Select Board: March 8, 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.

0:00 Okay. Thank you everybody for standing by. We’re just trying to get hooked up. so

0:10 are we all set? All right. I’d like to bring this meeting to order. We have a 21 item agenda tonight and I’m going to jump right in and the first item on the agenda. After I announced that the meeting is being recorded and videotape via Zoom. I thought we had a good news. I guess I need to say it as well. So the first item on the agenda is a entertainment license. And the motion is pretty self-explanatory. It’s from Amanda Breen. And it’s to include karaoke and DJ and bands at the mai tai Lounge. So the motion that I’d like to entertain is to approve the request from Amanda brain My Thai Lounge to amend the current entertainment license at

0:56 165 Pleasant Street to include live music DJs and karaoke Monday through Friday, 5:00 pm to 10pm and Saturday and Sundays 12pm to 10 pm subject to no music to be heard from the street.

1:12 And oh, excellent. Please come forward or if you’d like to yeah, that would be great if you wouldn’t mind. And have a seat have a seat. Yeah, and you can press on that button right there. and so it turns if you go perfect thank you. If you’d like to give us a little background that would be great is well, we would like to be able to offer karaoke at times and we would also like the ability to you know, have somebody come in like a Char or have a couple people come in to a little singing not all the time that we would like the option to be there. Okay, and through 10 10 pm every night. Sounds good. Any any questions from the woman not a

1:58 question, but just a comment. It looks like a good offering but we are serious about not having anything. outside for people to listen to it needs to be inside and contained because they’re our neighbors function of decibel level. Yes. But anyway, that’s that’s great. Look forward to Coming in on those occasions.

2:27 All right. So we have a we have a motion and a second. Yeah. All in favor. Oh we do. Yeah, I think we’ve had everybody here we need them. It’s a regular voice. It’s a regular vote all in favor. Okay, unanimous. Thank you very much relations. Congratulations. Good luck.

2:45 all right, the second on second item on the agenda is a Glover’s regiment that’s making a gift to the town and I see that Shane both both of these gentlemen are here. Let me do a quick introduction. It’s basically a gift to the town and it’s a carving from the iconic Fort Sewell tree and from Larry Sands Seamus daily and Katie Sullivan. So if you’d like to

3:16 Give us a little.

3:21 pretty

3:25 do I need to repeat her? Thank you very much. I as long as the microphone is turned on. I need to repeat that. If you if you would that was a great Janice. Thank you. I would like to introduce Katie Sullivan. Who’s fought a red Sullivan made this carving and she will deliver the presentation on behalf of her father and of the regiment.

3:51 Good evening. Thank you. This a carving was created by Dr. Ray Sullivan of Middlebury, Connecticut. He’s the regimental surgeon for the regiment from wood Salvage from the ancient Sycamore which withstood over 147 years of pounding Gales hurricanes and nor’easters at Fort Sewell. It’s presented to the townspeople of Marblehead by the men and women of John Glover’s Marblehead Regiment of the Revolution 14th Continentals in appreciation for the cooperation and assistance of town leaders Town businesses and residents in the regiment’s mission to keep history alive on the occasion of the anniversary of General Glover’s death, January 30th, 2023.

4:40 Thank you very very much. What a lovely what a lovely gift. Thank you.

4:57 Great. Yeah, beautiful. It’s really something.

5:03 you

5:13 Represent. Yeah, Larry Larry Larry God

5:26 put Moses in uniform Thank you. Excellent. Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you. Okay, so Thank you, very very much. That was very tough. That was great. So I’d like to entertain a motion to accept as a gift to the town The Carving made from the iconic Fort Sewell tree and to send a letter of appreciation to Glover’s regiment. Thank all those in favor. Unanimous. Thank you very much.

6:07 Okay. So the next item on our agenda is the Tedesco Country Club? Hosts the annual select board golfing event for for nonprofit institutions to be able to go on the course without paying any fees at all. Whether cart fees or or green fees. So the motion self-explanatory to accept letters of interest from any nonprofit organization to use the Tedesco Country Club level May 15th 2023 for the semi-annual Marblehead outing letters of Interest should be submitted by Friday March 17th, 2023 to the select board 188, Washington Street or by email to Wiley Kay at marblehead.org. So

6:54 Second all those in favor unanimous and moving on to the next agenda. And yeah, thanks, sir. Thanks for given to the Tedesco Country Club. That’s for sure. That’s a wonderful event and and the impact of that event can be seen. Yes. Can we pause for having some audio issues on the On the zoom side, okay.

7:27 Hello. Can you hear us as Jack?

7:45 Said I’ll second everybody hear us hopefully. so

8:32 yes, Jack. You just yeah. heard him

8:39 he can’t hear us. How many participants do we have on one two three four? one two three

8:53 One Katie was talking was really echoing.

9:00 That’s what we’re working on. She just said someone texted that we had. No audio. I said that’s what we’re working on.

9:16 Let me go get mine. So I could pull up my phone too. I mean, yeah, because all you need is the audio right? So we just have to mute this stuff and you’d be the microphone. Oh, sorry, Jack you’re still on there the meeting taking place. We have no sound we can hear you.

9:54 Yes.

10:29 Microphones. Yeah penguins

10:35 Can you hear a shack?

10:39 so

10:46 hey Jack, can you hear us?

10:53 Okay. Well, I don’t think we can hear them right over. All right. Yeah.

11:00 Okay, that’s fine, but they can okay. Well, I’ll try to sound off a little bit so you can Be connected to audio not. the Wi-Fi is that we think yeah, like when it asks you to set up connect to and there’s like three choices. Might have accidentally hit the wrong one. I’m totally different computer audio. I think we should be on computer we on computer. Yeah, it’s obviously our audio is muted. Yeah if they can hear each other.

11:31 Moses I’m gonna hand this to you. This is the paperwork. Oh for that. Thank you landed here. I don’t want it to get lost to get lost. So to give it to Jackie. It’s not longer or yours. Are you responsibility of handed that off?

11:56 Someone support just maybe write 11.

12:04 doctor cool Thank you. Good idea actually amend that. Because we’re just gonna send that to the clever Direction. Or will they fold your letter and maybe we can just go ahead and send. 72 letters Yeah.

12:29 He’s a member.

12:32 It was in Connecticut and he comes up here for the summer to do that. Okay to be yeah, and that’s what he was. He’s at the Urgent. He’s at the encampment right here. Can you hear me? I can hear you. Yes, Kyle.

12:59 either You cannot hear us?

13:08 I can set up.

13:12 One get set up here. Yeah, you don’t need the screen on you just need the audio Yeah, so you can mute everything there and it’ll pull up.

13:24 right

13:29 She should like Kyle. Did you hear that? If you’re okay.

13:38 You always have to have one like this.

13:44 You know.

13:50 So I’ll do it on my end.

13:53 here

13:57 just give it a minute. I’m going to restart your meeting and then you can all join in again. I assume you heard me because everybody’s leaving. All right. Give it a moment.

14:15 They won’t give enough time watch those guys. Come back in here.

14:26 Girl, this is the this is the fruit. You’re here to see it.

14:31 It’s the first time ever we’ve had this issue.

14:47 She’s gonna restart.

14:52 recording in progress

15:02 It’s looking promising.

15:26 Jack can you hear us?

15:32 Moses can you cast? Testing one two three. Jack can you hear us? No.

15:43 I’m yeah.

15:46 Do you want to bring your left? Yeah, because I think the Mike will do that on your left.

15:52 Okay. All right. Take a breather.

15:58 Jack I’m just gonna we’re gonna bring the laptop.

16:05 please

16:11 yeah.

16:20 Losing everybody.

16:28 Bill now she chants to get out.

16:49 That’s right.

16:54 It is in the paintings. Those letters are fantastic. Yeah, they really are.

17:03 Yeah. or a history

17:57 How you doing?

18:18 Hello, I can hear you now call.

18:22 She’s in her off. Oh.

18:30 You know, not the donation.

18:36 Well, you know, I think what I’ll do is I’ll just summarize. Okay, wait like my face. Wow, that’s you last week. Test it. Hello. We have a look. We have a little bit of an echo the Epic shut down all the yeah.

18:56 We can hear you. We just can’t see you now. That’s all. That’s that’s probably for the better.

19:08 Okay. Yeah, we still have a pretty bad I see factors also on he may need to somebody. Make make sure you only have one microphone.

19:31 Hello, who needs? Should we shut these off I tried to mute this we need to mute all that was that SMH? Yeah.

20:40 start

26:56 Jack you hear me? okay, so everybody’s hang on a minute because I’m going to shut down the system and the other room but I’d give you the host on my computer here in the office. So meeting will run. The video will be on either from the laptop in there are four from the big screen. So I thank you all going to be okay. Jack can you hear we have the Reverb again?

27:24 Got it.

27:35 Here such good humor. Yeah.

27:50 So now we’re on this. How are we now?

27:59 Okay, okay. Well, can we confirm whether folks can hear us?

28:08 That’s where I make it in.

28:12 Not if he’s into here, so that might be the volume up.

28:19 So far so good.

28:28 You okay?

28:35 And you’re not okay. Oh, I’ve also turned off the audio.

28:50 Jack

28:53 okay.

28:57 From your good to go. Okay, and we don’t have any feedback.

29:04 Come on, Dan.

29:10 All right. Well, I hope everybody is still connected and we really apologize and thank you for keeping your sense of humor. I don’t think that will repeat the agenda. But just for everybody’s information we had. An annual an amended annual entertainment license for the mai tai Lounge. We received a gift from Glover’s regiment. We just completed a vote for the Tedesco by annual golf tournament

29:45 And made a emotion to accept letters of Interest. And I just want to say that’s a very generous gift from the from Tedesco Country Club. Because it has a real impact on the nonprofits that take part in that golf tournament, and the next motion is a letter of application from the Marblehead Counseling Center. And they write that the select boards charitable event has added over 25,000 to mcc’s development efforts in the past tournament years. For small organization like MCC the economics of a gulf event is not profitable unless the tournament course is donated a rare occurrence these days. So that’s that’s a big deal.

30:31 And what we’d like to do is to make a motion to accept this letter from Ruth Ferguson the president of the board of directors of the Marblehead Counseling Center. To accept this letter of interest from the Marblehead Counseling Center. so, right second all those in favor unanimous great. Okay. So we go on to agenda item five and this is the great Marblehead Carnival request. It is the motion is a self-explanatory. Basically the carnival operates between six and 10:30 on May 4th and Fifth and between one and 10:30 pm on May 6th. And the motion to be entertained is as follows motion to approve your request to

31:18 hold. Motion to approve their request to hold the annual Marblehead high school carnival at Debra Beach May 4 through 7 2023 subject to the approval from the recreation and parks department receipt of the required certificate insurance and all necessary permits. Second all those in favor. Okay. That’s unanimous emotion 6. I’m going to try to this. Typically we read this out. It’s related to the Marblehead Festival of Arts. There’s two votes that we need to take. The motion is going to be very self-explanatory because it’s fairly long, but I’m going to try to read it out quickly. The first motion to be entertained is to approve the request from the Marblehead Festival Arts to use the following venues for the Marblehead Festival of Arts July 4th events in June and July subject to the approval from police fire Recreation and Parks fees and

32:06 receipt of the required Certificate of Insurance Fort Sewells to remain open to the public at all times for The Artisans Marketplace, the festival requests the use of Abbott Hall Upper grounds for Artisans Marketplace for following for the following stated dates and times the actual times and space to be determined at a later date in consultation with Kyle Wiley Artisans Marketplace set up Sunday July to noon to 4pm Artisans marketplace hours Monday, July three nine through five PM Tuesday. July four nine am to 4pm breakdown 4 pm to 6PM then the Abbott Hall exhibits the festival request the use of the second floor rabbit hall for exhibits the dates for the festival. Are Saturday July 1 Tuesday, Saturday, July

32:52 1 through Tuesday, July 4th. However, we will also need time for exhibit drop-offs and Pickups before and after these dates. We will coordinate all these items with Kyle old townhouse photography exhibit Festival requests. They use the old townhouse to display the photography exhibit as we have in the past the dates for the festival again, Saturday, July 1 through Tuesday, July 4th. However, we also need time for exhibit drop off and pick up before and after these days. We will Court coordinate all these again with Kyle. Kyle’s going to be busy again. Street Festival Washington Street, the festival requests the use of enclosure of Washington Street from Walker at Rockaway Street to Darling Street allowing foot traffic only for a family Street party with performing arts and children’s activities. We will coordinate this closure with the Marvel head police department, Tuesday, July 4th,

33:39 11:30 am to 3:30 pm. And champagne reception at Fort Sewell the festival request the use of Fort Sewell for the champagne was reception Saturday, June 24th for 10 set up for 10 staging and set up from 9am to five PM Sunday June 25th of the setup and reception from 9am to 9 pm and Monday, June 26th, the breakdown 8 am until finished. Performing Arts at Crocker Park the festival request the use of Crocker Park for Performing Arts and film festivals, including setup and breakdown. Saturday July 1 8 am through Tuesday, July 4th 5pm. We will send a letter to Recreation and Parks requesting these

34:25 dates times. So with that we’ll go ahead and take a vote on that motion on that portion someone. almost in favor unanimous Okay, the second license comprises a liquor license. And here again, the motion is is self-explanatory not as long the motion is to request from the Marblehead Festival of Arts for a one-day liquor license for Sunday, June 25th, 2023 at Fort Sewell, 4:30 pm 7:30 pm subject to the following conditions delivery and receipt by the licensing authority of the required fee delivery of and receipt by the licensing authority of proof that the alcohol will be purchased from an authorized Source proof of

35:10 the applicant can receive proper delivery provide proper storage and dispose of all alcoholic beverages purchased all in accordance with a requirement of General law section 138 liquor liability insurance alcohol is not allowed to be left unintended or stored on the premise overnight that’s gonna require polled vote that motion and the second please okay. So Mr. May in favor, he’s spelled cracker in favor Miss singer Miss Newman you favor, Mr. Green in favor. Okay, that is unanimous. Next item on. Our agenda is the whale auction for the Marblehead Festival of Arts and the Again, the motion is pretty self-explanatory. It’s coming. It’s a request coming in from Cinda

35:57 Romer chair of the Cod whale auction to display artists whales 15 inches high by 55 inches wide during the month of June through July 4th on the lawn of the driveway side of Abbott Hall that’s usually called the training field subject to review and final approval by the Town Administrator and receipt of the required Certificate of Insurance. The town will hold no liability for the artwork or any materials associated with the display all those in favor. All right, that’s unanimous. Our next item is a one-day liquor license from the Marblehead Arts Association. And again, this is a self-explanatory motion with a pulled vote.

36:46 In the motion to be entertained is the request is from James Murphy Marvel had Arts Associated Association for three one day liquor licenses for March 16th. 2023, April 13th, 2023 and May 18 2023 from 6:30 pm to 9pm at the king cooper Mansion 8 who proceed ape Hooper Street for jazz at the Arts performance. Sorry for jazz at the Arts performances subject to the following conditions delivery Heaven receipt by the licensing authority of the required fee of 50 dollars delivery of and receipt by the licensing authority of proof that the alcohol be purchased from an authorized Source proof that the application receive proper delivery proper provide proper storage and disposalic beverages purchased all in accordance with the requirements in general section.

37:33 138 alcohol will be purchased from Cappies importing and Distribution Company second. The singer in favor in favor. Okay, unanimous or the next agenda item 9 is an the Marvel beer wine license from the Marblehead Hotel. Seeking a wine malt beverage license. And the motion, is that the town of Marblehead. I’d like to entertain a motion that the town of Marblehead place a legal notice seeking applications for a section 12 on premise wine and malt beverage license pursuant to Massachusetts General law section.

38:19 138 so moved. Second all those in favor. Oh, no. It’s a pole X is also a pole vote. That is even though it’s not well, it’s it’s actually a legal notice right? It’s not exactly. And it’s not like unless we can do both. Let’s go for it. Let’s then we’re hundred percent exactly.

38:38 In favor. Okay, that’s unanimous. The next is letters of Interest which is fantastic. Always always great from Robert zarelli for the design review board Edward McCarthy for the MBT MBTA Advisory Board and Arnold Cohen for the task force against discrimination. Thank you for for you know for for standing up and offering your yourself to the service of the town. I think what we’d like to do with this is set deadline dates for the

39:14 Today for the Marblehead forever committee cultural Council and design review. So for the Marblehead forever committee is one applicant on file for the cultural Council. There’s one applicant of and for design review. There’s two applicants on file. And what I would propose is that we announce that we have deadlines for further letters of Interest by Friday, March 17th for our review on March 22nd 2023. Does that comport with everybody’s calendar? Just just want to check that this was kind of offered up as a most streamlined.

39:55 The deadlines are the 17th and the select board interview would be March 22. So that’s that Wednesday the third Wednesday Are you? I won’t be here but that’s right.

40:12 That’s right. Just the ones that are here for the

40:17 What we do we’ve got disabilities commission and MBTA advisory. And I think we’ll probably do those at a later date. Or we’ll set them at the next meeting just to keep just to keep a spacing. I mean we could do. I mean we could do if you wanted to if you had felt so if you felt strongly you felt if you felt strongly about doing them all. Yeah. honestly

40:42 I I I’m counting on Kyle frankly to give us this Tempo. So and I think it has to do.

40:53 Okay, so you just randomly took it? Okay. I mean that’s yeah, you just spread loading the the interview process. Yeah, because usually the

41:04 yeah. Okay.

41:09 There’s seven people as opposed to four, you know, I mean, it’s not that it.

41:17 Don’t and it’s not related to when when it was originally posted right because you want to give people the same amount of time.

41:27 Also just suggests maybe even it seems it seemed my conversations with Becky that the MBTA. Advisory committee. I mean, I know that she’s working with the consultant around this. So maybe that could if there’s an order of priorities maybe she would have she would prefer that I don’t want to speak for her. But I know that that you that that is in the work. So the position is the advisory citizen Advisory Board to the larger, so it’s not necessary advisory to it wouldn’t be the group that’s involved in that Consulting. Okay. Okay, okay.

42:06 You know, I think I think it’s just spread loading across two meetings exactly. I mean, it’s if you want to you know, I mean You takes later. Only two weeks later. Yeah, so then the other ones we would do. Okay, you set a date, you know, we’ll set the date sign. I just like I said, I just remembered we those

42:26 came in so that’s good. Let’s go ahead then Kyle. We’ll lock in. 17th for a deadline date for additional applicants and then to interview on the 22nd. So you’re gonna get notifications out to each of the interested parties, that would be great. All right. I think that’s all we’ve got with that. We have the letters of interest that you can. See the expressions of interest that you can see in your folder.

42:55 Okay.

42:59 Now, this is a special. part of the agenda and it’s a request from the Marblehead Rotary Club. to honor Carl Siegel and you know, I’m just gonna

43:17 you know read from the letter that we received that one that Carl was a organizer. He’s Carl just turned 90 years old and he was an organizer and volunteer referee and coach for the Midget Football League. He’s made countless contributions to Marblehead outside of his elected service on the Recreation and Parks Commission and his continued electric service at the water and sewer commissioner as commissioner where he’s serving as the chairperson. And he’s renowned for his fabrication installation of hand carved signs for several of the Town buildings Parks schools and ornate steals signs at the Waterside Cemetery. So Carl’s also known for standing up at elections and and meticulously entering

44:03 in the numbers around that so Carl is an icon in Marblehead and this is really a proclamation to honor him and You know, we’re really pleased to do so you have a any thoughts Jim. It’s fantastic. Yeah. So he’s a real. Special citizen I’ve had the pleasure of getting you know him personally, you know. Even the fact that he’s a you’re a Navy veteran as well. So the motion that we could entertain is to Proclaim Thursday, March 16th, 2023 F Carlton Siegel day in the town of Marblehead and to prepare a proclamation in honor of him. I was

44:50 in favor.

44:52 All right, that’s unanimous. Congratulations Carl. Thank you. Well deserve for all your service and happy birthday next Thursday next Thursday. I thought he’d turn our okay. That’s a big that’s a big number.

45:08 Thatcher let’s see. This is a the

45:15 dangerous dog hearing. Yeah, and if you could give us an update on that, that would be great. So the action to be taken tonight.

45:25 Is the results of a dangerous dog hearing which I held on February 15. Memo the recommendation to the select award. To make a determination that the recommendation is.

45:42 The club issue here as a dangerous dog. and to require that the dog owner follow the requirements of a listed object so I can quickly summarize there was the dog will from 45 Pickwick Road, dog. We had two incidents of dog on dog attack

46:14 As a result of that there was the request for a dangerous dog hearing which was held here. We had the dog owner who was also represented by an attorney a dog attorney. We had some residents who spoke who received the letter from another. individual who was the owner of one of the dogs is attacked but was traveling so submitted a litter a letter and then we had Betsy Krueger who was the Animal control officer also testify and provide information as to the the incidences in the follow-up.

46:56 The process and the the actions the options of actions to be taken as prescribed by law. Chapter 140 sexual 157 dictates the process the the list of possible actions as well as the appeal process. Should be the owner wish to appeal the decision of this board.

47:24 Based on the evidence presented at the hearing and in presented by the Animal control officer recommended by the Animal control officer. What I recommend is that the following conditions the imposed. has allowed by national law 140 section 157 c i through one through five will mean Those those requirements are the name of the dog is Nala that now humanely restrained. So that was a requirement of improving the fencing in the yard putting in Double Gates. Prevent escapes and other requirements inside the house as well as for the art.

48:09 That nalaby confined securely indoors and Outdoors. That’s part of that that when we move from the premises. Of her owner or keep an allele being securely and humanely muzzled and restrained with a chain or other tethering device having a minimum tensile strength of 300 pounds and not exceeding three feet in length. And again, this is exactly as prescribed in Mass General law. So if the dogs being walked it needs to be muzzled and Beyond leashes and restraints that won’t allowed to escape the Nala’s owner provides proof of insurance and amount not less than 100,000 or proof that reasonable efforts were made to obtain such insurance. We have we’ve received a copy of the insurance certificate that

48:55 the insurance has been obtained. That now is owner will provide to the licensing Authority or animal control officer information by which Nala may be identified throughout her lifetime including but not limited photos microchip or vet records. All of these requirements have already been met. They would met before the hearing. Based on conversations with the Animal control officer. the two options for the Declaration Is either as a nuisance dog or as a dangerous dog? I provided in attachment one the definitions of each. Clearly given that was true incidences of attacking dog that it falls under the dangerous dog

49:41 definition. Not the nuisance dog. So that was one of the considerations that it be the nuisance dog

49:53 the next level up of of options on this list under Mass. General law would be to euthanize the dog. based on the information that I had received and and through the hearing and through the reports. I determined that it doesn’t warrant it to go in that level I listed in the memo three reasons why I came to that conclusion one that Nala has shown to be aggressive only to other dogs not to humans. Um that to the Animal control officer advised the hearing. Advise the hearing off. So to me that the owner Miss Rush then had taken full responsibility of knowledge actions paying all medical bills related to

50:40 the attacks. And the owner has voluntarily completed all of the above recommendations prior to the hearing. So consistent with other similar hearings. I’ve done in the past that things I look for is one. You know, there is a in my mind a significant difference of a dog that’s aggressive to humans. Then then to other dogs that is a much greater concern and then the restraints would Alleviate the issues with the other dogs. The other big factor is whether the dog owner responds to do the takes the actions necessary to restrain and contain the dog if the dog owner.

51:26 Was not willing or able to do that then it may you know, Warren a more severe action in order to prevent any future incidences from happening. But in this example, as I said the dog owner has working with the ACO reacted immediately and responded and has met all the requirements. So I’m satisfied with The recommendation of declaring as a dangerous dog and having it remain under the restrictions. I’ve listed above. So with that I ever proposed motion at the bottom of the thank you very much Sasha. It sounds like a good good and fair hearing and outcome here. Any comments questions?

52:14 Two things first. I just wanted to You know kind of acknowledge that the dog. Is understand I understand the dog to be. dog aggressive but it doesn’t mean that somebody wouldn’t be harmed in in that situation and I I feel you know, I think relieve that the owner has been proactive in terms of you know complying quickly with all of the recommendations. And I just wanted to for the sake of those. neighbors and folks kind of concerned about it that you know to be clear under the statute that if the owner is found in violation of an order of this

52:59 order. The dog shall be subject to seizure and empowerment by the law enforcement or animal control officer. They will be forced to immediately surrender to the licensing Authority and the license and tags

53:24 couple of points of clarification when you say additional instances is that in violation of any of these standards? Can you just give me a little Clarity around when you say additionalism? Yeah, so and attachment to is the full section of the law. Yeah. So if there are violations of the conditions or climate there are fines that can be imposed. And and actions that could be taken. So that’s I think there’s a distinction between violating the condition as finds imposed and actually taking that would be separate from another incident which would start another process of Right, if an incident their theoretically there could be an incident

54:12 that happened even though all these conditions were being met. Okay? Yeah. So those are To the state they may both happen hard to imagine but yes.

54:25 and attacks that

54:31 I so make sure I understand as far as like the all of these things we verified everything has been implemented the insurance certificate was received and was there anything else that reported in the hearing? I know we have limitations under what we can recommend based on, you know, the Massachusetts statute, but and was there anything that the owner also anything else the owner did that was brought to the hearing that would help potentially mitigate this from happening, you know in the future like any sort of Behavioral training any sort of other steps that we’re taking that we can’t

55:16 impose but perhaps would act in favor of stopping this problem. Yeah recommendation to do training for the dog, okay. It Is by understand that that’s being followed up I don’t know if it has been accomplished yet or not or will be but okay was very Cooperative on the steps that are described under the law that be imposed as well as additional actions to be taken to prevent any future incidences. Okay? Okay, so that I mean, that’s because I mean sometimes that can make a difference here with situations like this. There’s a restraining but also potential behavioral modification work that might impact

56:02 some sort of real change or difference for in Impact safety, too. Yeah, I will add.

56:10 we had Chief and I oncology was on a receipt. an email from a resident Praising the actions of the animal control officer and how well she handled this whole incident and the work that she put into it. So

56:28 He seems to be the type that this is not the end of any Communications in conversations, you know as part of her duties. She will stay engaged. So she did I think in outstanding job of managing the affair making the recommendations and it’s an emotional. for the whole neighborhood and it’s understandable people emotions fear and she did an outstanding job to navigate that whole process. Get real Clarity from the statue. What is the procedure for ongoing? like observation it’s I’m not totally sure but if other words if the dog is witnessed

57:15 being walked without a muzzle, I’d be called the police and they would follow up and investigate the animal control rights. Proper way that that would be in okay. Okay, just can I just said fines and I just want to clarify. So this these conditions this represents an order issued by the town, correct? Once we prove this vote, right? So

57:45 in under the statute it reads like That age. Yes in Section 8 that a violation of the order. The dog Shelby subject to seizure and empowerment. I’m when we speak about fights. I just want to be like there’s no three strikes like right, I mean When you talk about fines are used are we now if?

58:09 The dog gets out. We’re imposing a fine or we’re or this is a you know. A violation and there’s no Second Chance like, you know because I don’t see that in the statute. I’m gonna absolutely sure I take guidance from both the Animal control officer and our legal council of those matters, but it’s it depends on the severity of the incident as to what

58:39 so if it’s a if it’s a

58:44 I don’t want to give any hypothetical. I mean it would depend on. What the circumstances were why did it happen? But the Animal control officer would I mean the Animal control officer is part of the police department. Would you investigations reports and then because in terms of assessing an actual amount of the fine I don’t know where we would even seek guidance on that because it’s not really. Like I mean unless it’d be like the regular off leash law that everybody faces. So we just our guidance both from ACL and legalists to give the internet. What’s the appropriate?

59:29 Yeah, the law doesn’t speak to that. Clearly right. Well, it says shall be subject to yeah, you know. It doesn’t say anything about fines. That’s what I’m saying. Any other comments Jackie? Jim okay with that. I’d like to entertain a motion to approve declaring the dog resident residing at 45 Pickwick Road known as Nala as a dangerous dog, and that the dog owner be required to follow the requirement of chapter 4 section 157c Roman numeral one through four as one through five. Excuse me. Thank you as recommended above and to notify the dog owner in writing of such. someone second all those in favor actually chapter 149 chapter 4

1:00:14 chapter 140 and they say that section one 50 Cent. I did a zero, okay.

1:00:24 I think you guys better I think you guys miss heard me. I think that that’s chapter one 40 section 157. Okay. Thank you. Thank you very much. Appreciate it. Okay on the next. Oh, we didn’t vote yet. We’ll see you got me all thinking about the next sorry. Okay. Can we we have a motion and a second and all those in favor?

1:00:48 Sorry, I just wanted to make sure understood the regulation. Okay.

1:00:54 Okay, so the next is for a contract relating to the pavement Management program of Engineering Services. And I think the vote or the motion is looks like it’s pretty self-explanatory. That you want to provide a little color on that. Yeah, if you’d like, yeah.

1:01:20 Pretty I have it’s contracts. Yeah, I know we yeah, well we can read it, but it’d be good to get it for people to hear I suppose. Yeah, I mean if you want to give a quick close to the laptop.

1:01:42 Yeah, so this is another piece in the whole pavement management. We’re still working with article 11 in the idea to get as many streets what we’re really trying to do this in the coordinated orderly fashion. So you’ve already approved the sidewalk review which is going to give us a pedestrian master plan. And now we are putting the getting some support services for development. And maintenance of a five and ten year Capital plan for the pavement management. This plan is going to include utility coordination complete streets in The Pedestrian plan all so any kind of comments that we are collecting along the way they will be attending meetings and preparing some

1:02:28 documents for presentations. We’ll get planning level project estimates. they’ll be attending public meetings if they’re required to developing bid documents for our annual Paving and our preservation program, which is the part we Will on yeah. collecting build data updating our GIS roadmaps And giving us some field training if you reports and also. prioritization Matrix So this is all to be done with Paving a street and Hope. Gas has been completed in water and sewers.

1:03:10 That is a great debrief. Thank you very much. Appreciate it. Thank you.

1:03:26 Well, okay. Let me read the motion then we can if there any questions. That self explanatory. The motion is toward a one-year contract to provide professional Engineering Services Support Services. The right professional engineering support services for pavement Management program to environmental Partners Group LLC Suite 402 1900 Crown Colony Drive Quincy, Mass. 02169 in the amount of $100,000. And zero sense and authorize the chair to sign the contract on behalf of the board. the motion so moved Okay, and second and any discussion. I just spoke, right Yeah, I address please and you just mentioned

1:04:14 in the summary. I was just looking in here.

1:04:19 With the bullet points just working in connection with this process with some of the other projects, you know that are in town like you I’m trying to find in here you listed complete streets and some of what were the other projects that that’s utility coordination and The Pedestrian master plan that’s being developed from our sidewalk review.

1:04:43 This is a knotwixi. One, right, okay.

1:04:50 And did you say coordination with the complete streets project? Did you have? Sent the complete streets. Discussions that they have in the town and the tablet that they’ve made the table that they’ve made with included that so that they become part of their review also. So that work will. Just bear with me piece of the Matrix will go towards tell me if I’m right and we’ll go with the engineering for the for the environmental partners that information will go to them. information will

1:05:35 be forward to it’s already been sent to them. But okay as they’re putting together that prioritization Matrix or they’re doing the planning and the design work for any of the projects. Okay. So we’ll be reviewed again Marvel has difficult time. Yes is like as they were okay, so it’s basically, you know, you have the pavement management plan the complete streets like you’re having the overlap. This will be sent as part of this engineering to try to merge these things together and then they’re going to give that and then what is the this is it says both of five and ten year Capital plan for payment management. Is this this part included in that?

1:06:22 Yes, the support services to be like an umbrella over all the pieces that we do so to bring all the pieces that we’re all working on at the DBW. Which yeah. Yeah. There’s a lot of information. Yeah being Gathering. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, we’ve started down and yeah. Yeah, I’ve changed Direction because yeah discussions with the gas company. Right? Right. So this the idea here is to Lodge that all together make it a comprehensive, you know as possible and to add in the sidewalk piece is what you said, right? Okay, and that was the piece that way we’re still working through and we’re still waiting for The Pedestrian master plan. Maybe they’re still collecting that on. Right now from the the contractor that

1:07:09 we have yet to yes, and that’s what they said. I’d tell meaning last year that they would okay, so that’s not back yet, but that will go. with this Right, so they’re all collecting that information so we should have that report. product to this and then

1:07:27 that producer master plan will go as far as like we’ll go towards those pavement Management program. So all of those should be comprehensive in part of this report that we get back that hits on all of those areas. That’s the whole. Yeah. That’s the way it’s funded as well. Okay, that’s what we’re pushing for. Okay, we want to really have some an outside firm that has gives us accountability to How we’re moving forward? with those

1:08:00 I’ve talked about here about the general effort to to do better coordination for all these projects that are in our streets and sidewalks. Right. Yeah, you’ve got a lot of a lot of entities that are doing work. And so we talk about better coordination and I mentioned Amy Stewart a great job of that coordination, especially if you want our school projects in Highway projects. This is the detail not some bolts that actually makes that coordination happen. This is the tool. For Amy and her team to actually do precise coordinate. Yeah, and then we’re maximizing our resources, which is absolutely what we want to be doing right now. So that’s great. Yeah this the doll is

1:08:44 been here, right?

1:08:47 We spend yeah, it’ll save us from that. Yeah. Yeah. No, I think it’s good. Okay. Sorry to Joel you down. I just want to make sure. I mean and again, this is a huge task. So. You know, we don’t want to see Atlantic Ave. Again, wherever you pay the Atlanta Gavin then we have a lot of gas leaks right? So, you know, we’re really pushing the gas company and get down the street. But as soon as they go down and water needs to go down so, you know, some streets are years out from having that final pavement and that’s where the preservation part will come in. And the trench work that will be getting and when like, what would you see as the timeline of getting this back? Like what is the timeline? You know, when do you see the master plan coming in from the pavement? Like when do you see when you when would you for see having this?

1:09:35 Like if this gets approved? When would you see would you know that all this works supposed to be done in a year?

1:09:43 Like the calendar year like December 2023 or like March 2024 from when it sucks. So whenever we get this at all, okay, so that we signed it then it’s a 12 month return and this we do you have a projection on when this is coming in the payment master plan.

1:10:02 I don’t have a date when it’s coming in, but that was signed in over. So it should that one is also YouTube. by October Okay, unless you see me here asking for an extension. Okay? Okay, the weather has actually been really good this year for all of the data collections, right? It’s still on quite well and Miles. Okay, okay. Thank you, Alexa. Anybody anybody else? I think just just managing the trenching or sequencing the trenching is going to save a lot on the life of the road. So this is this huge. Is huge yeah. All right. So with that we’ve already taken the motion. We just all those in favor.

1:10:48 Thank you. Unanimous. Yes voting. I know sorry. I couldn’t I couldn’t tell I was waiting. Yeah. Thanks so much. Amy. Okay. Next is the

1:11:01 has to do with the Village Street bridge design and permitting. That’s an update.

1:11:12 Work that needs to be done. to replace the Village Street bridge that was cleared obsolete many many years ago and is a concern in which is significant weight limit requirements and we have between fire trucks and trash trucks and recycling that it is a concern so Um this we have succeeded to get a project number from Mass Highway. To our mascot to get this in the tip process the transportation approval plan process this contract with GPI. These are the folks that do the design work and the

1:11:58 permitting and the navigating of the process through the check process. Um, so the overall project that we call someone that’s 25 3 million dollar range, but the ACT we pay for the design and permitting at the local level and when it gets approved under the tip project the state pays for the actual replacement of the bridge. That’s a good leverage. Yes opportunity the way to do business. hundred percent hundred percent Okay, thank you Thatcher. I’d like to entertain a motion to approve a contract between the town of Marblehead and Greenman Patterson Inc GPA for Engineering Services for the design and permitting of Villa Street bridge in the amount not to exceed 397,290.42 and

1:12:49 to authorize the shared son of a half of the board. So moved second second all those in favor. thing, right Great, okay. The next item item 15 on our agenda is the Juneteenth flag raising. And so we’ve received a letter from Candice liny who’s a member of the Marblehead task force against discrimination and they’d like to formally ask the select boards approval to conduct the ceremony on Wednesday, June 14th. And they’ll have a drumming and storytelling. And some formal speeches as part of the celebration. So with that.

1:13:31 like to entertain a motion for the request from Candice slyney task force against discrimination to use Abbott Hall on Wednesday, June 14th, 2023 from 4:30 to 6:00 pm. for the third annual Juneteenth flag raising ceremony

1:13:50 I was in favor. unanimous right

1:13:56 And we have a donation.

1:14:01 And a request that we accept this donation. and Thatcher, if could you give us some color on this really quickly because I’m

1:14:19 often the Donate massages for members of the police department do you go and okay those services so it’s a gift to the town. Accepted okay.

1:14:41 All right. I’d like to entertain a motion to accept as a gift of the town. For one hour massages from a resident and put in the care and custody of the police department. Second, but any any discussion sure. Is this did we check like reach out to Legal around like waivers or anything with regard to? This type of thing. It’s just kind of unusual. So I mean you I mean I love massage and I you do have to waver and sign your you know, sign your life sign your life over and and there’s I mean, I’m sure that that individual massage therapist, assuming is professional and would have those waivers. But I guess maybe we would be wouldn’t hurt to reach out to legal in terms of whether we would

1:15:27 also need as a town a waiver. The way I understand this. This is like receiving the gift certificate and so it would be the officers that do it would just receive the services as a member of the public would you know? As the public it’s just at no cost. To the members of the department who? And I guess is it considered an accepting of a gift or kind of thing? There’s are there are rules around it. I it would just be my recommendation. We would reach out to Legal about it. Because there are a lot of stuff around accepting of gifts monetary or otherwise, I think there is there’s a statutory limit right? I think it’s $50 worth of value. I can’t remember but it’s probably that. Yeah, I mean massages are expensive now.

1:16:12 I think it’s great. I’m just I just you know, I I would be remiss not to mention it.

1:16:20 You want to table this motion or for next summer? Do we want to go and take a vote on it subject to let’s do subject too. Perfect. Okay. Thank you. All right, so, let me just see. subject to clarification from cloud Council It’s really generous. It’s nice. From what? subject to

1:16:50 they’re very like thank you. Yeah, so that exactly right Chief. Okay, if somebody clarification and

1:17:01 uptown that’s right. Okay. So the motion reads as follows to accept again, I’ll read it again. Motion entertain to accept as a gift to the town for one hour massages from a residence and put in the care and custody of the police department subject to clarification and to the satisfactory and to the satisfaction of the Town Administrator. So move the amended motion.

1:17:28 all those in favor Okay. Thank you. Okay, this is a surplus equipment. motion to declare such equipment as Surplus from the Marblehead Police Department motion is pretty self-explanatory to motion to declare the following items as Surplus and no longer needed for municipal purpose so that it may be disposed of in accordance with the town’s policy on Surplus equipment at 2017 Ford Interceptor, and I think I have to read the VIN number. It’s number. ifm5k8ar5hg c90259 and

1:18:16 in 2008 Ford Explorer VIN number one f m e u 7 3 e 6 8 ub28575 all those in favor okay, unanimous

1:18:37 and the motion hears to to

1:18:42 sack it to to approve the minutes from February 1st, 2023 and February 8th 2023. So there’s contained in your package. I have a second. all those in favor Okay, unanimous. All right. Now what I’d like to do we’re up on.

1:19:09 We are now on our eye on our agenda here. We would typically move into public comment. But what I’d like to do is to put the public comment after the Town Administrator update. And that update involves, you know kind of a status report on where we are with the budgeting process in particular and we’ve kind of closing out the numbers for the year. That’s true if you would go ahead. Sure, so in the memo.

1:19:42 IR one

1:19:48 Good news our new Finance director started on Monday. Alicia Benjamin who’s here?

1:19:56 Yay, and I was so happy when she came back on Tuesday. So lots of work to be done, but we’re very pleased. Some things she’s working. I should accelerating the implement. ation clear God that’s our budgeting building software as I spoken about there is There’s data that needs to be loaded into it which a significant amount has but there’s still more to be done. There is training. There’s setting up of you know, for example the the other department heads have been invited in

1:20:42 to send up their user accounts then they need to be set up to be assigned their departments which gives them access to, you know, the the financial data for their departments and I couldn’t figure out how to make that happen. So Alicia who is has already experiencing clear about working elsewhere is making all those things happen. So we’re pleased to get that that tool in place as quickly as we can. She’s also.

1:21:16 Working with our other finance department folks the the town treasure collector working with our accounts management again, we’ve talked about in the past about you know, the the large number of accounts. Although trust funds have been donated getting that more manageable under control. So really working with treasure collected to our new Treasurer collector to really bring that that area up to speed working with the the town account. One of the big area that I know I ran into is doing my partner. All of this is we’re looking at our chart of accounts. The way Marvel head has set up its counting line items and such

1:22:01 I’m not and I’m not a finance person. So I don’t know what the exact way. It should be. It just needs to be better than I think we’ll but I’ve been working with so she’s you know working with the account on that. We’re also looking at

1:22:19 new software to replace softer ideas are general ledger software this it has other components and then there are other applications that we use to do different Financial functions. Cash management or Collections and such. So there’s a I’ll describe it’s just a mishmash of different applications that have been brought on board over the years.

1:22:45 Some that are very effective some that probably need updating. What we’re looking at is software a more Enterprise level software that handles all of the financial functions of the town and basically a single package or different modules to one package the benefit to that or one of the great benefits is that any transaction in any part of one module flows through to the rest of the modules and ultimately into the general ledger rather than the requirement to export Import in some cases. We have to transfer data by printing out and retyping You know, we need to get all these systems. Are you know talking to each designing to talk

1:23:32 to each other? So anyway, that’s the type of work that that she’s doing. One of the things Alicia is accomplished. I think it was day two here was to identify and secure 241,897 in outstanding FEMA reimbursements for covid that Marblehead was eligible for us. So that’s crazy. She’s already paid for herself for a few years on second day in the judges. That’s outstanding. Alicia way to make a way to make a bang. That’s really great. So

1:24:13 much much work coming in the finance staff next item. The governor’s locally members were released. Again at the state level for the state budget. The governor will be the first one to release a budget that goes to the house as part of that budget. She released the local Aid numbers. So for Marblehead, the bottom line is where and again this is only the first step in multiple steps before there is a final approved voted at the state level of what our actual final numbers will be. So what we do as a municipality in building budget we watch

1:25:00 e house in the Senate do and we try to guess to the best of our abilities where where the final number May land so Just understand as part of the process. But according to the governor’s locally numbers are net total increase on local Aid is 85,145 not a lot a big change. The number is made up of a number of increases in some areas decreases in other areas on the revenue side. So this is our Cherry sheets. So I think what a lot of people Miss is the cherry sheet, which is our local Aid. That’s the money that the state is. Sending down to cities and towns and there’s a whole bunch of categories under that. So each of those individual categories summer

1:25:46 up somewhere down. Back when it was paper on the back side of the sheet or the assessments to cities and towns or or sometimes called a chargebacks for services the state provides that we then have to pay back. And so there’s a list of items categories on that summer up somewhere down. So it’s a bunch of moving numbers up and down. But again the the total net result 85,145. I tried to break out the numbers between those categories that are focused on the school side of things in those that are in the general town that the net result of the schools have a net increase of 77,632.

1:26:34 And again, I I think that the revenue coming in is a net decrease. Right chapter 70s up a bit, but the some other items are actually reduced but on the chargeback side, they it came out ahead. So so again net 77,000 and change on the town side our net increases 7,513 dollars. Same story some some items are up somewhere down. Some Chargers are up some charges are done. So again next step it’ll go to the house. They’ll do their proposed budget send to the Senate Center proposed budget. Ultimately the the final numbers are decided. In conference committee will be three house members three Senators. So getting get in a room.

1:27:21 The jewels would be locked. It’d be lots of noise and then at some point they come out with agreed upon numbers and then that’s ultimately let’s get gets photos sent to the governor for approval or veto. in that case, so that’s the update on that. We’ll update as the next round of number. finally a budget process update as we’re pushing through to develop the fiscal 24 budget the effort continues at this point. The Departments have submitted their budgets back to me for their budget requests. And so in totaling up the all of the requests.

1:28:09 for fiscal 24 by the Departments as well as some of the town I items for example love like health insurance, you know GIC put out. I think there’s 5.2 or 5.7 forget the exact percent increase. So I’ve applied that General number to to the line item in reality on the health it the actual numbers depended on each individual health plan under the GIC what their rates change. Times how many employees active and retirees are in each of those plans? To calculate that out to get a truer number of what our health costs may be that will then change because open enrollment starts

1:28:55 and employees will be able to migrate from one plan to another depending on what happens to the prices of the plans. They’re in and other circumstances. So the point being is, you know, we as we get this information update we will continue to refine the numbers to get a more accurate to what we expect them to be but the point being is Thus far in totaling the numbers up. We’re looking at having to reduce the department head request somewhere between two and two point five. I might say two and two point two five million dollars in in reductions. so

1:29:40 we have meeting scheduled. Tomorrow and Friday, I have blocks big blocks of time and Kyle has worked with the individual department heads to to come in and sit down and going through those numbers working with the the finance committee chair Ally goosby who’s been doing? We’ve had lots of conversations lots of coordination as they’re you know, they’ve develop a schedule to go through their process.

1:30:11 there as best as much as the calendar allow is is give us as much time as as we We as they can give us to get to our process on the town side. The challenge as I spoken about before is we were had no staff or short staffed. We plug, you know, folks are now filling the seats. So that’s that’s helping. Our information system is is a real challenge to get get the data out of format in the way that we can actually look at historical data for the purpose of building the budget. So it’s been a bit of a slack but we are we are making progress and in the intent is to meet the schedule the finance committee.

1:30:57 To have the department heads. Have the ability to have bottom line numbers to create a balanced budget based on the revenues that we estimate that we have at this time. So that’s that’s where we’re

1:31:14 objective is a real objective is to Define. What a structural deficit is we know we have a structural depth. What we want to do is really drill in in.

1:31:29 Determine what? Number really is what what’s the structural deficit? So in that Journey looking at how we’re you know, estimating receipts, you know revenues how looking at those numbers looking at, you know, the the true costs of the services that we we are providing right say that the services that the people of Marvel head have been receiving and expect to receive to really drill in the numbers to Define. What’s up, you know, what’s what’s the true cost for these services in use those numbers to determine a structural deficit? Again, as said many times our goal is to develop a balanced budget

1:32:18 balance to the revenues that we have.

1:32:22 Defining what the structural deficit is determining. What’s the true cost to provide the services that we’ve traditionally been providing in Marblehead the difference between whatever it takes to get down to that Revenue number. And what we determine is a you know, real cost of providing the services we’ve been providing. that Delta is what we term is a structural deficit and that using that information to inform. all of you and and other participants as to discussion of what would you know a proposed override look

1:33:07 like so this is critical information. That’s that’s needed to have that that conversation.

1:33:15 One of the big goals in this whole process and one of the big challenges that’s causing. The challenges we’re facing is is heavy Reliance on free cash.

1:33:27 Excuse me. Um again the current year. It’s up to 10.5 million dollars. So that’s 10% Relying on on free cash to cover 10% of the cost of the operating budget That’s not healthy. So we need to get off that Reliance. I in the memo I I point out that the the technical assistance Bureau of the Mass Department of Revenue. Has their their guidance as to what you know, how a community should handle free cash a community should strive to generate free cash in an amount equal to three three to five percent of its annual budget. So so let’s call it five million dollars based on the hundred, you know a little over a

1:34:12 hundred. So somewhere around five minutes. We should be generating a free cash. We have been January more than that, but that that free cash and only be used for non-recurring revenues non-record. It’s should be considered a non-recurring revenue source and should only be used for one-time expenditures funding capital projects or replenishing other Reserves. So you should never count on you know, regular Supply free cash. We want to get to you know, that standard generating be it five million or whatever, you know that around that percentage. But that should be as a reserve that gets carried from year to year. And when when the good times come and

1:34:59 we generate more than that in free cash then that Those funds could be available for one-time projects efforts or sending to reserve funds or other type funds. precaches considered an unrestricted Reserve and your other accounts Reserve funds and special accounts are reserved our restricted Reserves. There is a distinction or certifying free cash.

1:35:32 My intention is for this year. What I don’t want to rely on is building a budget waiting to see what our free cash will be certified at and and plugging that and we have to get off of that. cycle For one not show when we’re going to be able to certify free cash. And we need to be making decisions probably sooner than the free cat. What I intend to do is is working with the finance folks to try to get a a free cash number. That is safe. Meaning that we’re highly confident that it will be certified at least that level. Set a number and say that’s the number we’re plugging in. As a revenue source for building our budget

1:36:20 in 2024. And then the balance budget the balance budget right for 2024 to lock that number. We’re not going to wait for the certification if If and when we get certified free cash that’s above that number that just rolls into the next year. It’s free cash. The proper way. We should be should be doing it and by the intent is by setting a number. Is then in the next each successive year work to reduce that free cash number down until we can get down to zero. You know, if we let’s just hypothetically said five million is the free cash number we’re plugging in. The intent would be next year will make it four three two one

1:37:06 and really wean us off of the the free cash. Wagging and put Marblehead on a more stable course going forward for building budgets. So that’s thank you update. Thank you very much Thatcher. And you know, I know there may be deliberation points and questions here. Okay about what Thatcher just said, but I would like there’s two things. I like to say that say that kind of dovetail into what Thatcher has just said. Number one. I’d like to have kind of an exploratory discussion tonight about about the overrides, you know with the members of the board tonight. Okay. Now it’s just really exploratory. You

1:37:53 can tell it’s still a little it’s still a little bit early. And we have had individual conversations that you know that I think can kind of give substance to that exploratory conversation. The other thing I want to say is that we will have a forum where we’ll be able to have an interactive conversation with the with the people of Marblehead. Okay. So tonight there is public comment, but I don’t want to make it into a debate at this point. This is really for us to kind of flesh out. You know, what we’re you know what we’re thinking in terms of of a potential override strategy. So You know what? I’d like to do in setting up that this kind of discussion is say a couple of things and it kind of dovetails into

1:38:39 what Thatcher has been talking about. And now whatever you say about the town. Okay, the Town has been Stellar in delivering audits award-winning audits. Okay from the certain, you know certificate of achievements for excellence and Reporting from the GF away and that’s been continuous since 2011. Okay. We have a triple A rating which means that all those dastardly investment bankers who rip who rip spreadsheets and pnl’s apart Dean that we have a rating that is, you know equivalent to to treasuries which is pretty good. Now having said that there are two principle weaknesses, you know one is there’s a Reliance on decentralized spreadsheets. Okay, which is as we

1:39:26 know it’s inefficient and it’s also highly subject to turnover. You know, it’s we we’re vulnerable to turn over and we know that that’s happened. And as as Thatcher really clearly pointed out the other the other weakness we have is reliance on free cash. Okay, and I do want to say since I since I’ve been through that period a lot of that was enabled by the fact that we had. You know, what I like to call the proposition two and a half Paradigm, which we executed very very well over a long period of time which basically means you know inflation was between one and two percent. We took all the volatility out of the piano through very smart, you know fund mechanisms and we’re able to trundle along and it was it was fine, you know, but we did neglect, you

1:40:11 know, we have to say now so, you know upgrades to our capacity to do to do budgeting Okay, so

1:40:24 You know spreadsheets we basically have had two kind of stress tests on this. Okay, the first stress test we we had was with the with the gfoa budgeting process that the select board drove in 2020 and 21 under another Town Administrator. Now, we got the award but it was painful and brutal and we couldn’t really replicate it. So that was the first real stress test. All right, we passed it, but not not well, okay. The second stress test was the turnover of people in the finance department and that has been and that has been super tough, especially through the covid period you know, so we’ve we’ve had some real issues here. And of course the solution is right right for you here, it’s you know that your keys and and Alice, Alicia.

1:41:11 Not only Benjamin and and the tenacious people the finance department who’ve hung in there through this really tough period so, you know, we’re we’re really in the process of instituting sweeping technological reform and it’s it’s long over to we do have to acknowledge that and the goal really is kind of real time taxpayer. Transparency and understanding of the financial condition of the town. I mean, that’s the goal and I you know, however it may take us a while, but that’s ultimately why we’re making these Investments and I think we’ve got the team to do it. So I’m super excited about it. On the free cash, you know, that’s the other component here. Thatcher has been very very clear. and

1:41:58 you know, it’s a it’s a particular animal of Municipal Finance. Right? It’s like you don’t experience it with your checking account. I mean, it’s really hard to understand it. It’s basically kind of an approach, you know, as you explained an appropriation. It’s on spent. It’s unrestricted, but it’s like, okay. So how does it get generated? It’s not really cash. It’s really a Delta between your projected revenues and expenses and you kind of create it and as I said in the prop 2 and a half Paradigm, we could we could get away with that but it’s not really cash and we know it’s not really cash because we just hit the wall this year, right? So that’s that’s really the issue. Um, and you know, I think the solution to that and we’ve long envisioned this because we set up a stabilization Fund in 2020 21, I think under right and and that’s stabilization fund

1:42:45 acts like a cash, you know, like saved cash in the account. Okay. It’s also important to note that the stabilization fund is Um, you know, it cannot be accessed unless there’s a majority super majority. I think Super majority of town meetings. So the money’s there but it’s the people’s money right? It’s the people’s fund and you know, so I think what we want to do is we want to lower our Reliance on free cash. So that stabilizes at three to five percent and we want to increase the state of the profile the stabilization fund and bring it up into the sunlight. So everybody can, you know can see it at town meeting. So that’s that’s kind of the you know the goal and You know, I mean see what you’re doing. What we’re

1:43:32 doing right now is we’re really undergoing a paradigm shift because we’ve got hit by covid turnover Systems Failing and and we’re and we’re unfortunately responding to that but I think we’re responding it to it to it. Well, and I think ultimately we’re gonna get a full picture, you know of our financial condition. There’s no question in my mind. There’s you know, we’ve done that in the past and in an award-winning way, right? I’d like to get to the point where we’re also doing, you know, we’ve done it we do it on the audit side like to do it on the budget side. I don’t know that we’re going to be able to do it for this past year, but we certainly will, you know next time so with that.

1:44:12 As background there have been a couple of ideas and they’re real simple and they kind of fall out from our discussions one is we do an override for the structural deficit, right? And the other is we attack free cash right away, and we do an override to fund our stabilization fund. Okay, that’s Those are two ideas that seem to be and it’s not just select board members that I’ve got. You know that we’ve talked to but there’s other folks in town.

1:44:43 and yeah, I mean that’s pretty much it because the override of the structural deficit is kind of low-hanging fruit. It’s what we plug to ensure that we don’t make any Cuts, you know next year.

1:44:59 And the oh and the end and I think we are going once we get our systems installed. It’s really buying it sometimes once we get our systems installed, we’re not prepared to do a multi-year presentation of advisor right now, right? We don’t have the systems to be able to do a multi-year in the time frame that we have. So the idea is to plug that deficit and have a little bit of cash on hand as a buffer. Get our systems installed get the teams in place and then do a more sophisticated multi-year presentation of the budget going forward. Okay now There’s also a lot of variables in the variables are we don’t know what the inflationary environment is. We don’t know what the and that’s really a big driver of what a multi-year budget would look like and we don’t know we might have to do multiple.

1:45:48 You know and you look at the inflation picture and adjust every year because of inflation keeps cranking along at eight to ten percent. I mean things are going to you know, really really change. And so I think we what we’re trying to do is build in the institutional capacity to respond when we need to in an override situation. Okay. So those are those are the thoughts I have are there any other thoughts? Point yes information and The for you throughout two points one was the override structural deficit and two add Clarity to what you said again because I was writing and didn’t pick up on that for the stabilization when you were just throwing out different options. What was the second? I mean, they’re just two. Yeah, I mean one is this idea that we want to wean ourselves off a free cash, right and therefore fun

1:46:35 the stabilization account and what that does it gives us it gives us a little cushion for the following fiscal year that we have at the ready. We may not depending on that. We you know We’ll have to think about how much we want to put in there right or you know, what’s kind of a and we’ll get guidance from from Alicia and and that you’re saying that I’m sorry. I just misunderstand. No. No, it’s a stabilization as a Either or no? No, yeah, I’m sorry. No. No what I I think I think we’re proposing. Okay one plug the gap. To get a buffer and get a buffer and and put those into those two overrides to the to the citizens of

1:47:21 Marblehead. Okay, that makes more sense. I just wanted to make sure when I was taking no, I think we’re achieving two objectives, right? Yeah, we’re giving ourselves run room to Running Room to install the to get the institutional capability right to to move forward on the one hand and on the other hand, we’ve got to stabilization fun that will very definitely make the statement that we’re getting ourselves off for free cash, and we want to bring bring that process up into you know into indivisibility for the town. Yeah. So yeah, that’s those are the kind of the I mean any other ideas? Yeah, welcome. I mean it’s kind of like it’s like it’s like the I guess they’re two solutions to the primary screaming problem that we have. you know, I think it just kind of falls out pretty naturally but you know that those are those are those are

1:48:07 the thoughts as I say, but You know and again this is a preliminary discussion, right? And I think I think we should really open up for feedback that we will do that. We need participation. But I think right now this gives us something to chew on and and think about and and perhaps get you know specific reaction, too. I just got some point of information just Clarity a couple things and So you gave the GIC insurance information that was one of my questions and then I’m just going to my list.

1:48:44 And I believe this is part of it but part of the discussion as you know, we also need to factor in the increase of the cost for unemployment as part of like as an issue there. in for the

1:49:01 recommendation in regards to free cash which is listed for you know that you put the definition that was here again, which is great and for menace’s Department of Revenue and they’re talking about stabilization funds as well like we Should be aiming for that 5% as a minimum like we set it up. We’ve opened it. We’ve been starting to fund it great and that you know, that’s kind of the goal for that as well. And then I think it’s important to note to just you know, those were looking through these things that there’s other options too for stabilization that we can look at to allocate for planning purposes, which fall under that transition for you know, as Moses did mention with

1:49:48 been successful on the audit side, you know, but working to you know, just do even better with the you know, the budget side. I think those things would fall into play and I think one of the other things which is part of this like solution focused approach is you know, and for the public as well to understand that, you know things such as

1:50:14 Getting the people in place that we’ve talked about and also I think which Moses commented on but and the systems in place meaning the systems help Safeguard. So with human resources and the fact that people do what you know, people turn over in those types of things once we can get the people and the systems in place and that helps add some level of protection and I think not only get in the systems in place, but developing a plan overall where we are looking at replacing the systems. At the level that and at the time periods that then we’re keeping up with it, you know to help alleviate. You know coming back and you know having to redo some of that. So one of the questions that I have just

1:51:01 in your note here when it says when you’re determining the calculating the difference in regards to the revenue available including free cash. So, you know, I know last year we spent 10 million when like what what’s the balance that you’re putting into that and where you know, and this is probably you know, a board discussion. But like what that balance is what I’m actually allocating of what there is into, you know, a stabilization fun. Like obviously we put you know amount before but into balancing this year, you know making this year versus putting some of that into a stabilization now

1:51:46 right like so you you put that in there as a number to get to the Delta but what how much was that number? Look in your presentation. You said eight I thought right? Yeah.

1:52:05 I’m trying to get into the deep more detail level of what’s generating the free cash. And what is just an accounting method that you know rather than categorize it as a certain receipt of the local receipts is the example where the local your local receipts all your fees and all that that was Collective was significantly more bald compared to the actions and it generated a lot of free cash. so in the current budget, which was built last year, there was a about a 1.5 million dollar increase in the estimate which brings it just that much

1:52:51 closer to the actual. So what I’m trying to differentiate is and determine and now that leash is here to sit down with her as the finance trained person to work through these and I’ve had discussions with some others in the finance area. How much of the free cash is it just categorizing it and I would say or appropriately let’s call local receipts local receipts. Let’s estimate what they are the methodology I plugged in for now and I It’s the reaction I got is a good one is I looked at the last three years of actual receipts times 95% of that So I need to be a little bit conservative. Right but

1:53:37 I use that number use that as local receipts as the number going forward which now posts that as a revenue. Rather than showing up later as a free cash. So that means cash is going to be reduced that much for the next year because it’s already being accounted for that is different. Right then trying to determine what’s the I guess organic free cash that all municipalities. Need to and should generate based on just normal conservative budgeting right approach and figure out where does that put us? If we change the methodology we’re using of deriving free cash. That the concern I think what Moses are referring to

1:54:23 about a stabilization fund by next year. Is that if we’re we’re making these changes. It has it may have a positive impact on this year or the 2024 because it shows up as a Red Roof. But but all sudden there’s much less free cash. That’s a negative impact on the following year. So we need to calculate sort of bridging, you know. Like over two-year period the changes we make this year. What impact does it have? on our revenues next year as we make these changes and so There’s work to be done to drill in and again separate items that are just posted, you know have been posted differently versus organic free

1:55:10 cash number, but again overall. Get out of the you know using that as a revenue source. And using in the way is as DUI has suggested right? Thank you. So I guess I still don’t have Clarity around this number for including free cash. Like obviously there’s what we’ve done historically there’s okay. This is where we’re trying to A pivot but I’m talking about this year specifically and where this number is deriving from. Like that’s my question. So when you’re talking about limited to the revenue available including free cash, right? So

1:55:56 and you know, so if we took that out if we took that out of this equation, then that number that we would need to that Delta would be very different significantly if we said, you know, and I’m not advocating for this. I’m just make point of information. Like if we said we’re not going to utilize any free cash to get to that point that number would be significantly more. So there is a number that we are using that’s what I’m asking.

1:56:27 say I don’t have

1:56:31 that I need more analysis and crunching to Before having a number that put in there definitely a definite number, right? I need to have I need to be confident and backed up by the finance people like yep that looks like that can happen because I don’t want to right and that’s my concern too in this process. Like yeah, we I want to like there’s multiple levels of concern with this process. But that’s one of them like that that number let’s say we just the numbers six and we say we’re gonna use three, you know, then that that that’s a good number and then you know, are we you know how we’re then we deciding let’s I’m just throwing an idea out there. If we were to say, you know that there’s you know, six million for example, and we were to utilize three as a

1:57:17 revenue source and we were to utilize three to put in a stabilization fund. For example this year versus next year. Like these are all discussion items, but I guess that’s my concern is when this is listed. What is that number? That’s where you’re saying. We’re not sure yet. I just you know, I’m gonna completely spitball here take the chance. It’s a little bit but I think what that just told you is that because the local receipts issue there’s about as I remember 1.5 to 2 million. Decrease in free cash available to balance this year’s budget. Okay. That’s what we meant. When we hit the wall because we’re spending all that. So let’s just say as a matter of example, we went from 10 million last year to bounce back and now we’re at eight right we hit the wall. We can’t cover our you know

1:58:05 our expenditure numbers. So that’s that’s the problem and we knew we would get there even though you got a big cash for you have to use all of the money, you know, you can’t just and then you get and then it gets rebuilt every year you see? Yeah. So right so it’s it’s but it’s a very kind of you know, you don’t want to rely on that for you know for an ongoing operating thing at all. Yeah. Yeah. So my understanding of the way that this is laid out is we’re saying we’re going to Use that as a revenue Source in this budgeting proposal, but how much were you using if we’re using all of it half of it portion of it? I mean, obviously there’s the you know, there’s the mass Revenue recommendation of how we’re supposed to utilizing that

1:58:50 but then my question is, what are we doing? So

1:58:56 So we’re not going to go to zero in one year. So yeah, because that’ll just

1:59:04 So it’s one determining what is an appropriate number for this year and then start an orderly in an orderly fashion decreasing over the number of years and and be able to project and plan for that and again as most referred to the tools that we’re putting in place. replacing the disparate spreadsheets that are all over different people’s systems it it these are tools that are designed to help municipalities to do those projections and to one to do the calculations and projections do it easily so that we’re not building formulas as such to to generate and Report different scenarios so that we can look at different options and three

1:59:50 through the transparency module push that out to the general public so that they can also see what these scenarios and in the finances are so in all of that’s not going to happen all at once. We’re building it to make the capability. This is I guess I’d call this fiscally of the beta year for us. It’s going through the pain of learning uploading setting it up. Through this budget process so that we roll into the next budget process will be we will be in a far better place. But but I think if I understand, you know to the main question, it’s it’s

2:00:33 doing some calculations. trying to figure out what is a reliable number that once we plug it in that we can hold to it that we’re not going to get certified cash below that amount because that blows it up. in that you know, what’s the the overall impact on? What we’re trying to achieve, so we’re trying to make some. structural changes to how we’re building the finances before we pull on a certain string and pull it out. We need to be absolutely clear. What is the impact of doing that before? We actually do it? That’s the delay of having, you know sitting here now having specific numbers is knowing.

2:01:19 What happens if we build up budget based on that number say for free cash what happens and play it out? now we have Personnel on board that are trained and certified and experienced in doing that type of work. Right to say as we’re starting to Pivot. What is the implications of that pivot? But I think that’s important for the public to understand too. If you just if you went from here to there that implications of that would be yeah, it’s massive like so it needs to be yeah, right, but what’s I guess that’s where I think it’s to be determined. My question was like, okay wait, like where is that in that pivot line my energy look over multi-year. Phase you’re right, right, but I mean in this current year. I

2:02:07 mean we basically and we generate free cash every year based on how we manage the projections and so forth. So that tweaking gets done the way that you’re saying on a multi-year basis, but for this but current year, I mean we need to you know, we think we have an understanding roughly where free cash is to use for, you know, as a revenue source and it was in the income statement as a saturate presented the state of the town, right so you can kind of see the historical actual free cash numbers and then you can see the estimated for for 23 and you can also see the projected for 24. Now those were early state of the Town numbers, but you know, we’re baking we’re basically using you know, the cat the available free cash in that Year to you know to to augment, you know to close to balance out the budget. Okay. You see what I’m saying? Yeah. I know.

2:02:55 It’s just we’re just conceptually, you know, yeah, I know I just my concern is like obviously every year it starts to compound and that’s you know like that the problem compounds which is my concern. That’s crazy. Well it compounded and we hit and we hit it this year. Right? And that’s that. Yeah, that’s where I you know that so you can have a big free cash for the number yet. Hit yet hit the wall. Right and that’s the problem kind of with free cash because people it’s neither free nor, you know, not really cash, you know, so it’s a unique kind of Basically, right Alicia. Oh stop talking for a second. Sorry. Okay, that was a lot. No, thank you. Okay. Anybody else have any thoughts ideas, I mean in terms of feedback in terms of like where you know, each of us kind of you know, what are kind of got?

2:03:43 impulses, I would say that I

2:03:47 You know, I agree with a lot of like what you had said about like and what the recommendation is. Obviously that seems to make the most sense given the time frame given where we are at in the circumstances to offer that short-term kind of I want to say Band-Aid to so we can level service for A week to avoid some painful cuts that will will also be on the you know for the taxpayers to chew on and consider. so

2:04:22 You know and I think just to be clear too like in my mind that’s structural deficit, you know one to two year kind of plug would include obviously the school department and and the town because they’re such a piece of the structural. um, you know structural deficit piece and then I think I’m only I mean might not my instinct around the second part like option about including a stabilization. kind of restoration or you know peace as well. I have to think more about that whether that is something that would maybe hamstring

2:05:04 are our efforts the following year or two whenever we come back with a multi-year real fix to the structural deficit. Would that be politically Viable, you know having added that to this ask. In that time, so I don’t know. I mean that’s for something to think about but I think the important piece for me is to see and make a commitment to the town and the taxpayers that we will in Earnest undertake the long process and and do diligence that need to required. You know basically immediately to kind of like review our operations and you know kind of scrub these but like see what it what it is that you know, we really need in

2:05:49 2023 for the next. You know in my mind, I would say it’s hard to look out past four or five years really it really is. I mean, it’s a it’s kind of an it’s kind of like, you know, and I think that it you know. We somehow the town was able to stretch. And get through that but I think you know for such a significant amount of time, but I think that’s a discussion that needs to be had. Yeah, so I guess

2:06:21 um, you know

2:06:24 if we did a multi-year override. You know it in like, you know, put that together after this year. A lot of those override you can include that override stabilization Fund in that process. You can create that stabilization fund through that way as well.

2:06:52 the bond agencies look at So one is your unrestricted reserves. That’s your free cash that you have a healthy level as you know, three to five percent and you’re not relying. You’re not using that to supplement your butt. Right? That’s one area. The other is stabilization fund. Right that you build up over time and that you want to use that as your shock absorber right in the future for the the variations in the economy and such to keep things steady. And your third is Levy capacity. That’s the difference between what you’re allowed under prop two and a half and what you’re actually collecting and and marbleheads basically right on that. Yeah.

2:07:40 This same scenario was really what I walked into an Amesbury, too. And so it takes a multiple years and it takes a disciplined effort. But you know, we were able to one put free cash into a, you know, build up free cash as a reserve. To build up the stabilization fund and to tax that less than the full two and a half now. Free cash is more of just self-disciplined to to get off that part of the answer is is override right? And then you use the stabilization fund to be that that the legitimate Reserve enough not right, you know the free cat. Your loving capacity you build that up through New Growth by.

2:08:28 Development by really working hard and looking at the opportunities within your communities to create new growth development. that matches the the character of the community and such but you know marvel has been been. riding along 300,000 in New Growth and I’ll describe that as anemic exactly right if one of the big factors and we’re you know, we’ll not really talk about that. Now that’s that’s a future conversation. But Marblehead has the needs to take a concerted effort towards investing in the tools to start building up the new growth component. And then when you have some really good, New

2:09:14 Growth years You use the new growth? to address the increased cost of your budget and you don’t have to raise the tax levy. The full two and a half and you do that over a number of years you start building capacity between the max two and a half and what you’re actually taxing people at so it’s going to be a bit of a longer term strategy, but it’s spending money and investing in the tools. That allow the community to start actually generating New Growth Revenue that will turn into tax savings further down the road. So right now it’s getting out of the sort of the Dilemma. That we’re in right today to get through this year and make

2:10:02 sure that what we’re doing to fix this year doesn’t have a negative impact on next year. But that builds us, you know, a two-year Runway with the team with the applications to really start. Building a long-term strategy of how how we can go forward. Yeah and with respect to Services just if I can respond actually to your point. Yeah, would you like to do I mean I can wait, okay. I actually thought as well. Okay, so we have the stabilization fun and we go for this year. Right? Does that kind of hurt our prospects? You know going forward to kind of fund it appropriately and you know, my thought was well, you know, look what we’re really doing what

2:10:49 we’re saying to the taxpayers is look we want to put this money aside and it can’t be spent unless we go before town meeting. And it’s it’s a it’s a definite marker for you know, our Triple A rating, etc. Etc. So it’s very useful I think making and I think we can you know, we’ll see you never know but I think we might I think we have a good chance of making our case this year. And then when it comes to next year you kind of just leave the stabilization alone and you can go for an override people’s like, well, you don’t you know, why don’t you spend out of the stabilization you go. Well, it’s because we think it’s at the right level right? So I think I think it’s it’s actually you know, it’s one of those things it is it is indeed a rainy day, you know or a

2:11:34 volatility kind of buffer. So I just worry about it confusing and I I believe the message. No, but you raise a good point though. I mean, it’s something that it’s something to really think about I think it shows Fiscal management and it’s it’s clearly think it might from the you know, Massachusetts like, you know, restate Revenue that big this is what we should be doing and we’re saying in good faith. We would be taking this step to to show that and just it wouldn’t hurt our future override prospects. I mean, I mean, you know, look, I mean, I don’t think it would but again, you know, I guess it depends on the number. I mean would you look to adopt the best practices of other towns like a stabilization fund would represent about eight percent six to eight percent of your

2:12:22 general funds. So if that’s the case we would be looking at a six to eight million dollar ish override just to put into a rainy day account. That’s I mean should I don’t think is that idea or does it need to be even in that like all at one time, you know is the multi-year step maybe you’ve tried to like get halfway to your goal and then you know, we have already been funding us. I mean, I think we can increase the funding but we have 250 that was a one-time thing that we put it we haven’t actually been fun. No, it’s I think we funded it twice. I believe it’s fun at it twice. It’s like yeah. No, I can’t remember. I mean double check but I’m pretty sure I can’t remember but it’s yeah, it’s kind of when you it’s it’s something

2:13:10 but it’s not nothing. We opened in the count. Start developing the muscle memory of doing that. Even if it’s just a little now and you build it up over time and basic, but because I think there is also two like not for this year, but for that multi-step process will be you know, the conversation around services and what are what do we want, you know in terms of you know, what do we what it like, where are people where do the taxpayers and the residents of this town? What are they expect of their services and we can review what that looks like. I do think that you know, I kind of tend to like I mean, I guess I disagree a little bit around, you know, the kind of we’ve had turnover in in I you

2:13:56 know in in one department for example, but I think that kind of merits a little self reflection. Um on behalf of the Town sake that I think if we want to retain good talent and we want to you know be competitive in a very very shrinking labor pool. That’s a real conversation that you know needs to be had around. What does it take to keep people here want to work here want to have give them be able to give them the tools they need to do their job effectively so that we you know, hopefully Alicia wants to say and and we keep good talent and and professional skill sets like that and we can you know, continue to obtain and retain And just I just want to clarify from there. We started the beginning

2:14:42 and for the if we did a short-term over at in regards to where you were advocating for like a level service short and short. term override encompassing all the Departments. Right? Right. I was just yeah, we just thinking exactly. Yeah. I know. I’m just I know it’s just an idea. I just want to make sure that’s right. So I mean, I think the idea is that you’re you know that you’re just you know, you’ve got a You know, it’s it’s I think it’s easy for all of us to understand that there’s a structural deficit this year. We need to plug it next year. We’re going to be more sophisticated around and you know and have the capacity to kind of do, you know longer longer range planning and running multiple scenarios and you know and to kind of see where we truly are with inflation

2:15:29 in particular because I think that’s going to be a huge, you know variable. That’s a it’s a big unknown right now. You know, it could it could ameliorate it could get worse.

2:15:40 So yes, I’m sorry. Jackie. Chief was creepers. And if you don’t mind, yeah.

2:15:46 I’d like to know when the when you do the meetings for

2:15:55 Cuts I’d like to know I’d like to see that we would be able to explain to people that. this is real and it’s it’s a real thing and I think that would be easy to sell because we’ve had such a long time. Before overrides you know, that that’s been a long time. It’s been a really long time. So I think that we need to just be smart and just do what you need to do. And then hopefully we can come back with an override. You know, it’s I mean the reality of it is like I said we have

2:16:41 a revenue projection that will solidify those numbers That’s the dollars we have to work with right without an override, right the so called article 30 budget which is the sounds but how meaning that will need to be voted on first. That’s going to lock in the real numbers.

2:17:03 That is going to be a balanced budget, which is probably going to have to leave a lot of things out. And then there’s following warrant articles. that are there to contemplate over so there will be a voted upon accepted article 30 budget. It’ll have real numbers and if all else fails beyond that Be votes at town meeting or votes at The Ballot Box article 30 numbers prevailed. Those are the numbers and following year, which we don’t want to have there’s nothing more real than that. I can imagine. Yeah to Jackie’s point. I think what is what I think Would be helpful as not just like Okay, so this cut. All right. This is expositions in say

2:17:50 the building department. Okay, just just for it by way of example, not just like oh we’re making this cut in the building department. What does that mean? If I want to go get a permit now how much of a delay and time is that you know, so not just kind of like oh expositions cut but To the extent we can which is what you were trying to say. Like, you know, you know, we’re making five whatever we’re losing five FTS and this department but how do we we got to be able to explain how that actually impacts services not just what it is. Yeah.

2:18:27 Over a million dollars in Revenue each year. So yeah and cut that back where we’re Cutting our Revenue source for future years that those are the types and I think it’s important too that you know, I mean we said at the state of the town, you know several years ago that we had are, you know, we had already looked at really slimming down and you know had said, we’re already you know with Jason had, you know reported we’re already cutting into the bone and that we we have we have already done a lot of that and this would be a significant effect on what the town Services what that would actually be. You know, the Departments have already done an amazing

2:19:13 job of trying to work within the high parameters, which they’ve been given but this is a significant change. yeah, I mean they already feel the strain of those right there already hitting feeling that yes, absolutely.

2:19:31 Yeah, let me say another example of a structural deficit that’s not going to get resolved this year. and I said it before our Building Commissioner and staff right our special services as mostly called another communities their function is to be out on the street out in the buildings enforcing zoning laws the building codes inside. We also use them as our facilities manager and our maintenance, right? Which they’re overwhelmed? And so we have the same people actually providing two different functions like the finance. That’s a different. That’s a deeper level structural deficit. It doesn’t show up on the balance sheet directly.

2:20:19 Those are things that we you know. get get ourselves stabilized and then start figuring out how to solve those structural challenges that And I would like to say anything that we can look at to have a conversation about potential growth options to that that we can have that discussion as a board too. Like what are things out there like project management one of the things that you know, we looked at tonight with Amy Mercure was great, you know grant writing like those types of things that allow us to immediately start generating growth for all of these other projects that we have the town have to maintain I think that should be really part of something. We’re trying to bring to the Forefront to of like what can we put out there that might allow us to create that potential for access to federal funds state funds those types of resources and have

2:21:06 that in place so we can start getting it sooner rather than later. Thank you for your contribution to that.

2:21:21 the other thoughts comments from the it’s like we’re thinking that the police and fire. Are making the same Cuts as an as anyone else, right? And that’s Frightening to people. Well, yeah, but I think that I think that’s where sash is trying to you know, you know how he laid out the service chart right at the beginning. It’s kind of it’s kind of it’s trying to figure out where you’re where you’re gonna have the least damaging impact when you make your cuts to some extent. I mean you don’t go right to the most damaging right now go to the least damaging Cuts you can make and so that’s the discussion you’re having with the Yeah, that’s a tough. Good discussion. Yes. Yes. I guess my last question with this would just be the timeline and

2:22:08 like just next steps and regards to obviously, you know, we’ve got April 3rd, that’s the potential for you know, our internal select board, but like then come hearing but like the steps from that my understanding is that you’ve got like March 27th, you know, they’re starting meetings. I know. March 20 right? Is there update meeting? Is that update meeting? Like are we posting a joint meeting with that? Like if we all want to attend or even if we want to speak or don’t speak like last time people spoke, you know, I just I can we post that as a joint meeting. You know, I don’t I mean I I attend those meetings. Anyway, I mean I think and it’s okay was that we should post it if people are attending on our board. What are

2:22:54 we doing in the past? Yeah, if we have a majority we probably just Hey, yes. Yeah, but if you’re okay if you’re sitting in the audience, but if you’re speaking. out someone wants

2:23:10 to just it doesn’t downside. Yeah, I just feel like it’s better governance. Yeah. Well, that’s true.

2:23:19 definition s I think just between Eating in simultaneously posting a meeting right same location, right? So right because it’s exactly we’ll see that the thing is yeah in theory joined meaning the senior board kind of runs the meeting so I think that’s a very good that’s what also thanks. So it’s kind of like it’s not really hard and meeting. Turn it over immediately. If you’re the senior cord, you can also turn it over immediately. In the heart is done. Sure. I mean, I mean it’s a basic step you special meaning in the board. At the same time and location right just covers you for example, so it doesn’t I mean I see thank you chairs presiding because it’s right primarily they mean it

2:24:07 just protects but if it’s not a joint meeting does that prohibit? There’s like there was a question that wanted like if Moses wanted to weigh in in a joint meeting, does that prohibit him being able to speak if it’s not here’s what I would say? Okay, and I and I want to be very careful in saying this. Okay, because you know as the chair of the thing confirm for many years, you know, it’s really important for the thin calm to be viewed as independent and a real Watch Dog and indeed they do come under you know, all you know separate State mandate and so forth. I’m just me. I’m I hear you 100% in terms of but but We want them to be able to deliberate freely and independently from our influence as executive and as politically elected officials.

2:24:53 Okay. I mean I’m big into that. I think the you know, I think the you know in many other towns, you know, the fin con is appointed by the by the moderator which is kind of interesting that presents another set of potential dangers. But you know, I think you know that in which case we wouldn’t have that prerogative, you know to kind of sit in now to your point though. I mean, I think it’s, you know, happy of being in the room and We just need to think about it I suppose because you know what I’m saying that sure I mean, I don’t know what your experience if you posted as a special meeting. Then you’re covered if the three of us are in the room again, we’re not in there. Yeah, that’s right. No, but your points will take it. I mean, I think we should be there anyway and to listen in person and you know, whether we weigh in, you know,

2:25:39 that’s something maybe you could it’s just then we’re there if if we all show up we’ve taken care of that ahead of time.

2:25:48 Change the participate in a finance committee meeting. Yeah, then we can attend be there, you know, if just you know, it’s like playing because right there and one of you gets up to express an opinion that’s deliberation outside of that meeting exactly. That’s right. So look, I mean you understand what I’m trying to say as well. You don’t you don’t want to bring the executive and kind of I don’t. I know we’re getting into like deliberations around like their meetings with other departments more just like to they said that they’re having like a status update or something or it’s like, you know, we’re not like commenting on how they’re reviewing. The budgets are doing those meetings. It’s more just like with this meeting. I let me understand that the purpose of this meeting is for you to come in really right as well and to give them expensive response. Yeah,

2:26:36 it’s generally say purpose of the meetings for the finance committee to conduct its business and they’re under a short time and right with lots of work to be done as just the finance committee and you can convey the conversation.

2:26:51 We were there typically. And one or two, right? Well, you could say whatever you wanted it during public comment. It wasn’t that we were sitting. At the table Yeah, so right so if anybody can but even as a quorum though, I mean that’s the question are if we’re all there making public comments.

2:27:17 wrong with yeah, I mean, I mean, I’m just yeah, look, I I still I guess because

2:27:25 yeah, just my post just we’re just doing good governance and saying that we can lead we can go show up in store. Yeah, and did not what I’m what I’m doesn’t mean we’re gonna take over their meeting. That’s what I’m pointing. We are being invited. What I’m pointing at is undue influence of a political executive body over an independent watchdog. That’s what I’m concerned about. Right but if you’re going anyway, there’s no well. Yeah, what would you can go you can I guess you know the question is yeah, I mean well if you go if you go and don’t say anything then there’s not a problem. Well, that’s what happened last time, but we should be posting it. Well, I don’t know you look I don’t know. I don’t know that’s just confirmed. Well, do we should if we’re if we’re open meeting long? I’m just

2:28:12 look whatever it is. I mean I’m fine with whatever it is. And I agree. We need to be actively interested again. I only make this comment because you know, I think it’s really vital that the fin calm be seen as the Watchdog that it is and that they have certain guardrails and they’re not going to be influenced by the by the select board and there’s a tendency to do that. Because we appoint them but it’s only because in Marblehead that’s what the slightboard does. Normally they could just say get the heck out of our hair leave us alone, you know, and so the question is are they are they are they inviting us are they? You know, are they are they do they what do they want from us my just from like are we imposing all I could his? has warranty or he has

2:28:58 During dates, but the first one it there’s no he’s not. They’re not meeting with anybody on the first one. He just held it as like an opportunity for like his board to get together around what they’re doing and I think my takeaway was that they would welcome, you know our board to that in terms of like just kind of a status update really this is and I take your point about a watchdog, but this is such an anomaly year. I mean this discussion in 17 years, right? So it’s a little different eating here. And then you jumped on on Zoom. Okay, but that’s not public comments. Right? I mean I didn’t you said something. I I guess I said something too, but it’s because we weren’t a quorum.

2:29:46 right logistic

2:29:49 And I’m there to work with a fin calm.

2:29:54 do coordination on what the what the expectations? Of the fincom members are and making sure that’s consistent with the expectations of the department heads coming into present. Exactly. Well, this isn’t anything we’re talking about department head meaning but Lisa Lisa made is often. But I mean about the meaning on the 20th, which department said to aren’t there, right? Yeah, so that we’re not eating we’re not getting in the weeds with any of that because that that’s not what this meeting is. So it’s not even a concern. So I think all those things that you’re worried about. It’s we’re not listening to meet would generally say that if there’s ever, you know, a, you know, kind of a guardrail issue. Use the professionals that are out there

2:30:40 you use Thatcher, you know use Alicia to communicate and do updates with you know with an independent body. I mean in some ways because we were you remove some of the again. I’m coming back on this question of Safeguarding the perceived Independence of the fin com and you can do that. And you know, that’s why traditionally we’ve always had the Town Administrator really run the interface and the finance director run the interface with food with fincon, right and then you’d have the chair there just to show a show of you know support what we but in all income meetings. We’ve never had a quorum and there’s only one usually only once a year do we have a joint meeting and that’s when the fin Comm is approving the RR

2:31:27 budgets? Okay. So the only time we have so we have a dual I understand historically that’s been the case but I think if we want to attend this is This is in line with what we should how we should be producing it. And this doesn’t mean we’re participating. It just means we’re posting it to fall in line with the fact that if we want to be if more than more than one of us wants to attend then it’s just posting it I represent. I’m not gonna I’m not fighting this what I’m simply saying is give give the governance issue and the separation of powers issue some thought. Because you know, I mean because I think it’s very easy for the for the select board to kind of dominate one doesn’t have to mean that and yeah, but people look you know, so what is you know, what is

2:32:12 the slack board think I mean that’s and and we don’t and I think we I think it’s easy to explain. Look. We’re just trying to make sure that we’re you know, you are posting appropriately and that’s an easy communication. Hopefully, you know Patrick maybe can can research it and give us some you know, a I’m not objecting. Okay, because no I’m really not. I I it’s not it’s just more like okay, you know, I I’m big into you know. Having having really independent separations, you know, and I don’t think their job is to check us and yeah one doesn’t negate the I know no I’m not saying that but I agree I agree that but you know, their job is to check us. Yeah, you know in our butt and our budget so Yeah, okay now I appreciate that. Okay, are we are we? Good with comments. And so you’ll give us

2:32:59 like that. No. Wait a week out. So you’ll give us the next like after next week like what? Where what where we land because we’re kind of waiting on that. Okay. Yeah, so we’ll figure out a mechanism so that we can all you know. Okay, so if I have no other comments, I would now like to open up the floor.

2:33:24 Okay, open up the floor to public comment. And I think we need a remote solution to do that.

2:33:39 We’ll show up this year and we’ll manage the online folks. There we go. Okay.

2:33:49 Okay, and I’d like to you know to emphasize thank you Frank before we listen. I mean we’d like to emphasize we’d like to take comments and not you know, enter into kind of a debate at this point. So please go ahead and make your make your comment.

2:34:07 I’m francesner. I live at 24 Pickwick Road. And I have a question that both rhetorical and real. my question is what is it? That you will have wished you were doing now. The day after we lose the override vote.

2:34:32 So I’d like each of you in your own minds to think about the chances of losing the override votes given the current political climate in Marblehead. and given the huge task that you have to explain yourself to the people of Marvel. pets and my suggestion is that it will take probably far more participation. And interaction with the people of Marblehead than you are considering. So one open forum.

2:35:17 Beyond inadequate and so the question I’d like you to consider is how can you involve? The department head the employees the parents. The students of Marvel pets in this campaign to basically save marbleheads.

2:35:40 Frank thank you very much. Those are those are very good thoughts and we and we’ve made note and and taking that into account. Thank you.

2:35:50 Are there any other questions out there? public comment

2:35:56 Sarah Fox chair of this here, then they can pick you up chair of the school department of the school committee. Excuse me.

2:36:08 Microphone on you know, it’ll pick up that I speak. Yeah, it’s the it’s a lot.

2:36:18 A few points as I’ve been listening. First of all, I’m grateful that Moses pointed out that Finn con is an independent body and that they can make the recommendations independently cuz I do think there’s a narrative out there that the that that select board speaks for Finca. I think it’s really important for people to understand they don’t in the thing com will and should make their own decisions. so when we talk about balanced budgets I think for me I go back to the actual definition of a balanced budget where your revenue streams match your expenses. It’s been a very long time in Marblehead since that’s happened. Free cash according to the Department of Revenue really should not be used as a Reliance of Revenue. It’s not best practice. We know we’re lack of

2:37:05 back best practices gotten Us in past years. Um, I would strongly Beg, I guess I would say beg that the board uses a free cash number that is in line with the recommendation by the Department of Revenue as far as a percentage of our overall.

2:37:26 costs General fun costs use that as their plug. and then present an override that makes it so that we are finally. balanced by the true sense of the word balanced where our Revenue that comes in every year can sustain the expenses of this town because anything short of that is kicking a can down for future voters taxpayers students whoever to pay the price and so You’re going for the override. I strongly would say. Ask for what what it costs to run this town not you know not adding Services that’s you know, you’ve explained that very well that takes a bit more of a deep dive and you’re going to

2:38:12 need to look at that more. We know what it costs to run Us in 2023. We know with our contractual obligations what it will cost to run Us in 2024. I mean, it’s really simple use the recommendations from the Department of Revenue of the maximum recommended Reliance on free cash number plug that in and the Delta becomes what you’re asked is because anything short of that puts you from day one at a deficit for next year. So that would be my first as a citizen when I would like to see as a taxpayer. And then I I really liked what what Jackie and I think Aaron were both saying was I think it’s so important for people not just to see it’s so many from this part department or so many from that department. We all understand these are real people’s lives. It will affect that and we all we

2:38:59 all feel for that but there’s also an impact on every single citizen of this town when we if we are at the transfer station if we downsized employees there that will impact your service there. What does that impact look like, you know, I know in the school side we outlined What are 30 employees will cut links? What does that mean for your class size and in elementary education how many extra kids are going to be in your child’s class if there’s 21 or 23 third graders at Brown in your class last year. Maybe that’s 28 29. I don’t know how many of you have been in the room with 29 first or third graders in a while, but it’s not pretty so I I would like to as a taxpayer see what that means in the town side because that would sway me. I

2:39:45 mean it would get people out to understand really I value my tpw. I value this I value that and I want to support that and then in closing. I’d love to know if all this new data changes originally the earmarked number that was allocated to. The to go towards contractual obligations for the school was 800,000. I know the new insurance numbers came in. Are we still safe at 800,000 are is that still a discussion Point May that come down? Maybe I go up doubt it but you know got to ask what is that Delta? And the sooner we have that the better our planning can be because we’re we’re a few steps ahead of you guys and we’re going to our vote a little bit sooner with income. So, you know real numbers are helpful.

2:40:31 Thank you. Thank you, Sarah.

2:40:37 Any other question any other? comments from the public

2:40:51 Any other public comments?

2:40:55 Can you? Nobody online, okay. Anybody in the audience?

2:41:05 Okay.

2:41:07 That is good. Okay, we’re bringing the public comment period to a close and the last item on our agenda is any select board member announcements. I have one Jackie. All right this morning Moses Jim and I attended the groundbreaking of the library project. It was a meaningful Gathering including a great speech by Moses bringing to begin a project that began in 2018. We were all lucky to be amongst all of the people for whom the library means so much. It was really a good it was really a good turnout and everybody was excited.

2:41:54 The director put on a hard hat. It’s really good. Yeah, it was really good.

2:42:05 anything you big forces Um, I can just kind of update on the housing production and how things are going with that kind of new kind of restructuring of the groups just really briefly. So we’re off to really good start our net. We had one meeting with the housing production implementation committee where we decided to you know, the first steps would be in terms of going forward would be to decide what our priorities are would be for. Say the next two years and so Becky had sent out a survey monkey that had listed taken the recommendations from the housing production plan put them into a Survey Monkey so that we’ve all like responded to and kind of ranked those priorities in terms

2:42:51 of like what it is. We want to tackle first and so we will be discussing the results of that survey and voting what you know, the first you know kind of the big priorities will be for the next two years and then with the fair housing committee that group is In the same in the same vein kind of reorganizing and grouping around. What did it what it is? You know, where’s what do we want to work on this year specifically and so naturally you know was obviously like a question about how much promotion and educational material around the adus that’s going to be on the warrant this year, which is a naturally occurring designated as

2:43:37 a naturally occurring affordable housing that we could capitalize on, you know, helping to kind of get that information out. Also updating the website with kind of a high priority that everybody there was consensus around that we’re there are some of the Terry myself and another can’t remember who it was we’re going to kind of look around what other towns are doing what other fair housing groups are doing in terms of a website and and to see how we can improve that as well. Left that one significant update. Oh I for I don’t know if it’s the same one. I’m thinking of but I did leave out something.

2:44:16 Aaron was elected chair the committee. Oh, right. That wasn’t what I was what I did leave out but that did happen. Yeah, but you know to and just kind of like I love to be able to like celebrate successes. And you know, I think we started off that meeting with the HPP and fair housing group kind of reviewing where we’ve been so far and we either know with the expectation. Well, so the villain Square project is going forward that’s going to be 11 units for Marblehead with the 80% median income and sailor sail makers way, which I wasn’t even aware of really is also adding an additional 12 units this year to

2:45:06 to our affordable housing inventory. So we’re adding 23 units. basically like this year just just without us even doing anything. That’s what’s happening this year. So that’s that’s good. Well, congratulations and and thank you for the great update. That’s really awesome. That’s really awesome. Jackie you know you already yeah.

2:45:33 Good as well. Motion to adjourn someone second all those in favor. All right. Thank you very much. I know it is it is getting late. The technical glitch was enough.