>> How do you issue a building permit when there's already when there's conservation, >> right? Then there's conservation restriction on that. >> Exactly. I think that's why it's so important to communicate with this buyer to just make it clear what this town's position is so that they don't think they're just going to come in and railroad and put a building up where this No, this was supposed to be open space. >> So, it's recorded with the registry of deeds. >> Yes, it is. >> Yeah. So, I mean, I would think this person, >> right, would be doing >> that research. You would hope >> you would depends on the buyer, Claudia. It all depends on the buyer. >> Yeah. And and it depends upon what's told to them. >> No, I I get it depends on But I'm just saying >> it's there. >> Yeah.
I thought both candidates are strong. I can see why they got to the the the final round. Um I agree with what I heard at the other public comment that um I think the second candidate um seemed to me like a better fit for Greenfield. I think um again both seem very capable and probably good at their jobs, but but something about the way that the second candidate um spoke and uh carried herself and also maybe the fact that she in Chikap and understands some of the Western Mass um challenges um made me really feel like she was the stronger candidate for us as a community. Um, I I also liked the way she talked about um centering on the student and um and some of the other things she said about the way that she would collaborate with the community um both for the city as well as the community I thought spoke well of her also.
>> But you're already giving free bus passes. >> We do have free bus passes. They just have to fill out a separate. >> So, is that for everybody or just those people who can't get get a bus route? >> Everybody and and but it's everybody can apply, but it's screened as far as if they're eligible because they have to for elementary they have to be outside of a mile. Secondary is a mile and a half. >> I see. Okay. >> Thank you. Oati. >> Aloha chair and vice chair. Sarah Mill on behalf of HSTA and Osatouille Jr. Um, a bus pass is freedom to our westside kids. So, I teach at Alma Intermediate at Nova Beach, um, where a lot of my students do have free or reduced lunch and what the bus pass allows them, and I've helped kids figure out the bus schedule, how to get to cool things.
There we go. Okay. Uh in 2425, we didn't really get a chance to bring this out um at the time because we were going to cover the cost anyways. And so it just so we had done some analysis. This is still holding true. I mean, we can get new numbers for 2526 maybe. Uh I I just I don't think anybody's substantially changing their plans. So I wanted to show you what our plans look like compared to everybody else. Um, Scottsdale's total annual cost for employee only is 8,900. Our total annual cost, I really want to point this out, is 707803. This is because of plan design because we're in a selffunded medical plan and that they look out for us in a deep level more so than other medical insuranceances do because we're self-funded. They're always looking to cut our costs. So, when you're in that kind of plan, you're gonna track less than everybody else.
I don't see how the building commissioner could issue a building permit on land that's deemed conservation land. Well, that's why we were asking to hold on any m municipal permits related to that land because it shouldn't be allowed to be developed and and just that open communication with that prospective buyer and with the gillitas to let them know no, you know, we have the same understanding that that's not going to be developed. >> Did you spoke to the individual though, the potential buyer already? >> I did, but that's before I started investigating this whole Wait a minute. I think that's supposed to be open. Could you um >> I'd be kind of curious to know who that person is just in case we have >> receive any correspondences or or phone calls looking for something that >> Dominic Venudo is his name and JKJ Cross LLC is the um the entity that he's going by and he's he's already come in front of the the conservation commission about a wetlands delineation.
Thanks. >> Thank you. >> Any other folks online or any other folks in person? Public comment going once. If you would like to make one, you can come off mute and say your name. Public comment going twice. I want to give as much opportunity as possible. Yeah. >> All right. Public comment going three times. And we are done with public with the second public comment of the evening. Uh thank you member Childs for for bringing that motion forward and thank you member Denny for seconding it to put it on the table. Um with that uh I would love for us to transition now to the deliberation. Um I would I would like to make a motion to suspend Robert's rules of order to enable enable us to have uh just more of a discussion. >> Seconded. >> Okay.
So, kids have come to see art at Capita Modern, kids have come to see music at the Wiki Shell. Um, also, here's the thing, we want our teenagers to be independent, and a bus pass allows that independence. It's so important to develop those skills. And also, like adults get tired of their teenagers, too. So it gives get kids out of the house um and go socialize in different spaces. Um also really important to me is that the bus pass would allow kids to get to work and internships. So a lot of those resources want to do I want my kids interning in this building for your your offices and for that to happen for them to get to Eva Beach they're going to need to have the bus to do that. So please support this measure. >> Okay. But if it's just school school bus school bus passes does it allow them to >> Oh this is just the school.
Um, some of the plans, like Roosevelt's doing a great job with their EE spouse and their EE family. They're kind of slightly beating us in total annual cost, but when you come over and look at the percentages covered by the districts, you can see that we're beating everybody pretty much down the line. So, Roosevelt might have a little bit less cost on the employee spouse. uh monthly cost to employee is 327. Ours is 333. It's because their co their annual plan is less and ours is more. But we cover 57% of the plan for the employee. We cover 69% of the children and we cover 51% of family. The reason that we have these coverages is because we're actively trying to get children into our plan. When you have children in your plan, it brings the cost of your uh claims down. you get a much better bang for your buck when it comes to self-funded insurance when you've got young healthy kids in it.
Um, I've seen spray paint on the street, red spray paint that was put out there indicating he's, you know, moving forward, planning to do something. So, I think he needs to be level set in terms of what's going on. >> Would it be appropriate for us to send some kind of letter to him, Michael? >> That That's what I was hoping town council would do >> to him and agilityas to let them know where Ashland stands, >> right? >> Yeah. I think um really we probably limited to unless I mean I don't think the purchase and sales public you probably got a copy of it some >> um it Dominic said it was a purchase option contract and I think he said he had until the end of February to act on it. >> Yeah, I bet you I know who's financing it too. Um, so I I I might be concerned about sending something to a potential purchaser, but I have no problem sending something to tax and letting them know that our building commissioner >> wouldn't be in issuing a building permit property.
Any discussion? All right. All in favor? >> I. Any opposed? >> Any abstensions? Okay. Passes unanimously. So, we are in open discussion. Um, for now, I would love to hear, let me cancel it. I would love to um go around and hear from members, you know, what you thought some of the strengths of each candidate were. What were the things that really stood out to you about each candidate? um and to get a sense of if you if you have a leaning right now to get a sense of where folks are are at in terms of which candidate they would rather uh that they plan to support. Um we can do this popcorn style. Does anyone want to share their thoughts? >> I'll go. >> All right. So, Mayor Dorger, then member Childs. >> Um well, I'm so thank you for the so grateful for people chiming in.
Okay. Well, I mean, >> but in terms of what they can do with the school, but I mean a lot of my kids, I would just say to rely on the school bus pass to get to school. So, for instance, um Koy Point, it's been really tough for those kids to get to school on time with the bus shortages. They've been >> they can get buses. >> The bus passes, but yes. >> Okay. Thank you. Okay. [clears throat] Anyone else wishing to testify in this measure? If not, members questions. >> Okay. Thank you. I just wanted to go back to teacher standard board. Um Felicia, if you could come forward. Um, I just got a response that the the issue we're talking about that you said there was a resolution. Correct. It says here was told that she could not get her license because the Hawaii standard board said she had to do student teaching again.
Um, so that helps the more kids we can get in the plan. That has been a strategic choice of Kraton for the last I don't know however long you guys have been doing this insurance stuff. Um, and there's no interest in changing it. So, um, keep that in mind as we're talking about the cost to the employee and we could calculate the the employees monthly cost. I think that's on that that blue sheet, but we can plan out scenarios if you want to say the employee share cost. If we go up 10%, maybe we only increase five for them. All sorts of options out there. You guys just have to think about what what um and I'm happy to make recommendations from my lens, but it doesn't mean that's what I'm saying we have to do. It's just utilizing me as a a resource. So, that's where we're at.
>> That would be great. Well, and and that we would we are we are in support of >> the the agreement that the Hopkin Planning Board did and we do not want to see this built because there's already these restrictions put on it. And even though Hopkin feels that they can't enforce it because it's land in Ashland, we as the Ashland Select Board support >> that decision for this parcel. Exactly. >> That's that needs to go to this the current owner of the property. I mean, I wasn't saying that Doug would be like doing us a favor by not issuing a building permit. I just don't think he could legally because of the um >> you know, the restrictions, too. He would he could probably answer that question. >> Yeah. And we can ask Lisa that too. >> I also think like, you know, we had drafted this this letter that Lisa had given comments to.
I thought that was wonderful. But my um I would support the second candidate. Um I agreed with some of the things that our citizens said. I thought she was very focused on the children. She also spoke about special needs and about the elementary schools which we hadn't really heard of. Um, and I also wanted to share I got a I I got a phone call a week from Saturday, which I didn't call anybody and say, from Joe Cmerford, who strongly recommended Carol. Um, and I asked her if I could call people and she said yes, I could. And then I thought, well, if I called everyone, that would be an a what do you call a violation of open meeting law. So that's the first time that I said that. she um and her wife knew her personally and spoke about her work ethic, dedication, and her interest in being here and many other glowing things that I can't remember all of which so I don't want to paraphrase um a quote, you know, incorrectly.
She's currently teaching and her principal uh wrote a a recommendation. So, yeah. So, why would she have to do student teaching when she is currently teaching and the principal wrote a letter of support? >> Yeah. So there's clinical hours you have to do after passing your content knowledge. >> She did it student teaching. >> She didn't pass her content knowledge at the same at the time in which she was completing her student teaching. So um again this will go to the board. It's actually already at the chair's uh notification on this. So the chair >> why do you guys make it so hard for these people? She's already teaching. She's already in the classroom. She's already getting a uh principles and then she did her teaching teach student teaching already. So now there's this technical issue that is keeping her and I don't know how many of these kinds of issues are out there but it's really acceptable.
Um once we're done on that summary page, you'll be able to go we're going to choose years of service. Click. We're going to choose to do the compression fix for certified classified and maybe not everybody. I mean, it's going to be a pick and play. Uh, so once we have all of the numbers vetted out, you'll be able to say, "We want to do this or this or this. These are the choices that we're going to make on the fixes of the schedules. We want to do a move or not do a move this year, do moves next year, uh, whatever the dollars will support, you'll be able to just at the far end of the totals, go click this one, this one, this one, this one. Add it up. Does it make it? Does it not?" Okay, let's go back. Let's look at this one.
Um, >> I I would say at the very least on the CC line, we send a copy to Achilles too, you know, because >> because I think >> more information the better. >> Yeah. Um, and then if we if we send this letter to Agilityas plus the Hington Select Board plus the the the planning department there >> and then follow it up with a letter from the building commissioner, then it kind of makes sense, >> right? >> So I that would be my recommendation, >> you know, >> that's fine >> to just add add them to the distribution. part of this discussion is going to whether or not you approve the letter that was originally drafted and then Lisa made the revisions on it and we have the clear we have the uh the clear uh version of it. So, >> okay, >> that would be the letter that I would recommend sending because Lisa's already done the uh the read, >> right?
So, I'm for the second candidate, but I thought they were both wonderful and very qualified. I was on the initial worked wonderfully. It was great working with Ian and Stacy. >> Thank you. Got member childs next and then >> Okay, >> then member Deny. >> For the first one, the ones that stood out the most was I really liked the way she talked about how she collaborated with other city departments in building a budget. Um, I really liked the stress she put on finding the pain points of whatever she was doing to figure out how to fix and especially the growth mindset uh part that she talked about at the end. For the second one, what I really liked best about her interview is how specific she was in answering questions. Her examples were very real, not theoretical, and of course, the student focus. I would be comfortable with either of these women as superintendent.
>> I can have the board reook at the rules because again it's a part of the rules. It's not something >> change the rules and we got to do it. Come on. I mean we have a shortage everywhere. >> Correct. Correct. >> So be part of the solution and not part of the problem. >> I will relay your message to the board. Thank you. Thank you. >> Yep. >> Okay. Okay, with that members if there are no other other business we are ajour one. Okay, members, we are in decision making starting with uh do you have the voting sheets? Yeah, [clears throat] vice chair. Uh Senate Bill 2024 relating to charter school facilities. Uh this is a pilot project and it will go before ways and means members. So if there are other issues that need to be um resolved, we can do it at that point especially on the money issue.
So you guys will have an opportunity to make a lot of choices this year and how we move forward with compressed schedules, how we move forward with our medical coverage and how you utilize the dollars that we've brought to the table this year. That's it. Okay. I know. Yay. Bad news. Uh no good news though. I mean good news. Good news. fund balance reserves did exactly what they needed to do which allowed us to operate as usual and bring dollars to the table like we plan to do every year. So, uh those are the takeaways and we have choices. We have lots of choices. All right. Yes. >> So, the 1.5 million in declining enrollment was from over staffing essentially that we lost. It was from staffing that we did in February with no anticipation of how far the decline would happen in August. And you're not going to fire everybody because the kids didn't show up, >> right?