Okay. So the position is posted. I think overall is getting uh copies of that posting. So um basically uh Jen is setting up an interviewing committee which we consists of her the assistant town planner um sorry she is the assistant town manager be consists of her Katherine Bird who is the HR director um and two members of the planning board. So, one of them um as the chair was going to be myself. The other one is open um to whoever can fit what will be daytime interviewing into their schedule. Um that interviewing could be just a like a single day. they would try to put things all in one day or to combine as quick, you know, as condensely as possible that so that someone didn't have to try to get out of work or stay home from Boston um uh too often. Right. So, um like I said, the position is posted.
It'd be an interesting study to do nationally. And I'm I'm kind of digressing to that piece, but it was interesting to see that because I think we talked about it in the committee last year extensively about the I at least I'm summarizing and you guys could tell me if I'm wrong, but I remember there was a very very much a concern of the idea of trying to do both in the recommendation. Very much. That's what I heard. The other part I'm I'm hearing in the in the summary piece and I and I you know Patrick you brought it up um with this element it was in the early presentations that went out was to show what are the current successes of the district. uh when you see, you know, when you start to study some of these districts too, you know, obviously we look at location, but you're also if you start to look at how successful a district is academically, that can also probably play into the the feelings of the the community as well.
They are getting applications in and it would be but the deadline is really just until the position is filled. It's not we're going to stop at this time and just choose one of the candidates. It has to be a candidate that obviously fits um that that is a good candidate for the town. So, um when a number of good when we have maybe four or five good resumes or qualified candidates, that's when the um interview committee would kind of go into effect when there's that many qualified ones that fit the qualifications. Um those candidates would be interviewed and then the um the one or two depending how many the group decides to put forward will then be put forward uh to the town manager as a recommended recommended candidate or candidates. Um, so I think what would be helpful would be to obviously we don't have um we don't have Amanda here but um and Deepa is not here so we'd want to see who has interest in serving on that.
So, it's education then as well that that goes along with that. So, um those pieces I think are are part of it. I think they tell part of the story of of what has Daizar been doing to have a trend of academic success and how do you make sure that that families know that, the community knows that, you know, the voters know that because one thing that happens and and Mary Dell's department does it every year is it's very transparent of what the finances are of the district and what you're doing. And that's important. And I think that was brought up by this committee. Again, I'm I'm just I'm I'm going back to some of these elements that we heard that were said that were so critical to what we were talking about last year. We, you know, being very transparent in what we're saying and what we're doing.
I also um would like to get um possible questions from the board about what we what we would want to ask um the applicants um kind of like we did for the associate position or you know to ask the same question to each applicant. Um and other than that I'm looking for feedback on that on that process. So okay do you want questions from us by particular date how do you want to go about this I mean we can discuss questions in another meeting I don't know how quickly I don't think we know how quickly these like um interviews will happen yeah or or suitable candidates will be our next meeting is April 10th do we have enough time bring our questions to that meeting I think so but I can keep you know, I mean, we'll still have to even find a a second person if a second I assume we would like a second person.
And so, I think that's a that's a that's a big part of this story as we start to get to this uh you know, summarizing next steps and what this committee wants to uh make make with a recommendation. If I could just answer Travis's question first. So, the I pulled up the survey results. So what the question and I think that might be what you're asking if both a budget continuation. So at the time it was the override would have continued if both of essentially both an override and a bond issue were on the ballot. Which of these opinions comes closest to your own? 44.2 was likely going to vote yes on both. If it was only one or the other, it was 60 68% in support of an override and it was 52 in support of a bond. But if they were both together, it was still 44%.
So, my whole thing I'm more than happy to participate if it's during the day if they're all like squeezed into a half day or something uh and there's some notice in theory I could I'm off from work and be there ideally if they're spread out and it's like midday like lunchtime depends how many we're talking about like 10 like I don't know. I I think she was hoping for just based on other things like hoping for four to five and and and putting it into a maybe not a half day, but a Thursday, you know, kind of thing. Um and and be able to do them ideally all at the same time, but it could be two different afternoons just so that you can really Yeah. compare candidates versus trying to remember over succeeding weeks about what that might be. Um, I mean if we can if we can get for the next planning board meeting like a proposed a schedule or something figure out which one of us is available come up with the questions might be helpful send our questions to Alvaro prior to have him together for our next discussion.
So, it looked like the override had a little bit more support in that sense. Um, but at the time it it was the highest was definitely likely voting yes on both. As a as a followup, um, was that you're going to have to remind me. Uh, was that after the poll the people that were being pulled were made aware of what Yes. where the monies go? They were educated on what an override is. They were educated on a bond. No. So this was on the survey. So basically they started they did a pre-serve it's a prequests and they would ask them um if they were you know what is your viewpoint of daart overall or what is your viewpoint of education as a whole? I'm trying to kind of remind myself too on there. And then they went into if there was um a a bond like what are these what are your your most important things that you see?
I'm just kind of trying to think of a process that might work. Yeah, I think it um we'll just have to in in a way see um where we are in that in that two weeks. It's like obviously you don't know the rate at which applications would come in. Apparently, unfortunately, there are four four maybe other planning board director positions also being advertised out there. So, there's maybe a lot of there's a lot of openings for people. Yeah. all moving around. I have no idea. I just want to make a note that I think if you're going to send questions, I think they're probably better off going to either Trisha Hind or Jen Ball directly, you know, or HR director Katherine Burke. Um, just to make obviously they are the professionals, you know, human resources officer that's we're going to running this search. And so I think if you were going to send questions, I think to to to alleviate Alvaro to have to collect, I think you're better off sending them to Jen.
Is it retaining teachers? Is it maintaining class sizes? And so then the the p the surveyor um ranked it. So they didn't receive necessarily information on the 127 million if that's your question because that wasn't decided until after but it was ranking what were those items of biggest concern. So for the override related items, the highest the the highest um ranking was extra math and reading support, competitive teacher salaries, retaining teachers, and then it kind of trickled down to the the bottom of the list was all day kindergarten. Because if you remember our the consultant, he had come out and said not not many districts pull full day K on the override because that might not be the most um attractive to everyone like everyone's most mostly interested in math and reading supports, etc. Um, now related to the bond, what went highest of importance was school safety improvements was by far the highest roof repairs, HVAC repairs, a lot of facilities, and down towards the bottom was like fence and gate improvements and key card access.
But I think we need to agree. The planning needs to agree what questions we have to ask first before they get so I would say send them to the point is we would send it to either send them to me. That would be a violation potentially of open meeting law. So right I don't think sending them to you is a good idea. If we all send them to you we're having off thereord. I think what we need to do prior to the next meeting is if we have feedback, we as a planning board, it sounds like what I'm hearing is we as a planning board may have questions we want to ask. We need to get our questions board together and agree to them as a planning board which means we send them to Albero for our next meeting. Can't send them to you then we're having record all individual violations.
So, some safety key card related. So I think to your question there was definition in the surveying portion of that piece um you know of what an override what a bond of those items are. So that did come out in this in the survey element. Um and then and and there was you know obviously when you know when the election was called for and then that process began there was educational materials that were out there explaining the difference. Um but there were still questions. I mean, I think everybody's aware of there were still conversations everybody had out there where, you know, I heard them even afterwards where, you know, you would hear the misunderstanding still, you know, I voted no because and it had nothing to do with it. They were talking about M funding and it was a bond election. It's interesting the demographics.
No, it's only if I take your information and I give it to Kate and I No, because it's like it's not my reading. It's a serial communication. We're all communicating with you about the same page, but it's not a serial communication. It's all one way. The serial communication is when So my reading of the AG's opinion is is fact opposite that if she speaks to you about the same thing that I'm speaking to you about, that is now you met aumor on a subject. All right, separate emails. I I will confirm that. I will confirm that. But so why don't everyone just get their questions ready? I don't even know what the time frame will be. Like I'm not sure I'm not sure that in two weeks. I'm not sure I'll be able to say, "Oh, our timeline is this. We're interviewing on Wednesday." I don't think it's going to be that cut and dry.
I'm looking at the final one. The demographic says, do you have children under 18 living at home with you? Um, of the people that were surveyed, 60% did not have children under 18 with them. um 36% did and three and a half refused. So the majority of those surveyed did not have school age children. If I may just uh we last year again we decided to hold off on the override. That was the correct decision. I believe that to this day because two things number one no one could have accused us of acting in bad faith. Nobody. That's why you saw no organized opposition from anyone. Number two, it also tells me that that had we had floated both would have failed and we would have thought they failed for different reasons. Now I know right if they if we floated both and they both went down then we would have said that's what we did it we we we floated both we should have done that but they would have failed either way.
So I think I I do um there will probably be there should be like obviously a few days notice, but it may not be, oh, I need two weeks notice before I can take a day off. That probably won't be the case. It's probably going to happen a little quicker than that. So, or a little once we get the applicants that we have to uh make it happen a little quicker than that um and be more flexible. So, um so but I'll I'll know more about that at that time. So, we're kind of just on the beginning process of it. But, um but questions would be good. So, yeah. So, I guess so send them to send them to Alvo at this point. He can at least compile them without names. Um, and then it keep trying to save you some burden as you start taking over more and more stuff.
So the numbers had nothing to do with anything. The lineup had nothing to do with anything. We caught it in a bad year and we didn't message. We this election we lost it before it went to the ballot. So So we have to vote it now. we have the full I think your summary is is and that's just a I mean that's a that's a good summary I think for everybody to hear and that because we did I mean that was very that was very well st you know at the time but now how you're summarizing what what the results are and what would have happened you're you're obviously we don't know for sure but yes I would just based on the statistics of what we saw as well so we're we're in a we're in a place of of we have to, you know, be thinking about what are some of our next steps and where we're at.
Um, so okay. So any other questions about that? That's about all I know about it at this time. All happened really rather quickly. quickly. Quickly. All right. And obviously I'd like to get uh you know um Amanda and especially Deepa in on that process that Deepa has a lot of longevity on the board. Okay. Nothing else on that topic. All right. Okay. So then uh next oh okay so we're back to 60 one Waverly. So 61 Waverly um uh John Trafedan zoning board of appeals has asked for input um regarding input comments um regarding the development. Um and so this past Tuesday night the zoning board of appeals opened the public hearing to start the public hearing process. Um so for the next 180 days the zoning board of appeals would be reviewing this project. Right. It's uh 226 units um at the same location, 61 WL Street.
Um, and the committee is going to have to make some decisions of because we want to we want to give an update to the governing board. The next time the governing board will be uh meeting is April 7th. Um, so it's an opportunity at that time to provide an update uh of where the you know the committee is at if there's and be I think we we can take a few more comments tonight. We don't want to go too long and be labor it and but we would want to say though is that on the 28th is when we would make the the formal recommendation whether it's one the other both neither. So um really need to hear from the group now is is that is there a is there some strong uh feelings on what we might be thinking is should be uh presented in that or whether a committee wants to go at that time wants to start I think both I think both need to go up I think we need to hit the messaging hard and there's several different things we can do that but I think it's very much needed I think it is we are outside of the three pages of a ballot to vote on where it takes you 45 minutes and 800 different that you by the time you got to the end of it you didn't even your eyes were crossed I'm just going to vote no you know I don't know but I think this is the opportunity and like I said sometimes systems have to fail before people truly understand it and I think we have seen enough of a failure that we have people's attention so I think now is the time to start the conversation but my vote right now would be and I do not see changing to do both of them.
Um it is a new applicant, the Gutierrez Company out of Burlington. Um in most prominent is that the plan changed um from a from a structural from a organizational standpoint um not from a unit count standpoint. Um the Gutierre's company did receive um a letter from approval from Mass Housing to transfer the the eligibility letter, the PEL letter um to this project, 226 units. Um and as you can kind of read between comparing the two plans is that um the previous plan was made up of four buildings, two fivetory, two fourstory. Um there was no connection to Union Street. Um and the site was almost kind of depressed. So if you came down Union Street, the building looked like a I believe that was going to be a four-story building that looks like a three-story building. um at the proposed plan. Um you can see is that um number one the it's one building um moved into the middle of the site and um there is a access to Union Street.
I would I would fully agree with that. Um I think the only thing that we need to consider is our the new costs. Um because as a year goes by, we we're going to have more things that are in need. Um so do we make sure that the board knows that or do we stick with these same numbers? you want to once again Pat has an opinion. Um so we've lost our buffer uh with the override. The bond needs have not gone away. Um if anything they've increased um so those needs are out there. They're going to continue strongly feel strongly and again I'm very much an optimist that we can do both. Not if we can. the the numbers that you provided about districts coming out with both and being successful are encouraging. Okay. Educating the public to the actual what's really going on, what's the difference, why are we in this situation, how do we get here are necessary.