But I'm wondering if he's going to >> want to be privy to the letter that >> we could we'd be more than happy to CC it to him as well. Okay. Open Space and Preservation Commission is what they're called. Okay. Over over there. >> If you can shoot me an email with that info now. >> Okay. And is that going to go out like real? >> I can get it out tomorrow. >> Goes out real soon. >> You can get it out tomorrow. We just voted on and approved it. The letter's already written. We just have to >> find the emails and send them off. >> Okay. Great. Thank you. >> You're welcome. Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you for bringing it to our attention too, by the way, Susan. This this would have easily slipped through the cracks, you know. >> Yeah.
Um because of her accomplishments um in if you if you look at the numbers uh what she was able to accomplish in decreasing suspensions for students with disabilities, the numbers are really impressive. 2014 it was 24.5% and in 2021 it was 12.8%. Roughly half. Um and and then I agree that the the Yonder Pouch move and these other specific examples of um policy decisions that were courageous um they demonstrate a bold leader who is also um capable of finding consensus. I think that this is the candidate we need. >> Okay. And I'll take a moment to also share um some of my thoughts. Uh coming into this um interview, I I was also in like a I don't think we can lose. You know, I think that either of these candidates would do an admirable job and are are perfectly qualified for the role. Um and so it was a matter of thinking who is the best fit for our district, for our community, for the folks who are around us.
Correct. For certain for continuing groups, >> those are the extra compression that isn't a part of the salary schedule fixes. So salary schedule fixes is for us to be able to have the ability in the future to negotiate wage increases for all staff across the board. individual positions fall under the the 200,000 that we're trying to hit those hot points. We get we know we got facilities issues. We know we've got school site issues. We know we've got HR issues. Yeah. And we we just haven't it's hard. That's why we haven't brought a bus driver plan because until we fix it all, we can't even look at the bus drivers. >> Way over. Sorry. Got more questions. >> All right. >> Okay. Okay. I I just wanted to ask just to make sure that I'm feeling good about the summary. We have about $750,000 to spend depending on medical choices.
>> How funny. three three year three or four years ago it was it was you know they they made that part of a a project and all the work was done was approved. Now all of a sudden it's they forgot all about their their approvals. >> Well, it seems like they responsibility. >> Yeah. Well, >> you know, this goes back to the old fire truck that was always stolen back and forth. That's the rivalry back and forth, you know. So now when now we're going to be playing with land, we'll do the same thing. Right, Kyle? >> Fire engines. >> You can't trust those stone throws. [laughter] >> All right. But thank you for bringing it to our attention. It definitely has been acted upon. So thank you. >> All righty. >> Uh thank you. Thank you and thank you for your uh assistance with the other matter speaking on.
And um you know towards the end of these interviews I also was finding myself drawn towards Carol Cruiser um primarily because of the way that she not only discussed but also demonstrated just like a very clear and open way of communicating. I did feel like this was someone who would tell me not what I wanted to hear but what I needed to hear. Um and that I think is is something that we need. I also really appreciated the focus on creating lasting systems and structures. I imagine that some of the some of the structures that she's been creating in Chapi will live even if she's not there and that that really matters to me. um someone who is interested in building something that they might not see the fruits of even. Um and so you know that as well as the way that she talked about restorative practices.
But well, hold on. But in order to and we've talked about things like you know adjusting things for compression, adjusting things for the salary schedule, um trying to eliminate or not not eradicate but eliminate or lessen our reliance on um uh contractors, insurance costs, bus drivers, all of that. Anything and everything has to come out of that 750,000. The reliance on contractors is not in the 750. >> That could be actually a cost savings, right? >> Correct. So that that one thing is separate. >> That's separate. >> Everything else is 50,000. >> The 200,000 is separate for job compression for classified that we'll discuss. >> That doesn't have to come out of the 750. >> That doesn't come out of the 750. Years of service and schedule repair would come out of the 750. And any movement on the repaired schedules would come out of the 750.
We appreciate that. Thank you. Okay. Town manager report. MMA conference. Do you guys remember that? >> Yeah. Okay. >> I do. I do remember it very well. It was uh >> Catherine is laugh. Why would >> Yeah. >> Um Yeah. I think I think you know it was a good conference. Brandy and and Yolanda came. I don't know if you had a chance to to go. I know you're >> I did not. I was very very sick. >> So that's uh you're still lingering. You're Yeah. Um >> the snow did the matter. >> You know, the sessions were pretty pretty good this year. Um the the venue, [snorts] it's a it's a little tough to navigate, but um and there was a few of my few less of my colleagues there. Uh but um >> you also had that snowstorm to contend with, too. Did that affect that area at all?
Um that is something that we have been working toward in our district and I think that it would be really great if we could have a leader who has some experience there and who is also committed to you know getting that to be something that what did what was the phrase getting our schools to row in the same direction on that I think is another feature of what I appreciated about how she spoke of the work. Um I really I did what I did really enjoy about um our first candidate Sharon Conoyer um was the discussion about building a budget across multiple towns and the complexity that's involved in there. I thought that that would have, you know, that is another thing that we've talked about on this committee of really wanting a budget that feels transparent and that involves everybody in it and that is like really planfully um made, articulated, discussed, that agreement is is there.
And the 750 is 750 depending on the medical choice. >> Right. >> If it's a different medical choice, it could be five whatever. >> Right. Okay. >> Yeah. Thank you for clarifying. And maybe we need to put it in. I It's a lot of data. Sorry, guys. I haven't slept a lot last week trying to get all this stuff ready for you today. So, um, >> thank you for clarifying what goes into what bucket. I could maybe put something together. It's just like a quick summary of that. Yeah. Uh let's give it up for Vanessa. That is a lot of information. I do believe um it might be helpful to what you were saying to say, okay, we here's what has to be addressed potentially with the 750 because the compression you've already allotted in a different bucket. So, um >> you get a list so we can see it at all times.
No. >> No, it wasn't that weekend. It was the weekend before. >> Oh, it was the weekend before >> or it was the Friday. It was the Thursday, Friday, Saturday. It wasn't the Sunday. We were all home by We were all home by Sunday. >> But I, you know, I will tell you obviously, you know, there's the events, there's the the programs, workshops, etc. But really the best benefit is kind of getting together with colleagues from around the state. And you know, I don't know about you, I but I mean a lot of the talk was around financial issues and what towns are are going through and and many of them are finding themselves in very similar situations as we do. Um and um yeah, I it the thing is is 27 is is one thing, but 28 looking looking couple years beyond could be could be even a little bit worse from a state funding perspective.
Um and I feel that while that is a plus for Sharon, I don't think that Carol couldn't do that. You know, I think that with the right team, I think that that you know that Carol could also do that work. Um so that's those are some of the reasons why I intend to support the second candidate. Um it seems like we're approaching kind of a consensus here. Um there were a couple of people who didn't specifically say who they might be well you said who you might be voting for but I don't think you did. Um doesn't really matter. Do we think just based on what we've heard would we like to have more discussion? Is there more to say? Does anyone have other comments that they've got or other thoughts and reflections? Yes, member Webb. >> Um, I just want to thank the I know this is not related, but I want to thank the interview, everyone who participated in the first interview process and the people who gave tours today and just everyone in Greenfield who I'm sure opened their arms for the places our candidates did visit.
be right on the paper there everything that has to be considered and I said 15 >> I think before we do that because we're not gonna I think she should put that together and put it in the shared folder because we're not going to tackle that just now and I need to talk to Joel about when and how and Vanessa about how but I agree that we need that list so we know exactly what has to be considered what we have and exactly so Okay, we're going to do a um Russell, can you bring my uh stuff back up, please? Thank you. >> So, we've got about I think 30 minutes before lunch, so I'm going to adjust the agenda just because we went a bit over. But I think that don't apologize because I think information is power and that was necessary. Um, and the part I'm going to adjust we can cover at our next session.
Uh I think it all depends on what happens at the federal administration level and what money ends up flowing down and what money doesn't end up flowing down um from the federal government. But um yeah, so that was uh that was the MMA conference. Um budget update. Uh so it's been a couple weeks since we had the tribe board meeting. Um I feel like all systems are go feel like everybody's on the same page. Um we will have our general government budget uh so both of them done in a couple of weeks. So um and so that way we'll be able to start talking about okay this is what you know this is what a yes vote means. this is what a this is what a no vote means in terms of the general government side. >> Um and so I I know you know there has been an outside group that's been formed that's doing um a lot of work as well that's probably going to sponsor their own forums but you know I'm sure that we'll probably want to do our own forums as well once we get all the numbers kind of tied in and we get that narrative put together.
I too am also in favor of um our second person, Carol. >> All right, have a good one. I not only want to thank you, but I just feel like this has been a more transparent process than we've ever seen our school committee in Greenfield actually use. So, bravo. Just I I think um involving our union, which thank you for being here. public comment. I mean, all of it, I think, is um part of what our city needs to do across all avenues is involve everybody. So, thank you for doing that. >> Child, >> if we're thanking people, we also have to thank Judy from Nestec, the consultant who guided us through this. She was wonderful. lots of expertise, advice, and we were very well supported in this process. And I would like to give a special shout out to our food service folks for provisioning us uh for the first round interviews, making sure that all of the people in the screening committee had food and hot beverage um for the evening.
Uh, it's not necessarily we don't necessarily need it today, but if if we do, I I can cover it quickly. So, what I want you to do now is um, thank you, sir. We're going to do a 180 from what you just heard. That was a lot of info. I want you to just take a deep breath, process that couple of deep breaths if you need to. Um, really good information, but I want to make sure that we uh tackle this next issue that we need to do. So, last time we were together, we started talking about workload. Um, but what we're going to do now and we created our story. What and we have a statement that we developed together. We developed interest around the issue of workload, but I feel like we need you to do a little bit more work around workload because I'm going to bet if I were going to ask each one of you what workload means to you, it's going to be different than what it means to you versus what it means to you.
So, um I don't did Did any of you have any other thoughts about the budget? Just we haven't really had a chance, I don't think, to really sit down and talk after [clears throat] >> the information that you provided us was, you know, straightforward and stuff is is easy to understand. I know that we have to >> Well, I know we had a presentation. >> Yeah, I was going to ask actually because because we didn't get that. >> Yeah, the back. >> Yeah, I was supposed to send that last week and I didn't do it. Okay. Um, but because I didn't get all the way through mine, which is fine. Um, but it had some information that probably would have answered some questions, some of your questions ahead of time. So, >> okay. So, we can get that out. >> Will it also be possible to get the information that the department's heads presented on Monday?
Um so really appreciate them. Thanks, Terry. And I would also like to give a special shout out to our facilities folks who made sure everything looked so good for when these candidates came and did their walkthroughs of the buildings. Um, and especially when they were coming in for the interviews in the library and for also helping one of our candidates find their phone. Um, so again, yeah, special shout out to those folks who really are, you know, they make they make our schools go around and I a special like really thank you to the other folks who were part of that um small team pulling all of this process together. It was a lot of work. Um, we're really thankful. So, with all of that, it sounds like we have come to a consensus and I would love to hear a motion from a member uh to appoint uh the candidate.
And so I just want to do a little bit of drilling down into that to make sure that we capture everyone's perspective on that. So, what I want you to do right now is um you can grab a piece of paper, post-it notes, whatever works for you. And we're going to do we're going to uh first you're going to do this individually, no talking, just on your own. And then we're going to work in small groups with like employees. So, we're going to do some small group, whole group, small group, whole group. and we're going to do it before lunch. So, get ready to get ready to rumble as they say. So, what I want you to do is individually on your own. You're not talking with anybody. What is workload? What drives workload for you? I will give you some examples. These are not all of them, but when you think about it, workload could be related to time.
Um we can um yeah I mean I think those are public documents even >> there were no names there were no specific things really discussed in the meeting. So I think if we can take a look at that. >> Yeah I I wouldn't see any issue with that. >> That would be very helpful actually. um as long as there's no >> I I also in regards to Michael you're talking about forums and things >> and I understand you know it might be a little more formalized but what the budget you know what the department heads presented I almost feel like if we could ask maybe not all of them but the highlevel department heads you know public safety um you know the two chiefs maybe public works maybe the senior center uh that we do a forum and almost have it be possible question, you know, a possible presentation and then with questions for the public.
>> Um, I I will make a motion. >> Yeah. >> That we extend the offer of the superintendency to Carol Cruiser. >> Second. >> All right. We've got a motion from member Den and a second from member Goodwin. Any more discussion? All right. Um >> I I think if you would like to I would love to get this on a roll call. Yeah, just do it. >> Member Deniv. >> Yes. >> Mayor Disorg Disorger. >> Yes. >> Member Dyman. >> Yes. >> Member Goodwin. >> Yes. >> Chair Ston. >> Yes. >> Secretary Webb, I am a yes. Vice Chair Child. >> Yes. >> And the vote passes unanimously. >> Thank you all so much. We have just voted to extend an offer to Carol Cruiser for our superintendency. >> Um, >> is she here still? >> I believe she she went home. Um, okay. >> But we will we will give the phone call um and let her know and then begin the formal process of entering into a contract negotiation which will we'll revisit that as a group later.