.
>> Thank
>> I think we're in better shape now. But
>> I agree. But what I'm saying is he he is
currently using that what they told me
was he's they're using highway guys to
help out.
>> They are
>> right. And what they really want to do
is they'd like to get somebody to help
to be the actual mechanic trainee who
can also do highway work.
>> So you get more highway work done,
>> right? And we'd have a transition guy to
uh transition when guy leaves in two
years.
>> Well, I hope the administration would
handle that better than they did the
water sewer guy.
>> Well, I'm How'd that work out? That's
why I'm raising the issue,
>> right? We train them so they can go
somewhere else.
>> Thank you.
>> So,
>> I don't want to even tell you about the
conversation I had with Henry and Mason.
I'm I'm not gonna tell you that convers.
>> So, yes, we need to work on that.
>> Yeah.
>> Um
>> uh Okay. Uh
>> back on your grant writer.
>> Sure.
>> Other municipalities.
>> Yeah. Um, are there examples of other
municipalities that hire a grant writer?
>> I I I started their grant program at at
the county some years ago and I started
outsourcing it originally, hiring
somebody part-time until you kind of
build up some speed, get a sense of the
market. And today, I've got three grant
writers at the county. Um,
>> so the program's gone from like a
million to like 15 million in grants,
but it's countywide, so it's it's a
little bigger, but yeah, it's customary
to start out with a subcont.
>> Yes.
>> Are there other examples of other
municipalities in New Hampshire that
actually have a grant writer on the
staff?
>> Yes.
>> You know, what are those examples? Sure.
We We can look into that a little bit. I
mean,
>> okay. No, you don't have you don't have
the names off the top of your head. No.
Okay. Schools have them. It seemed it
seemed to me that that's the kind of a
job which is like a an assistant to the
administrator or something like that
rather than having a grant writer. It
seems to be the administrator's
position. And if it takes another half a
person or a full person to do it because
you got to have your hands in every
department across the whole spectrum.
And it's u sure you certainly have to
know the purpose of the grant that
you're seeking and understand how it's
going to be spent. And so yeah, the the
person who's going to be spending that
needs to inform and educate the grant
writer as to what they want the money
for so that person can go out and tailor
the research to that function in that
setting.
>> Yeah.
>> So, you know, one of the things I would
say is I'm sure Monica can remember and
I think we were probably discussing this
back when Jack and I were working
together as well. That subject has been
brought up a lot S. So, first of all, I
appreciate you bringing it up again.
>> And I think it's something that could
benefit our town greatly.
>> Yeah.
>> But I also have to agree in part with
what John is saying. And if we again go
to the person who is slated to be our
town administrator,
that person probably procures more money
through grants in this town than anyone
else. Maybe minus the John Coffee, the
person who just got ousted. So, we've
got someone who is proficient at writing
grants that and and I mean the amount of
money that Ryan brings in in grant
writing is pretty impressive for his
department.
>> Sure.
>> So, if he's going to be onboarding and
it's going to be a two-year process, you
would think he'd be familiar enough with
the town needs where he could start
thinking about grant writing as well.
>> Right. I would what I would say is that
um that Ryan has done a good job
>> during police related.
>> Well, that's what I mean. But if he's
going to have two years to come up to
speed on all the other stuff,
>> right? And what I would say is that he's
got
pretty steep learning curve.
>> Yeah.
>> I think that we don't want to have him
doing things that are not um as
productive as they can make him.
And I think that grant writing in the
short term over the next several years,
>> yeah,
>> um, you know, is something that I would
rather not see him doing and have him
learn the things that he needs to learn,
which is substantial. And, um, you know,
so to spend a few thousand dollars, 10
grand a year
>> to make hundreds of thousands
potentially,
>> I'm not opposed to it. I' I've been
asking for
>> think about it. That's
>> and I will tell you that I I have spoke
with someone while I was on the board
that is a professional grant writer.
That's what they do for a living. I'
I've mentioned that name to you. Spoke.
Yeah. Jerry.
>> He's on the list of people I'll go talk
to.
>> He's not a professional grant.
>> No, I didn't think so. I've got a couple
of names already. I got one from Sadi.
>> Okay.
>> Um and uh there's
>> Doesn't Jerry write grants for his job?
Isn't that proud of what his job does?
He he's a he's a professor. He's at TUS
and just being in that role, you got to
look for money. You look for money, you
write a grant.
>> All right. So, my my my bad on the
terminology. Thank you. So, I don't want
to throw that out if he's not. So, thank
you. I'm glad. But he's proficient at
writing grants by far.
>> Yeah. So, yeah. And again, I would try
to focus on someone who's done municipal
grant.
>> Sure. In that context because it's just
they they'll be more productive. steal
the Enfield guy because they get a lot
of money.
>> Yeah. Well, well maybe. So, so maybe
that's a good maybe that's a good
example that John was just asking for.
If Enfield has some of your rights to
them, maybe that's a municipality that
you could look at, John,
>> to base what your what your question is,
right? Does Enfield have a grant writer
that they
>> I'm not opposed to having somebody do
this. I'm just wondering if we're too
small to support it. In other words, a
place like Keen probably can afford to
do it, but I'm not sure we got enough
money in the pipeline to make it happen.
>> So, I would almost argue it the other
way. I don't think there's enough money
in the pipeline to not make it happen
because we're sinking.
>> But you got
>> and if we could get somebody to pay a
nominal fee to get our water. I mean,
>> you got the problem. It's the
administrative expense,
>> right?
>> You you can't have more than 13%
administrative expense or some number
like that.
>> I see. Right. You got like three is you
got an employee.
>> Well, no, I don't think that I would not
be an employee, John. I'm not thinking
employee at all. I'm thinking contract.
>> You start small.
>> Let the program grow.
>> Develop the revenue, develop the
>> I said I was thinking somewhere in the
neighborhood of maybe uh you know $500 a
month,
>> right?
>> So, a balloon lighter from his county
crew.
>> Wherever we could find them, the right
person, you know what I mean? Who would
be willing to do it? Yeah.
>> Yeah. Bob,
>> I don't fully understand how it would
work, but I think that we'd flush it out
as we go down.
>> That's what I'm saying is I'll come back
with something.
>> But like if they if they got a grant for
$50,000 to do something and then that's
something that's not on our budget, but
then we did have to add a line to pay
him $2,000 to find it.
>> So, I mean, it's it's going to show up
somewhere.
>> Yes.
>> But now we have that 50,000 we didn't
have. So you just got to figure out how
to manage it. So
>> that's what I'm saying is look we most
of the department
heads here
>> and the town administrator and finally
these are all they're taking it in
through a fire hose.
>> I mean you know they got so much stuff
to do it it overwhelms them
>> right and we know there's money
available. I mean this town has missed
out on millions and millions of dollars
of grants over the last five years 10
years. To give the benefit of the doubt,
we had a conversation at the select
board meeting one time
why they were missing a deadline on a
grant and
without knowing any information, I'm
just going to follow my sword and say,
let's say Chad was too busy.
>> Yeah.
>> And that's why we need somebody else.
You can't you can't have the boss
chasing these things down, right?
>> But you got to have someone the boss can
work with.
>> Exactly.
>> Show them what this is what I want you
to look for. come back to me in three
days with what you have and I'll go
through them. But I I don't think uh I
don't think the town administrator
really is the guy to be
>> agree.
>> He's responsible for it. I don't want to
have him doing it.
>> Well, I don't even know if I'm going to
recommend that it be uh some a position
that runs through the town administrator
at this point.
>> I'm not sure where I want it to go.
>> Yeah. Wherever it's going to go through.
But yeah,
>> you can't add that job to someone that
already has a job. That's what I'm
saying is I think if we can get it
started like Jack says small y small
dollars, you know, and
so for a year we try it. Do you know
what I mean?
>> Well, I keep thinking about Roger.
>> You do you do minutes for a bunch of
different places. Maybe there's right,
you know, writers that write for
different places. Sure.
>> Yeah. Oh, absolutely.
>> So, we just find a guy that's happens to
have uh 10 hours a month free because
he's only doing three, he wants to do
four.
>> Yeah. So, it's a lot more work than
writing. You gota you got to understand
the problem and you got to have a
working arrangement or working knowledge
or
>> Well, that's what I'm saying. If there's
a guy that already does that and has
bandwidth to add us as a fourth or a
third or second,
>> that's his county crew.
>> He's got guys working for the county
>> and if one of them has got 10 hours a
week free.
>> Yeah.
>> Um other things that I would think uh
that I would like to do is uh by the way
um I'm not
the uh budget committee members. So the
only elected officials in town who do
not get compensated stipens.
>> Were you thinking of 100 grand each?
>> I was thinking not quite that much.
Maybe 25.
>> Second,
you know,
>> times are dollars
either.
>> So I'm just, you know, throwing it out
there. If you, you know, I mean, most of
them are like $500 a piece or whatever
the hell they Where's the money come
from though?
>> I'm just, you know,
>> taxpayers
>> throwing it out, you know, as a as
something you might want to think about.
>> You do have an expense budget.
>> We do.
>> Small one.
>> Um, so think a small one. Um, so think
about that. There are other things that
have been coming up that you know, you
know, I've been, most of you know, I've
been running around visiting with lots
of different folks. Um
the uh farmers market folks are looking
for a better winter site than the
current one they have. Um
so put that in the back of your head. I
keep trying to get them square footage
and stuff that they need, but
uh so they're looking for a site. Uh the
uh fire guys are very unhappy having
voting at the uh
firehouse. They think it's dangerous.
So, if we could find a better place to
do voting that
>> auditorium.
>> Well, we just
>> you need a real town hall at some point,
>> right? And I think John uh John's group
is uh getting the meeting house up to
speed that that might be something that
we would get.
>> We're inquired as to what the insulating
and heating cost will be,
>> right?
>> And it's 100 grand.
>> Yeah.
>> And with your grant writer, we could get
there.
>> Well, there you go. Well, that's what I
but in lie of that, just so you know, I
did we did put into the we're putting
into the CIP plan 90. We put in the 2029
whatever that whatever you sent me.
>> Yeah.
>> Um so we are putting some money in there
to get that done. So that might be the
solution ultimately for the voting plan.
Um
what else?
Uh there's one other thing. Uh I talked
about sidewalks, right? I talk about we
talked about sidewalks. No, not in this
one yet. That was the one a few hours
ago. Okay. So,
um the um economic development committee
and the friends of Kanan Village are uh
pushing forward on a joint uh project to
uh present a uh plan to upgrade the uh
sidewalks primarily in Kanan Village. Uh
we're working with the um Upper Valley
Lake Sunipe Regional Planning
Commission. They're doing most of the
leg work for free. Um, and hopefully
we'll be able to, you know, present
something in the next couple of months
that as a rough outline of what that
might look like. Um, there's lots,
again, there's lots of grants that are
available, up to 80% for some, 50% for
others that are available. Um, this is
not a short-term project. This is a
long-term project, you know, years in
the, you know, ultimately coming around.
Um, so just, you know, there's going to
be something showing up on that. Um, and
Jack and I, Jack is going to be helping
us with putting some things together
that might make sense. Um,
>> S is now the time to have any discussion
on that or is it,
>> you know, if you want, we can. I mean,
it's getting a little late, I think. you
know, okay, you know, if you want, you
know, we can talk about it for a few
minutes.
>> Sure.
>> So, you know, I've spoke with a couple
of you. I am one of our representatives
for the Upper Valley Lakes Hump Regional
Planning Commission. I've been
sidetracked this summer.
>> Yeah.
>> But back on board the best I can. And as
much as I'm not necessarily opposed
to the idea and and I think that it
could give some good literal curb appeal
to the town, um I can't help but think
about the fact that
um
we're we're spending time and effort and
potentially procuring grant money to do
something like this.
And we have people that live in the
village whose water and sewer systems
are failing and our transfer station is
doesn't work. So how are we expecting to
bring businesses here if they can't use
water and sewer and dispose of their
trash? And what are the optics going to
be to the people who already don't like
their tax bills when they see all the
sidewalks being redone that are mostly
already there anyway, but they still are
getting their bills increased for a
service that doesn't even function. Mhm.
>> And as a elected official, as much as
I'd like to see some of these things go
through because I don't necessarily
disagree with them,
>> it seems as though we're putting the
cart before the horse in a lot of ways.
Again, I'm not necessarily opposed to
it, right? And and I think it's my job
to try to represent
>> the the proposed items that everybody
wants to push through if I can help us
get some of this through the upper
valley regional planning commission, all
that thing. But the more I think about
it, I feel like we're doing a disservice
to the people who are unsatisfied. Or
not even the fact that they're
unsatisfied, the fact that they can't
they're not getting a service that
they're actually not only paying for but
getting increasingly higher bills.
>> Yeah. So, why would we want to get the
the and as a business owner, if I can't
if I can't use my water and my sewer
properly and I can't dispose of my trash
at the transfer station, I'm not looking
to come to town because we have pretty
sidewalks.
>> Well, I would hope I would hope that um
both of those issues, the transfer
station and
the water
>> water sewer will be uh settled long
before sidewalks.
>> Me, too. But I will tell you have to dig
up pipes.
>> Well, I mean, well, there is there is
that and there is some synergy there
that uh you know, we talked about at the
CIP meeting uh in terms of timing and
that kind of stuff. As you know, Scott
is uh you know, a crazy man and we had
Bob Henry there as well uh earlier today
uh to kick some of those things around.
>> Who's Scott?
>> Scott Johnston.
>> Oh, yeah.
>> Yeah.
>> Yeah. Um, you know, he's very savvy
around that kind of stuff as well.
>> Well, then why is none of it getting
done? You're probably You're not the
person to ask. I'll ask him. You know, I
don't have a problem asking who that who
I need to ask. Yeah. But why is it
nothing's getting done?
>> It's a long meeting.
>> Yeah.
>> Yeah. Exactly.
>> Yeah.
>> I'll go to the next one.
>> Good. But yeah, so
>> so it's just
>> it's a long-term project, you know. I
mean the the the numbers that people
were throwing around last uh yesterday
was at that meeting. Huh.
>> Um was 10 years maybe down the road.
Sidewalks.
>> How much money?
>> That's what we're waiting for. I I'm
hoping to have I got a commitment from
them that they would show over some
preliminary wild yeses on October 14 at
the next uh Friends of Canaan meeting.
>> Okay. and uh you know a much more
detailed um version of what all that
means at the subsequent meeting after
that which I think is November
something like that.
>> So we're going to get some
preliminary thoughts you know and then
we can start to think about it. But it's
a longterm project and
>> um I know that there's a lot of support
for it and it goes beyond sidewalks.
that has to do with uh what are your
points?
>> Pedestrian safety, crosswalks, lighting,
those sorts of things because you know
there there's been a fair number of
complaints about unsafe crosswalks,
inadequate lighting, you know, it's just
not safe sometimes to walk downtown and
it's not pretty. Not that it needs to be
pretty, but people like pretty and
>> sometimes that's important to them. And
so that's why you know you put it out
there as a water car and see you see how
people balance that out. I will say from
an infrastructure point of view just did
some quick math. You're on the you're on
the cusp of investing about $10 million
in infrastructure here between the three
bridges and goose pond and the water
treatment plant the wastewater treatment
plant. That doesn't even account the the
transfer station.
>> So where did that right on the cusp?
So, is that something that's in the
works?
>> Oh, yeah. All those projects are in the
works
>> and they have been for almost a decade.
>> Well, certainly three four years, which
would be kind of a normal timeline, but
>> I've been after select board for three
years and they were in the process when
I ran for select board three years
before that. So, there's six.
>> So, I mean, as a taxpayer, you know,
we've had not more bridges or bridges
repaired. And again, wrong meeting for
it possibly. Although this is something
we should be basing our decision off
when we present a budget and you know
it's you know we haven't fixed any
bridges. We've closed more down and
bridges that we thought were supposed to
be temporary renting bridges on the
Grisville Hill have become a permanent
fix. So I know Jack that you work hard
on this and that's not what I'm saying.
I'm not busting your your ass by any
means, but I'm trying to state the
obvious as someone who has been deep
into this. And this is why I ran for
select board six years ago, and we still
we've not procured any money. We've lost
it. Again, we've lost millions of
dollars worth of funding, and I still
don't see any of it getting fixed. So,
we can say people are proficient at
roads and highways and all that all day
long, but I haven't seen it. I don't
think there's any doubt that, you know,
we have u it's good that we're expand
Let's put it this way. Thank you for
your proposal to expand to five members
and maybe they can get more done.
>> You're welcome. I hope so. Yeah. But I
think it's important that they have a
real understanding of what the problems
are in town or the needs, right? To to
base it on more of a positive, it's it's
the needs. And I think it's important
that that information gets out there and
not tucked into certain meetings.
>> Yeah.
>> Yeah. So then and then one other thing.
Go ahead, Bob.
>> On that note,
>> yeah,
>> I do plan on running for select board
next year.
>> So I'll have to resign from this at some
point in time and I don't know when that
all has to happen so that the seat will
go up for
>> I don't think you need to worry about
that until you get elected and
>> after the recount. I was
>> I was under the impression that that's
the same election that I would have to
resign ahead of time so that this seat
would be on that same election to be
filled by somebody else.
>> No, you could run to vote and if you get
elected to vote then you resign from one
point.
>> I was under the impression I had to do
it ahead of time.
>> So never mind.
>> Yeah. So you might you know you could
run for both and then decide you don't
want to be a select.
>> I could resign from this to run for that
and if I don't make it then I get to
stay home and watch the Patriots. people
should do that as well.
>> Those are all options and that's your
life.
>> Yeah. No, I thought I I thought I had to
do some
>> Oh, yeah. By the way, um you know, I'm
going to ultimately we are going to I'm
going to ask members of this committee
to uh once we have an an approved budget
and have voted on warrant articles
uh to um go out to the community at
different events wherever we can find
them uh to explain the budget. I mean,
if everybody remembers last year when we
had the annual budget meeting where PE
public hearing, we had exactly one
person show up,
>> right? And that's just the way it is.
So, um I'm going to advocate for us to
uh you know, reach out to the community
at different groups. Go to the Lions
Club, go to the this group, that group,
whatever, you know, wherever we can find
them and uh you know, make sure
patients. So, we'll whack them up and,
you know, try and make appointments. And
>> why would they need facts when they have
Facebook?
>> Exactly. Why?
>> Oh, it's so bad.
>> Exactly. I don't have Facebook, so I
don't know, but my wife tells me it's
insane.
>> It is.
>> All right.
>> Is that it?
>> Is there anything else?
>> Can I get a motion to adjurnn?
>> Yep. Second.
>> All right. All those in favor?
>> All right. All right.
>> Any opposed? Any abstains? Thank you
very much, gentlemen. I appreciate you.
>> See you in a couple of weeks.
>> Thank you all.