[Speaker 1] (0:03 - 0:13)
Thank you again for being here with us tonight. I'm going to start off by introducing the candidates and then they will have a couple of minutes to introduce themselves and

[Speaker 2] (0:13 - 0:13)
Okay.

[Speaker 1] (0:13 - 0:17)
then we'll get right into the questions. So thank you so much again for being here tonight.

[Speaker 1] (0:20 - 0:23)
On the end we have Charlie Patsios.

[Speaker 1] (0:24 - 0:31)
He has a chair at the Schwamscott Housing Authority and serves on the Board of Assessors as well as the Solid Waste Advisory Committee.

[Speaker 1] (0:32 - 0:34)
With extensive experience in local government,

[Speaker 1] (0:34 - 0:39)
he brings a hands-on perspective on municipal operations and infrastructure.

[Speaker 1] (0:40 - 0:44)
Patsios is running for Select Board to address issues such as senior housing,

[Speaker 1] (0:44 - 0:46)
town administration gaps,

[Speaker 1] (0:46 - 0:49)
and the potential creation of a water and sewer commission,

[Speaker 1] (0:50 - 0:53)
while also exploring opportunities for future development in Schwamscott.

[Speaker 1] (0:56 - 1:02)
Ted Dooley is the current chair of the Swampscott Planning Board and the Harbor and Water's Front Advisory Committee.

[Speaker 1] (1:03 - 1:07)
With additional service on the Master Plan and Community Preservation Committees.

[Speaker 1] (1:08 - 1:09)
A resident of seven years,

[Speaker 1] (1:09 - 1:12)
he has been actively involved in town government and community planning.

[Speaker 1] (1:13 - 1:16)
Dooley is running for select board with a focus on long-term financial sustainability,

[Speaker 1] (1:17 - 1:19)
expanding the commercial tax base,

[Speaker 1] (1:19 - 1:25)
and advancing thoughtful development and infrastructure investments to support Swampscott's future.

[Speaker 1] (1:27 - 1:30)
Wayne Spritz is a long-time Swampscott resident,

[Speaker 1] (1:30 - 1:30)
engineer,

[Speaker 1] (1:31 - 1:35)
and environmental advocate who has been involved in local government since 2007.

[Speaker 1] (1:36 - 1:38)
He has served on several committees,

[Speaker 1] (1:38 - 1:42)
including the Renewable Energy Committee and Solid Waste Advisory Committee,

[Speaker 1] (1:43 - 1:47)
and played a role in helping the town achieve green community status.

[Speaker 1] (1:47 - 1:52)
He is seeking a seat on the select board to promote transparent governments,

[Speaker 1] (1:52 - 1:54)
strengthen coastal resiliency efforts,

[Speaker 1] (1:55 - 1:59)
and apply his experience in problem solving and fiscal management to the town's challenges.

[Speaker 1] (2:02 - 2:04)
Wayne Godfrey is a Swampscott resident,

[Speaker 1] (2:05 - 2:05)
town meeting member,

[Speaker 1] (2:05 - 2:09)
and community advocate with a background in financial management,

[Speaker 1] (2:09 - 2:10)
policy work,

[Speaker 1] (2:10 - 2:10)
and real estate.

[Speaker 1] (2:11 - 2:21)
He has also served as outreach coordinator for the Swampscott Democratic Town Committee and was previously elected to the Board of Directors of the Human Rights Campaign.

[Speaker 1] (2:23 - 2:26)
He is running for selectboard with a focus on fiscal responsibility,

[Speaker 1] (2:26 - 2:27)
economic development,

[Speaker 1] (2:28 - 2:29)
community engagement,

[Speaker 1] (2:29 - 2:32)
and protecting the town's coastline while ensuring thoughtful,

[Speaker 1] (2:32 - 2:33)
forward-looking leadership.

[Speaker 1] (2:36 - 2:59)
So very similar on how we organise the uh school committee conversation, I'm going to ask a question and um ask the same question for candidates and we'll switch each way um the questions are asked. But before we get into that, I'm going to ask each um candidate to introduce themselves. So I'd like to start with Charlie.

[Speaker 3] (3:00 - 3:01)
Thank you.

[Speaker 3] (3:01 - 3:04)
I'm Charlie Patsios. I'm your candidate for select board.

[Speaker 3] (3:04 - 3:06)
Thank you everybody for being here tonight.

[Speaker 3] (3:07 - 3:11)
A little bit about me. I've lived in town for 35 years,

[Speaker 3] (3:11 - 3:17)
raised a family in town. I've volunteered for many positions within the community over those years,

[Speaker 3] (3:17 - 3:18)
many,

[Speaker 3] (3:18 - 3:20)
many years as your town meeting member,

[Speaker 3] (3:20 - 3:27)
recently elected to the board of assessors, Governor Baker appointed me to the housing authority of which I

[Speaker 3] (3:27 - 3:35)
I currently chair Water and Sewer Advisory Rate Committee at one time and now the Water and Sewer Infrastructure Advisory Committee.

[Speaker 3] (3:35 - 3:37)
I think that might be the correct name.

[Speaker 3] (3:37 - 3:38)
I might have that slightly wrong.

[Speaker 3] (3:42 - 3:48)
Having had the opportunity to sit in those various positions and understand the dynamics of this town,

[Speaker 3] (3:48 - 3:57)
I felt that it was right for me to volunteer and to ask for your support on April 28th to be one of your next select board members.

[Speaker 3] (3:57 - 4:10)
I realize that the diversity that I have from those various positions allow me to best provide the involvement in listening to the community as a whole.

[Speaker 3] (4:10 - 4:15)
to be able to provide the best path forward. I believe that we can do better in Swampscott than we currently have,

[Speaker 3] (4:16 - 4:20)
and I believe that with your vote I'll be able to make that happen. Thank you.

[Speaker 4] (4:24 - 4:34)
Thank you. First of all, thank you for hosting this great event tonight. As you heard, my name is Ted Dooley and I am honored to be a candidate for select board here in Swampscott.

[Speaker 4] (4:34 - 4:46)
My wife and I have called Swampscott home for more than seven years and when we moved here we didn't know a single person. And now I can say that we've found a community that has welcomed us with open arms and where we call our home and will call our home for the rest of our days here.

[Speaker 4] (4:47 - 4:51)
We are growing our family here. We have a four-year-old Jack and a...

[Speaker 4] (4:51 - 4:52)
12-week-old Mary,

[Speaker 4] (4:52 - 4:58)
and we are so blessed to be able to raise them in such a community like Swampscott.

[Speaker 4] (4:58 - 5:00)
We have residents that care so much about each other,

[Speaker 4] (5:00 - 5:01)
they care about the town,

[Speaker 4] (5:01 - 5:04)
they care about the heritage of this community and the history.

[Speaker 4] (5:04 - 5:08)
We are so lucky to be able to have people that care so much about this town and want to give back.

[Speaker 4] (5:08 - 5:11)
Myself, along with the other three gentlemen up here,

[Speaker 4] (5:11 - 5:12)
we're lucky to be running,

[Speaker 4] (5:12 - 5:17)
we're lucky to have the opportunity to present our ideas to you tonight about how we want to make this community better.

[Speaker 4] (5:17 - 5:33)
I've had the opportunity as the chairman of the planning board for the last several years to work with families who are going through difficult times and they're applying for building permits to address needs in their homes that will help serve their families when they're adjusting to taking care of loved ones,

[Speaker 4] (5:33 - 5:37)
to adjusting to taking care of children with special needs and they need to adapt their homes.

[Speaker 4] (5:38 - 5:48)
That's the lens that I've come ingrained with through my experience on the planning board is having to be responsive to the needs of the community when they come to local government for help.

[Speaker 4] (5:48 - 5:51)
That's the lens that I'm hoping to bring to the select board.

[Speaker 4] (5:51 - 5:55)
Our select board needs to be responsive to the community needs.

[Speaker 4] (5:55 - 6:01)
Each decision that our board our select board makes impacts all of our lives each and every day.

[Speaker 4] (6:02 - 6:10)
And I'm hoping to be able to bring that experience that I've had on the planning board and on the Harbor and Waterfront Committee to the select board.

[Speaker 4] (6:10 - 6:12)
You're going to hear me talk a lot about economic development.

[Speaker 4] (6:12 - 6:18)
I believe that economic development is the only way that we can get out of the financial strains that we're currently in.

[Speaker 4] (6:18 - 6:19)
We can't cut anymore.

[Speaker 4] (6:19 - 6:21)
I don't think we can increase taxes anymore.

[Speaker 4] (6:22 - 6:25)
We need to rely on more economic development in this town.

[Speaker 4] (6:26 - 6:27)
I have the experience to do that.

[Speaker 4] (6:27 - 6:36)
I helped lead the zoning overhaul in Vidin Square that has resulted in tens of millions of dollars being invested to welcome new restaurants and new shops there.

[Speaker 4] (6:36 - 6:42)
Those investments are going to bring in hundreds of thousands of dollars in new growth.

[Speaker 4] (6:43 - 6:45)
to our community. When our businesses thrive,

[Speaker 4] (6:45 - 6:48)
when our businesses create more investment in our community,

[Speaker 4] (6:49 - 6:57)
that relieves the pressure on all of us as taxpayers to be able to pay for the priorities that we have for the town without having to increase tax burden on local residents.

[Speaker 4] (6:58 - 7:08)
I welcome your support on April 28th. I ask for your vote. I also ask for you to listen tight and hear some of the great ideas not just from myself but from all of us here but in some of the questions we're going to have.

[Speaker 4] (7:09 - 7:13)
Thank you so much for being here. I appreciate your time and I appreciate your consideration of your vote on April 28th.

[Speaker 1] (7:14 - 7:15)
Thank you.

[Speaker 1] (7:16 - 7:17)
Lane.

[Speaker 4] (7:17 - 7:17)
Good evening.

[Speaker 4] (7:18 - 7:21)
Welcome everyone here in the audience and those streaming live at home.

[Speaker 4] (7:22 - 7:27)
Thank you to the lit item. Thank you Joe and David for the help with

[Speaker 5] (7:28 - 7:28)
Televising this.

[Speaker 5] (7:29 - 7:41)
My name's Wayne Spritz and I'm proud and very excited to be running for uh as a member of the Select Board. Um, I wanted to tell you a little bit about myself and why I'm running. Um, my wife and I moved here in 2000.

[Speaker 5] (7:42 - 7:47)
Uh, we bought our home and raised two children who are now unbelievably 18 and 24.

[Speaker 5] (7:47 - 7:54)
Um we grew up in the Midwest and Kansas City uh spent a short time in California and then we finally moved to

[Speaker 5] (7:54 - 8:00)
Here to Swampscott and it always felt like home. This is a place where we settled and it was the character of the community,

[Speaker 5] (8:00 - 8:01)
the neighborhood,

[Speaker 5] (8:01 - 8:11)
I've been an Olmstead resident for 26 years and it was really the neighborhood and the character that drew us and kept us for so long.

[Speaker 5] (8:13 - 8:25)
I was a public school student, graduated from the University of Kansas with a n degree in engineering, mechanical engineering. Uh soon went to work for a company called Chesterton. It's a little like forty five minute drive from here. I did that every day for many years.

[Speaker 5] (8:27 - 8:42)
Um but it the career path is kinda what I wanna talk to you about it for a second in that uh what I wor what I worked in was uh product and uh research and product development uh for twenty five years uh as it was a career path that really involved extremely complex and mechanical

[Speaker 5] (8:41 - 8:45)
mechanical systems and designs mostly in dangerous environments.

[Speaker 5] (8:46 - 8:53)
We're training people and dealing with people to operate those systems worldwide in over ten different industries.

[Speaker 5] (8:54 - 9:04)
And I think it's pretty clear that when engineers do things right we never get a thank you there's no there's it's always the expectation to get it right but when you get it wrong

[Speaker 5] (9:06 - 9:34)
People can get hurt, toxins can get rel released into the environment, um things can really go wrong. And uh unfortunately and or fortest I dunno if it's fortunate or unfortunate, but it's not much different than public life uh in public service. Facts matter, details matter, process matters, evidence matters, consequences matter, and most of all, teamwork and alignment matter. That means listening carefully before you make choices and trusting your team.

[Speaker 5] (9:35 - 9:36)
If I put my name on something of importance,

[Speaker 5] (9:37 - 9:40)
I will have given it my full due diligence before I sign off.

[Speaker 5] (9:41 - 9:48)
But it's even more. It's about building trust and making the effort to develop relationships with everyone who is affected by the outcomes of those decisions.

[Speaker 5] (9:49 - 9:52)
I spent a career both learning and training others how to solve difficult problems,

[Speaker 5] (9:53 - 9:54)
manage competing priorities,

[Speaker 5] (9:54 - 9:57)
and make decisions that are both practical and forward-looking.

[Speaker 5] (9:57 - 9:59)
And my goals are to help implement and execute.

[Speaker 1] (10:03 - 10:06)
I'm running for select board because for 20 years I've been advising,

[Speaker 1] (10:07 - 10:12)
volunteering my time and expertise on multiple different committees that were mentioned before,

[Speaker 1] (10:12 - 10:13)
including,

[Speaker 1] (10:13 - 10:14)
as I chair now,

[Speaker 1] (10:15 - 10:16)
the Solid Waste Advisory Committee.

[Speaker 1] (10:16 - 10:20)
You probably haven't seen a lot of my work. It's not as sexy as building development,

[Speaker 1] (10:20 - 10:23)
but I'm the guy that helped bring a million dollars to the Green Communities Grant.

[Speaker 1] (10:24 - 10:25)
Okay, two,

[Speaker 1] (10:25 - 10:26)
wait,

[Speaker 1] (10:26 - 10:27)
one more second.

[Speaker 1] (10:28 - 10:29)
Okay.

[Speaker 1] (10:31 - 10:36)
To help upgrade buildings and reduce energy consumption,

[Speaker 1] (10:36 - 10:41)
I'm the guy trying to develop the trash contract that keeps our prices in check while delivering services for the 21st century,

[Speaker 1] (10:41 - 10:43)
and I'm engaging with other colleagues with both locally,

[Speaker 1] (10:43 - 10:49)
regionally, and at state levels to have a wider worldview to solve problems and the challenges we face.

[Speaker 1] (10:51 - 11:01)
I've served in leadership roles working alongside other uh other residents, town staff and fellow volunteers to help move our community forward. And I look forward to the conversation tonight about the many issues in town. Thank you.

[Speaker 2] (11:01 - 11:01)
Thank you.

[Speaker 2] (11:03 - 11:05)
Perfect. Would you like to give an opening statement?

[Speaker 3] (11:05 - 11:08)
Sure. Hi folks. Can you hear me okay?

[Speaker 3] (11:09 - 11:20)
No? How strange. I'll snuggle. Um so my name's Wayne Godfrey. Hello neighbours and friends. I see some friends, some many neighbours here. Um

[Speaker 3] (11:21 - 11:24)
I've been a resident of Swampscott for near about 20 years.

[Speaker 3] (11:24 - 11:31)
Absolutely love this place. My husband and I moved slowly up the coast to Swampscott from the Lynn area.

[Speaker 3] (11:32 - 11:35)
We were both born in the Middlesex.

[Speaker 3] (11:36 - 11:54)
uh county area. Um so I was raised in Westford, my husband was raised in Tingsborough, but we knew that the coast was where we belonged. So here we are, we're raising our five-year-old Finnish lap hunt, um we weren't blessed with children. Um

[Speaker 3] (11:55 - 12:17)
And for the last fifteen years or so, I've spent my time in community chatting with so many neighbours. In fact I like to joke that my particular neighbourhood draws straws every cycle to see who's gonna run and who isn't. My career has been spent building consensus and community within communities' various milieus, if you will.

[Speaker 3] (12:21 - 12:32)
So early on as a youngster I I spent a lot of time working on HIV crisis and health care initiatives both in Massachusetts and New York.

[Speaker 3] (12:34 - 12:44)
I spent some time working with Daniel Patrick Moynihan in the city of Oneonta, New York, on a town and gown commission,

[Speaker 3] (12:44 - 12:53)
as well as to ideate solutions to the HIV crisis that at that time hadn't really been spoken about federally.

[Speaker 3] (12:56 - 13:20)
Fast forward uh through my advocacy work in New York state and Massachusetts with um various organizations, I was elected to the board of directors of the Human Rights Campaign Fund and worked on policy affecting millions of folks. Um you might recognise H_R_C_ now as as the largest um L_G_B_T_Q_I um advocacy organization in the country.

[Speaker 3] (13:21 - 13:24)
Um, jeez.

[Speaker 3] (13:25 - 13:29)
So career in advocacy led to a career in sales.

[Speaker 3] (13:30 - 13:33)
The 80s and 90s were rough for job prospects,

[Speaker 3] (13:33 - 13:35)
so I started with the gap and sort of stayed in retail.

[Speaker 3] (13:36 - 13:38)
I work with a luxury retailer now.

[Speaker 3] (13:38 - 13:43)
And again, that work is very similar to retail politics and advocacy.

[Speaker 3] (13:43 - 13:47)
It's building connections, figuring out what people need,

[Speaker 3] (13:47 - 13:48)
listening carefully,

[Speaker 3] (13:49 - 13:52)
and then crafting solutions to satisfy those needs.

[Speaker 3] (13:52 - 13:57)
It's I take all of that in stride when I consider

[Speaker 3] (13:58 - 14:02)
the opportunity to represent you on the select board here in Swampscott.

[Speaker 3] (14:04 - 14:07)
My skill set is listening to people.

[Speaker 3] (14:08 - 14:09)
Is that 30 seconds?

[Speaker 3] (14:11 - 14:11)
15.

[Speaker 3] (14:12 - 14:17)
So please consider voting for me on the 28th and we'll wrap up.

[Speaker 3] (14:17 - 14:22)
I look forward to your questions and thank all the other candidates. This is not an easy task.

[Speaker 2] (14:24 - 14:27)
Thank you so much and thank you all for introducing yourselves.

[Speaker 2] (14:28 - 14:33)
Now is the fun part where we get to answer some questions. So I'm going to start with Wayne Godfrey.

[Speaker 2] (14:34 - 14:40)
The first question is what perspective or skills would you bring to the select board that are currently missing?

[Speaker 3] (14:41 - 14:43)
Perspective. Well

[Speaker 3] (14:44 - 15:05)
You know, I'm I'm bent toward people, to be honest. What I like most to do is ask questions, find out answers and and find out what what troubles folks and what I hear lately is that we have budgetary issues. So I'm primarily concerned with how our school is funded,

[Speaker 3] (15:05 - 15:08)
how school systems are funded across the commonwealth.

[Speaker 3] (15:09 - 15:24)
You might have heard me say at other meetings that we have billion dollar problems in this town that we can't tax our way out of. So I intend to use my advocacy skills and my connections to state and federal partners to

[Speaker 3] (15:26 - 15:44)
place upward pressure upon them to re-examine the way school funding is funded and um hopefully open up those lock boxes so that we can understand why a town like Swanscott um receives thirty three hundred per student while some other towns may receive twenty two thousand per student.

[Speaker 3] (15:44 - 15:52)
Um and as you know, the school budget is preemptive of our town budget. Um as the

[Speaker 3] (15:53 - 16:16)
As the needs of the school system rises it affects our ability to provide basic services in town. So again the more pressure, the more advocacy, the more lobbying we can do to our state and federal partners, as well as communicate with the rest of the Commonwealth's select boards to crack open those lock box formulas will all be in better shape.

[Speaker 2] (16:19 - 16:25)
Wonderful, thank you. What perspective or skills would you bring to the select board that are currently missing?

[Speaker 1] (16:26 - 16:28)
Thank you. It's a very interesting question.

[Speaker 1] (16:29 - 16:34)
I come with a different set of skills just from my background in engineering and

[Speaker 1] (16:35 - 16:35)
Uh

[Speaker 2] (16:35 - 16:35)
Thank you.

[Speaker 1] (16:35 - 17:03)
the the breadth and the width of the different experiences that I've had um bringing comp stratifying complex problems into workable solutions um you know w w we're we're we have so many layers to the onion here in Swampscott. Um and you know we have rising fiscal costs whether it's from energy, cost of employment, um healthcare uh the, you know, budget budgetary issues from um

[Speaker 1] (17:04 - 17:08)
Debt service, it's just, it's almost overwhelming,

[Speaker 1] (17:08 - 17:20)
but I think what I bring forward is a different methodology and a real concentration on process and trying to build consensus and trust.

[Speaker 1] (17:20 - 17:24)
You know, it's as though everyone's competing for the same dollar.

[Speaker 1] (17:25 - 17:29)
83% of the budget is supplied by property taxes at the moment.

[Speaker 1] (17:30 - 17:31)
It would, of course,

[Speaker 1] (17:31 - 17:48)
You know, I fell candidate here talked about um uh economic development which I agree with, but um at the end of the day there's only so much to to split up, and um the the issue here I believe that I can bring is is engagement and consensus building to to find solutions.

[Speaker 2] (17:49 - 17:50)
Wonderful, thank you so much for sharing.

[Speaker 2] (17:53 - 17:57)
Right, what perspective or skills would you bring to the exec board that are currently missing?

[Speaker 4] (17:57 - 17:58)
Thank you. Thank you for the question.

[Speaker 4] (17:59 - 18:01)
As I said in my opening statement,

[Speaker 4] (18:01 - 18:03)
one of my top priorities is focusing on new growth.

[Speaker 4] (18:04 - 18:08)
We hear during budget season 2% plus new growth,

[Speaker 4] (18:08 - 18:12)
2.5% plus new growth. What is that new growth?

[Speaker 4] (18:12 - 18:20)
New growth is the new properties that come onto our tax rolls that we weren't forecasting for the year before or the year before that.

[Speaker 4] (18:21 - 18:26)
New growth is how we are going to ensure that we have continuous,

[Speaker 4] (18:26 - 18:33)
sustainable tax revenue growth without having to solely rely on property owners.

[Speaker 4] (18:34 - 18:46)
Our commercial tax rate is north of 22%. So as commercial, as more businesses invest in this town, as more businesses thrive and grow in Swampscott, as we've seen over the last decade,

[Speaker 4] (18:46 - 18:47)
especially on Humphrey Street.

[Speaker 4] (18:48 - 18:53)
We see new growth provide resources for this town to pay for our priorities.

[Speaker 4] (18:53 - 18:55)
I have the experience having done that in Binning Square.

[Speaker 4] (18:55 - 19:00)
I worked with my colleagues on the planning board to convene stakeholders from the property owners,

[Speaker 4] (19:00 - 19:01)
town meeting,

[Speaker 4] (19:01 - 19:14)
other boards and commissions in town to create a new zoning district there that was able to inspire the tens of millions of dollars of investments that's going on there now to create hundreds of thousands of dollars in new growth that's set to enter the town budget in two years.

[Speaker 4] (19:16 - 19:30)
That's the priority that I would have on the select board is to focus on what areas of town we can find the right levers of economic growth to help prioritize growth and ensure that our residents aren't the only ones who are funding our community priorities.

[Speaker 2] (19:32 - 19:32)
Thank you.

[Speaker 2] (19:33 - 19:37)
What perspective or skills would you bring to the select board that are currently missing?

[Speaker 1] (19:38 - 19:38)
Thank you.

[Speaker 5] (19:40 - 19:43)
Folks, we're not going to be able to cut our way out of the problems that we're in,

[Speaker 5] (19:43 - 19:45)
so we definitely need new growth, as you just heard.

[Speaker 5] (19:45 - 19:47)
I'm of the same mindset when it comes to that.

[Speaker 5] (19:47 - 19:51)
I have a little more in-depth position, though, in understanding things.

[Speaker 5] (19:51 - 19:54)
Our profit centers in town, aside from new growth, are...

[Speaker 1] (20:15 - 20:18)
To be able to possibly create that commission,

[Speaker 1] (20:18 - 20:25)
to bring down the cost of maintaining our infrastructure and to be able to bond separately from the town.

[Speaker 1] (20:25 - 20:26)
Right now we have one bonding structure.

[Speaker 1] (20:27 - 20:34)
I'd like to be able to divide that into two that affects our bond ability in a very positive way.

[Speaker 1] (20:35 - 20:42)
Also that new growth will be able to fund schools that we, you know, our seniors right now are not paid attention to.

[Speaker 1] (20:42 - 20:44)
to anywhere near where it should be.

[Speaker 1] (20:44 - 20:47)
We've done three housing studies in the past 15 years,

[Speaker 1] (20:47 - 20:49)
all of them have said the same thing.

[Speaker 1] (20:49 - 20:51)
We are not addressing our senior housing issues.

[Speaker 1] (20:52 - 20:55)
We need to do that. I believe with my experience as a building developer,

[Speaker 1] (20:55 - 20:58)
I'm precisely able to do things in that area.

[Speaker 1] (20:58 - 21:07)
I'm able to build a coalition to build an understanding and to inform everybody here that wants to listen a way forward out of this problem.

[Speaker 1] (21:07 - 21:09)
We can do better in Swamp Scott.

[Speaker 1] (21:09 - 21:12)
I believe I have the talent and the experience.

[Speaker 1] (21:12 - 21:18)
to be able to bring that forward and collectively work as a team to be able to make a difference at Swamp Squad. Thank you.

[Speaker 2] (21:20 - 21:24)
Thank you. Now on to our second question. We're going to start with you Charlie.

[Speaker 2] (21:24 - 21:31)
What specific actions would you take to address ongoing water quality and public health concerns at King's Beach?

[Speaker 1] (21:31 - 21:32)
Thank you.

[Speaker 1] (21:32 - 21:34)
I'm on the Water and Sewer Advisory Committee.

[Speaker 1] (21:35 - 21:37)
Previously was the rate setting committee.

[Speaker 1] (21:37 - 21:41)
I understand our infrastructure and I understand where the problems are coming from.

[Speaker 1] (21:42 - 21:44)
Everyone knows that we did a UV pilot program.

[Speaker 1] (21:44 - 21:46)
We cut it short because it ran out of money,

[Speaker 1] (21:46 - 21:47)
to be frank with you.

[Speaker 1] (21:48 - 21:54)
We realize that the catch basins when we get rain shut down our beaches.

[Speaker 1] (21:54 - 22:02)
It's pretty evident between what's coming into that is entering through either the sewer system leakage or it's coming in through the catch basins.

[Speaker 1] (22:03 - 22:05)
Either way, the problem winds up at King's Beach.

[Speaker 1] (22:06 - 22:09)
With the separation between Linn and Swampscott,

[Speaker 1] (22:09 - 22:29)
I believe that the solution to that problem is to be able to create the Water and Sewer Commission independently to provide the DPW the equipment that it needs. We currently have a clamshell bucket truck that scoops dirt up like you would imagine like a toy at an arcade from 1977,

[Speaker 1] (22:29 - 22:29)
folks.

[Speaker 1] (22:30 - 22:31)
We can do better.

[Speaker 1] (22:32 - 22:33)
We can do much better.

[Speaker 1] (22:33 - 22:38)
We need to empower our DPW with a VAC truck. It's what Lynn has, it's what Marblehead has,

[Speaker 1] (22:39 - 22:41)
it's what the 21st century calls for.

[Speaker 1] (22:41 - 22:46)
When we clean our catch basins, what we don't get out winds up at King's Beach,

[Speaker 1] (22:46 - 22:48)
and you wonder why the water's dirty.

[Speaker 1] (22:48 - 22:50)
There is a solution.

[Speaker 1] (22:50 - 22:52)
It's possible.

[Speaker 1] (22:52 - 22:54)
We can do it, and I can make that happen.

[Speaker 1] (22:55 - 22:55)
Thank you.

[Speaker 2] (22:56 - 22:57)
Thank you.

[Speaker 2] (22:58 - 23:04)
What specific actions would you take to address ongoing water quality and public health concerns at Kings Beach?

[Speaker 3] (23:04 - 23:05)
Thank you.

[Speaker 3] (23:05 - 23:19)
So for the last three years I've had the pleasure of serving as the Essex County representative to the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation where I've served on the Stewardship Council there working with partner stakeholders to manage all of this DCR properties around the state.

[Speaker 3] (23:19 - 23:22)
One of the most important properties for me has been Kings Beach.

[Speaker 3] (23:22 - 23:25)
I walk by it every day. I walk my family there,

[Speaker 3] (23:25 - 23:26)
my son there.

[Speaker 3] (23:26 - 23:29)
And obviously, like everybody else in this community,

[Speaker 3] (23:29 - 23:33)
I am concerned about the environmental quality at Kings Beach.

[Speaker 3] (23:34 - 23:40)
Through my role with DCR, I've been able to work with a number of stakeholder groups to really dive into the details on the data there.

[Speaker 3] (23:41 - 23:56)
We've been able to look at all of the catchment basins that DCR owns, which is significant along the inshore drive, figure out what works when we're doing our cleaning of those catchment basins, is that leading to higher bacterial results on the beach as a result of cleaning out these basins.

[Speaker 3] (23:56 - 24:01)
There's been a lot of proactivity there and productivity working with some of our stakeholder groups.

[Speaker 3] (24:01 - 24:03)
That needs to continue here at the local level.

[Speaker 3] (24:04 - 24:09)
We have a working group that is working on these issues with our neighbors across town lines.

[Speaker 3] (24:10 - 24:12)
But they're not doing so publicly.

[Speaker 3] (24:12 - 24:14)
So we get updates from our select board,

[Speaker 3] (24:14 - 24:15)
which is helpful,

[Speaker 3] (24:15 - 24:20)
but we're not hearing and seeing what is being discussed as it is happening.

[Speaker 3] (24:20 - 24:21)
That's a problem to me.

[Speaker 3] (24:22 - 24:28)
They are the ones we are empowering as a community for us to trust to be able to solve these problems.

[Speaker 3] (24:29 - 24:35)
And we don't know firsthand what is being said and what actions are taking place.

[Speaker 3] (24:35 - 24:38)
And I commend members of the select board now who are calling for that to happen.

[Speaker 3] (24:39 - 24:46)
But these meetings need to be made public so as a community, we know exactly what actions are being taken to solve these problems.

[Speaker 2] (24:47 - 24:48)
Thank you.

[Speaker 2] (24:51 - 24:58)
What specific actions would you take to address ongoing water quality and public health concerns at King's Beach?

[Speaker 4] (24:58 - 24:59)
Thank you.

[Speaker 4] (24:59 - 25:05)
As many of you know, several years ago, you know, well, I should say this has been a 100-year problem,

[Speaker 4] (25:05 - 25:12)
several years ago I was one of the few vocal people that really made this issue front and center,

[Speaker 4] (25:12 - 25:16)
and along with others of concern demanded action.

[Speaker 4] (25:17 - 25:18)
We spoke loudly,

[Speaker 4] (25:18 - 25:19)
we got advocacy,

[Speaker 4] (25:19 - 25:20)
we got money.

[Speaker 4] (25:20 - 25:25)
money with the help of many who gathered together and really pushed the momentum forward.

[Speaker 4] (25:26 - 25:27)
So

[Speaker 4] (25:28 - 25:34)
The UV pilot last year, I was disappointed.

[Speaker 4] (25:35 - 25:54)
And one of the reasons I was disappointed is that it didn't show us functionally what we can do to move forward. I felt as though the engineering study in itself was lacking considerably. I was very vocal about that as well. I'm hoping that I can bring a level of expertise from an engineering design perspective.

[Speaker 4] (25:54 - 26:06)
of quality perspective and procedure expectations that the Select Board needs to have at the highest executive level so it can make justifications for plans moving forward.

[Speaker 4] (26:06 - 26:14)
We shouldn't be spending money unless it's moving towards the future of a clean beach.

[Speaker 2] (26:15 - 26:16)
Wonderful, thank you.

[Speaker 2] (26:18 - 26:18)
All right.

[Speaker 2] (26:19 - 26:25)
What specific actions would you take to address ongoing water quality and public health concerns at Kings Beach?

[Speaker 4] (26:25 - 26:26)
Hmm.

[Speaker 4] (26:27 - 26:28)
Great question.

[Speaker 5] (26:29 - 26:55)
So as as folks have pointed out this has been an ongoing problem somewhere around a hundred years worth of filth pouring into King's Beach. I can say from personal experience my dog who was a puppy five years ago got quite sick playing in that on that beach so she no longer goes to the beach. I feel for the folks every summer that do swim in that beach and I want to run a red flag and say

[Speaker 5] (26:55 - 26:57)
a step back.

[Speaker 5] (26:57 - 27:03)
But at the same time, it's swampscot. This is where we live. We love this place. We don't want to tell people not to come here.

[Speaker 5] (27:03 - 27:05)
So what steps would I do?

[Speaker 5] (27:05 - 27:16)
Well, I'd certainly take a look at what's been considered over the last 30 years by some of the folks in town. But also I think that we need to have crucial conversations again with our state and federal partners.

[Speaker 5] (27:16 - 27:21)
This is a billion dollar problem we can't possibly tax our way out of.

[Speaker 5] (27:21 - 27:25)
So, and when I consider Stacey's Brook,

[Speaker 5] (27:25 - 27:49)
cleaning that up would also require displacing some homeowners. So I was as well disappointed with the UV pilot program. It's the UV machine, if you will, does a great job of cleaning stagnant water or standing water, but there's not a ton of data.

[Speaker 5] (27:49 - 27:52)
surrounding moving water such as Stacy's Brook.

[Speaker 5] (27:53 - 27:55)
So again,

[Speaker 5] (27:55 - 27:56)
it's conversation,

[Speaker 5] (27:57 - 28:00)
it's advocacy and it's people first attitude.

[Speaker 2] (28:02 - 28:03)
Wonderful, thank you so much.

[Speaker 2] (28:04 - 28:11)
For our next question, Mr. Godfrey we're gonna stay on you, so do you support completing the rail trail project?

[Speaker 5] (28:11 - 28:20)
I do support in principle completing the rail trail produ uh project. Um I know that it has benefited several towns throughout our commonwealth.

[Speaker 5] (28:21 - 28:27)
Um there's been some beautiful extension work done in Concord and Acton, um Lexington, etcetera.

[Speaker 5] (28:28 - 28:31)
Um it it provides an opportunity for

[Speaker 5] (28:31 - 28:38)
for tourist dollars to come into town. It also provides recreation for our 15,000 souls and their puppies and children.

[Speaker 5] (28:39 - 28:41)
So in principle, yes.

[Speaker 5] (28:42 - 28:51)
Now I understand there may be some financial commitments and other such things that I'm not aware of, so I would have to look at that issue more closely.

[Speaker 2] (28:52 - 28:53)
Thank you.

[Speaker 2] (28:55 - 28:59)
Mr. Spritz, do you support completing the River Rail Trail project?

[Speaker 4] (28:59 - 29:09)
Hey, that's an interesting question. I've had the opportunity to talk to a variety of people, both pro-Rail Trail and people who absolutely don't want the Rail Trail.

[Speaker 4] (29:09 - 29:11)
And I can tell you, and people,

[Speaker 4] (29:11 - 29:12)
you know.

[Speaker 4] (29:12 - 29:13)
People said,

[Speaker 4] (29:13 - 29:14)
well, how do you feel about it? And, you know,

[Speaker 4] (29:14 - 29:18)
it's really been, I, I agree in concept with the rail trail.

[Speaker 4] (29:18 - 29:22)
I think it's, it is a, a community,

[Speaker 4] (29:22 - 29:24)
it could be a community gem.

[Speaker 4] (29:24 - 29:27)
What I'm frustrated with is that since 2017,

[Speaker 4] (29:28 - 29:32)
the town meeting allotted about $850,000, if I recall,

[Speaker 4] (29:32 - 29:34)
to, to move the project along,

[Speaker 4] (29:34 - 29:40)
to deal with things like eminent domain. But, you know, I think what the public.

[Speaker 4] (29:40 - 29:49)
is starting to learn, especially in the particularly in the last couple weeks, that um we may not have enough money to be able to complete from an internet

[Speaker 1] (29:50 - 29:54)
and there's a lot of residents who are advocating as well.

[Speaker 1] (29:55 - 29:57)
I do think the rail trail should be completed.

[Speaker 1] (29:57 - 30:02)
My goal will be to bring the groups together to find a way through this.

[Speaker 1] (30:03 - 30:05)
Perfect cannot be the enemy of good.

[Speaker 1] (30:05 - 30:12)
We need to get this done and with the least friction possible.

[Speaker 1] (30:13 - 30:17)
So that we can enjoy what it is that we can build.

[Speaker 2] (30:18 - 30:20)
Wonderful. Thank you so much for sharing.

[Speaker 2] (30:21 - 30:25)
Alright, Mr. Dooley, do you support completing the Rail Trail project?

[Speaker 3] (30:26 - 30:28)
Yes, and let me tell you why.

[Speaker 3] (30:29 - 30:36)
Swampscott I think has a great record of creating great public policy. What we don't have however

[Speaker 3] (30:37 - 30:40)
is the greatest history of executing that public policy.

[Speaker 3] (30:40 - 30:42)
And I think the rail trail is a perfect example of that.

[Speaker 3] (30:42 - 30:45)
It's a great idea. It's a great concept.

[Speaker 3] (30:45 - 30:47)
Voted on by town meeting.

[Speaker 3] (30:47 - 30:51)
Voted on by residents. One of the highest turnout elections was when that went to the ballot.

[Speaker 3] (30:51 - 30:55)
6,000 residents voted and they wanted the rail trail.

[Speaker 3] (30:55 - 30:56)
That's a great thing.

[Speaker 3] (30:57 - 31:04)
But what we haven't been able to do is have an honest conversation about how we are going to complete a rail trail.

[Speaker 3] (31:04 - 31:05)
Where costs are rising,

[Speaker 3] (31:06 - 31:13)
where property ownership is under constant conversation and more information continues to come out.

[Speaker 3] (31:14 - 31:18)
So am I in favor of completing the rail trail?

[Speaker 3] (31:18 - 31:18)
Absolutely.

[Speaker 3] (31:19 - 31:24)
But we need to do better at executing on our public policy.

[Speaker 3] (31:24 - 31:27)
When we set policy like this, we need to do it right.

[Speaker 3] (31:27 - 31:29)
This is not an us or them.

[Speaker 3] (31:29 - 31:32)
You're not a rail trail person or an anti-rail trail person.

[Speaker 3] (31:32 - 31:33)
We can be better than that.

[Speaker 3] (31:33 - 31:39)
We can find a way to finish this rail trail without needing to, frankly,

[Speaker 3] (31:39 - 31:43)
piss off everybody who lives in the neighborhood by taking eminent domain from their property.

[Speaker 3] (31:43 - 31:44)
We have to do better.

[Speaker 3] (31:44 - 31:46)
All right. This is not rocket science here.

[Speaker 3] (31:46 - 31:52)
I don't have an answer for how we can do better right now, but we have to challenge ourselves. If we can't figure this out.

[Speaker 3] (31:53 - 31:54)
We've got other problems on our hands.

[Speaker 3] (31:54 - 31:58)
We've got to be able to figure out how we can do this without taking people's property to this extent.

[Speaker 3] (31:58 - 31:59)
Thank you.

[Speaker 2] (31:59 - 32:00)
Thank you.

[Speaker 2] (32:01 - 32:03)
Do you support completing the rail trail?

[Speaker 4] (32:04 - 32:06)
So the answer is yes.

[Speaker 4] (32:06 - 32:09)
Whenever a vote is taken at town meeting,

[Speaker 4] (32:09 - 32:11)
and I'm a town meeting member,

[Speaker 4] (32:11 - 32:15)
if I'm for or against whatever the item is that we're voting on,

[Speaker 4] (32:15 - 32:17)
the result of that election,

[Speaker 4] (32:17 - 32:19)
the outcome of that vote,

[Speaker 4] (32:19 - 32:21)
is where I stand afterwards.

[Speaker 4] (32:21 - 32:25)
I will not be an obstructionist to a policy that the town's voted on,

[Speaker 4] (32:25 - 32:30)
specifically on the rail trail. There are measures we can take today if we work with the CPA,

[Speaker 4] (32:31 - 32:32)
the Conservation Preservation Act.

[Speaker 4] (32:33 - 32:34)
There's funding available for open space.

[Speaker 4] (32:35 - 32:37)
We have to make sure that we follow the rules,

[Speaker 4] (32:38 - 32:41)
but there's money available today within our own money,

[Speaker 4] (32:41 - 32:46)
by the way, that's matched right now, I think at about 16% by the state government.

[Speaker 4] (32:46 - 32:48)
So why would I support it?

[Speaker 4] (32:48 - 32:50)
Because there's money available for it.

[Speaker 4] (32:50 - 32:53)
We voted for it collectively and it passed.

[Speaker 4] (32:53 - 33:00)
And I believe that the knowledge that I have and the different committees that I sit on provide a way forward for this.

[Speaker 4] (33:00 - 33:01)
There is money available.

[Speaker 4] (33:01 - 33:05)
Will it get done in one day or one week or one month or one year?

[Speaker 4] (33:06 - 33:06)
Well,

[Speaker 4] (33:06 - 33:07)
the sooner we start,

[Speaker 4] (33:07 - 33:08)
the sooner we get it done.

[Speaker 4] (33:08 - 33:10)
It'll be a benefit to everybody in town.

[Speaker 4] (33:10 - 33:11)
It'll be an attraction.

[Speaker 4] (33:11 - 33:18)
It'll be, I could do some extra walking myself and just to tell them the truth.

[Speaker 4] (33:19 - 33:25)
My wife might be watching and I'm committed to it and we can get it done.

[Speaker 4] (33:25 - 33:26)
We can get it. We can do better.

[Speaker 4] (33:26 - 33:27)
We can do better.

[Speaker 4] (33:28 - 33:29)
Thank you.

[Speaker 2] (33:30 - 33:33)
And for the next question, we're going to stay on you,

[Speaker 2] (33:33 - 33:33)
Mr.

[Speaker 2] (33:33 - 33:34)
Patsios.

[Speaker 2] (33:34 - 33:42)
Do you support preserving the general John Glover farmhouse? And if so, what actions would you take to ensure its protection?

[Speaker 4] (33:43 - 33:43)
So

[Speaker 4] (33:44 - 33:46)
That is a real important one. That's our history.

[Speaker 4] (33:46 - 33:48)
That's U.S. history.

[Speaker 4] (33:49 - 33:53)
I believe that would I preserve the General Glover if I could with a magic wand?

[Speaker 4] (33:54 - 33:54)
Yes.

[Speaker 4] (33:55 - 33:58)
I believe that the General Glover should be saved.

[Speaker 4] (34:00 - 34:21)
candidly speaking I'm a monthly donor to the efforts to save it most people don't know that General Glover was the the man that did the impossible and fooled the British and got the Continental Army out of across the Delaware and it was also an integrated force it had it had everybody that that that you can't

[Speaker 4] (34:22 - 34:23)
that we try to do today.

[Speaker 4] (34:23 - 34:26)
It was a surprise.

[Speaker 4] (34:27 - 34:30)
Yes, John Glover's home should be saved.

[Speaker 4] (34:30 - 34:34)
It's a national treasure that's located in Swampscott, Massachusetts.

[Speaker 4] (34:34 - 34:37)
I believe that CPA funds,

[Speaker 4] (34:37 - 34:37)
again,

[Speaker 4] (34:38 - 34:40)
can be used for a project like that.

[Speaker 4] (34:40 - 34:46)
If we know where do we look and we know that we can do it, I know we can do better.

[Speaker 4] (34:46 - 34:51)
And with your vote, we'll be able to do that starting on April 28th. Thank you.

[Speaker 2] (34:52 - 34:53)
Thank you.

[Speaker 2] (34:54 - 34:58)
Do you support preserving the general John Glover farmhouse?

[Speaker 2] (34:59 - 34:59)
And if so,

[Speaker 2] (35:00 - 35:03)
what actions would you take to ensure its protection?

[Speaker 3] (35:04 - 35:11)
Thank you for the question. So I got to be a little careful here since this is a pending application before the planning board right now and I don't want to.

[Speaker 3] (35:12 - 35:13)
misstep on my obligations.

[Speaker 3] (35:15 - 35:17)
Do I support preserving the General Glover farmhouse? Absolutely.

[Speaker 3] (35:18 - 35:26)
That is a piece of historic treasure that is in Swampscott and we don't have any other Revolutionary War historical artifacts,

[Speaker 3] (35:26 - 35:27)
places in this community,

[Speaker 3] (35:27 - 35:28)
right?

[Speaker 3] (35:28 - 35:30)
So we have something here.

[Speaker 3] (35:30 - 35:35)
We need to figure out how to keep it restored and how to preserve it.

[Speaker 3] (35:35 - 35:39)
We have to come together as a community to figure out how we're going to do that though, right?

[Speaker 3] (35:39 - 35:42)
We can't handcuff ourselves to...

[Speaker 3] (35:43 - 35:48)
An idea that doesn't have the longevity to ensure financial success and sustainability in the long term.

[Speaker 3] (35:48 - 35:52)
So we have to have an honest conversation about what is the financial impact of that going to be.

[Speaker 3] (35:52 - 35:54)
We have a great group of volunteers.

[Speaker 3] (35:54 - 35:56)
You heard Charlie's a donor too.

[Speaker 3] (35:56 - 35:58)
More of us should be donors to them.

[Speaker 3] (35:58 - 35:59)
Plug.

[Speaker 3] (36:00 - 36:02)
But they're raising money to try and preserve this house.

[Speaker 3] (36:02 - 36:04)
They have an uphill battle.

[Speaker 3] (36:04 - 36:08)
They have hundreds of thousands of dollars they have to raise in too few of months.

[Speaker 3] (36:09 - 36:11)
We need to have a conversation as a community.

[Speaker 3] (36:11 - 36:15)
Do we allocate CPA funds to that? Do we bond against our CPA funds for that?

[Speaker 3] (36:15 - 36:17)
What do we want to do?

[Speaker 3] (36:17 - 36:18)
If we're going to want to preserve something,

[Speaker 3] (36:18 - 36:20)
we have to put our money where our mouths are,

[Speaker 3] (36:20 - 36:21)
right?

[Speaker 3] (36:21 - 36:23)
And if we do preserve it, what happens next?

[Speaker 3] (36:24 - 36:25)
Is it a museum?

[Speaker 3] (36:25 - 36:26)
Is it a coffee shop?

[Speaker 3] (36:26 - 36:27)
Is it a...

[Speaker 3] (36:28 - 36:29)
I don't know.

[Speaker 3] (36:29 - 36:32)
But as a community, we've got to figure that out because the longevity,

[Speaker 3] (36:33 - 36:36)
we have to worry about, I'm not worried about for the next few years if we're able to preserve it.

[Speaker 3] (36:36 - 36:37)
That's great.

[Speaker 3] (36:37 - 36:39)
But what happens after year number three,

[Speaker 3] (36:39 - 36:40)
year number four,

[Speaker 3] (36:40 - 36:46)
year number five, we have to create a framework that the longevity and sustainability of that building is generational,

[Speaker 3] (36:46 - 36:49)
not just for our generation, but for the next generation.

[Speaker 3] (36:49 - 36:51)
So do I support preserving it?

[Speaker 3] (36:51 - 36:52)
Yes.

[Speaker 3] (36:52 - 36:55)
I also think as a community, we need to figure out how we can be.

[Speaker 3] (36:55 - 36:58)
coming together for longer-term solutions for that parcel.

[Speaker 3] (36:59 - 37:05)
Is it a business? Is it rezoning it so we can incentivize a business to go there? I don't know, but those are the conversations we should be having.

[Speaker 4] (37:06 - 37:07)
Sophia,

[Speaker 4] (37:07 - 37:13)
I can't say one additional thing, and it's important. I take 15 seconds.

[Speaker 2] (37:16 - 37:17)
Fifteen seconds.

[Speaker 4] (37:17 - 37:19)
The Athena's family that owns the Glover.

[Speaker 4] (37:19 - 37:22)
If it were anyone else that would have owned that property,

[Speaker 4] (37:22 - 37:23)
it would have been destroyed 20,

[Speaker 4] (37:23 - 37:24)
30 years ago.

[Speaker 4] (37:25 - 37:31)
So the fact that the Athanasis had the pockets to be able to continue to pay its taxes and its insurance and electricity,

[Speaker 4] (37:31 - 37:33)
even though it might not be in the greatest condition,

[Speaker 4] (37:34 - 37:41)
we have the Athanasis to thank for having the opportunity today to work hard to save that property. So thank you to the Athanasis family.

[Speaker 2] (37:43 - 37:44)
Thank you.

[Speaker 2] (37:46 - 37:53)
Do you support preserving the General John Glover Farmhouse and if so what actions would you take to ensure its protection?

[Speaker 1] (37:53 - 37:57)
I absolutely support preserving the house.

[Speaker 1] (37:57 - 38:00)
If any of you have driven by it lately,

[Speaker 1] (38:00 - 38:02)
there's a huge hole in the roof.

[Speaker 1] (38:02 - 38:06)
The place is not a safe place to be.

[Speaker 1] (38:06 - 38:09)
It is very unfortunate.

[Speaker 1] (38:11 - 38:14)
And I'm sorry the fact that we actually got here to this point.

[Speaker 1] (38:14 - 38:19)
I fully support the group that is trying to save it and raise money.

[Speaker 1] (38:19 - 38:22)
There was a great presentation at the select board two weeks ago.

[Speaker 1] (38:23 - 38:23)
Hopefully,

[Speaker 1] (38:23 - 38:28)
if you get a chance to watch it and understand a little bit more of what's going on, you can go back and do that.

[Speaker 1] (38:29 - 38:37)
I believe the select board did the right thing in sustaining and allowing the historic commissions hold on that so that

[Speaker 1] (38:37 - 38:48)
so the private funds could be raised. I agree with what Ted had said, that uh we n they need a long-term plan, um because of effectively it'll be on private property, one way or the other. Um

[Speaker 3] (38:48 - 38:55)
I also agree with the comments that the town is not a good landlord in general.

[Speaker 3] (38:56 - 39:08)
So the plan really needs a lot of future thought and I agree with giving them as much time as absolutely possible to come up with a plan and helping them where we can in raising funds and awareness.

[Speaker 2] (39:09 - 39:10)
Thank you so much.

[Speaker 2] (39:12 - 39:15)
Do you support preserving the General John Glover farmhouse,

[Speaker 2] (39:15 - 39:18)
and if so, what actions would you take to ensure its protection?

[Speaker 5] (39:19 - 39:20)
I do,

[Speaker 5] (39:20 - 39:30)
in fact, support preserving the Glover. As a kid, I worked as a docent at the Concord Bridge Memorial in Concord, Mass,

[Speaker 5] (39:30 - 39:33)
doing folk speaking around,

[Speaker 5] (39:34 - 39:36)
you know, what happened during the Civil War.

[Speaker 5] (39:37 - 39:38)
I'm sorry,

[Speaker 5] (39:38 - 39:40)
the Revolutionary War. What...

[Speaker 5] (39:41 - 39:44)
It is a travesty that the building is falling.

[Speaker 1] (40:08 - 40:20)
um uh while listening to folks chat about it, um you know it may be not a ridiculous idea to ask this old house um to help with the roof problems. Um again,

[Speaker 1] (40:20 - 40:22)
these are million,

[Speaker 1] (40:23 - 40:36)
billion dollar problems that we can't tax our way out of or have a bake sale to solve. We really do need to ask for help from the Commonwealth and our federal partners. Um there's an opportunity to preserve an absolutely beautiful

[Speaker 1] (40:35 - 40:41)
beautiful piece of history that will land Swanskad on the map in a real way. Um,

[Speaker 1] (40:42 - 40:51)
uh and I wonder perhaps if the golf course paid its fair share, we could actually divert those funds directly to the Glover.

[Speaker 1] (40:51 - 40:52)
Um

[Speaker 2] (40:54 - 40:55)
Thank you.

[Speaker 1] (40:55 - 40:56)
Thank you. Thank you.

[Speaker 3] (40:56 - 41:14)
We're going to stay with you for the next question. And the next few questions were submitted by the Swampscott Tides by readers of the Swampscott Tides. How would you approach making decisions when there is a strong disagreement in the community or among select board members?

[Speaker 1] (41:16 - 41:23)
Well over the past few years we have been no stranger to strong disagreements on the select board as well as within town.

[Speaker 1] (41:23 - 41:24)
I think that

[Speaker 6] (41:24 - 41:25)
um

[Speaker 1] (41:25 - 41:29)
I think that one of the key hallmarks of representation is truth telling and trust.

[Speaker 1] (41:30 - 41:57)
Um I intend to, if elected, um continue the the the advocacy process that I do um in interacting with individuals, and that includes the Board. Clearly the Board has to be in alignment in order to solve these problems. We again um the difficulty between individuals and particular styles of problem solving need to be put aside. I guess what I'm saying is I come with

[Speaker 1] (41:57 - 42:06)
with this. I come to this without ego. I'm concerned about the 15,000 souls who live here, their pets and their children.

[Speaker 1] (42:07 - 42:10)
Therefore, respectful debate,

[Speaker 1] (42:10 - 42:10)
honest,

[Speaker 1] (42:11 - 42:25)
open discussion, and clearly sharing that with the population will get us where we want to go faster than screaming and yelling at each other over commas and periods. So, um

[Speaker 1] (42:27 - 42:40)
Again, alignment is key ego non-ego debate is also key so with a thoughtful empathetic ear I offer myself as a

[Speaker 1] (42:41 - 42:42)
member of the board

[Speaker 3] (42:44 - 42:45)
Thank you.

[Speaker 3] (42:46 - 42:54)
How would you approach making decisions when there is strong disagreement in the community or among select board members?

[Speaker 4] (42:57 - 43:00)
I'm no stranger to dealing with competing priorities.

[Speaker 4] (43:03 - 43:09)
One of the ways that you get through difficult decisions is by active listening.

[Speaker 4] (43:11 - 43:14)
And I think we haven't done enough of that in a long time.

[Speaker 4] (43:14 - 43:19)
When I say active listening in terms of really understanding the root of why the question is being asked.

[Speaker 4] (43:21 - 43:24)
So it's not a schools versus town thing.

[Speaker 4] (43:24 - 43:33)
It is a, it's, it's, it's a, we're looking out for the students.

[Speaker 4] (43:33 - 43:48)
We need, the students need to have a good education. There's no question about it. But in the way that the dialogue has been going is what is I think frustrating most people, both on the committees and within the town.

[Speaker 4] (43:48 - 43:50)
We have issues with the rail trail,

[Speaker 4] (43:50 - 43:56)
we have conversations about the Hawthorne, and they're legitimate conversations.

[Speaker 4] (43:56 - 43:57)
And people,

[Speaker 4] (43:57 - 44:03)
you know, one of the most important things I think is that people should have a voice and that we need to listen.

[Speaker 4] (44:03 - 44:04)
It doesn't mean we're going to agree with everything,

[Speaker 4] (44:05 - 44:07)
but if you're asking the right questions,

[Speaker 4] (44:07 - 44:13)
we can come to some level of compromise where we can continue to move the process forward.

[Speaker 3] (44:15 - 44:15)
Thank you.

[Speaker 3] (44:18 - 44:25)
How would you approach making decisions when there is strong disagreement in the community or among select board members?

[Speaker 5] (44:25 - 44:33)
Sure. I think one of the first things that we as candidates here, and I think you're hearing from all of us,

[Speaker 5] (44:33 - 44:36)
we need to have respect for each other.

[Speaker 5] (44:36 - 44:37)
I mean, my God,

[Speaker 5] (44:37 - 44:40)
sometimes you watch some meetings and you're like, how people don't have respect for each other.

[Speaker 5] (44:41 - 44:42)
We need to respect each other.

[Speaker 5] (44:42 - 44:46)
We all get elected to something and that represents people in this community.

[Speaker 5] (44:46 - 44:50)
If we can't respect other people's opinions and we can't act that way,

[Speaker 5] (44:50 - 44:52)
how can we hold our heads high?

[Speaker 5] (44:53 - 44:55)
So first and foremost,

[Speaker 5] (44:55 - 44:59)
respecting the people you serve with, they got here the same way that we did.

[Speaker 5] (44:59 - 45:01)
So that's first and foremost.

[Speaker 5] (45:02 - 45:03)
Competing priorities,

[Speaker 5] (45:03 - 45:05)
where this town wants to go, what,

[Speaker 5] (45:05 - 45:09)
you know, everyone has a lot of opinions and that's great and we welcome that.

[Speaker 5] (45:09 - 45:10)
But I,

[Speaker 5] (45:10 - 45:12)
for the last several years,

[Speaker 5] (45:12 - 45:15)
and this campaign season doesn't seem to have this dichotomy,

[Speaker 5] (45:15 - 45:23)
which I'm very thankful for, but the last several years it feels like, oh, your four neighborhood schools are your anti-school. You're for the school budget or you're anti-school.

[Speaker 5] (45:23 - 45:24)
You're for the rail trail,

[Speaker 5] (45:24 - 45:26)
you're anti-rail trail. You're for the new pier,

[Speaker 5] (45:26 - 45:29)
you're anti-boat or waterfront, whatever.

[Speaker 5] (45:29 - 45:30)
We can reject these labels.

[Speaker 5] (45:30 - 45:38)
We don't have to reject the premise that you have to be all in on something or you're anti-everything else. As a community, we can hold each other accountable.

[Speaker 5] (45:39 - 45:41)
To be serving each other.

[Speaker 5] (45:41 - 45:44)
It's public service for a reason, right?

[Speaker 5] (45:44 - 45:46)
Because it's serving our community.

[Speaker 5] (45:46 - 45:47)
Active listening,

[Speaker 5] (45:47 - 45:48)
what you've heard from others up here,

[Speaker 5] (45:48 - 45:49)
is what we need.

[Speaker 5] (45:49 - 45:52)
A presence in the community so that people can come up to you and say,

[Speaker 5] (45:52 - 45:53)
hey,

[Speaker 5] (45:53 - 45:56)
here's what I felt. I heard you talk about this at the meeting the other night.

[Speaker 5] (45:56 - 45:58)
We need people who respect each other,

[Speaker 5] (45:58 - 45:59)
respect the community,

[Speaker 5] (46:00 - 46:03)
and can hold our heads high as elected officials and look each other in the eye and say,

[Speaker 5] (46:03 - 46:05)
we did the best thing for this community.

[Speaker 3] (46:07 - 46:07)
Thank you.

[Speaker 3] (46:09 - 46:15)
How would you approach making decisions when there is strong disagreement in the community or among select board members?

[Speaker 7] (46:16 - 46:21)
I think we've all seen what the question, we've all seen what's happened and why the question is being asked.

[Speaker 7] (46:23 - 46:28)
I've observed everything that's happened, and why do disagreements arise?

[Speaker 7] (46:28 - 46:44)
Typically they arise from my observation of incomplete information being provided to us as we're voting on certain things, or maybe the information is provided that allows us to reach a conclusion. I believe that that was not an intentional or misguided approach.

[Speaker 7] (46:45 - 46:50)
I just believe that we could do a better job providing information on what it is that we'll be voting on.

[Speaker 7] (46:50 - 46:58)
So that when the town acts during town meeting and a conclusion is reached, a vote is taken,

[Speaker 7] (46:58 - 47:00)
and we know which direction we're going in,

[Speaker 7] (47:00 - 47:04)
we're going to be united in that because all the information has been provided,

[Speaker 7] (47:04 - 47:06)
not only the benefit but the cost,

[Speaker 7] (47:06 - 47:13)
and also what we give up if we don't do it. So there's a lot that needs to go into civility.

[Speaker 7] (47:14 - 47:16)
Respect, I think, is important.

[Speaker 7] (47:16 - 47:20)
We all act with a humble or we act with humility.

[Speaker 7] (47:20 - 47:24)
Our purpose here is to be united because a house divided will fall.

[Speaker 7] (47:24 - 47:26)
We've heard that before.

[Speaker 7] (47:28 - 47:29)
I think we could do much better.

[Speaker 7] (47:29 - 47:33)
I believe I'll make a commitment today in front of everyone,

[Speaker 7] (47:33 - 47:34)
and it will be recorded,

[Speaker 7] (47:35 - 47:38)
that I will participate in everything that is required.

[Speaker 7] (47:38 - 47:39)
For example,

[Speaker 7] (47:39 - 47:44)
our assessor is required to go into every home or visit every property once every 10 years.

[Speaker 7] (47:44 - 47:53)
I will make my home available for the assessor to come in to do his or her job to make sure that the properties are properly evaluated. That is the basis of our taxation.

[Speaker 7] (47:54 - 48:03)
We'd rather have a higher value and a lower tax rate because there's equity in home ownership, and that benefits the town as much as it benefits the homeowner. Thank you.

[Speaker 3] (48:04 - 48:05)
Thank you.

[Speaker 3] (48:06 - 48:10)
For the next question, because this question is two parts,

[Speaker 3] (48:10 - 48:14)
we're going to give each of the candidates three minutes to answer.

[Speaker 3] (48:14 - 48:19)
And please let me know if you would like me to repeat this question as well.

[Speaker 7] (48:20 - 48:21)
Am I going first?

[Speaker 3] (48:21 - 48:21)
Yes.

[Speaker 7] (48:21 - 48:22)
Okay.

[Speaker 3] (48:22 - 48:26)
Swampscott has multiple major projects underway or proposed.

[Speaker 3] (48:27 - 48:31)
From the redevelopment of the Glover House and revitalization of Vernon Square,

[Speaker 3] (48:32 - 48:34)
to developments like the Hadley Hotel,

[Speaker 3] (48:34 - 48:35)
Hawthorne by the Sea,

[Speaker 3] (48:36 - 48:37)
housing at Veterans Place,

[Speaker 3] (48:38 - 48:42)
and recreational investments such as the Swampscott Rail Trail and Archer Trails.

[Speaker 3] (48:42 - 48:45)
With so many projects happening at once,

[Speaker 3] (48:45 - 48:48)
how should the Select Board prioritize resources,

[Speaker 3] (48:48 - 48:49)
staff time,

[Speaker 3] (48:50 - 48:50)
funding,

[Speaker 3] (48:51 - 48:55)
and which of these projects would you personally move to the top of the list?

[Speaker 7] (48:56 - 48:57)
Thank you.

[Speaker 7] (48:57 - 48:58)
Wow,

[Speaker 7] (48:58 - 48:59)
that's a lot.

[Speaker 7] (49:00 - 49:08)
Welcome to my world as a real estate developer. We always are taking a look at multiple projects and we're trying to make a decision as to which one is the most viable,

[Speaker 7] (49:08 - 49:13)
has the shortest path to success or completion and makes the most sense to the bank.

[Speaker 7] (49:13 - 49:32)
To underwrite the development I think it's no different in this town when we've got all these different projects at the end of the day We need to fund them we need to have a consensus between the communities and we need to make sure that the we can actually deliver on the project not have unforeseen delays that maybe we'd looked at and ignored because we knew the problems were there

[Speaker 7] (49:34 - 49:36)
Repeat the question so I can make sure I get it

[Speaker 3] (49:36 - 49:37)
Yeah, of course.

[Speaker 3] (49:39 - 49:39)
With so many

[Speaker 3] (49:39 - 49:41)
With so many projects happening at once,

[Speaker 3] (49:41 - 49:43)
how should the Select Board prioritize resources,

[Speaker 3] (49:43 - 49:44)
staff time,

[Speaker 3] (49:44 - 49:45)
funding,

[Speaker 3] (49:45 - 49:48)
and which of these projects would you personally move to the top of the list?

[Speaker 1] (49:48 - 49:54)
Thank you. The town of Swampscott possesses many experts in the construction field,

[Speaker 1] (49:54 - 49:56)
in engineering, in planning.

[Speaker 1] (49:57 - 50:01)
We have a tremendous resource in our residents.

[Speaker 1] (50:01 - 50:06)
Very rarely do we actually go out and tap or request those individuals.

[Speaker 1] (50:07 - 50:08)
I'll name one person,

[Speaker 1] (50:09 - 50:09)
Nick Menino.

[Speaker 1] (50:10 - 50:13)
If I ever have to do a project that requires site work,

[Speaker 1] (50:13 - 50:14)
I ask for Nick.

[Speaker 1] (50:14 - 50:15)
Nick is a resident in our town.

[Speaker 1] (50:16 - 50:21)
I don't think for one second he would hesitate if we were asked to evaluate a project to help us.

[Speaker 1] (50:21 - 50:26)
That's an example of how we can work together in this community to get projects done.

[Speaker 1] (50:28 - 50:31)
We want to talk about, you mentioned the Hawthorne and the Glover.

[Speaker 1] (50:31 - 50:38)
They're very similar in one respect that they both have a revenue stream for the town.

[Speaker 1] (50:38 - 50:42)
If we want that revenue stream to be an immediate revenue stream,

[Speaker 1] (50:42 - 50:44)
there's an action plan to go forward with that.

[Speaker 1] (50:44 - 50:45)
If there's something,

[Speaker 1] (50:45 - 50:50)
for example, if we want to look at the park at the Hawthorne, there's a solution for that.

[Speaker 1] (50:51 - 50:54)
But it's drawn out. We have to understand where our resources are,

[Speaker 1] (50:54 - 50:59)
how we can act on those quickly and where we can't act on them quickly.

[Speaker 1] (51:00 - 51:04)
We know that the funding for a park is undefined. We don't even know what it looks like.

[Speaker 1] (51:04 - 51:07)
But we do know that we have debt service on that property.

[Speaker 1] (51:07 - 51:15)
We're paying a quarter of a million dollars or we were paying a quarter of a million dollars a year plus $140,000 who were losing a real estate tax,

[Speaker 1] (51:15 - 51:18)
$400,000 in easy math.

[Speaker 1] (51:18 - 51:23)
that we are not receiving while we hold a property that we don't know what we're going to do with,

[Speaker 1] (51:23 - 51:24)
that affects our schools,

[Speaker 1] (51:25 - 51:26)
that affects our seniors,

[Speaker 1] (51:26 - 51:27)
that affects our library,

[Speaker 1] (51:27 - 51:28)
that affects the library,

[Speaker 1] (51:28 - 51:29)
that affects the rail trail,

[Speaker 1] (51:29 - 51:34)
it affects everything because we're paying debt service instead of working on a project.

[Speaker 1] (51:34 - 51:37)
I believe that we have to prioritize those.

[Speaker 1] (51:38 - 51:46)
I'm fairly good at doing things like that, a short term and a long term. We have a ten year master plan in this town. We need thank you. We have a ten year master plan in this town.

[Speaker 1] (51:47 - 52:00)
We really should have a twenty five year plan and moving from the twenty five moving it down to a ten. That is what that's what makes sense. It's not a it's not what we could fit on one plate. We really need to be able to prioritize that.

[Speaker 1] (52:00 - 52:03)
Thank you Steve. My time's up. I got more to say but we're out of time.

[Speaker 3] (52:04 - 52:05)
Thank you.

[Speaker 4] (52:06 - 52:08)
You don't have to repeat the question.

[Speaker 3] (52:08 - 52:09)
Okay, perfect.

[Speaker 4] (52:09 - 52:09)
All good.

[Speaker 4] (52:11 - 52:11)
Two things.

[Speaker 4] (52:11 - 52:16)
One, I'll start at the top. How would I prioritize staff time? How would I prioritize staff time at town hall?

[Speaker 4] (52:16 - 52:17)
Excuse me.

[Speaker 4] (52:17 - 52:24)
I am very much of the mindset that there is one person that reports to the select board and one person alone.

[Speaker 4] (52:25 - 52:30)
So I would let our town administrator prioritize how he wants the staff to be prioritized and that's his job.

[Speaker 4] (52:31 - 52:33)
He reports to the Select Board though.

[Speaker 4] (52:33 - 52:38)
So how is the Select Board going to make public policy decisions that the town administrator needs to execute on?

[Speaker 4] (52:39 - 52:41)
That's a different question that I will take full-throated.

[Speaker 4] (52:42 - 52:46)
There is one of those projects that you mentioned that needs to get solved three years ago.

[Speaker 4] (52:46 - 52:50)
Charlie went off on it a bit because that's the priority.

[Speaker 4] (52:50 - 52:53)
We need to figure out what's going on with the Hawthorne.

[Speaker 4] (52:53 - 52:55)
Discussion is a great thing.

[Speaker 4] (52:55 - 52:57)
We had a great discussion about that property at town meeting.

[Speaker 4] (52:58 - 53:01)
We had a great discussion at select board meetings about how to compromise,

[Speaker 4] (53:01 - 53:04)
how to build a committee to help figure out what we're going to do with that.

[Speaker 4] (53:04 - 53:09)
That committee met like every two weeks for a long time and had a lot of discussions.

[Speaker 4] (53:11 - 53:15)
That's a lot of discussion. Discussion is a means to a decision,

[Speaker 4] (53:15 - 53:16)
not delay,

[Speaker 4] (53:16 - 53:26)
and it has felt like for the last four years we've had the same conversations in circles about what we're going to do with the Hawthorne, and nobody has a conclusion to that yet,

[Speaker 4] (53:26 - 53:33)
and it's been how many hundreds of thousands of dollars in opportunity cost are we giving up so we can continue to discuss something?

[Speaker 4] (53:33 - 53:37)
We need to make a decision on that parcel of land.

[Speaker 4] (53:38 - 53:39)
and it needs to happen immediately.

[Speaker 4] (53:40 - 53:53)
We've got somebody who's gonna occupy the space for the next few years, generate some revenue for the town, that's a good band-aid for the next few years while we figure out what's gonna happen, but we need to get going on that. All these other projects, there's some definition of what they're gonna look like, there's a vision.

[Speaker 4] (53:53 - 54:01)
We have zero vision for the Hawthorne. We have no consensus as a community. We had a committee do a lot of great work on it and present ideas to the select board, but that's it.

[Speaker 4] (54:02 - 54:06)
What's it gonna be in twenty years? What's it gonna be in four years? None of us know.

[Speaker 4] (54:06 - 54:08)
So if I were to go on this left board,

[Speaker 4] (54:08 - 54:10)
I would have an open question.

[Speaker 4] (54:10 - 54:11)
Why don't we put out an RFI?

[Speaker 1] (54:12 - 54:12)
Mm-hmm.

[Speaker 4] (54:12 - 54:13)
Why don't we go out and say.

[Speaker 4] (54:14 - 54:16)
All right, business community,

[Speaker 4] (54:16 - 54:17)
all right, community groups,

[Speaker 4] (54:17 - 54:18)
all right, town of Swampscott,

[Speaker 4] (54:18 - 54:19)
what do you want to do with this site?

[Speaker 4] (54:19 - 54:20)
Do you want to take the building down?

[Speaker 4] (54:21 - 54:22)
What's your vision for it if you take down?

[Speaker 4] (54:22 - 54:23)
Do you want to leave it up?

[Speaker 4] (54:23 - 54:24)
What's your vision for if it's left up?

[Speaker 4] (54:25 - 54:29)
What is the private sector going to pay for if they come in and develop that site?

[Speaker 4] (54:29 - 54:30)
What are community groups going to do?

[Speaker 4] (54:30 - 54:35)
Do they want to make a park and come in with grant dollars and private backing to create a beautiful park?

[Speaker 4] (54:35 - 54:38)
I have no idea, but neither do any of us because we didn't take that route.

[Speaker 4] (54:39 - 54:43)
And that's the route we need to take to figure out what actually can happen there.

[Speaker 4] (54:43 - 54:49)
Because right now we're all just hoping something's going to happen and that's great, we can hope all we want, but there's no currency in hope.

[Speaker 4] (54:49 - 55:06)
We need to make sure whatever happens there is actually gonna happen, and I am one hundred percent solid that if we go with an R_F_I_ we might have great ideas come back, we might not have great ideas come back, but at least we'll have concrete something that can happen there, which is much better to work with than something that

[Speaker 4] (55:06 - 55:07)
might,

[Speaker 4] (55:07 - 55:07)
maybe,

[Speaker 4] (55:07 - 55:08)
someday,

[Speaker 4] (55:08 - 55:09)
who knows, be able to happen there?

[Speaker 4] (55:10 - 55:10)
I don't know.

[Speaker 3] (55:11 - 55:12)
Thank you.

[Speaker 3] (55:16 - 55:28)
Swamp Scott has multiple major projects underway or proposed from the redevelopment of the Glover House and revitalization of Vinnin Square to developments like the Hadley Hotel,

[Speaker 3] (55:28 - 55:29)
Hawthorne by the Sea,

[Speaker 3] (55:29 - 55:30)
housing at Veterans Place,

[Speaker 3] (55:30 - 55:38)
and recreational investments such as the Swamp Scott Rail Trail and Archer Trails. With so many projects happening at once,

[Speaker 3] (55:38 - 55:41)
how should the Select Board prioritize resources,

[Speaker 3] (55:41 - 55:42)
staff time, and development of

[Speaker 6] (55:42 - 55:43)
these projects?

[Speaker 3] (55:42 - 55:47)
Funding, and which of these priorities would you personally move to the top of the list?

[Speaker 4] (55:47 - 55:55)
Thank you. I believe you listed maybe like half of the things that have to be prioritized. We're missing a hundred million dollar middle school,

[Speaker 4] (55:55 - 56:07)
a fifteen million dollar DPW revamp. We're missing a number of things that truly impact us. We have to be very conscious of cost.

[Speaker 5] (56:08 - 56:33)
I agree wholeheartedly with, you know, the these other with Ted these other projects have plans, right. They're in the works, uh literally the veterans, the Hadley, the venen the Glover's still outstanding, we talked about that, the rail trails is beginning to move um but the the Hawthorne has competing visions. The Hawthorne needs to be um uh

[Speaker 5] (56:34 - 56:47)
I don't want to say re-energized, but we need to rebuild trust in the community that was broken at some point where we bought this billet of land for $7 million.

[Speaker 5] (56:48 - 56:50)
We're paying an enormous debt service on it.

[Speaker 5] (56:50 - 56:55)
I think we all agree we can't afford to sustain the current trajectory of really doing nothing. So.

[Speaker 5] (56:56 - 57:10)
Yes, we've had tremendous amount of input from the multiple meetings that many of us I see in the room have been to when we went to the restaurant and everyone was excited and we wrote down things on the table.

[Speaker 5] (57:12 - 57:13)
Everyone was excited about it.

[Speaker 5] (57:14 - 57:22)
Then out of the blue a $37 million library came and landed in our pockets and everyone's throwing our heads up and saying where did this come from?

[Speaker 5] (57:23 - 57:29)
The town got over its skis, came back obviously as you know we know we created a committee,

[Speaker 5] (57:29 - 57:34)
that committee had some volatile conversations to say the least.

[Speaker 5] (57:34 - 57:46)
That committee did not have true consensus on what to be done and that left us with a lot of really difficult questions and this select board in the next couple of years,

[Speaker 5] (57:46 - 57:50)
in the next couple of months is going to have to figure out what we're going to do.

[Speaker 5] (57:51 - 57:53)
I believe that the data is there,

[Speaker 5] (57:53 - 58:01)
it just needs to be reviewed, and I'm not saying the data of the land use, but the data from the public. We need to review the data from the public,

[Speaker 5] (58:01 - 58:05)
find out what the actual consensus is and build upon that,

[Speaker 5] (58:05 - 58:10)
go out to RFI and let the people who know how to build these things.

[Speaker 5] (58:12 - 58:13)
Come back and give us some opportunities.

[Speaker 5] (58:13 - 58:28)
We just need to give them direction in terms of what we feel which is mixed use. We need a respect open space and as well as to be able to have some some level of anchoring business that works also with the hotel across the street. Thank you.

[Speaker 3] (58:29 - 58:30)
Thank you.

[Speaker 7] (58:32 - 58:34)
You don't need to repeat the question.

[Speaker 3] (58:34 - 58:35)
Sounds good.

[Speaker 7] (58:38 - 58:45)
We currently have the most expensive municipal parking lot in the history of municipal parking lots.

[Speaker 7] (58:46 - 58:50)
And we're about to make a generational error.

[Speaker 7] (58:50 - 58:56)
Definitely the Hawthorne site is near and dear to my heart. I live in that neighbourhood.

[Speaker 7] (58:57 - 59:05)
We have the hotel project as well. I believe that the Hawthorne site should be prioritised in ways that the gentlemen here have expressed.

[Speaker 7] (59:06 - 59:09)
We do need to come to consensus as a town.

[Speaker 7] (59:10 - 59:12)
We need to make that huge.

[Speaker 7] (59:12 - 59:22)
We need to hear from everyone we can. All fifteen thousand residents would be perfection, correct. Can I get an Amen.

[Speaker 7] (59:23 - 59:34)
So, you know, we we've we've been told it will be a park. Um I understand that that will easily cost us eight million dollars just to put green in the ground.

[Speaker 1] (59:57 - 1:00:10)
Sitting at the entrance to Schwanskot, I think the promise of Schwanskot deserves better. I think that our um our generational partners deserve better as well. We need to get it together folks and make a decision.

[Speaker 2] (1:00:13 - 1:00:14)
Thank you so much.

[Speaker 2] (1:00:15 - 1:00:24)
Well, those were our five questions. So now I'm going to ask the candidates to give um a closing statement or anything else they would like the community to know.

[Speaker 2] (1:00:24 - 1:00:26)
And we're gonna start with you Mr. Godfrey.

[Speaker 1] (1:00:26 - 1:00:28)
Mr. Godfrey.

[Speaker 2] (1:00:28 - 1:00:29)
Godfrey, yes.

[Speaker 1] (1:00:29 - 1:00:53)
Oh geez, well this has been incredibly humbling um to sit before you and ask for your vote on the twenty eighth um as a select board member um I hope it's clear to you that my interest is in supporting the town and listening to voices, using those voices to determine where we head as a community. Um I d I bring no ego to this um

[Speaker 1] (1:00:54 - 1:01:07)
I haven't been involved in the local government for thirty years or twenty years. I've been inv uh involved for six years. But what I am involved in is the community. I hear the concerns of our neighbours.

[Speaker 1] (1:01:08 - 1:01:19)
They worry about our tax base. They worry that they'll be taxed out of their homes. Um I worry that as well. And the promise of Swanscot is our beautiful

[Speaker 1] (1:01:19 - 1:01:30)
coastline and a welcoming, vibrant community. We have that by providing space for our commercial ventures and supportive development that

[Speaker 1] (1:01:31 - 1:01:42)
that shares interest with our senior population and their needs as well as our veterans and everyday folks who punch a clock and want to call Swanscot home.

[Speaker 1] (1:01:43 - 1:01:46)
So I thank you for your time. I thank you for your questions.

[Speaker 1] (1:01:46 - 1:01:48)
I thank all the candidates. Again,

[Speaker 1] (1:01:48 - 1:01:54)
this is not an easy process and I look forward to your vote on the 28th.

[Speaker 2] (1:01:55 - 1:01:55)
Thank you.

[Speaker 3] (1:01:57 - 1:02:05)
Thank you again for everyone and for our sponsors tonight and providing all of us to give an opportunity to share to share our thoughts.

[Speaker 3] (1:02:06 - 1:02:11)
What I want to leave you with is I offer a different type of expertise at the executive level.

[Speaker 3] (1:02:11 - 1:02:14)
It's evidence driven and it's not prone to groupthink.

[Speaker 3] (1:02:15 - 1:02:17)
I'm someone who has a broad capacity to take in information,

[Speaker 3] (1:02:18 - 1:02:19)
stratify it down into working parts.

[Speaker 3] (1:02:20 - 1:02:22)
To see the relationships between town management,

[Speaker 3] (1:02:22 - 1:02:23)
its departments,

[Speaker 3] (1:02:23 - 1:02:24)
our obligations,

[Speaker 3] (1:02:25 - 1:02:29)
and how all those operations affect the daily lives of each of our residents.

[Speaker 3] (1:02:30 - 1:02:33)
I thrive in constructive arguments,

[Speaker 3] (1:02:33 - 1:02:34)
not demeaning arguments,

[Speaker 3] (1:02:34 - 1:02:35)
constructive arguments,

[Speaker 3] (1:02:36 - 1:02:37)
in building consensus.

[Speaker 3] (1:02:37 - 1:02:43)
And in the next three years, there will be some hard decisions on land use, on services,

[Speaker 3] (1:02:43 - 1:02:43)
taxes,

[Speaker 3] (1:02:43 - 1:02:44)
infrastructure,

[Speaker 3] (1:02:44 - 1:02:44)
maintenance,

[Speaker 3] (1:02:44 - 1:02:45)
and investment.

[Speaker 3] (1:02:45 - 1:02:48)
And of course the rising cost to educate our students.

[Speaker 3] (1:02:48 - 1:02:49)
83%, as I said before,

[Speaker 3] (1:02:50 - 1:02:52)
83% of our budget is supplied by property taxes.

[Speaker 3] (1:02:52 - 1:02:55)
The Select Board will need to do a lot of listening.

[Speaker 3] (1:02:55 - 1:03:00)
And my decision making is built on the facts at hand with long-term focus.

[Speaker 3] (1:03:00 - 1:03:06)
I'm always looking to build consensus when possible to get things done and as I said before we cannot let perfect be the enemy of good.

[Speaker 3] (1:03:07 - 1:03:13)
We have to fully vet the consequences of our actions being ready to respond to the plight of our residents in a meaningful and empathetic way.

[Speaker 3] (1:03:14 - 1:03:18)
I have no problem being challenged in new ideas or evidence.

[Speaker 3] (1:03:18 - 1:03:21)
My goal is only to be a good steward of the town where I live and have raised my family.

[Speaker 3] (1:03:22 - 1:03:23)
I have no conflicts.

[Speaker 3] (1:03:23 - 1:03:24)
I have no other political future goals.

[Speaker 3] (1:03:24 - 1:03:25)
This is it.

[Speaker 3] (1:03:26 - 1:03:26)
Look,

[Speaker 3] (1:03:26 - 1:03:28)
I really love this community.

[Speaker 3] (1:03:28 - 1:03:29)
It's family.

[Speaker 3] (1:03:29 - 1:03:31)
We don't all agree sometimes.

[Speaker 3] (1:03:31 - 1:03:32)
We even fight in public sometimes.

[Speaker 3] (1:03:32 - 1:03:33)
But democracy is messy,

[Speaker 3] (1:03:33 - 1:03:40)
and the decisions and the conversations that affect us most are happening right here between neighbors,

[Speaker 3] (1:03:40 - 1:03:41)
at public meetings,

[Speaker 3] (1:03:41 - 1:03:43)
and at the voting booth.

[Speaker 3] (1:03:43 - 1:03:52)
What I promise to you is good governance and solid engagement to offer a skill set that complements the other select board members as we face these challenging issues.

[Speaker 3] (1:03:53 - 1:03:54)
Leadership is not just about making choices,

[Speaker 3] (1:03:54 - 1:04:01)
it's about asking the right questions and paving a direction forward that takes experience and a problem-solving mindset.

[Speaker 3] (1:04:02 - 1:04:08)
I promise to listen and encourage you to exercise your voice because all politics really is local.

[Speaker 3] (1:04:09 - 1:04:12)
And I would be honored to earn your vote on the 28th. Thank you.

[Speaker 2] (1:04:13 - 1:04:13)
Thank you.

[Speaker 4] (1:04:15 - 1:04:19)
Thank you. Thank you everyone for being here and thank you to the other candidates for sharing their visions.

[Speaker 4] (1:04:19 - 1:04:20)
And again,

[Speaker 4] (1:04:20 - 1:04:22)
I want to echo something I said before,

[Speaker 4] (1:04:22 - 1:04:24)
which is it really is a refreshing election where

[Speaker 4] (1:04:25 - 1:04:49)
There's no you're either this or you're that or this or you're that I'm very happy for that for us as a community and also it makes it a little easier for all of us sitting up here but thank you again for being here I appreciate your time energy and conviction to this town I think you know when my wife and I moved here and started settling down we said I don't know if Swampscott's great we don't know anybody and we don't really know I'd never been at the North Shore until I bought a house here and

[Speaker 4] (1:04:50 - 1:04:53)
Was I, my skepticism wrong?

[Speaker 4] (1:04:53 - 1:04:54)
This town is amazing.

[Speaker 4] (1:04:55 - 1:05:02)
The heritage of this town, the history of this town, we were the fishing capital of the North Shore up until a mere four or five decades ago.

[Speaker 4] (1:05:02 - 1:05:04)
We have so much to be proud of.

[Speaker 4] (1:05:05 - 1:05:06)
We have so much to be proud of.

[Speaker 4] (1:05:07 - 1:05:10)
Most importantly, one of the things I'm most proud of.

[Speaker 4] (1:05:10 - 1:05:15)
is that there are so many people here that care about this community,

[Speaker 4] (1:05:15 - 1:05:17)
they care about our government,

[Speaker 4] (1:05:18 - 1:05:19)
they care about our beaches,

[Speaker 4] (1:05:19 - 1:05:21)
they care about our open space,

[Speaker 4] (1:05:21 - 1:05:23)
they care about each other.

[Speaker 4] (1:05:24 - 1:05:30)
And that is the community that we have chosen to call home for our family and that I am so proud to be raising my kids in.

[Speaker 4] (1:05:31 - 1:05:35)
I am excited to be running for select board because

[Speaker 4] (1:05:36 - 1:05:37)
We have so many opportunities ahead.

[Speaker 4] (1:05:38 - 1:05:40)
We have so many opportunities ahead,

[Speaker 4] (1:05:40 - 1:05:55)
and I am so humbled at the mere chance to take part in helping set a direction for the next few years that my kids can grow up and hopefully someday raise their families in Swampscott where the community cares just as much as our community does here today.

[Speaker 4] (1:05:56 - 1:05:59)
So the only two things that I haven't had a chance to touch on tonight,

[Speaker 4] (1:05:59 - 1:06:06)
I am 100% pro beach bonfire, which is going to come up in town meeting this year. 100% pro beach bonfire, no questions asked.

[Speaker 4] (1:06:07 - 1:06:08)
Anyway,

[Speaker 4] (1:06:08 - 1:06:09)
if you want to learn more,

[Speaker 4] (1:06:09 - 1:06:13)
Dooley4Swampscott.com. Really appreciate your time tonight,

[Speaker 4] (1:06:13 - 1:06:18)
and I would appreciate one of your votes on April 28th. Thank you very much for being here.

[Speaker 2] (1:06:19 - 1:06:20)
Thank you.

[Speaker 5] (1:06:23 - 1:06:24)
Guys,

[Speaker 5] (1:06:25 - 1:06:27)
what's in front of us is not easy.

[Speaker 5] (1:06:28 - 1:06:31)
I can tell you one thing, that if we prioritize,

[Speaker 5] (1:06:31 - 1:06:36)
we don't take topics individually in a vacuum,

[Speaker 5] (1:06:36 - 1:06:41)
whether it's the Hawthorne or whether it's the Glover or whether it's the Rail Trail. All of these are equally important.

[Speaker 5] (1:06:42 - 1:06:44)
We've all voted on them. They're all our priority.

[Speaker 5] (1:06:45 - 1:06:50)
What we have to do is we have to realize in which order are our priorities set,

[Speaker 5] (1:06:50 - 1:06:52)
which are the most attainable,

[Speaker 5] (1:06:52 - 1:06:55)
which have the most funding available through various means.

[Speaker 5] (1:06:56 - 1:06:59)
I do for a living what we need to do as a town.

[Speaker 5] (1:07:00 - 1:07:03)
And I'm offering that and the pay is really great.

[Speaker 5] (1:07:03 - 1:07:06)
I just I'm astounded by what we get.

[Speaker 5] (1:07:09 - 1:07:12)
I'm half joking but I'm really not because

[Speaker 5] (1:07:13 - 1:07:19)
When you humbly offer your services and your commitment and your mind and your heart and your soul,

[Speaker 5] (1:07:19 - 1:07:23)
it comes across and people know it, they see it, they feel it.

[Speaker 5] (1:07:24 - 1:07:25)
That's what I'm doing tonight.

[Speaker 5] (1:07:25 - 1:07:28)
I don't have anything in front of me. It's coming right out of here.

[Speaker 5] (1:07:29 - 1:07:34)
I promise you that what I've done and what I've said tonight is the truth and the whole truth.

[Speaker 5] (1:07:35 - 1:07:37)
I don't think that we're missing an opportunity.

[Speaker 5] (1:07:38 - 1:07:41)
Everything that we said we want to do as a community is worth doing.

[Speaker 5] (1:07:42 - 1:07:47)
Now we need to prioritize that and we need to realize that if we work together we can get this done.

[Speaker 5] (1:07:48 - 1:07:59)
For example, on the UV system for handling the contamination at the beach,

[Speaker 5] (1:07:59 - 1:08:00)
I voted against that.

[Speaker 5] (1:08:01 - 1:08:03)
Not because I didn't believe that it would work. I did.

[Speaker 5] (1:08:04 - 1:08:07)
But why didn't I want to spend the $300,000?

[Speaker 5] (1:08:07 - 1:08:17)
Because I asked a question. The question was, where are you going to cite the U.V. system once you've proven that it works? Where are you going to put it? And the answer was, we don't know.

[Speaker 5] (1:08:18 - 1:08:20)
And I say, why would I test drive a car I'm not

[Speaker 2] (1:08:20 - 1:08:20)
Mm-hmm.

[Speaker 5] (1:08:20 - 1:08:20)
going to buy?

[Speaker 5] (1:08:21 - 1:08:33)
Why am I going to spend three hundred thousand of your money for a test that's that's going to wind up without a place to put it? So those things, and I've got any CharlieForChange.org. Thank you.

[Speaker 5] (1:08:35 - 1:08:36)
It'll be live tomorrow.

[Speaker 2] (1:08:39 - 1:08:58)
Thank you so much to our candidates for coming out tonight and thank you so much for our audience for being here to listen to them and again thank you so much for our readers at the daily item and readers at the swamp scott tides for keeping journalism alive and good luck on April 28th.

[Speaker 1] (1:08:58 - 1:08:59)
Thank you