And they have really, in my view, the responsibility to get the Ashland land included >> right now. Has taken taken ownership of that property yet? >> I thought I talked with Mory Gasser because I thought Halt would be the recipient of all of the land, but he said, uh, no, that they decided to give it to the town of Hopington >> as open space. >> Okay. And so the posel in Ashland is in limbo. Uh, it's in limbo, but it's been on the market for a long time, and there is a a buyer lined up. I've talked with both Agilitas and the the prospective buyer, and he said, "Oh, I have a um purchase option contract to buy the land, and I think he has until the end of February to act on it." And um I I'm just astounded that they're able to put it on the market because it was supposed to be protected.
I hope that's part of your consideration because again we can't do it alone. Um and a lot of the change that we need is what schools all across the state need. And so thinking about the larger picture I hope is also part of the of the equation. And um you know I'm just going to stop there. I have way more that I could say but I don't. So you can put your timer to sleep. >> Thank you. >> Thanks for asking. >> All right. Any other members of the public? Great. >> And again, same rigor, if you could say your name and spell it for our recording secretary and also your address. Thank you. You can tell I'm new at this. Jan mayor, J an M- ah e r 38 Forest Avenue. Um and I also was not expecting to be up here. So, uh um I I'm just going to share my sort of instinctive um gut level feelings at this point, which is that um and and can I be overtly in favor of somebody here?
>> Okay. So I need somebody from DOE cuz I'm talking about the Yeah. But so are you folks spending more money purchasing bus passes? >> It's not even close. So like a bus pass for one student for a year is about $300. Um for a school bus for a student is about $1,200 for a year. >> So we are we are saving money, but we still we're still trying to restore the school bus routes. >> I hate to rush everybody, but we do have a timeline, but go ahead. Yes. Well, I I I guess Sean, maybe maybe explain what you guys are doing to help, you know, so so so you're what you're saying is it's built into the contract already for the recruitment strategies for the private companies then, >> correct? >> So they they should have ample amount of money. So So where do you think the breakdown is with on the CDL side then?
Um, and this is supported by consisting declining enrollment staffing decreases through our ratios. So, uh, I know that's a lot. Um, but when we go back to that meet and confer summary page, that's why I have 750 on the table. We also have medical costs that came in. So, uh, I'll quickly go through medical costs. I knew medical costs were going to increase. They've been telling us for a year. They told us last year. I go to lots of seminars and I get updates on, uh, pharmacy use and medical use. Uh, we get trend analysis throughout the year. So, when I planned it into this year's budget, I planned 15% increase. I knew we were headed for a big one. 0 and four. 0 and four. No way we weren't going to get an increase. So, I planned for 15%. It came back 13.8. So, that savings goes into the 750.
And in fact, the the special permit is the legal, you know, that trumps everything. I know that the building commissioner in Hopkin mentioned this ANR and the certificate of occupancy, which they should not have granted it to them in my point of view because they didn't fulfill the special permit. So regardless that the the special permit is what governs that land. It runs with the land. I guess that's a legal term and that's what that's what Hopkin and you know with your support Ashland should be >> right concerned with right and push and pushing for that. Absolutely. >> Yes. Exactly. >> Yeah. >> So as of as of right now uh we don't know where where would the uh entryway uh the easement to that property be? Would it be in Ashland or would it be off of Deer Run? Oh, when you say the easement, the whole property is it's about 1.8 acres, >> right?
>> Yeah, it's public. >> This the second candidate to me grew on me. um seemed to grow in her answers through the the hour that uh or slightly less than an hour. So at the end of it as a retired educator myself, but thinking about, you know, all the issues that have been on the table here, I felt like she was the one I would really want to meet right away and start that conversation with. And it's it's I can't tell you like a logical set of why why why but it was it was just the feeling that I had. Uh I think part of it was how often she mentioned centering the students and listening to the students. Um and then she mentioned particular curriculum approaches and and and I liked her wide range of experience with uh the behavioral issues that grew out of COVID.
Where is it? Is it they're not paying enough or is there a pipeline shortage? Like have we identified what that breakdown is that why we still aren't at that target number yet? because at some point it's either going to be pay or it's too hard to get a CDL, right? >> I think it's more pay. >> Yeah. >> And it is a nationwide shortage as far as the uh the vehicle to obtain your CDL license. So, there's different routes to do that. I think the most feasible one for people who are interested is to go through the bus companies. So, bus companies, >> they're interested in they're vested in hiring more drivers also because they're not getting paid for the routes that are inactive. So they're they're totally vested in this too. So what they're doing is if you have a driver's license and I mean they have their interview process, they're hiring them, putting them through paid training themselves, um and then giving them a signing bonus on top of that.
Okay. Right now, we got to make a choice. Are we going to cover the employees side this year? I don't know. But we covered them last year. It was hold no harm last year. We covered them last year for the 4%. If you look at um the district's portion of that, I mean, he brought it up. It's it's over $5 million. So, I have to take those dollars out of the dollars bringing forward because I have to cover that. So, the math is the 15% savings. We got 660 here. If you guys make the choice to do increase the uh maximum out of pocket, it gets us to a 10% instead of the 15%. So, of that, if we needed to cover for um staff, we'd have to cover those numbers are a little different because I I added my savings in there to give us a little cost bump.
>> But portion of that land is going to be open space. >> The the entire 1.8 acres that's in Ashland attaches to the rest of the Hopkins. I think it's supposed to be >> depending on which document you read, it's either 52 acres in total or over 45 acres. But that 1.8 8 acres. That little triangle was meant to be part of that whole parcel and they just through this ANR lpped that off. >> Um which you know >> I guess they can but the fact is it's still designated as open space. >> So is that land landlocked? >> Yeah. >> No, there's there's frontage and there's quite a lot of the as Rob was saying there's a lot of the trail system that goes through that land. >> Okay. I mean, it's a major access point for Ashlin residents to get into the trail system.
um seemed like she really learned a lot and got a handle on those and um so I trusted that she would be somebody who could really help help that settling down continue to happen. Uh so that's if I were if I were voting I would cast my vote for the second candidate. Thank you. >> Thank you. Um, I'd like to make another call for anyone online who might want to contribute public comment. Um, I actually think the best way for us to be able to hear you is for you to come off mute and say your name. >> Jennifer Vernon. Uh, yeah. >> All right. Um, if you could please say your name again and spell at least your last name for our recording secretary. uh and also give us your address for our for our note takingaking purposes.
So um the other route is to go through the community colleges and we've uh reached out to Lero Community College. So they have a program right now u but that one is kind of on your own and then when they go through that program there's no guarantee they're going to be a school bus driver they might go be a truck driver right so >> they're better route is to go through the bus contractor because now they have a captive audience and they can have their things in place to make them commit to all these yeah free to get paid while they've been trained right >> yeah thank you chair I know we have time constraint so move on >> yeah what does the bus driver make do you Um, >> pretty good now. I mean, >> it's pretty good now. >> Good. >> I want to say it's 30 an hour.
At the end of the day, if you choose to increase the maximum out of pocket, I can get us to the 750. If we choose to do keep the maximum at the same, our uh number moves to 593815. That is on the sheet of the meet and confer summary. Um also on the sheet if you scroll over we will have to take the um cover e medical increase that's that's on that bottom row a little above the above go up top Joel please scroll that way it's in the blue under potential options for meet and confer so it's the very last one in that box if you scroll up a little right there cover e medical increases Um, so if we cover it at the not maximum, it's 62. If we cover it at the uh do do the maximum increase, it's 46. Both those numbers have to come off R 750 or R5, whichever.
Okay. And it connects. >> You might have seen that. >> Yeah. >> Sorry. So, >> no, I I've seen it. >> You've seen the map? >> Yeah, I have. Yeah. >> Okay. >> Yeah. Thank you. >> Sure. Yeah. So, I I mean, I've talked with neighbors. David Rosenlum is one of my neighbors who uses that trail all the time. I mean, we're confident that with the tools this town has available, zoning, conservation mechanisms, acquisition pathways, coordinated planning with Hopkin, that the town can identify an effective path to continue the long-standing, you know, commitment to preserving open space. Basically, um I we would like to respectfully ask that any municipal permits related to zero cross street be paused um until this matter is resolved. And then also that town council notify the prospective buyer and agilityas that that parcel is subject to a recorded it's in the registry of deeds special permit condition that requires open space use and that the town intends to uphold that condition.
Um and then I'll start a timer for three minutes. Thank you. >> Thank you. Thank you. Uh Jennifer Vernon, uh 17 Sunset Square, Greenfield. Um Vernon, V as in Victor, E R N O N, first name Jennifer. >> Okay, thank you. >> Oh, beautiful. Thank you. Okay, so um watched both interviews. I have been part of the district for 18 years as a parent. Um seen a lot, been through a lot, just kind of on the outskirts mostly. Um didn't expect to have um a a superintendent search, but we are here and um after watching both of those interviews, the second um the second person uh made me excited. Um she gave me hope. Um, I do have a little bit of knowledge of of her, not firsthand at all, but of of some of the stuff that she has done um throughout her career.
>> 30 an hour. >> Yeah. And the signing bonus is about, depending on company, it's about a,000 or 3,000. And they're guaranteed like x amount of hours, too. >> Okay. Thank you. I know we're going to have more. We have a couple other buses on the on um going to be on agenda in the future. So, this issue is Yeah. >> Yeah. resolved. >> Thank you. >> Okay. So, with that, we're going to move on to the last item, uh, student transportation, Senate Bill 2395. Um, hold on. This bill is about student bus fair rate system, including free bus passes for students whose household qualify for free or reduced price lunch. And so, with that, um, I know we heard some of the bus issues already on free bus passes. We have again, Attorney General and Horuchi, followed by Keith Yashi, followed by Osaturi. >> Good afternoon, an Hichi from the AG's office.
Does that make sense? >> Yeah. 13.4, 9.9. And that's what it would cost to the employee, and it needs to come out of our dollars. But I gave us credit in our dollars because of I had budgeted for 15 loss, right? So I gave us back those pennies and then I mean they're not pennies, but um and then that just again I don't know where to put it on the sheet until you guys make some decisions and uh that'll push what these numbers end up looking like. Okay. So essentially, we need to decide if it goes to the employer and they're paying at the doctor's office or comes off their paycheck right now. >> So first decision you got to decide if you're going to increase the maximum out of pocket. It only affects some people, right? >> Right. >> The next thing you have to uh decide is are we going to have the employees take the hit on the increased um premium that affects every employee.
I mean that that's really uh the authority. Um and and I think that provides clarity early to the prospective buyer and it would avoid complications later. And then, you know, I guess last thought is if that buyer should actually take the property subject to those conditions which run with the land, we would simply ask that the town enforce the conditions. I mean, it's it's intended to be open space. It always was, >> right? Yeah. Right. >> I just have one question. Susan, you might know this. Um, so if there is, let's say, a builder who buys that property and wants to build a home on it, they would need to get a building permit. Yes. >> And they would need to get one from the Ashlin building commissioner. >> That's right. >> So, how could we issue >> Yeah, I was about to say I think there you go right there.
And um I I am excited about the possibility um of her actually just joining her team here and um helping to do the best that we can for our community. Thank you so much for everything that you guys have done. I really sincerely appreciate all of the hard work you guys put in to our community and our school system. Thank you. >> Okay. Thank you so much. Anyone Anyone else online for public comment? >> Uh yes. >> All right. >> Hi, uh Andrea Michael. >> Great. And if you could just say your address. Yeah, my last name is M I C H A L and my address is 24 James Street. >> Great. Thank you so much. >> Um yeah, I I went to um most of the meet and greet today and then I was there for some of the interviews. Um I I stayed for what I could.
Um, just to um um clarify because the bill refers to both a free bus pass or free bus passes if that's con that could be construed as including free municipal bus passes in addition to free school bus passes. So to avoid any potential misinterpretation um we suggested where the word school could be inserted throughout the bill just to clarify that this is about school bus passes not municipal ones. Thank you. >> Thank you chair, vice chair, members of the committee. Shantimo, assistant superintendent testify on behalf of the department of education. The department stands on it written testimony which provides comments on this measure. Um, our big issues with this bill is that uh, one to to make it easier for students to apply for the free school bus through their um, free and reduced lunch. We're not able to share that info even if it's within different uh, department agencies.
The numbers I put there is 100% coming back to the district to cover the employee increase cost. We could do other scenarios if you guys want to do half and half. The district covers half. I'm thinking as we move into think about the progression we have here, we're hearing from insurance that we're going to have some increases. I'm hearing from our property insurance, all the different insuranceances. um we are getting feedback that we're getting increases uh for the next few years. So, do we want to wait with employees until the district can't afford to cover it for them and then say, "Okay, now you got a 15%, 20%, whatever increase." Do we want to start sliding that into the employees helping to cover the costs for the district? So we have some like this year covered 100% cover at 50% cover at 75% you have options we can cost out any of that think about the scenarios think about the future put a little bit of increase this year and before we make those decisions I want to share one last thing with you Joel can you go into the um the folder again the compression review folder where I put that benefit thing in appropriately and it's the 2425 benefit analysis in the compression folder.