The end times fall in line naturally. This gives us our 45 minutes in between each one and the 7:30 is really where we were working which was the whole controversy that we've had to discuss with the high school. I'll just say so moved. He he Yeah. Okay. Do I have a second? Second. Great. So, um Roso moved. Erin second. Um all in favor of um BHS starting at 7:30, Wisconsiner at uh 8:15 and um CL at 9ine. Um please say I. I.
It only has to go through city council and the mayor. Bam. Historical commission. We have open meeting town meeting. And it takes a long time to get to this point. And the other thing about that is it would be great to do it higglypiggly. You know, if you could you'd have 25 different commissions. Who's going to be on all those committees? We already have trouble getting people to be volunteers in this town. No one in this town, no one on any of these commissions or committees is getting paid. This is all free labor, folks. We're doing this not because we want to see people go out of business downtown, but we're doing it to preserve the historic character of the town we live in. And with that, I thank you. Thank you. We'll move to a vote. Uh my typical process would be do to do a card count, but given the interest, I think everyone would prefer to have an actual numerical count.
Any opposed? Okay. So it's unanimous. We um have passed it. Thank you. So uh now we turn to public comment. Uh second public comment. Mr. Korea, you are up. gonna have a lot of unhappy parents. Okay, we're at public comment, kids. Hello, Andy Fria. Um, Brookfield resident. Um, uh, just reflecting on the, um, presentation from Brookfield Cares. Um, what wasn't in there for data that was in there in 2022? Um there's a breakdown of girls girls versus boys or males versus females and how they feel in school safety wise. So in 2022 the numbers were like similar like I wouldn't say they're okay in terms of number of students that don't feel safe. Um but when you break it broke it down by gender in 2022 it was predominantly females and males felt significantly safe. Um, and if you sort of check the tape on me coming up and speaking here over, you know, several months about school climate, um, there hasn't been a significant change.
So, we're just going to move right to a a hand count. Tell us the front, please. That's you. The tellers are going to get into position and when I ask for your votes I'm going to ask you I'll ask as I normally do All those in favor uh to to raise your cards, please keep them raised until the tellers come back here. We want to make sure they've had a chance to count all the votes. So, all those in favor of this article 15, please raise your cards. One Thank you. All those against the article, please raise your cards. Put your cards down. There were 111 yes votes, 66 no votes. Given that this requires a two-thirds margin, it fails. In favor, 111 opposed 66. In order to pass it, it would have needed 132 votes. Just to be clear that the clerk verified that I did the math right.
So, I would recommend the board take further into that. Um, and then separate topic just remind you when you talk about the legal matter that you're or the um ethics matter, you should name the full full matter including the respondent. Um, I advise you when you come out post executive session, if you do decide to go to an executive session as opposed to discuss it here publicly, that you should come here and let um the post executive session public piece be um recorded and broadcast. Um, and then um remind you that both the respondent and her number two uh right-hand woman needs to recuse himself the post executive um session ethics complaint. Um, and I just would like to read from the probable cause finding from the board of ethics. The allegations could reasonably determine that the constit that constitute a violation of the Brookfield code of ethics and the charter.
Article 16, land take you from multimodal trail sponsored by the select board to see if the town will vote to authorize the select board to purchase acquire. Sorry. After discussion and review, we are pulling this article. Thank you. Article 16 is being withdrawn by the sponsor. Because it's being withdrawn um because it's being withdrawn by the sponsor, no action is required on the part of town meeting. Article 17, zoning bylaw accessory dwelling unit sponsored by the planning board to amend the town of Ashlin zoning bylaw section 76 7.6 accessory bylaw. Try this again. Section 7.6 accessory family dwelling unit by omitting the existing section 7-.6 and its place adding the languages printed in your handbooks or passing vote or taking the action relative there too. The finance committee defers his recommendation to town meeting. Miss Kendall on. Thank you, Mr. Moderator. Um, in August 2024, Governor Healey signed the Affordable Homes Act section 8, which allows ADUs, accessory dwelling units up to 900 square feet to be built by right in single family zoning districts.
The evidence evidence submitted, including the publicly available YouTube recording of the November 20th board of meeting supports the assertion that the complaintant failed to recuse herself from official discussion and voting in a complaint in a matter of which they she had a direct personal interest. Um, another communication said that the evidence was irrefutable. Specifically, the the video video footage shows the uh the respondent participating in the deliberative process, initiating motions, engaging in discussion, voting, and at no point did she physically remove herself from the board table as required by the ethical standard. Furthermore, this was highlighted in an October 30th, so about 20 days before conflict of interest training by attorney Tom, board of education chair and the members were board of education attorney. Um members were explicitly reminded that participation in any deliberative process where a conflict of interest exists is inappropriate and contrary to ethical obligations.
Final versions of these regulations uh came out in January of 2025 and the planning board has been working to bring the Ashland ADU bylaw into compliance with the state law. Um, so what is described here in this bylaw is um removing Ashlin's uh ADU bylaw, which um only allowed for um a family member to live in that um in that ADU and it was a a different size requirement and the current ADU bylaw as proposed brings us into compliance with state law. The planning board did um vote to support this article.
So there is was this comment in the news times that the complaint was concocted. It really was just a narration of a video that you can all look at. So, you know, this is the, you know, we talk about how deliberative the budget was. $55 million budget. Thank you, Mr. Korea. Not $1 change. Mrs. Case, it's your turn. Um, I was planning on speaking on something else this evening. Um, but I have to say I feel a little bit like I'm on another planet. We had a presentation by Brookfield Cares. Um, and we're partnering with Brookfield Cares and they're identifying risky behavior, bullying, drug use, blah blah blah. The list goes on. Um, and we are letting them survey our children. Whether we agree with the content of the survey or not, we're allowing them to survey our students to get this information to get the statistics and the numbers, but yet when we have a live child that comes to the podium to say, "This is going on with me in my school, we turn her away." How how are we making sense of that?
I'll be available for any questions. Thank you. To allow discussion, I'll entertain a motion that the town amend the town of Ashlin zoning bylaw section 7.6 accessory family dwelling unit by omitting the existing section 7.6 and replaces it with the zoning bylaw printed in article 17 of the warrant. Dr. Motion discussion. All righty then. Uh we will move to a vote. Zoning is normally a two requires twothirds majority for uh to pass but given changes in Mass General law this requires only a simple majority. So a simple majority wins this vote. All those in favor of the motion on article 17 please raise your cards. Thank you and opposed. That passes unanimously. Article 18, update bylaw flood plane sponsored by the planning board to amend the town of Ashland zoning bylaw section 8.1 flood plane overlay district by omitting the existing section 8.1 and replacing it with language is printed in your handbooks or pass any vote or taking any action relative there too.
Explain that to me. We have a child who was bullied, cyberbullied, insexual in nature, not feeling safe in school. She took out her camera to record the incident as proof because it was a ongoing issue of her not feeling safe in school and she was suspended for it. The victim was suspended for it. How does that make sense? And how do we do nothing about it? And how did she come here and she was she was then showed the lowest form of emotional intelligence by the board by sending her away when she said, "Help me. Make it make sense to me. I will be opting my children out of this Brookfield career survey and I I hope other parents do it too until we can address these issues properly and they get handled immediately by the school in the proper way. Not that children have to come here and beg for the board to help her.
The finance committee defers its action recommendation to town meeting. Please note there was a scrier's error in section 8.12 section two. The words of the should have been struck through and the correct verbiage is local zoning bylaws relate to community compliance with the national flood insurance program NFIP. A variance administered by the board of appeal section 9.2 from this section. Miss Kendall. Thank you Mr. moderator. Patricia Kendall, six beneer road and current chair of the planning board. The planning board sponsored this amendment to the current flood plane overlay district bylaw due to changes in the FEMA, Federal Emergency Management Agency flood insurance rate maps, which affected two small areas in Ashland. Without modifying our bylaws, Ashland's ability to utilize FEMA insurance would be at risk. for questions. I'm going to rely on Ashen's conservation a agent, Becca Solomon, as this is a kind of complex wording in this bylaw.
Thank you. So, um we've covered a lot of ground tonight. Stephanie, what do you have for the three main points? the care survey, the adopted budget, and the New York Times. Yep. You guys agree? All right, sounds good. Um, upcoming events. Upcoming events at CLS, Tuesday, May 13th and Wednesday, May 14th is the art show at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 21st, fourth and fifth grade chorus concert at CLS at 5:00 p.m. Wednesday, May 21st is PTO meeting at Wisconsin Middle School. Thursday, May 8th, is the at 7 p.m. in the VHS auditorium. Wednesday, May 14th, uh begins the eighth grade field trip to Washington DC. Monday, May 19th, is the art show at 6:30 p.m. Friday, May 23rd is the seventh grade career fair. Friday, May 30th is the true and thrills educate uh adjunct thank you adjudication late adjudication of the band and chorus um and field trip to Lake Compounds.
Uh, but the planning board did vote to support this article. The last time um the flood plane overlay district bylaw was updated was in 2014. Thank you. You allow discussion. I entertain a motion the town amend the town of Ashland zoning bylaw section 8.1 flood plane overlay district by omitting the existing section 8.1 replacing it with the bylaw as printed in article 18 of the warrant except that the words of the following the words section 9.2 in section 8.12 subsection 2 shall be omitted. Do I have a motion? could have been here a while. Discussion. Everybody still tired out from from historic commission? Uh, see no discussion. We'll move right to a vote. As with most zoning articles, this requires a two-third majority. All those in favor, please raise your cards. Thank you. And opposed. This passes unanimously. Article 19 update site plan review sponsored by the planning board to amend the town of Ashland zoning bylaw section 9.45.3 procedures for site plan review and design plan review as noted in your handbooks or pass on your vote or take any action relative there too.
Monday, June 2nd is the quasi field trip. Saturday, June 7th is the eighth grade dinner dance. And at PHS, as Melissa mentioned earlier, senior prom is Friday, May 11th at 7 p.m. And the band and chorus concert is May 20th. districtwide. Friday, May 23rd is a half day for students, PLC uh PD day for um teachers, and Monday, May 25th, is Memorial Day, and there is no school. And can I just add that the Wiskanir art show on the 19th is going to have food trucks, so please come and try to make a night of it. Yes, trying. Great. So, that concludes this portion of the public session. We're going to move to um executive session um where we have um two three two items. Um we will be we'll be joined by um Pete Mahar provided that the Google meet link will work. Um should action be taken uh afterwards, we will resume public session um at in the um conference room um and all of the proceedings will be recorded in the minutes.
The finance committee defers recommendation town meeting. Ms. Kendall. Thank you Mr. Moderator. Uh Trisha Kendall 6 Rebek Road. um this bylaw as you can see um in 9.4.5 it's just the text that is being mentioned basically that we're trying to start cleaning up the bylaws to bring make things a little bit more consistent uh within them. This is maybe the first of what will probably be um many changes little by little uh through town meetings. Changing this to 65 days instead of 30 days brings the site plan review and design plan review um into alignment with mass general law chapter 48 section 9 which is the plan which is for special permits which is 65 days. So, we don't have to change this by Mass General Law, but we're trying to bring our site plan review process and design plan review process in alignment with the special permit process because often we are dealing with those two permits at the same time in the same project.
Ready? Yes. I move that the board enter into executive session for the purpose of discussing a confidential attorney privileged communication regarding a Brookfield Board of Ethics complaint against a board member and invite attorney Pete Mah into executive session. And I re Oh, we do them separately. Sorry. Oh, second. Okay. Um, all in favor of uh entering executive session for the purposes of discussing ethics case C 2024-4. Well, it's really for the attorney client privilege. We're not discussing the ethics complaint. Oh, yes, that's true. That's true. For to receive the attorney client privileged information. Um say I I um all opposed. I So nay. Nay. So um four um in support and three opposed. Erin, Joy, and Sarah. Uh I move that the board enter into executive session to discuss the employment of athletic trainer, security monitor, facility supervisor, in school suspension site. Security Monitor, Tech Director, Security Monitor, Maintenance and Mechanic, Security Monitor, Administrative Secretary to the Superintendent, Board of Education, Human Resources and Benefits Coordinator, Detention and Inschool Suspension, ISS monitor, part-time, human resources supervisor, maintenance mechanic, accounting supervisor, director of business operations, security monitor, coordinator of management systems.
Thank you. Thank you, Trisha. To allow discussion, I'll enter a motion. I'll entertain a motion. I'm not entering them, but the town amend the town of Ashland zoning bylaw section 9.4.53. 4.5.3 at step fourth in article 19. Do I have such a motion discussion? I'm guessing none. All right. This will also require two majority. All those in favor, please raise your cards. Thank you. And opposed. That passes unanimously. Article 20 is being withdrawn. There's some conflict. The attorney general's office and department of agriculture can't agree on anything. So until they make an agreement, we're pulling this article, bring it back potentially in the fall. There being no further business, I'll enter a motion to dissolve. Second. All in favor? Anybody want to stay? Okay.
Second. All right. All in favor of um entering executive session to discuss and possibly take action about employment of unaffiliated salaries for the coming school year, please say I. I.
Any opposed? Okay. So, 61. Who's that name? Sarah. Okay. And it is um it is possible that there will be additional new business when we um when we exit executive session. All right. Thanks for coming everyone. Two different motions instead of just like one long one. No. Oh, because he probably wanted to like separate out the Oh, he's only going to be there for that part. Okay. Um session well so it can't be discussed because he won't discuss it in public. So then we just don't have to figure out what to do next. will receive information will not receive information and therefore we cannot proce um executive session um uh the the initial motion about um receiving attorney client privilege information connected to the uh ethics complaint uh against a board member C2024-4 did not receive um the requisite twothirds vote uh so that um cannot transpire um but we will be entering executive session to discuss um unaffiliated salaries and there will not be um there may be action well there may be action afterwards but it needs to be understood that uh attorney Maher will not discuss attorney client privilege information publicly.