Finance Committee: April 10, 2023

Transcript captured from MHTV’s Vimeo auto-captioning. No speaker labels; proper names and dollar figures occasionally misheard. Click any timecode to jump to that moment in the source video.

0:08 Think we’re live.

0:12 Somebody on the zoom confirm if you can hear me.

0:16 Yes. Yes can hear you? Good. All right. 702 I’d like to formally call Our Town warrant hearing meeting hosted by the finance committee to order. Thatcher I think did you want to lead off with the select board or

0:44 Thank you, Mr. Chair. The select board is convened and we’re just going to take one vote. That represents the completion of the setting of the budget that we did last Thursday. And it is for the override amount. Of two million, or I’d like to entertain a motion to enter in and approve the override amount of 2 million. 472,000 and 56 dollars as the override dollar amount

1:18 and we need a roll a roll call if we could second. Okay, so in a roll call, I’ll start with the Miss singer if she’s able on zoom in favor. Okay, Miss Noonan. Mrs. Golf Becker, Mr. Knight Mr. In favor. Thank you.

1:38 That’s it. Awesome. Thanks. So like I said, welcome to the annual Town warrant article hearing. My name is Alex willsby. I live at two Bradley’s end here in town chair of the finance committee. Purpose of tonight’s meeting is to walk through each and every warrant article on this year’s Town warrant allow each article sponsor to present and explain the details of their article. For articles with financial implications. Our committee will have the opportunity to ask questions and ultimately vote on our recommendation related to each article. And for articles with no financial implications, our committee will make no recommendation. Before a recommendation recommendation vote is taken on each article. There will be an opportunity for any citizen or public official who joined tonight to speak on

2:25 that article. as a reminder to all the finance committee makes its recommendations to town meeting based upon our own review of all available information. While the committee hopes that our Insight is a benefit to town meeting and while we further believe that our recommendations are both thoughtful and thorough it is ultimately up to town meeting to review what the proponents of the Articles have presented to weigh the arguments for and against each article and to vote the most beneficial course of action for our town as a whole. We have a long list of Articles to cover tonight. We’re going to take them in numerical order. So let’s get started. I’m gonna start with article one articles in numerical order Thatcher. This is a standard article that

3:12 has no financial implications. I don’t know if you have anything to add to that.

3:18 No, this is just to maintain the order as presented in the in the In the warrant. Okay. Great. Does anybody on the finance committee have any questions? Does anybody in the public have any questions about article one? So like I said, no financial implications, we’re gonna make no recommendation on this article. We’re not going to do a vote for those ones. We’ll just move try to keep things moving along. Article 2 report of town officers and committees very similar to Article 1 Thatcher. I don’t know if you have anything to add to that. No, no Financial impact just reports. Okay finance committee any questions? public any questions Okay, no recommendation on Article 2. article 3 to assume liability

4:06 this one does have financial implications that sure would you like to speak to this. So this article is relevant to projects that are done in the waterways that fall into chapter 91. It’s a requirement of Mass DOT and other entities government entities that may be doing work in the waterways. They require that we assume any any liabilities for for any damages such. So the the potential Financial impact is if there’s some claims against our insurance provider deductibles and and future increases, but it’s You know, that’s it. Yeah, it’s an annual standard article. I don’t know if anybody on the finance committee has questions about this

4:52 one. There’s no number to vote, but we do generally recommend. So we’ll take our first motion Alicia. I’m gonna make a motion and then We’ll see if it gets second and then if you could do the roll call on the ones we make motions. Okay, great. So I like to make a motion to recommend adoption of article three. so

5:18 yes. Yes.

5:24 Cam online. Oh couldn’t hear that very well. Yes.

5:30 Yes, Molly. Yes. Michael Neo yes, Eric. Yes, Tara. Yes. Michael Jackson, yes. Thank you. Article 4 to accept trust property my understanding is there’s no trust property to accept at the moment, but I could be wrong Thatcher. Yeah, as of right now there are no known properties. This is just an authorization should someone offer the town property that it would allow us to proceed to to secure funding in proceed secure in the properties. Okay? So in line with last year, since there’s no. Trust property to accept the intention is to make a motion to invest definitely postpone this article. So

6:15 anyone finance committee have questions.

6:19 Anybody in the public have questions on Article 4? Okay, so I like to make them even sure you have a question. Would it make sense to? Vote to accept the article even though there are no properties currently plan just to give the select and in Town Administrator the ability to pursue. I mean I hear where you’re coming from, but I think the way that it’s written it’s to see if it will vote to accept property that there’s none to accept at the moment. So in line with the way we’ve done it. That’s kind of their response. And if it changes that town meeting we can yeah. Move to adopt at town meeting, but for now with nothing to accept that’s standard

7:06 that’s been our procedure in the past. Thank you. So I’d like to make a motion to recommend indefinite postponement of article 4 second. Yeah. Yes. Yes.

7:24 Tim yes Molly. Yes, Michael Neal. Yes, Eric. Yes, Tara. Yes. Yes.

7:33 Thank you. Article 5 least Town property

7:40 Thatcher Alicia if you want to speak to this one.

7:45 I think it is really good. Yeah.

7:50 Okay, we do have current property that we do lease. But there are not aware of any new potential leases of property to be authorized. Yeah, so this is an annual standard article that we will generally make a recommendation to adopt because there is currently leased property and we need to continue to lease the property that’s under leases. Does anybody on the finance committee have questions? Anybody have the in the public have questions on Article 5. Great like to make a motion to recommend adoption of this article.

8:32 Yes. Yes. Ham. Yes. Yes.

8:41 Eric yes, Tara

8:47 Thank you article 6 unpaid accounts. Alicia I believe you’re presenting on screen for those following Along online. You want to kind of cover high level with this represents? Sure. So imagine we’ll watch after 44 seconds before we have to go before tell me to have those bills approved out of this coming years.

9:16 So these represent fiscal year 22 bills, they total to an amount of 26,788 not a significant amount again a standard article. There’s generally some bills that are identified after year-end. Does anybody on the finance committee have additional questions at this time? Does anybody have in the public health questions about article 6 on paid accounts?

9:43 Great, so I’d like to make a motion to recommend that the sum of 26,788 the appropriated per the table presented on screen. second we’ll cover Alec. Yes. Yes Tim. Yes, Molly. Yes, like O’Neill. Yes, Eric. Yes, Tara. Yes, Michael Jackson.

10:13 Thank you article 7 contracts and excess of three years that sure if you want to speak to that there’s no financial implications, but maybe just describe the article sure and under National a lot of the standard contract term is no more than three years. Unless you accept this provision to allows the select board to enter into contractual agreements. Basically between three years and 10 years if it’s a good business decision to do so.

10:44 A questions on the fin Comm again. No financial implications of this just a set number of years. Any questions in the public about article 7?

10:54 Okay, so no recommendation on this article. We don’t need to take a vote. article 8 Department revolving funds Stature or Alicia if you want to present this one. Sure.

11:11 the 4 4 being a half you have to vote a cap on your revolving funds annually at town meeting. You should be looking at the activity each year on what you’re spending. You should look at how much revenue you’re receiving and based on that information adjust your cap as necessary each year, which we have done this fiscal year.

11:37 Great. So on screen you can see a summary well a chart but then also a summary which will be similar to what shows up in the fincom report which shows all of the funds that roll up into this article and actual spent in 22 versus budgeted last year for 23 and then the 24 request in total the voted on number last year was just over four million and and this year’s total request for all departments is three million 924,244 there weren’t significantly large swings in many of the departments at all compared to last year. And again, this is the cap that each of these funds can the cap that can be spent out of each of these funds not necessarily how much actually gets

12:24 spent in any year. Um, does anybody on the finance committee have questions about this article?

12:34 Oh, there’s another slide. Yeah. There’s one new fun being proposed by the school department. For the creation of a transportation revolving fund. Well, that’s right. There’s two sections to this. Yeah. Okay. Did you want to describe that or sure? So the school department wants to create another revolving fun of Transportation revolving fund. They expect $20,000 in anticipated expenses and revenues for the following year. And so they’re just asking that we accept this new fund.

13:04 Within the National Law chapter 44:53 e and a half which stands for departmental revolving funds.

13:13 Yes, this means it. Is it being funded?

13:19 I’m sorry, it’s really sure. Yes, so If it’s accepted, yes, if it’s accepted $20,000 amount, I would ask that you would vote a cap. That’s what they’re asking for. They’re asking for $20,000 cab. They’re asking for acceptance of a new fund. Yes. Sarah will be fun ride program for itself.

14:05 Yes, so just to be clear no additional funds from other budget line items will be put into that. It’ll be a true revolving account exactly.

14:21 Thank you. Great. Just so are people currently paying to ride does that so there’s already a program right now the funds go to our general fund. Is that the change? It just it was a part time just start. Ed with not massive amounts of student S I don’t have the exact number of seats but it was a pilot. Okay. Thank you. Great. It’s anybody else on the finance committee have questions about article 8. Any public comments on article 8?

14:59 Maybe come up to the mic if you could yes. Thank you.

15:13 This is similar to the comments. I had it last town meeting. But the Board of Health revolving fun number is not supported by the commercial use of the facility. The most they spend every month is $50,000. So if you had a whole Year’s worth of revolving fund that would need 600,000. So anything in excess of $600,000 is an Essence just a slush fund. I would recommend that a million dollars of that revolving fund. We return to the general fund.

15:47 Okay. Thank you for your comments. issue I mean Andrew, did you want to discuss that or do you know? I mean, I think when you presented last Monday we talked about. that portions of that revolving fund to the extent that there’s leftover have been used for Capital needs right which to me is it okay use of those funds given that it’s not increasing taxes otherwise, right. So I think from my perspective as a finance committee member in a tight budget season with you know limitations on how much tax revenue we can collect that. I don’t see egregiousness in that but I’ll open it to the committee for further discussion just to

16:34 add to that Alex is on the subcommittee. We did discuss this and 862,000 from that fund is being used in the budget to pay our trash collection fees. Just disposal fee. Sorry trash disposal. So to get the trash out of. Transfer station. That’s where 862,000 is gonna be that’s helpful context just to clarify that but that is offset. By the charge you charged 860,000 in fees and battery charge a million two hundred thousand dollars in fees because you actually make money for transport with transportation. Right, right. It’s a revolving fun. So yeah.

17:21 Yeah, I also understand from your presentation last week that the monies that are remaining in the revolving account are actually to help defray anticipated sharp increases in cost next year. Is that correct? You deal with the cost of waste disposal and processing trash? So your total cost of disposal is 1.6 million dollars 86245.

17:58 You didn’t have the 862,000 from the waste your volume account the town leftover fund that through tax. I think that’s I’m sorry. I have my question was actually slightly different. Whatever is left in the revolving account after the 862,000 to defray this budget is intended in part to help defray a sharp increase in cost that you’re expecting when the current contract expires. Was that correct? So the 745 years. The 862 are the waste revolving number of increases to deal with the increased cost of police disclosure. And presumably there’d be you know, if you have a leftover balance in

18:45 the revolving account in the future as that 745 comes up we might be able to limit the increase in the general fund 745. So there’s there is reserve in there, which I think a lot of these revolving funds if I’m looking at fiscal year 22 actual spent verse what’s you know the max to be spent out of each account there, you know, there’s a wide range there. So it makes sense to me. Any further public comment on article 8?

19:17 So this one I think I need to make kind of two motions. First I’d like to make a motion to recommend that the maximum amount to be spent during fiscal year 24 out of revolving funds be 3,924,244 as summarized on screen and then the second would be to adopt. The motion from the School departments to create the new revolving fun for the transportation.

19:46 And we can take one vote for both of those second both of those great. Thank you Alex. Yes, Pat. Yes Cam. Yes. Tim yes Molly. Yes. Michael Neal yes, Eric. Yes. Tara yes, Michael Jacob. Yes. Thanks. Article 9 purchase of equipment several departments were coming up on our Capital account for capital expenditure articles. This one will be presented by Thatcher. And on screen There’s a summary of this year’s request for article. so article 9 We have a list of our equipment that we’re looking to fund in the one article for this year as part

20:34 of the process. We received all the requests from the Departments requests much longer than the list is being presented given the situation. We asked only those priority ones which are absolutely critically needed for this fiscal year and the department heads. Which include souvenir schools part of that process too. They all did a very responsible job of those items that are absolutely needed that are on the list. So just to highlight engine 3 refurb a hose and equipment from fire are continuous process to keep that equipment.

21:15 current maintaining the station alerting system for for the fire department Ford Escape for wreck some Park an electric lawn mower for wreckson Park. This will be the first electric one and it’s sort of the lead pilot to compare how the electric boers are going to gonna be utilized relative to the current gas mole as they have. It’s replacing a gas more Community Center boiler replacement. before that Yeah cannot calling silence radio replacements for the police department the radios they have now they can’t even get parts for and this is a partial they will cycle over a number of years each year

22:04 a portion of the inventory to refresh the on the school side, the Veterans School exterior lighting in the veterans school gymnasium padding in the gym concerned about safety issues with the the status of that Patty. So that makes up the current list of equipment requests great and tools 300,488 dollars. Yeah and just for some context as compared to Prior years. I think those that were here last year paying attention last year noted, you know, there’s kind of three ways. These Capital requests gets funded usually all of the requests this year through the ordinary tax levy, there’s no debt being issue. That’s another option for Name these capillary requests and and sometimes they get funded by

22:51 transfers from revolving funds that we just discussed but for article 9 this year all come from the tax levy much less compared to some of the prior years that we’ve seen in challenging times. Yes. I have a question for Alicia. If I may the slide presentation that I got in the email has a slightly different figure. Yeah. There’s been some updates since they were moving. So okay. I shared my notes before before they’re just sorry. That’s my phone. Any other questions on the finance committee?

23:26 Sarah

23:35 for article 9. Yes.

23:39 The other things on other article. Yeah, I think there’s more. Any other public comment on nine?

23:50 Hi Jen chapter 20 Casino Road. I can’t read that from over there. Yeah, so is there any way for us to get for the public? We’re gonna share this PowerPoint Sherry after on the time website. Okay after the meeting, yeah.

24:07 Any other public comment? Oh, they got the red on the screen. interesting Okay. Sorry, that’s okay. Okay, so if no other public comments, I’d like to make a motion to recommend that the sum of

24:27 oh someone raised their hand online. Yeah, if you could just kind of watch out for that Alicia because I’m not dialed in yeah. Um, can you hear me? This is Eileen Mathieu. I’m a member of the green Marblehead committee live at 4, right and I just want to ask on that Community Center boiler. Is there any thought about A less a different approach like air source heat pumps therefore heat and cooling. Just wondering where that is in the process, but just thought I’d thought out there I think as we do Capital needed Capital changes, we I can see I’m delighted about the electric mower, but just thinking and bigger projects like boilers at schools and community centers. There are is a lot of Technology now that both heat some cools this electric. So just want to

25:14 ask Thank you. Sure. Yeah, so this was the request from reckon Park. So I don’t know if Thatcher or Peter if you wanted to speak Peter has an answer. I I don’t have any more information other than upgrading the boiler.

25:39 Okay.

25:42 So, I don’t know if you’ve heard that online, but you know, it was looked at place the boiler for the existing system and that seemed to be cost-effective approach as the answer.

25:56 Thank you. You’re welcome. Any other comments on article 9?

26:03 Okay, so I’d like to make a motion to recommend that the sum of 388,488 be appropriated so into and to meet this appropriation. All 388,488 is to be raised by taxation as summarized on screen. second Oh cool, Alex. Yes, Pat. Yes Cam. Yes. Yes, Molly. Yes. Michael Neal yes. Eric yes Tara yes. My Jacob, yes. Thank you.

26:41 Thank you article 10 least purchase. Hatcher so again article 10 our specifically those items that are being leased.

26:54 On the list that we have sort of broken two categories. There are the existing lease commitments these at the top of the sheet are the ones are lease agreements that were previously approved at town meeting and and Carry forward so they maybe years two or three of of their respective lease agreements at the bottom are the new lease requests which include an aerial bucket Lift Truck for Public Works a large bus for schools. Two Cruisers the Ford hybrid Ford interceptors in order to maintain the the life cycle replacement for the police cruises and backhoe for

27:39 the health department.

27:43 These are the new leases that total 168,600. For a total commitment on leases of 467,553. Yeah, and like I said, there’s kind of options on these articles here as to how they get funded. The split on that. 467553 is 441,474 is through the ordinary tax. Levy 26,079 will be used from the waste revolving fund for the John Deere wheel loader.

28:19 So any finance committee questions on? These requests again, no dead exclusions here.

28:29 Any comments from the public?

28:36 great, so I’d like to make a motion to recommend that the sum of 467,553 be appropriated and to meet this appropriation. For 41,000 for 74 be raised by taxation. And 26,079 dollars be transferred from the waste revolving fund for purposes presented on screen.

29:02 From cover Alec. Yes cat. Yes Cam. Yes, Tim. Yes, Molly. Yes. Michael Neal yes, Eric. Yes, Tara. Michael Jake, yes. Thank you. Thank you. Article level 11 another Capital article Capital Improvements for public buildings again. We have a summary shared on screen Thatcher. So this this article is for improvements to public building. We have nine items listed Cemetery garage lighting. Are are replacing a Cellar Door on the fire headquarters. It’s rotted out. I think it’s a 1958

29:50 version door the main overhead doors for the fire headquarters to replace the 35 year old doors DPW storage yard to add capacity at that location Highway repair interior office and electric panel upgrades and I think this is what we need to upgrade so we can use the gis server and those pieces of equipment so forth. The towerway garage repair to reinforce the upper garage floor, so it doesn’t become the lower garage floor.

30:29 Mary Ali building floor repairs and we’re requesting 52,500 this one just to point out as folks may recall. We had a break in at Mary Ali building in which there was some significant amount of damage throughout the building and that we were able to obtain an insurance claim to replace. I don’t know what the percentage about 50 60% of the flooring will be replaced. but in paid for by insurance But as part of that project is they’ll pay for a moving company to move. We got to move everything out of other the offices redo the floors move everything back in and our effort is if we’re going through all those logistics for 50 60% of the floors. Let’s kick

31:17 in our share of the money and do a hundred percent of the floors and take advantage of the project. So the price tag at 52,500 is for the entire project. However, that will be offset by insurance proceeds that that will offset a portion of those costs. But this would authorize the entirety of that project to go forward for the Mary Ali building. The other items to High School main entry doors replacement. There are also rotted and need replacement and then the village and Glover playground resurfacing. of at the Glover and Village Schools totaled 300 2036

32:05 Sure. Through you to Thatcher. Have they looked at the tiles the flooring that that is in Mary alley and do we know that it’s not asbestos. We we have to assume it is and the plan is to as I understand right now is to cover. Um, so I basically leave it to the building people feel what parts can be safely removed and abated and what parts can be covered. I’m not sure saying he has to the entirety of which is which in the building but that is definitely a factor given the age of the building. Yes number could

32:44 yeah, I mean, this is our estimates at this time and any time you dig into an older building the cost will will adjust accordingly there. So this is our our estimate at this time to do the entirety of the floors on the and it’s just the first floor level of the building. Yeah, thank you question. So this budget amount on the floor that was is the estimate of the total cost of the project. Yeah. And what portion do you think is going to be covered by insurance? Well there so what had happened is that the the Intruder had ended certain offices and not others and so the damage was. Throughout the bill but spotted in places.

33:31 So when the when the adjusters went in they indicated what parts of the floors that they are going to replace as part of the insurance and then whatever is the balance is is for us to do. But having toured the building that morning.

33:49 you know more than half the officers have been entered broken into and yeah damage to the floor. He was cut himself pretty badly. And so there was lots of blood stains and That’s the reason why a lot of floors are being taken out.

34:08 And just to mention I noticed here. The majority of this is funded through the tax levy but the first item listed the cemetery garage lighting is through the cemetery Trust. um and just for context I was looking back at last year’s article 11 and there was way more Capital Improvements to buildings last year, you know a large debt exclusion override last year to the tune of 24 million dollars, I believe so this year’s request is modest and the amount raised through taxation is about 120,000 or so down from last year as well. I did not notice you want to get a calculator for the math quickly just so I can make the motion

34:55 for the person. Yeah, I can do it. So the left the Levy’s 287 4:51 in the trust is 14 585 Okay, I didn’t go ahead and lower left 287. What was them four fifty one? Yeah 287. Okay. Yeah trust is 145. Okay. I didn’t notice that. Okay. All right. So I’d like to make a motion to recommend that the sum of 300 are actually public comment. on article 11 Miss Dallas, okay like to be make a motion to recommend that the sum of 302,036 be appropriated. And to meet this appropriation. Here you go. 287,451 is to be raised by taxation.

35:40 And 14,585 is to be funded through the cemetery Trust. second Oh Alec. Yes. Yes, ham. Yes. Tim yes Molly. Yes, Michael Neil. Yes, Eric. Yes, Tara. Michael jenko, yes Thank you article 12 school Capital needs I believe is a placeholder that is not asking for additional Capital needs Beyond nine through 11 Fair Sarah.

36:19 So there’s no request at this time. So as a result, I’d like to make a motion to indefinitely postpone this article. second Oh Alec. Yes, Pat. Yes, Kim. Yes, Kim. Yes, Molly. Yes, Michael Neal. Yes, Eric. Yes, Tara. Yes, Michael Jango. Yes. Thank you Article, 13 walls and fences standard article Thatcher or Alicia Fiona. subscribe standard article in there are far more walls and fences to be to be repaired than what the propriations loud, but it’s a set dollar amount and then between DBW and

37:06 conservation and Engineering they sort out the priority list and and get the work done up to the amounts that they have available.

37:15 So the request is $50,000 which is in line exactly with last year. If anybody on the finance committee of questions on walls and fences. Anybody in the public questions on 13?

37:31 Like to make a motion to recommend that the sum of $50,000 be appropriated and to meet this appropriation it all be raised through taxation.

37:40 Local boat Alec. Yes, Pat. Yes, Kim. Yes. Tim yes Molly. Yes, Michael Neal. Yes, Eric. Yes, Tara. Yes, Michael. Jenko. Yes, don’t you pass it? dorm drainage construction article 14 Thatcher

38:01 Again, this is a another one in which there’s probably far more work than what’s being appropriated. But this allows DPW to maintain the storm drainage or as we currently called stormwater system and again be mindful that municipalities are required to meet the, you know, increasing requirements for storm water management. So this this allocation allows DPW to do as much work as they can under the appropriation.

38:38 Fincon any questions this this was 400,000 last year and I remember comments. I think Amy McHugh has talked to this one a few times as well that you know, it’s they could always use more here. But you know, it’s it’s a request that is consistent and gets the job done to the extent it can and that’s my my recollection from years past. So if anybody has questions or comments to drop in the bucket for what they could do, right? Yeah, that’s my understanding.

39:09 public comments on article 14

39:17 Like to make a motion to recommend that the sum of 400,000 be appropriated and to meet this appropriation it all be raised through taxation. So Cold Alec. Yes hat. Yes Cam. Yes. Tim yes Molly. Yes, Michael Neal. Yes, Eric. Yes, Tara. Yes. Michael jingle yes. Yes, thank you Article 15 water department Construction. Amy

39:51 construction of the water distribution system. I’m requesting at this time that we just pulled the number.

40:05 Since I like it closer. Right here. So it will be remainder and nothing.

40:15 So the 400,000 listed is a whole do you want us to wait on making our vote?

40:28 I would like the board to be able to vote on it. And then have you hopefully follow it right before time. Okay? Do you know when the board will play? Right. It’s funded from retained earnings. It’s not impacted by taxation. Do you know when your board might be voting on that or when they can I guess it’s a moving time.

40:54 Okay.

40:56 Yeah, we’re considering having potentially we’ll see where we land after we get through the 54 articles a second night of this as a catch-all in case we need to revisit anything so that would be the Monday before town meeting. So more fun. I would think Pat we should table this one. Yeah, if you

41:19 Okay. Well we can vote at them. We’re happy to revote it is a standard article and it’s not through tax levy. So yeah, it’s retained earnings and it’s just an official authorization too. Yeah to recommendation to town meeting we can make it at town meeting if necessary. Yeah, let’s just vote it tonight. Okay. Thanks. The request is 400,400,000. Any questions funded from retained earnings? Any public comment?

41:55 All right. So I’d like to make a motion to recommend that the sum of 400,000 be appropriated and to meet this appropriation it all be raised. Just the storm drainage. I’m sorry. Yeah, it’s still 4 and that’s what makes you know be appropriated from water retained earnings. second book Alec. Yes, Pat. Yes, ham. Yes. Tim yes Molly. Yes, Michael Neal. Yes, Eric. Yes, Tara. Yes, Michael James yes passes. I assume article 16 is very similar, but is that 400,000 request finalized yet, or

42:36 okay.

42:43 right Yeah, last year was 429 to 4. I see so Any questions, this one’s out of sewer retained earnings. Any public comments on 16? Like to make a motion to recommend that the sum of $400,000 be appropriated to be appropriated from sewer retained earnings second. So call Boat Alec. Yes cat. Yes Cam. Yes, Tim. Yes, Molly. Yes, Michael Neal. Yes, Eric. Yes, Tara. And Michael Jackson. ‘s article 17 Amy again, but I do think this one doesn’t happen every year.

43:32 but it does put the money aside in case there is Construction that needs to be done and we don’t have enough money as you all recall. We did use this funding to get down Humphrey Street one year and then down to Escrow Street rather than make that a six year project. So so it’s an interest-free loan, which this would be step one to allow you to you know issue the debt would the principal even though it’s interest Feast

44:19 interest-free be repaid through water and sewer retained earnings or It’s a ten. It’s a 10 year phone. It is paid through water and sewer rate or water rates and you don’t get charged in unless you actually go through the process within the Ura to set up funding so really just a placeholder and puts it in marbleheads. sections and this is basically and not to exceed. Kind of numbers that right because it’s allows you to.

44:55 Okay.

45:02 Here and sit on it or you usually authorize it every two years right now. Okay. Thank you.

45:12 Any other finance committee questions on article 17? Any public comments on article 17?

45:22 a little bit of a detailed motion here Like to make a motion to recommend that the sum of 1,022,400,000 be appropriated 400 $400 be appropriated and to meet this appropriation the town Treasurer with the approval of the select board borrow set amounts under and pursuance to General loss c44 section 7 1 or any other enabling Authority and to issue bonds or notes of the Town therefore, whether through the mwra local financial assistance program or any federal or state grants or loans that may be available for the project any principle to be paid back will be funded through the water and sewer Enterprise fund or retained earnings.

46:09 Okay, roll call about Alec. Yes, Pat. Yes Kim. Yes. Tim yes Molly. Yes, Michael Neal. Yes, Eric. Yes, Tara. Yes, Michael Jenkins. Yes. Amy’s the star of the night article 18. Can I wear faster? I’m getting a message that folks outside can’t hear when you speaking from there. So if you come up to the microphone.

46:42 Sorry, that’s okay. I thought it sent me the message later. I tried talking loud.

46:50 Standard article. This one has no cost implication. It’s just so that the Water and Sewer Commission can work with the board of Selectmen should any claim come from construction or some other process of the water and sewers involved in?

47:06 Thank you question. Pardon me. Are there any claims pending that you know about? No.

47:18 Any other questions on article 18? public comments on 18

47:26 like to make a motion to recommend adoption of article 18 second Coco

47:37 yes. Tim yes Molly. Yes, Michael Neal. Yes, Eric. Yes, Tara. Michael jenko, yes

47:49 Next three articles are proposed reclassification of pay schedules the first being Article 19 for administration. Thatcher So this article covers? Well, you see it as we have three collective bargaining units who have agreements in place that will be receiving 2% increases on the salary pay scales. So this article 19 is for the administrative or non-union employees of the town to receive the same 2% increase cost of living increase on July 1st.

48:30 Yes, so these adjustments to the pay schedules. Are all included in the budgets that we’ve already voted that roll up into article 30 where where applicable and it’s a pretty standard article for the 2% adjustment. Does anybody have questions on the finance committee about Article 19?

48:55 for

48:59 19 scented of the tone Workforce that these articles cover just yeah, that’d be good question.

49:11 I would say about half. We have 220 about 220 employees full-time employees. I’m gonna say 30 60 90 are in the police fire. So those rounded at about a hundred and police fire or Public Works. Those are the bigger departments. So then there are administrative Union administrative folks sprinkled about so my best guess I’ll rough guess 120 or in the unions about a hundred are outside.

49:46 And you’re saying yeah. Do you have a better number? There’s 33 only 33. Oh, okay. Well, I can’t I can’t see the slide from here. Okay. So Alicia’s got those numbers over there. So, okay. Yeah, no that does not include the schools. No, this is right. This is all in the town side. Yeah, my understanding is generally department heads are non-union positions and then other support staff. Where applicable? Does anybody have public comments about Article 19?

50:31 To make a motion to recommend that this article be adopted with a 2% cost of living increase effective July 1st 2023 second. Well Cobalt Alec. Yes, Pat. Yes. Ham. Yes Tim. Yes, Molly. Yes, Michael Neal. Yes, Eric. Yes, Tara. Yes, Michael. Jenko. Yes. Classes article 20 very similar article Thatcher it covers. Traffic supervisors separate AKA crossing guards who are fall under the police department, you know. 2% already included as part of article 30 just same discussion as last article any questions comments from the finance committee.

51:18 Any public comment on article 20? Like to make a motion to recommend that this article be adopted with a 2% cost of living increase effect of July 1st 2023. So Alec. Yes hat. Yes Cam. Yes, Tim. Yes, Molly. Yes, Michael Neal. Yes. Yes, Eric. Yes, Tara. Yes and Michaels which passes 21 similar just for seasonal and temporary personnel. Yeah same so they just have a different pay grid. for temporary and seasonal 2%

51:56 finance committee questions public comment on 21 Like to make a motion to recommend that this article be adopted with a 2% cost of living increase effective, July 1st 2023.

52:12 Pat yes Kim. Yes, Tim. Yes, Molly. Yes, Michael Neil. Yes. Yes, Eric. Yes, Tara. Yes, Michael Jenkins. Yes. Article 22 compensation Town officers specifically relating to the town clerk, I believe yes because she’s the town clerk is a full-time but elected position so she gets special treatment in the warrant articles 2% Again included already as our vote on the town clerk budget that rolls up into article 30. Any questions from the finance committee? Any public comments on 22? Like to make a motion to recommend revising the compensation of the town clerk to 88,342.

53:02 second

53:06 roll call please recall Alec. Yes, Pat. Yes. Kim yes Tim. Yes, Molly. Yes, Michael Neal. Yes, Eric. Yes, Tara. Yes. And Michael. Jenko. Yes you passes. article 23 gratification of salary bylaw again Thatcher So it compensation committee. Yes, so the compensation committee which was part of the bylaws allows for reclassification of certain positions based on change in jobs descriptions or change and requirements. So the function so compensation committee which consists

53:51 of the Town Administrator the finance director and one other department head which currently is the health waste director. We review all requests from the department heads if folks recall, there was a gov HR study that was done a couple years ago, which did a whole reclassification study of all the positions in addition. They provided a process and a manual for the town to do its own review positions to score and grade the positions and put them on a scale to determine the proper classification so compensation. Committee actually requires that process and evaluates that process in order

54:37 to make changes. I have a report that I published for the last Candia that I presented to the select board. I think there’s about a dozen positions that were reclassified and the prior calendar year, but it’s the it’s the process we use to upgrade. So it’s just accepting. The the actions that have been taken for reclassification certain positions. And were there every classes this year? Yeah. So I’ve got it done at the reports up to the end of the calendar year again this but it doesn’t and so it’ll change, you know, a position grade may go up. So it’s not a necessarily a wholesale. Whole salary change it would be going from you know, a grade six to a great seven would

55:23 be and that’s about a well four percent. Well, I forget the money I’m gonna guess it numbers tonight. I already missed one. But anyways, it’s incremental changes. The other thing we do is if if new employees are going to be hired at a grade higher than step one they all so the department head needs to present that to the compensation committee to allow hiring at a higher than a step one. So, Yeah, okay for any potential. Reclassifications would this already be reflected in the salaries in the budgets that we’ve been approved or is this a change that would then impact the budget? So there is a salary reserve line item that will

56:11 take us so when the when the department budgets were done, it was based on the current grade and steps of the employees to include step increases that employees. Will get sometime during the year. So so the the current budget is based on existing if there are any changes through the compensation committee. We first we would ask the Departments to absorb it within their department. And if that’s a challenge, we have a salary reserve line item to supplement. Okay.

56:48 They’re finance committee. Yes, so is there a group or some specific a specific list of actions that were expected to or that this is not It ratification of a salary bylaws. There’s a this is a change to the bylaw no changes the pile up but the bylaw so tell meeting is the the the entity that sets the classification so through this by law tell meeting has delegated to the compensation committee the ability to make classification changes during the course of the year, and then there will be a report at town meeting and then

57:35 it requested how mean to ratify the reclassifications that were done during the course of the Year. Okay. So there will you plan there’s a poor. Yeah be presented at town meeting and we’re just yeah, we’re ratifying the we’re approving voting to approve the actions of the compensation committee. Yeah, I a little prematurely no. I’m here’s this is not the case. I don’t know I mean again. It’s what’s already occurred? Yes. So there should that’s my should be able to present a list. Yeah, so there is there is a report for last calendar year what I should have probably dug it up and provided here. It was presented to

58:20 the select board right after the new year, but there is so there is an existing report. I’m not sure if they look at a calendar year or Fisk probably fiscal year so there will be the first however many months and I don’t think we’ve approved any this since the new year or maybe yeah, I don’t think we have so all the changes would be in the report that was already provided select board, but and I remember seeing some of the as we did our liaison subcommunities there were Reclassifications identified for certain salary changes in line items of different budgets so that this is capturing those changes that are that are really part of the article 30 number going forward for this for next year, right? So they they were changes in the air that

59:09 For example, some somebody would have been bumped up a grade. That grain would carry over to the new fiscal year which is in the budget proposed. But all the calculations for salaries are based on that their current paying grade. And not considering any future. Okay applications to the compensation committee. And like I said, if they’re if there are we in their approved we first ask them to absorb the cost or we would use the salary Reserve to cover the incremental costs. Thank you. Thank you.

59:46 Patrick could you if you can Listen idea of how many positions have been reclassified in the last year or the rough estimate of the dollar amount or both. Yeah, if I had anticipated the questions, I would have pulled up my report for the slight boy if I I might be able to tell my device very quickly, but I just from time I had a DPW. Kyle who’s here? DPW we had

1:00:18 two, right so

1:00:24 Right. We we hired the treasurer at a higher step. As we compete in the work of in the workforce. So that was a compensation committee into what else we have. Our department. Yeah, we made some changes. Job. Yeah in some cases. They were just job description changes and there was no change in the the grade. So there’s no no Financial change there. So rather than give here a ticket a list, those are examples of the of position changes. I know in DPW looking at realigning job descriptions and so forth for the task that’s needed. Yep.

1:01:15 Yep. Yeah. so it’s not I’ll say I’ll say this I mean I’m gonna guess about a dozen changes over the last calendar year and that was a lot at the beginning of last year and this year. We’ve had two meetings I think and we’ve not we’ve made job description changes, but there’s been no no great changes or anything that affects salary. So yeah, that’s the examples you mentioned there was work done. maybe two years ago Guppies again because we did indefinitely postpone this last year because there weren’t any changes so but I do think this is a relatively standard article that comes up every at least every few years and presumably what I’m hearing is that

1:02:00 Most of the impact of this from Financial perspective has already been reflected in what we’ve already approved and reviewed in very detail with every Department.

1:02:12 I’m in a position that I feel comfortable enough to make a motion to recommend this but if anybody else has any other opinion open my second so we get a recommend adoption. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. I’m good with that. Okay. Okay, this is there any public comment?

1:02:33 I’m 23.

1:02:36 Bush has been made in seconded by Tim roll. Call vote Alec. Yes. Pat yes Kim. Yes, Tim. Yes, Molly. Yes, Michael Neal. Yes, Eric. Yes, Tara. Yes, Michael. Jenko Yes motion passes. Thank you. article 24

1:02:56 no financial implications, but probably worth presenting.

1:03:03 So article twenty four men general biolence for new human resources department. So this action here won’t have any Financial impact as we call in the budget we’ve put in there HR Direct deposition that’s funded with with an estimated salary based on the marketplace. The the cost of the HR Director is offset by a reduction in the health line, which we’ve told that story about the HR Direct is going to help manage our all our benefits and so we’re paying for the position through the through reduction in the benefits. If this article is adopted it would create the human resources department. There are

1:03:50 two employees currently in the finance department. They would just put on the label HR department and assuming that article 30s passed with the HR directive position funded we would go out on the street higher higher an HR director and would be a three-person department one new person to existing employees. So so the only cost is what we’ve already talked about in the article 30 for the HR Director.

1:04:20 Then you would not hire. You just would not create the department. So there’s four scenarios. If they if they both pass we have an HR department with an HR director. Paid for if if the HR department is passed and the HR directors not funded we would have an HR department and I would assign the finance director to also be the HR Director which is in effect what we have right now because she oversees HR if if I have an hide director with no Department. The HR directive would be would fall into the fine. Well, I have it assigned under the select boards office. So be either

1:05:06 report to me or or assigned over to under the finance department. We would put it somewhere if the position is is funded and if they both are rejected and we just do business as we are currently doing business.

1:05:25 Good question any other questions or comments from finance committee on 24?

1:05:33 public comment article 24

1:05:38 Yes, please. Oh, sorry, didn’t see the hand no nose. No, sorry. Sorry. I didn’t do a very good job either. I’m on my phone. So sorry Megan Sweeney. Hey Megan Sweeney. Hi. Hi everybody. So I’m I’m just trying to understand how a new Department doesn’t have cost implications. I know you’re saying that it’s going to be covered and and you spoke really quickly. You have a plan and how it’s covered which is awesome. And we definitely need an HR director because we don’t need our poor Finance director overburdened with that, but I’m curious how they’re still hiring, you know, there’s a whole process that you obviously that you’ve got a post you’ve got to hire you’ve got to interview. There’s still costs associated with forming. A new department and hiring new people. Can you talk to me a little bit how this is not designated as a cost.

1:06:27 Thank you. I guess my view of this is that it’s just authorizing the creation of the department. I think it’s clear that the director position that we’re going to talk about an article 30 has been requested will be voted upon as part of article 30 that clearly has financial implications with respect to the listing. Assuming this is created an article 30 passes to advertise for the position. I believe Thatcher. Correct me if I’m wrong. Are we Outsourcing that or do we do that internally to post the job so we would decide that it would be same decisions as we would do with any other hiring

1:07:12 position at a direct level. Where there’s no Financial implication means we are not requesting any additional dollars that are already. In the budget to do our business of hiring people and and doing that there’s no additional dolls been requested because of this so the cost of hiring HR Director there would be a cost but it’s already part of our budget as we hire other employees and and do that process currently. Okay, that was my question. So yeah from my perspective. There is an indirect Financial cost in another article sort of related to this but just authorized in the creation of the department is not there’s no Financial applications.

1:07:59 I got it. Thank you for that. Thank you. Yes, definitely. Thank you for that clarification and just one last thing so we’ll have like roles and responsibilities and and all that listed for this new department. So it’s clear, you know what they’re doing and so forth so that will that will be great. Thank you. Thank you for your answers. Thank you for your question any other public comment on 24?

1:08:23 Point of information. Yes, please. There should be a segregation of Duty. So me as Finance director. I really shouldn’t be HR Director as I direct the money, so I shouldn’t be opening the personnel and your money. It should be protected and separate. Thanks. Any other public comment?

1:08:43 Like I said, no Financial impact no recommendation on article 24. article 25 financial assistance for conservation either I looked up Brian LeClaire or Thatcher is standing up.

1:09:01 I look up someone else standing commission, but he jumps up. So this is an authorization. Should there be land?

1:09:10 Offered to the Conservation Commission for for protection or such this authorizes the Conservation Commission to seek the funding be it public or private funds to secure but it gives them the authorization to to go ahead and secure the any properties that are offered. This was an article last year as well probably for a number of years. It’s pretty much a no-brainer for me. It’s just authorizing them to seek funding from outside of the town’s funds which is an okay in my book. Any questions from the finance committee? Any public comment on 25? like to make a motion to recommend adopting article 25

1:09:55 We’ll call Vote Alex. Yes Pat. Yes Cam. Yes, Tim. Yes, Molly. Yes, Michael Neal. Yes, Eric. Yes, Cara and Michael James article 26 Essex North short Agriculture and Technical School District and Mark strout chair of Essex tech school committee, I believe.

1:10:24 Last month, I gave you all the detailed budget book in my summary and tonight. I’ve got a thank you for that. Maybe a three minute report if you wouldn’t mind, of course.

1:10:40 Everybody Mark Stroud 40 Maple Street, share person of the 20 member school committee for the Essex North Shore Agricultural and Technical School District last month. They sent you all a summary report along with our detailed budget book. But each year. I like to give you an update is to our progress at the school along with our budget figures and I promise to be brief. Tonight I am most pleased to announce that of the 28 Vocational Technical School serving in the Commonwealth Essex Tech is the fifth most affordable. I am also pleased to report tonight that for the third straight year in our school’s history that Marblehead will be assessed the state minimum required contribution as calculated by the department of Elementary and secondary education. I am also pleased to announce that our Administration has this year. Thus far secured seven

1:11:27 million dollars in competitive grants. This year 26 of our Marblehead students took advantage of the following Career and Technical education programs arborists carpentry companion animals construction craft laborers culinary arts and Hospitality Dental Assisting design and media Communications electrical engineering Health assisting HVAC and Refrigeration Information Technology services lanskeeping and turf management natural and environmental sciences and veterinary sciences this year 10 of our Marblehead seniors will be graduating. And 28 of our vets middle school students have applied for the fall. Marbleheads minimum minimum required contribution is

1:12:14 set by Desi is 422,990. And when you add in our 1.192% share of the trend of the total transportation Debt Service and capital Improvement budgets. The fy24 preliminary assessment to the town is 468,762, which is down from 584,223 last year. The fy24 per pupil cost to the town is 18,029 29 dollars, which is up 4.9% from 17,183 last year due in large part to an increase in fixed costs. It is also important to note that we had a 2.4% or 51 student overall increase in

1:13:01 enrollment this past year bringing our student population to over 1,694 students last month 1700 eighth graders from over 93 middle schools applied for next fall which 450 will be accepted to the class of 2027 which will max out our enrollment at 1,735. I’d like to thank the Marblehead business owners who have employed our students in their Co-op positions this year and in the recent past they are Whitmore Brothers Construction Marblehead Animal Hospital Atlantic Veterinary Clinic Bartlett and Stedman Plumbing Brent and gray development Simpson garden design Kilburn and Cole Building Supply curly Hill electric mrw mechanical eatwell, kitchen Mark H

1:13:48 Driscoll Construction and shobe’s Marketplace. I’d like to give a huge shout out to our carpentry plumbing and electrical students who this year continued their work on the renovation of the strapsky house off of West Shore Drive. Our goal at the tech is to strive to be the finest Vocational Technical agricultural High School in the Commonwealth and to remain current to Industry demands while meeting the high school demands of a college preparatory curriculum. Therefore our Marblehead students in their families and the staff of Essex North Shore would greatly appreciate your support on the article and we thank you for your continued support over the years. Okay. Thank you. Thanks so much Mark. Good update you already kind

1:14:34 of covered my comments. It’s about a hundred and sixteen thousand less than last year. I’m thinking that student less enrollment less enrollment and that was due to covid. Yeah, gotcha, right. Yeah, has anybody on the finance committee have questions for Mark? Any any public comment on article 26?

1:14:56 Yes, please. Sure. Hi Jen chapter 20 Casino Road. Just have a quick question. You break it down to per pupil expenditures. Marblehead is one of the highest with Manchester and I think Rockport it’s not a lot but it’s several thousand dollar difference at 18,029 dollars and the lowest ice Community I see I think is

1:15:20 Rockport did I say rock? No? Somebody’s at the Salem is like at 13,000. So if you could maybe talk about how they come up with the very simply sending memory minimum required contribution is set by Jesse is a Formula that’s based on the median household income in each town and the median property value of each town. We all know that we’re blessed to live in Marblehead. Fortunately our unfortunately, our housing prices are extremely high our family income median family income is much higher than a place like Salem Salem. I believe the Salem News reported last week that 80% of their housing stock is low income. So that’s the difference why? Okay. Could you what was the number that the difference again between the applied and how many will can be accepted? Oh,

1:16:08 well 1700 applied for this coming year 450 got accepted. The acceptances will go out this Friday. It’s very tough to get into yeah that I mean the face of Vocational Technical education in the in the United States has changed in the past five to 10 years.

1:16:29 Great, really appreciate your update no problems. And thanks for the public comments any additional public comments on 26.

1:16:40 Like to make a motion to recommend appropriating 468,762 dollars to be raised by taxation. Exactly Alex. Yes, Pat. Yes. Ham. Yes Hardy. Yes, Molly. Michael Neal. Yes, Eric. Yes, Tara. Yes and Michael. Jenko. Yes. Thanks article 27 transfer funds to a special education stabilization account. Alicia do you want to present? Yes, I spoke with the school Finance director and this they have about 250,000 in this stabilization fund Desi classifies it as a reserve fund which is quite interesting. It

1:17:28 falls under a different statute and they are going to postpone this indefinitely. They don’t want to spend any money on it.

1:17:38 Yeah, and we’ve talked about in the school meetings special education costs certainly being a challenge for Marblehead and and many other communities around the state of Massachusetts and probably around the nation just a couple comments on this since I’m involved with the school liaison group there is 250,000 in the account. It was funded I believe five or six years ago. No funds have ever been drawn from that account. But it’s there in case of emergency that being said that does not mean special education costs have not been adjusted over the years. So the town’s not recommending to allocate additional funding this year. So it’ll stay at 2:50 just a glimpse into some of the changes and special education costs and

1:18:24 the general fund this year. I think it increased by approximately 176,000 when I when I give these numbers, I mean both, you know out Place students as well as Transportation costs are also attributable to special. Education last year was an even more significant increase than 850,000. So I just wanted to provide some some context that we do have a stabilization account, or maybe you’re calling it a reserve account now, but you know, it’s it remains a challenge and the town is supporting requests to address this challenge. It’s just that the reserve account hasn’t been drawn from and and given the challenges this year. We’re not going to increase it or the town’s not going to request increase. Does anybody have additional questions or comments on 27

1:19:11 is this Alex is what we came back to last year and like voted on after I think that might have been some confusion last year as to whether it was funded and then it would remain funded or whether it needed to be appropriated every year but we did confirm so I think we came back to it. But okay confirm that the funds are in there and they stay there. So any contribution would result in more if there was one but since there’s none being requested.

1:19:43 Make a motion if there’s no public comment.

1:19:48 Second. Oh like to make emotions to recommend indefinite postponement of this article. Roll Cobble Alec. Yes, Pat. Yes Kim. Yes Tim. Yes, Molly Michael Neal. Yes, Eric. Yes, Tara and Michael Jacob. s

1:20:12 Article 28th released funds from Transportation Network Felicia sure. So this is known as TNC Transportation Network companies and what they are is the Uber and Lyft companies if the rides originate within your town you get half they charge 20 cents per ride half of that goes to the town near the half goes to the other place wherever they’re going the state collects all the money and then it’s the money back to the Town based on the number of rides. It’s been declining. I kind of looked at the map of what’s been going on for the town Marblehead. Hopefully goes back up again, but you can use this income or you can build it up depending on if it’s a small amount and what this article is asking is to appropriate what is in the fun right now, which is 5,259 40.

1:21:01 And usually about the end of the year around June is when TNC funds come in from the state as a distribution back in and every December they usually want to report from the finance director and how we’re utilizing those funds. I included the statute on the side for everybody and also a history in case anybody was interested.

1:21:20 questions on Article 28 Pretty similar number I think a little bit higher than last year. It came back, but very pretty immaterial as well the state put this through. Ah two thousand teen I believe. so there’s an existing Transportation infrastructure enhancement fund that it’s already established in the town and and that gets the those funds get utilized to do work on. What like the rail trip was this the rail trail? And yeah Road signage stuff you could spend on chapter 90, but yes, it’s a receipts reserved

1:22:08 for Appropriations. So it has to be appropriated each year by Statute and then I do a report to the state and it’s focused on Transportation infrastructure. Yes. Thank you any public comment on Article 28

1:22:25 Like to make a motion to recommend that right? Can I comment I had a hell? Yeah. I didn’t see your hands. I supposed um first I just wanted to thank those normally Benjamin for explaining this to me earlier when I had asked about it. I’m trying to understand

1:22:44 Precisely from the language of the article. And then also a little bit more generally about what we mean by this Transportation infrastructure enhancement funds so that the the words I’m reading in the article say the transfer from the reserve for propriation fund 27 for the purpose of and this is what confuses and implementing Transportation infrastructure enhancement fund. Is that kind of a term of art or my I don’t understand how you implement a fund?

1:23:25 So maybe I’ll just put them together. So that was my one question. Is that actually written correctly? If it is, I just want to understand what implementing a fun man and then secondly.

1:23:37 The language in the statute and it’s even referred to here as relating to the rail trail and then also to complete streets so and and you can see that on the slide that was shared. The complete streets program is not capitalized there in this slide, but it actually is a a program and should be and it’s something that’s established in state law. I don’t understand how

1:24:05 we’re allocating this money specifically to complete research of the rail trail rather than just a repaving the streets. Okay, and I don’t need to go on too long, but the purpose of this money that’s coming in the whole reason the state created it is you have automobile more automobile. Use and the idea is to make sure that with this automobile use you also are using some of that money the profits from that to make it better for biking and walking and transportation. And so I’m just trying to understand both the precise language and whether I’m reading that correctly because it doesn’t make and then secondly, is there anything in this article that specifics specifically direct the

1:24:52 town to use it for either the rail trail or complete treats or is it just kind of? Goes into our chapter 90 funds that we can use it for repaving the streets. So these receipts go directly into the receipts reserve for Appropriations. So that’s the beginning of the article transfer from the reserve for appropriation fund the purpose of implementing Transportation infrastructure enhancement fund the funds come in from another fund into our receipts reserve for appropriation. That’s what I’m thinking that is and it’s related to improvements to the real Trail or take any action related. Now the chapter 90 reference is saying that if anything that used for chapter 90 could also be used with these funds so you could be used for signage. It could be used for roads. It could be

1:25:39 used for bike trails. It could be used for the real Trail. So that is it’s basically just trying to let Everybody know the different uses that these funds can be used for I think I understand.

1:25:55 Thank you. Thanks for the question. And thanks for the response.

1:26:01 Any further public comment on Article 28?

1:26:07 Like to make a motion to recommend that the sum of 5,259.40 be appropriate. To be transferred from Transportation Network receipts reserved for appropriation. Second world Cobalt Alec. Yes cat yes Cam. Yes, Tim. Yes, Molly. Yes, Michael Neal. Yes, Eric. Yes, Terra and Michael Yes motion passes. Thank you article 29. Available funds appropriate to reduce tax rate. Alicia yes. So this article is what the town of Marblehead has been doing for many years, which is supplementing their

1:26:52 budget by using free cash, which is something that when I came on board that you’re right away. Both of us agreed needs needs to be adjusted and we have to change the way things are but we got to do it in stages. So what we’re proposing for this fiscal year 24 budget is to use an estimated eight million dollars in free cash. To offset the budget and lower the tax rate. Thank you. I have a couple comments on that on this similar to last year just to provide a little bit more colorful Mark perspective. My understanding is that as of today are expected. fiscal year 24 certified free cash before appropriation is approximately eight and a half million. As Alicia just stated my understanding is that

1:27:40 we need approximately 8 million in the balanced budget. To balance this year’s budget and eight million will be used in in article 30 that will be presenting. We have also funded the free cash stabilization Reserve in fiscal year 22 and 23 at 250,000 each year, which brings that total amount sitting in that account entering this year at 500,000. In a no override scenario this year to be discussed as part of article 30. There’s no ask to appropriate 250,000 into that stabilization account. So if article 30 passes alone, we have 500,000 in stabilization and 500,000 in non-appropriated free cash which totals to a million. So, you know as tough

1:28:27 as a year as it is, we still are you know focused on keeping at least some reserves in place for emergencies and I do want to add that we’ll get to 31 shortly the 250 into the stabilization is part of 31. So that would be additional should that article pass. So yeah, I’m happy to see we have some cushion still after balancing this year’s budget. We’re not using all of our free cash which I don’t think would be something that our committee would recommend and then lastly I think as part of this article there’s there’s 330,000 from the electric light pilot that get Appropriated through this article to help balance the budget as well. This finance committee

1:29:12 have any additional comments? Yes. I’m just a question when you mentioned sort of wean. For free cash and stages. Can you sort of walk us through how you see that and what role the stabilization fund plays in that? Yes, so I think the stabilization plays a large role you need to have some reserves and we keep depleting them. We don’t want to deplete it to zero because you don’t want to lose your bond rating. I mean a half a point is is worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. So we don’t want to do that, but we do want to wean ourselves so that we are generating free cash because that’s A good thing that you want to do you want to show the bone reading agencies you want to show the public that we are using reserves in a responsible manner that shouldn’t be used for the operating budget but more for one-time needs

1:29:58 such as capital. So what we would encourage is looking at gfoa and looking at the Department of Revenue what their best practices are which is to least have five percent set aside and not touched. And anything over that maybe looking to appropriate that stabilization to appropriate that to capital projects to appropriate that maybe towards, you know, a dead exclusion stabilization, but we would take it in a little months because we know it would be a drastic change to just pull all of it and say you know what we need to plug instead of 2.5. We need to plug 10.5. And so we want to ease that impact on the rate payers as best we can.

1:30:49 with the need to show Financial stability to the bond ratings companies do we fulfill the requirements to get the highest Bond ratings with this usage of free class this year or are we putting ourselves, you know lower position for Bond ratings with this year. We would be in a good position because you started a reserve you’d be in a good position because you’re funding opeb other post employment benefits, which is health insurance Dental things like that for employees. So you’d still be in a good spot. You have some money there. We’re giving you a conservative estimate. So that’s approximately what we have to make could be a little more. So scrubbing still hoping

1:31:36 trying to maximize

1:31:40 You’d still be? Okay, we wouldn’t put you in a position where you drain all your Reserves?

1:31:47 Thank you.

1:31:49 That’s a very good point. I forgot to mention the the triple a bond rating which marble has had for a long long time very important again to make sure we have these funds in place and I think you know not using all of our free cash is a good sign for that. But then also, you know, I think article 31 might be a little bit harsher on taxpayers if if we were to weaned ourselves off completely like at least you said

1:32:19 I and the last thing I’ll say is I think where we were at last year was a 500,000 spread as well between what was certified and what was appropriated so we still have the AAA Bond rating. So I don’t know how all of that calculation goes into play and those assessments but our position after this year’s balanced budget with respect to the use of free cash won’t be significantly different from last year in terms of spread between certified and and use um, does anybody on the finance committee have additional questions? So anybody in the public have comments on 29?

1:32:58 And he hands on screen since I miss those all the time. Yeah. Great. So I’d like to make a motion to recommend that the sum of 8,330,000 the appropriated from the following sources for the use of the assessors in making the tax rate. Eight million dollars from free cash and 330,000 from Electric Department payments in lieu of tax funds.

1:33:24 local Alex yes. Pat yes Cam. Yes. Tim yes Molly. Yes, Michael Neal. Yes, Eric. Yes, Tara. Michael Ginger, yes. Thank you. article 30 expenses of several departments

1:33:46 this article probably captures 80 to 85% of the work. We do every year on the finance committee. It’s sponsored by Alicia. I believe you want to give a brief overview before I share my kind of Statement I’ve prepared I’m going to invite that you’re just Concentra has done the majority of more work and we appreciate that. Thanks. I appreciate having Alicia on board. It’s been what three four weeks now and that’s been a big help but know a lot of worked on a lot of work done by the department heads in in the rest of the finance team that have been carrying the load on this.

1:34:25 So this committee has gone through working with each of the Departments. You’ve done your liaison meetings. We’ve done the the large me so I don’t want to kind of belabor that what I just want to re-emphasize the the process that we use to get to a article 30 bottom line budget as it’s been stated many times here and in previous nights. The requirement was we need to to deliver a balanced budget. With no override considered we have to do a based on the revenues that we have available. We working on the at least a town side working with the department heads, uh, emphasized Ad nauseam that the requests

1:35:13 are Level Services, meaning the provide the true costs of providing the services that we currently provide to this community and that and I say true cost meaning we needed to calculate on the salary Side based on the Assumption 2% increases calculate those numbers accurately based on working with vendors for goods and services. Especially the big class items to to reflect what as best we can obtain the the true cost for those goods and services. So in some cases they were 20% increases by certain vend. For providing services. So those are all factored in as

1:35:58 the the level services and then you know going back to the conversation earlier about, you know, setting free cash setting and number we weren’t going to base a budget on whatever free cash comes in. We’re just going to plug it in that of of defining a number build that to the bottom line and then build the article 30 budget that balances to that bottom line. And and that’s what we’ve done to get to the reduce to go from the level service to reduce sat down with all the Departments. Generally speaking. The big departments the police fired Public Works. They took 4% cuts on from Level Services down in order to meet the

1:36:44 obligation. We did reductions in some of the benefits line items to balance the budget to get down and then other departments there was some departments that we didn’t cut. I’m going to pick one our engineering it’s two people in office supplies. Basically, it’s an important function that there’s just no way so they were a departments that didn’t see there were other areas that I guess I call it shaving down the biggest cuts. The biggest area was again police and fire and in a position DBW of reductions and funding for vacant positions.

1:37:30 The goal was to get to a balanced budget with the minimal impact on Services. We were not going to build a budget based on stoking people because we’re gonna take away their favorite program or whatever. It may be. It was a realistic if this is all the money we have and we need to get the mission done providing Services. These are the choices that we we’ve made to build this budget and we’ve been able to to get it down. Well when you take out the the dead exclusions, that’s about from when from 10 to 11 million dollars the bottom line. We’re working on a reduces 94 million Hydro 42,000 70 dollars that that

1:38:18 was our our targeted number that we had to get down to we worked with the schools on having a number based on traditional allocation between the school and the town they step. To the plate and they hit that. Reduced bottom line number and the only reason we’re all here proposing a balanced budget is because everybody in the school side Town side throughout the Departments everybody stepped up and got the job done to have a level a balanced budget. to provide services in lieu of any any override passing great. So yeah, that’s helpful. Thank you very much. So like I said 80 to 85% of our work. So

1:39:04 I like to take the opportunity to kind of report our process. I know a lot of you in the audience and online come to our hearings and probably have heard some of this but some some are new tonight that like to join in later in the process. So our current nine-member full finance committee, which is great to see form smaller liaison groups to work with department heads administrators and elected officials to review all Department budgets in a series of posted liaison meetings. Additionally, we held two main budget hearing meetings last Monday in the Monday before to discuss and vote on recommendations of the individual Department budgets that roll up into this article 30 balanced budget as of last Monday, April 3rd, all Department budgets have

1:39:49 been bullied upon Let’s now talk about the overall budget. So the overall Town operating budget the reduced Services budget that balances that faster just went through. For fiscal year 24 which will be presented in the finance committee report in detail. There’s also slides up that will be shared with the numbers on the town website after this meeting and a town meeting is balanced as we indicated in last year’s town meeting in our prior year fincom report the expectation for fiscal year 24 was that a level service town-wide budget would not balance without a general override due to structural challenges related to overall expenses growing at a level that outpaced Revenue increases

1:40:35 limited under proposition two and a half. And here we are tonight to report that last year’s expectation has held true just like the state of the Town had had foreseen when that was presented in January. Each department in Marblehead was asked by the Town Administrator Thatcher to draft a level service budget for fiscal year 24. Based on the budget requested and submitted early in the process the forecasted revenues for fiscal year 24 could not cover all Department level service requests when combined. Accordingly cuts from the level service budget requests totally totaling to approximately two and a half million needed to be identified agreed upon an ultimately made to balance an overall reduced Services budget for the article 30 vote tonight.

1:41:21 It was the task of town leadership specifically Thatcher and his team to meet with and work with Town department heads to come up with agreed upon cuts and certain departments aiming to cut services with the least impact on Town operations, which were necessary in order for an article 30 budget to balance. The two and a half million of cuts will be presented in detail as part of article 31 supplemental appropriation to cover expenses of several departments or the override article in general the cuts made from the level service budget requests, which can also be referred to as the override amount necessary to bring all Town departments back up to level service budgets represent a combination of salary or position cuts and non salary expense Cuts spread across 12 or so departments, the individual Department’s most

1:42:09 significantly impacted include the schools police fire Public Works and the other General government budget. This proposition two and a half General override request this year represents the first request of its kind since I believe 2005-2006 time frame. So like I said last year, where do we go from here? We’re just you know, as a finance committee. We shouldn’t only be reporting to you on you know, the current year budget, but also kind of into the future and thinking about forecasting into the future. From my perspective whether the override to be presented in article 31 passes or not. The structural budget challenge is Marblehead faces will continue to exist moving forward. As a reminder proposition two and a half a law

1:42:56 enacted in 1980 provides that Massachusetts cities and towns cannot increase the total property tax levy by more than two and a half percent over the prior year unless the increases approved by voters. The law does permit additional increases as a result of new growth in real estate property for towns like Marblehead that rely mostly on residential property tax revenue and have limited New Growth. It can be difficult to fully fund recurring expenses. We are excited to see our town leaders actively work to address this Challenge in a number of ways while keeping taxpayers money in mind as well. Just a couple comments about the work done to date in the path forward. This year’s override request is a forward step in addressing the challenge. The challenge has been acknowledged. The challenge has been defined through presentation of level versus reduced service budget scenarios for

1:43:44 this year. The challenge has been approached as a collaborative effort between Town leadership various board commissions committees Etc. Everybody was really part of it like Thatcher said We have a new Administration including a first-year Town Administrator brand new Finance director and Alicia and other new members of the finance team as well based on our work with these individuals this year. It is clear. They are acknowledging The Challenge and working to address it. Further the new Administration is working to implement new Financial systems and tools including cleargov budgeting platform, which will be instrumental in developing a longer-term plan to address the financial forecast challenges in the future. Upgrades to existing accounting and Erp systems will also assist in day-to-day Financial work and planning

1:44:31 in addition to help the town be more and more transparent from a financial profile perspective. Lastly the upcoming year is or so is crucial as a longer-term plan is developed. We’re entering a year where two of three Union contracts negotiations and insurance contract. Negotiations are on the table. The new team and finance tools will be crucial in these negotiations and from my perspective being a member of the finance committee for the last six years. I couldn’t say that. We’re in a better position with the team that’s been built and the steps that have been taken to address these challenges that I foresee continuing to exist for years into the future. So that’s my statement tonight. I’m sure other members may have some comments or questions.

1:45:16 So maybe not Tim I would just like to particularly thank the school department for their cooperation and the hard work and effort that they put into. This this year and working with the town. I second that the school department, you know spoke with Thatcher very early in this process we described and and they from the first liaison meeting as the chair liaison to that committee came to us ready to present to budgets from the get-go. They had three at one point but but two budgets from the start really drove the process for us and and made it a very smooth process challenging process, but smooth, so I second with Simpson Smart just and talking in the schools. I think it may be helpful if you could sort of elaborate on.

1:46:03 Mentioned like a traditional allocation sort of between town and school. Can you just give sort of an overview of how of how that maybe or specifics on how that played out? Yeah, if he recall back on the February 1st date of the Town presentation where I had projected out with the help of John McCain, I will repeat his background work held calculating what our revenues look like for the this fiscal year and and going forward and then taking a You know sort of a rough look at what is the ratio between the school and the town now at the time I I applied a 60/40 ratio of

1:46:49 so what I calculated was. This is how much new money we have to apply to the next fiscal year and then did a 60/40 split basically as my rough number at that time of of that ratio and that’s how we, you know drove to the the bottom line of that on the school side the 855 and in the town what makes that calculation more complex though is the fact that there are other cost factors that school costs that are on the town side, you know the benefits we talked about all the benefits are calculated on the town site. So again, it was a rough calculation of how that shakes out. And you know, I know Alec has been doing work to better refine

1:47:37 what those numbers look like than what I had available on February 1st, but that was how I came to the initial cut. I think the the gold going forward is to determine some kind of ratio that truly represents the the balance between school and town services and and going forward calculate revenues calculate that you know what that ratio is and that gives us our bottom line that we have available to shoot for. I think it’s a more discipline process going forward to to drive the budget decision-making process. That’s what we need.

1:48:20 Yeah, and just to reiterate you know, we’re gonna be on to article 31 after we vote 30 where there’ll be a very detailed presentation of all this but I did feel like it was it was useful to discuss kind of the two articles and how they interact with one another since it was such a driver of how we got to article 30 this year with the cuts additional comments or questions from the finance committee on 30.

1:48:46 public comment on article 30

1:48:52 and I just remembered that before we vote the total. There’s been some pretty small adjustments over the last week from the individual departments that we’ve voted. I think all three of these Were last Monday and there’s just been some. Slight adjustments so I’ll start with the health department last Monday. We voted 303,879 as their total budget. It’s now 313,091 dollars. My understanding is this late adjustment was due to an adjustment for the mental health counseling approximately $10,000 difference little under 10,000. Is that fair Andrew? So I like to make a motion to approve the health requested budget the revised amount

1:49:39 of $313,091.

1:49:47 Yes Cam. Yes. Tim yes Molly. Yes. Michael Neal yes, Eric. Yes, Tara and Michael. Jenko Action passes libraries next this one was just I believe maybe a typo or an error in the final number voted. We voted 1,318,290. The new number is 1,323,456 just over 5,000 if I’m looking at that math, correct, and like I said, it was just a miss a mistyping of a number. Like to make a motion to approve the new amount for the library total request of 1,323,456.

1:50:34 Yes. Pat ham. Yes, Jim. Yes, Molly. Yes, Michael Neal. Yes, Eric. Yes, Tara. Yes, Michael James. Yes, and then the fire department was the third with a late change. I believe this week maybe something that was just forgotten to be included the original budget last week. We voted was five million 198241. The new budget is five million, 2003,241 and exact difference of $5,000 related to fire academy bonuses that were previously omitted.

1:51:11 Like to make a motion to recommend five fire department fiscal year 24 budget request of revised amount five million to 2003,241 Dollars exactly.

1:51:24 One more roll call Alicia. Okay. We’ll call Alec. Yes Pat. Yes Cam. Yes, Tim. Yes, Holly. Yes, Michael Neal. Yes, Eric. Yes, Tara. Yes and Michael. Jenko. Yes, I think we took public comments already and there wasn’t any. So the motion for article 30 the balanced budget, I’d like to make a motion to recommend that the sum of 112 million 524,622 be appropriated from available funds of 12 million 127,880 in taxation and other Revenue sources of 100 million 396,742, which will be summarized in full in our annually annual finance committee report.

1:52:12 second Well call vote Alec. Yes Pat. Yes Cam. Yes Kim. Yes, Molly. Yes, Michael Neal. Yes, Eric. Yes, Tara. Yes and Michael Django. Yes motion. Thank you article 31 supplemental appropriation and expenses of several departments. I think Thatcher will speak to this as well and we have a few things to share on screen I believe.

1:52:45 so again process to determine a number for for override number doing the budget process was requesting a level Services budget and then reducing from the level Services down to hit the revenue Mark of the available funds. And again scrubbing those numbers with each of the Departments going through through each each item and going through all the benefits and the it’s almost like 1,000 line items on the town side. As a result of that. when we made Cuts to get to the reduced number. We had

1:53:32 a column that just calculated the difference between the level Services request and what the reduced request was. So we’ve itemized every line item. They had a reduction and at the bottom of that column. comes to the to the amount of two million 472,056 which is the number of the select board voted at the beginning of this meeting as an override number that represents the difference between a reduced budget that would be approved as article 30 and what we’ve determined as a level services to maintain the current level of services here in Marblehead. Great, and I believe my computer

1:54:18 has now died, but that’s okay the the chart on screens that maybe yeah, I’ll get it bigger. The next slide actually, oh sure. Oh, we don’t have that one. Okay, so what we’ve You have it. Yeah. All right. So what I’ve done on this slide working with Alicia to present the number that Thatcher just stated in total and the allocation of these Cuts or the override amount to bring these departments back up to level service by department and then split between expenses and salaries or positions. I’ve done a subtotal of town override and school override. I like to always think we’re all in

1:55:04 this together, but people always seem to be asking questions about this. So I thought it would be useful analytical data from the town side as you can see the total Town override for expenses is 862,207 and salaries is 475,332 Thatcher, if you want to come back up and maybe we can I can run through my interpretation of the major items here. But you know, as you are the one to develop it’d be helpful if you could clarify some things and I can’t see those numbers. So I’ll give you the numbers so from the Downside wages police had significant Cuts we went through them last week. I think it’s two positions in total. Thank God yours didn’t try to 177,223. So

1:55:49 and also when when the positions were were reduced again, they were vacant positions, but there is also other line items relative to training equipment and and those stipends there are other Associated costs to each individual officer. So those were all so reduced at the same time, of course bonding to the yeah. So each each position has a salary and then a number of other cost items. Right and police being one of the larger departments on the town side. Yes, unfortunately has to sustain Some Cuts in this balanced budget. Fire has also I believe three positions cut 216,480 dollars

1:56:35 another material salary cut on the town side Public Works. 63,282. Not as material, but still pretty large number. That’s one position. I believe on the salaries, right? It’s it’s one heavy equipment operator position. Yeah, and then building inspection was one on the expense side that jumped out at me and I believe that was some some consultant costs that have been used to historically that may not be room to fit into this year’s budget without an overnight. Right in in the past. The numbers are more up in the salary in the passes is people change. So we yep. Opted down and then not to Discount the cuts from health and waste and library and select board mostly

1:57:22 on the select on the expense side the the list of items on screen but none of them were, you know, significant enough to really highlight tonight, but if anybody has questions on the committee or in the public when we get to public comments, that’s your can certainly help address those. I did want to cover the general fund other the 695,000. I believe 250,000 like we discussed as part of 29 is not funding the stabilization account in an override scenario that we would be funding stabilization account at 250. I think there’s a hundred and five thousand or so related to the energy Reserve you want to kind of speak to that. Yeah. So on the Indian so several the Departments that maintain facilities have line

1:58:08 items for energy costs electric gas and so forth and then there’s also an ending energy Reserve account. So as Energy prices being volatile that when a department exceeds the amount that’s in the appropriation. It goes to reserve account in order to fund the creating and funding a sustainability coordinator position.

1:58:37 What we’ve done is we’ve calculated the overall energy cost increase which again the schools schools did a bunch of crunching of the numbers and asked me about 35% I went a little more conservative of a 30% cost in our energy costs applied that to the energy Reserve number and then reduce that number by 105,000 to cover the salary and benefits of a sustainability coordinator and much like I mentioned by HR Direct or managing the benefits funds the sustainability coordinator. Their main function is helping us manage the energy accounts. And so it made sense

1:59:24 to reduce that line item to cover the cost in the other area. Thanks. And so that’s of that 694 that’s covering. 355,000 or so. So there’s you know, another three three fifty approximately 3:45 350 related to health insurance where I get comfortable with this number is as we can see and we’ll get to the schools next but as we can see on both the town side and school side, there’s some pretty significant cuts and positions right if positions come out of a an override budget 30 plus 31, obviously when you’re doing your your conservative estimate into your health insurance costs, the plug-in

2:00:10 the data point that goes into that estimate would come down to me. I’m comfortable with that 350,000 number as a percentage of you know, one point six million or so of cuts is probably pretty conservative still on a very volatile line item. So to me that’s where we got comfortable as a finance committee. We talked about this last week the schools now like that. You’re set, I think The way it was done was they were given an 855,000 increase that the town could support above last year that resulted when they put together their level Services request in a cut of 1.1 million dollars most of which in speaking with Sarah and the school school department was necessary to come out

2:00:57 of you know positions like the town some of those positions were not currently filled some some were I think about a third of them are currently filled. I don’t want to speak in the school’s behalf. So I’ll obviously let others others weigh in as we get to public comment, but that’s my interpretation is that the schools they got together and made the decision that you know, there wasn’t really much on the expense side for them to cut and unfortunately, we’re in the situation where we can’t balance without cuts so they came up with this strategy. I guess does anybody have questions about the chart? I did add just some stats that I think will be helpful for people to understand. I ran some analytics on the overall budget that I’m willing to share after the meeting as well. But if anybody has

2:01:43 questions on the actual override and how it’s developed, I think we’ve covered it pretty well over the last two articles, but anybody on the finance committee of questions Molly yes that’s sort of a logistical question but thatcher so when if if the override is passed then the numbers that we’re seeing on here will essentially just flow into be a new budget for each of the Departments. So there won’t be any movement within that is that how you’re thinking that? Yes, but legally on an override, you know, whatever that number is set at and that’s passed. That’s just an appropriate. That’s just a revenue Source, but what we’re proposing is that’s how we would flow those funds back into the budget is

2:02:30 by the the items are identified as the Delta between those two columns. Yes. Yeah, I think we we looked at that last year and we did make the comment that our expectation is that if 31 was to pass that you know, this is how it would be allocated. Yeah, and on a department by Department basis, we’ve done this across the board. They’ve all presented A reduced services in a level services in that we’re respecting the work that was been done. Yeah, very detailed line by line. Like Thatcher said to columns schools had a great presentation downside at great presentation as well. Again, I don’t want to bore you with numbers, but I think context is always helpful. Even before we get to what

2:03:16 the override is just kind of what the budget represents how it’s allocated amongst departments in both a level Services request and reduce services. So what I did was when when I when I summarized the total budget I thought it would be useful to compare again. We’re all one town but people like to separate because the school department is such a large department and all other Town side when I look at the comparison though to our overall budget that we just voted in article 30 on the town side. You really should be pulling out the Enterprise funds. There’s no impact on the tax rate of those as well as The Debt Service which are funded through that exclusion overrides and years past. It doesn’t impact override type cuts and things like that.

2:04:01 So in comparing the total Town budget for fiscal year 23 without the Enterprise funds and Debt Service versus the schools. I was actually shocked to see it was about 50/50 within within $10,000 that being said as Thatcher has alluded if we look at what’s in the town side, there’s significant indirect costs insurance benefits things of that nature which impact all the town departments on the town side as well as the schools. So before any reallocation, it’s about 50/50. My guess is if the schools were to be allocated their portion of insurance and benefits. It’s probably more towards the 58% to 62% school called 60/40 schools in town. I think that’s your might have used

2:04:49 the same in his analysis. So using these budget categories again townside, no Enterprise funds and no Debt Service in the reduced article 30 budget. The school department has an increase of approximately 1.94% over fiscal year 23 the town side in total has an increase over one 1.28% Then I looked at it and said, okay, what about the level Services request? So 30 plus 31 if 31 passes schools are increasing at 4.52% over fiscal year 23 Towns at 4.32 percent over fiscal year 23. The override request as you can see on screen or Cuts made from a level service budget as a percentage of the total

2:05:35 override request is 55% town and 45% schools. But like I said a couple points ago, if you were allocate some of the cuts on that general fund other back to the schools. It’s probably closer to 50/50. Some of those Town side cuts are actually attributable to school cuts. Lastly the cuts are override as a percentage of level service budget requests for the town side versus the school side 2.47% cut out of level service request for schools and 2.91% for the town. But again likely closer to equal when you allocate the reallocates the indirect costs if we were ever to do that by Department So what does this all mean to me? It appears from a numbers perspective. No, no emotions

2:06:22 involved that the cuts in the override request is a fairly even split between town and schools. We’ve received some questions over the last few weeks about that this aligns with the split of the overall budget being close to 50/50 before the indirect costs allocation. So again, I’m sorry to you know be long-winded with that but those are those are the numbers in analytics that are presented to the finance committee. And that’s our job to report back to town taxpayers. Does anybody have additional questions on the finance committee?

2:06:56 How about public comment?

2:07:01 Nothing shock make the motion. Yeah, maybe I took maybe I spoke too long. All right, so this one So, oh, yeah, so I’d like to make the motion to appropriate.

2:07:21 Oh, you need the number two million two million 472,056 to be funded for a proposition two and a half over at second. We’ll call both Alec. Yes, Pat. Yes Cam. Yes, Tim. Yes, Molly. Yes, Michael Neal. Yes, Eric. Yes, Tara. Yes and Michael Jenga. Yes. Thank you.

2:07:52 Article 32 supplemental appropriation and expenses for schools sponsored by the school committee. I believe at the moment. This is indefinitely postponed Sarah. Yes.

2:08:04 Okay, thank you. So accordingly. I’d like to make or I guess public comment on this if there is any probably not. I like to make a motion to recommend indefinite postponement at this time of article 32 second. Oh Alec. Yes, Pat. Yes Kim. Yes. Tim yes Molly. Yes, Michael Neal. Yes, Eric. Yes, Tara. Yes and Michael Jackson. Yes. Thank you. article 33 Retirement Board increase space amount

2:08:43 Bob Peck from the Retirement Board good evening. This article is sponsored by the Retirement Board. Every year I come to town meeting and I just announced that we’re having a cost of living adjustment hearing on a particular date usually in June. by Statute retirement boards are authorized to increase up to 3% cost of living every year but it’s not on the entire pension that retirees receive rather. It’s on what they call is the base and the base that Marblehead has used since 1998 is 12,000 dollars. That means that any cost of living increase that we approve.

2:09:30 Only goes to the first twelve thousand dollars of a town retirees pension. The average pension right now in Marblehead is about 29,000. So on the average people are getting not even close to half on an increase by way of just a comparison for people who don’t receive a town pension, but receive Social Security if Social Security grants a cost of living increase this past year. They did a very large cost of living. It’s on the entire amount that you receive. It’s not on a base. now over the years

2:10:17 municipalities have been increasing their base out of a recognition that it’s not a lot of money three percent on twelve thousand dollars is $360 a year. It’s 30 bucks $30. For our town retirees no matter what they get. That’s the that’s the maximum. We do have people that receive less than 12,000 didn’t work long for the town. whatever

2:10:46 The maximum is there is a municipality. There’s a system that has 2020,000 as a base, but it’s been our understanding that 18,000 is the maximum. We’re one of nine out of a hundred and some odd municipalities that are still at $12,000. We did an analysis. We got all the data from the state in terms of what other cities and towns are using as a base and we found that what seemed to be the number of being used by comparable communities throughout the Commonwealth is 14 14,000 not 12,000 and on the

2:11:33 slide that was created and I think somebody and I’m going to be the one has to compliment everybody who did these slides because they’re extremely helpful. I know that you can’t really see them right now, but they are very again. Thank you. Well, Alicia you’ve done a heck of a job. And Alicia is also the ex-officio member of our Retirement Board. So we are thrilled. To have her on board. So in as is pointed out on the slide right now. there are

2:12:09 I guess we’ll go from the top. There’s one system at 20,000. There are 11 systems that have a base of 18,000. There are six systems at 17,000 16 systems at 16,000.

2:12:25 There are 13 systems with a $15,000 base 29 systems at 14. There are 17 systems of 13 and there are the nine systems including Marblehead at 12. So we felt under all the facts and circumstances that certainly the time had come I mean again, we haven’t we haven’t touched this base in 25 years. And we all know inflations been going up every year. the value of the dollar today compared to 1998 is extremely different And of course this year, we also got the entire country is suffering from huge inflation, which hopefully in time will abate. This doesn’t change the fact that three percent Remains

2:13:13 the max that cost of living on whatever base the town chooses to use.

2:13:21 But for all those facts we felt that it’s appropriate going forward to do this. Now. We as a Retirement Board every two years. We have an Actuarial study performed to determine what’s called our Funding schedule because right now all municipalities are required to be fully funded in their Retirement Systems by the year 2040 under our current funding schedule, which we did two years ago. We would be fully funded in 2036. as of the last state proclamation in terms of Where we stand? In our funding as of sometime last year, we

2:14:07 were at about 71% funded which is a lot better than many municipalities and systems in the Commonwealth.

2:14:17 This will have a financial implication going forward, but it will have no Financial implication this year.

2:14:24 The difference if in fact this goes into play. Instead of a 3% increase maximum on 12,000 if it went to 14,000. It’s another $60 per retiree. It’s about 17,000 and we have the funds to take care of that. It’s not going into your budget. It’s not changing any of the assumptions that you folks are bringing to town meeting in May. Now if if Marblehead were flush if we had money to burn. We’d throw an extra 175,000 into this year’s budget because it does Compound on itself every year, but that’s why we do funding schedules every two years and we change our assumptions and we have a professional actuary from pirac

2:15:11 which oversees the Retirement Systems that manage our funds. So that will be done in early 2024 and will be coming up with a new funding schedule. We have the flexibility because we are currently on Pace to be fully funded in 2030 seven. We have the flexibility to move things around a bit and perhaps change our funding out. As an aside. Right. Now the funding deadline is 2040. I’ve been on the Retirement Board now for us over 15 years probably longer and during my years on the Retirement Board. I’ve watched the legislature periodically change.

2:15:57 the deadline because we’re in better shape than many municipalities and there are cities and towns out there. No way. Are they going to be fully funded in 2040 at the present time? So I think based on past legislative history. It’s not unreasonable to expect that that funding deadline will be changed sometime down the road, but we work on the assumption that it’s never going to change and we’re going to be fully funded by the time 2040 rolls around. So and we have two former fincom chairs on the Retirement Board myself and Charles Gessner and you know, so we’ve sat in your chair. We know what this is all about. We take this responsibly the whole

2:16:43 the whole board does and we feel the time has come to make this really modest change and we voted unanimously to put this article before town meeting and we ask for your support.

2:17:01 Thank you, very helpful. I did spend some time. I spoke with Bob. I also spoke with Alicia who’s been in contact with the actuary Who does these calculations? So just to kind of summarize to make sure we understand you generally vote a cola adjustment every year based on a base, which is now 12,000 that requested to move to 14,000. There’d be no impact on the current year budget that we just voted article 30. The next time that that calculation will be done will be in the upcoming year. Is that fair? Yes, we’ll be doing a new funding schedule in next year 2024 and presumably go ahead and and that is that’s

2:17:47 established effective July 1st that no that good it’s prospective. So it’ll if we do the new funding scheduling 2024. It would be fiscal year 25, it’s not it’s not the coming fiscal year. Okay, so it’s it’s safe to say that. if you did the forecast for you know the fiscal year 25 6 7 budget and what we’d have to fund as part of that line item right now without this change it would be different from if we did it with this change, right and it certainly possible again because we have this Built-in wiggle room. So to speak of two to three years to get to 2040. It’s possible and I I don’t want to say with certainty but with a new funding schedule, it might actually not change the dollar funding schedule that we’re on

2:18:35 right now. It would just stretch it out longer, right and and I think where I’m at with this is one it’s great that it’s not impacting the current fiscal year. It sounds like if this were to pass that there’s options as to how we address the impact on the budget in a challenging budget that we we’ve been talking about all night, right moving forward. I think I acknowledge in speaking with Alicia that it would not necessarily be the best decision to go out the max to 2040 if that was to because that may have an impact on bond rating and things like that. Is that fair? I like how you said maybe possibly looking at 2038 but not pushing it all the way through to the right. Yeah, so I guess from my perspective. I would I would hope that if we’re get to a point as a board

2:19:22 tonight to support this that the Retirement Board working with the town would keep in mind like you said the most minimal impact as possible without you know. limiting our Triple-A Bond rating into absolutely and and that’s why it’s so invaluable that our finance director is always A ex-officio member of the Retirement Board and we always rely. Heavily on the advice and recommendations because we’re sensitive not only to our retirees but also to the town budget and where those last thing before Tim were those numbers that you have at the bottom there and the fine print similar to what Bob I

2:20:08 think there was even more municipalities summarized in your status actually. No, they matches. Oh, they’re actually so there’s 102 so we’re literally And this is the number the communities that is a parak. So they’re ninety ninety percent of the municipality the systems in Massachusetts are above our base. We’re at the Bare Bones. We are of any municipality that participates in these. We’re at the lowest base. Alright timing this passes with the rollout. Is this something that will be communicated through the board of retirement through the new HR Director to our current employees and our pensioners. As a measure that we care we’re looking out for you. Yes. Okay, so that will be we always we we always stay in close communication with all

2:20:56 of our members both active retirees and current employees. Okay. So in this slide summary, there are two there’s an indication of two options to Do the to increase the unfunded pension liability going forward which of the two is the retirement. Well, it’s going to be with a new funding schedule. If I’m not married to there’s only two options. I think there’s a 2A, which is the by doing the new funding schedule. It may extend out. Or we might again, we work on different assumptions. They’re mortality rates that

2:21:43 change. This is where the actuaries come into play in every two right every two years. Yeah. And so I think it’s likely that we will wind up extending and and certainly just speaking for myself. I agree with our finance director that it’s prudent not to extend out to the absolute last possible time. Okay, so because what I read the Actuarial response from the parak, you know the gentleman I too spoke with him and you know, he’s he’s very conservative and as he should be but as we we chatted he acknowledged that what There are multiple options and the

2:22:29 the funding schedule is throughout the 175,000 in you know current year. He’d love to see the town do that. But he realizes that’s not and I take it fast this year. That would be if if we needed to do. Revalue this year which we don’t and that would be if we kept the current pay schedule in a conservative estimate. Was that the interpretation? Well, he would be working off our current funding schedule no change the funding schedule and and throw that in to keep things going consistently. But but again everything’s going to change so this so this would be reflected in this standard assessment from parak. Yeah in years going forward through 20 38,

2:23:15 potentially, we still be to be determined which one so though those increases are going to happen, but they’re going to be relatively minor. It’ll be incremental over eight. Okay incremental, whatever you want to call over the Um each year going forward. It’s it’s certainly easier to take than 175,000 in there’s flexibility. You don’t have to take the 17, right? Yeah. Okay. All right that helps because that was pretty concerning being on the sure retirement liaison subcommunity. I I have to admit I was unsure about this one when I first kind of looked at the slides but in looking at the stats and knowing inflation where it is.

2:24:01 Looking at how where the bottom of you know, and there’s flexibility. We’re not extending to the fiscal year 40 there might be some room to minimize the impact our expectations. Is that the board and the department? I think I can get behind this. I don’t know if other other department or other members of the committee. have thoughts

2:24:23 Thank you. I’m more comfortable as well. Okay, public comments on article 30 34 33 33. Yeah. Yeah.

2:24:37 Anybody online?

2:24:42 I’d like to make a motion to recommend adoption of article 33 to adjust the base amounts from 12,000 to 4,000 as of 14,000 as of July 1st 2023. so I can Wilco Alec. Yes Pat. Yes Cam. Yes, Jim. Yes, Molly. Yes, Michael Neil. Yes, Eric. Yes, Tara. Yes and Michael Jenga. Yes. Thank you.

2:25:12 administrative benefit amendments faster

2:25:19 so article 34 administrative benefit Amendment, so looking at this affects the benefit. Benefits offered to the non-union employees for the please fire and Municipal Employees their benefits of defined within the collective bargain agreements the nine unions defined by town meeting. The current chart of benefits looking at it have dates the last updates dates of like late 1990s and 2001. I don’t know if there’s might have been something changed more current than that, but they’re pretty well dated benefits and given the current Workforce challenges for non-union folks.

2:26:09 Can get better off as elsewhere. So there was a look at all the benefits for the non-union and trying to do something to adjust given the financial challenges. We couldn’t fix we can’t fix everything. So however looking at the benefits is one aspect that kind of stood out that employees currently get. a sick time bonus if they are do not call out sick. I don’t know. That is it there’s zero one. I think they’re allow one up to three days. But basically the the whole idea is in this covid post-covid world that we’re going to incentivize people to show up to work sick so they

2:26:56 can get a bonus and with that that needs to change so So the idea The Proposal is is to repeal the sick time bonus. $500 and roll it into the longevity. Bonus that employees get when they hit certain longevity numbers and that and and part of the process to bring the non-union longevity into some Equity with what the unions get. The cost is about 18,000 and change to do this.

2:27:33 We think just from a policy sense of keeping our employees healthy, but adding to the longevity is as a retention program in the workforces is that is what we can do this year and definitely want to look at more comprehensively the benefits package that we offer to non-union employees as we go forward. Is that 18,000 reflected already in 30? Yes. Yeah, so that’s the net impact, right? That’s an impact. So it’s whole time budget it. Yes. Did you have a question? Did you have a question the longevity bonus? Could you just explain what that is? Is it a one-time bonus or does it add to your base? It’s hit a mile. Yeah, it’s each. Yeah, I don’t have the numbers you might have about

2:28:20 what they have. Five years. So after five years I get a would get under this proposal a thousand. and 10 year mark

2:28:33 Oh, there it is. Yeah, it’s it’s my question. Yeah, I actually have the table. So you base though. Okay. Yeah, it’s a it’s one time at that. Yeah, one payment a year once you hit that longevity right? Thank you.

2:28:51 They get once every year.

2:28:56 and the other fin con questions

2:29:00 Any public comments on 34?

2:29:07 I’d like to make a motion to recommend adoption of article 34 second. We’ll call Vote Alex. Yes, Pat. Yes. Ham. Yes Tim. Yes, Molly. Yes, Michael Neil. Yes, Eric. Yes, Tara and Michael Yes motion passes.

2:29:31 article 35 Thatcher again

2:29:38 So currently under the bylaws any new employee that we hire has to get a physical examination no matter the position they hold in the current

2:29:51 Marketplace where everybody has to have insurance and so forth what we proposing in this by law is rather than every employee. So even it’s seasonal employees and such they have to get a physical examination and then we get build we the town get build to pay for each of these exams. We want to rather than everyone every new hire being required that it be specified positions that primarily are physical in nature have you know, components of the of the positions that we would want to have a physical exam at hiring to determine that they’re capable of meeting the the requirements of the particular position. So

2:30:37 we’ve listed those positions on there also put the the caveat on there.

2:30:46 That the Human Resources Director if there is one or the Town Administrator that if there are new positions created or some requirement added to an existent position, we can add that to the list so that we’re we’re adequately covered. It’ll be a cost savings. I can’t quantify. I mean it each one’s not expensive but it just accumulates with every higher especially, you know, Parks and Rec and those Folks at hire a lot of seasonal summer employees. I’ll have to get it physicals and it’ll save us a few dollars. So we’re paying for the physicals currently. Yes. This isn’t something. Okay. When I first read this I thought it was saying that

2:31:31 we were gonna require prior to

2:31:37 bringing someone on board that that individual would have to pay for that physical now, so there’s no chase. So we we will still pay the town will still pay for our physical. So right now the requirement is all new hires get a physical we want to limit to only people being hired into specific positions that we think are worthy of getting a physical we will still be we will still cover that but it reduces the number of people who need physicals. Okay as opposed to blanket everybody, right?

2:32:09 That’s your I did. I hear you say that you cannot quantify the savings that adoption of this article would be it’s we could we just haven’t I mean it’s based on. You know how many summer summer hires how many turnover or employees are on the course here? We just haven’t crashed and I think it’s about ninety dollars per person. Yeah, it’s just our systems to get the data. It’s it’s very it’s not very easy. So you saw in the end and I was able to do the cost but I was still working on the cost of the other two and they’re not large just trying to extract data. That’s the difficult part. So we’re not going to solve our budget problem on this particular item, but it’s it’s we are literally combing every item and

2:32:54 you know big or small if if we can make it more cost effective. That’s what we’re gonna do. Thank you. you additional finance committee comments or questions

2:33:08 public comments on 35

2:33:13 like to make a motion to recommend adoption of article 35, so we’ll call. Yes, Pat. Yes Cam. Yes, Tim. Yes, Molly. Yes, Michael Neal. Yes, Eric. Yes, Tara and Michael. Jenko Yes motion passes.

2:33:36 Article 36 amend General bylaws allow the use of electronic counting devices.

2:33:44 So this this item it for this current year. It’s an authorization for next year’s town meeting to be allowed to use electronic counting devices in town meeting. So just under the bylaws and bylaws need to be amended to allow this additional means of of counting votes. It doesn’t eliminate any of the existing means it adds electronic counting. And so what a lot of other towns are doing through town meeting they either rent or purchase equipment where everybody who’s participating tell me when an item comes up for a vote. You click your buttons. Yes, no or abstain or whatever. The options are provided and it instantly

2:34:31 tabulates the results records it it makes for a much more efficient town meeting process. So there is a cost implication not this year, but for the town well town meeting in the cost of renting a purchasing the rental based on surveys that were done with some other communities depending what system you use somewhere between 10 and $20,000. So it’s not an onerous cost. But this it’ll be Savings in time for all the participants in town meeting to more effectively go through the process of voting mental health savings. There you go. Are there would there be just thinking finances? Would there be a reduction in cost due to less?

2:35:17 I don’t know if those volunteers jacket town meeting that are counting the votes now. Or they being paid their ball. They’re just font. So there’d be notes savings. Okay? And you’re still gonna use the same existing sequence of events. That’s the way it’s it’s the bylaw is changing to add it as option three, basically, right right just still have but but it’s up to the moderator to make the determination. You can go right to option C if you want, okay, so it doesn’t eliminate any of the existing options. It just adds it kind of clickers as an additional option for the time water and the moderator can choose that controls that yep. Okay good.

2:36:04 If the sauce goes through and I think it’s a great idea. I love it quite. I would need to reflect as the Tom clerks by general election registration that cost for next year down. Meeting so that would be this year’s, you know budgets that were voting on. for my next year’s budget would have to be reflect that.

2:36:28 Well, so yeah, you would add it to your fiscal 25. No. So I we did we adjusted I there was an adjustment to add some costs to cover town meeting. So we will. within within the the clucks either I forget the clerk’s budget or there’s yeah one of those budgets we Will be funds should we do this to cover cover those costs? That’s for fiscal 20. No. No, it sounds like we’re gonna find ways to do it without adjusting. Yeah. Oh because it is it’s right. It’s still in 24. Yeah, so we added some technical found me. Yes in physical 24. Yeah. We had some Financial the technical. I forget the exact line item to allow for some more technology for town meeting.

2:37:16 So okay. There’s a subtlety I didn’t catch when we you know through the Yeah, okay. Thanks. Any other finance committee comments or questions on 30 or 36? Yes. Question, I’m sorry. Yes, it’s 36 any public comments on 36?

2:37:38 I just I just want to make sure that I was clear conversation. So if this were to pass there is an existing budget line item. In the article third because we just all approved. Yeah that could cover this cost and somehow be transferred to the clerk in order to be able to implement this. Yeah. So we what we added the there’s a combination things the the electronics for the clickers and then there’s the audio visual requirements. So Plus up the the line item that covers those costs now. Whether it costs the total of all of both don’t know but during the course, you will estimate. Yeah,

2:38:26 it’s a reasonable estimate and we’ll we’ll gather the funds to make it happen. And again, it’s based on WE collected a survey you look assisted of other towns, and there’s a range of what they paid for the service. So so whether we have every dollar Covenant, I can’t say that but we’ve we’ve added up so that we can reasonably cover the costs and if we have to supplement from somewhere else we will

2:38:59 Thanks. Yeah, I didn’t see any public comments. So I’d like to make a motion to recommend adoption of article through 36 to be funded from already voted upon funds.

2:39:16 Yes. Yes. Yes.

2:39:23 Like O’Neill. Yes, Eric. Yes, Tara. Yes, and Michael Jenkins. Yes motion passes. Thank you article 37 Robin.

2:39:39 So article 37 is to exit have it be a holiday in our office just for filing purposes only with the recent passage of the vote act now that it’s been moved up by Tuesday election. We’re here on Saturday for voter registration. So it would make it so it’s day before only a Class A Town elections. So I don’t even remember the last one and someone came in to register to vote from six to eight letting a whole day from eight nine to five on a Saturday that we would have to be open. There’s also so many options right now. You can register online in person. Through the mail you can. When you go to the red share Motor Vehicles, it automatically registers everyone to vote. It also changed

2:40:25 your address. So at this point we still that just gives us an option not to be open we can still be open it just means that. We can opt out if we know that you know, no one’s going to you know, we have it. It would be the business day before so it would be Friday and then for nomination papers and petitions it would fall the next business day. So it would be Monday. So that’s the only difference and if it’s going to be a really busy election. And we would be open.

2:40:59 Eric if this article 37 is adopted. Would the clerks who are Staffing in the office get overtime pay they do get overtime pay if they’re there on Saturday not on obviously. Yes they do. So that would be no change to their correct sensation, correct and up almost around a hundred communities have already accepted it and if they haven’t accepted they’re putting it forward to accept it. Thank you. Doesn’t this eliminate the option of having Rich? No, it’s no it gives you the option. You can always have it you gives you the option not to have it and so you’re asking to have the option not to correct in this, correct? So

2:41:46 Potentially it’s a savings because there wouldn’t be right. You wouldn’t have the we wouldn’t be paying a custodian to open the building a custodian to be here staff to be here. Yeah, and that we also is for nomination papers and petitions. It because it got moved out. It used to be 20 days before an election now, it’s 10 days. So you figure a Tuesday election. It’s going to be that Saturday.

2:42:16 What do we think? I’m comfortable doing no recommendation, or do we think there’s financial implications of everything? Well, there’s not I don’t think it would be very big so it would be negative. It’s a negative financially. Okay, we don’t accept it though. Then there is a financial. Do you know I mean there is a financial. All right, I’ll make emotional actually public comments.

2:42:49 Hear something. Yeah, I can hear something to you. Whoever has their own making sounds or is expressed that Republicans in the legislation with seek to expel here. So I’ll make a motion to just gone now.

2:43:10 Christmas hey, Nancy, is it are you is that you talking Nancy Powell? We couldn’t hear you very well could.

2:43:21 Or were you was that public comment for the meeting?

2:43:28 I think she’s gone. I think she had accidentally had a TV on it’s what it sounded like, but I think she’s left. Okay, thank you. Yeah, so I’m gonna make a motion to adopt article 37. Let’s make a recommendation to a doctor so

2:43:44 I think that’s good. Alec yes Pat. Yes. Yes Cam. Yes Tim. Yes, Molly. Yes, Michael Neal. Yes, Eric. Yes, Tara. Yes, Michael Jenga. Yes. Yes.

2:44:04 Did Robin oh there she is. I didn’t see over there. So this is to amend the date of the Town election. When we move the date of the Town election to June. We didn’t have Juneteenth now, we have Juneteenth so the holiday either Falls the day before the day of or the day after. So moving it back one week. We still meet the requirement for what we need to do to add on ballot questions or overrides and it also doesn’t end up that we’re setting up on the holiday or not coming in the day after because of the holidays the day after the election. We’re not going to be here or if it’s day of the select would have to move that election date. And to add it’s been following right on the last day of school and

2:44:52 that’s still allows fishing time for Bill question. Correct? It’s 35 days with a date this the select one vote to have that election. Not Tower meeting. So usually what happens is they have we voted our meeting. The approve it the select and come back. They hold the election. It has to be no sooner than 35 days from that vote. Okay. I don’t see any financial implications of this one. No any public comments on article 30?

2:45:25 No Motion in the finance committee. Thank you article 39. Zoning amendments very long.

2:45:37 So there’s no Financial implication on this but just so people know the planning boards required to hold a public hearing on all zoning articles that public hearing is tomorrow night at 7:30 if anyone’s interested on this article, which is the only zoning article this year.

2:45:58 Any finance committee questions, there’s no financial implications of this one sounds like there’s gonna be a good meeting tomorrow night where this is presented in detail. I think in concept this very good idea and a good direction for our town to be going and great. Thanks, Tim. Any public comments on 39?

2:46:18 No recommendation from finance committee on 39. article 40 believe is not being brought forward. Is that right Thatcher? That’s correct. Okay, so accordingly, I’d like to make a motion to recommend indefinite postponement of article 40 since it’s no longer being requested. So local Alec. Yes Pat. Yes ham. Yes, and yes, Molly. Yes, Michael Neal. Yes, Eric. Yes, Tara. Yes, Michael Jenkins motion passes. article 41 don’t believe has financial implications sponsored by

2:47:03 the select board Department of Public Works. That’s your step out. Alicia or somebody? Do you want to speak to this one?

2:47:19 It’s just adding a department to the tree Department. Yeah setting the trees too high. It’s Karen bertolino. Oh, hi Karen. How are you? Good. How are you? Good. Did you want me to Speak to this since not yet because we’re we’re on yeah, 41 41. Oh, I’m sorry. I’m looking at the screen This is 43. Yeah, there is no there’s no financial implications to either 41 or 42. So this year you’re right. It’s 43, but we’re not there yet. Sorry about that. That’s okay. Thanks.

2:47:58 So I went on 42 or 41 41. Okay, so 41 Department of Public Works. So Department shall be compromise of the highway department. Surface drain construction department and the tree department. So it’s just adding the tree Department. Okay, no Finance. No financial implications. Is there any public comments on 41?

2:48:22 No recommendation. Oh somebody raised their hand. Okay. Go ahead Amy. Hi, so this is just to continue on with the consolidation the DPW and it really just clarifies through the bylaw what departments are under the title of Department of Public Works. Okay, that’s helpful. Thank you so much. Like I said, no finance committee recommendation on 41. Article 42 is public shade trees. protection also not financial implications Thatcher Or your representative. Yeah, which 42

2:49:10 So it says the town May plant trees within 20. Thank you. You guys move fast while I figure trying to speed it up. So. the idea is this could be a lot of sidewalk to be done. Thanks to the the bond authorization last year the 24 million. That hit the streets on but as a part of that there are trees in the sidewalks. They’re gonna need to be taken out to improve the sidewalk. So to expand the options for maintaining as much as a tree canopy and restoring as much as possible. This would authorize the town to place public trees. That would be careful by town on private property. Up to 20 feet from the sidewalks.

2:49:58 With permission of the landowner so they would be an agreement in place. The property owner would have to agree to it and then trees would be eligibly planted in those locations. That gives the our tree service many more options to to replace the tree canopy as we as we go through the sidewalk improvements. Thanks. I don’t first. I don’t see financial implications of this so. Unless there’s public comment. and 42

2:50:34 Make no recommendation. article 43

2:50:41 Board of assessors Karen. Thank you. Wanted to speak on this one. If you’re still on the line Karen bertolino. I am if you would like me to speak to this I can. Yes, please. So this article?

2:50:59 Mass General Law chapter 59 section Clause 22 H’s in Henry is for a qualifying parent of a son or daughter who was killed while in service and the approximate cause of death was ruled service related by the veterans of fear’s office. There are statutory guidelines that they need to make. One of which is either the parents must have lived in Mass five consecutive years prior to the year filing. Or the military individual must have lived in Massachusetts for not less than six months before entering service currently in Marblehead. There would be one individual. For fiscal 24 that were qualify for

2:51:47 this this is an exemption of the total tax liability and it would fluctuate based on every year every fiscal year because it’s based on the value of the home in the current fiscal tax rate as an example. If we had this option for fiscal 23, the total tax liability. The exemption amount would be 10,317. Um in the last line states, there is no limit as to how many individuals can receive this exemption. And currently this is something that is not reimbursed by the state. So this would come out of the overlay again.

2:52:29 Yes. Yeah, I just said a question it I think that the wording. May need to have exemption from the full amount inserted in here that’s easily done as an amendment. But I mean doesn’t it doesn’t really talk. If you really my my read of it literally doesn’t include that doesn’t really explain that. It’s an exemption from the full amount of taxable valuation. it doesn’t change the The intent but yeah, I’ll add I put that exemption word in there. She took the language directly from the state from the ACT. So that’s that’s language you used but I added exemption in there to make it much clearer. Totally used to it in this. Yes slide here. I added. Oh I didn’t show I

2:53:16 was reading from the yeah from the the warrant article itself. Okay? Yeah, it’s cool. That makes it clear but what will be what will be we be voting at town meeting is that we should be

2:53:34 Alternative emotions before the global funds lost. Okay. Perfect. Thank you. Yeah, there is financial implications of this article seems like a no-brainer for me an exemption that nobody would ever really want to have of course.

2:53:54 Any other comments from or questions?

2:53:58 Any public comments on article 43?

2:54:03 Okay, I’d like to recommend it motion to I’d like to make a motion to recommend adoption of article 43. second Well Cobalt Alec. Yes, Pat. Yes Cam. Yes, Tim. Yes, Molly. Yes, Michael Neal. Yes, Eric. Yes, Tara. Yes and Michael. Jenko Yes watching passes. Thank you.

2:54:28 44 is Jim zissen. Change select board term to three years. Yes, Jim says in two Mound Road the three year term. We don’t anticipate any Financial impact with it. It’s to switch the select board term from one to three years. There’s obviously a election every year 13 board stand for election. So it’s not adding an additional election just as an aside the very first year presuming. This has passed to set up a stagger you have the election goes off just as usual. The only difference is the number one and two finishers get a three-year term the third and fourth get a two-year term in the fifth gets a one year term. It doesn’t change

2:55:15 at all how people vote maybe ads another five minutes hope so Robin’s job of here’s the five winners and this is who gets the three year term in the two year term. So we don’t anticipate any change as we already have elections every year so, okay. Thanks so much. Like Jim said I agree. No Financial impact, so it will not make a motion if anybody has public comments on article 44.

2:55:45 Article 45 enhancements to the comprehensive annual financial review or report Ron Grenier.

2:56:02 So this is the boring audit according to one of my grandsons the board. He says you should call it the boring petition. So it I don’t think there’s any Financial involvement here. Just basic four things. Annually, you know, we have an audit. what the this is asking for is first provision have one of the audit products that are it’s currently excluded from the final audit being published and posted on the town website. The it’s called the management letter have the management letter as part of the whole audit

2:56:48 so that a citizen like me who’s interested in. Auditing giving my background doesn’t have to go and put in a special request to get that seems to me just kind of slows it down. If it’s a Consolidated report you post it annually should be complete with that. If for some reason that I can’t see.

2:57:14 You don’t like that then I think you should still at least post it separately then. But I don’t see why you wouldn’t the other two. I enhancements would be one.

2:57:32 establishing an audit committee I’m a little.

2:57:37 not trying to increase anyone’s workload, but based on some research that I did more cities and towns are turning to this and they basically either do Expand the scope of the finance committee to become an ad hoc audit committee, or they just have a smaller separate audit committee. In the basic thing with they would review the contents of the audit report. Now some would say that we have staff that do that and I get that. But the additional component is to have the presentation by the independent auditor done in the public meeting. Preferably a select board meeting in which finance committee or audit committee members are present. The public

2:58:23 is present a presentation is made everybody gets like tonight superb job that you’ve done tonight. Everybody gets the answer ask questions and get answers. Those are the four provisions. Great. Thank you very much. I agree with Ron that there’s no financial implications of this so. Unless there’s public comment.

2:58:52 No, no motion from the finance committee for article 45. Thank you. 46 a hundred percent carbon free energy and old and historic districts Mark Adams

2:59:09 Mark online

2:59:15 I don’t know Mark Adams. Does anybody?

2:59:18 There are no financial implications of this.

2:59:24 So I will just make no recommendation all those I’m tempted to to make a indefinite postponement for not showing up, but I will just make no recommendation. article 47 amend General bylaws use of gas powered leaf blowers Todd Norman

2:59:48 Again, I don’t first. I don’t see any financial implications of this and tempted to recommend indefinite postponement. And how are you gonna say? Oh, you’re next. Okay, so no recommendation article 48.

3:00:06 Article 31 at last year’s town meeting was to have a summer break from gas powered leaf blowers and it was passed and it became a bylaw but there was no enforcement. So an enforcement needs to be there by who’s going to enforce it. And what will the fines be? So this year? We want to mend that by law. And I researched 17 other communities across the country’s seven in Massachusetts. What they’re enforcement is and what their finds are. I also looked at some of the bylaws for Marblehead to see kind of the kinds of things that were there for enforcement. So what we came up with There are two other co-sponsors and also looking at some of the other ones some of the maximum finds went up to $2,000. And in Newton they had a 60-day suspension with

3:00:54 a possible revoking of a permit because they have to have permits there for one year. Enforcement often was the police department the building expector. So what we came up with was a warning for the first time $100 for the next time and then $200 for each subsequent one. So I’m mostly wanted to say that we tried to do some research behind this and be Equitable and it’s not out of line. There’s some that are much more severe than what we’re proposing. You might get money, right?

3:01:28 Have you coordinated with I think in reading this it was police and potential is of Health. Um, I’m taught. I’m going to the Board of Health tomorrow and So it’s it’s reasonable. I mean, I’m assuming it wouldn’t be able to be enforced at all times if there were conflicting priorities, but it’s reasonable to believe that this is something that could be done. And it wouldn’t be a significant increase in costs to enforce. Is that fair? And also the police department so you could go to either one right if you spoken with the chief. I’d like to I haven’t but the Town Council, I believe spoke to both departments when

3:02:13 this article was presented.

3:02:18 Yeah, so from a financial perspective, there are financial implications of this I believe.

3:02:27 Article 47 were to pass then this wouldn’t even be voted on that. It’s not a problem. It’s not going to pass. Okay. So to me in true democracy form, I don’t have a problem. Supporting a fine if the people speak and say that they would like to maintain this current by law which they we hope they will. As long as it’s not going to be a net negative on the town which in looking at Andrew, it doesn’t appear that there is right. Yeah.

3:03:04 Yes. I’m a little concerned that. The police chief hasn’t had an opportunity to weigh in on this fair enough. I would like to propose a postponement voting on this until we’ve at least had a report from the police chief. I really like to know what he thinks. We did say that it would be the designees. Obviously the police chief doesn’t have to go out there and and the director and I was thinking I almost went today to the police department because I felt I needed to talk to them, but I thought the Town Council did. Okay, I mean, well, we just don’t have it. We don’t have that. Yeah, so we can table making emotion to make sure we hear from police chief on this if you’re okay with that, Mr.

3:03:53 Chairman, okay. And what we can do we can always make a recommendation at town meeting based on yes new input to you know that you can provide in in between now and tell meetings. Okay. We did that last year with a few. Yeah. Yes. Public comments on line. I think we see a hand.

3:04:16 I don’t want to. Get too involved. It’s just that there’s nothing in policing that requires them to actually do any enforcement in this law. And if you I only know this from the traffic perspective the police don’t actually and another sounds alarmist, but they don’t actually enforce the traffic laws and and I’ve been through the The log so in other words, they will pull people over but they don’t issue citations. And this is not Marblehead. This is very typical and this is something known as deterrence policing. So by creating a long creating the fine deter people from doing it, even if a fine has never issued and even if the police never raise their hands, so to speak to combat it it

3:05:04 It in terms of a cost. There’s no reason for the chief of police to be able to give you a comment. That would be this positive. I guess is the word that this would have a cost on his operations. So, but I will lower my hand and just wanted to make that. Comment. Thanks. Yeah, it sounds like a committee Molly. Go ahead. To your question for Jack. I know I know on 47 now. I just just procedurally if 47 is passed what happens with? 48 So if it’s if 47 ban is reversed removes it from the bylaws. What happens

3:05:49 to 48?

3:05:55 Let’s move. Yeah, so is it does it just get?

3:06:05 Right, okay. That’s all I was saying is that regardless of any anybody’s view if the people speak and want to keep this from a financial perspective enforcing it. I don’t personally have a problem with it. But if we want to hear from the police chief to get more comfortable totally fine with that Mr. Chair. We have Kathy Breslin with her hand up. Kathy

3:06:31 Sorry. Kathy did you have your hand up?

3:06:37 She’s one of the co-sponsors. Oh, okay. Maybe she’s muted. I don’t know we did have the same question about what would happen if 47 passed and I didn’t know because it’s not actually approved yet by the Attorney General’s office whether we could go ahead and vote on 48. Anyway, I have a comment. Yeah, and go ahead. That’s it. Yes. Sorry. We were asking. Yes. Um

3:07:07 so

3:07:09 the bylaw that was passed last year. Never took effect because the Attorney General didn’t approve it until September which is when the period that the bylaw would have affected had already passed.

3:07:26 So right now we’re just asking for enforcement. And we did talk to the police chief. and the board of or the Department of Health they both agreed to enforce it. So this wasn’t like we just assign them. They were they were spoken to ahead of time and they both agreed. That they would enforce it. Was this for the bylaw you’re talking about? Yes, they agreed to enforce. the penalties and fines for any violations of the bylaw for this year So they’re already on board.

3:08:14 Okay. All right. Well that yeah, that’s I mean that’s different from what we just heard. Well, I I was unaware of the police chief Kathy. Well, yes, I I contacted the Town Council and she contacted the chief of police and he agreed. And I had already contacted Andrew Petty. He agreed. For the Board of Health or not the Border help the Department of Health. And that’s what I said about the Town Council having talked to them. So they’re aware of it. Right? So both of them are on board the okay. Otherwise we wouldn’t have put this in our enforcement. Okay, so the chief of police and

3:08:59 Andrew Petty for the health department both agreed to enforce it. Okay. Okay. That’s her. Did you have something to add? Yeah, let me just for clarification sake so given that the this was being proposed to be put on the on the town meeting and because it was an enforcement mechanism of a bylaw we got involved to make sure that the writing of the enforcement Clause was proper. So we did involve the chief the health department and we had Town Council. Do the drafting so that it was my opinion that if there was going to be an enforcement magnetism. I’d rather we write it and write get it proper and be assigned to the proper departments that

3:09:46 can handle doing this. So we we assisted in that so as far as the police department was involved the health was involved to draft the enforcement piece to make it right. We’re not making any judgment whether it should or should not pass but if it should pass it was a well-formed mechanism that we could handle.

3:10:09 So I just wanted to mention that it was already discussed with the chief of police and the head of the Department of Health. No, we spoke with Andrew. He’s right in front of us here. I had no particular objection to it. I was just concerned because it seemed that the police chief who’s department has mentioned here hadn’t been consulted. I accept that you see several assurances that in fact that did occur so I have no no issue. Thank you. Okay. so again, just to be clear if

3:10:48 47 were not to pass. It would be clear that from my perspective that the town wants this and I don’t see an issue with it being enforced since they’ve gone through the proper mechanisms per se to work with the town and Town Council to draft their article. So I’d like to make make a motion to recommend adoption of article 48.

3:11:17 Capacity Attorney General’s office the bylaw passed it’s still going to be a September time for a price share. There’s nothing we can do about that. That’s right. They have 90 days once time eating passes. There’s 90 days for the Attorney General. I submitted within 30 then they have 90 days but it always ends up around September right middle of September. So so that’s an effective spot. Yeah, I know but it’s just reflect this vote in terms of for this year after Gallery. So agree, okay. But but I was I want to say that even if article 47 passed. I think we should still vote on 48 because the attorney general has to still approve that.

3:12:06 You know, it’s it found automatic. When yeah, I’d Jack the moderator will look into that before town meeting. Okay, great.

3:12:20 I did make a motion if anybody Alec yes, so this is boating to adopt. Yeah. Sure. Yes Cam. Yes, Kim, I’m saying Molly. Michael Neal yes, Eric. Yes, Tara. And Michael Jenkins what you guys? Thank you. 40

3:12:51 I’m 50 40 49 is a traffic advisory committee.

3:12:59 Dan Albert Okay, 49 creation of traffic advisory committee.

3:13:08 Dan Albert I think I yeah, I I I’m here should I just say a couple of words? Sure. Yes, please. So this is the creation of traffic advisory committee. It should have no financial implications. I’d even argue that it’ll save the town money over time. But this is something other towns have this is something that Marblehead had had on and off over the years this formalizes it updates it to bring it in line with what other towns are doing and also with a variety of the funding streams that are available from the state and the federal government so that we’re able to bring in more outside money and we’ll reduce

3:13:55 kind of the overhead or bureaucracy bird and because there’s so many different town departments that are involved in this traffic safety stuff. But ultimately it’s about, you know, safer streets for everybody. the streets but I don’t see any reason why you would see a financial implication, but I’d be happy to talk through it if you did.

3:14:22 I agree for 49. There’s no financial implications. Thank you for describing the article. But we’ll make no recommendation on 40 now.

3:14:36 And article 50 again a men’s Town bylaws relative to new subdivisions. And that’s me again. And I spoke with Becky about this. This is something that simply asks anybody that wants to do a development in town to refer to a particular document. We use they’re called well, I’m sorry. That was I don’t know what that was. Sorry. Okay, the Town governments use something called the act of green book, which is a Street Highway designs as to also has one guy for planning design and operation of pedestrian facilities. And this would simply ask anybody

3:15:23 who wants to develop in town to also refer to that document according to Becky the way it works is you know, they pay their engineers and they pay for any kind of peer review of the design and so it really has no implications financially for the town, right?

3:15:45 So are we in agreeance that this has no Financial impact?

3:15:52 Yeah, I don’t see why.

3:15:57 Does anybody shape of you? Maybe ask is this subdivider to pay for? I just couldn’t hear it that great. So. He says no Financial impact we agree. Okay, I was uncertain with this one as to whether there was or not in reading the article. Alicia what is your interpretation of this? Be some Financial implication to implementation of ashto. That he’s talking about we’d have to research and I would I would like to know why he thinks there’s no financial implications as he researched. if we put this in what the implications would be Um, yeah, absolutely every third and Becky still here.

3:16:44 The second still online Becky current. No, no, not the moment. Oh, okay, so

3:16:52 the reason it has no financial implications is that we already have

3:17:00 anybody wanting to subdivide or do us subdivision or development in the town of Marblehead referring to these are called American Association of State Highway and transportation officials documents. They’re developed by the federal government and representative. take their kind of very straightforward things, you know, this is Of geometric formula for Turner on the street or this is the angle you should have for a ramp for a driveway that kind of a very technical. They’re not the kind of thing that will cause anybody to do anything different than they would otherwise that purpose of it really is to fold

3:17:48 one is to remind

3:17:51 A developers we as a town. Concerned about but then also this it counts and mentality and governments are adding this.

3:18:07 This volume to the other volumes that they’re asking a company. I’m sorry to developers to refer to and in fact if I could just read very quickly this documents not enough include all inclusive guy, but it’s designed to be used in conjunction with the following and these are the ones that we already require being used in conjunction with we are still policy on geometric design of Highways and streets the federal manual and uniform traffic control devices the guide for the development of bicycle facilities to have Highway capacity model manual the highway safety manual and the

3:18:51 you know, it’s very I don’t know how to put a technical boiler place. It’s just kind of stuff that people are in in the business of doing this due as a matter. Of course, if it’s something you feel needs to be tabled and you want to hear from Becky. She would be the person to talk to I guess the only other thing I’d say is that I tomorrow is zoning law is the zoning warrant article will be at the planning board meeting and Becky asked me to come to that meeting and describe. This is well. So in terms of this meeting in this board, I’m not sure what you want to do. I don’t want to believe it but I Don’t know what the process would be for you to

3:19:37 come out and just say there’s no. No, financial implications have given that complexity and Technical aspects. I would I would think that we should probably research this more. They should be some kind of evidence that this isn’t doesn’t have any Financial implication besides the fact that it’s complex and detailed everything that they would need a little more support to what this is and what this means. Yeah that factor has yeah. okay, what what effect this does it takes federal guidelines design guidelines by federal guidelines and embed some into our zoning bylaws locally so that any any development has to has to comply with through our

3:20:23 bylaw comply with Federal design guidelines, which are different than what we would necessarily do at the community level, but the impact would be is now our building inspector zoning enforcement. They would have to come up to speed and be being a position to do more enforcement to meet those other, you know, basically federal guidelines standards. So again, I it’s it’s imposing it’s requirements that our folks would have to

3:20:57 spend more time and probably more training to be to be consistent with so it’ll be interesting. You know, there’s only board is gonna vote tomorrow to well. I just yeah, okay the board tomorrow. What do you guys want to do? Do you want to just I mean, is it a kind of?

3:21:35 What what’s the procedure? I mean it was there’s no way you can.

3:21:42 What can I tell you there’s no way I can prove a negative on that? and Really as far as I’m concerned. I’ve already discussed it with the people backing in particular who are you know, this is their field. This is not the building inspector really this is about something else entirely so Um is this is this something that the Town Council would have so you’re gonna add more laws more regulations more by nother. Absolutely not no. No, they’re no new law. They’re no new regulation. There’s no new laws. It’s going to answer. Okay, so is it requirements different set of requirements at what we have right now? Okay right now

3:22:27 are gonna be more costly. Yeah. yeah, no, that’s I mean, but but this way if you want to full conversation about this I feel bad because I You know, I didn’t spend a lot of time.

3:22:43 Hey, I don’t want to spend a lot of your time taking you through the details of this and I feel it’s something that you know, Becky and the planning people are already aware of and that’s why I went and talked to them about it. You know, if you guys want to recommend it, it’s gonna cost money does not find but I’m just trying to think about what’s and maybe you’re right. I don’t want to say I don’t want to argue about it all I want to say okay figure out. How do we get to What what Alex is the best solution at this point do you want to wait and hear from planning and then say okay, you know when it comes to town meeting we’ll make a recommendation of what’s what’s the best way.

3:23:25 Dan did did you say that you’re gonna bring this to the zoning board tomorrow and is the expectation that at that meeting? They would weigh in either in support of this or not because that it probably be helpful information for us. We do have the opportunity to you know. Make a recommendation before town meeting after hearing back from the zoning board. I think. that that would be helpful to understand what you think the outcome might be tomorrow and perhaps we could pick this up after I Yeah, I think you’re absolutely right. So what I would love to have happen at the end of that meeting is for Becky and that board to

3:24:12 say, you know, let’s however, they do it say yep. Dad had a great idea. We’re on board. We want to stand up next to him and at town meeting and say we’d like you to do this. You know, we’d like to count to vote Yes. I don’t know how that affects income or what you’re yeah. Well will table this for tonight and good good plan. Hopefully it’s reported. Yeah, and and we’ll we’ll at least have somebody listening and report back as to with the to the extent you could discuss potential financial implications if they’re already tomorrow night and agree with the zoning board on that would be helpful context for us. Yeah. Well, thank you recommendation before town meeting. Okay, that’s great. So what I’ll do is I’ll make sure thumbs up tomorrow and then I’ll maybe try to

3:25:00 remember with vacuuming and send it over to you. Is that the way to go? Yes. Yep, that’s what will happen. I appreciate you guys taking the time. I know it’s a long night. Yeah. Thanks so much. Appreciate it. Have a good night. alright table article 51. Thank you.

3:25:23 No to table. We’re just yeah, we’re I think we can yeah, I don’t think we have a men’s Town bylaws relative to require certain boards committees to record and post meeting minutes article 51. Lynn yes.

3:25:47 Correct. It’s not about recording and posting meeting minutes. It’s the wording of the article itself says to record the meeting. Not it’s not about minutes at all. This does not change anything that the state law has relevant to meetings, which Is that a committee? Has minutes and in order to get the minutes you one has this does not refer to minutes this refers to recording a meeting. which is one part of also 52

3:26:34 so I don’t want to go in I I don’t want want you to have to go into the whole Saga of what happened last year about article 44 last year, which was a combined which stated that all committees subject to the open meeting law should be hybrid and that it should be recorded and what Cam and others on the board asked was that we form that Gary of blessed memory appointed committee to me which we have since last August, but I’m not giving a report on that made it on the result of that meeting those meetings rather the report

3:27:20 you have we’ve got Amy here and we’ve got other people that that was on the committee and Thatcher so they can report the results of the committee, but these articles And then we have another problem article 52 when when moderator. at when the moderator sent this to Lisa Mead, she said it was 52 was not in the purview of town meeting that so therefore. I’m just addressing 52 as well that 52 cannot be vote is not going to be effective to be voted on by town meeting because it’s something that the board of Selectmen

3:28:08 can do. Okay, so that leaves us with 51 and for 51 the cost of recording a meeting if the meeting is zoom. It’s zero. You can just record the meeting. Everybody says is it okay if we record and then people say yes, and then it’s recorded. That’s a recording of the meaning other ways of recording meeting. You could get a 12 year old to come in with an iPhone and record the meeting once the meeting is recorded. The article also says that it should be available to the public. And note cost to the public in other words after there’s a recording then there should be a link to YouTube which is free so

3:28:55 that people who can attend meeting asynchronistically, which is the most important thing for rebust robust democracy so that if you have a child who has a problem and you want to stay home, you don’t have to be at the meeting you there asynchronistically. So 51. is an article that I’d like to see past. And 52. I think I’m going to have to change the wording of it to ask town meeting to request of the board of Selectmen. So the select board that they

3:29:41 make it happen. so what more can I say?

3:29:48 I tried to make it short. Are you planning to amend? Yes. Yes, right. I I Put myself at your I would love to know what to do because what happened in Saga of this moderators committee. Was it God very complicated and very long with so many committees that I reduce the number of committees, that would be that this article be relevant to to 10, but if we’re asking the select board to um to make it happen, then I’d like it to be all the committees as the original.

3:30:34 Article was last year. I don’t know and I’d also like it 51 to be relevant to all the commit all the Committees that meet. Which would be no more? But maybe you’re thinking that 10 committees. It’s less money if they’re for the iPhone and 12 year old.

3:31:00 Whatever. However it is that they do it. so sounds like clear. I sounds like 52 there’s work to be done just to make it illegal article. Yes. Okay, so we’ll get to that in a minute. Okay? Well not I guess we’ll table that to see what happens. 51 I note the title you’re saying is misstated. It’s nothing to do with minutes. It’s about posting a recording of and that would that’s a general term recording of the meeting. It could be a transcript. It could be videography. It could be sound. Okay. I do see this chart here.

3:31:45 At I think you shared some report documents. Yeah there appears to be a cost that was determined by the article 44 committee. Their Duty was to figure out what the costs of implementing. This was part of it. Right? Yes, but also that combined both the high the sink the synchron this synchronistic attendance at meetings and the asynchronistic recording and we don’t have the committee did not come up with a bottom line for asynchronistic recordings.

3:32:26 So are we saying 51 the committee determined that there’s no financial implications of that? No, it did not make a determination. But if you even asked me, so it wouldn’t be a hybrid meeting you’re saying it would be an in-person meeting. It just is recorded So I guess so you would would you still need the technology that’s been. The amount the technology analysis that was done. Would you still need that for it? Well, yeah the idea that the study Community worked on extensively through as as Lynn said since last August we’ve been meeting. approximately monthly and the idea are charge from from last year was to identify the costs associated

3:33:13 with implementing. a town by law requiring hybrid meetings for at the time in in article 44 was all departments in article 51 for this year. It’s down to 10 but that doesn’t change the fact that there’s still our this the same or financial implications for being for for creating the potential to do what what the what Lynn is suggesting should be done and establishing it, you know a town by law requiring these

3:33:58 it requires the town has to be able to um have sufficient facilities and sufficient infrastructure infrastructure to be able to accomplish the bylaw if it’s if it can is continue to be considered a requirement. and and you know and it the idea of having Open Town meetings and having them hybrid so that you can either come in person or have or be able to call in just like tonight and and be online and and participate is clearly, you know beneficial and in

3:34:44 a good thing to do the issue is how do you get it done? It’s not it and so this the committee has struggled mightily with trying to figure out. How to do it and what the costs were going to be and and they they’re not zero. And so the select board will be dealing with it rather than town meeting because that’s what Lisa Mead determined that it was up to the select board. So it’s mood actually all the work that we did will go to the select board articles, you know, just 52 52 the

3:35:31 time of 51 50. Yeah and 52’s were dealing with the recordings. Correct? No the other way around So little just to make sure I’m understanding so. the analysis of the cost was done around both. Synchronous hybrid as well as the archiving so that somebody could view an asynchronously. and now the synchronous hybrid is being taken off the table. It’s not going to town meeting. It’s gonna be managed by the select board and the town with all the information that the

3:36:16 committee put together, but you would still like to consider. The archiving article Thank You by itself. Yes, which is the recording and I think so good. I’m glad I’m following you and I’m thank you. I think what’s a little bit of a struggle? to me is financially thinking about it. It does seem that you would do both at the same time that you would you would look at because it’s the same infrastructure around. How are you going to conduct it live? And then how are you going to Archive it? afterwards and so that’s that’s what’s hard for me like yes. Yes. I agree that. The archiving piece is

3:37:04 a a smaller segment of costs. Yes, but thinking about us implementing a plan around archiving without implementing a plan around the live meeting. It’s hard to think about. Well, that’s why thank you and I did. Decide to break up my request my articles for this year because of that because once we started getting bogged down in whether the sports Soul committee was going to be able to meet it for its Seoul or not. I it seemed clear that it was possible that the synchronistic part would not pass. So in a way, I’m a little relief the board’s the board select board can deal with it, but even more important.

3:37:52 Than being at a meeting at the right time because the public doesn’t have to speak and most meetings. So it doesn’t really matter whether you’re there in real time. I mean or remote in real time. It does matter if you want to know what happened at a meeting and the minutes are a little late and you have an applied to get the minutes, but you could just go to YouTube as the school Community does and what happened at the meeting you don’t have to hear from your neighbor’s. If you’re different differently able or have children or want supper you can meet you can in the cost would be I we did not at in the

3:38:40 committee talk about the cost of that and yet when I look and when I looked it up, how much is how much what Zoom would do Zoom says you can record it and then you can keep the recording and then you can put it on YouTube that’s all free. So it seems to me and the committee has not come up with that. That would be free. The committee did discuss that when it’s just that we couldn’t identify a cost associated with it. So you it I’m sorry. It’s well, so you would still need though the equipment and the connectivity to have the zoom right? So there’s cost to that. So I guess what I’m hearing though is you could just record it on

3:39:28 your phone that would you’re saying like just a you know. Record, you know not yet transcribed would be expensive thing, which is recorded on your phone and put it up on YouTube or something like that. And that’s it. So yes. Because it’s of it. I write a very generally yes, and that would be such a service to people who are unable to attend meetings and it would be a cheaper. I mean it would be we should pass it so that we have that available for the public. at least

3:40:05 but in order to have

3:40:09 them and that you some of the changes that you’re talking about making I’m confused about so

3:40:22 I don’t know where to I don’t know where to start that we the committee. provided this reference information for reference to the finance committee in advance of of this. So the you would understand we’re going to report to town meeting because that’s our charge and it’s well it’s going to be doing costs associated with implementing. What was last year’s article 44. That’s our charge.

3:40:58 There would I think the Committees consensus is that there are similar costs associated with doing article 51. I that’s and it sounds like sounds to me like the committee determined that there are costs. We don’t know what costs at the moment. And there’s no solution as to how those costs would be funded at the moment. That’s that’s correct. There’s no we it was not our charge to The committee’s charged to establish how it would be funded. What we did conclude is that they are municipal costs to make to make this happen but where and and where they

3:41:45 in terms of line item by line item by Department. Was not determined. It was wasn’t necessarily our charge as the study.

3:41:56 View it as our charge. So boiling it down just to 51 and just to have this asynchronistic recording and and already it’s that there needs to be a part of the budget I think in which there’s a robust wi-fi system in the town for various different buildings, and we started looking at all the buildings in town and how many buildings had a robust wi-fi system and whether it was in parallel or or serially and how to change them that that is a problem of the Town whether the whether the

3:42:42 Whether the wi-fi system is robust enough. So the committee did come down to say that there are

3:42:51 that basically it is theoretically possible for all this is on your article 44 study committee findings. It is theoretically possible for all Municipal committees commissions boards to successfully conduct hybrid meetings at one of the identified locations provided sufficient infrastructure Hardware software administrative capability is operational, so They would have to go to certain some of the boards might have to go to other places to have their meetings. Like I went to the harbors and Waters. Well, that’s not relevant. So there so some of them some of them completely obey this already?

3:43:38 Not a question about that. But in a way, I’m really sad the board of the select board will be dealing with this because 52 could go on. It’s quite complicated about what it’s going to do, but 51 it seems so easy to record. What happened to the meeting in some way or another and it could be up to the up to the board to decide?

3:44:08 I mean, why aren’t we already required to record meeting minutes at these meetings? Mmm. No, yes, they are. Required to have minutes available to the public when a person in the public asks for the minutes. So it is a sort of a pain in the neck for the who doesn’t.

3:44:29 I think it’s Kyle. Probably each board has each board flourish for the last 394 years that way pretty well you mean with asking for asking for minutes after the fact and then getting them if an individual yeah, but how complete are the minutes and if you want to know what’s going on in a meeting truly what went on not just the succinct form of minutes then you would want to observe the meeting itself. That’s more of it. Yeah, no, not participate observe. because This is not about participation. This is about knowing what’s going on and we all learned.

3:45:15 During the time of covid how wonderful it was to be able to know what was going on at various different meetings. That was an advantage and it seems to me that we should. Extend that Advantage now the governor has extended the covid rules until March 31st. 2025 but it is a matter of May. Do these things? It’s not shall and article 51 says shall have a recording. of the meeting that is different. That’s

3:45:56 actually raises another issue, but because if if it shall be required and we’ve discussed this in our article 44 meaning study committee, too. then if there’s a loss of capability to report the meeting then It technically would require that the meaning. Be suspended and the activity of the committee board committee Commission. couldn’t they couldn’t continue to do their job if it’s a requirement that this occur

3:46:43 That’s just a clarification for what you just brought up that I don’t understand how how the select board is gonna take this on. You know, I it and so this is if it does sound like and from my readable legal opinion, it does sound like maybe it needs it does need to be sort of a voluntary thing. Like you can’t tell the select board. You have to do this. It’s a select for it exact right? So, so would it be possible or would you be amenable to me changing the language in 52 and maybe 51 instead of making it shall maybe, you know best efforts kind of you know, and I know it’s just just to

3:47:30 You know just to because I think the idea of this is wonderful and it sounds like we’re getting caught up in this in in these other, you know details. Is that something you would consider we writing it? Yeah, that’s certainly going to do it for 52 because I believe Lisa meet. She probably charged a lot to your decision, and so perhaps I should also. Thank you. Change 51 in the same way when I get advice from the moderator about how to do that. Yes, and then but then and then I have this question would it just be the 10 committees that I put in there or would I say for all committees? If it was to use best practices to do the best you can I don’t think an issue would be for all committees. Well

3:48:17 use best practices, but I think I think Molly’s right the the language to say that it’s a a must and a law is difficult because it seems like there would be some financial implications of that. So if I changed it in that way and you would be in or you in support of it, or you would just not vote on it. There’s still there’s still a financial implications that certainly can’t be supported in this year’s budget and not using best practices. We can use efforts. Yeah. Oh no, I like the concept of but we still have to figure out how we can actually hold beatings in places like

3:49:04 the select board room and still be able to conduct business. In we we’re doing the best we can but even this room has its challenges. And this is the best we’ve have. so I think one advantage of the best effort is it certainly reduces the Financial Risk? Because if we must do it in You need to have a very robust infrastructure. Yes or something. That’s a must and a very robust infrastructure is expensive. But if you do it on a best effort that is in the spirit of everybody wanting transparency and government, right and I think it

3:49:52 also gives the opportunity to learn what are really the cost of implementation there is clearly an administrative cost to do recording and posting. I mean at the very least it’s someone’s time. Yeah, we don’t know is how much is that? Right? If this gets started on a best effort then in the different department budgets next year if there’s a recognition that this requires additional investment then that will be better understood based on actual practice. Yes. So I think the best effort is the spirit of what you want but understanding that. As a must-have, it’s really a big liability financially. Yes, but

3:50:40 on a best effort it will just manage that and then I think it can get better over time because of course we’re gonna want to make these technology investments in our town over time. We’re just not prepared and able to do that immediately. And we do know that AI is making transcriptions or better and better every day. And there is so much happening in the future that it does and everybody said at our last meeting. They said the train is on the track. It’s gonna happen and I think that’s true. It is all going to happen and I want our town to be on that train and

3:51:27 making it happen what the state will do. There are three different bills before the legislature now to make that happen all with different good parts and bad parts and they have to figure out about western Mass. It doesn’t have good Wi-Fi. That’s way more complicated than just little Marblehead, but for us it would really feel wonderful to have us have the intention of including people asynchronistically at meetings. So I just have to work on that asynchronistically. What can you not lie. Sorry for not live. It’s recorded. It’s in the can people go out of the world and watch okay. I was an IT director for 30 years for a state agency.

3:52:14 You should be on the committee. Try I tried to get. some as somebody on the committee, but they voted me. They didn’t vote for that understanding to philosophically. I’m in agreement with the concept transparency good helping people who can’t get to meetings good seconding what Pat and Tara have said complete agreement with both of you. One other thing that makes me uncomfortable with respect to your suggestion is I would not want the responsibility for recording Town meetings to fall to individuals recording it on their own personal devices. If this is something that we as a town want to do then we have to find out

3:53:00 what the costs are allocate the funds build a necessary infrastructure and have it be a priority of the town. Right? So I just want to so the town might have to determine everybody uses Zoom. Say the light commission can use go to meeting and and then there will be Now another when you say is it can it be recorded. I mean it would be systematized. Yes advertised in uniformity would be important right any reasons not the less the least of which being the fact that there are shall we say a broad spectrum of technical skills in town. Some people are not very technical and other people are right so to place a burden

3:53:48 On each department that requires them to have basically an IT person. Yes at every meeting that that could be quite that’s where we come down right, so I don’t want to repeat myself. So I think I made the points. I wanted to thank you. I just asked the community are are we planning to have another meeting prior to yeah, we don’t we can revisit it sounds like because there is physical but they’re at least two things here because this is new today from for me to understand. Well, we just got this today. I just I got that. Yeah everybody so two things first. I’d like to see your amended text for either both. They

3:54:34 are absolutely right and you’re gonna need to do that. Anyway. Yes, and the other thing is I’d like to get a report from the select board has to what they’re

3:54:49 Role potentially is going forward with this based on on your comment. I’m not even sure that there is Much more may not even have recorded. We can’t acquire the select board to do anything. But town meeting can request of the select board that they move forward to make hybrid or remote meetings.

3:55:20 um required available, whatever they decide. And that’s just for the select board. That’s not for yes other it’s for up to each right elected body. Oh, no, the select board can determine for the whole town for others. That’s what I that’s what I think Lisa need men. That’s that’s why it’s it’s confusing and I I thought I just I’m not a lawyer my reading of it was that the independent boards and they would decide for themselves. But no no decide for me said Lisa Mead said the select board is the executive is

3:56:03 Um town meeting is Led legislative and they select board is is executive and this little and they are the ones that have to execute this a rule for all the Committees not town meeting. So it’s not up to town meeting to do it. But town meeting could request that of the select board and I think by reading that note from Lisa Mead. Well, I’d still like to see what the what the plan is, I guess before I take a position. I don’t think it would take emotional table.

3:56:46 So we’re going to have another meeting probably not school vacation week the week before time meeting the weekend before it’s my last year. I think he came back aside that actually is good because it gives everybody a little more time to to continue to work on this and and so when that is scheduled we’ll make sure you’ll be on the invitation list. Thank you so much. Thank you. Does anybody want to help me with the word talk to me? Yeah, we can coordinate Alex. Can I ask a question of Thatcher? Yes. That’s your When did legal counsel get a copy of? Lynn’s Warren article. Oh sometime ago when all the barn articles

3:57:31 that are submitted to get legal review. Personally, I’d be I’d like to register some. Just complaining the I mean it’s about for Council. That they brought it back to us today considering that the warrant meeting was supposed to be a week week ago. So there’s right. Yeah, I’m not quite sure I mean There was some correspondence as far as at us asking for a read on this more of the result of the work that’s coming out of the committee was to provide clarification. So there is a cursory view by legal in which some issues, but it was a specifically asking for this matter.

3:58:16 Please clarify for us. So so it was a it’s just specific request. Yeah. when I had attorneys if I got reported if I got to today of that would be Zappa. Someone has their hand brace. On it. Yeah, but I’m making.

3:58:39 Oh, yep. Hi. You guys still there? Can you hear me? Yes. Yes. Oh great. Oh good. I just wanted to say just I know you’re finishing up on this article and and it’s and it is confusing and and all that. I just wanted to sort of redirect it. If I may I know you’re looking at it from a financial perspective, but the word transparency was used quite a lot which absolutely this best practice if we if we use those words of recording and and allowing meetings to be remote take place. But the angle that I believe that the article or the spirit of the article was more than just transparency. It was actually offering accessibility people with mobility issues people with hearing or sight issues. Democracy should be for everybody and it

3:59:26 it’s impossible in some cases for people and there are also people with social anxieties. So it just it. I hope that we look at it also from that perspective as well and to be maybe hopefully a role model and how we can open up democracy to more than just the people that are able to attend, you know evening meetings in person on the worst of days. So thank you for letting me speak.

3:59:55 I clarifying my earlier comment to your question. Yes. So as I was reminded Our Town Council does not review citizen petition articles. So it didn’t go on to review but because it became an issue the request was made and then received so and then that’s a lot more acceptable. Yeah my book. Yeah, I’m figuring out this process. So and then and then the the other article the the fines because it’s a fine being opposed. We had Council getting involved but generally speaking citizen petitions. It’s whatever the citizens submit. It’s up to them to provide it. It makes me feel better in general. Yeah.

4:00:44 Thank you. I’m sorry. Can I say one more thing to Thatcher’s response it’ll be fast my experience. My experience is just the opposite Thatcher that the same attorney has done the same thing to me and to Jim zissen on the very last minute and has presented a an obstacle and insurmountable obstacle for citizens to present their articles. This is not the first time that she has done this or that they have done this so There you go.

4:01:21 What? Yeah, so what I express is the as I understand the practice in preparation for Town meaning is that citizen petition articles are the responsibility of the petitioners to set we can constantly get involved knows if we had a reason to do that. So I I don’t know anything about the past history. I’ve known Lisa Meed for decades. She does her job. Well, so yeah.

4:01:51 Thank you. Any other public comment if I’m 51 or 52?

4:01:58 Table both those and what’s that? So we’re going to 50. Yeah, we’re moving to 53 acceptance of mgl chapter 53 section 9A nomination papers. No financial implications from my perspective, but opportunity for Jonathan Letterman. to present

4:02:24 Yes Jonathan on online.

4:02:32 All right. Well, like I said, no no financial implications from my interpretation speaking with Felicia and Thatcher. It doesn’t seem to be financially infestations of this. So no recommendation article 54 standard operating procedures manual Megan, Sweeney. You’ve heard from me enough tonight. So I’ll be quick there shouldn’t be any financial implications. It’s it’s just setting up standard procedures powers and duties and structures and so forth of the various boards and committees. So hopefully you can see that as well and thank you very much. Thank you very much.