[Speaker 4] (2:08 - 2:14)
May 15, 2024, welcome to the Select Board meeting. You can rise for the pledge.

[Speaker 1] (2:17 - 2:28)
I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

[Speaker 4] (2:33 - 2:35)
We will begin with the Town Administrator's Report.

[Speaker 1] (2:36 - 9:13)
Great. Good evening. It's been a busy week.

We got some sad news this week. We had Espresso, the humpback whale, arrive back in Swampskate. Espresso wound up in Marblehead two weeks ago.

Marblehead worked closely with NOAA and EPA to take Espresso out to 50 miles offshore, well past the Stellwagen Bank. And they released Espresso, hopefully, to her last resting place. She decided that she wanted to come back to Swampskate.

And she wound up on Preston Beach yesterday morning. Yesterday, I did have a conference call with dozens of environmental officials from the state and federal agencies. There's a regulatory process for how to dispose of a whale that involves permitting from the EPA.

I did reach out to Thatcher Kieser, the Town Administrator in Marblehead, and Antonio Bartletta, the Town Administrator in Nahant. There is a Northeastern research lab in Nahant. Not sure if Espresso might make its way over there.

But we certainly don't want to have Espresso moving up and down the North Shore to various communities. Our police department, our harbormaster, our animal control officer, all involved in it. I have reached out to our health director as well.

I want to encourage residents, if you're curious, please go down and take a look. But do not touch it. Espresso is falling apart, and it's decomposing.

There are pathogens. There are risks to public health. And so please be careful.

Please do not go near it. It is a concern, and we're going to do our best to try to remove that as expeditiously as possible. Last week and this week, I am involved in a number of fire department promotional interviews.

We have a number of extraordinary candidates. It's always impressive to hear about their backgrounds and their interest in rising up through the ranks. I expect that I will be making some announcements later this week or early next week on these key promotions, both for the lieutenant position and the captain position.

I'm pleased to report that the Pine Street demolition has been completed. This begins a major effort to revitalize and build upwards of 40 units of veterans' affordable housing. This is an extraordinary project for any community.

I'm very proud that Swamp Street can play a role in supporting affordable veterans' housing. We have scheduled some meetings and some visitations to veterans' properties throughout the Commonwealth, and certainly encourage board members to join our groups of veterans as we learn about what would be the best way to create veterans' housing and support some of the needs that our veterans have. Pleased to report that we've received a 2024 Community Transit Grant for a fully accessible electric vehicle for our all-ages center.

Heidi and our town staff have put this grant in. There'll be a match of $21,000 once we receive a formal award letter. There may be opportunities for us to address that as part of tailings that we have in the FY24 budget.

But certainly, this will be a wonderful addition to the fleet. I'm also pleased to report that the fire department has received an $18,000 grant for fire safety equipment. We're going to get a testing machine for SCBA to help ensure that these masks fit well.

Right now, we rent a machine from a regional association, and this will ensure that we have that in-house. I am working closely with town financial staff on last-minute budget challenges for the FY25 budget. Over the last several weeks, we did go out to solicit proposals for insurance contracts.

We will be changing our insurance contract. The new contract that we have with Gallagher Insurance will meet our original estimate for what we put in the FY25 budget. Unfortunately, our other proposal was going to go up by 10%.

Frankly, that's just a little bit too challenging. I want to thank Amy Sauer and certainly Patrick Luddy for their work in helping us go out and solicit and negotiate a new insurance contract. Over the last week, I've had several conversations with Dr. Chris Vaughley, vice chair of our sewer and water infrastructure advisory committee, and Liz Smith. Really want to thank Dr. Chris. He has been instrumental in getting some testing equipment that we can use for testing beach water quality every day during the summer season. There has been so much misinformation reported out there.

This information will help us just give everybody facts. Chris has been really terrific, and Liz Smith has certainly been terrific there. They put a slide deck together.

They were originally scheduled to be here tonight, but we've talked about the importance of really working with the Board of Health and really our staff, our director of public health, and our town nurse. We are statutorily required to test water quality. We are under state guidelines, and we want to make sure that both of these responsibilities line up with some of the protocols that we're going to establish over the next few weeks.

We also want to get some signs and really come back at the end of the month and really give the board, but also the public, a robust update. That's my report.

[Speaker 4] (9:14 - 9:16)
Do you have any questions for Sean?

[Speaker 2] (9:16 - 9:35)
I have a couple quick ones. Pine Street. As I drove over here and went by, and there is fencing up all around, but there are also those kind of barricade things, and there's still a big crane or digger machine or whatever.

So is that really, really done done? Or?

[Speaker 1] (9:35 - 9:56)
That machine will be removed. We are going to get some other fencing that will actually have slats in them to protect the line of sight. I think there was a concern that just looking at a barren site would be unsightly, but those are the next steps that we'll follow up with over the next couple weeks.

[Speaker 2] (9:57 - 10:07)
OK, but the seller has fully, you've fully kind of signed off on them completing their responsibility. So you know that crane or that machine is theirs, right?

[Speaker 1] (10:07 - 10:08)
That's the demolition company.

[Speaker 2] (10:08 - 10:17)
So they're going to come and pick it up. Yeah, OK. And still scheduling the tour of other veterans housing, right?

That's right.

[Speaker 1] (10:17 - 10:58)
If you're interested, just email Diane. She'll put you on the list. And the tour bus.

Tour bus, hopefully. Who knows, you may be on a new electric bus if it gets scheduled a little later. But again, I would encourage board members to join our veterans and take a trip.

I think there's a veterans housing project in Chelmsford and Chelsea. We want to visit the B'nai project in Swampskip, but certainly maybe a few other projects, just to see what the type of arrangements will be, some of the space.

[Speaker 3] (11:01 - 11:01)
Anything else, Ted?

[Speaker 1] (11:02 - 11:03)
No, not for me. Thank you.

[Speaker 3] (11:03 - 11:20)
I have a quick question. Just on the beach testing equipment, actually not the equipment, but on the signage. So we've been talking about signage now for just under a year.

Is there any way we can get signage done by, say, first week of June?

[Speaker 1] (11:21 - 11:43)
There is. I've actually asked staff to get me examples, and I want signage up. I also, frankly, want to mark some of the falls and make sure that everybody understands where they should steer clear of.

Because there are some concerns about proximity to some of our falls.

[Speaker 3] (11:43 - 11:52)
OK, so can we just say that I'm even willing to go June 15th. Can we say that we'll have all this done? Can we just make a target date that we'll get it done by?

[Speaker 2] (11:55 - 12:04)
In the presentation. I think it was on earlier this week. I said definitely by the end of May.

Great. I hope we're going to get it up sooner.

[Speaker 3] (12:05 - 12:06)
Oh, we have that. Yeah.

[Speaker 2] (12:06 - 12:23)
Yeah. I think there's been a lot of, I mean, I don't know how much delay. There's been a lot of work going on in terms of figuring out how to, the information you get on one of these signs in different languages, and DCR, and all this stuff back and forth, back and forth, as I understand it.

[Speaker 1] (12:24 - 13:10)
I did ask our new advisory committee to look into this and provide some recommendations in the slide deck. If you look at what was sent out, there are some examples of the signs that we're going to order. Many communities, Gloucester, other communities have signs that we could emulate.

This doesn't have to be a complicated process. We just need to get them out and help folks just understand that after heavy rain events, a number of our falls will load. Some of these resource areas, within 24 hours, with potential contaminants.

We want folks just to be mindful of that and just be careful as they enjoy the water.

[Speaker 6] (13:11 - 13:16)
Is it worth considering sending out a robocall when that happens also? Is that doable or feasible?

[Speaker 1] (13:16 - 13:59)
It is. We send out robocalls typically when we have an overflow issue with lint, water, and sewer, major overflow. There's a thought that sometimes they become pretty burdensome.

We have heavy rain events. Folks are like, yep. I think the big issue is we want to get signage up and we want to get a landing page on our website that we can direct people to.

With these daily tests, I think they're going to have a lot more information in a very timely way to really just ensure that they can feel safe. And I think that's going to be a really helpful tool.

[Speaker 4] (14:01 - 14:14)
I have a question about Espresso. She is an expensive issue to have. So I just wondered what sort of potential financial ramifications we will be facing.

[Speaker 1] (14:15 - 15:37)
Great question. It cost the town of Marblehead $27,000 to remove Espresso initially. And that was two weeks ago.

She's degradated quite a bit since then. The thought that we could actually tie a rope to her tail is very unlikely. And so we have to explore a few different options.

I am looking at a number of agencies. It does seem kind of interesting to me that the EPA and NOAA all supported Marblehead, but yet Espresso's back. And we've all made these investments.

So I hope that we can work out a deal. I am looking at budget contingencies. And I do think that we'll be able to manage this.

But I do think it will cost tens of thousands of dollars. And it's unfortunate the state does not have a pool of revenue for seacoast towns that may have to deal with this on an infrequent basis. This doesn't happen often.

But when it happens, it's a significant burden to municipalities. But most important thing right now is coming up with a strategy that will help us remove it. Right now, it's complicated.

[Speaker 4] (15:41 - 15:56)
Well, that's the town administrator's report. We'll move along to public comment. To be clear, as the town administrator stated, the Water and Sewer Infrastructure Advisory Committee presentation has been tabled for this evening.

So it's no longer on the agenda. So if you came to comment on that, you may do so.

[Speaker 1] (15:56 - 15:57)
Budget contingencies.

[Speaker 4] (15:58 - 17:05)
You may do so at public comment. Public comment will be limited to three minutes. You can approach the mic.

State your name and your address, please, and your precinct if known. And we will not reply to public comment. We'll just take note.

And if it warrants it, we'll reply post-meal. Anybody? Looks like nobody's in the room.

And nobody is online. So we will move to new and old business. It is post 645.

So we can open the public hearing. So notice was hereby given that there will be a public hearing held at this time for all parties interested in the application for an alteration of premises for Dockside Pub, Inc. Located at 286 Humphrey Street, right here in Swampscap.

I know that we have a proprietor in the room with us. Andrew, if you'd like to start.

[Speaker 5] (17:10 - 17:39)
Hello. Hello. Hi.

Good evening. Good evening. Yeah, so we're looking for alteration of premises to add a few tables in front of the restaurant.

Most of the tables will actually be on our property, because it kind of does this little triangle angle thing. But we do need a couple more feet from the town, if possible, to put some outdoor dining there. I don't know if there's anything more.

[Speaker 2] (17:40 - 17:42)
Yeah, I think we have this picture, right?

[Speaker 5] (17:42 - 17:45)
Yes. I think Zesrin said that.

[Speaker 2] (17:46 - 17:49)
Is that exactly what you want to do? Is that very precise?

[Speaker 5] (17:49 - 17:51)
Do you mind if I approach the desk to verify?

[Speaker 2] (17:51 - 18:07)
Yeah, of course. Of course. I get an extra copy.

Because part of this is your property already, right? And I think you have this arrow kind of jutting out into the sidewalk.

[Speaker 5] (18:08 - 18:11)
Right. Yeah. That's sort of what we have.

[Speaker 2] (18:12 - 18:13)
Well, that's.

[Speaker 5] (18:14 - 18:22)
Oh, no, I take that back. I don't know. It's a weird little bit right there.

But the red area is what we're asking for.

[Speaker 2] (18:24 - 18:33)
Right, but that's my question. So as I drove over here tonight, I stopped and took a picture. You have that painted blue area, right?

Right, so that's ours.

[Speaker 5] (18:33 - 18:40)
That's yours. And then we just needed like probably six feet from our wall going out to the sidewalk.

[Speaker 4] (18:41 - 18:42)
Into the sidewalk.

[Speaker 2] (18:43 - 19:11)
Into the sidewalk. Oh, OK, so you ultimately want it to be parallel to the curb. Correct.

Your space, got it. OK. All right.

And this is something that I've wondered about, Sean, with the kind of extending the sidewalks and tables being out there. Do we have any kind of standards about what the through space needs to be when we have tables on the sidewalk?

[Speaker 1] (19:12 - 19:22)
We do. It has to be accessible for anybody to pass through. And so we have to go out and look at the dimensions and just make sure that, you know, if somebody's traveling down the, is that six feet?

[Speaker 2] (19:22 - 19:26)
Or is there a certain number of feet? Four. It's four feet.

Four feet. OK.

[Speaker 1] (19:27 - 19:31)
Or whatever accommodations that folks may need. OK.

[Speaker 3] (19:31 - 19:34)
Are there any ADA rulings on how wide it has to be?

[Speaker 10] (19:35 - 19:40)
I'm not sure. I actually wish Marissa was here for that. She'd probably be able to answer that much better.

But I can't really answer that.

[Speaker 3] (19:41 - 19:41)
OK.

[Speaker 5] (19:41 - 19:44)
Generally speaking, clearances are four feet. OK.

[Speaker 2] (19:45 - 19:46)
And is this still allowed four feet?

[Speaker 5] (19:47 - 19:56)
I'm not sure, but we will allow. I can make it so that there is four feet always in clearance. That's not a problem.

[Speaker 1] (19:56 - 19:59)
Yeah. We would probably have to enforce four feet.

[Speaker 5] (19:59 - 20:02)
Of course, yeah. I'm OK with that. I support it.

[Speaker 1] (20:03 - 20:04)
Sean would come and enforce the four feet.

[Speaker 5] (20:04 - 20:05)
Yes. I was down there today.

[Speaker 1] (20:06 - 20:09)
But I do not enforce my building conditions.

[Speaker 5] (20:10 - 20:23)
And we're also looking to see if we can get a little bit of a bump out like the other restaurants on Humphrey Street, so we would alleviate that whole issue too. But we will obviously leave the four feet for handicapped, accessible passing through with ease.

[Speaker 11] (20:24 - 20:30)
And, Sean, how does the town determine what spaces get the bump out and what spaces don't?

[Speaker 1] (20:30 - 21:43)
Typically it's through grant funding. So it's all budget dependent. I actually do believe that if we could put a bump out there, it would be very helpful.

I think, as I mentioned many times, supporting these small businesses are really critical. They help us so much with creating the type of synergies and, frankly, the quality of life that I think Swansfield residents enjoy. I know it's important for us to be good neighbors and make sure these businesses are good neighbors.

But we've gone out of our way to really just ensure that these small businesses can enjoy outdoor dining. That's what people really enjoy if you travel around to many communities. Being outside is really a wonderful way to just offer some additional opportunities.

So if there's a way to work with this location, I'm sure that our Community and Economic Development Department will help support an investment to expand the sidewalk.

[Speaker 4] (21:44 - 21:56)
I know there is space on the side of the building as well where you currently have some cooking tables. Would that also be weighted on outdoor dining, or are you just hoping to put tables in the front?

[Speaker 5] (21:56 - 22:22)
Yeah, it would be a couple more tables than we have now. There's a demand for it, and I think that it'll help families get in and out and go back to the beach if they're going to the window and getting some fried clams, lobster roll, smash burger. It's not a plug.

I'm just saying that's what we sell. But, you know, get in and out and go back to the beach. It's a speed thing, especially with kids.

[Speaker 2] (22:23 - 22:31)
Okay, and then you intend this to be across the whole frontage area, the extension? Correct. Yes.

Okay.

[Speaker 3] (22:34 - 22:39)
All right, just so I understand. So you're looking for additional space just to put out a couple tables?

[Speaker 5] (22:40 - 22:40)
Yes.

[Speaker 3] (22:41 - 23:03)
Okay. And if I recall, on this entertainment license or your liquor license, I forget, when we were given information about your license, it was that this license is the same as Zest Friends, but later when I went back and looked, Zest Friends really had it until 11, but your license is until 1?

[Speaker 5] (23:04 - 23:04)
Correct.

[Speaker 3] (23:04 - 23:08)
Okay, so you have a liquor license and an entertainment license until 1?

[Speaker 5] (23:09 - 23:11)
Correct. Okay.

[Speaker 3] (23:12 - 23:19)
And then what are the licenses on the other restaurants?

[Speaker 10] (23:20 - 23:32)
Are you talking in the area? Are you talking in that strip? I mean, I believe they're all until, like, most of them close around 10, 11.

I'd have to look it up. I'm sorry for not having that prepared. Okay.

[Speaker 1] (23:33 - 23:37)
We can get a report to you, but generally I think, you know, they do range.

[Speaker 2] (23:40 - 23:53)
Would you, I guess following up, I mean, this is where you're going, I'm not sure, but would you be expecting to have entertainment or music outside with this? I don't remember. Or on the outside and the side?

[Speaker 5] (23:53 - 23:56)
I don't know if I honestly have room for that.

[Speaker 2] (23:56 - 23:56)
Yeah.

[Speaker 5] (24:00 - 24:25)
I don't know if I haven't thought, honestly, I have not thought about that because I haven't really, it's really tight everywhere. So, you know, we've been obviously trying to maximize the space for everybody to be able to get in and have a good time, and I honestly have not thought about that. If I'm licensed to do it, I'm licensed to do it.

I don't know. I just haven't thought about it. It wasn't on my docket.

[Speaker 6] (24:27 - 24:46)
Do you think it's in order? I mean, if we think about the location, I mean, I think it's the tables and dining seem more logical. I can't, I couldn't imagine putting like a band up there.

I mean, you just, yeah. He doesn't have a permit. Yeah.

There's nothing that entertainment wise that I would see. Yeah.

[Speaker 4] (24:46 - 25:06)
I think the, the question, the line of questioning that sort of flows from that is, sorry, the just the noise, right? Can you speak a little bit to what you've currently, if you've had any issues with noise and how you handled it?

[Speaker 5] (25:06 - 25:47)
And we've had issues with noise because when just the music system that we had is like run on an iPad and basically we screwed up a few times on like adjusting the volume. So our outdoor speakers were, we were adjusting, trying to adjust the inside. We just at the outside and they were blaring on the outside and couldn't hear it until someone, you know, was like, you know, you're ruining the neighborhood.

So we just turned it down. But I think we've been pretty, I think that was kind of like in the beginning, a couple months trying to figure out how to do everything correctly. But I think we're pretty, even pretty good so far.

You've mastered the iPad volume.

[Speaker 4] (25:47 - 25:47)
It's hard.

[Speaker 5] (25:47 - 25:50)
It's supposed to be easy, but sometimes it's just hard.

[Speaker 4] (25:50 - 25:51)
You need a toddler.

[Speaker 5] (25:51 - 25:54)
Yeah, no kidding, right? My son killed that thing.

[Speaker 4] (25:55 - 25:56)
Okay.

[Speaker 10] (25:59 - 26:18)
Sorry, do you mind? Just for the sake of transparency, he has received two noise complaints in the last month or so. Received one on 423 and 43, or 42, excuse me.

So they are, it isn't necessarily out of, you know, it's not just the beginning. I just want, for transparency's sake, the neighbors are still complaining.

[Speaker 4] (26:18 - 26:21)
Okay. And what are the complaints of the neighbors?

[Speaker 10] (26:21 - 26:37)
Loud music, loud music, loud music. This one does not have a description. There was a loud truck, loud music.

This one does not have a description. But I believe they all kind of pertain to, they're all noise complaints, so probably loud music.

[Speaker 3] (26:38 - 26:46)
But it seems like, is it that there was one, there was an occasion and you got a lot of phone calls or are these all separate occasions?

[Speaker 10] (26:46 - 26:48)
It is the same woman that's calling each time.

[Speaker 3] (26:50 - 26:52)
So they're all separate, are they separate times?

[Speaker 10] (26:52 - 26:57)
They are separate occasions, yeah. That's my question. Yeah, I'm sorry.

These are all different dates. Sorry for, yeah.

[Speaker 6] (26:57 - 27:01)
So for the two you have most recently in April, prior to that, when was the most recent?

[Speaker 10] (27:03 - 27:05)
Sorry for the noise. March, March 17th.

[Speaker 2] (27:09 - 27:11)
Do you have any thoughts about that?

[Speaker 5] (27:11 - 27:23)
Well, I personally have not been notified by anybody, so I don't know if I'm supposed to get, like, an email from anybody. But I, it's news to me.

[Speaker 10] (27:23 - 27:24)
What is it? I know we were having trouble.

[Speaker 6] (27:26 - 27:26)
The police went to the police department?

[Speaker 10] (27:27 - 27:29)
Yeah, these are just the reports I printed off for the dispatch.

[Speaker 6] (27:29 - 27:33)
And what happens after that, after the report comes in? What's the process?

[Speaker 10] (27:33 - 27:41)
I do believe they go and check on it. They talk to the neighbor that complained and they sort of just try to make sure the noise is sort of subdued.

[Speaker 6] (27:42 - 27:44)
Do they ever tell the owner or the restaurant?

[Speaker 10] (27:44 - 27:51)
I'm not sure if they do. I had asked, and I think, you know, they have to communicate with somebody at the restaurant. I don't know if they directly speak with Andrew, though.

[Speaker 12] (27:51 - 27:51)
Right, gotcha.

[Speaker 1] (27:52 - 27:58)
I think it might make sense that we meet and we talk about a protocol for notifying the proprietor.

[Speaker 5] (27:58 - 27:58)
Absolutely.

[Speaker 1] (27:59 - 28:02)
Because, you know, to me, it just would be helpful to just keep it.

[Speaker 5] (28:02 - 28:13)
Yeah, I mean, yes. It comes with a lot more weight when I go into the restaurant. I'm like, you guys got to be, like, serious about the music outside.

Right. Instead of them going and maybe telling a host, like, you turn that down.

[Speaker 4] (28:14 - 28:20)
Right. Is that the chief complaint is that the music is outside or is it that the music inside is carrying?

[Speaker 5] (28:20 - 28:41)
You can't hear anything from it. If you're, like, walking by the restaurant, you can't hear anything. Right.

So there's two one-foot maybe speakers outside. So, I mean, I can just, I have a meeting with my managers coming up this week, so I can make that a huge point.

[Speaker 12] (28:42 - 28:42)
Yeah.

[Speaker 10] (28:44 - 28:53)
Especially, I thought it was a couple from the beginning. I do think there were some issues with the grill being washed off in the middle of the night, too. I think that might have been one of the more recent ones.

So I'm sorry for miscommunicating that.

[Speaker 11] (28:53 - 28:54)
With the what? I'm sorry. The grill?

[Speaker 10] (28:55 - 29:04)
Yeah, there's a grill they have to wash off at night. I think she's just having some complaints. It's like a power washer.

I mean, it is, you know, they have to wash it. We were cleaning the hood system.

[Speaker 12] (29:04 - 29:04)
Yeah.

[Speaker 3] (29:06 - 29:12)
Your what? The hood. The hood system.

Yeah. Which is required for his food service license. Right.

And the police can do that.

[Speaker 5] (29:12 - 29:14)
It needs to be done every. I believe so.

[Speaker 3] (29:14 - 29:16)
Well, if you know about it, then that's why you know about it. Right.

[Speaker 4] (29:17 - 29:21)
That's just an annual occurrence, right, though? It's not a monthly or a. Quarterly.

[Speaker 5] (29:21 - 29:22)
Quarterly? Quarterly.

[Speaker 4] (29:22 - 29:23)
Okay.

[Speaker 6] (29:24 - 29:30)
Has anyone on the board gotten any kind of complaints or any feedback? No. John?

[Speaker 1] (29:30 - 29:35)
No. I've heard the food is pretty good and it's a nice establishment.

[Speaker 2] (29:36 - 29:40)
I can attest to that multiple times over. Thanks, guys.

[Speaker 11] (29:40 - 29:40)
I appreciate it.

[Speaker 1] (29:42 - 30:08)
I also, you know, I did talk with Mr. And Jimmy and, you know, we talked about, you know, being a good neighbor. And I really focused on that. I know that, you know, he's reached out to some of the neighbors and tried to, you know, establish a connection.

And again, I, you know, I would encourage, you know, anybody that has an issue to really reach out to you and for you to be, you know, just a good neighbor. And I trust that, you know, you're.

[Speaker 5] (30:08 - 30:20)
I've given out my cell phone for anything. I told the neighbors if there's any problem, just please text me at any time and I'll take care of it. I haven't gotten any texts.

[Speaker 2] (30:21 - 30:23)
So, Katie, as part of this.

[Speaker 5] (30:23 - 30:30)
Oh, actually I did. When we were doing the washing the hood, I did get a text. I apologize.

[Speaker 3] (30:30 - 30:33)
What time was that? Like, did you wash the hood in the middle of the night?

[Speaker 7] (30:33 - 30:39)
2.30 in the morning. Oh. Yeah, it was late.

And then a few days later, I didn't call.

[Speaker 4] (31:03 - 31:08)
Peter, just wait one second. They're going to get you a microphone. People can't hear you at home.

They can't hear what you're saying.

[Speaker 7] (31:09 - 31:22)
Yeah, I don't call, you know, all the time. But certainly, you know, after midnight, you know, come on. It's unreasonable, I think, to be doing things like waking us up.

[Speaker 12] (31:24 - 31:26)
Katie? I really agree with that.

[Speaker 7] (31:27 - 31:47)
You know, you don't have to be a stickler to it. But certainly, after midnight, you should be winding down. I get it.

People are leaving your establishment at 1 o'clock and reverberating. But, you know, after 1, it should be simmering down. And it's not always the case.

I apologize to Moira.

[Speaker 5] (31:48 - 31:53)
I apologize to Moira and it will not happen again. News, the scheduling thing.

[Speaker 4] (31:53 - 32:19)
So we are going to have some public comment after this item, after he steps down. That way you can come to the microphone and discuss. Or you could stay there.

So it's not a back and forth, if that's okay. So unless the board has any more questions, then we can move along to that portion. Andrew, if you wouldn't mind just taking a seat, then we can have ‑‑ did you want to say something?

This gentleman can come up.

[Speaker 5] (32:19 - 32:21)
Oh, yeah. Okay. Thanks.

[Speaker 4] (32:22 - 32:23)
Go ahead. Yes.

[Speaker 8] (32:26 - 34:18)
I do partake in the outside dining in the summer. I think it's a great part of Swamp's got to do this. I do know, as a boater and as being near the water, that sound carries tremendously in the evening and definitely overnight.

I think that music being piped outside after certain hours should probably be really minimized or prohibited. On the other hand, if the place needs to be spray washed, why can't they do it before they open up in the morning? There's no restaurant opened up, so why not do it then because the traffic noise, whatever, it's there.

So anything that should be done outside after, let's say 10, should be done maybe in the morning. I think that's strong. It's not just there.

Sometimes the other restaurants will have a band or something. I can hear it up in Millet. I understand it's annoying.

I agree with you. So I think outside music, no matter where they are, should be limited at night because it does travel quite a bit. You can hear the motorcycles going down the street from my house at night.

That's a comment I want to make. I do approve of the outdoor dining. I think it's a great idea.

The other thing is parking. I know there's a butt out, whatever you call that. A bump out.

A bump out, yes. Over at G's. But I also go to North Haven, and they have no parking in front of their place after 5.

I've gotten a ticket there once because I got delayed at the club. So I think that there's some disproportion here as far as where you can park in front of what restaurant. I don't know why, but that may be needed to look at, okay, because it was said a closeness to the parking.

I don't have any qualms with somebody parking next to her where they have the flower boxes. So that should be a policy and should be equally leveled all over the town. Thank you.

[Speaker 11] (34:20 - 34:20)
Thank you.

[Speaker 4] (34:22 - 34:28)
Yes. Oh, I apologize. Would you mind stating your name at the microphone so people can hear you?

Your name.

[Speaker 8] (34:29 - 34:30)
Arthur Freeman.

[Speaker 4] (34:30 - 34:30)
Arthur Freeman.

[Speaker 8] (34:31 - 34:33)
He's in fourth. Thank you.

[Speaker 4] (34:34 - 34:36)
Just for the minutes. Thank you, Mr. Freeman.

[Speaker 1] (34:38 - 34:41)
He's a doctor. Oh. For the minutes.

[Speaker 4] (34:42 - 34:52)
Pardon me. Is there any additional public comment? Just state your name and your address for the minute.

[Speaker 7] (34:52 - 36:49)
Moira Farrell, 16 Blaney Circle. I abut the dock side, and I am here to voice my concern about public access. That corner is very trafficked by pedestrians.

It's a very un-pedestrian-friendly place. You've got that U-turn between G's and Dockside. Many people do make U-turns there, egressing out of the parking lot, and then you want to eat up some more sidewalk for the dining, and then you have the Grimes property right there, and their tenants have to get in and out.

And it just seems a very, very congested area that needs to maintain some public access and pedestrian-friendly. I also have heard, participating through zoning board meetings and select meetings here, that these variances were not going to happen, given the change of the zoning laws here, that variances would not be given wantonly. And I'm asking the town to keep as much of a sidewalk as possible for the kids that drive their bikes there to the people that walk there.

So I am, again, voicing my concern for public safety reasons, mostly. I frankly don't walk on that side of the street because it's too dangerous. I go to Lane Street, cross, and then walk down.

It's safer. I've almost been hit several times in that area. So thank you.

Thank you.

[Speaker 4] (36:51 - 36:54)
Are there any additional comments or questions for Andrew?

[Speaker 1] (36:55 - 36:56)
There's somebody.

[Speaker 4] (36:56 - 37:00)
Oh, I apologize. It looks like we have Mr. Demento.

[Speaker 3] (37:00 - 37:01)
William Demento.

[Speaker 4] (37:02 - 37:19)
If you could allow him to speak. You can unmute yourself and speak, Mr. Demento. Mr. Demento, if you'd like to unmute yourself and speak, you can go ahead.

[Speaker 9] (37:20 - 37:23)
We're having some technical issues on our end.

[Speaker 4] (37:23 - 37:28)
Oh, okay. One second, Mr. Demento. It seems like you might be speaking online, but we cannot hear you.

[Speaker 9] (37:44 - 39:31)
It says I'm unmuted. Can you hear me? Yes, we can hear you.

Great. It's Bill Demento, and I've been watching. I wish you, the four of you, would give the neighbors some love.

You know, it's difficult to listen to how good the food is and how wonderful. This was a bank 15 years ago. They didn't bother anyone.

These neighbors have been here for a long time. They're talking bending over backwards to help the owner who comes to this meeting ill-prepared, doesn't know what he wants exactly. They don't get any accurate plans.

They're guessing at what he's doing. What are you doing? You need to give some respect to the neighbors.

They have an outside speaker. Why do they have an outside speaker in that neighborhood? What reason is there?

What, are we going to have someone singing 76 trombones out there to get more business in the door? I have to ask you, the four of you, to please pay attention to the neighbors. This is a terrible disappointment to hear you bending over backwards with what you can do for the businesses.

There's 15,000 people in this town. You do this all over town. You're going to have another mess.

So please, listen to the neighbors. Think about an outside speaker. Why on earth do they even have an outside speaker?

For what reason? They never should have had it. Thank you for your time.

[Speaker 11] (39:31 - 39:33)
Thank you, Mr. Domenico.

[Speaker 8] (39:48 - 40:00)
Sorry, Doug, I think you're good now.

[Speaker 2] (40:00 - 41:40)
That's okay. Well, Mr. Domenico actually preempted a comment or a question I had for Andrew. Because it does feel as though, based on the public comment, that we do need to find a little bit more balance here.

I'm not ashamed at all in supporting our local small businesses whatsoever. We've done this, sorry. We've made accommodations and encouraged this in many other places around town.

So this is not a unique thing whatsoever. In fact, it's kind of a catch-up. Not like ketchup and mustard, but ketchup.

So I think that's good. I think I want to try to support that. But it does feel as though this is not like a one-off with some concerns about noise and various things.

So I do feel like we need to get the balance. If we're going to kind of make the effort here to support the outdoor dining, I do think that, I don't know if it's possible here, because we did already approve the entertainment license. I think that probably the music outdoors is already approved and probably would not fall within this technically.

But I'm sure, or I hope at least, that Andrew would be willing to kind of either right now, ideally, come back up. And maybe before I even suggest anything, you might want to be responding to what some of the concerns have been. Sure.

All right.

[Speaker 5] (41:40 - 42:53)
Hello? Yes. So like I said, I haven't got any of, if I had known it was these many complaints, I would have already done something.

But last time I had something brought to my attention was maybe four months ago. So unfortunately, I'm surprised to hear that. And I'm sorry that my town's fellow feels I'm unprepared.

However, that's something, like I said before, that I will be talking to my management about in respect to Moira and where she lives. And if she has a right to peace and quiet, I understand that and want you to have that. I do.

And so my apologies. And I'm sorry that I never got that information. And if there's a way that we can going forward, if I can get some notification, an e-mail is fine, a text message, you can call me any time.

I really don't care. If it's an issue, I'd rather get a call and fix it immediately. So I'm not meaning to make anybody's life miserable in any sort of platform.

[Speaker 2] (42:54 - 43:03)
Can you be specific, though, like the grill and any outdoor activities? Let's separate out the music for the moment. Any outdoor activities like to...

[Speaker 5] (43:03 - 43:41)
So there's the two things. There was the music, and then we took care of our hood system. So the hood system will now be taken care of in the A.M. So that won't bother anybody at night. Not till 3 A.M. Not till 3 A.M. You're 100% right. Very nice. Do you need outside music?

Well, I mean, this table's out there. So it's either that, a light, you know, soft music, or hearing cars. So I think people would probably like it better.

If it's under control, which is what I want to do and which will happen.

[Speaker 2] (43:42 - 43:46)
Because if I recall correctly, we had this conversation when we did the license, right?

[Speaker 12] (43:47 - 43:47)
Right, we did.

[Speaker 2] (43:47 - 43:54)
About the decibel levels and that the music would be set at the decibel level that the outdoor ambient noise is.

[Speaker 12] (43:54 - 43:54)
Yeah.

[Speaker 2] (43:54 - 43:57)
Was that what the restriction is or whatever?

[Speaker 5] (43:57 - 44:20)
I did. I mean, there was one time I was in the beginning when, you know, a police officer did come by to let me know that there was a complaint, but then told me that they couldn't hear it from the sidewalk. So, I mean, it is what it is.

We'll be very careful with the music more. So I don't want to bother anybody.

[Speaker 2] (44:21 - 44:25)
So it is a serious thing, at least to me, that we make sure we get this balance right.

[Speaker 5] (44:26 - 44:39)
I am too. I don't want to come up in front of you and hear negative things. I'm very sorry, personally speaking.

We will take care of it, I promise. My word.

[Speaker 3] (44:39 - 45:09)
So it is in our purview to change the permit. We don't have to wait until the permit expires. But it sounds like there have been complaints.

The complaints have been addressed. I think that there's not enough information here tonight for me to vote. I don't know.

I do want to see what the sidewalk looks like. I do want to look and see what else is there. I don't know if you folks were thinking about voting on this tonight.

Were you? I can't make a motion because I'm acting as chair. That's right.

[Speaker 2] (45:10 - 45:37)
Can you say a little bit more? Because I was, you know, given the interchange here, which I think is helpful, I was feeling okay, even though the picture is not super precise. I get the idea.

With the requirement that we're basically treating this establishment just like any other in terms of the four feet, I'd be interested to hear kind of what, you know, is it that you just want to let it sink in a little bit and get some more feedback?

[Speaker 3] (45:38 - 46:08)
No, I'll repeat myself again. I just want to go down and I really want to look at the space. I mean, there's supposed to be four feet there.

You know, the last time I said okay to a permit, I got the wrong information, so now I want to double check. I mean, the last time I raised my hand and said fine, and I authorized a permit until 1 a.m. in the morning when there was never a permit until 1 a.m. So I'd just like to double check. And yeah, so I think it's fine just to give us one more double check on that.

[Speaker 5] (46:08 - 46:19)
That's fine. Also, we can structure it, if it makes it easier, we can structure it as four feet back from the sidewalk. And then it's up to you.

[Speaker 2] (46:19 - 46:22)
That's what I was going to propose, actually.

[Speaker 5] (46:22 - 46:22)
So whatever that is.

[Speaker 2] (46:23 - 46:27)
So I don't care if he ends up with one foot. You know, I mean, basically I do care, but I mean, you know.

[Speaker 3] (46:27 - 46:31)
Well, now that we know it's four feet, I want to go and look. Okay.

[Speaker 5] (46:31 - 46:33)
That's fine with me. No rush.

[Speaker 2] (46:36 - 46:40)
So then we would need a motion to continue the public hearing, right?

[Speaker 1] (46:40 - 46:43)
We don't want to have to spend another $200 advertising.

[Speaker 3] (46:44 - 46:53)
Right. So I'll make a motion to continue the public hearing to a later date. Do we need to stop meeting today?

[Speaker 1] (46:53 - 46:55)
That would be helpful. Yeah.

[Speaker 4] (46:55 - 46:58)
I believe the 29th, maybe.

[Speaker 3] (46:59 - 47:00)
Or the first week of June.

[Speaker 4] (47:03 - 47:10)
29th is good, too. Yeah, I think we will have a meeting, 20th before town meeting, and then the 29th.

[Speaker 1] (47:11 - 47:13)
Yep, 29th is our regular meeting.

[Speaker 4] (47:13 - 47:18)
That's our regular meeting. So there's a motion on the floor.

[Speaker 12] (47:19 - 47:19)
I'll second.

[Speaker 4] (47:19 - 47:39)
That has been seconded to table the public. I'm sorry. Continue the public hearing to consider the alteration of the premises at Dockside Pub to Wednesday, May 29th.

All those in favor? Aye. Aye.

All those opposed? Abstain. Okay.

Okay.

[Speaker 5] (47:39 - 47:41)
Thank you. We'll come back. No problem.

[Speaker 4] (47:41 - 48:13)
Hopefully we will have all the required information to take a vote on this going forward. All right. Second item of new business has been tabled.

So we move along to the consent agenda. The consent agenda is designed to expedite the handling of routine miscellaneous business of the board. The select board may adopt.

Oh, there's only one item. So one item on the consent agenda today, a one-day liquor license for a rec event being held at the senior center.

[Speaker 3] (48:15 - 48:22)
Do I have a motion? So I want to pull out the May 17th minutes. Oh, no.

[Speaker 4] (48:23 - 48:23)
There are no minutes.

[Speaker 3] (48:24 - 48:37)
May 17th is the date of the event. I got it. Okay.

Hang on here. I'm good. You're good.

Do I have a motion? I'd like to make a motion. Go ahead.

So moved. To approve the consent agenda. Second.

[Speaker 4] (48:39 - 48:45)
All those in favor. Aye. Aye.

None opposed. Okay. We're moving on to select board time.

[Speaker 3] (48:53 - 52:47)
Nobody. Yes. I would like to thank Joe Duet, Nathan Kent, and Christy Yonas-Stylis for their hard work again tonight.

Bringing this great meeting to the public. I'd like to remind everyone that the rabies clinic, our annual rabies clinic, will be on May 29th from 530 to 7 with our own Dr. Friedman at the DPW yard. Please bring your past certificates if you would like a three-year certificate.

Otherwise, we would just give your animal the vaccine, and you would have a one-year certificate. If anybody has any problems or questions, feel free to just contact Diane at town hall, and she can get you any information there. I also would like to request publicly I'd like to have a discussion of the ARPA money and a possible vote on the next meeting, the 20th.

And on the 29th. And I'd also like to request that our select board elections are on the 29th. So I'm hoping that other members of the select board will support that.

And that's all I have. That's not all I have for tonight. I'm sorry.

The other thing, I don't want to say the elephant in the room, but I did watch the last school committee meeting. And I've watched several of the school committee meetings. And I saw one at the last week of May, excuse me, April, April 25th, I think.

And the superintendent commented on that the 5% increase in the budget was appreciated. And it seemed to me that things were good. That other communities are dealing with very difficult times.

We're about to open up a $100 million elementary school, over 5% increase in the budget. And then I watched the last meeting, and it was quite different. And I wanted to sit down and write something up and read it tonight.

But I have to be honest, I just couldn't. I've watched select board meetings. I've watched school committee meetings, select board meetings.

I've been at finance committee meetings. And I question what is happening with the school budget. And how diligent they are being with looking at every line item.

So I would like to offer any help I can give them with looking at their budget. I'm very good at budgets. We have Sean Fitzgerald here, who's excellent at budgets.

Amy Sorrell, excellent at budgets. We're happy to look at their budget and give them a hand. I mean, we were able to help out last year and identify that they had not been applying for Medicaid reimbursement to the tune of I think it was $480,000.

That's $480,000 that the town took a loss at. We were able to identify that and start to apply for these Medicaid reimbursements to add that back into their budget, especially their special education budget. I just would like to see us working together.

And I don't think that adding more tax burden to our residents is the answer. So I just want to get the information out on the table and really see what we can do. So we're happy to help.

And that's all I have to say.

[Speaker 4] (52:50 - 55:24)
So unlike Mary Ellen, I was able to write something down on this topic because normally I speak from the heart. But since my husband is a teacher, I felt like I could go down a rabbit hole if I didn't prepare something here. There has been a lot of conversation about the school budget, a budget which until recently our superintendent stated needed to be celebrated as fully funded by the select board and the town administrator but is now willfully underfunding our students.

The last school committee meeting rightfully fielded committee members, parents, and students at public comment upset about the news of cuts to teachers, some from departments that have already faced cuts in recent years. These cuts hit especially hard as my kids not only attend public school but my husband is a proud fourth grade public school teacher in Lynn. I agree we cannot keep taking water from the same well.

We cannot keep making teacher cuts. However, some statements were made at the meeting, which Mary Ellen mentioned, which I feel are misleading and need to be clarified. Number one, this town is not funding a mobile town hall.

Number two, this town is not leaving the school circuit breaker account depleted. And number three, this town is not leaving the elementary school utility budget underfunded. We committed to, first of all, the mobile town hall is not on the capital improvements committee budget.

And the last two, we have committed town warrants to alleviate both of those issues. We hold all of our town departments across the board financially responsible for their decisions. We sit at the table.

We do whatever we can to balance the budgets. We leave no stone unturned. The door is wide open, as Mary Ellen stated.

Amy Saro, the town administrator, multiple select board members, have made and will continue to make commitments to make this budget work with zero increase to the budget and zero teacher cuts. I believe it can be done. And to be frank, I'm not sure that I have seen enough evidence to know that it can't.

So I echo Mary Ellen's concerns, and I would encourage a real conversation about this before we ask town meeting members to increase taxes to come to the floor of town meeting and put forth amendments increasing budgets. I think we need to have a real understanding about the budget at hand and all the stones that have been turned or not yet turned to do the best we can to make this budget work for our schools and our kids and our teachers.

[Speaker 6] (55:32 - 1:00:33)
Thank you. So I just wanted to chime in on this topic. For everybody that does not know, and most of you probably do, I was a proud school employee for almost 10 years.

Back in 2013 when I started with the district, I was the lone person in the payroll department before there was a human resources person in the school department. And it is incredibly upsetting as a resident, as a taxpayer, as a former employee, to hear repeatedly year after year to be told that we need to rise up, we need to call our select board, we need to call our town administrator, go to town meeting, the schools are underfunded. This mantra has been at least the last three years, and we hear it at this time every year.

We hear the same thing. Teachers are going to be cut. It is always teachers.

Teachers and support professionals are the ones that are with our kids all day, every day. At some point, we have got to make the difficult cuts, and a lot of times that involves administration or middle management, if we were a corporation, right? If we are comfortable constantly overcrowding our classrooms and overburdening our teachers, then it is very much incumbent upon us to overburden our administrators, and that might mean going without, that might mean reducing, that might mean a lot of things.

But until we explore those options, the teacher cut should be the last option, and for us, it is the first option every time. And our scores are suffering. Our teacher morale is suffering throughout this district, and I am incredibly disappointed and fully transparent.

I am married to a Swampscot public school teacher and proud of that fact. I have worked for the department for a number of years. I have seen it inside and out.

I have offered my help on many occasions to sit down and think outside of the box. I have been the head of human resources for Linfield Public Schools. I have done this job.

It is difficult. I will make no bones about it. Any loss of position or anyone's job is difficult, but it cannot be placed, the burden cannot be placed on this body, this town administrator, or the residents and taxpayers of this town to increase our taxes.

That is not the answer. Are we to do this every year? Are we every year to increase our taxes because the schools cannot manage their budget?

That just doesn't fly. Fiscally, it doesn't make any sense, right? And if we're to give more to the schools, what are we going to sacrifice?

Are we going to sacrifice police, fire, DPW? Where else do we go? We have a finite pool of resources, and everybody knows it, right?

So we have got to get better at fiscally managing the budget. And a lot of that comes down to collaborating with the town, collaborating with the select board. We don't have to get along and love each other and like everybody.

We have to do a job, and part of that job is being collaborative and working together and not being secretive and trying to not tell the other side or whatever is going on. I'm so baffled by this, that we're at this position again, that it's dumbfounding to me. Nobody wants to fund the schools more than this board.

There are three out of five of us sitting here have kids in the system. Katie and I are married to teachers. Like, it is not lost upon us.

But every time you go to make cuts, and the majority of your cuts are those that teach in the classroom, you have a problem. You're doing this every year. There's something wrong with the way you're going about it.

And I'm not saying I'm perfect and we're all knowing, but we're happy to help. But the answer is not to wait until a week before a town meeting and say, residents, we need you to raise that tax levy. We need you to fully fund the schools.

You're talking $32 million. If that's not fully funding a town of 15,000 people, I don't know what else we can do. You thank us on one hand a couple months ago, and now it's, well, you've got to call your town meeting members.

I mean, I'm dumbfounded. I just can't quite understand it, and it's frustrating. And, you know, I'm tired of being in this position every year.

And I really just, you know, I encourage the district to go back, really do a deep dive, and see what their wants and needs are, right? We're in a case where we don't have a whole lot of wants, right? If we're cutting, and I heard today that it's something like 16 positions district-wide.

I mean, that's crazy to me. If we're just finding this out now, what can this body possibly do? What can Sean possibly do?

I mean, this is not the way to collaborate. So it's frustrating. Again, we've reached out.

We're doing all that we can. We invite the school department to do the same, and let's fix this problem so we don't go through this every year. I just don't think it's fair for the taxpayers of this town to have to deal with this.

Thank you, Danielle.

[Speaker 4] (1:00:35 - 1:00:38)
With that being said, if ‑‑ Go ahead.

[Speaker 2] (1:00:38 - 1:01:03)
I don't know if this is ‑‑ I mean, we don't normally do this, but I just want to make sure that we're talking about that these concerns are being raised, but are we saying they're being raised by the superintendent? Because I think it's being left vague who's raising the concerns here.

[Speaker 1] (1:01:03 - 1:01:33)
I just want to ‑‑ I don't believe the superintendent. The superintendent has not reached out to me and asked for anything additional. In fact, she's been terrific to work with.

The school business administrator has been terrific. I think we've been able to give them the budget that they asked for. We gave them everything that they asked for.

It's a 5% budget. It's literally one of the largest increases out of any of the town departments.

[Speaker 2] (1:01:33 - 1:01:39)
And we knew it wasn't easy. She's the professional. She had to make difficult decisions to get there, right?

So, I mean, that's what she said at the time.

[Speaker 1] (1:01:39 - 1:02:30)
Budgets are never easy. But we did this year agree to add some additional funding because we're opening up a $100 million brand new state of the art elementary school that people should be absolutely thrilled about. I mean, I really do think there's something a little off here because it's, you know, this year we're really giving the schools what they need.

And, you know, I get we all, if I talk to every one of my department heads, there's all sorts of wants. But, you know, we want to make sure everybody gets what they need. And you have a wonderful superintendent that every year, you know, she's put a budget together.

And this year she got everything she asked for in that budget. And from my perspective, look.

[Speaker 2] (1:02:31 - 1:02:34)
Which isn't to represent that it was everything that she could have desired.

[Speaker 1] (1:02:34 - 1:02:34)
That's right.

[Speaker 2] (1:02:35 - 1:02:51)
You know, it was like she had to make choices, right? Obviously everyone has to make choices, right? But with the choices that had to be, I'm just not trying to put words in her mouth or your mouth.

I'm just trying to make sure for public consumption that, you know, that we're getting the nuance right here.

[Speaker 1] (1:02:51 - 1:03:09)
I think the professional staff, you know, I think we all, I think there's a sense that we've got the budget that the finance committee has reviewed. The finance committee has supported. And, you know, I've baked into the town budget.

And certainly that's what we plan on presenting to town meeting.

[Speaker 4] (1:03:10 - 1:03:27)
So I want to be careful, too, because this is not an item on the agenda. So I don't want to implore too much conversation about it other than it came up in select board comment. So long as there aren't any specific questions to select board members about statements, we can give you a motion.

[Speaker 2] (1:03:27 - 1:05:32)
Well, one thing I will say, just to end on a little bit of a high note about this. So I wasn't really going to go here, but kind of apropos. So yesterday I was at a municipal energy summit with Max Casper and our previous your previous colleague, Neal Duffy, and his role in Salem.

And Max actually was one of the featured speakers because the Swampscott new school is a commonwealth wide marquee project in terms. Now, this is obviously not necessarily in the core of its teaching domain. But in terms of its energy efficiency, climate leadership and, you know, cost savings, both in terms of what it will, you know, in terms of the utility savings going down the road by using geothermal and solar.

And the fact that very almost savant-like, it made the town eligible for massive, really massive rebates from the federal government for a program that didn't even exist when this school was first thought about. And so I think a lot of people that were part of the school building committee, probably a million people I don't even know about, deserve a lot of credit for kind of being forward thinking in that regard. And, you know, we don't have that money now, so it's not a thing that's going to help solve, you know, whatever the issue is right now.

But whether it's for taxpayers overall and the bonding for the school or for the school budget next year, whatever it is, there are significant savings and rebates, etc., that are coming because of the leadership of many people whose names I don't even actually know who they are. But just that there is good management going on in a lot of places. There's always probably a place for, you know, even more good management.

But just thought I'd kind of share that in this context.

[Speaker 3] (1:05:33 - 1:05:33)
Thank you, Todd.

[Speaker 2] (1:05:34 - 1:05:34)
Thanks, Doug.

[Speaker 3] (1:05:35 - 1:06:25)
I'm sorry, Sean. I do want to address one thing just so that people know that in the warrant we are asking to help support the schools with additional funding for electricity because they had the value reduced, the school building, when they were up against some numbers. So by not putting the solar panels on the first year, the utility bill is forecasted to increase by just short of $200,000.

So in the warrant, you'll see a $200,000 request that will end up going to the schools with a line item that they would use that for electricity. And then there's a forecast. The long-term forecast is they will not need that going forward.

So for people, town meeting members, just double-check your warrant so you understand what that is there.

[Speaker 1] (1:06:25 - 1:06:30)
And it's not going to be used next year as the basis for an increase, too.

[Speaker 3] (1:06:30 - 1:06:48)
It's just a one-time agreement. It's just a stopgap. It's just a stopgap.

And it's a, you know, the town administrator, the superintendent, and the school business manager worked that out. So we're all set with that. Kudos all around.

[Speaker 2] (1:06:51 - 1:06:53)
So looks like you were looking for a motion to adjourn.

[Speaker 4] (1:06:54 - 1:06:57)
I will entertain such a motion. So moved. Can I have a second?

[Speaker 2] (1:06:58 - 1:06:58)
Second.

[Speaker 4] (1:06:59 - 1:07:03)
All right. All those in favor of adjournment? Aye.

Aye. Thank you very much, everyone.